In keeping with the chair theme for today I wanted to share this book on innovative new chair designs. I have always loved chair design and felt it is one of the signature pieces of furniture that has greatly benefited from modern design. It's sort of a litmus test of where modern design is at any period.

My brother just sent me the funniest email and I thought I’d share:

Hey!

I took this by my house yesterday, D.O.T. at their finest:

Donostia is the Basque word for San Sebastian, a beautiful city on the north coast of Spain, by the Bay if Biscay. We walked and walked - up the mountain, down the mountain, through the old town, over the river, along the river, via the cathedral down to the beach - ...

Dazzling acrylic paintings by Brandy Saturley of Sol Sugar Designs here in Victoria... I showcased some of her colourful, curvaceous pieces from her Toe collection awhile back.
Literally a neighbour of mine (James Bay... yah!!), Brandy's art is incredibly vibrant and full of exquisite detail. She is inspired by the ocean and the colour blue which resonates as a dance of rigorous patterns throughout her pieces. So lively and whimsical... I adore her work.

While the biggest music release of the season will be Coldplay's Viva La Vida, it's not exactly the kind of album that will prompt non-stop dancing and fun at your summer party.

For that, you will want something that moves and sways. Chuck Brown is a perfect good-time starter.

Known as the "Godfather of Go-Go" (a musical mix of funk, R&B, and hip-hop), Chuck is over 70 and still pumping out exuberant, swaggering songs.

You won't regret picking up a classic like "Do You Know What Time It Is" along with extra ice and bug candles.

What gets your party started?

From Janet:

Forget stocking up on reams of paper for your child’s creative urges: consider this simple Chalkboard Table instead. The Offi Woody Chalkboard Table is $299 at Design Public.

via Blepharopsis. Several sizes to choose, canvas prints strethed and ready to hang or frame.

Reader Penelope wants to give her "kit" kitchen a cosmetic make-over. So let's roll up our sleeves and see what we've got to work with!

"The cupboards are a pale pinky beige that I intend to paint white and install new handles (chrome), as well as install a new shelf (white) somewhere above the cupboards.

My laminate benchtop is a swirly, "natural rock inspired" pink/violet/blue monstrosity, but we're stuck with it, and I'd like to make the best of it.

Here's the room on the other side of the kitchen which we don't actually use as a dining area."

And for the most important part- what colors does Penny like?

"My eye tends to be drawn to soft colours, like icey pink and blue, even soft lavendar. I just don't know what will go best with the benchtops we have, although it does incorporate a mixture of these tones."

I think Penny is on the right track with her inspirational photos showing soft pastels with a retro feel. The counter-tops are unfortunate, for sure, but not a lost cause. With the focus drawn away from the counters, and onto the walls, they won't stand out quite so distinctly.

So, the first question I would ask would be about lighting. Is the kitchen dark during the day, or does it get lots of bright natural lighting?
In this mock-up, I pulled a pastel blue from one of Penny's inspiration photos for the walls, and a light pink for the ceiling.

A nice solution to give the illusion of sunlight is using buttery yellow, like this photo Penny submitted. Love the copper pots against the yellow and white-lovely!In taking a closer look at the second kitchen picture, I see other areas where color can be incorporated. Notice I pulled the yellow up onto the ceiling to de-emphasize it's low height. The curtain leading into a back room (pantry?) could be replaced by colorful upholstery fabric quite easily. Our designer-readers might have some good suggestions for what might work there.

To draw attention away from the mauve tones in the counter-top, you could try pulling out one of the other colors you like better, like light blue or lilac (as long as it isn't too gray which can quickly translate to dingy )

Also, by swapping out the back splash tiles (if this is an option) for something more updated in color, it would draw attention away from the mauve theme going on.
You might even be able to paint over it. (but -only- if it doesn't get wet frequently) A crisp bright white for the trim would also liven up the space. Perhaps a fun light fixture with some full-spectrum bulbs to brighten the kitchen? Play around with the colors of the items displayed on the shelves-you can incorporate the pastel palette more completely.


Since the kitchen is so small, several more shelves stacked above would offer more storage space, and more design opportunities. Granted, this kitchen example has lilac cabinets instead of white, but feel how refreshing and alive this space feels! Besides, who says cabinets have to be white or wood?

So, that's my initial take on Penny's kitchen make-over. What would you suggest for her space? Please share your ideas!

Mike has posted at Home Accents Today about his circuitous path to finding Abundance.

He also posts about Nichols & Stone.

Nichols & Stone, the only sizable furniture manufacturer still operating in the "chair city" of Gardner, is poised to quit making products from scratch.

Nichols & Stone is a premier manufacturer of furniture and the only sizable furniture manufacturer still operating in the "chair city" of Gardner, Massachusetts.

Are we seeing the end of Nichols & Stone? We certainly hope not. They have been a wonderful vendor of tables and chairs and we are proud to offer them to our customers.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

today’s final before and after belongs to dutch d*s reader joanna and her husband marc-peter. joanna and marc-peter bought a house dating from 1820 in the center of amsterdam. not content with its current state- they decided to completely renovate it. joanna designed several of the pieces of furniture herself (the incredible wooden mirror and lamp) and then had them made locally by a trained craftsman. the rest is a mix of ikea and locally-sourced furniture and the result is a wonderfully airy space full of light and simple modern furnishings (those floors are to die for). thanks so much to joanna and marc-peter for sharing! [for larger, and additional, photos of their home click here and here]

[image above: living room “before”. top image above: living room “after”]

[image above: office “before”]

[image above: office “after”]

[image above: dining room/kitchen “before”]

[image above: dining room “after”]

[image above: bedroom “before”]

[image above: bedroom “after”]

Hi Friends, sorry I have no post tonight as I'm off to the preview of Sex & The City with 5 of my girlfriends. I can't wait to see Carrie's shoe closet!!! Oh BTW - this beautiful shoe illustration above is by talented artist Leanne Shapton which I found via Ez over at Creature Comforts.

I leave you with the grand salon of globe-trotting, art-collecting, adventure-seeking Mrs. Tependris. Created by artist Konstantin Kakanias, she's the stylish illustrated character who searches for enlightenment.


This opulent room represents her past. Notice the walls painted -- or papered -- with a chinoiserie motif? The animal prints and the masses of Asian vases? Most of all I love how Kakanias has interpreted the numerous French chairs as almost abstract little blips of color.

All images above from Mrs. Tependris: The Contemporary Years: The Adventures of An Art Collector.

Diwali- The Festival of Lights, of happiness, of celebration, of prayers, of beauty, of prosperity.

It's a day where we pray to Goddess Lakshmi to fill our lives with health, wealth & happiness.

What better way to decorate, bring out those silverware, line the 'Thali' ( plate/platter) with shiny one rupee coins, fill it up with colour powders of your choice, or get creative fill it up with coloured rice, pulses, shells or crystals!

Offer your guests some chocolates, a great alternative to traditional Indian Sweets;-)
Add some fresh flowers & diyas and you have created a super, shiny, silvery & shiny Diwali arrangement!

(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail.)

This month's Architectural Digest has a fascinating piece about the Metropolitan Museum of Art's newly renovated Wrightsman Galleries. The piece focuses on their recreation of an embroidered fabric - embroidery by Marie Antoinette herself - that once graced a suite of furniture by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené for use by the Queen at the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, a 17th century palace that Louis XVI purchased for Marie in 1784. The Chateau was burned, but amazingly, some of the furniture still exists, as does a sample of the original embroidery.

The Met owns a berger chair, a daybed and a fire screen. They contracted with Chelsea Textiles in London to recreate the original floral embroidered pattern as upholstery fabric.

One of their big decisions was whether to use a white ground fabric or an "aged" color to match better with the 200+ year old patina of the furniture. Ultimately, they decided to go with a fresh white, which will naturally age over time.


These scans don't do the AD images justice, so head on over to the newstand if you want to see them in fine detail!

Photography for Architectural Digest by Billy Cunningham.

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.

Loving these rustic images from Toast - wouldn't it be fabulous to have a long hot bath in that old tin bath out in the middle of nowhere!!

The third season of Design Star 3 on HGTV premieres Sunday June 8th at 9pm.

I just took a look at the competitors and only a few are designer "want-a bees", meaning they don't have any formal training.

Here's a rundown of contestants:

Trish Beaudet - Owner and Designer of Finishing Touches Interiors by Design, Inc.

D. Paul DeRouen - Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Profession: Architectural Designer

Matt Locke - Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. Current Job: Designer

Michael Stribling - Interior design major from Wade College. Current Job: Interior Designer/Business Owner

Jennifer Bertrand - Bachelor of Arts in education with an emphasis in ceramics; master's degree in teaching and leadership from University of Kansas. Current Job: Interior Decorator/Owner of Bertrand Designs

Tracee Dore - Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Kentucky. Current Job: Residential and Commercial Interior Designer and Builder/Renovator, Tracee Dore and Company

Jerome Scottie Miller - Master of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. Current Job: Regional Property Manager at Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools.

Mikey Verdugo - High school diploma from Hialeah High School. Current Job: Police Officer

The winner will host their own show on HGTV. In addition, starting June 6th, viewers can begin entering for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree to Sears or a $5,000 gift card from Lumber Liquidators.



If you want to root for someone local, I'm afraid Matt Locke's home is the closest: Los Angeles, CA. Go Matt!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Vintage Indie is teaming up with Eco-Chic Weddings to declare March, Indie Weddings Month. Their goal is to create a resource for brides to turn to when looking to minimize waste and create their wedding with the idea of using indie designers. The guide launched March 1st at the URL indieweddingguide.com

I wrote about a few blogs that inspire me today over at Simply Stated... Maybe you can comment there with some of your favorite blogs, too!

Now that summer has officially started, you are constantly reading about the perfect packing strategy, perfect beach read, perfect hostess gift, etc.

For me, summer is simply the following equation:

Havaianas

+

 
margarita

+

Neil Young's Harvest

=

Wherever I go, this perfect storm of essentials instantly puts my mind and body to ease. Come to mention it, it would also make "the perfect" hostess gift. (Sorry, just slipped out.)

What does your summer essentials kit include?