planter, stool, armchair, rug, peacock sofa, umbrella, bathing beauty 

Warmer weather and my last house project to complete (my deck!) has me thinking about natural colors and textures. I love playing with the natural landscape as inspiration and pulling from it to create the color palette for my designs. 

People often thing that going monochromatic is boring or flat, but by mixing texture and material you can really create an interesting mix that is very appealing to the eye. I am playing with the idea of this 70's peacock sofa, rattan chair and natural turkish rug for my outdoor patio... 

BTW the armchair and the stool are steal of the century from Target! 

I have been looking at a lot of furniture lately (as usual!) and I am seeing tufted upholstered furniture everywhere! What used to be typically symbolic of traditional style, tufting is now being used in conjunction with clean lined modern pieces. I am loving this eclectic juxtaposition with furniture. It really adds a rich and unexpected twist to a room. Besides the stylistic element tufted in a great thing to consider in terms of furniture longevity as tufting usually requires more fabric just due to the construction is pulled tighter than a traditional sofa = so saggy fabric. Prints, velvets, leathers, linens- keep you eye on tufted furniture as I know you have not seen the last of it. Before you know it there is going to be reverse tufting, patchwork tufting and then we will all be tufted out. In the meantime peep these great styles that will look fab in virtually any space. 

image via Design Chaser

Image Via Glitter Guide

image via pinterest

arm chair, club chair, sectional, bed, sofa, swivel chair, ottoman

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

2016 has been amazing! Ready for 2017 to be another fabulous year! Thrilled to start out the year giving my top 2017 home trends with some of my favorite designers like the uber talented Brian Paquette and Cecily Mendell  on Sunset. 

You guys! Have you seen the newest Fall collection from Nate Berkus at Target? I love all things Nate and Target has really hit the mark with this one. Target is such a great source for unexpected, affordable home pieces and I swear the collections keep getting better and better! I love Target especially for accent tables and textiles. Their pillow and throw collections are always great and its the perfect place to source trendy seasonal items that you might want to switch out because nothing is too expensive. 

Be sure to check out the Nate Fall collection, so many of the great trends I have seen for the Fall are happening here- rattan, gold accents and rich browns. Go grab some! 

A. Black and Gold Round Coffee Table B. Fringe Oblong Decorative PIllow C. Braided Woven Storage D. Stardust Bowl E. Striped Tassel Throw Blanket F. Over Tufted Shag Rug G. Inlay Tray H. Charcoal Earthenware Vase I. Metal Wall Decor

Seems like I have been working on a lot of kitchen designs lately and wanted to share some of my tips when it comes to designing a kitchen and also what I am loving right now! There is a lot to think about when you are re-modeling a kitchen, unlike many other spaces in the home kitchens and bathrooms are usually spaces that need to do a lot of jobs as well as withstand the test of time because they typically end up staying put for a bit!  Case in point the 1970’s kitchen that I am currently working on! It hasn’t been touched in a couple of decades so its finally time for a facelift! 

Top Tips

Be practical! Think about all the functions for your kitchen- how do you use it? Are you a super cook? Do you love to entertain? Do you want to just make your kitchen disappear? These are all important things to consider when starting on your project. Although you love the look of carrera marble, its tough to maintain and if your countertops take a beating a quartz or other manmade material might be a better option for your lifestyle. 

Steer Clear of the Trends! You want your kitchen to withstand the test of time. In kitchen’s and bath’s I tend to recommend that my clients go with neutrals on things like the cabinets. Although a lime green cabinet looks amazing in a magazine this wont necessarily translate for many years and if you are planning to live with your new kitchen for awhile I recommend staying with the basics on the major pieces. 

Treat your tile and hardware like jewelry! These are the places you can have a bit of fun with. Be more adventurous with your tile choices and know that nickel, chrome, rose gold.. you can change up your hardware easily over the years. 

Brighten it up! I love me some lighting! In all spaces! Lighting in a kitchen is especially important. Here you have to consider decorative lighting as well as task lighting. A vintage pendant can make any space interesting and again this is an area that can be changed out of you keep your kitchen for 30 years! 

Trends that are not Trendy! 

I’m loving a lot of whites, natural stone and light woods.  There are so many amazing materials out there to choose from and dont even get me started on tiles! But truly I am really drawn to the direction of the kitchen being a space that takes its inspiration from nature, it should be a beautiful backdrop to create delicious meals for family and friends to enjoy. 

I love thick natural wood open shelving. 

Hints of brass or gold mixed with a surprising rich color. 

I have been seeing a lot of islands that are different material than the rest of cabinets and that is a trend I am really loving. 

Bench seating is always a hit with me! Anywhere you can lounge to drink your coffee is a plus! 

Ok I am going to go back to pinning incessant inspiration pictures. Follow along with me here! And in the meantime I hope you are inspired to create your own perfect kitchen oasis.