From Julie:

The lighting restoration experts at Omega Too in Berkeley have come up with a novel utility light: the Jar Light, made from repurposed vintage jars. We can see this in a utility closet, a garage, a laundry room; $110 at Omega Too.

Anne Harwell's Holiday Interior Cards

Usually around mid November I start to think about my Christmas theme for the year. When I say theme, for me, it's usually mostly about what wrapping paper and gift cards I am going to use and which ribbons I will use to re-thread all of my mismatched Christmas ornaments which I have been collecting since my husband and I got married.

This time each year I love pulling out my collection of Christmas decorations as they always bring back so many happy memories especially the little ornament one of my girlfriends gave me when Harry was born. I also have ornaments I have found overseas in special places like Venice, Paris, Hawaii, San Francisco etc. etc. I'm always on the lookout for special Christmas decorations!!

Bird Ornaments available from Black & Spiro

Bunny Ornament available from Black & Spiro

To keep my collection growing I like to buy 2-3 new decorations a year. We are selling these two gorgeous decorations {above} at Black & Spiro this year and I have decided to add some of these to my collection at home. One day I will pass on my collection to Harry and hopefully he will get as much joy out of it as I do and maybe he too will carry on the tradition with his children by adding a few new ornaments each year.

Our 2006 Christmas Tree

This Christmas I am challenging myself to try to be a little less extravagant and a little more creative. Therefore another way to meet this challenge is to do some baking. I thought I might look for some vintage tins and then use them to package up some home made biscuits to give to my family & friends.

What are your plans this Christmas??

As we go into the weekend, I wanted to leave you with the dreamy images of The Royal Collection, Fabrics and Wallpaper, the newest from Designers Guild.

Inspired by the interiors of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and by the art in the Royal Collection, this collection is a creation of luxurious fantasy.

Designers Guild was given access to the archive of historic fabrics and wallcoverings and has come up with their own interpretation of sumptuous embroidered silks, velvet jacquard velvets and flocked wallpapers.

The Arabella Autumn Winter Collection also makes it's appearance with a fairytail-like collection:

Dream a little dream this weekend!

Additional Note: I received an email from Sophie Trinder with a reminder that the whole collection can be viewed here. And in answer to Aesthete's Lament comment, the collection was indeed photographed at Buckingham Palace. A link to the Royal Collection with more information about the Palace can be reached here.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

i’m always looking for new bags to carry groceries- i like to have a few options depending on my mood. these new bags from sophie at jodii are right up my alley- simple, colorful and reasonably priced at $6-$27. and the pillows? so lovely. sophie is one talented lady. click here to view her full collection and shop online.

when it comes to organization, i’m pretty much a web-only girl. but when i see cute planners like this, from sarah pinto in san francisco, i’m tempted to go back to paper. sarah’s planners are printed with soy inks and use recycled paper. you can pick up several different styles right here for $25 each.

ps: don’t forget to submit your entries for the ugliest pillow contest! click here for details.

From Sarah:

Retractable garage doors are great solutions for dissolving the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space.

Below: This house in West Marin by Fernau and Hartman Architects features a spectacular indoor/outdoor lounge area; note the daybeds on wheels.

Below: A dramatic open-to-the-elements kitchen in Manhattan from Sixx Design.

Below: We love this kitchen in a house in Venice, California; photography by Verne.

Below: Washington, DC, architect Jeffrey Broadhurst’s Shack at Hinkle Farm features a garage door opening.

Below: Seattle firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects created the now-iconic Chicken Point Cabin (cousin of the Brain), featuring an Industrial Revolution–evoking crank window.

Below: A house in Amagansett by Sag Harbor–based Bates Masi features an open-to-the-outside room.

If you have been reading Katiedid for awhile, you know I have been working on my younger daughter's bedroom, theoretically for her birthday. Well, her birthday has come and gone, and we are still not quite done. I can manage to get client's work done and meet a deadline at work, but at home.....the cobbler's shoe syndrome takes over. We have drapery panels to hang, a mirror to find, and art to hang. But the furniture is all in and the room is painted! Progress!

In the meantime, my older daughter had a party for Halloween. Which prompted a room cleaning. I thought I would take the very infrequent opportunity of a clean room to snap some photos. Just so I can remember what it looks like.

Hannah and I did her room a few years ago starting with the Marimekko "Unikko" Duvet Cover and shams as the jump off point. We chose a matlisse bedspread from Crate and Barrel with matching Euro shams for the "background". You probably recognize the Seagrass headboard from Pottery Barn. The nightstand is an antique Swedish pine table. Nate Berkus lamps from Linens and Things. Red drapery panels from IKEA. We chose things that a teenage girl could grow with that were affordable, and therefore changeable if tastes changed.

Above her antique pine dresser, I placed a flea market mirror that I painted red which made it pop off the walls, which are painted Dunn Edwards Whisper White.

The room is divided by French doors into two parts, the main bedroom (very small) and a sun room. It is a very charming space and one of the selling points when we were first looking to buy the house. As soon as Hannah saw this space she claimed first dibs.

The sun room is covered with bead board on the walls and ceiling and has windows on three walls. We made it into a cozy library using West Elm book shelves, which fit perfectly under the windows. There is an old pine armoire for storage....and Heaven knows a teenage girl has got to have storage. We used West Elm red lacquer nesting tables, a white slip covered chair from IKEA and a lambskin rug on the floor.

And that's it! A fun bright space for my teenage girl.

Speaking of Nate Berkus.......now that Linens and Things is closing, I was wondering where he might be selling his retail products. It turns out he is offering his line on the HSN website. He is also writing a blog for the website as well, which you can check out here. I went and did a little looking around and found THE mirror for my other daughter's bedroom! The Nate Berkus Moroccan Mirror:

Perfect size and price! I am determined to get this room done before.......Christmas!

Hookaboo is a discreet wall hanger that you can have in the hallway, bathroom, bedroom or anywhere you wish. This wall hanger has 4 pieces of metal hanger that fold up when are not used. Designed by Matt Carr, this wall hook is made from bamboo and is 34 cm wide, 8,5 cm hight and about 2 cm deep. For those of you interested in this product, you can purchase it from Bluebox ( Sweedish shop ).

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Hookaboo Wall Hanger by Matt Carr