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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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 

A few months ago I welcomes the amazing writer Lelani Marie Lebong into my little Treehouse for some tea and to talk about my home and what I have been up to. We had the best time talking and laughing about all kinds of random stuff- I usually think I have the best job in the world, but after a morning with Lelani I realized she just might,  we had so much fun! You can read my interview here. Thanks so much Lelani for the great article and for making the trek up my 47 stairs!  

Art is such an important aspect to any design project. Art can set the tone of a space- it can completely transform the vibe of a room based on the subject, the color and the way you display it. Its always amazing to me the way adding a simple art piece to the wall or combining things together in a gallery wall can totally change the direction of a design. There are so many great artists out there, and discovering new artists is never ending- so I figured I would break up this subject into 2 blog posts, how to display and my favorite sources (I have a lot!). 

Gallery walls will never go out of style. I promise! Its a great way to combine multiple styles and sizes to create an impactful focal statement in a space. I created the gallery wall above in the Decorist office and it was such an inexpensive and one of kind option. I went on a little buying trip to one my favorite local vintage shops and sourced some cool abstract art pieces and displayed them above a vintage credenza. Instant gallery wall! 

For me gallery walls are great because I have a knack for collecting odd and mismatched pieces for the wall- tassels, horns, convex mirrors are some of my latest finds, so creating unique gallery walls mixed with my latest favorite artists is a great way to keep the space fresh and rotate my ever growing art collection. I created this fun gallery wall for San Francisco advertising agency Partners in Crime because my client also loved art and wanted a way to display his amazing walking sticks from the Mill Valley Walking Stick Company that he creates (more on my favorite art sources coming up!) 

So besides gallery walls how else do you display art? Don't restrict yourself just to displaying art on the walls. I love the idea of over-laying art on bookshelves or on other built in architectural elements. It immediately adds depth and unexpected interest in a room. 

Leaning art is another favorite of mine. Its feels so casual and sophisticated and has an easy Parisian flair to it. Best part is no nails in the wall so if you are a crazy art collector like me. you can easily change out without feeling like its too permanent.

So thats the skinny on how I like to display my art, stay tuned for some of my favorite (current) art resources! 

credits: Hollywood Hills/  Decorist/ Union Street / Prospect Street 

It opens like this.. "El Cosmico is an 21 acre nomadic hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas. In keeping with the belief that life should be a balance of adventure and do-nothingness...." Count me in! So much is happening these days that I am ever more grateful for, but the idea of running away to a remote getaway with miles of stars and quiet is always so appealing. Of course funky design, sunset soundtracks and camp cooking are just the extra pieces to get me to pack a bag and jump on a plane to wide open Texas. 

Trailers, teepees, yurts and tents dot this property inspired by "hippies, nomads, bohemians and those living a life of self-determination." Its the perfect spot to tune in and get centered. 

Follow along on my Wander pinterest board for a little reminder to breathe in the air and look around at all the beauty. 

all  images via El Cosmico

I always say that the most important part of the success of a design project (and what happens to be my favorite part of being an interior designer) is the connection between the designer and the client. This couldn't be more evident than in the case of the design that I created for my virtual bff Kyla Herbes from House of Hipsters. First of all, this is the second time that Kyla and I have worked together. We first "met" when I did the design of her guest bedroom and really met when she flew out to the Seattle Showhouse and I was able to give her a tour around the house. When her and her family moved to their new home it was the perfect opportunity to collaborate again! 

Let me start by saying that Kyla is an amazing designer and stylist in her own right and I said more than once during the course of our working together "you totally dont need me!" But I think the fact that we both love the collaboration process so much and bouncing design ideas off of each other is what keeps us going! The amount of times that she has purchased a piece of art that I own, or emailed me saying "hey do you like this" and I literally just picked out the exact same item for another client is so many its spooky! 

Now lets get to the room! This space is the first area that you enter into when you come through the front door- its more of a "formal living room" so I wanted to dress it up a bit, but also make it ultra accessible for Kyla's family. I imagined Kyla having a cup of coffee or her kids jumping on the sofa in the space. I wanted it to feel welcoming but special. I think this was achieved by the mix of materials- shiny brass, organic woods and luxe velvets. I love mixing materials, textures, patterns and I think this room is the perfect example of how a layered room can feel so rich and have so much depth. 

Art is really important to me. I see interior design in itself as functional art- actually living in art, so bringing in special art pieces is really crucial to me and luckily equally important to Kyla. The piece from Tappan Collective is one of my favorites (I had spec'd this for another client and Kyla sent it to me asking me my thoughts on it- design brain connection!) and really sets the tone for the space. Its relaxing, ethereal, soft- everything I wanted this room to feel. The other art pieces are from Nicole Cohen  Kyla introduced this amazing photographer to me and I was instantly in love. She has so many beautiful pieces, go check it out!! 

So love this space, see all the details  here . its one my favorites, for one of my favorite people! So happy to be part of Kyla's new home and hey ready to tackle your other living room! Go check out the full reveal over on House of Hipsters, FYI the befores are pretty amazing!  xoxo

photo credit: Emilia Jane Photography