endless la fiorentina love

james ransom photography

Yesterday I happily stumbled across this photo of a sofa upholstered in David Hicks' La Fiorentina, and I fell in love with this fabric all over again. I adore this application and the neutral colorway, and this beautiful image reminds me how this fabric is really turning into a timeless classic. It doesn't get old, does it?

domino

Geometric contrast on a little chair brings just a little drama to this room.

jennifer delonge

Love it on a large upholstered piece.

ruthie sommers in domino

My favorite colorway. So happy!

palmer weiss

So creative to dress a table with it. I like it.

angie hranowsky

Awesome draperies. Enough said.

iantha carley

 The lime colorway! We don't see enough of it, in my opinion.

design manifest

Adorable on a little ottoman! Perfect because it works so well with other patterns.

domino

The ivory/bark colorway looks so amazing against all the white and with other neutrals.

southern living

Unexpected on a bedskirt. And a perfect addition to this room! Which colorway and/or application is your favorite?

what i want to wear this spring

A new season of warm weather has me longing for a fresh update to my closet too. Everything in my wardrobe feels heavy and dark and tired. The Boden catalog has been my constant companion lately. I bought a few items from them a few years ago and I loved the look, the fit, and the construction. I pretty much would take anything Boden has to offer (pretty please?!) but could settle for a few select items to punch up my wardrobe. Some favorites right now...

pretty spring dress & trench

ruffles! right down to the shoes

the lemon and pink get me every time. not sure i'd be brave enough to do it but i'd like to try!

and some other pieces to round it all out...

Have you been spring shopping yet? I may just have to start today. The great thing about Boden is they always have some kind of special going on—free shipping, buy 3 get one free, etc. Sign up for their email list and they'll send you some deals to get you started!

{p.s. this is not a sponsored post; it's entirely my opinion and i have not been compensated in any way for it}

tuesday tip: care for your closets

country home

Is there anything better than opening a closet door and instead of being afraid of things falling out and crushing you, being impressed and delighted by the contents? It's such a lovely, pretty surprise when you can do that, and that's just what I plan to accomplish with a client's guest bedroom closet by showing it a little love. Here's the plan: Bring in decorative elements and lots of storage to make this a space that works and shines. And some great ways to do it:

{1} Wallpaper
{2} Paint
{3} Baskets
{4} Trays
{5} Fabric-covered Boxes
{6} Hooks

And that's about all you need to improve the look and function of a neglected closet space. Oh, and a few hours of work. Care for your closets—and they will reward you with sparkling good looks and striking efficiency. Go to it!

lattice and trellis and fencing, oh my!

After a rainy and raw Saturday, we were thrilled around here to get some sunshine and 70-degree weather on Easter Sunday. Happy, happy spring! My mind is completely turning to the outdoors now. My parents delivered the potting bench Dad made this weekend, I did a little cleanup in the yard, and I even busted out the deck chairs and cushions. So, let summer begin.

I've always been a huge fan of lattice and trellis patterns indoors, and I'm so not the only one. They're on fabrics and wallpapers and stencils and bedding and lamp shades, and the list goes on.

But I have some major plans for some lattice and trellis outdoors too, and I'm finding great ideas everywhere.

I'm totally following Aubrey and Lindsay's tutorial for their awesome landscape screens to add some privacy and cover to my ugly chain link fence on the north side of the house. Isn't their yard adorable?

Martha does it again. Great idea for organizing tools near my new potting bench.

via pinterest

 I love a good arbor. This one is just incredible. Maybe after another 4 years in this home my yard could look like this.

via pinterest

More amazing structure. So pretty with the vines climbing up the trellis walls.

my home ideas

My porch has one wall of windows (and one of them didn't make it through the winter) that I'd like to take down and open up with a pretty lattice design like this.

via pinterest

And finally, in the garden, I need some trellises large and small to support peas, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes—and of course I want to diy, not buy, them. I have an old ripped out page from Cottage Living with a great tutorial. Will keep you posted on all my outdoor projects of course. Because now that spring feels like it's really here, that's all I want to do!

almost outdoor showers

When the weather gets warmer, I start thinking about being outside all the time. I'll sip my morning coffee on the front porch, have lunch on the back deck, and spend the afternoon in the garden. So it's totally normal that I'm in love with outdoor showers in the summer. But for any time of year, these showers, that are so exposed they might as well be outside, filled with light and open to the green world outside, really appeal to me. If your yard is private, why not? Are you an outdoor shower fan? Would you take your clothes off here?

malcolm davis architects

via two ellie

bookmobile

In my many hours shopping around Etsy yesterday, I was stopped in my tracks when I came across this beautiful mobile made from a children's book with gorgeous, colorful book pages. So pretty and creative for a kid's room!

 

Check out Lisa Occhipinti's other work at the shophouse. She makes lots more cool things from books and paper.

at last, a warm, inviting guest room

I'm so excited to show you all my favorite space I've done so far. As I saw it all come together, the colors, the textures, each element finally making its way into the room (except for the wall sconces, still to come) I was beyond thrilled. Okay, so the pictures are not so fantastic. Sorry about the strong afternoon light and the shadows. But the client is so happy, it was all done within a tight budget, and it could not be a more peaceful, warm, comfortable space to welcome a weekend guest or two. I want to stay here!

And just for kicks, here are some befores. As you can see, the room was cold and cluttered, functioning mostly as a storage space.

before

before

What we did: painted antique beds black, painted walls cream, Ikea curtains, bamboo shades, West Elm bedding, Ikea cabinet, bench instead of nightstand, client's own rug, art, matching antiqued mirrors. It all came together into a restful, inviting retreat. Actually, I really wish this room were in my home. Here's a last look...

spring inside

Did everyone have a great spring weekend? It could have been warmer in the Northeast, but I did manage to enjoy spring anyway by bringing a little sign of it into the house, and it's making me so happy! I love the color of the forsythia against the bright Plumage blue of the credenza and the my new Bleecker Absinthe pillows. It's good to have something to look at that's lively and vibrant and all about growth and new beginnings, don't you agree?

these make me feel like i'm on vacation

Last week I had a little Stella & Dot party, and it was so much fun to mix and mingle with some real world friends and blog friends and try on all this fabulous jewelry. I'm really not exaggerating when I say I love it all. These earrings in particular, which are on their way to me, make me so happy. In fact, they make me feel kind of warm and relaxed; they make me feel like wearing something light and breezy. Like I'm on vacation.

They make me want to paint my toenails (on the agenda this weekend) and take a walk in the sand...

And pretend I'll be spending lots of time here very very soon...

images via stella & dot and pinterest

Happy Friday, y'all. If you're in need of a little pick-me-up imaginary vacation, visit my sponsor's Stella & Dot shop for lots of fun, colorful earrings, bracelets, and necklaces with your name written all over them.

thinking about trims

I've been thinking about trims lately, since I've been searching for something to finish off the chair I refinished and reupholstered. Remember this?

After months of searching, I finally found what I wanted at Joann, but they had so little left that I bought out their supply and still didn't have enough to trim out the entire chair. So...I had to drive to several stores to get enough of what I needed. Totally worth it.

Can't wait to get to work putting this pretty cotton trim on my chair—and put this project to bed!

I am also thinking of a trim dressup to my living room curtains. They need something, and maybe they need more than some trim along the ends, but I am inspired by every image I see of trimmed out curtains and I may need to do it. I love this image from House & Home that I spied recently over at Coco + Kelley. I've got the bamboo shades and the white drapes, now I just need some trim to jazz them up. I mean, just imagine if you can, how plain and boring these curtains would be without the dark trim framing them! That's why this look may need to find its way into my home asap.

It's also a quick and easy project you can do without spending much money, and that always works for me!

inspiration for an office revamp

The office where I work part-time is below ground, painted a few lovely shades of tan, and filled with heavy old wood furniture. Sounds attractive, right? It's basically a sea of beige, and it appears that it hasn't been touched since the 80s. The nice thing is they want to redo it, on a budget of course, but ever so slowly they're ready to revamp. And I'm starting to put some ideas together.

This room, Monique Lhullier's living room, is inspiring me. It's an office, so we can't go too crazy with color, so I'm thinking pewters and creams, grounded with a bit of black, and accented with blues or purples or greens should get me to my goal of bringing some of-the-moment style and sophistication to the space. Now let's see if a. the powers that be like it and b. I can accomplish what I'm after on very little dough. Stay tuned.

is this kitchen too pretty?

I was lucky enough to have dinner made for me last night, but the surroundings left quite a bit to be desired. See, this particular man cooking for me lives with a 1940s butter yellow cabineted and baby blue tiled kitchen. I kid you not. It was hard for me to look past that. Even though the meal was pretty darn great. As you can imagine, from the minute I walked in, my mind was spinning with visions of ripping out cabinets right then and there, reconfiguring, and starting new, from the floor to the ceiling.

charleston home mag

I recalled this kitchen that's similar in layout. And I thought, this is simple and classic enough to be in man's house, no? But upon a second look, I worry it is too feminine. But then again—creams, whites, and wood. That has to make everyone happy! So, what do you think, maybe with different accessories, could a guy live with this kitchen? Then again, if he can live with yellow and blue, this would be a huge improvement, to say the least!

classic black doors

Now that the living room is a little closer to how I want it, I'm naturally turning my attention to the next thing. For a long while now, I've been wanting to paint my doors black. My front door is black, and I want to paint the back of it too. And my side entry door needs an update. Like a little black dress, black on a door is never wrong. It's such a classic, dramatic look. And if you need any proof of the black door's timelessness and drama, I have lots for you! I mean lots. Enjoy.

bhg

thomas o'brien

amy morris & emily followil photography

anne coyle

nate berkus

douglas friedman

house and home

nate berkus

elle decor

via?

via pink wallpaper

elle decor

unabashedly prep

cote de texas

tommy smythe

Do you like? Which is your fave? I'm in love with them all. That's why it's on my list. One afternoon is all I need to get a new black door. Let's see if I can find one soon to get this done.