Last weekend, I spent the morning cleaning our little apartment. I found myself dream decorating as I crawled under the bed to reach the dust bunnies and up onto the step-stool to clean windows. It’s amazing how inspiring it can be to change your viewpoint in a room! Perhaps it was the arrival of our cocktail table – all of a sudden I was visually figuring out what it was I wanted to do in order to make our place feel like home sweet home.
I’ve had my eye on Kyle Bunting rugs for a while now. It all came together for me when I realized that the pattern in our vintage wine rack and the tufting in our Chesterfield sofa mimicked the pattern in the Rewind rug. Cool, right?

See that empty spot on the wall above our dining table? I’d like to see the Eagan multi-panel mirror hanging over it. The look reminds me of our DIY black mirrored wall in the old apartment, only less permanent. This is a rental apartment after all!

If I can’t have ceiling beams -you know how I adore them!- I might as well have night-stands that are inspired by them! I think that the Beam side tables by Environment Furniture are the perfect foil to our mid-century modern inspired bed. Now all I need to do is find a pair of black murano glass lamps from the 1950’s to sit upon those side tables… winkwink

So far, I am pretty happy with the ideas I have come up with. As you can see, I like to layer different eras and styles so that it doesn’t look dated or like I bought it all at one shop. What do you think? Do you have ideas that you think I should consider for the space? Thanks! xx

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ATTN NYC! DIFFA’s Cocktails By Design will take place on Thursday, March 18th at 6pm. You can still purchase tickets to indulge in a feast for the eyes, body and heart. By attending this cocktail party, you’ll be one of the lucky first few people to oohhh and ahhh over the most dynamic tablescapes of 2010. Not to mention, you’ll have the opportunity to mix and mingle with the designers who created these gorgeous displays!


I can’t even begin to explain how flattered I am that the New York Design Center asked me to get involved! I’ll be at the NYDC “Connected” table on Friday the 19th after 3pm. They’re giving me a laptop and asked that I “live tweet” and share my blog with the visitors that pass by. How cool is that?

3 Comments » Posted by ABCD / Design and Dream Decorating and Entertaining and Interior Design as Inspiration and Uncategorized and What's on?

Back in September, (in yet another Notes for the design file post) I wrote about the pairing of ultra-light, white rooms with very dark rooms that have white upholstery. I toyed with the thought of private rooms being dark and public rooms being light and while the photo above is the exact opposite, I think it is a great example of how to play dark and light decor off of one another.

There are so many reasons I love this dark dining room. Let’s count the ways:

1) In most cases, I prefer horizontal surfaces in a room to read as the same tone. They have achieved the look here with the floor and tabletop. Speaking of which, this rustic dining table instantly makes this dining room feel comfortable. It’s not so precious that it couldn’t be used for each and every meal. Remember my mantra: “Life is short, eat off the good china.” I will never understand the theory behind dedicating entire rooms to only special occasions.

2) Adding to the easy-going vibe of this dining room are the belgian linen slip-covered dining chairs with matching back pillows. I like the fact that the shape of the dining chairs is quite modern, masculine and clean-lined. The slipcovers soften up the hard lines and speak to the rustic dining table. The fabric color brings in the light feel of the white kitchen on the opposite side of the open doorway.

3) This room gets instant credibility in my book because the sideboard and wood table do not match. (In wood-tone, era, or style.) I think it is visually more interesting to cobble together pieces that speak to one another or allow the other piece to stand out. Take note: The sideboard has captivating lines, but it’s dark, rich color makes it recede into the background. This allows for the creamy dining chairs to frame the dining table who takes the center stage.

4) In the last three years, Mr. D and I have spent a lot of time in Litchfield County, Connecticut – aka iron ore country. This may be why I am completely drawn to the simplistic nature of these black iron light fixtures. They don’t compete with the space, they’re just totally simple and utilitarian.

5) Did you notice that the glass front kitchen cabinet panes mimic the glass window panes? I love, love L-O-V-E that repetition of a simple detail. We did a similar treatment in our last apartment on the black mirrored wall – I used the same proportion as the windows in the loft.

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For ages, I have been sifting through and collecting images of kitchens I love. I do this for kitchens far more than any other interior space of a house. Perhaps it’s because I like to cook – maybe I can imagine myself preparing meals and bakery items in these spaces? I rarely tear out a photo of a bathroom and feel the need to document it. The kitchen, the heart of a home… Every one I find has a combination of wood beams, stone, and a fireplace or a gigantic glass front pantry chalk full of china. Yes, it’s true. I have a kitchen “type.”
I know. By now we’ve all seen Julianne Moore’s (ex) West Village Townhouse on Apartment Therapy, in New York Magazine, and posted all over the internet. The kitchen is by a Brooklyn based design firm called Made. They’ve combined a design studio, a fabrication workshop, and a contracting team under one roof in Red Hook to create super-smart interior design solutions. I love how the modern kitchen is placed into this rustic space. The light fixtures and mid-century home furnishings seemingly bridge the gap.
These images are from the portfolio of lifestyle writer and stylist Natalie Thiart . I was drawn to the beams in the ceiling, and the glass front cabinet. Notice: on the shelves to the left, like items are grouped = huge visual impact. Natalie has styled everything from architecture and advertisements to tabletops – you’re sure to find something to delight your senses. The whole website is a feast for the eyes!

I’d like to invite you to a new to me blog called Willow Decor. I spent way too much time oohing-ahhhing and oogling the lovely home decor inspiration over at Willow Decor this morning! If you haven’t been, I suggest you pour yourself a second cup, pop by and get ready to be inspired!

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When we moved onto Greene Street in 2007, I invested in two Bowron Gold Star Sexto sheepskin carpets. I placed one on each side of our bed. Boy, I am so happy that I did. There is nothing so seductive, comforting and lovely as the feeling of a sheepskin carpet on your bare feet before you slip into bed. What’s the best part, you ask? In the am, you get to have it be your first tactile experience of the day as you step out of bed. Talk about starting the day off on the right foot -winkwink! I can’t think of anything better…

Um… I am so totally loving them on the bed. I might just dive back in and call it a weekend! I don’t know about you, but I’ve had an incredibly busy week. I have wrapped up a few bespoke stationery projects ~ and have some new ideas up my cashmere sweater sleeve. Hope you have a wonderful winter weekend. xo
Images in this post via Bowron, My own (It’s so funny now to see our super white apartment. My taste has changed so much that I think the walls look so bare! If I were doing it again, I might of done glossy navy or black window frames!) SF Girl By the Bay, David Mann, an apartment by Roman and Williams at 211 Elizabeth, Canadian House and Home.

6 Comments » Posted by ABCD / Dream Decorating and Good Find and Interior Design as Inspiration and Uncategorized