positano perfection

i had to take my oldest daughter to a doctors appointment yesterday, and while we were waiting to be seen, i sifted through the parents and newsweek magazines, and spotted an architectural digest. score! i was a subscriber to architectural digest for what seemed like forever, but dropped my subscription a few years ago because it seemed like 90% of the magazine was advertisements, and most of the interiors featured most of the time just didn't EXCITE me...

i may have to renew my subscription...

because, i let out an audible *sigh in the doctors office when i saw these pictures:

uh...for real?? does it get any prettier than this? these images are from the recently restored and redecorated villa tre ville in positano, italy. as liz lemon would say. "i want to go there."

 i was so intrigued by this over scaled "sunburst" behind the headboard, and love how the graphic damask on the pillows feels classic and yet modern at the same time.

really, without the pillows and the sunburst, this room is a very simple, all-white room...but with those two "wow" elements, the room becomes mesmerizing. 

 the pinstripes in the tile and the moravian star are GORG-eous.

i LOVE stripes, and love the way that simple little line in the tile really makes a statement...but in such an understated, elegant way.

the view is, afterall, the STAR here.

one day, this girl is going to get herself to italy. ONE day...

isn't this view stunning?

can't you just imagine curling up here with a book and a drink?

****sigh.

(and wouldn't you know it...i was right in the middle of a glorious daydream...right there on that chair with my book and my drink, when the doctor walked in. i think it's the first time i have EVER wished that a doctor was MORE late than he already was. i was SO enjoying that view...)
where do you dream of traveling? do tell.

all images via architectural digest, july 2011.

spoonflower fabrics

if you have been following me on pinterest, you have probably seen how many spoonflower fabrics i have been pinning lately. spoonflower is a site where independent designers can upload their fabric designs and we, the public, can buy them. (yay for technology! and creativity.) there is no minimum order, and there are several different textures and weights to choose from.

here are a few of my favorites:

freeform arrows in navy.
(looks a lot like this fabric i blogged about a few weeks ago!)

floral stalks

this one has similar colors the dwell studio peacock fabric.

 i really like the pattern and whimical feel.

ginko love

interlocking circles

skipping stones

mellow arrows

honeycomb navy

ikat sun

mexico springtime, white on orange

one designer, holli zollinger, has me in fits over how awesome her fabrics are!

seriously, her designs are amazing. i am already day dreaming about where i can put

them in my (new) house.

 cross criss

 elephants and umbrellas

 kunda kelly green

 little suns-coral

waves melba

alphabet multi

you can check out more of hollis designs here and here, and be sure to check out spoonflower when

you are on the hunt for affordable, unique fabrics.

design giveaway

jen, over at tatertots and jello is hosting a giveaway for one of my mini room designs! 

head over there and either leave a comment here on on her blog on what space 

you would most like to work on together.

i am excited to see who wins!

head over to tatertots and jello to see the details of this giveaway!

for more info on my services, click on the tab under my blog heading.

design sponge feature

thanks to my friend jen who submitted her library to design*sponge.

it was featured yesterday. you can check it out here.

and MANY thanks for all the comments on yesterdays post. i try to focus on

the *pretty and the *positive, but life is not all roses and rainbows...it was so great to

read all of the comments and know that i am not alone, and that there are a lot of 

people out there rooting for me. thank you, thank you!

*SMILES,

house #5.5

the last three years have been achingly difficult for me.
in addition to losing our business, AND every penny that we earned during the previous 10 years, we also left our newly remodeled house in tennessee, and moved into a dated rental house in utah.
(pretty much a recipe for insanity...especially for an interior designer).

like a lot of design-lovers, i have always been VERY sensitive to my surroundings. when i am in a place that i FEEL is unattractive, i get depressed.
sad.
angry.
uncomfortable.
a little crazy-in-the head. 


throw in a leaky basement, toilets that rarely flush, a totally rusted out mailbox, an oven that won't fit a regular size sheet pan, bad 1970's light fixtures, squeaky floors, doors that stick, ugly wallpaper, and a floor plan that just doesn't work for our family, and you can see why i have been a "little grumpy" for the last three years.

two weeks ago, we discovered a "new" leak in the basement. it was literally the. last. straw.
with two weeks left before school started, we began a search for another place to live.
and guess what?
we found something.
yep. we are moving. to another rental house.
so, why another rental? why not just buy?

1. the housing market continues to decline. sad, but true.
2. we are unwilling to buy something that we don't love.
3. we are unwilling to buy something that we don't know is a great investment.
4. we are not interested in a long commute for my husband, so that really narrows down the area where we would consider buying a house.
5. we are *pretty sure that in order to get what we want, we are going to have to build. we have looked at hundreds of houses over the last three years, and have only seen two houses that we even liked "a little". not very promising.
6. the new rental house is right next to a development we are considering buying a lot and building...so, that means no school changes when/if we do build.
7. our oldest daughter is going into 7th grade, which here, means junior high school. we figured it was best to switch schools now than wait until she is in 8th or 9th grade and is more established and hates us even more for moving her than she does now...

the good news is that the rental house is much more "makeover" friendly than our current house.
the entire main floor (minus the kitchen and baths) has hardwood floors. they are natural maple (i'm more of a walnut or medium-dark stained red oak gal), but HEY, i'll take maple over what we have now ANY day! ( two kinds of cheap, dated vinyl, three different carpets, and some really hideous marble--and that's just the main floor! the downstairs has three MORE kinds of carpet! it's insane.)
there are obviously things about the new house that as a designer make me cringe, but overall, i am really excited to move and to make "house 5.5" feel like home.
i hope you will join me!

i am going to do my best to make the house feel like MY HOME.

FINALLY.

i have three years worth of ideas about "my next house", and i am SUPER excited to get started on some of them.

now, pardon me while i pack a few hundred boxes....
(and be patient over the next few weeks with my posting. i am packing and preparing for our move next week, and then the week after that, we are going to hawaii for our 15 year anniversary. 
i am SO going to need that vacation after the next two weeks...)

bye, bye borders.

the struggling economic woes of the world are affecting companies small and large. we closed the doors on our own business three years ago, and many others have followed suit since. i was sad to see that borders book store will soon be out of business, but secretly a little happy that i could find some design books to add to my library. at 30% and 40% off, how could i resist?

while i was there this weekend i picked up:

"the color scheme bible" and "the comfortable home".

usually, i ignore design books with grandiose claims like the "curtain/design/sofa/chair/fabric BIBLE", but i picked it up, and was really inspired by many of the color combinations. so, it came home with me.

i have been a bob williams and mitchell gold fan for a long time. their furniture is classy, timeless and just edgy enough to make it interesting. their book shows the reader step by step instructions on how to achieve the comfortable, layered, personal look they are known for.

if there is a borders near you, you may want to swing by and see what they have. i was amazed at the inventory still left at the store we visited (the riverwoods in orem), but i imagine that if you waited too much longer, there will only be copies of books like "slow cookin' possums" and "things you never wanted to know about asphalt" left.

bye, bye borders.

you will be missed...but thank you for your parting gifts.

new loves

i ADORE ballard designs new griffin sofa. i love the simple, linear feel of this sofa and off course, the nailhead trim. y'all know i can't get enough nailhead trim. those great little casters on the front legs are a nice touch too...

pottery barn has some great looking new lighting:

(harlowe wire pendant)

(marine pendant)

i think this chair would perk up any kids room, and a pair of them would look great in

a living area, with a little table in between them. i think it would look especially sweet in

a little girls room, with a bright floral pillow on it.

on sale for just $299, these metal bookshelves will add an instant industrial chic and 

tons of storage to any space, and save you a bundle in the process.

could these button knobs get any cuter? no. no they can't.

i adore the colors and soft graphic look of this allegra hicks rug. 

this ottoman has a classic shape, and is so affordable that if you don't like one of the fabrics it is available in, you can recover it yourself, of have a local upholsterer do the job for you.

these beaded zig zag curtains add dimension to one of our favorite grapic patterns. this dark rich eggplant color is perfect for mixing with grey-toned neutrals, and would look great with a pop of mustard yellow.

this glass lamp would be a great addition to a room where you want a simple, affordable

 great looking table lamp.

the new strada bedding from zgallerie is really fun. i love how they have mixed with their fauna

bedding set. i am getting ready to do my master bedroom, and i am pretty sure i want to use

olive green and either taupe or grey.

love this "louis armstrong told us so" print by bianca green.

i want it ALL.