Design.Wine.Dine.

Restoration Hardware Spring Launch Party

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the Restoration Hardware Spring Launch Party in LA (yes please) and it was gorgeous to say the least.  Their showroom on Beverly is nothing short of eye catching with a tremendous outdoor space attached and I’ve been looking for an excuse to drop in for a while now.  Everything about this space is absolutely perfect… from mirrored fireplace walls, to the reclaimed hardwood floors to the dark, fabric wall coverings cascading up the grand staircase.  Needless to say, as a huge Restoration Hardware lover, I was obsessed with nearly every room I walked into and had to capture a few (or 100) pictures to share.  Here are some of my favorites.

{The Cameraman asked if I wanted him to move his tripod so I could get this shot… trying to be polite, I said no, but now I really wish I would have said yes.  How amazing is this mirrored wall?}

{Restoration Hardware’s amazing signature crystal and iron chandeliers were a staple in this space}

{Stunning}

{Loved the continuous music sheet art as we walked from one room to the next}

{Beautiful orbs}

{Amazing idea for a non-working fireplace}

{Rustic farmhouse dining table + leather egg chair + spotlights = heaven}

{Naturally, I was drawn to this stunning floral display}

{Inspiration for my future store… wink, wink}

{Couldn’t get enough!!}

{The floral designer himself, Eddie Zaratsian}

{Please excuse me while I dive on in 🙂 }

{In love}

{Carrara}

{Gorgeous cascading bird cage chandeliers}

Green Machine

My favorite color in the world is green and for whatever reason, I couldn’t really explain why (other than the fact that it feels “fresh” to me) until a few days ago.  A friend of mine from work, Leila Khalil’s wedding was featured in the Spring 2012 edition of Martha Stewart Weddings.  I had a feeling her favorite color was green after visiting her office, but in the eight page spread, she explained why she chose to incorporate its many hues into her absolutely stunning nuptials: “I LOVE the outdoors and all things GREEN.  The color symbolizes GROWTH and RENEWAL which is what weddings are all about.”  I don’t think she could have summed it up any more perfectly.  In the spirit of the great outdoors and this little blast of gorgeous summer we recently had in California (that has now seemed to have disappeared), here are a few of my favorite fresh green pieces this season.

1.  Sofa – $1,663 – Ballard Designs
2.  Paint – $65.99 – Benjamin Moore for Pottery Barn
3.  Pendant – $195 – Jayson Home
4.  Table Lamp – $219 – Crate & Barrel
5.  Swirl Finial – $55 – Chic Shop LA
6.  Pillow -$39.95 – Crate & Barrel
7.  Dr. Seuss Note Pad – N/A – Chic Shop LA
8. Water Color Art – N/A – Caitlin McGauley
9. Green Glass Bottle – $9.95 – Crate & Barrel
10.  Teal Glass Bottle – $12 – West Elm
11.  Chevron Wastebasket & Tissue Box Cover – N/A – Chic Shop LA
12.  M Stationary – $26 – Kate Spade
13.  Bowls – N/A – Anthropologie
14.  Range – $36,000 (est) – La Cornue
15.  Colander – $9.30 – Crate & Barrel
16.  Striped Rug – N/A – Madeline Weinrib
17.  Arm Chair – $1,196 – Jayson Home

Hooray!

Mission accomplished 🙂  While I’m sad the journey has come to a close, the relief of there being nothing left to scramble over and complete is tremendous.  My experience at FIDM was truly remarkable and I can’t even begin to articulate how much I’m going to miss it.  It was overwhelming beyond words, but the skills that I am taking with me are 100 times more than I ever could have imagined… I really didn’t know what I was walking into 18 months ago and I mean that in only the best of ways.

Congrats, DDT!  We did it!!!!  🙂

Finals Week

You know how I posted a while back about my Commercial Thesis and how no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t find the inspiration and motivation to get it done?  This week has been absolute payback and this little poster has been resonating in the back of my mind for the past few days.  I can’t say I’ve ever sat so long in front of a computer frantically SketchUp-ing and Photoshopping endless perspectives, elevations and floor plans.  Needless to say, I’m thrilled for this project to finally be over and it’s getting close… as of tomorrow night at 9:00pm, I’ll no longer be a design school student.  Holy moly… it’s been one heck of a ride.

Many exciting updates are soon to come!  Wish me luck!

Good Fortune

The last few weeks have been difficult to say the least.  The end of my final quarter of design school is fast approaching and before last night, I had yet to really feel inspired about my project.  In fact, I’ve hated the entire process which is completely unlike me.  While I’m excited and invigorated by residential design, the daunting commercial assignment of designing a “flagship store” in Toronto could not seem less appealing.  Whenever I finally feel focused for a split second on the endless CAD documents in front of me, I somehow wind up on Pinterest pinning away all things residential or back in my kitchen baking or cleaning something to avoid thinking about the flow of retail spaces and whether or not my fitting rooms are ADA.  It’s amazing how fun organizing becomes when I’ve got a mountain of homework to do.

Last week, Jake and I ordered Chinese for the first time in ages and I was blessed with the best fortune cookie fortune I’ve ever come across.  I rediscovered it last night while trying to organize something instead of working on my project and while I’m not superstitious by any means, the message really struck a chord with me.  It made me realize that this quarter, I’ve been entirely plagued by self doubt.  I’ve never designed a retail space (to this magnitude) and by second guessing every line I’ve drawn, I’ve become completely exhausted and in this perpetual cycle of trying to find the inspiration to pull me through… My insecurities have in effect built the barriers I’m constantly trying to overcome, putting me at square one week after week after week.

That being said, stumbling across my little fortune last night was just what I needed to get the ball rolling again and I’m finally feeling like I’m getting somewhere with my project.  There is no better feeling than progress and I can’t wait to have it soon completed.  Updates are soon to come…

Lemon and Grey

There is a color combination that I can’t get off my mind lately: Lemon and Grey.  I love the clean chic contrast yet warmth and cheerfulness of the yellow… What a great palate for a living room, office, nursery, kitchen… the list goes on as the two hues paired together are so versatile and inviting.  Love, love, love!  What are your favorite color combinations for your home or office?

{Faceted Mirror Side Table – West Elm, White Capiz Pendant – West Elm, Grey Tufted Sofa – ZGallerie, Table Lamp – Bloomingdales, Moroccan Pouf – Jennifer Delonge, Carrara Marble Coffee Table – CB2, Pillow – ZGallerie}

The Art of the Bar Cart

I’ve got a huge crush on bar carts at the moment.  When stocked full of colorful spirits, a stylish ice bucket and some gorgeous cocktail glasses, they simply add so much character to a space and a sense of effortless entertaining to a home (something I’ve vowed to get better at in 2012).  Additionally, they’re also a tremendous conversation piece: a place to display a set of heirloom glasses, that gifted bottle of Scotch from a special occasion, a jar of olives or bitters from a mom and pop shop during your latest travels, a gorgeous piece of art hanging above… the list goes on.  While we opted for more of a substantial wine bar/buffet when we moved into our place and have since run out of space for one of these beauties I’m completely re-inspired to spruce up our “bar tray” this weekend.

Bar Cart

{Lamp – ORANGE, Cart – Arteriors Home, Champagne Coupes – Kate Spade, Book – Cocktails by Amy Saaco, Wine – ONEHOPE Spakling, Coasters – Jonathan Adler}

Inspiration Images
-Original sources and more here–

Mercury Glass

Last holiday season I went on mercury glass overload in our home and I can’t wait to do it again this year… It’s back with a vengeance and I simply can’t get enough!  Table lamps and candle holders and ornaments, oh my!  I love that the shimmery silver seamlessly integrates into whatever color palate you already have in your home.  Whether you decorate with traditional Christmas reds and greens, cool oceanic hues, warm jewel tones, rustic browns or chic blacks and whites, even the tiniest bit of mercury glass accessorizing will add the perfect touch of holiday glimmer to your space.  Check out a few of my favorites for this holiday season below.


1.  Mercury Votive Holder – $5 – West Elm
2.  Tall Candle Holder – $12.80 – Target
3.  Etched Mercury Glass Ornament (Set of three) – $15 – Ballard Designs
4.  Tall Mercury Glass Vase – $19 – West Elm
5.  Industrial Pendant – $99 – West Elm
6.  Pinecone Ornament – $6 – Target
7.  Silver Pineapple Bowl – $32 – Jayson Home
8.  Silver Ribbed Votive Holders – $18 – Jayson Home
9.  Mercury Owl – $14 – West Elm
10.  Antique Glass Silver Origami Ball Ornament – $3.50 – Crate & Barrel
11.  Serena Antique Mercury Glass Hurricane Lamps – $89 – Pottery Barn

Desk Dilemma + Ghost Chair Obsession = New Office

When we moved into our apartment (just over a year ago – yikes!) we were in a scramble to furnish our place on the cheap.  Neither of us had much furniture to start and in trying to combine my slightly feminine design eye with the manliest of all boyfriend’s masculinity and comfort concerns, we wound up with a pretty traditional space and (in my personal opinion) way too many black case goods – including our desk.  While we got a steal on the custom piece, it’s one of those things that just wasn’t fully thought-out before we shelled out close to nothing for it.  Come to find out, I absolutely loath a black work surface (I know, it sounds ridiculous), but there is something so clean, fresh and motivating to me about a white or mirrored desk that the abundance of darkness is just discouraging.  And quite frankly, it gives me a headache when I work from it.  To make matters worse, we never purchased a chair for our desk so I’ve just been using one of our super uncomfortable (Ikea seagrass) dining chairs in the interim.  WAH!  I know I sound like a big baby right now, but I’m ALL about pretty (and functional) work spaces.

That being said, last week I finally reached my breaking point.  Since my other half insists on keeping the desk black, I’ve decided to order a mirror for the top.  And since I’m the only one working from it with a sore bum from the terrible chair, I decided to order this chair, which I’ve been eying for quite some time.  Truth be told, I have an undying love for ghost chairs.  The timeless lines of the traditional Louis XVI chair combined with the contemporary visual weightlessness of lucite, makes for the perfect transitional piece to accompany either traditional or modern decor.  To my surprise the chair came in just a few days of ordering, is much sturdier than originally thought and is one of the best knock-offs I’ve ever seen.  I’ll share some pictures soon, but take a look at the few images that inspired me to take the plunge.

{Great dining room.  Image source unknown}

{Effortless style.  Via}

{Neoclassical meets modern – gorgeous.  Via}

{Beautiful!  Via}

{Mirrored desk, lucite chair.  Done and done!  Via}

{Rustic white desk, bookshelves, faux fur.  Love. Via}

Grace Bonney on The Nate Berkus Show

If you know design, you know Design*Sponge.  DS has been a go-to of mine for inspiration for years and I was thrilled to hear that Grace Bonney was going to be featured on The Nate Berkus Show today.  I LOVE her DIY projects and today, in true Grace Bonney form, they were not only incredibly chic and creative, but also very affordable.  My favorite had to be the $75 bright blue door dining table…  gah!  I’ve been dying to create my own refurbished door dining table, but our little loft is simply too small for that large of a piece.  Ahhh well… it shall have to wait for our next place, but I’ll be keeping this in my back pocket for when the time is right.  Click here to watch the full video and if you haven’t already picked up a copy of Design*Sponge at Home, you really should… I read it cover to cover on my flight home from Austin and can’t wait for (hopefully) a second 🙂

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