Brimfield Highlights

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It’s that time of year again– Brimfield Antique Show is in full swing! I spent yesterday trawling the market, searching for one-of-a-kind pieces for my clients; I did end up finding a cute vintage side table and brass vanity stool for one of my clients in Brooklyn. I will post photos as soon as I get the pieces to her space! But in the meantime, I wanted to share a few highlights from the rest of the show. This year’s selection was much more enticing than last year’s. Brimfield runs through May 17th, so be sure to check it out if you’re in New England! A bevy of Gustavian Mora clocks. Left: stone ram head wall hanging. Right: A signed Lee Reynolds mid-century painting of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York skyline.   Papier–mâché animals and wall hangings. A vignette of retro mid-century clocks and industrial light fixtures. Moroccan rugs and throw pillows paired with a mid-century pendant light!  Love these chairs!  They would make a killer dining room set!  For …

BKLYN DESIGNS 2015

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This weekend I visited Bklyn Designs, a 3-day showcase of emerging and established Brooklyn designers and artists. There were guest speakers, jewelry displays, pop-up lounges, furniture installations– all spotlighting the creativity for which Brooklyn is known. Bklyn Designs officially kicks off the NYCxDESIGN week, which runs now through May 19, 2015. Here is a rundown of the exhibits and products that caught my eye. This lounge area, designed by AphroChic, made great use of colorful boucherouite rugs and floor pillows. I was excited to see these rugs on prominent display because one of my clients just purchased a striped boucherouite for her dining area! Urban Chandy designs lighting fixtures, which make use of reclaimed and repurposed materials. This oversized chandelier with exposed bulbs like drops of water is a signature design. M. Spring manufactures beautiful jewel-like hardware– and also produces custom hardware if need be. The designer, Margaret Spring, uses both traditional and state-of-the-art techniques, everything from wax casting to 3D printing.   Prototypes on display at the M.Spring booth. The American Design Club …

Nepalese Felt Ball Rugs

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One of the best parts of my job is discovering new companies and products that I can share with my clients. My most recent infatuation is Felt Ball Rug, a company which produces beautifully handcrafted rugs from Nepal. When they offered to send me a rug of my own, I jumped at the opportunity!  Felt Ball Rug practices only fair trade and employs a team of talented artisans from Kathmandu, Nepal. The company shares the names of each rug’s maker, so you can see exactly who crafted your piece. My rug was made by Sarita Thapa, whose picture can be seen here! I am so impressed with the craftsmanship and quality of my rug. It is super soft underfoot and incredibly intricate. The rugs are made with 100% New Zealand wool and AZO-free natural dyes, so they are great for nurseries and children’s rooms. They offer round and rectangular rugs in 65 different colors. I chose the 90cm round rug in color 63, but multicolored rugs and even custom …

Color Combo: Olive + Pink

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Olive green and pink is one of my favorite color combinations at the moment. It’s a surprising pairing that you don’t see every day. Olive and pink are essentially complementary colors, depending of course on the exact shades you choose. Take a look at some examples of this color palette in action.  1) via Burnham Design and 2) via Natalie Clayman  1) via Dering Hall and 2) Detroit Institute of Arts  1) via CWB Architects and 2) via Real Simple  1) via Ikea and 2) via Madeline Weinrib

How to Decorate with Animal Prints

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Animal print decor can go one of two ways: chic and timeless or gaudy and garish. If you’re worried about falling into the latter category, here are a few simple tips for taming your wild side: Pick one statement piece. Isolate animal print to one stand-alone accent. It could be a small item, like a throw blanket, pillow, or upholstered stool, or a large item, like an area rug or stair runner. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a single animal print statement. Pair with solids and simple geometrics. Animal prints go best with solid colors or simple geometric patterns. This Scalamandré Tigre pillow, for example, would pop against emerald green walls (Benjamin Moore’s Seaweed). Low contrast color combinations. Unlike the real animals, you are not restricted by the laws of nature! Your animal print accents can come in any color combinations you like. Zebra is one of the trickier patterns because the high contrast black and white is so dramatic. If traditional zebra prints don’t work in your space, try a subtler …

Bookshelves + Etageres

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One of my current clients has a large library of books, and as I redesign her room, I have been thinking about how best to store her collection. Book storage can be tricky. Options range from entirely closed bookcases to open etageres. A closed system hides clutter (and any embarrassing trashy novels you picked up at the airport!); but open shelving allows your library to be a design element in its own right– a highly personal design element. I tend to favor an open shelving system, but I recognize its drawbacks. Disorganized shelves can make a room look cluttered, and books are absolute dust magnets. Etageres often require bookends to keep everything upright. If you want to display your library, but prefer not to deal with the practical inconvenience of an open bookshelf, glass door bookcases are a happy medium. 1) Muller Van Severen Marble Bookshelf via 1stdibs 2) Jefferson Bookcase 3) Jonathan Adler lucite and brass Jacques etagere 4) Metal industrial barrister bookcase via 1stdibs 5) Mission barrister bookcase with leaded glass …

Curl Up by the Fire

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As the nights close in around us and winter settles in, we crave cozier surroundings. The idea of home as shelter and safe haven becomes more and more important. There are very few things as restorative and homey as a bedroom fireplace. Lapping flames, crackling wood, warm flickering light– fires are the perfect remedy to the cold winter season. Here are some cozy bedrooms that will make you want to throw on your PJs and jump into bed. 1) Home My Design 2) Primer Magazine 3) Rela Gleason 4)Home My Design 5) Linen and Lavender 6) My Lovely Things 7) Home My Design 8) House & Home 9) Home My Design 10) Blood and Champagne  

Tilton Fenwick for Target

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Tilton Fenwick is a New York-based interior design firm founded by Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham. They are best known for layering colorful textiles and giving a modern twist to traditional patterns. I have been secretly lusting after this Tilton Fenwick pattern at Duralee for some time now, so I was super excited to discover that the design firm has put out a line of upholstered furniture at Target. They offer a range of settees, pictured above, as well as skirted chairs, headboards, and ottomans. This is high end style without the high end price tag.

Black, White, and Brass

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There are some tried-and-true combinations that are a guaranteed success, and black, white, and brass is one of them. It’s glamorous, sophisticated, and sexy. And since this look is monochromatic, it’s easy to achieve a coordinated design without fear of colors clashing. Here are a few of my favorite black, white, and brass accessories. 1) Faux bois pillow 2) Brass oval box 3) Vintage Colflesh enameled bowl 4) West Elm Clint task lamp 5) Vintage mid-century lamp 6) Black and white picture frame 7) Feather prints #3 and #1 8) Dessert plate 9) Vintage Henry VIII brass rubbing 10) Wm. H. Jackson wood holder

Berber Chic: The Moroccan Wedding Blanket

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Moroccan wedding blankets have long been one of my most coveted accessories– and they’ve certainly gained a lot of popularity in the design world over the last few years. Moroccan wedding blankets are a Berber invention, traditionally woven for brides to wear on their wedding days. After the ceremony, the blanket served as a token of good luck in the new couple’s home. It’s not difficult to see why these blankets, also known as handira, have become so highly cherished around the world. They are the perfect bohemian chic accessory: handwoven with graphic, tribal patterns, but still glamorous with a hint of sparkle. They are also incredibly versatile; they can be used as wall hangings, throw blankets, rugs, or reconstituted as pillow cases. The texture is complex, but the color is neutral– just the right balance of ornamentation and simplicity. 1) Vintage handira via Muima 2) El Ramla Hamra pillows via Decorator in a Box. A stunning bedroom with dusty rose chinoiserie wallpaper and a wedding blanket at the foot …