So I learned about this design duo Nickey Kehoe (Todd Nickey & Amy Kehoe) from Domino magazine's "Domino 10". I love that they describe their approach to interior design as avoiding "design diva energy"! I can understand that. While I can appreciate that type of diva energy and design style, it's not exactly something I'd want in my house. I'm sure their portfolio doesn't show their current projects, so I hope they add more images of their warm minimalist style.

When a residence or business is blocked by clutter, emotional residue, incompletion, or actual furniture placement, a less than excellent quality of life is experienced.

• Keep a small overnight bag packed for you and your family and place it in your car’s trunk. If an unplanned getaway or you get an overnight invitation for your kids (or an emergency arises), you will have all essentials already in the car and ready to go.

• Let the light into your home. Put up sheer curtains or pleated shades that can be opened from the top or bottom so you can maximize the sunlight and immediately feel re-energized.

• Hang beautiful chimes from your deck, trees or house gutters for a melodious sound to relax and calm you. Always have a book on hand that you’ve always wanted to read and didn’t have time. The sound of the chimes will de-stress you and you will be learning from or enjoying a good book at the same time.

• Have your home and deck power washed. Then you can seal your deck for many hours of fun without damaging it.

I met Veronica on the streets. She started off a little worse for wear. She was homeless when I found her. Outside, the luster had faded, there were quite a few battle scars.....but then that's what life can do, isn't it? I took her home. I thought all it was going to take was a little TLC, right? I thought I could get her back on her feet in no time. But after a couple of weeks (or was it three?) of hard core therapy....after some tough rehab, I did start to wonder if it was all worth it.

But then..... after peeling away the layers of dirt....after scrubbing clean the signs of age...I could see we were getting somewhere. I could see definite signs of improvement. It was time for a brand new coat...or several. A little color to top her off. And Viola! She is ready to face the world again. And she was definitely worth the effort.

There is more about her here.

I recently added a new book to my illustrated children's book collection, called "Opposites" by Brian Wildsmith.

It was originally published in 1967 and is still in print.

Posted by Kerstin

This year I am determined to conquer the very thing I attempt each time the weather starts to heat up.

Find that one dress that is stylish, classic, and won't wrinkle or wilt in the sweltering city heat.

It's a tall order, finding one garment that can go from the office (add cardigan) to a dinner out (add dangly earrings), to the beach (add flip-flops), or wear errand-running around town (add shopping bags).

So every time Memorial Day hits, I scour catalogs, web sites, and newly-stocked stores hoping it will be there saying, "Look, over here."

Unfortunately, every Labor Day, I discover the same thing. I have bought way too many throwaway dresses that fit no more than one of the above requirements. And most I never want to see again.

This year, I have come up with a few candidates. Tell me what you think.
And be sure to tell me of any you think could be "the one."

Candidate 1:

Candidate 2:

Candidate 3:

Late Entry: Candidate 4 (I forgot about this one)

Shhhhh.....she was secretly domestic.  She loved setting the table.  She enjoyed folding the napkins.  She liked arranging the flowers.  (Oh dear, what next...?  wearing aprons? ironing?)

When the darling Peacock Painters were here, the blogging girl wanted the tables to be, well, pretty…………

Take a peek.

 
She had a thing for pink......a girlie girl?

The tablecloths were of her own design, edged with handmade passementarie buttons. She didn't want to cover the graceful stems of the Saarinen tables.

She bought the vintage tables from the Italian cultural attache.  The 12 chairs - which she had refinished - were formerly in the garden of the Mamounia hotel; she liked their modern chic.

Little silver decorative animal boxes bought in Cambodia.  Even tables deserve jewelery.....

What do you think of the herringbone floors made out of handmade bejmat tile....?

This was the blogging girl's own seat.......sigh, the one marked compulsive shopper.  Go figure.....

Posted by Lisa & Rena

A couple of weeks ago, I left Rena alone at Rare Device in the cold and windy San Francisco and headed for one of my favorite spots in the world: California's Mojave Desert.

I flew into Palm Springs (which is a treat itself) and met my aunt and uncle, who live about 50 miles outside of Palm Springs, near Joshua Tree National Forest, in the town of 29 Palms.

A sign entering 29 Palms

29 Palms is a bit of a sleepy town, and that’s what I like about it. I have returned time and time again for its clear, clean air, gorgeous sparse desert landscape, and mountain vistas. There isn’t a whole lot to do there besides hike around Joshua Tree, but this activity alone makes the trip worth it.

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most special places in the world -- there is nothing else like it on the planet. (In fact, sometimes walking around the park you feel like you might be on another planet).

The famous Joshua trees of Joshua Tree

Before my aunt and uncle retired there last year, I stayed twice at the lovely 29 Palms Inn, a rustic, affordable, and beautiful accommodation in town, near the entrance to Joshua Tree Park.

Besides hiking in the park, there is some great antiquing and thrift store shopping in nearby Yucca Valley. And any kid will enjoy a visit to Pioneer Town, a cool movie set where they used to shoot western TV shows and films. If you like driving around and taking photos of old signs, the expanse between 29 Palms and Yucca Valley are chock full.

An abandoned homestead

Low on pretense and cost, high on hidden charm, gorgeous desert views and fantastic weather (especially in the fall and spring), 29 Palms is truly out of this world.

Maria Beatrice and Leonardo Ferragamo’s Villa Le Rose

Oh how I want to be Margaret Russell, the Editor of ELLE DECOR. In addition to her unparalleled editorial skills, she must have about 8,000 cocktail dresses that look fabulous on her. In the foreward to my new favorite book, So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish Spaces, she defines what makes a space chic:

But what exactly is chic? Webster’s defines the word as “cleverly stylish; smart; a woman who adapts fashion to her own personality.” When it comes to interiors, chic is that and far more. A chic space can be razzle-dazzle glamorous or quietly unpretentious, seriously sophisticated or unapologetically bohemian. The unifying thread is indisutabley confidence, no doubt boosted by splashes of joie de vivre and flair.

Jaouad Kadiri’s Moroccan Country House

Kenneth Jay Lane’s Stanford White Designed Park Avenue Townhouse

This is a really good way to describe ELLE DECOR. They offer a wide range of styles in their spreads unlike any other magazine, from over-the-top opulence of say, Kenneth Jay Lane, to the lived-in rustic look of Ralph Lauren; from the eclectic vibe of Anh Duong to the elegant Grey Gardens-esque decay of John Derian; from the vintage but modernly crisp Thomas O’Brien to the exotic shapes and textures used by Jaouad Kadiri. This book culls the best examples from the magazine’s archives, and the range of styles is remarkable. The common thread is that they are all, undoubtedly chic due to the designers’ individual styles, whether they be influenced by the Ottoman empire, mid-century modern, vintage, Hollywood Regency, Morocco, the eclectic mix, et. al.

Ranjana & Naeem Khan’s SoHo Loft

For example, I took note of the different wallcoverings in the book. There were crisp white walls, classic murals, antique Chinese wallpapers, grasscloths, ethnic tiles, genius artwork arrangements, mirrors, bold stripes and luxurious printed fabrics.

Muriel Brandolini’s Upper East Side Townhouse

Tamara Mellon’s London Flat (O.K., I want to be her the most; she has every Jimmy Choo shoe in her closet!)

Sheila Bridges’ Harlem Apartment

Thomas O’Brien’s Wall of Inspiration

Delphine and Reed Krakoff’s Southampton Home

Anh Duong’s West Village Loft

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Hamptons Home

John Derian’s Lower East Side Pad

It was impossible to pick favorite photos from this book, but I thought these were some great examples. Here are the photo credits, in order, from the elite group that shoots for ELLE DECOR:

• Pieter Estersohn

• Henry Bourne

• Pieter Estersohn

• Simon Upton

• Pieter Estersohn

• Simon Upton

• William Waldron

• William Waldron

• Reed Krakoff

• Simon Upton

• William Waldron

• William Waldron

this sunday, april 6th is the first day of the 2008 brooklyn fleamarket! i’m so thrilled to be a part of this fantastic community project, organized by the gang at brownstoner. every sunday from now till later this fall, a wonderful range of vendors will set up shop in ft. greene from 10am-5pm, rain or shine. in addition to a great collection of vintage sellers, clothing, food and accessories, i’ll be curating a section of the flea called the design*sponge collective. if you’re a reader of the site you’ll probably recognize the names of our vendors (artists like lena corwin (image above), sian keegan, wayne pate and many more) but it will be even more fun to recognize them in person! so if you’re in the nyc area this weekend please stop on by and say hi to these incredible artists. i’ll be out of town for this weekend but i’ll be back, manning the section, every weekend (or as many as humanly possible) for the rest of the summer. hope to see you there! a sampling of the incredible artists and products in the d*s collective are below. want to attend? click here for details.

[image above: bags and pillow by lena corwin]

[image above: bracelet by mollie dash]

[image above: fabric radishes by sian keegan]

[image above: there will be fabrics cut and sold by the yard from repro depot in the d*s collective]

[image above: reupholstered and refinished chairs from chairloom]

[image above: new coasters from sesame letterpress]

[image above: prints and tshirts from wayne pate at good shape design]

[image above: stationery from moontree letterpress]

[image above: tshirt from jezebel design (stationery will be available, too)]

[image above: photographs by john murphy]

[image above: cards and prints from foxy and winston]

On my blog, it?s no secret that I?m a big fan of Kim Myles. Anyone who can resist her bubbly optimism and bold use of color might just be a stick in the mud, if you ask me. I asked Kim if she?d mind answering some couple-focused decorating questions, and she happily agreed. Check out her site for more information on her design work and design- and budget-savvy show Myles of Style, if you haven’t made her acquaintance yet!

Elka: Do you see any trends that follow gender lines (such as, men are more conservative with color; women are more daring with new trends)? Or is it a toss-up?

Kim: So far, it?s a toss up. The only thing that I?ve found to be almost universal is the fear of bold color. It?s funny, I live for color, and everyone I design for on ?Myles of Style? says they like color too, they?ve just been paralyzed by the thought of making the wrong choice?.it?s so fascinating to me! If I had one wish, it would be that we as people who live in a visual world would embrace brave color choices and combos, and just let go of the fear. It?s only color?if you hate it, it?s the easiest thing in the world to change.

E: How stressful is redecorating for a couple?

K: I don?t find it stressful at all; I think that my past life as a hairdresser trained my listening skills to the extreme. My job is to go in, meet the homeowners, and discuss what their dreams and hopes for the space are. Sometimes that includes reading between the lines, and hearing what isn?t being said out loud, and I think that?s one of my strengths.

E: How do you try to make differing design ideas between each person in the relationship sync up?

K: When people don?t see eye to eye on their space, it?s all about finding the common ground first. Baby steps like, ?Ok, you both agree that you hate the current wall color, right??, gets them on the same page and on the same team. Once we?ve established that, we can delve into the ?why?s? of their dislike of the color, and I find that once people start talking about why they like or dislike something (vs. just making a general blanket judgment), all the walls start to come down. As people, I think we?re all striving to understand each other, so my goal in a situation like that is to be the facilitator.

E: What?s your best piece of advice for couples who are butting heads on decorating schemes?

K: Find one piece that you both love. It can be small; a color, an accessory, etc. Once you find that, you?ve found your bridge, and created the beginnings of a ?map,? so to speak.

E: Is there anything that couples should do for bedrooms to keep them, um, couple-friendly?

K: Yes!!!!!! I am so opposed to TV?s in the bedroom!!!! I?ve heard every reason and justification, but I still believe that the bedroom is where you should be focusing on your partner, rest, and sanctuary. Make sure the lighting is warm, inviting and calm, and treat the bedroom like your own private getaway.

E: What if one half of the couple refuses to give up tacky memorabilia, such as high school football trophies/etc.? How can you work around this obstacle?

K: I think that we all have sentimental items that our partners would rather not be confronted with everyday. It?s all about mutual respect, and a willingness to create a space that works for both of you, so be willing to edit/store/relocate those trophies (or stuffed animals), and start with a clean slate.

Upon the event that you are in West Hollywood this Saturday, put on your swankiest designer walking gear (ha!) and head to the 11th Annual Art & Design Walk. This is the must-do event on the calendar of style conscious Angelenos and is staged along Melrose Avenue and Robertson and Beverly Boulevards—the favorite shopping destinations for LA’s celebrity and design elite.

The skinny:

what: 11th Annual Avenues of Art & Design Art Walk, a mile long open house of over 300 fashion boutiques, interior design/furniture showrooms, fine art/antique galleries and restaurants. Over 90 events, including exclusive receptions, personal appearances, food and entertainment hosted by individual showrooms, shopping discounts and other special surprises.

where: Along Melrose Avenue, and Robertson and Beverly Boulevards

when: Saturday, May 31, 2008. 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

how much? Free! Meters on the Avenues will not be enforced during the event.

For the full scoop check out the Avenues of Art & Design website.

Have a voyeuristic itch to scratch? We do — peeking into homes far more luxe than ours is both a pleasure and tease. Happily, we found a new source on line for some mighty swanky kitchens. Over at epicurious.com, they’ve posted a few video tours of some famous kitchens of people we’d love to have dinner with (especially if they were cooking). Our favorite is Isaac Mizhari, who gushes about all of his kitchen accessories, including bowls from Target, a chic (Alessi?) bread box and his espresso machine. Click here to hang with Isaac and see more.