Lovely + Salvaged

Today's Agenda:  Taking advantage of Elfa's sale @ The Container Store and designing 3 closet overhauls for a client.  Am excited to see the transformation!

I also uploaded my photos from the little point and shoot camera I carry around when I'm shopping.  468 photos I hadn't uploaded! 

Here are some from an a-mazing store I went to while in Chicago in November -- Salvage One (60,000 sq ft of awesomeness).  SERIOUSLY awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicago was great for design inspiration!  I'll share some more sources and inspiration photos as I dig through my photos :)

Nothing Like New York

Today's Agenda:  Resting up from a busy couple of weeks.  That involved drinking coffee while answering emails while watching a romantic comedy in my super comfy navy wingback leather chair.  I'm just going to call that a perfect morning, and perfect antidote to a hectic couple weeks.  Now, back to work.

Looking back through my Iphone pics to see what pieces of furniture I was loving from my recent NYC trip.  Here's a glimpse of my weekend in photos.  It was fun!  And, includes a couple "before" pics from a new project :)

{Photos from top to bottom:  Madeline Weinrib lives with Valentino in the West Village; lovely Anthropologie delights in  Chelsea Market; before photos of a new project; fun styling idea at CB2; Louboutins on an early Sunday morning; fantastic finds @ Apartment 48; the compact dishrack @ The Conran Shop that I am coveting; yumminess @ the ABC Carpet sale}

KWID

Today's Agenda:   Prepping for a couples baby shower we are throwing on Saturday!  Psyched!

And, still unpacking a bit...

Here are the rest of the awesome home decor finds I made while out West.  All my ideas for them require additional rooms in my home, though.  Crap.  Will clearly have to buy vacation home :). 

 A sweet catalog for Tiffany lamps.  I like how classic the styles are.  Maybe I would want to have a lamp custom made and use these as inspiration??  A good reference point at least...And hardly takes up any space!  (I have several justifications for each purchase at the ready...)

 

 A Vera silk scarf in a beautiful, bright pink color.  I would love to just rest it over a gray lacquer tray on a vintage white dresser.  There seems to be a resurgence of Vera these days...and a couple of the Schumacher fabrics are old Vera patterns...

 

A vintage tea towel.  You know, for the beach cottage guest room...framed in a large white ornate frame on a wall that is a bit lighter in color than the blue/green...with all white linens and a painted white floor with a bold yellow painted antique dresser and glass knobs...

 

 

And, the highlight of my trip...my Schumacher fabric samples!  Only $20/panel.  I'm not sure what I'll do with them.  But it was worth it just to look at them.  Could be a headboard, pillows, napkins, who knows!

I like the idea of using these complimentary panels for a shower curtain that opens from the middle.  I mean, why do shower curtains have to open from one end or the other of the shower???

And, the gem of the bunch!  MY giraffe linen KWID fabric.  Yum.  I think I want a headboard of this.  With scrumptious gray and ivory bedding.  

 

A lovely silver fabric. 

 

A nice pumpkin color.

 

 

A really sturdy fabric.  Nice.

And I'm sort of obsessed with the idea of using these 4 panels as curtains in a room that is otherwise pretty monochromatic.  I just love the feel of these 4 together...

Café Je T'Aime

Today's Agenda:  Getting back on East Coast time...and non-vacation time.  It's 6:20pm EST and so far I'm still okay after waking up at 7:00am EST...we'll see how long I last today...and, how tomorrow will feel -- it's really the second full day that's hard I think...

Oh, but it was so worth it.  Two weeks in L.A. and Seattle were just what I needed.  What can I say?  Finished a design project in L.A.  It turned out great and can't wait to post pictures!  A little Anthropologie meets DIY meets vintage chic in a 2-bedroom North Hollywood rental.  Solid celebrity sightings -- Ben Affleck on my Virgin America flight from LAX to SEA; Shaun White next to us for early evening drink.  Saw a great friend in Seattle.  Totally enjoyed waking up every morning to the view of a beautiful lake.  And exploring the city (and its hills!) everyday.  Two standout lunches -- glass of rose, carrot soup, grilled octupus salad at French bistro, Cafe Campagne, and glass of chardonnay, sampler of tuna tartar, smoked salmon with hot mustard, dungeness crab at Dahlia Lounge.  A few hours at this amazing antiques market by Pike Place Market.  A lengthy conversation with Mike @ Frank's Quality Produce in Pike Place Market.  And the beginning of a DC-Seattle book club.   

And, don't you love unpacking your great finds from a trip?  I had limited cargo space so had to select carefully.  I'm loving these cups I picked up in Seattle and can't wait to use one tomorrow morning (and the growing fun graphic Paris theme for my morning yogurt and coffee)...and unpack some of my other finds (let's just say I totally scored at the Schumacher showroom in the Seattle Design Center)...and tee some photos up of my finds for tomorrow's post!

London Recap: Chelsea Design Centre

This was top on my list.  I had no reason to go but to wander and get ideas.  Pretty great. 

But before I reached the Design Centre, I walked from Hyde Park to the Harbour...not really knowing what the building looked like or where I was going.  After a good 45 minutes and still no sign of the Harbour, I approached this massive warehouse.  Let's just say my imagination was starting to get the best of me...

But I made it!  And everyone was getting ready for Design Week which was just the next week!  So the energy was great {and without the crowds!}.

Inside!

I just strolled in and out of several of the showrooms for a couple of hours, thinking about how things were displayed and what I liked best, and grabbing samples where I could.  My top three showrooms were Cole & Son (wallcoverings), Mulberry Home (fabrics), and JVB Furniture (furniture).  Classic, beautiful and well made.  Check out the websites -- there are tons of samples of their work on line!

London Recap: Outdoor Spaces

We had beautiful weather on our trip!  So were lucky to find a couple clutch outdoor spaces...

"Our" rooftop deck.

 

View of Shepard's Market from Hotel. 

The patio at Gipsy Moth in Greenwich.  

 

Tasty...

{Quick -- check out the chandeliers inside Gipsy Moth!}