Beige seems to be making a comeback if you will. It wasn’t so long ago that every design neutral was grey, cool grey or warm grey. Now though, the ubiquitous grey tones have been replaced with earthy sandy colors harkening back to a simple earthy vibe. Maybe its because we are all spending so much time at home these days and for the foreseeable future. Yearning for the simplicity of nature and to create a calming respite from the chaos that exists outside our front door. 

I see it with myself, paring down every table scape and shelfie to a calm, warm neutral palette. Pulling back loud patterns and rich colors. I am gravitating to whites, beiges, browns, terracotta, rose, clay colors. And I find myself wondering why. There is a purity in these colors, a feeling of going back to the basics and to the foundation of color and texture. I want my eye to rest when I am home and I am finding my clients often feel the same. Right now we are in such a state to overstimulation I am craving a palette of calm and I think we find it in the colors and textures that lead us back to the earth, back to basics. 

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The latest and greatest from one of my favorite designers Kelly Wearstler. Of course I had to come up with an excuse to go visit and stay in the new Proper Santa Monica Hotel, a meeting in Santa Monica gave me the perfect reason to escape!

The whole space is beautifully curated and feels at once luxe, but attainable. Otherworldly sculptural furniture elements mix with natural, simple materials making for a dynamic and eye pleasing combination. I spent more time then I want to admit walking through the lobby and restaurant taking in the wood and upholstery choices and eyeing each light fixture and hard surface choice. It feels both wild and restrained which is a difficult combination to reach.

While The Proper San Francisco is a whirlwind of pattern and color choices, with jewel tones and blacks contrasting each other, The Proper Santa Monica feels quieter, simpler. You can feel the inspiration of nature, beach sands and organic materials guiding each choice. The underlying vibe is still sexy and sleek, but with a different note this time.

After dinner and a beach walk, I found myself back in my room excavating each surface and material choice. Wide plank light oak floors lay the natural palette while each furniture item is curved, no right angles in sight. An interesting choice, but something I have seen recently trending in furniture styles- more curves and soft lines than ever before. This sets an unconsciously soft and soothing sense to the space. The oversized, half moon shaped upholstered headboard makes you feel secluded and encapsulated in softness. The quality of all the materials is obvious and felt throughout- solid woods, rich wools, simple linens.

Overall I loved my stay, and felt comfortable and relaxed. The environment was perfect for a quick working getaway and reminded me once again of the power of a beautiful interior. The impacts of beautiful spaces are so profound and can trigger inspiration when you least expect it. Thanks Kelly for another beautiful space to inspire!

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One of my favorite parts of traveling is seeing how people live, what their homes and furniture look like and how it can inspire my own work and perspective. It doesn’t take much to bring me over to the laid back island style, but 2 weeks of island hopping in Tahiti with the hot, moist air that smelled like vanilla everywhere we went and the vivid colors all around made it that much more enticing.

It seemed like the water was bluer (it really is), the trees were greener and the flowers more fragrant. There is a vitality that is richer and tangible. I am usually a sucker for neutrals- I love my whites more than anyone (white on white on white always wins in my book) but spending 3 weeks hopping from island to island I grew a newfound love for color. In one of the hotels we stayed the beds were dressed in bright coral linen that paired with the simple wooden furniture, banana leaf roof and shell chandeliers created a laid back, nature inspired appeal.

Interior design in Tahiti is largely driven by the local resources. Furniture and decor is all imported and high import tax make even the most attainable items expensive. I was struck by the ingenuity of the locals and how certain natural resources were used in such thoughtful and interesting ways. Banana’s are an essential part of the Tahitian diet, but the leaves are also used for the underside of many of the ceilings of bungalows that we stayed in. I even found myself hiding under a banana leaf tree during a sudden down pour during my daily jog, and did not get wet at all! Those banana leaf plants are incredible.

Being a California girl I thought I knew all about indoor/ outdoor living, but the Tahitian’s are truly one with their environment. There are no screens on windows, doors are always wide open and very little time besides to sleep is spent indoors. I didn’t watch tv or sit on a sofa for 3 weeks and this is typical for the Tahitian lifestyle. Time is spent around large dining tables enjoying conversation and shared meals. The nightly sunrise was an important occasion where it seemed like everyone stopped what they were doing to watch it until it dipped away. It was a truly spiritual experience to paddle out into that blue water and sit on my board watching the sun dropping and the amazing colors it spilled across the sky while behind me the sacred green island covered in green trees rose up. It was like being in the most beautiful painting every night.

Whenever I travel I immediately start thinking about how i would design a house and Tahiti is no different. Check out my pinterest for some of my favorite Tahitian inspired home decor and I have rounded up a selection below.

1/ plant 2/ sofa 3/ accent chair 4/ side table 5/ coffee table 6/ dining chair 7/ rug 8/ pillow 9/ pillow 10/ bolster 11/ chandelier 12/ dining table

So exciting! Check out the latest issue of Modern Farmhouse on stands now to see the stunning 6 page spread of a beautiful kitchen remodel that we contributed to. The truth is great designs are usually due to a great home owner and this project was no exception. This project came out so beautifully because Lisa has amazing personal style and had a very clear vision of what she wanted for her home and it is truly a reflection of her. 

This particular project was so awesome because so many talented people were part of it! See all the details here

Check it. The Lodging in Freemantle. I love me a good boutique hotel and black and pink and fab photos hits it in all the right spots. This little lady is a refurbished 1800's terrace house. Cant beat the look of modern and traditional all wrapped into one. This is a great example of how a really simple color palette and restrained design can make a huge impact on a space. 

Get me a ticket to Australia stat! 

all images via The Lodging 

Looking for some tips on how to make your apartment "insta-worthy?" Check out Lonny where I gave my top 15 tips on easy ways to make a big impact in your space! Thanks so much Lonny! 

Bar Palladio via Architectural Digest 

Travel, Wander, Seek. Besides interior design and furniture my next love is travel. I love seeing new places, getting new inspiration, re-finding myself in the context of a new country or city. I feel the most energized and the most creatively in tune when I travel and when I get home I can't wait to get to designing and letting bubble up to the surface in a tangible way the inspiration that I return with. Next week I leave for a quick jaunt to India and I can't wait. I know that most of my time is already scheduled out so I won't be able to do all the fun touristy things I would do if I was on my own, but I am excited to get a feel for the country and plan for my next sojourn back. 

Taking inspiration from other countries is very important in my design process. I spend hours every weekend (that I am home!) looking at books and images of interiors specifically from countries outside of the US and India has always intrigued me. I love the vibrancy of the colors, the rich culture that exists and of course the gorgeous textiles, rugs and pillows that are so much part of the country. I have been pinning away my to do list for my trip- that probably wont be happening this time around, but I certainly plan to go back and discover more when I have more time. In the mean time at least we can all soak up some beautiful images from India as I prep for my trip! 

Samode Palace

via Vetica

Sujan Rajmahal Palace Hotel via Vogue

Well its been awhile since I've frequented this space! If you follow along instagram you know I have been permanently posted between airports and various cities around the world #designlife. Excited to share a little interview that Society6 was kind enough to do with me a few months back about our design philosophy and how we approach all these beautiful spaces for Sonder. You can read the whole article here .