All work and no play...

Since I have been sitting at a desk for most of my work life, researching beautiful things online, I thought I would post about my favorite work tables. There is nothing more inspiring than a chic work space, and it all begins with the desk.
I love glamorous, shiny, modern ones best (surprise, surprise...) Gabriella Crespi designed the ultimate desk in brass shown above. Other favorite desk designers include Paul Evans with his Cityscape series, Milo Baughman, and Donald Deskey - that's really his name!
The home office/dressing room of Aerin Lauder sums it up with the hand painted wallpaper and Gabriella Crespi desk in the center. I drool over it every day!
For those of us on a budget, the white lacquer desk from West Elm will have to do. You can cover it in brass or chrome accessories, beautiful fresh flowers, and a cool modern lamp.
They say if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life...ciao!
E

Living for May

You all know I am in school getting my M.A. in Spanish...next week is this semester's finals and then I have the whole month of May off! My bestie is coming to town for a week - I wish I had a zebra piñata to celebrate with - but it's so pretty I would never hit it with a stick...
Today I am inspired by the clean, modern neutrals with a touch of glamour in the shots above. I love everything about Laura Day's living room, and Ellen Pompeo's kitchen is gorgeous! I don't cook, so I don't need a large space. I love the huge train station photograph contrasted with the tiles. And the vintage Paul Evans style chevron cabinet in Laura's living room makes me drool. The chandelier is Venini and you can find similar polyhedral chandeliers on 1st Dibs if you have a spare dozen grand to burn! I know everyone gets their black and white stripe dhurries from Madeline Weinrib or Ikea, but check out the new zig zag ones that Nate Berkus has done for HSN... great price, too!
Well, I'm off to write papers en Español!
E

Handles and Pulls and Knobs, Oh My!

Today I am thinking of dressing up all the inexpensive furniture in my apartment. I have a Torsby cabinet from Ikea - I love the white lacquer on it, and that's the only thing I like. It was only $300, so I think to dress it up I should put some really cool handles and also a thin slice of marble or other stone top.
I also found this gorgeous burl wood tall chest on Ebay. It was only $295! I absolutely loooove the burl wood veneer and the height of the piece will make it an excellent jewelry, accessory and lingerie chest. I will post later on options for the inside of it. Today, I need to find handles that will dress up the outside.
There are so many amazing options for whatever interior you are decorating. There are rope and antler knobs for cool rustic interiors; there are crystal and glass knobs for fancier jobs, and of course there are millions of knobs out there for children's furniture. Here are some of my favorite websites for interesting knobs and pulls. It is such an great way to add detail to a room. It will really make your space look finished and add value to the piece of furniture.

Cooltiles.com
Stonehardware.com
Wildwesthardware.com
Michaelaram.com
Carlmartinezhardware.com
Theparisapartment.com

I finally decided that the perfect pulls for this piece are the lucite ones from The Paris Apartment. The look I am going for with the chest is French Modern Deco, clean and contemporary. I want the burl wood to draw the attention, not the knob. Will post pics when I have them put on - I would love to see your knobs, too! (get your mind out of the gutter! ;)
E

Tiny Apartment Grows an Inch!

Yesterday I received my new sofa and side tables - it is so good to get my lamps off the floor. Even though there is so much farther to go with this apartment, these three items make a HUGE impact. The living room seems so cozy now and I love coming come to hang out on the sofa, instead of a chair. Still have window treatments, coffee table, floor lamp, side chair and pillow, art and stone top and lucite handles for the ent. center. Then the living room will be complete and it will be time to focus on the bedroom. So far I really love the beachy palette and it is clear that mid-century modern to modern with lots of vintage pieces and tons of color is really going to be my design style moving forward. That is what I am always drawn to.
Hopefully this week I will get my wingchair back from the upholsterer - will post it when I do.
Also just dropped off my first painting at Guthrie Contemporary. Look for my section called "Original Art" on my website. I am going to continue with the paintings and the inkblots through Leslie's gallery!
Talk soon...
E

Now we are getting somewhere...

I just got the cutest business cards! They are by Pam Sherry - Pixelimpress on Etsy.com - and she can do different colors and fonts and patterns. Thanks, Pam!

Also on Monday my sofa, side tables, and reupholstered wing chair are being delivered so it looks like we are finally getting somewhere on this apartment! Stay tuned for pics...

I have a new client who has the most beautiful condo overlooking the lake - it is going to be far more traditional than anything I have pictured before. My mother had an antique store when I was young and I grew up surrounded by early American Colonial and Shaker pieces, which this client has a lot of, so it really is one of the styles that speaks to me. I love the way the clean lines of Shaker furniture mixes with more modern styles, so I think this job is perfect for me. These pics are of the empty condo - I will post more as we move forward.

The Hensley nursery is completely designed and I can't wait for you all to see it! The second we know the sex of the baby and the name I will finalize some colors and start posting the main items. I have many accessories in mind that will be a surprise for Elizabeth and Matt so I will not talk about them until the unveiling of the room. I am going to San Diego to paint, furnish, style and photograph the room in September - I can't wait to see the completed vision. I can't stand overly sweet nurseries - I think the room should go with the rest of the house - so I am very proud of what we have dreamed up. I hope you will like it!

Talk to you next week...
E