Eye Candy.

One Kings Lane is currently having a Tastemaker Tag Sale Blowout and I stumbled accross this piece of art below. I was drawn to the colors and graphic nature of the splattered and dripping paint. It was sold by the time I visited the sale (not that I could have afforded it anyway at $799) but I was left very curious about this artist Lana Gomez.

(via One Kings Lane)

After signing off OKL, I headed straight for google to find out more about Gomez. Interestingly enough, I have loved her work long before I could identify it! You see, there's this one designer who I admire just a tiny bit who has used Lana's work in projects before...


Yes, that's right, a piece steals the show in Kelly Wearstler's amazing office. (Image via 1st Dibs)


After doing more research and devouring Gomez's gorgeous site, I discovered that back in 2008, she had a show in LA titled "Eye Candy". That is exactly what her work is. It's visually stunning and hard to take your eyes off of once you've gotten a glimpse. Here are a few of the many examples:




(Above images via here)
Be sure to check Gomez's site for so many more examples. Seriously guys, each piece is better than the last!

There are two giant areas in my living room that have been calling out for art for months now. I knew I would fill the areas with paintings, specifically something abstract and colorful. I think this Lana Gomez art is just the inspiration I need. I already own a roll of canvas and I'll tap into my paint collection that seems to outgrow every new (and larger) home I find for it. And the fact that I can do this project for a whopping zero dollars is amazing! I can live with that! Check back for afters of my Gomez inspired art later this week. Wish me luck!

P.S. Most things at the OKL sale are already sold. But be sure to check before 11 tomorrow when the sale officially ends.

Dressing Room Before Pictures.

Here are some before pictures for a dressing room project I'm currently working on. Before, it had pretty miserable wallpaper and dingy woodwork. The wood floor was painted in a depressing shade of brown and was beyond worn. This room was in need of some major work.




It's amazing what some crisp white paint, elbow grease, and a soft shade of silvery gray for the walls can do to a space. Yesterday the walls and word work were painted and it already looks SOOO much better. Today the floor will be painted and then the install can begin - the real fun!


Here are some samples I was testing out in the space. In the next couple days all the final decisions will be made. Much improved after pictures to follow soon!

If This Sounds Weird, That's Because It is.

I don't know why, but I love seagulls. I loved them when I was little.


I've taken so many pictures of them through the years growing up.


For my birthday a month ago, my sweet boyfriend took me to this place on Lake Erie where millions of them congregate during cold winter days. I've driven by this spot on the Shore Way since I was a little girl and have always wanted to stop, but never have. The day was simply lovely.


I even bought a vintage shot of them after stumbling upon it at a local antique shop.


I get that they're not the most obviously beautiful creatures. And I know they're dirty and considered a pest to most. But when a giant flock of them takes flight, I can't help but be mesmerized by the sight.

Imagine how happy I was when I finally got my hands on a sample of this fabric by Thom Filicia at Calico Corners (also for Kravet).

(via House Beautiful)

From far away, it simply looks like a graphic pattern. It's not until a closer inspection it reads as seagulls. And they're not garish or cheezy. Just beautiful and subtle seagulls.

I found a set of four chairs for my dining room this past summer and they're still in the same sad condition I found them - covered in a dreadful red velvet, but at $5 a chair, I couldn't resist. I hadn't been able to decide what fabric I wanted to cover them in. I was looking for something that had personality but was neutral at the same time. This fabric seems to fit the bill perfectly. Finally they'll be refurbished and looking good as new.



Now I'm off to return the seagull sample and place my order!

(Images property of A Thousand Laughing Starfish)

A Charmed Life.

The blogosphere is abuzz with Matchbook love today. And rightfully so.

Did you check out the premier issue that launched yesterday? I did, and boy was I impressed. Here are some of my favorite things from the mag, but you really need to see it for yourself.





Needless to say, I'm as taken by the lovely creators as ever. I mean really, could they get any cuter?


A Thousand Laughing Starfish has some kindred spirits out there, that's for sure!

Parson's Desk.

I'm using a white lacquered Parson's style desk in a current client project. The room is functioning as a dressing room and the Parson's table will act as her vanity. I talked my client into this choice because it is so versatile and can be used in many different spaces and with many different styles of decor. Here are some of my favorite spaces that include a Parson's table.


(Tori Mellot via Domino)


(via Decorpad)


(via Domino)


(Jonathan Adler via Marcus Design)

The walls are a soft shade of gray and my client loves crisp white woodwork. Many of the details in the room will be white too! Hopefully I'll be able to share pictures of the finished space in the next week or so!

Wet Paint.

Yesterday Jenny over at Little Green Notebook wrote about this fun Faux Bois floor from Southern Living (originally posted on Haven and Home). The graphic nature of the print adds visual interest and ensures the room is more modern and young as opposed to serious and traditional. I'm sold!

(Southern Living)
So imagine my excitement when I was flipping through the February issue of BHG last night and discovered another creative lady who was determined to transform her dining room floor with a few cans of paint. She spent only $100 (time was the real investment here) and made her room one-to-remember. The other details in the space are on the traditional side, so by adding this fun paint element to the floor she created the perfect balance of sophisticated and light-hearted design. With a traditional rug, this room would have been so predictable and even a bit stuffy; think that "off limits" dining room no one ever uses.

(Better Homes and Gardens)
Something about the painted stripes are so inviting and certainly more appropriate for her four small children and five dogs. Are you on board? Do you have any painted floors in your home? Please do tell me just how wonderful they are!

Hocus Pocus.

I was given this..






And with a million painstaking hours a quick twitch of my nose, I turned it into this!




No, you don't need to refocus your screen. I did in fact convert an entire room full of boxes of photos and mismatched albums and frames into one consolidated collection of albums now organized on a small portion of a bookshelf. I'm very happy with the results. We used neutral albums so they could be included seamlessly in most any space. Now instead of stressing my client out, her family photographs are a source of happiness as they should be.

Ramblings of a Designer.

So much to do today, so little time. A bathroom project that is currently somewhere in between this and a beautiful after. A client room full of boxes of photos and albums and frames that I was challenged to consolidate into a single bookshelf (seriously, I'm not a magician people). A skirted table project of my own. Finding hardware for at least a few of the currently seven pieces of furniture residing in my apartment without any. Overflowing folders and binders and piles of inspiration tear sheets that I desperately need to scan (now if only I could figure out how to work this scanner). And as much as that list makes me want to crawl back into bed on this especially cold Cleveland morning and forget about it until Monday, I'm going to go tackle as much as possible so I can have fun tonight and relish in all the work I accomplished over a cocktail or two. Cheers to that!

Here are some beauties to tie you over until we meet again Monday! Bon weekend!

(House Beautiful)


(House Beautiful)


(Ivy and Piper)
Any big plans for the weekend lovely readers? All work, all play, or a bit of both?

Let's hear it for the boys.

The blog has been excessively girlie this past week. So I decided to switch gears and spotlight some rooms as handsome as the man who designed them.

Warning, some serious eye candy to follow.












Why of course I'm talking about the oh-so-talented and ever-handsome Mr. Nate Berkus. Still out to lunch on whether I'd rather stare at him or his interiors...

Maybe a little of both!



Ladies, you can thank me later! :)

The Art of Clothes.

A shout out to all the clothing loving ladies out there. Here's a way to surround yourself with the things you love, even outside your closet.

Erica over at Moth Design created this inspired closet. I think I can safely say, "Every girl's dream."


A fashion driven stack of books from the latest Lonny.


Sorry for the poor quality, but I was taken when I saw that one of the Housewives of Beverly Hills has framed her wedding gown and placed it at the end of a mammoth hallway. A gorgeous reminder of your special day. And a great way to get more use out of the most expensive piece of clothing most ladies will ever own.


Quirky and fun. And a perfect combo with that orange lacquered chair and Parsons desk. Via Zuburbia.


This piece over the mantle was created by enlarging a photo of a sequined skirt. It looks like a fancy, beautiful piece of art, but to the owner of that home it holds even more personal meaning. For a closer look, click here.


Incase you're wondering, those are my grandma's shoes from the 70's. They're one of my favorite pieces I own. They've definitely gained a permanent spot on my ever changing shelves.

Spring.

Something about the weather today in Cleveland was so depressing. The wintery combination of freezing rain, endless gray skies, and dirty curbside snow had me longing for spring more than usual. But let's be realistic. It's January and it's Cleveland. Probably not going to come anytime soon. Hoping desperately for some much needed sunshine tomorrow-but until then, here's my little bit of spring.


Goldenrods in the pineapple vase (found while thrifting and much-improved thanks to the help of some high gloss white paint) scream "Spring!" Who knows? Maybe Mother Nature's listening.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.

While we're on the topic of girlie spaces, same rules apply for a little girl's room. You can amp up the pink a little bit more in this case, but all design rules should not fly out the window when designing a space from little ones. See below...

(Palmer Weiss)


(Palmer Weiss via Lonny. She clearly gets it.)


(Design by Melissa Rufty)


(Massucco Warner Miller Design)

These spaces have a very youthful feel, but are still designed to impress! Proof that it's never too early to start teaching your kids good design...