Beddings -- Comfortable and Beautiful

[caption id="attachment_351" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="l_erba_sanctuary_seascape"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_360" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Blue Silver Poppy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_359" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Bliss Living"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Silver Sea Grass"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="L'erba Luminary"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_356" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Brown, Burgundy, Bliss Living"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_355" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Dwell Studio White Birds Chinoiserie"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Black and Yellow Birds Bliss Living"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_353" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Green, Teal, Silver"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_352" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="L'erba Sanctuary Tranquil"][/caption]

Apparently, I gravitate toward nature-inspired beddings--particularly ones with birds.  It could be that I'm done with Winter and ready for Spring.  Yes, that's it.

Images courtesy of LNT.com and L'erba Home

For Kate

Design Notebook: Urban, Playful, and Dorothy Draper Inspired

Yesterday I mentioned that a dear friend is moving into a studio apartment in Cleveland Park NW DC and is looking for design ideas for outfitting her new soon-to-be home. To continue my search for design inspirations to spark a funky, lovely, urban, yet playful concept for my friend's new Cleveland Park NW DC apartment, I found these....for your viewing pleasure (and mine)! Of course, I kept in mind notable Draper Effect elements.

[caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Fashion Nation"][/caption]

Love the chandelier in this photo below. Draper Effect element: striking detail. Check.

[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="From The Blissful Bride"][/caption]

Draper Effect element: Dense textured carpet. Check. I like this one below, textured minimalist. And what a neat idea for a coffee table!

[caption id="attachment_329" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Decor8"][/caption]

Draper Effect element: Intense color. Check! Even with black and white...and a hot pop of pink.

[caption id="attachment_311" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="From the Glam Lamb"][/caption]

I just love this couch and set of chairs...very urban feel.

[caption id="attachment_321" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="From Hotel Chatter"][/caption]

More Dorothy Draper elements: bold, exuberant prints on the carpet. Striking details in the chandeliers. Check. Check!

[caption id="attachment_322" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Decor to Adore"][/caption]

This one... well, it's just glam, glam, glam with a hint of sophistication.

[caption id="attachment_338" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Studio House Design"][/caption]

Ornate mirror -- without the overdose. A striking detail and Dorothy Draper element. Check. I love the patterns, texture, and fantabulous blend of bold colors in this room. Oh, and of course, how can I forget Dorothy Draper design element: Roaring Fire!

[caption id="attachment_324" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Fine Living"][/caption]

Umm.... great couch. Need I say more?

[caption id="attachment_325" align="aligncenter" width="331" caption="Love the Couch"][/caption]

And a little urban serenity... good use of natural elements.

[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Poppies at Play"][/caption]

Now, do share! Which of these images connect with your urban, playful, funky, and lovely self?

Period Piece: The [Dorothy] Draper Effect

A good friend of mine is moving into a lovely studio apartment in Cleveland Park NW, home to DC gems like Politics and Prose and the historic Art Deco style Uptown Theater.  So it was quite fortuitous when I showed her this blog, and she said that it was perfect timing that I did that because she was thinking of ways to decorate her new apartment---and the blog could help.  Of course, I was giddy with excitement when she said that because not only is she looking for design ideas from me, but she doesn't have any furniture and only has her trendy clothes to move!  She has (rather I have) a blank canvas to work with!  Ah, a good way to test my ID skillz.  So, what is my dear friend looking for in terms of decor?  Something "very urban, very playful," she says.  And she's thinking of painting a divider wall hot pink (I think I heard her right...hot). I automatically thought of Dorothy Draper, the most influential American interior designer of the 20th century. She is to interior design as Coco Channel is to fashion -- a pioneer, an inspiration! She's all about bold pops of color, and she makes me happy! See examples of her work from The Greenbriar, like this one:

[caption id="attachment_312" align="aligncenter" width="476" caption="The Greenbrier Lobby Design by Dorothy Draper via Architectural Digest"][/caption]

I love the mix of intense colors, bold patterns, and visual textures in the lobby (above).  She also brings in natural elements in her design, often using live plants or plant prints like in this one  below:

[caption id="attachment_313" align="aligncenter" width="446" caption="Also at The Greenbriar -- Photo From Architectural Digest"][/caption]

Mirrors -- the more ornate the better for Dorothy Draper. Check this one out (below), set against an awesome floral print wallpaper.

[caption id="attachment_314" align="aligncenter" width="373" caption="Also at The Greenbriar -- Photo From Architectural Digest"][/caption]

I recently learned that there is such a thing as "The Draper Effect." And no, not the Don Draper kind.... To achieve the Dorothy Draper effect in your interiors, you gotta use:
1) Intense Color
2) Plant Life
3) Dense and textured carpet.
4) Striking details -- just a few bold accessories, but don't clutter!
5) A roaring fire.
6) Exuberant prints

Taking those points in mind...I've got much to work with in brainstorming for my friend's Cleveland Park apartment!  Stay tuned....

Design Notebook: Beautiful Bedrooms

I can't sleep. Most people would probably watch some TV. But I'm hoping that looking through beautiful bedrooms will help me get more quickly to dreamland....

[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Hooked on Houses"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_289" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="From Tobi Fairley"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_290" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Chichi and Luxe"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Dreaming in Pink"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_292" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From DIY Ideas"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="From Canadian House and Home via Never Without"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_295" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Decor Pad"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="From Country Living"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_299" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Flickr"][/caption]

I came across Country Living's Bedroom Ideas Guide and found so many more design inspirations. But for now....I think I'll retire in one of my own.

[caption id="attachment_301" align="aligncenter" width="502" caption="By Michelle @ Design Palate"][/caption]

Palate Pleasing: The Big Easy Tablescape. Serve Up the Gumbo!

Last night was my very first attempt at recreating a New Orleans original: gumbo. The process was quite involved, but the result–rewarding.



How did I do?

When you cook, I'm sure you're thinking about how well the ingredients blend together for taste. I think about that too, of course. Who wants to make a bland, crappy dish? Actually, I don't think too much when I'm cooking. It's a time for my brain to chill with a glass of wine, and my hands to do the work. But last night (and maybe because I was thinking of a piece for this blog), I was thinking about how the ingredients for gumbo went together visually. When they're combined, the resulting color is sort of a deep yellow. But individually, the ingredients make up a nice traditional, classic color combination of yellow, green, red, and brown. So considering the ingredients individually, I came up with the following ingredients for a gumbo-inspired tablescape! Am I spot on? Do tell.



Wanna re-create this for your table?

1. Thomas by Rosenthal Loft 6-3/4-Inch Oval Bowl
2. Recycled Glass Fluted Jar
3. Merucry Tealight Holder
4. DII Basics Napkin Set of 4
5. Red Dinner Square Plates
6. Bubble Optic Tumblers - Amber
7. Savant Flatware
8. Gold Beaded Table Runner
9. Sand and Brown Reversible Placemat
10. Rock Spray Napkin Rings

Design Notebook: Inspirations from Desktop Wallpapers

And did I tell you they're free?  Click here, if you want to spruce up your Desktop or Web site. Many are great for inspiring interior redos and updos! Here are some that I liked.

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with bloglovin

House Dressing: An Old Town Treat

On my Groupon alert today, I received a lovely discount to a new DC jewel named Treat.  Treat opened last May 2009 in Old Town, Alexandria and touts itself as "the sample sale boutique," carrying designer brands at affordable prices.  Yes, help us chic, stylish professional DC women get out of our everyday black, brown, blue, and grey suits and into something more colorful, if not fashion forward!  I'm gushing over this DC color staple:



I love the shape and its visual texture.  And who wouldn't want to wear a dress like this, with the accessories I found, in rooms like these?

[caption id="attachment_223" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Action Interior"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_225" align="aligncenter" width="259" caption="From Absolutely Beautiful Things"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_224" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Cococozy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_227" align="aligncenter" width="452" caption="From Interior Design"][/caption]

Palate Pleasing: Valentine's Day Tablescapes

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's yesterday. Single or not, we should celebrate love. There's enough crap going on around us and the world, why not take a day, an evening, an afternoon and be with the people we love most.

Well, the hubby outdid himself again with this year's Valentine's dinner.  On the menu:

[caption id="attachment_192" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Rack of Baby Lamb on New Potatoes with Barley and Wild Mushrooms"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_193" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="with a lovely bottle of Cotes du Rhone's Chateauneuf-du-Pape "][/caption]

And for dessert:

[caption id="attachment_190" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Coeur A La Creme With Raspberry Sauce"][/caption]

Our tablescape was simple. Hubby got the classic red rose bouquet and sprinkled in some stargazer lilies, which were the flowers on my wedding bouquet and the first flower he ever got me. (Ain't he sweet!)



He kept the table romantic, simple, and the meal elegant.

It got me thinking of how others may decorate their Valentine's celebration tables. Here are some inspirations for romantic evenings with a significant other or a celebration of love with friends and family for next year's Valentine's.

[caption id="attachment_163" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Art Style Online"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_164" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Art Style Online"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_165" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Art Style Online"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_166" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Starshine Chic"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_168" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Above the Clouds"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_170" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From St. Luis Cellars"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_172" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Delish"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_173" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Delish"][/caption]