Design.Wine.Dine.

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}

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}

Mason Jars

Last week, I met with an absolutely lovely bride-to-be to chat about her wedding flowers.  I was pleasantly surprised/ecstatic (shhh!) to hear that her centerpieces are comprised of rustic lanterns, some beachy wood pieces, framed pictures of the couple… and for the flowers, my favorite: Mason Jars.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of classic white, varying centerpieces (like we did for Tiffany’s wedding as seen here), but there is such a timeless, cheerful simplicity about rustic mason jars that just makes me smile.  Since her colors are navy blue, white and yellow, we’re going to stick with white and yellow flowers (with Billy Balls aplenty) and being that I had just pinned this for my own inspiration board a few weeks ago, I think I’m going to have quite a bit of fun!  My meeting with Katie inspired me to dig out a few of my mason jars and put them to good use.  Filled with bright sunflowers, they’re just the pick-me-up that I’ve needed this week.

Chalkboard Paint

I have a confession.  I have spent a serious amount of time daydreaming about which of my kitchen walls to paint with Benjamin Moore’s Chalkboard Paint.  Being that we’re renters, I’ve ruled this urge out time and time again, but it’s always tempting me and saved in the back of my mind for when we are hopefully owners one day.  When a reader messaged me about the chalkboard in the background of one of my photos seen here, I figured it was time that I reveal my chalkboard paint obsession with the world.

As I was gearing up for an afternoon of entertaining, I scoured the internet for a chalkboard that could fit above our wine cabinet/buffet that would serve as a menu for our guests.  Whatever I found was either entirely too large or much too expensive so I opted to make my own (similar to the bulletin board shown here – thanks again student budget!).

{I had a picture frame that I wasn’t using so I removed the mat and glass, purchased a piece of panel board from Home Depot for $4, had it cut there to the size I needed and painted it with Benjamin Moore’s Chalkboard Paint – about $15/quart}

{I hung the finished product over our buffet as a menu and it serves as a space for inspirational quotes when we aren’t entertaining}

{Chalk Ink is AMAZING.  It’s about $7/4 pack at any arts and crafts store, writes like a marker and looks like chalk without the dust or mess}

{I was on a Chalk Ink kick so I finally labeled my garden markers}

Favorite Things

In today’s design world with inspiration readily at your fingertips and just a click away, it’s increasingly easy to become overwhelmed with options and potential projects.  Every once-in-a-while, I find myself either waterlogged with design or frustrated with a venture that isn’t progressing fast enough.  I’ve realized over time that whenever this happens, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on the things that I already have as well as the simple pleasures that always manage to put a smile on my face.  Here are a few of my favorites that are currently warming my heart.

{Cheerful Mandevilla that has taken over her trellis}

{Delicious vine ripe(ning) Roma tomatoes on our balcony}

{Twinkling star lights that were just too friendly to take down after the 4th of July}

{My little Lily… So happy to be outside in the sun}

{Clear blue Pacific on an afternoon beach run}

{Color gradation charts for days… gearing up for the next big project!}

Bulletin Board DIY

When my boyfriend and I were looking at apartments (almost a year ago – time flies!), both a beach side location and a spare bedroom/office were at the top of our list.  Being that we were on an entrepreneur’s/student’s budget, the first prevailed when we found a rare bright and airy loft in the South Bay without an extra room to call an office.  As a person currently juggling several projects, I think it’s imperative to be organized.  And as a designer, I’m always looking at aesthetically pleasing, inspirational and functional organization materials.  I’ve been eying this bulletin board for a while now to serve as an inspiration board next to my desk, but the two size options didn’t quite work with the wall space that I have (and I’m not paying that kind of  price for a bulletin board).  I decided to take a shot at making my own instead (using this economical alternative) and to my surprise, it turned out just lovely.  I can’t wait to hang it on our wall!

Being that I didn’t want the existing wood frame, I removed it using a hammer and screw driver to separate it at the corners.  I ironed the fabric (oatmeal denim from JoAnn’s) pulled it tight and used a staple gun to hold it in place.

It was important to me that the visible grain of the fabric be perfectly horizontal and vertical on the front so while the fabric looks unevenly applied on the back, it looks great from the front.

Front of the bulletin board once the fabric has been applied.

Next I applied antique gold upholstery nail head detailing around the border to give it a finished and decorative look.  I spaced them 2″ apart and they were $1.99/24 pack at JoAnn’s.

Voila!

And all for under $20!

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