DIY Napkins on Apt Therapy

Check out my post today on DIY napkins for your holiday table at Apartment Therapy.

Color Story: Holiday Jewel Tones

Although I am sticking solidly to silver holiday decor, jewel tones are my other favorite theme for the holidays. Rich purples, turquoise, and red are festive without being too traditional.

1. Metallic Purple Glassware in all shapes and sizes from Z Gallerie.
2. The ombre effect of this table runner from Crate and Barrel gives off great variations of red tones.
3. Frame your favorite santa pic in a teal Queen Anne frame from Jonathan Adler.
4. Velvet ornaments from Habitat have a rich and retro feel.
5. A casual set of nut bowls in all of the colors from Fishs Eddy.
6. Go wild for a Christmas tree skirt made of cut velvet alligator print fabric from Designers Guild.
7. The perfect teal is Tropez Blue from the Little Greene Paint Company.

Happy Chic in London

Jonathan Adler has finally launched one of his retail stores in the UK, and naturally it is located in the swanky neighborhood of South Kensington. It is a two story shop filled with all sorts of interior items to perk you up. His style should fit very well with the cheeky British humor.

Happy Thanksgiving

My turkey didn't look much different from this one last year! To read about my Thanksgiving experience in London read my post on Apartment Therapy this week.

DIY Thanksgiving Tablescape

The countdown is on until Thanksgiving tomorrow and if you are in need of a quick and simple centerpiece here is my idea for this year. I took some kraft paper and created a simple runner that will be a cinch to clean up afterwords, no laundering necessary! Then I spray painted some mason jars gold to use as vases and to keep with the simple down to earth theme of my Thanksgiving. I found these branches of golden apples at my local market and filled the mason jars with large white amaryllis. My table for tomorrow is complete!

Scent and the City

During a recent shopping trip to Fleur de Lys, I discovered these amazing candles by Niven Morgan based on cities and the fragrance that evokes each city. My personal faves? New Orleans and London

Color Story Monday: The Colorful Kitchen Island

I just finished a kitchen that the client wanted a pop of color and instead of something over the top that she would grow tired of very quickly, we opted to use the kitchen island for the necessary punch of color. With the costly stone and tile all in neutrals, any color would have worked, however the client had a great turquoise for her front door that we decided to bring into the kitchen to unify the different areas of the home.

Here are some more examples of unique kitchen islands via Elle Decor. I really love this red one from Sarah Jessica Parker's kitchen in her beach house.

City Style Guide: Dublin

Dublin has a soft spot for the independent artist and this trait is showcased in all of the stylish places to eat, shop, and sleep throughout the city.

Sleep:

The Dylan hotel is a boutique hotel in a renovated Victorian building whose décor is anything but stuffy. Bright chartreuse and lavender carpeting lead the way to the see and be seen bar crowd. Rooms are punctuated with bold color choices such as lime green and red.

The Shelbourne hotel is a swanky hotel that has the old Irish elegance feel you would expect from a 5 star hotel in Europe. Their signature cocktail inspired by the city’s most famous export, is a potent combination of Champagne and Guinness.

Eat:

For lunch grab a sandwich at the upscale grocer Fallon & Byrne on your walk down to the River Liffey or stroll through the gorgeous city park, St. Stephen’s Green. Stop in for a pint at Grogan’s Castle Lounge before dinner at Bedlam and surround yourself with the local art that covers the wall of this funky locals only pub. Bedlam is furnished to feel like you are dining in someone’s cozy house but it is located in the heart of Dublin.  For dessert swing by the local Butler’s Chocolates for a cup of tantalizingly thick hot cocoa and be sure to pick up a box of chocolates designed by Orla Kiely. Cocoa Atelier is also an adorable little shop in the area for a flavorful array of colorful macarons and chocolates. When you are feeling like a low key dinner away from the city center fray, check out Hugo’s Winebar near St. Stephen’s Green for live music and of course a glass of wine.

Shop:

Brown Thomas is the posh department store in the city dating back to 1849 with their very own in-store Cartier, Chanel, and Tiffany and Co.

BT2 is a small, pared down version of Harvey Nichols with a special devotion to denim and a DIY Havaianas bar.

Francis Street is the heart of antique shopping in Dublin, and a great place to search for all of the French antiques that were shipped over during the French Revolution.

The Guinness Brewery is a requisite for any tourist in Dublin and as touristy as it may sound the tour is located in a glass structure shaped like a pint glass that is not to be missed by architecture fans.

Apartment Therapy

Yesterday my first official post as a contributor to Apartment Therapy went live on the site! I wrote up a gift guide to the Anglophile in your life. Check it out here! Look for my post on Wednesdays each week!

Eco Chic DIY

I turned my Sunday night chili into a fun DIY project by re-purposing the empty ingredient cans as vases with a little spray paint magic!

Step 1: Accumulate various sizes of tin cans by cooking something delicious!

Step 2: After cleaning out the cans and peeling off the labels using warm water and goo be gone, set up a mini spray booth and get to work painting all of the cans! I selected a matte white paint for my project, but any color would look great.

Step 3: Group your vases together for a gorg centerpiece or use them in the kitchen as herb garden vessels. The uses are endless for these cheap and chic cans.

 

Pub Interior

Check out the quaint and cozy decor inside of a pub near St. Paul's Cathedral.

Color Story Monday: Razzle Dazzle

I needed to find the perfect shade of hot pink for a client in the summer and Benjamin Moore's Razzle Dazzle  proved to be just the right shade to add some pop to a frame and a faucet. Check out the results below!

Numerology

With today (11/11/11) being a once every century occurrence of numbers, a roundup of numbers seemed fitting. Unfortunately according to Medieval times, the number 11 was an evil number left between the mystical numbers 10 and 12. Luckily, I am not a superstitious person and I find them to be a great graphic to add to the home.

Numbers are no longer simply for identifying a home’s address, instead they are becoming décor all on their own affixed to soft furnishings, hardware, and everything in between. Typography has been a trend in interiors for a few years now and the interesting graphic qualities of numbers are simply the natural progression in the arc of typography’s popularity throughout interiors.

1. Numerical Cushions from Graham and Green
2. Lucky Number Knobs from Anthropologie
3. Use these ruled pitchers for your weekly display of fresh flowers from Jayson Home and Garden
4. Vintage Tea Tins from After Noah
5. A subtle play on mathematics with this rug from West Elm.

Handwritten Fonts

Text is a popular graphic, and I am currently crushing on handwritten fonts.
I recently worked on a home and we had the address hand painted on the house.

Plurabelle calligraphy makes gorgeous return address stamps using a combination of handwritten swirls and a modern handwriting style.

A Liberating Christmas

I got a chance to check out the Liberty Christmas shop and it will put anyone in the holiday mode with all of the gorgeous rows and rows of white lights dotting the ceiling. I wouldn't attempt to use this many lights in your own home, as you will end up with a Griswold Christmas and lots of angry neighbors without power!

Color Story Monday: Pantone 877C

I have decided that once again silver will be my color for the holiday season. I just can't get enough of all of the mercury glass, sequins, and glitter everywhere! I even had my wedding invitations letterpressed in the perfect silver color to compliment my sleek winter theme.

1. This silver sequin table runner from H&M home is bold, fun, and frivolous for the holidays.
2. This is a rockstar side table from West Elm will bring sparkle to a living room year round.
3. You can never have too many mercury glass votives and these from Crate and Barrel are no exception.
4. Another item that will work year round is Jonathan Adler's platinum pottery.
5. These Mercury Spheres from Areo Home are so versatile.

Fall Back

I love that we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend (in the U.S.), but hate the thought of losing the great summer light! Don't forget to turn those clock back on Saturday night!

Mustache November

November has become the official month for growing out mustaches and this 70's grooming style statement is making quite a comeback. I think that the Movember movement is a great way to raise money for cancers affecting men and the men do deserve a month of awareness just as women have October for breast cancer. The mustache is such a powerful graphic that it has made its way into the design scene with some fun products that will make any man's office a bit more playful this month!

1. A fun notepad for your secretary's desk from Hambly screen print
2. Loving these mustache erasers from CB2
3. Poke some fun at your clients with these mustache pencils from CB2
4. Compare mustache styles with your coworkers during your morning coffee break.