Ocean Inspiration

Today it was a platter full of starfish on a dining table, last week it was sea urchins on a book shelf, and the week before that I was placing an order for a shell chandelier and accessorizing a salmon colored bathroom with a piece of white coral...

Although I think decorating with sea life is a tad (or a lot) over done, I still find myself doing it over and over again. Maybe it's just a phase I'm going through, or maybe there's just something about the ocean that makes a coastal home feel unfinished without a piece of it on display.

Photos via Anne*Coyle Interiors, Shelterness, and Country Living

Suzanne Kasler for Ballard Designs

Suzanne Kasler has a new cool line of home accessories at Ballard Designs. Suzanne is an extremely talented designer and I love that all of the accessories in this collection are versatile and can be used in a lot of different interior styles. Check out some of my favorite things below, or visit BallardDesigns.com to view the whole collection.









Below are some of Suzanne's fabulous interiors...






www.BrittanyStiles.com

The Gilded Mirror

I'm sick today and every time I start to try and do something productive, my mind gets all fuzzy and my eyes get sleepy. So instead, I decided I'd try posting up some of my favorite things (not that blogging isn't productive). One of my favorite mirror companies is The Gilded Mirror. They have just 9 classic designs to choose from, but every one of them has been featured in some sort of design publication or another, because they're just that good...

Laura Kirar for Arteriors

First killer rugs, now killer accessories and lighting for Arteriors. Check out some of Laura Kirar's latest designs below...

Pottery & Vases

Lately I've been collecting photos of monochromatic groupings of pottery and vases. I really love the style and look of each of these. It's such a simple but beautiful concept for accessorizing tables and shelves.

{Steven Gambrel, above & below}


{Tim Clarke}


{Jason Martin}

Ladies & Gentlemen

Check out this rug! It's made from knotted rope and looks like a giant doily. This could be granny chic or hipster funk depending on where you put it, kinda cool huh?


The same company, Ladies and Gentlemen, also sells vintage items and some other really cool stuff, including these side tables made from repurposed and reconfigured brass table lamps.

Ikat Textiles

Ikat fabrics have been a big trend for a while now and one that I'm quite fond of. Almost all of the big name fabric houses have their own versions and colors of ikat, but Uzbek - Craft is a little bit more of an authentic approach to filling your ikat needs, coming all the way from Uzbekistan. The textiles aren't as wide as a regular yard of fabric, but they are still great for making pillows or adding detail to a piece of furiture or drapery. The prices are great too, at just around $12 per textile.

Christmas Pillows

My sister, who got married this past summer, moved into her first little abode with her husband and his navy blue sofa. She's not in love with the sofa or the color, but it's comfy and not something that they need to replace right now. I'm a firm believer that most sofas look better with accent pillows, so for her Christmas present I did a little fabric shopping and decided I was going to sew 2 custom pillows for her.

The thought crossed my mind several times to just have my upholstery guy sew them for me (much quicker and much more precise), but I decided I wanted to work on my sewing skills a little more, so I did it myself. Originally they were going to have a zipper, but due to time constraints and my lack of a "zipper foot" for the sewing machine, I just sewed in my feather inserts on all sides. The pillows are far from perfect...crooked seams, uneven trim, etc., but luckily you can't see any of that in the photos! I was reminded once again that I am much more of a designer than a seamstress, but all in all, I think they turned out pretty cute.

Barclay Butera Online

Orange County's own Barclay Butera is now offering online shopping for pillows and accessories with free shipping through December 23. Barclay Butera furniture is not currently available for purchase online but the site is still great for viewing his furniture collection.

Barclay Butera currenlty has showrooms in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Park City, and New York.

Below are some of Barclay's pillows now available online...

Coastal.Cool indigo.

I'm a sucker for stripes.

Barclay Butera's new design book, Living In Style

Jonathan Adler at Fashion Island

Today I just heard some fantastic news....Jonathan Adler has recently opened up a showroom in Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I always get excited when new fun places to shop pop up close to home. Jonathan Adler is known for his bold use of color, modern lines, and funky pottery.

While blog surfing today, I also found out that my friend Aubrey Messick got hired as the showroom manager. Ok, so we're really more of aquaintances, but I did eat crepes at her birthday party this past year, so that counts for something. I can't wait to stop in, say hello, and check out the new space!

Original Art

I'm a firm believer that every room isn't finished until you hang artwork. I especially enjoy the depth and originality that original artwork can bring to a room. There are so many different resources out there for obtaining original art, and whether your purchasing a Picasso at an upscale auction, or scouring the racks at your local thrift store, there is original art to be had by all.

This month's House Beautiful mentioned a great website for original art, Lost Art Salon. You can search art by artist or subject and art comes in a period frame or you can also purchase unframed art. Prices range from $350-$1000. Here are a few favorites that I saw while browsing around today:

Another great place for affordable original art is, of course, the flea market. Below are some flea market finds that I couldn't pass up. Each piece was from $15-$25. A lot of flea market art comes framed, but reframing is always a good way to tie different pieces of art together in a grouping or manipulate the piece to fit your room by putting a contemporary frame on a traditional piece, or vice versa.

A line drawing by artist, Masti; a pencil portrait from an unknown artist; and the bottom 2 are etchings from Europe.

It's always hit or miss with me and artwork at thrift stores, but I scored this oil painting done in Mexico in the 70's at a second hand store. I loved the colors and texture.

Of course it's always fun to get a client who appreciates fine art and either already has an art collection or is interested in investing in some serious art pieces. Two Chrismas's ago I decorated Dr. Jerry Buss's home for the holidays and got to see, up close, some of his extensive art collection. Below is a photo of his living room mantel, complete with an original self portrait by Van Gogh.

For more original art check out these other sources:

eBay.com (Never underestimate eBay!)
www.abell.com (A.N. Abell Auctions is a great auction to check out for those in the Los Angeles area.)
aafnyc.com (AAF contemporary Art Fair is great for beginning art collectors. This art fair showcases emerging artists and their affordable works. Locations in NYC, San Francisco, and London)