Metallic hides

I'm loving the metallic zebra and cowhides. They are so subtle yet add the right about of glamour and texture to a room. Great for someone who's a little nervous about the traditional hides OR for someone who wants the next HOT home decor item.

House of LoLo in Portland Oregon uses one to glam up the boutique. The boutique was featured in the new issue of House of Fifty magazine.

I love the color and sophisticated statement they make. I can't wait to use a metallic hide to add a little unexpected glamour to a room.

Unconventional

Lazaro Rosa Violan's Barcelona kitchen made me rethink the American standard of a kitchen: Why can't it look like a great, interesting space as long as it can still function as a kitchen and gathering space?

It's been crammed down our throats that a kitchen has a working triangle, it has to have a laundry list of "super durable" things like solid surface counters (although a lot of people can't even imagine a marble counter as they've been incorrectly told its too high maintenance (they actually get better with age and wear -- it's why they've been putting them in for hundreds of years!)), a tile or stone floor ("heavens no on hardwood") and a huge island with lots of seating.

Our kitchen blueprint has become gigantic- literally everything, including multiple kitchen sinks, multiple dishwashers, multiple eating areas. And it makes great sense until, well, until it doesn't. When you see how others live and you realize it can be unnecessary and all-consuming.

This kitchen has soul and it reflects the lives of the owners. It breaks all the rules and I love it. Herringbone wood floors (I DIE) and a wood counter island. No upper cabinets - just lower shelves with all the necessary tools in reach. An island without bar stools -- what a refreshing sight. A funky support column that adds character instead of being dressed up to look like a theater set. An unfinished open beam ceiling that marries beautifully with large scale crown moulding and a tabletop lamp instead of pendants. But the piece de resistance - the Asian screen that is the backdrop for the entire room. The room is stunning in an unconventional way.

This is a kitchen I want to cook in, celebrate in and just hang out in. It's so beautiful that it makes you want to create beautiful food. Maybe we should re-think the rules of what a kitchen is supposed to be and start creating kitchens that reflect who we are and what we need.

Everyone, meet my soapbox, but I'm a woman inspired.

Coffee Heaven

I've been thinking about espresso machines for over a year. I can't function in the morning without a cup of coffee. I literally can't even shower until that first sip hits my mouth. And with the Fall weather (I mean rain) in Seattle, I knew I needed something stronger to get me through this season.

So I did some online research and talked to everyone I could before walking into Sur La Table one day. I walked home with this new dreamy machine. The Nespresso & DeLonghi Lattissima. It's the BOMB. It's literally changed me life. I put in a pod, push one button and it steams the milk for me and makes the perfect espresso. It's idiot proof - which is what I need in the morning.

I don't know how I ever survived without one. Sorry Starbucks, you won't be seeing me in the drive through twice a day anymore now that my coffee at home is so much better and cheaper.

Try it. Maybe it will change your life too. It's the little things in life that make you the happiest. And I'm one happy lady with my Grande Vanilla Latte in my own kitchen anytime time of day I want.

Happy Monday.

Mixed up art

I love symmetry and order, especially when it comes to art displays and gallery walls. I think it must make me feel like everything in the world is right and under control. But lately I've been loving art walls where everything isn't placed just so. Spaces where they've mixed different sizes, different genres and different colored frames. It's so much more interesting and it feels so friendly and approachable. Like the art is your friend and they just want you to curl up and stay awhile. Maybe it's because it's Fall and I want to hibernate, but these rooms really speak to me.

What do you think? Do you like your art orderly or a little mixed up?

All images from my pinterest

Going Paperless

I was thinking about the whole idea of invitations the other day. I love getting a real invitation in the mail for an event. It makes the whole thing feel more special -- it helps create excitement around the event and it just seems to make even the smallest thing feel legitimate.

The problem with invitations is that we all seem to be living on our computers and the best way to get a hold of someone these days is through email. Not to mention, I'm hoping I'm not the only one who forgets to get the mail once in a while? All of this has lead to the huge popularity of evite and the like, but the problem is... I really hate their formatting! It's tacky. I totally use them, but every time my heart longs for the paper invite I could have sent if I had a grasp on things.

So, meet Paperless Post. It's not free, but it's inexpensive and the designs are great. It's what I would have sent in the mail in most of cases, but instead it's online and it even "opens" like a real invite.

Butler Pantries

(I'm getting super creative with my titles, aren't I?)

I thought I'd post some photos of my favorite "butler pantries". I feel like the whole idea of a butler pantry is the epitome of livin' the dream in the States. I mean, if you have a butler pantry, you don't have a butler anymore (well... most of us don't) but it means if you did, then you could stash them there. AND if you have one, then you've got space to spare in the house for a hallway between dining and kitchen... i.e., you've finally made it. Well, you know what I mean :)

Traditionally, a butler's pantry is the space between the kitchen and dining room and it was meant for staging and stashing -- dumping plates after being cleared (so as not to get in the way of whoever was making the next course in the kitchen) and having new plates from the kitchen within quick access so there wasn't lag-time between serving guests.

Now, you see a lot of variations on the idea of what that pantry is. In some houses, it's a large second pantry that is accessible to the kitchen and dining, but it's not necessarily a thru-way. Other cases show a large second storage area with additional appliances and counter space. These are great, but for all intents and purposes, it's not a "butler's pantry" as a design professor would allow you to call it.

Regardless, if you have the space to devote to beautiful cabinets and accessory appliances, by all means, have at it.

All images are from my Pinterest

Branca Chicago Store

I mentioned that I was going to Visit Alessandra Branca's store in Chicago on my trip. The warehouse sale is going on right now so the store is stacked and packed with incredible finds. While it wasn't merchandised in her usual vignettes/roomscapes - it was still incredible and lived up to my expectations. She has amazing taste and style and you could see her aesthetic in every item and detail in the store.

I apologize up front for the quality of my pictures - I really need the new iPhone as my 3GS is really not living up to my expectations.

The famous black and white awning with an incredible red Chinese Chippendale bench.

This dinning table made me weak in the knees. And the Cameroon Feather Headdress was amazing.

Furniture stacked high on racks. Those French blue and white chairs are too die for. The back is a dark navy velvet and even the gimp around the nail heads is blue and white ticking. Divine. Wish I had a client who needed navy and white. Anyone?

The other side of the rack had amazing chandeliers in addition to more chairs.

Racks of accessories. I was like a kid in a candy store.

An example of one of her accessory vignettes for the warehouse sale. I can only imagine what it would look like normally.

Loved these lamps and Sea Fan.

The downstairs featured a lot of fabulous tables, artwork and dishes.

An amazing French wire cabinet.

And this traditional Edwardian Library Bookcase circa 1910 England. I would kill for this piece. Kill.

The upstairs was piled high with chairs, glassware and linens. But, the best part was the pop of her signature red in the 2 bookcases that flanked each side of the room and their matching library sconces. Check out that ceiling while you're at it as well.

This side was all clear glass or white ceramic (except for those turquoise pieces)

While this bookcase was mostly colored glass.

I can't wait to go to the store on my next trip to Chicago to see it in it's non-sale state. If you aren't in Chicago or aren't going soon, you are in luck as all these items are available on her website. Sale ends Oct. 1st.

Good Finds: J.Crew + Flat-Rate Shipping (Finally!)

Surprise, surprise! It's a post devoted to J.Crew. I probably defer to them too much, but I find that my clothes from J.Crew tend to be the ones I wear season after season and the jewelry still comes in at the top of my list every time. It's costume jewelry, sure, but it can change an outfit from one look to a totally different vibe.

My good find for today is old news if you have been to J.Crew's site lately, but they FINALLY changed their shipping policy. If you remember, shipping used to be based on the overall dollar amount of your purchase, making it all the more painful to shop online seriously since it meant you'd pay buckets in shipping! It was redic!

Well, now it's a flat-rate and even free on orders of $175+. So to celebrate, I've posted my favorite jewelry -- something small that would have felt ridiculous paying $30 dollars or more to ship that you can now have for a more reasonable fee.

Resin & Crystal Link Necklace

Classic Pave Link Bracelet

Miriam Haskell Multistrand

Crystal Mosaic Bracelet

Oval Heirloom Locket

Mini-link Bracelet (on sale)

Shop away! They have some good prices on sake items right now too, happy hunting and happy weekend.

More Chicago Scouting

I can's say it enough... I LOVE CHICAGO.

We went to dinner at Ristorante Quartino the night before the race to carbo-load. My body is built from bread and cheese, no joke, it's practically all I eat (so much so that my family blames my kids' limited diet on my own, naturally). My point, is that an Italian restaurant with free-reign to order any bread and cheese item it absolute heaven.

Even better though, is a carb heaven with good decor!! I snapped these pictures whenever I could. The bathroom especially was so cool. And does anyone else remember the Borax soap? The granular, gritty soap that you'd pile into your hand and then make that great soapy paste? Like a total nerd, I got excited to see it in the bathroom and the youngins' at the sink with me had no idea what I was talking about when I said that it was the soap of my youth. It's what we had in elementary school exclusively. Cue their blank stares at the crazy lady in the bathroom reminiscing.

Love these French bar stools with the yummy leather and nailheads and bent wood.

These floors are what started my bathroom binge of photos. I love the pattern in the tile.

The frosted glass in the bathroom actually butts up to the mens bathroom, so you can get a little bit of commotion behind the glass, but the ladies room still feels private. It's a very cool feature.

The Borax soap sink.

Good little sitting area with mirrored walls.