Swoon

As I was watching the BCS Championship game tonight with my boys, I found myself flipping through this months issue of Veranda (the score was 15-0 so you have to give me a break). Tonight a Windsor Smith great room stopped me in my tracks. The grass cloth walls, black windows, mirror, and the white Moroccan coffee table. BUT, that camel back sofa had me swooning. The turquoise antique textile is so fun and vibrant yet so soothing at the same time. And on a camel back sofa no less. The sofa that's usually associated with an old stale room or your grandparents house. The print and color draws me in and makes me want to retire to this room on any given night. Even to watch a football game.

Then I remembered seeing the sofa and coffee table in a previous room of her house that was featured in House Beautiful. The infamous pink room in fact where they were secondary elements to the pink walls and yellow chairs. It was not my favorite as there were too many elements for my eye to absorb.

Just goes to show you that even with the same elements two rooms can be so drastically different- even from the same designer. But, it also confirms my belief that great furniture can be versatile and can move from room to room depending on your needs and your vision for the time. If you love it, you will have it forever and it's worth the investment. So go pick up that camel back sofa you've seen at the neighborhood antique store and reinvent it with a fun vibrant fabric (or if you are less daring a timeless white denim) a la Windsor Smith.

Pink - The Color of the Year

Pantone declared Hot Pink the color of the year. Since then it's showing up in all the shelter magazines and blogs. A reader asked me if it's really a color for the home or if it's just a fashion accent color, so I thought I'd dedicate a post to the answer.

Hot pink is actually a great happy/mood-boosting color. If you've been reading me, you know that I'm a big believer in neutral foundations and using your favorite color as an accent or pop. That way when you get tired of it, it's easy and inexpensive to switch out. Well, hot pink can actually act as a neutral if you pick a shade that's saturated and sits down or is dirty (meaning not a bright day glow pink - there's nothing neutral about a fluorescent pink). Then, it just becomes the canvas or background for the pieces you want to be the focal point of the room.

Alessandra Branca uses hot pink and chocolate in a living room to create drama and warmth.

A hot pink entry via House Beautiful

One of my favorite bedrooms. The glamour of the hot pink, mirrored bed, pale pink bedding and brown Schumacher fabric.

Windsor Smith's hot pink living room.

Jonathan Alder's medium pink entry. Could live without the giraffe, but it's perfect for his brand.

And if Hot Pink is too much of a statement for you, Pale pink can act as a neutral as well.

Image via Traditional Home

Image via Gary McBournie. Love this pale pink, white and chocolate room. It's so soothing and romantic.

Hello headboard...

Jan Showers uber romantic pink and lucite room.

Sophisticated yet fun pale and hot pink room via Cote de Texas. Now this is the way to do a little girls room that will grow with her.

And if you don't like pink enough to paint your entire room, then you can bring it in via accent pillows or pieces. The color makes the room pop and gives it a sense of whimsy. I'm actually loving it as way to bring a little spring into your house right now.

Windsor Smith using a salmon pink as her accent. Lovely and unexpected.

Sara Richardson's hotel room for Breast Cancer awareness.

Love this white and pink room. So fresh. And again, when you don't like it anymore you just have to replace the pillows and drapes. Okay, and paint the cabinet. But this person obviously loves pink or doesn't mind switching color palettes every couple years.

A hot pink throw is an easy and affordable way to bring the color in.

A touch of hot pink on the back of a chair in an otherwise neutral room. An inexpensive pop that makes the room interesting.

Palmer Weiss's hot pink day bed in a neutral cream and blue room.

Palmer Weiss's using pink and citrine. Fabulous.

Massucco Warner Miller using pink as an accent in a yellow and brown room. Brings the room to life and makes it modern.

Hard to see in this picture, but Mary McDonald paints the ceiling of this blue room pink. This is my kind of master bedroom.

The master of Modern design, Kelly Wearstler paints her doorway Salmon pink and uses it as an accent in the entry.

Hot pink poufs make a dynamic statement in this room.

Traditional french chairs covered in hot pink faux leather. Image via House Beautiful.

A black and white office with a dose of hot pink from Elizabeth Martin.

A rustic yet glamourous room with chocolate and pink from Elizabeth Carney.

Amanda Nisbet's famous hot pink room. A classic.

So does bringing a little pink into your house feel a little less scary now? It's a great way to boost your mood and transform a room. And it's not just for little girls rooms - it's a very classic color when paired with other neutrals as an accent or used as the main color.

Now go forward and bring a little pink into your life. It might just make you smile.

Blue Monday

After a week off and countless 5,000 calorie meals it was back to reality today. As I walked out the door I was feeling a little blue and overwhelmed. Then, I stumbled across the new feature on Windsor Smith from Rue Magazine, and my blue feelings suddenly gave way to inspiration.

No one does navy like Windsor Smith. Comfortable, cozy and glamourous!

I hope these blues inspire your Monday.

The New Chippendale

I've always loved Chippendale chairs. Not the Chippendale chairs that were your mom's or the ones that come as part of a set at your local home store. While they are great chairs with great style and bones, they don't have any personality when they are left in their traditional state.

I love any variaration of the Chippendale chair when it is done is a great color. Windsor Smith and Schuyler Samperton are two designers who like to have fun with the chair. Windsor Smith has done the chair in a great glossy white and the oxblood red. She uses it in casual spaces like the kitchen or around a fabulous non-matching table to give the room personality. One of the first times I noticed Schuyler Samperton was when her LA apartment was featured by Elle Decor. She also used a variation of the Chippendale in an oxblood red. It was gorgeous and made me remember her as a designer to watch.

Windsor Smith via www.windsorsmithhome.com

They are so popular now that they are hard to find. But, alas Noir Furniture has created a fun and affordable version. They come in distressed brown or unfinished (I believe they are only available to the trade but the best part is they are affordable). They also come in armchair and sidechair versions.

They are so gorgoeous yet fun. I would buy the unfinished and paint them glossy white or black for a casual but contemporary look. They would also be drop dead gorgous in a gold leaf or silver leaf for a more formal space. Chairs, you will be mine (or one of my clients) soon!