I'm Loving. . .

The perfect home?  I think so!  My chin seriously dropped when I opened up the March issue of Elle and saw these pictures of Sasha Adler's chic Chicago apartment.  There's not one thing I don't love about this design -- it feels collected, inviting, thoughtful and most importantly trend-free.  A few of my favorite features; the giant Lynette Shaw painting in the foyer (notice the black wall), the raw oak floors, and the high gloss black bookcase with brass clad doors.  Sasha's fashion background is effortlessly infused into the home -- the pops of color, layers of texture and vintage brass accessories and lighting all reflect sartorial approach to interior design. I mean, just look at that 1970s Milo Baughman sofa recovered in a Chanel-inspired white bouclé. To die for.  Oh and the things I would do to cozy up with that giant fur pillow on this snowy Chicago morning? No words.  Such a talented lady!

photographs by paul elledge for elle

A Blank Canvas

The title of this post is just about a literal as they come.  You may remember when I posted shots  of my living room last year that I had set up a gallery wall above my sofa.  Well, about a week after that picture was taken I was sick of the "clutter" so I took everything down and replaced it with a single abstract painting.  The painting served it's purpose but was a little small.

Having a sofa up against a wall isn't ideal. Most of my favorite interiors have freestanding sofas--it can make the seating area more intimate and actually enlarge the feeling of the room. I, however, live in a long, narrow apartment and don't have such luxuries. My sofa is parked against a wall and the area above it is a major focal point because my ceilings are ten feet.  The wall runs through my living room, dining room and kitchen and has the potential to look very cluttered, that's why I'm going for the less is more approach.

I love the idea of creating a beautiful focal point with one fabulous large-scale piece instead of lots of little things. It's also a clean look that can really set the tone for the rest of the space. Getting the scale right can be difficult but I sternly believe that every room should have one oversized piece. My sofa is 6.5 feet (78") long so I picked up a 40"x30" canvas from Blick during their last sale. I could have gone bigger but given that I'm not a professional painter I didn't want to pay more for the larger canvas. The scale is (almost) right, now I just need to decide what to paint! I'm going to look to the rooms pictured above for inspiration.

So I must ask, what's above your sofa?

My Week(end) in Pictures

Miss me?  I Honestly wasn't planning on staying away from the blog for so long but the last week of October was a real doozy filled with lots of life changes and unknowns.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything so for now I'll just share the fun stuff...

. A night with Nate Berkus Jayson Home hosted a book signing for Nate Berkus' new book, The Things That Matter.  A fun night in celebration of a great book--If you haven't picked up a copy yet, do so now!  I started reading the book the night before the event and let me tell you, It's a design book you'll actually want to read.  Yup, that's right, I'm not ashamed to admit that I usually just look at the beautiful pictures in design books.

. A trip to DC I left for Washington on Friday, October 26th and, thanks to super storm Sandy, didn't end up leaving until Saturday, November 3rd.  Pictured above are just a few of the highlights from my week in our nation's capital: dinner at Granville Moore's, drinks at Masa 14, beautiful patterns and exteriors around Georgetown, sparkly chandeliers at The Brass Knob, and hours spent at Capital Hill Books (a death trap filled with loads of used books).  I got a true taste of DC and had an absolute blast roaming around the city by myself.

So tell me, what did I miss while I was gone?  I'm going to spend the rest of the day catching up on work but plan to be back with posts the rest of the week!  Missed you! xo

Why Don't You?

...add some life to your decor with a tortoise shell?  Since the first time I read this article in The New York Times, I've wanted to add a shell or two to my home.  Now I feel like I'm seeing them everywhere I look - Vogue featured Samantha Boardman's home on their website last year and I immediately noticed the albino shell on display in her library.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I love the organic look and dimension it adds to the room.  I recently sent my sister to The Evolution Store in NYC to scout out their selection of replica shells (I certainly don't advocate the killing of animals for their shells) and I'm realllly hoping she bought me one (perfect housewarming gift...wink, wink, nudge, nudge...Lauren)!

An antique shell in Nate Berkus' Chicago home

Shells on display in Antony Todd's NYC store make a strong statement and they also work well with a feminine bar designed by Windsor Smith

Two albino shells hang in the home of Daniel Romualdez

And finally (my favorite) a mini shell in a tablescape designed by Sasha Adler and Lauren Gold

Smitten | Trad Home Vignette

Can we just discuss the amazingness that is Trad Home magazine?  I mean, really. My brain is about to explode due to inspiration overload.  I could gush on and on about everything I love but instead I'll just share the one image I found most inspiring.  I'm absolutely head-over-heels in love with this elegant carved desk and faux bamboo chair vignette designed by Lauren Gold and Sasha Adler. This is the perfect example of how to mix pieces from different eras and regions — a French Maison Jansen brass chair and Swedish silver lamps — to create a layered look.  The pair of lamps flanking the craved wood desk add symmetry and make these modern pieces feel more traditional. The stack of old books, framed picture, mint julep cup filled with ranunculus (my favorite), and marble obelisk add another layer to the space and give it a sense of personality and history.  Seriously Smitten. 

I bought this chair at Jayson Home and Garden last year and was contemplating painting it a high gloss black, now, I'm thinking it needs a touch of gold! 

Runway to Room | J. Crew + Nate Berkus

Those who know me personally know that despite the bright, patterned and girlish content of this here blog, my own personal style is far more tailored and subdued.  Over the years, I’ve wasted more money than I’d like to admit on trendy patterned pieces only to wear them once then ban them to the “someday” bins under my bed.  Take a look at my closet and apartment today and the only patterns you’re likely to see are stripes, ethnic prints and those of the animal variety (they’re classic and go with anything!).  My bedding – white.  My sofa – grayish.  My throw – fur.  My rugs – sisal.  I stick with saturated, textured solids that I can mix and match to create a cozy, layered feel. Was I tempted to hop on the Imperial Trellis train? Yes sir! Am I glad I didn’t? You bet!  I'm a girl on a budget so I leave patterns for pillows and other small accessories.  For this reason the colorful yet tailored pieces from J. Crew’s fall line and Nate Berkus’ always scrumptious layered interiors have me weak in the knees. Who can resist unexpected combinations of rich saturated colors and luxe-looking designs that are sure to stand the test of time? Not me....

images: fabsugar, nate berkus and roger davies for elle decor

Orange You Glad....

....it's daylight savings time? And one step closer to spring? I'm ready to tuck away my winter clothes and fur throw and add a little orange to my life!  It's such a lively, fresh color that can wake up even the cloudiest of days.  The spring 2011 runways were filled with the bright hue but as you can see, it also works for interiors. It brings energy to a room and can be dramatic against crisp white.  While I probably would not paint an entire room bright orange, Nate Berkus got it just right by adding a pop of color to the inside of the bookshelves, pictured above.  But it's the tropical feel of the orange and green paired together that totally has me smitten!
Lela Rose Spring 2011 I Nate Berkus I Sydney Harbour Paints in Blood Orange I Bungalow 5 Orange Lamp via Tonic Home I Ikat Sunburst Luce pillow by Madeliene Weinrib I Casbah rug by CB2

Want of the Day

I'm completely enamored with this cross-leg stool from the Nate Berkus HSN line.  I honestly can't believe it's only $120!  Although I don't  have room for one in my current apartment I'm seriously tempted to purchase two and keep them in storage.  Oh, Nate, you are too much sometimes.

Tranquil Townhouse

I was looking for a bedroom concept recently and came across the real estate listing for the townhouse that Nate Berkus designed for Katie Lee Joel. One look at the pictures and I was instantly reminded how much I loved this home when I first saw it in Domino Magazine. I'm sure that everyone has seen it before but the listing includes some unpublished photos and, well, sometimes it's nice to revisit an old favorite. The tranquil color palette and touches of gold are simply beautiful.  Makes me wish I lived in a pretty townhouse in the West Village. Someday.

Smitten | Mark Shaw Photography

Haute couture meets decor.  Mark Shaw's fashion photographs have been popping up everywhere.  Three of my favorite designers, Windsor Smith, Mary McDonald and Nate Berkus, featured Shaw's iconic images in the rooms pictured above.  As the family photographer for the Kennedy's and a longtime photojournalist for Life Magazine, Shaw had access to the most beautiful models, celebrities and interiors of his day.  Wouldn't it be amazing to own such a glamorous piece of history?  Any one of Shaw's photographs would be enough to glamify almost any modern-day apartment.  The limited edition photographs, pictured above, are available at Svenska Mobler in Chicago.

(images via House Beautiful, Veranda , Elle Decor and Svenska Mobler)