I was fortunate enough to be featured in SELF magazine’s November issue. They asked to cover my top picks for affordable ways to accessorize your home this season. I had tons of ideas but their four favorites made the cut…see below!
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Hand-painted with pretty blue accents, this Rachel Ashwell designed side table from QVC is only $155. An incredible deal, I'd pair two with bright turquoise lamps and a pretty tufted headboard. -
Happy Halloween! While tonight I'll be handing out candy in a plain old plastic bowl, I'll be wishing I could pump up the style a bit for the kiddies with Jill Rosenwald's gorgeous Ikat Bee Bowl. Hopefully Skittles will be enough to win them over. -
West Elm came out swinging this fall. In addition to an uber cool collaboration with Brooklyn-designer Paul Loebach, they've released several intriguing designs at awesome price points. My favorite, the Paneled Armoire, brings sophisticated style to bedroom or living room storage. -
Until recently, I didn't realize that I wanted to play foosball on a table outfitted with female players. In fact, I didn't even know such a thing was possible, but then, as fate would have it, I came across RS Barcelona's booth at ICFF where I spied this pink beauty. Now, after the US team's amazing World Cup run, an inspiration has been born. I'll probably never play soccer, but I can possibly become a foosball champion and I want this pink table, with it's lovely ladies, to be my practice field. -
The other day, while perusing the blog of a former colleague and good friend, Alexa Stevenson, I came across the work of Sally Benedict. A Charleston-based abstract artist Sally has an incredible command of color and form. Like Alexa, I really, really want one....or five! -
At 17" tall and 13" wide these house numbers, available in six shades, are nearly impossible to miss, which is good news for all those florists/secret admirers you have popping by. -
Schoolhouse Electric Co's retro shades bring a very cool funky vibe to pendants and sconces. Available in tons of colors and combinations, they're super affordable too. I really love this artist-designed Aria shade as well as the turquoise blue one I used in this recent design of a Nanny's room. -
While sipping my morning coffee, I usually browse One Kings Lane hoping to find a great deal for clients. This morning the site featured Sherri Conley prints. I was really drawn to the above shot, perhaps in small part because it's so fitting for today's date. Promptly googling Conley, I found a link to her work on Etsy for a little cheaper, though smaller in scale. Happy Valentines Day indeed! Just bought one:) -
While perusing Design*Sponge the other day, I fell in love. There's a giant soft spot in my heart for caned rocking chairs (thanks to one that's proudly sat in my parents living room since well before I was born) and this handmade design from Shawn Place Designs is just awesome. Like Grace Bonney, I want it, bad.
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Let me tell you something....styling work is not easy. You're on your feet all day staring at a stack of white china and.....you can't figure out how to make it pretty. Unless of course your name's Peter Valcarel - a styling genius I met this fall while working behind the scenes at Calvin Klein Home. Not only did Peter teach me a thing or two, he made the long work days fun. I can actually even say....I like styling now! For other gorgeous shots like the one above please check out Peter's new blog and site. -
Obsessed; absolutely obsessed with DwellStudio's Snake Chain in Dove. I want long drapery panels in this pattern immediately. -
Not sure where to start with your design? Work from the ground up! I love Company C's Deco rug because it gives you 1000 points to build around. Why not pair it with a cotton velvet lavender sofa? Too much color? How about using it as as a bold statement at the foot of a cream tufted bed? The possibilities really are endless.... -
One of the best investments I make every year is a membership to MoMA. In addition to free admission, members receive a 10 percent discount at the MoMA Store (online and in person), which sells everything from accessories to midcentury furnishings. Right now they're having a massive holiday card sale and the designs are really so fun and inventive. -
Perfectly sized for storing small items, Anthropologie's colorful Ikat Mini Bowls can transform even the most mundane objects (think spare change) into pretty little things. -
With it's hanging floral strands, Oly's resin Flowerfall Chandelier strikes a contemporary and sophisticated cord rather than the delicate and feminine vibe one might assume for it. Wouldn't it look great over a round dining table or at the foot of a distressed oak bed? -
Lanolin Agg Tval, a Swedish egg white soap, beautifully combines two of my favorite things: royal blue and Scandinavian design. Not only does it come in such pretty packaging, the soap smells amazing, always a nice bonus, and it's quite gentle on the skin too. All the hipster ladies in Williamsburg are using it these days and fortunately two of my favorite shops here carry it: Scandinavian Grace and Brook Farm General Store. -
My very hilarious friend Jenny got married this past weekend and I was ecstatic to find an awesome present for her about an hour before the ceremony at Abode. Designed by Isak, an English-based, Scandinavian-inspired company who says their products are "part hand made by trolls," the tray's certainly not for everyone, but it suits Jenny so well. It actually even resembles her and Roy a little. Anywho, I love it in the way finding the perfect gift is the best feeling ever. -
Boy presents are always such a challenge to find, but thankfully the next time I'm in the market for one I'll already know about Brendan Ravenhill's bottle opener. And yes I know, a bottle opener might seem a bit cliche, but Ravenhill's simple and functional design hammers home rustic, manly appeal. Attached to a carved block of walnut, a bent nail grips the cap while a magnet holds it in place. Another magnet on the back mounts to the fridge when the opener is not in use. Easy breezy! -
Canvas' Felted Seat Cushions aren't new, but that doesn't change the way I feel about them. Every NY Gift Show, every time I'm in Ochre, they always magnetically drawn me in. Then the same scenario ensues: I hold one, flip it over repeatedly and try to convince myself I absolutely need it. Deceivingly simple, the cushions show no seems (what a feat!) and are made in a variety of beautiful hues. I'm sure a handful around the house would not only add to the decor, but I bet they would come in handy in many unexpected ways as well. -
Ever since I went to the Brimfield Antique show I've been a bit obsessed with retro alarm clocks. This one from Newgate is super cool with it's red color, small size (under 5") and dramatic bubble face. I'd love to put it on a desk or bedside table, but I am curious. Does anyone know the point of bubble faces? Is it simply aesthetic? -
I posted Scholten & Baijings Platter with Cover in Favorite Things months ago and then I accidentally erased it. I still love the vibrant crystal design, however, and I think about it often. It even inspired my consistently neon pink pedicure this summer, and thankfully I've made peace with the fact that my $6 bottle of polish is the closest I'll ever come to that platter. Sadly only 8 were made and it costs in excess of $4,000. -
This vanity from KWH beautifully blends masculine form with feminine function. I love the clean lines of the wood and the simple brass ring of the mirror. There's something very Mad Men about the Brooklyn-based companies designs; in fact, they even have a side table with an ashtray attached. It's part of their Vice collection, along with the vanity and other designs like a liquor cabinet. How perfectly unPC. -
Z Gallerie's Mariposa collection made my day. I'm in the process of wrapping up the design of a Manhattan guest bedroom and these canisters will be the perfect accessory to top the West Elm dresser I've selected. If you like them too, don't delay in ordering. It seems that the supply is dwindling. -
Introduced at ICFF, these Pantone folding chairs by Seletti are bright and cushy and I love them as a fun alternative to storage seating. Check out the rest of the awesome products my friend Kip reps through his company Neo-Utility. I swear everything he's found is so clever. -
Last week was the International Contemporary Furniture Fair here in New York. A highlight of my year, the show always brings together amazing designers with tons of new and incredible products. Instead of doing a separate post about ICFF, I'm going to spread the goods out for Favorite Things' posts. And in that vein, here's the Haven nightstand from Miles and May. It's the details that make this piece so very special. Note the curve of the blackened steel, the joinery in the drawer face, the grain of the walnut. Masculine, clean and modern, Haven was definitely one of this year's treasured finds. -
This Home Sweet Home pompom pillow from The Rug Company is one of my favorite possessions. I wish I could afford to give it to my clients as a thank you gift when their project wraps. Wouldn't that be sweet? Before you answer - yes, it does look a tad homely, but trust me it's not and it works with everything. Paul Smith's Painter's Smock pillow brings the same cozy, vintage vibe but in a more wild child Grandma way. I heart them both. -
Lately I've been dreaming of moving to the beach and living in a cozy cottage. In said cottage I'll transform a back bedroom with tons of natural light and views of a garden into an office. Blu Dot's Strut table, which stretches a whopping 90 inches, will serve as my work space. Hanging on the walls: Flamingos from Cole and Son. Heck, I think there might even be a dog running around. This dream = me happy. -
Last week I attended the Architectural Digest Home Design Show and my favorite booth belonged to Shanan Campanaro of Eskayel, a Brooklyn-based wallpaper company. It was awesome to meet Shanan and to see her latest designs, ceramics and pillows printed with her signature psychedelic patterns. Here's a sneak peak of the goods..... -
With the arrival of spring (yay!) I've started to turn my focus outward. While working with urban landscape firm Alive Structures for Lewis' roof deck, I came across their Manhatta in a Box window planters. Made entirely from reclaimed materials, the boxes are filled with native New York species, some dating as far back as pre-1600s. Find the company's web site and more images of their work on my latest Inspired Ideas entry. -
You may know Angela Adams rugs and totes, but apparently, and this is news to me, the Maine-based company also makes furnishings. With its vibrant hue and retro lines the Lily Dressing Table (above) is likely to steal the show from any lady who powders her nose there. Of course I'm still smitten with Adams' floor decor as well. On the opposite end of the spectrum from Lily, the bespoke Mineral rug (top), an abstract depiction of life in rivers near the earth's core, is an ode to beauty that lies beyond the surface. -
While accessory shopping for my client Meghan's SoHo loft, I came across this amazing find at a vintage store in Williamsburg. I've never seen anything like it. About 1 foot in diameter, the spiky contraption houses a smooth storage space in the center, though at first glance you'd never be able to tell that it opens at all. I absolutely love it and so does Meghan. And while I'm happy she has it in her awesome apartment, I'm still kicking myself for not being a bit more selfish that shopping day. -
Please, please, please will somebody hire me and let me hang this Osborne and Little Wallpaper in your home? I'm not usually a big fan of yellow, but the vintage vibe of Fontette really gives the traditional color a new spin Can you just see it in a bright and sunny eat in kitchen or in a wide-wood planked master bedroom suite? -
When my roommate Kate Loring came home from yoga tonight she told me she wasn't a fan of this Hickory Chair dresser, but I love it's quirky vibe. The combination of carved wood and a white washed finish lends the piece a sort of old New England feel....which is why I showed it to her in the first place. Sorry Tiks! -
Much cooler than your run-of-the-mill terracotta vessels, these adorable pastel Campy Planters from Perch! are perfect for framing small plants like succulents and herbs. -
Seattle-based Glassybaby offers hand-blown vessels in practically every color under the rainbow. So rich and saturated in color, they always seem to glow. I was first introduced to the company years ago when I worked for Western Interiors and Design and I'm now thrilled to have the designs on my mind once again as this week Glassy opens their very first East Coast store in the West Village. -
Readers of my last blog know I'm a little obsessed with IIitala designer Klaus Haapaniemi and his Taika collection. Happily Satumetsa, his latest dinnerware creation for the Scandinavian company, is just as adorable as the first. As fall approaches it's reassuring to know that sipping from a mug with this whimsical enchanted forest theme will keep me warm and dreaming of spring through the long cold months.
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You know the saying good fences make good neighbors? Well good screens make good design and Baker's Paris Snowflake Screen is one of the prettiest I've seen. This makes perfect sense of course since it's part of a collection based on the works of interior design legend Tony Duquette.
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After it's January 2008 Maison et Objet debut, Patricia Urquiola's Re-Trouve outdoor collection was at the top of practically every editor's to-die-for list. As soon as I saw it at the Paris showcase I fell in love with the vintage-esque wire frames (a breath of fresh air against all the heavy wood designs), the variety of vibrant colors, and the varying scale (check out that super cool high-back). The only downside? The wait for the fab line to make it state-side has seemed endless. Thankfully, at long last, that day has arrived. It's here through Corcoran!
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These days it seems there's nothing more luxurious than the beauty found in natural resources, which is why I'm in awe of Dallas-designer Jan Showers' Mies lamp. Made of Honeycomb Calcite this brilliant yellow creation would work great as a dramatic focal point in any space from modern to traditional. -
I'm wild about Philippe Starck's deceivingly simple Louis Ghost Chair for Kartell. The contemporary classic is particularly alluring in an austere black finish.
