Shopping with Donna Martin

I'm still stuck on Hollywood today after the Oscars weekend, and had to share that Tori Spelling just opened a home store aptly called Inventori in Sherman Oaks. Looks like she has lots of my favorite accessories on hand such as cake plates, designer soaps, and vintage furnishings. Can't wait to get back to Lala land to check this store out. Maybe I'll even see Donna Martin in person!

Happy Oscar Weekend

This weekend is Oscar weekend and LA will be a buzz with celebrities, so this post is Hollywood centric with objects for the home celebrating the City of Angels and the best picture nominations

1) A letterpress Los Angeles poster from Louella Press
2) Sleep in a girly pink room like Natalie Portman in the Black Swan with Serena and Lily's Think Pink collection
3) Get the sweaty locker room feel from the fighter with vintage lockers for home storage from Pedlars
4) The golden rooms that filled the mind of Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception can be brought back to life with Phillip Jeffries Cities of Gold, Tokyo collection.
5) Build a comfy and muted bedroom with soft modern furnishings from West Elm for the LA lifestyle featured in The Kids Are Alright.
6) The King's Speech is a shoe-in at the awards ceremony, and this crown pillow should be a shoe-in in your home too.
7) A vintage Yosemite print from Trowbridge Gallery is reminiscent of the outdoor scenery in 127 Hours.
8) If only facebook had a dislike button, now you can stamp dislike in the real world with these stamps from Urban Outfitters
9) Grow up from the slinky dog in Toy Story 3 to the Jonathan Adler dachshund book ends.
10) Country rustic storage from Pottery Barn evokes the True Grit spirit.
11) Get the backwoods look from Winter's Bone, with vintage antlers.

Textured Tile Love

I love texture, and stone and tile has evolved with technology to include some very unique textures. I discovered a British company that makes beautiful marble tiles with textures created with sandblasting techniques. I love that you can use a neutral tile but still add a bit of interest with texture, since colored tile can go out of fashion very quickly.

Tea Towel Time

Tea towels have been all the rage in England for awhile and I think the trend is headed to the States. The designs have gone so hip and modern that I just want to frame them all rather than actually use them for their intended purpose.

1) The Wills and Kate Royal Wedding Commemorative Towel

2) A London tea towel from TFL

3) Velo tea towel from Not on the High Street

4) The Keep Calm Gallery has a great collection of fun tea towels

Green Seat

Going green has never been so stylish for home design. The Emeco 111Navy Chair is made from 111 recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles and brings color to the classic Navy Chair line that was previously made from aluminum.

SCP Shoreditch

Popped into the furniture shop SCP over the weekend and was so excited by the mid-century modern furnishings that they manufacture themselves and the prices are awesome. The showroom is set up in a light and airy space overlooking Shoreditch High Street. This shop is also a great place to find small housewares that make for perfect housewarming gifts!

The Perfect Pear

A few months ago, I posted an article about the search for the perfect green. The winner was Farrow and Ball Churlish Green. This little bedroom suite quickly became my favorite room!

Open it Up

A unique bottle opener makes a great gift that is useful or simply use one as a conversation piece on your bar. Here is a round up of some of my favorite bottle openers that go beyond the opener that plays your college fight song.

1) From Catbird in NYC

2) Mermaid from Fishs Eddy
3) The key to your castle from Anthropologie
4) A creepy claw to open your beer from Jayson Home & Garden
5) A touch of vintage cool in antique silver from Pottery Barn

Striking Stripes for Spring

West Elm has debuted a whole crop of new items that are covered in stripes which I personally never grow tired of!

St. Valentine

I hosted a spirit & sweets party with my valentine over the weekend and tried to channel some of Amy Atlas' style with a pink themed candy table.

GO BAPE

Had to share these photos of the Bape shop in Hong Kong. What a perfect way to draw people in to a store!

A Whimsical Boutique Hotel

I recently stayed at the Luxe Manor hotel in Hong Kong and was blown away by the eccentric, dreamy, and whimsical interiors. I snapped a few shots of the lobby and of our room to capture the memories of the unique style. The lobby is a blend of influences from traditional Asian design to the architect Antonio Gaudi of Spain.

The rooms are filled with whimsy and surrealism taking on influences from the Dada art movement. My favorite element, aside from the Hermes orange color palette, was the faux fireplace and framed flat screen TV above that when turned off is a framed mirror. 

Dining Room Makeover

We took this kitchen eating area from 80's drab to 2011 chic!
Before:

After:

another before and after

The living room before I got my hands on it was filled with old blue draperies and lots of built in cabinetry that was meant for an antiquated TV. With today's flatscreen televisions and wireless connectivity capabilities there isn't as much of a need for wall to wall cabinetry. In fact this cabinetry is limiting when looking to select a new entertainment center. The idea was to give the living room a sleek and clean feeling. Modern upgrades to the entertainment center, new doors and windows, and new wood flooring was the first step. Getting rid of the distracting skylight that didn't provide any purposeful light helped update the shape of the room, while adding wood beams help bring the ceiling down for a warmer, cozy feeling.
Before:

After:

British Cafe Design

I had brunch at J+A Cafe in Clerkenwell over the weekend and had to snap a shot of the simple British cafeteria style interior. The combinations of the brick, chalkboard menu, and bent plywood furnishings makes me feel like I've gone back to school. Although they don't serve the delicious chocolate and guinness cake in any school cafeteria that I know of!

Persimmon Picks for Spring

I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing more and more of Persimmon as a color in interiors.

1) Persimmon side table from West Elm.
2) Charlotte's Locks is one of Farrow and Ball's brand new colors. It would look great with greys and creamy whites.
3) Rust colored Ikat napkins are perfect for the summer table.
4) Hit happy hour with these hi-ball glasses from Jonathan Adler.

The Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year! In honor of the year of the rabbit, check out this rabbit lamp from my favorite new shop Caravan.

Gramercy Park

I found a wedding online that was held at the Gramercy Park hotel and I fell in love with the interior space of the rooftop club. The thousands of hanging Edison bulbs make the space so romantic and dreamy, perfect space for a wedding.

First Impressions

First Impressions are important in life as well as in your own home. The entry of our latest remodel made a very bad impression prior to our work. The giant elephant in the room was a beam that went across the entire entry and was the focus of attention. By getting rid of the beam, the pitched ceiling and old fashioned doors, we created an open modern space that is clean and inviting.
BEFORE:

AFTER: