Design.Wine.Dine.

    • Hello Spring!
    • Fig Season! / 5 Minute Cheese Board
    • Salad Wars – Quinoa Salad

    • Friday Flowers

    Happy Friday!  I just wanted to pass along a few images of some arrangements I did for a recent bridal event.  We stuck with a neutral, ivory palate with some subtle pops of yellow.  A little technique I’ve been into lately is using the primary blooms (ivory) and secondary blooms (yellow) in the larger containers with just the secondary blooms in smaller containers or bud vases to keep the space from looking too monotonous.  I love the way these turned out… fun and whimsical yet still elegant.

    I’m signing off until Tuesday… Wishing you a lovely, safe and relaxing holiday weekend!

    Office Space

    I’m currently in the middle of wrapping up an office project so work spaces have definitely been on my mind lately. I can say without a doubt that they’ve quickly become one of my favorite spaces to design simply because there is an absolute science to human productivity.  Your environment can make or break the amount of work you’re able to get done in a given day (as well as your overall mental state) and organizational methods vary so much from person to person.  As a former Hollywood assistant, I thought the toughest yet most interesting parts of the job were not rolling calls, running (physically running) errands or dealing with celebrities – it was getting inside your boss’s brain and understanding their organizational methods (or lack thereof) so that they’re able to function in such a high-stress environment.  Clearly I was meant for a desk job in the Hills – not.  But in all seriousness, what I discovered was that no two agents’ methods were ever remotely close to being the same and I think that fact alone lays ground for an argument against identical, dull, grey cubicles in which so many Americans call home for 8+ hours a day.

    In comes the inspiration… The new WhoWhatWear offices in LA have found a flawless balance between functionality and personality and I’m completely obsessed.  Check out some of my favorite images of their offices below.

    {I love the clean, white palate… and the peonies add the perfect punch of color}

    {The inspiration boards are the first thing you see upon entering the office and set the professional tone while a custom settee with accent pillows keep the space comfortable and personal}

    {Close-up of inspiration board and accessories on top of the credenza}

    {I LOVE the coral accents!  Looks familiar, no?}

    {Add a punch of personality to your office with a fun business card holder}

    {Really loving this mirrored fireplace/mantle idea… and not just for an office!}

    {The chair and accent pillow keep the space comfortable while this book case from West Elm with magazine holders keeps everything clean and organized}

    {Great way to store (ahh-hemm!) “necessities” that are just too pretty to put away}

    {I spy vintage lamps, a jute hallway runner and ghost chair… Need I say more?  Obsessed!}

    {All images taken via WhoWhatWear and The Coveteur}

    San Francisco

    Every time I travel to San Francisco, I’m more and more convinced that it’s my favorite city.  There is truly no other place like it with the hills, architecture, spurts of sunshine, views of the clear blue bay… and I always leave wishing we had another day to explore all of the secret little gems the city has to offer.  While out and about on Sunday morning we discovered FL!PP (Fashionable Living in Petite Places) and I was instantly in love.  With an incredible selection of both modern and vintage architecturally inspired furniture, great upholstery and an impressive assortment of gorgeous lamps, I could have walked out with every item in the store.  Leave it to me to become completely captivated with the quaint garden out back, rich with succulents galore, garden stools and vintage letter signs that I will certainly be back for in the future.  We spent the remainder of the day strolling around the city and enjoying every breath of crisp, fresh air.  And per usual, I haven’t stopped thinking about San Francisco since.

    {I love these letter signs!}

    {Succulents for days…}

    {Perfect juxtaposition of bright, shiny yellow ceramics and weathered vintage elements}

    {Stockpile of more vintage letter signs}

    {Great combination of chic trellis shaded table lamps and vintage furniture and accessories}

    {Original tile work at 1299 Lombard}

    {Gorgeous view (albeit slightly too foggy to see the Golden Gate) from my friends’ rooftop}

    {I am in love with these flowering trees!  Their vibrancy is breathtaking and they’re all over San Francisco and LA.  Does anyone know their name?}

    {If I were to build a home in San Francisco, this would be it.  I love the common brick, the balconies, the gorgeous French doors and windows… and of course the flowers}

    Pink and Bling

    I’ve got to say, until Friday I never knew that a bright pink + diamond themed wedding could possibly be so elegant and enchanting.  Pink and bling are just really not my thing, but the start to our wedding filled weekend (as mentioned here) was completely stunning and filled me with so many great ideas for floral clients that aren’t into traditional containers and an ivory color palate.  Additionally, I tend to get some push-back when I suggest varying centerpieces from table to table (half with flowers and half with candles or half with tall arrangements and half with short, etc.) because I think the concern is that the room will suddenly look too sparse or uneven when that isn’t the case at all.  Some variation adds visual interest without becoming “too much” (as this gorgeous reception proved) so I’m excited that I now have the perfect example to present to clients.

    {Floating candles at varying heights set the romantic mood for dinner and drinks}

    {Gorgeous array of both low and stemmed glass containers atop a lucite platform with rows of candles}

    {One of the tables without a floral centerpiece… several candles atop rose petals kept the theme consistent and romantic}

    {Incredible menu… and the napkin rings were bracelets that guests rocked all night and later wore home}

    {I love the idea of integrating “giving back” into a wedding and I also love the idea of sending guests home with a bottle of wine… They found the perfect balance and selected this wine (one of my favorites!) and the faux diamond toppers with pink tags were just perfect}

    Wedding(s) Weekend!

    Lucky us! We have not one, but two weddings to attend this weekend – one tonight in the LA area at my favorite place in the whole wide world; Terrenea Resort (check out my friend Lauren’s post about it here) and one in the San Francisco Bay area. I’ve become a little stir crazy this past week so I’m thrilled to be skipping town tomorrow morning for a short weekend away. I can’t wait to fuel up on floral inspirations to bring back to you all. Have a great weekend!

    {Image via}

    Always a Dreamer

    Before I had even finished undergrad, hit the streets of Hollywood, had my heart crushed a few times, landed a job at an (about-to-undergo-a-ruthless-merger) talent agency, co-founded a fashion tape company and wound up in design school… before all of that (and some Photoshop classes), there was Polyvore.  I recently stumbled upon an interiors blog whose author had created a number of “sets” using Polyvore and the memory floodgates came rushing open.  I had completely forgotten about Polyvore (as well as my username/password) so it took a while to finagle my way back into my account, but voila!  I finally did it!  I hadn’t logged in, in three years, so it was definitely a trip down memory lane and interesting to see not only how my style has evolved, but what I was experiencing emotionally as a 20 year old on the cusp of graduation and grappling with what path to take toward my career. Polyvore interiors didn’t exist at the time I was creating these, but I’ll have to check it out now as a quicker alternative to Photoshop and Illustrator.  While the below have nothing to do with interior/floral design, I just had to share a few of my favorites.  You can take a look at the rest of my (some cute and some obnoxious) sets here.

    Dreamer

    Summer FunCool Chick

    Garden House

    Weeks like these deserve a vacation or at least a little tiny retreat to come home to at the end of the day.  There’s no doubt I’ve inherited my mom (and grandma’s) green thumb and I’m fascinated with not only growing my own food, but with filling up every available inch of our balcony space with beautiful blooms.  The careful nurturing that is required for gardening is really soothing to me and is one of the few moments in my busy schedule when I feel truly at peace.  Garden houses like the ones pictured below make me so happy and excited for the day when I can hopefully have a similar little space to call my own.

    {So beautiful!  I love all of the glass, mullions, and ornate woodwork. via}

    {Gorgeous climbing flowers. via}

    {Side view of the above picture. via}

    {So enchanting! via}

    {Inside view of the above… Truly a retreat.  I love the chandeliers and beautiful chairs.  via}

    {Same house as above… another view.  I love the ladder, stacked vintage suitcases, huge blue hydrangeas, chandelier and family photos.  An absolute dream.  via}

    {I just want to peek inside! via}

    {Stunning.  Bright, airy and plenty of hanging space.  via}

    All photos were gathered on Pinterest.  Some of the original sources may vary.  For a daily dose of inspiration, follow my Pinterest boards here.


    Design High

    I took a bit of a hiatus to make it through a few stressful projects last week, but I’m back in action and ready to share some of my latest inspirations.  I visited the LA Mart for the first time and goodness gracious!  I  have been missing out.  The PDC has always been my go-to for sourcing, but I was pleasantly surprised that the LA Mart far exceeded my expectations.  Two words:  Haptor Barrett.  I will definitely be back!  Below are a few of my favorites that still have me giddy with design high excitement.

    {Checkerboard floors, Benjamin Moore grey walls, beautiful white wainscoting, crystal lamps and those HEAVENLY tangerine, leather chairs with nail-head trim.  Need I say more?}

    {Detailed view of the chair… I’m in love}

    {Neutral palates are my thing so I was a fan of this arrangement with subtle pops of green through simple accent pieces… and I’ll take those mirrored cabinets any day}

    {Gorgeous}

    {Neutral palate + tangerine accents + the clean lines of the shelving unit paired + white upholstered chair + industrial inspired coffee table = LOVE}

    {Putting book shelves behind a bed is something I’d never thought of doing.  Not only is it a great functional storage solution, but would add so much visual interest to a space with some careful accessorizing}

    {Classic indigo/white, porcelain Chinoiserie lamp paired with coral atop a mercury glass end table.  Classic, fresh and beachy all in one.  Yes please}

    {Upholstered book case with nail-head trim.  Original and elegant}

    Taco Tuesday

    Before I moved to California, fish tacos were a completely foreign concept to me.  As a Michigander who was used to only beef or chicken tacos, I believed that fish had absolutely no place in one of my favorites and I was therefore reluctant to even give it a try.  My mom finally convinced me shortly after I moved to the west coast during one of her visits and I’ve been borderline obsessed with them since.  She sent me the below recipe a few months ago and with a few tweaks, I’ve made it my own.  After trying fish tacos at way too many restaurants to count since my craze began, I can say without a doubt that these are the best fish tacos I’ve ever tasted in my life (without even needing fresh catch).  They’ve been a huge hit anytime we’ve had guests and per numerous requests, I’ve sent the recipe to more people than I can even remember.

    Ingredients

    Fish:
    Tortilla Chipotle Lime Crusted Tilapia Fillets (From Costco… seriously.  Available in their frozen food section).

    Southwest Slaw:
    1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
    1 tbsp. finely chopped pickled jalepenos
    1 tbsp. lime juice
    1 tbsp. honey
    1 tbsp. red onion (very finely chopped)
    1 tsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
    salt to taste

    Sauce:
    Ranch dressing
    Cholula Pepper Sauce (Original)
    Mix ~4:1 dressing to Cholula

    Small to medium flour tortillas, Mexican blend cheese, avocados

    Directions

    Bake fish according to box instructions and steam tortillas to heat/soften.  Slice fillet lengthwise into 2 strips and place on warmed flour tortilla.  Top with cheese, slaw, sauce and avocado.  Fold or roll up to serve.  Perfectly pair your fish tacos with a summery Sauvignon Blanc or your favorite summer ale.

    Note:  This recipe is fairly spicy as is.  I LOVE spicy food, but if you’re not a fan, decrease the amount of jalepenos to your liking.  Serves 2 adults/2 tacos each.  I generally triple the recipe as the slaw is better the second day, someone is always joining us for taco dinners and we love, love, love to have leftovers!

    TGIF

    It’s FRIDAY in LA and I could not be happier!  After some residual tech glitches this week from my catastrophic computer crash last month as I talked about here, I’m ready to step away from the laptop for a few days.  One of my best friends from high school is visiting this weekend so I’m excited to show her around my neck of the woods and check out a few of my favorite spots.  First on the list?  Hot’s Kitchen in Hermosa Beach.  A full restaurant review is coming next week so my lips are sealed as to any other details, but let’s just say there are plenty of great IPAs on tap for some refreshing SoCal fun.

    Have a great weekend, everyone!

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