Decorating in White

It's hard to believe summer is almost over.  Here in LA it's scorchingly hot, but stunningly beautiful as well.  There's nothing like driving down the Pacific Coast Highway late in the afternoon, with the blue ocean on one side and the mountain on the other...so gorgeous, it makes us so happy to be alive.

But we're getting off track here...

If you are a reader of this blog, you probably know we're crazy about white.  Especially when it's hot outside.  White has such as an amazing cooling effect, and it's so neutral too...

Here are some of our favorite white interior photos from photographer Per Gunnarson:

So simple and pure.  Don't you think?
To see more of his work, click here.

Picking Colors for Your Decor

Don't you find coordinating colors to be the hardest thing to do?  It's really is a headache, actually, trying to get a paint to go with the fabric that coordinates with everything else.

Robert Allen has a very nice tool that we thought you might like.  They have different room themes already mixed & matched for you.

See below for some samples:

To see more, click here.

PS The paint is from Sherwin Williams. You can also search for fabrics from Robert Allen site from the link above.  It doesn't give pricing information, but you can find that on our  Robert Allen fabrics section by entering the name of the pattern in the search box.

Color Story: Red

A pop of red home accessories to brighten up your day...

Red coral statues from Made Goods, Red Silk Flowers from New Growth Design, Shikaro Red Fabric from Fschumacher, Red Garden Stool from Urban Trend, Red Carpet from Chandra, Red Pillow from Caroline Cole, Red Chair from Jessica Charles, Red Artwork from Art Frame Source, Red Mirror from Made Goods.

All can be found under our home decor section.

Yellow Fever

Sending you a little bit of sunshine...

Yellow Dress by Sari Gueron (via Style.com), Silk Flowers by Inside Avenue, Rug by Thomas Paul, Garden Stool by Emissary, Indian Vogage Wallpaper by Scalamandre.

Chinoiserie Chic

Just a few pretty, Asian-inspired motif in our favorite color, green.

1) Mirror Wallpanels from Made Goods-each panel is 24" square
2) Silk Orchid from New Growth Design (it's 60" tall!).  Soo pretty in person too.
3) To die for green chinoiserie wallpaper from Scalamandre WP88216-0005 $92 (discounted from $132 for single roll 5 yards x 27 inches) sold in double rolls only.

In The Mood for Turquoise

Just a few pretty things in turquoise...

 

Images via MyHomeIdeas

Color Story: Red & Black

A few of our favorite things for the day:

Dress by Victoria Beckham, Chandelier by Stonegate, Rug by Safavieh, Settee by Michael Weiss.

Color Story: Black, Gold and White

We're just in the mood for something cheerful this time of year. Something that's a little unusual, a little daring, a little fun...

w about something in black, white and yellow? It's like, having some permanent sunshine-plus, it's a killer color-combination too. Very dramatic & glamorous.

Source: Armoire by Worlds Away, Rug by Surya, Chairs by Guildmaster,
Mirror by Bungalow 5, Pendant by Worlds Away,Pillow by Bliss Studio.

The Prettiest Shades of Blue

We have this thing for blue. Not all shades of blue, of course, but soft blue, robin's egg blue, gray blue... You know, the kind of blues that don't make you feel blue but soothe your heart and your soul. We like mixing it with white (for a beachy look)and with lots of mirrors (for the Hollywood Regency look). It's quite a winning combination. Check out this picture below from Methome to see an example of what we meant:

And here are a few products in blue that we just adore (all can be found in the home decor section).

Desi Stool

Blue Light Spencer Table




Flamingo Lamp

Blue Chinoiserie Box

Black is so...90's--Decorate with Colors Instead!

Black is so 90s, so claimed Vera Wang in the business section of the New York Times this past Sunday.

We unequivocably agreed. Frankly we're tired of black. Or beige. Or brown for that matter. When it comes to home furnishings we think colors are SO in! Not gaudy, obnoxious colors that hurt your eyes when you look at it, but vibrant, sunny colors that are used cohesively...

Here are few examples that show colors being used widely and successfully:

Note the intensity of the wall colors, and how it is offset with the softer, more neutral colors of the furnishings.

Here is another view of this room:

(Photo courtesy of Met Home)

If you are into colors right now, check out the shop by color section at Inside Avenue. It groups items into color scheme to make it easy to shop by your favorite color theme.

The Purity of White

We love an all-white decor. It's refreshing, modern and pure. When we do design jobs for our clients, we like using all white furnishings and juxtapose it with black/white photographs and beautiful plants & flowers. The results are often stunning.

Here are a few favorites to help you accomplish that look.



White Slip Cover Sofa $2000

What goes with it:


White Slip Cover Chair $1400"




White Tulip $350

As far as maintenance goes, it is true that white gets dirty quickly and is not ideal if you have kids. By choosing the right material such as cotton slip covers that can be washed easily, this look can be easily maintained.