MODERN 24/7

saturday spaces

2012-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

That's whassup.
E

i bought it

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Purchases this past week include - this dress from Zara for my trip to the Dominican Republic...

But I couldn't wait to wear it so last night I paired it with ankle boots and a black leather jacket. Adorbs!

Also, this chandelier is on its way from Italy:

Still considering these chairs, which are on my local craigslist for a steal....

Did you pick up any great finds this week? Have a fabulous weekend, friends!
E

Cool cribs, cool chest

2012-02-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

For various nurseries, I have been looking at cribs. There are so many great ones out there -

And isn't this a great idea to dress up a chest without painting it a solid color?

Love it!

what i have been doing this week...

2012-02-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy lately, guys! This week has been a shopping spree, both for clients and for myself... First, inspired by this brass chair that I have always loved -

I found one that was even better on Ebay and was the only bidder so I wasn't vigilant, went about my business at night, and lost it!! So angry! I was going to put this fabric on it - it's a Sunbrella!

Anyhoo, that's a bust - but I am still selling my antique chairs that I covered in the Kelly Wearstler fabric - if you or a client are interested let me know!

When I was clothes shopping the other night I could not get over this huge blue murano chandelier - at Victoria's on Magazine Street in New Orleans. It came with the building when she bought it - can you imagine? Gorgeous!

I cannot stop thinking about huge olive jars. Lots of people have them here out in their courtyards or in traditional spaces - but I would love a large one as a rough counterpoint to a slick white interior, the way Darryl Carter does it...

I had a great old photograph of my grandfather in his football uniform restored and blown up - can't wait to have it framed to show you guys. Now inspired by this picture:

I want to blow up this image:

I also got an amazing gray houndstooth for a pillow for a modern boy's nursery - that is still under wraps for now. But check out my boo boo - fell down while jogging last night so I am scraped up all over and sad I will have bandages during my Dominican Republic trip next week! ugh!

Hope you guys are having an amazing week...
E

new look new year

2012-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Someone let me know yesterday that the green background was distracting for my blog - I hope this is easier to read...I am not the best editor or publisher on blogger - I love comments that help make things better for you around here! I feel so happy to have even one person read the blog and reach out. So never feel like you have to give me a comment anonymously, you can always tell me things straight up...I appreciate you!
E

have you seen this?

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this studio space with the custom bunk? One side of the ladder is an armoire and the other is drawers. I love that you can look out the window from the top as well. Some people really are genius. See more at one of my new stalker blogs - The Diversion Project - the whole blog is awesome...
E

Saturday Spaces

2012-02-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

IF I get the place that I have already picked out here in New Orleans this summer - meaning IF I qualify for that amount of a loan, and IF it is still on the market, and IF my offer is accepted and I buy my first place, then THIS place is seriously inspiring me. I will paint the entire inside, even the floors, white. I know that's a lot of IFs. Gotta love daydreams.
E

Booth sweet tooth

2012-02-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

These booths seriously inspire me. Do you like the idea of a booth in a kitchen?
E

Designer I love: Joseph Dirand

2012-02-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Architect Joseph Dirand has long been an inspiration of mine. He designed two of my favorite Mexican hotels, Habita Monterrey and Distrito Capital Mexico. I wouldn't attempt to emulate his spaces exactly, since they are super spare and are showing off the gorgeous architecture and views (that I don't have!)- but I do take away an important lesson that I am trying to put into practice in the future. Fewer and Finer. It's my new motto. In the future I want to really pare down, both in clothing and interiors for myself. Buy fewer things but better things. Well made, beautiful clothing and furniture can last a lifetime. Of course this is easy if you live on a mountain in Mexico and Joseph Dirand is your architect! So, as I said - I am going to try but maybe not succeed! :)
What goals are you moving towards in designing your life?
E

art imitating life?

2012-02-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

I'm sure by now many of you have opened your new Elle Decor to ooh and ahh over Jackie Astier's NYC apartment. I love it, too.

But it reminds me too much of Ashley Stark's apartment from last month and raises the question for me - is Elle showing us what we like or are we starting to like what Elle is showing us? Some of us have been looking for 70's glam pieces for a couple years now as we can afford to buy them, and I hope this look is a classic, not a trend. I own Murano lamps, fur throws, leather poufs, mirrored Mastercraft furniture, lucite glam pieces, suzani textiles and brass fixtures, so I am not hating on them at all! But the all too familiar-looking rooms pictured here are starting to feel stale, and that scares me - because I love them and it is my style!

What do you think? Do you think we will all be off on another "look" next year? Or is this type of home going to still feel fresh and fun into the next decade?
E

Geometric Tile floors

2012-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

You want these floors?

Here is where you get 'em: Cement Tiles USA. You're welcome.
E

Great Idea

2012-02-01T04:51:00.000-08:00

Do you love this dressing room/closet by Jeffrey Bilhuber? I am obsessed with it. I would change the wallpaper, but what I love the most about it is the center island for jewelry and accessories.

So here is what I would do - get this craft island by Martha Stewart from Home Decorators collection, glue fabric to the top and nailhead the sides, or have a marble top cut and replace the knobs with brass ones. So gorg!
E

Be my Valentine: Delfina Delettrez

2012-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

I don't have a Valentine this year but if I could choose anyone to be it today, I would ask Delfina Delettrez. She would definitely give me a piece of her insane jewelry, or introduce me to her fam (she is part of the Fendi dynasty), or at the very least let me hang out in her chic Parisian apartment. You can see more of her place at Habitually Chic. I die for those mirrors with the Murano sconces!
E

i think life would be a gazillion times better if...

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

I owned these spaces. But I'm probably fooling myself.
E

new at zara

2012-01-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

I used to get caught in the trap of buying pretty things online that I never have occasions to wear - like party dresses or structured work suits, just because I think they are beautiful and I might need them "one day". Then they sit in my closet for years while I turn to the exact same four outfits. Not anymore. Now I truly only buy things that work for my daily life AND that I love. These pieces from Zara are perfect for the way I live now and are on their way to me as we speak! Love!
E

Saturday spaces

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Much has been made of Alexis Traina's home, which I find way overdone for my personal style. However, I live for the stairwell...

And do you guys know about Maybebags? They are made of tyvek, and can be crumpled up in your regular bag to pull out if you need, or used as a tote, and they are reversible. They can be washed and look casual and chic! Love them! Buy here with free shipping to US...

Have an awesome weekend!
E

Swingin'

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Suze at Dwellers Without Decorators posted on hammocks a couple of days ago, and I haven't been able to stop thinking of them since! I hope I have room (and support beams!) for an indoor hammock in my next place. These are my faves....perfect in front of a fire this weekend. Would you have an indoor hammock?
E

Dominican Republic

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Headed to the Dominican Republic in February. This Asos dress will be perfect for breezy dinners at night...
E

Tiny Apartment Redo Done!

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well, my 600 square foot apartment has been changed again. If you don't remember it the way it was before, check out the colorful look HERE on my website.... I wanted to get rid of the color for this year so here is the new look!

To see which ones I chose for a cohesive page on my website, check it out HERE. I am really proud of how it came out, since I wanted to do everything with furniture and accessories only, and not paint or do anything more permanent. I will be moving in September, either to a new home (fingers crossed!) or new city, and knew this would be temporary. I am also not a professional photographer, and I desperately need my friend Erika to make me a professional website and complete brand package, but I hope you like it!

great idea

2012-01-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

Saw this amazing striped silk at the fabric store yesterday...

And immediately thought of a headboard and footboard like this:

Wouldn't that be amazing?
E

5 days

2012-01-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

With a final pair of upholstered chairs being delivered on Monday, I am only five days away from what I consider to be "done" with this tiny apartment redo. From Bachelorette Pad to Organic Glam Zen - all to be revealed next Wednesday! What a journey in a minuscule rental!
E

enter the dragon

2012-01-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

I told you all that I was very excited for this year and I feel like big things are going to happen for me. I am 35 and my mom said that was her best year ever. So far it has been mine, as well! Now it is all coming together with the stars, as this is the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Guess who is a dragon? That's right - yours truly. I was born in 1976, the Bicentennial of our country, the Year of the Dragon, and I am a Leo. All fire signs, ruled by the sun, and I am going to celebrate this whole year!
My grandmother took a trip to China back in the 70's and brought back this set of rice pattern china with dragons on it, which I now use as my everyday stuff. This type of china has been made since 960, and refers to the rice which was embedded in the clay before firing, leaving behind these transparent spot designs on the edge. Now you can find them online. They are machine washable and perfect for everyday use.

If you wanna get fancy schmancy, Mottahedeh has a pattern called Blue Dragon, which is gorgeous and sells for $195 for a 5 piece place setting...

Of course the most popular dragon in interior design is probably Schumacher's Chiang Mai dragon, which my bestie E in San Diego is desperate to use in her house. We want to wallpaper a hallway or powder room with it, but the pattern is so bold, it often makes great ottomans and benches.

It is almost impossible to find classic jewelry with a dragon motif, as most dragon jewelry goes a little, how shall we say, "medieval faire". So I am super proud of a cherry turquoise necklace my mom gave me many years ago with a black resin dragon pendant. I wore it on my interview at Takashimaya NY, and I am sure it was the reason I got the job!

If you are looking for your own piece of lucky dragon jewelry, Elva Fields makes this gorgeous "Year of the Dragon" necklace, which would make a very bold statement!

Would you use dragons in your home? What about your astrological sign?
E

horny

2012-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

This antler chandelier has always made me happy. Get your mind out of the gutter!
E

Super Ex - Girlfriend

2012-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

Since I mentioned that I loved the way Vicente Wolf's apartment looked in the 2006 movie "My Super Ex- Girlfriend" starring Uma Thurman, I thought I would look for some interior shots from the movie. They kept almost all of his furniture, just adding hints of pink for femininity. I remember thinking when I watched the movie that the apartment was gorgeous, and of course I am still doing those art ledges five years later....Love!
E
P.S. These pics and more can be found at Bijou Kaleidoscope...

all white wednesday

2012-01-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

One of my blogging besties said she is really feeling these white spaces lately, and I am too! I even love it when every surface, including the floor, is done in white - feels so clean and bright. Jaime King's house in this month's In Style magazine is my inspiration for my next pad...

Sorry for low quality pics but they are scanned in... I love how the white carries all the way up the stairs. Of course the king of white spaces is Vicente Wolf - I have always loved his house, especially the way they had it styled in the movie "My Super Ex-Girlfriend".

And this Spanish apartment is really doing it for me, too....

Although if an all white and glass space is too cold for you, you can always warm up your white with natural wood, like the Brooklyn Home Company does...

What do you think? Could all white work for you? (I know some people are going to mention kids and animals as deterrents, but I had ebony floors once and you could see everything! And with outdoor fabrics, etc.. white is so durable!)
E

fave baths ever

2012-01-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

Oh, and did I mention these are my fave baths of all time? I think I see a theme here...
E

Black, Gray, or White

2012-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

So let's say you were going to redo a small galley kitchen. It could be, say, this kitchen:

What do you like best - white, gray, or black? These are my faves...love dreaming about my future house renos!
E

this round is almost over

2012-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well this round of design change on my tiny apartment is almost done. The bachelorette pad has gone from this:

To white, black and gray modern organic/rustic/glam...

And the bedroom went from petrol blue high gloss color:

To soothing white zen with a huge art installation of dogwood branches on watercolor paper...

Sorry for the nighttime pics but I was excited! Can't wait to show you the entire space in a couple of weeks...and I am even more excited about moving in September and doing a whole new look in the next place! Stay tuned because most everything except the art will be up for sale in a couple months...
E

a coat of paint

2012-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being MIA but this has been the busiest week of my career! Just wanted to pop in and show you my new client's house. The amazing results that come from a simple coat of paint - jaw dropping!
E
P.S. It is Benjamin Moore 1611 - one shade lighter than Pelican Gray....


Before - Butter Gone Bad

After - Pale Gray - So Chic!

best bets at west elm

2012-01-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

I am a big supporter of West Elm. Right now I have two of the lacquer bookcases and the cone floor lamp. I try to steer clear of most of the furniture just because the scale is not big enough sometimes and it can look a little catalog-y. However, they have been doing some amazing things lately and I think these items would be great touches in any home:

Souk Rug


Jasper Monogrammed Sheets

Stephen Antonson white plaster pieces

Contour Semi-Flush Fixture

Gold flatware set

I especially die for those semi-flush mounts. With edison bulbs inside running down a hallway - genius! What are your fave items at big box stores right now?
E

Painted laminate

2012-01-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

Several of the fixer-uppers I have been researching lately have a few rooms with laminate floors. Lots of people look at those and immediately think of the expense of tearing them out and putting in hardwood or tile. But with a little sanding, you can paint laminate and have something amazing! Here are some of my favorite painted floors....would you have one in your house?
E

If i was a rich girl....

2012-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today I would buy:

These vintage chairs

this ring for my right hand - I can buy myself diamonds!

this Frank Gehry bracelet from Tiffany's

this blanket I already had and sold - regret...

this house is not for sale but I would make them an offer they can't refuse

this Rolex with fun pink face makes me happy

these tables by Silas Seandel are my life

a whole set of luggage from Steamline - actually not that expensive at all!

What would you buy today if money were no object?
E

reader needs your advice

2012-01-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, guys - you know I love it when you share what you are working on! Maureen sent me this amazing chair redo project she did! It went from this:

To this!

So it is obvious that she has a ton of talent and is a real do-it-yourself kinda girl. Now she is redoing her kitchen (pic above) and wants to know if anyone has a favorite gray she can paint the cabinets. She wants to go charcoal. Then she would like to know what light to go over the breakfast table in the back of the pic. I recommend marble or white quartz countertops to keep it light and fresh. Also, I think the back light fixture should be a totally different material than the large chrome ones - like white linen or paper.
Does anyone have any ideas for Maureen?
E

Saturday Spaces

2011-12-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

I really like this house designed by John McInroe for the Palmer family in Dallas. The New York Post article describes it as going from "spec to spectacular" or something like that. Only super rich people would complain about a mansion having no personality and being a "spec house". Once you get past that annoyance, though, there really are some lovely details...
E

What a slow process

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Wow - for people who have never decorated a space from scratch, let me tell you - it takes forever! The second home of my clients is coming along nicely... the tv is being moved over this fireplace today - but there is still tons of furniture and accessories to come. Also, the bedrooms and back house which is a super traditional space, have yet to be completed construction wise, so we just put in furniture where we can to make the space enjoyable for quick weekends. I really cannot wait for this final product. Hopefully only around six more months to go... I know it seems very stark with the white upholstery, but it is Sunbrella so easy to care for!
E

tv equipment piece, accessories and art to go here

still have leather/ebony french chairs coming

large velvet tufted ottoman going under piano

Kitchen Roundup

2011-12-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

For some reason in the last few days of the year I am drawn to posts about my faves ever. The other day was fave wallpapers, now here are some of my fave kitchens ever. I love so many different styles of kitchen, I actually don't know what mine would turn out like if I were able to design it from scratch! But I am always drawn to open shelves, interesting materials, and the color gray... and my dream would be to have a glass front fridge! Here are some of my top picks - what is your favorite thing in a kitchen?
E

Love the color of this tile and cabinetry

Open shelves - Nate Berkus

Black done right

This white stove is bangin'

My fave wallpaper and white oak? Yes,please. Jeffrey Alan Marks

Rustic and cozy - Kristen Buckingham

Most blogged about ever for a reason - gorgeous!

fave wallpapers ever

2011-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

So this is still a design blog, believe it or not! hahahah One of the biggest reasons that I would like to buy my own place next year is so that I can do whatever I want to the walls without repercussions. Wallpaper, baby!
My fave wallpaper of all time is the koi paper in silver by De Gournay. Hand-painted on silver leaf, so what's not to love?

In Jeffrey Alan Marks' kitchen

Close up

In Sara Story's office

My second fave is this zebra running across silver leaf. It does not have arrows and the zebras are huge, so I don't think it is the classic zebra paper by Scalamandre, but if anyone knows who it is, please help a sista out...

My fave bedroom wall by Oitoemponto

I know silver leaf papers are extremely expensive so my cheaper choice has always been the Asuka paper by Osborne and Little. But I am not truly a floral girl, and it has been used a lot...

Here are a couple of other metallic wallpapers that look great showcased in smaller spaces, like guest baths.

And don't forget Flavor Paper (which used to be here in New Orleans, but is now in Brooklyn) makes tons of metallic papers! Which is your favorite wallpaper of all time?
E

a magical christmas

2011-12-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Last night my great friend Jamie and her daughter Ellie asked me to join them at the Nutcracker. I haven't seen this ballet since I was a child, and it was such a wonderful night. I used to be obsessed with ballet, reading books on it and watching Baryshnikov dance on tv. My mother took me to the ballet every Christmas, and last night watching Ellie's face and seeing it through her eyes brought back that magic for me.

The Louisiana Philharmonic doing the score by Tchaikovsky was absolutely the best part. We don't realize how much this music is in our daily lives, and in movie soundtracks all the time, too. Hearing just a few bars of these songs can make you feel Christmasy, scared, or passionate. Is there any music in history more romantic than the Grand Pas de deux? For those of you who would like to watch it, I have imbedded it below, with the amazing Baryshnikov dancing the male role (The Grand Pas de Deux starts at 1:38).Or, this will really show my age, but does anyone remember the 1982 movie Six Weeks - about the girl who only wants to play Clara in the Nutcracker before she dies of leukemia? What a tearjerker!

I hope all of you have a magical moment this weekend, be it alone or with family and friends. We are so lucky to be alive and my wish for you is that you see and appreciate the miracles that are all around you. Especially the miracle of the joy on a child's face when they see something beautiful. It will take your breath away.

Merriest Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!
E

Looking forward...and back

2011-12-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

I was just reading some of my posts from last year, especially the one from December 28th, when I made my resolutions for 2011. I can't believe that the year flew by so quickly, and that I actually fulfilled my goals. I am really happy about this past year. I blogged five times a week, got new clients (including my biggest project to date), finished my MA degree, and saw my family as much as possible. I also lost 30 pounds and got into the best shape I have been in for a decade!

I am realizing that on January 9th it will be two years that I have been blogging and it is certainly difficult to come up with new posts all the time. It is hard to stay motivated when you have only a few constant readers, but because of this blog I feel like I have gained some really good friends and also stayed in touch with all of the latest and greatest in design. In 2012 I hope to keep blogging and gaining more readers, but I will not be focusing to produce new blogs five times a week.

My focus for 2012 will be on my own personal life. I am 35 and I am certainly happy with all that I have accomplished, but I would like to make a difference in a child's life and get some personal fulfillment as well. My goals for the new year will be to prepare my life for an adoption. There are so many kids in the foster system who are needing families. If you have ever considered adoption, I beg you not to go out of the country, but to take in a child from your state who has been put into the system.

With that eventual goal in mind, I will be looking for a home to buy or a bigger place to rent, getting my health coverage in order, and deciding whether or not to start law school in the fall. I will always continue with my design work, as it is my passion and my joy. I hope that even if I am pursuing another career that I will always have one or two design clients. And of course I will always be renovating or decorating my own place and showing it on the blog and on my website. I guess that means that I will be staying in New Orleans for a while, as it is a wonderful place to live and I have a steady job here.

I hope that you all have accomplished your goals for 2011 and are as excited about the future and 2012 as I am! Happy Holidays to you and your family - see you next week!
E

Custom Bed Plan

2011-12-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

I love big beds with headboards and footboards that hold you in a cozy embrace and you never want to get up.
And you know I have a thing for La Wearstler and Deco/70's Glam channel tufting, like the king size headboard I just did for my clients, right? So in the new year I want to make a custom bed in faux stingray skin...

This is the style of bed for me....

bedroom combo - bed, bench, and snakeskin mirror

I also got a couple yards of this beige snakeskin to wrap a mirror with...love!
E

Great Ideas

2011-12-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

I love how the backs of these chairs are different pastel colors. This is an amazing idea to steal!

Also, how gorg are these metallic cakes? What a great, glam idea...

Hope you are having a great week!
E

Chair reup

2011-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

More deliveries and changes are afoot at Casa Elizabeth (aka Tiny Apartment). Here is the scary-ugly chair I got on Ebay in its original form...

And here it is with a fresh reup job...

Love it! It does not go exactly perfect with the french chairs that will be on either side of the desk in Kelly Wearstler's Bengal Bazaar fabric, but one day I hope to have room in a bedroom and will put it in there. I love the chrome arms. It is also the most comfy chair ever! Show me some of your reup projects...
E

terrified wood

2011-12-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

This past week has been so full of deliveries..this morning I got my petrified wood stump!
Petrified wood is wood that has been buried under sediment and deprived of oxygen for so long that it has become stone. It has the hardness of quartz and sometimes you can see fossilized remains of insects in there that lived millions of years ago. While there are petrified forests in California and Mississippi and Arizona, I believe that it is illegal to pull the stone out of those. The ones I sell in my store are from the island of Java, and weigh between 400 and 800 lbs! The moving guys always call in sick when we need one moved.
Most people use them in interiors as side tables. But since they can be in the rain and are virtually indestructible, I would like to see one in a large shower, or set around a firepit outside as seating. I just plopped mine at the end of my bed for now, but when I find a good match for it, they will be on either end of my sofa in the next apartment I move to.
Do you like petrified wood?
E

My petrified wood stump - it's gorgeous!

Bachelorette Pad Part II

2011-12-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

When I say that my apartment has a completely different look now, I mean it looks completely different. The colorful Bachelorette Pad has turned into Orglamic - which is what I will call it on my website...hahaha Here is a little peek - hope to photograph the entire thing and be done with it by February! Also cleaned up my website a bit - have a look see and let me know what you think...
E

color besties

2011-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

My most fave color combinations for interiors are colors that are analagous, or side by side on the color wheel. If you choose to do this, it looks great to have one of the colors be primary and strong, like grass green, and the other color to be pale and soft, like blue aqua. That is the winning combination I chose for my sweet and sour nursery project. For Maddy's big girl room, I am hitting up the other side of the color wheel - pink to orange, red, and purple. I love color besties!
E

*Lots of pics from Paloma at La Dolce Vita and Lily at Gold and Gray...thanks for the inspiration, girls!

Shop til you drop

2011-12-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks of my life have been a constant shopping blur. Between Christmas and trying to get things for my clients before the holidays, I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off!

I found this faux stingray leather, pearl gray channel tufted headboard that I wanted for myself but it is a king. Way too big for my room, but perfect for my French Quarter client's modern master bedroom...

And my other friend/client was inspired by the Pedro Friedeberg hand chairs in the Ashley Stark apartment from Elle Decor and asked me to get a price on one for her. Side note: when I lived in Mexico (where Pedro is from) in the late 90's, I worked at a store that sold these for 2k. No one wanted them then, and today when I called Craig Van den Brulle in New York for a price, I was told $30,000 NET! Shocker!

Also found these twin beds in the back of an antique store and they will be perfect painted in a french blue chalk paint for the back guest house of another client...score! Can't wait to see them painted...

Last but not least I picked up this suzani for myself. It is not the style that I am doing now, but when you see a steal that is big and gorgeous and cheap you just grab it, right??

Will store it away to one day make a headboard, or a chair, or a bench seat on a sofa, or pillows.... Happy shopping, friends!
E

Suzie Allain

2011-12-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

When my friend Betsy posted the other day about Suzie Allain, I was reminded again what a plethora of creative talent we have in this city. Suzie is the aunt of my very best friend and is an amazing painter and designer. She shows her paintings at Hazlenut among other places, and has the wonderful booth Caravan at Agora that I posted on HERE. She is also the one who got me my current job and inspired me to become a designer! Above and beyond all that, she is a super cool woman and great mother who has raised two of the most talented and wonderful kids I have ever known. Check her website out HERE....
E

saturday spaces

2011-12-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Hey gang...so glad that this week is over and was a success! Huge strides in the French Quarter home of my clients - they love everything and I promise you, the art and accessories will really make that place pop. Didn't even want to photograph the insane deco burl credenza in entry until it has something over it. Here are some Saturday Spaces from the newest mags and the interwebs to inspire you through the weekend - have two new client meetings next week!
E

just a taste

2011-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Well we installed a lot of things today but there is still such a long way to go that I can't possibly show you most of the house! However I can give you a taste of the direction we are going in. Here is a look at the living room before...

And here is our new sitting area - note the stunningly gorgeous celadon Persian rug!

Sorry for the crooked pics! The lamp and walnut side table on the right are both changing, there is a huge bronze floor lamp on the left you can't see, and there will be books and accessories galore coming in. Can't wait to show you the rest of this gorgeous home - then there will be a back house that will be much more rustic/traditional. Yay new projects!
E

i'm going in

2011-12-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

I wish I was going through this closet to this bed, but I am actually going to my client's to install many things tomorrow...will take pics for you!
E

lofty ambitions

2011-11-30T08:55:00.000-08:00

I have a slight obsession with lofts. Many years ago most of the warehouse buildings in this city were converted into condos. They are cramped, smelly, and extremely overpriced. But I still would like to live in one!
Then this year the National Rice Mill was converted into the most gorgeous lofts I have ever seen - overlooking the Mississippi River.
They went from this:

To this:

They even kept the interior and exterior grafitti...

And the upper decks are all ready for you to have dinner and parties year round...

Aggghhhh! I want to live there so bad. Maybe when my lease is up on the tiny apartment. Do you like lofts?
E

Maddie girl

2011-11-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

So my bestie in Cali with the baby that I did this nursery for:

would like to have another baby soon. She is keeping the nursery as is, since we did mostly unisex stuff, and we are going to make Maddie a big girl room next door. I think we will take the ottoman from in front of the chair and use those colors - pink and red and maybe some orange, though she doesn't like it. Also, the entire house has aqua and grass green in it so there must be some of that. I would like some exotic suzani in there also. Her fave inspiration pics are these simple, modern, graphic ones. Can't wait to get started!
E

Christmas Shopping: Mama

2011-11-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

My mother just started wearing glasses. She wanted some really funky cat-eye frames but her doctor (in Mississippi) was a little rude about them so she didn't get the ones she wanted. She has a small, round face shape. Selima Optique just opened a location next door to me and they have some of the craziest, funkiest frames I have ever seen - some even look like Mardi Gras masks! Below are some of their more basic, tame frames... hahahaha
What are you getting for your mama?
E

sick saturday spaces

2011-11-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Usually when I feel a cold coming on, I just take some zinc and ignore it and it goes away. But this weekend I want to fall into it - in one of these rooms. See you next week...
E

Double trouble

2011-11-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

So over the Thanksgiving week, I found out that a friend is pregnant, my niece's room is ready for a makeover, and I have been thinking more and more about adopting in the near future (3-5 years from now)... seeing as holidays are all about the kids and they were running around underfoot all week, they have been on my brain. My mother got a magician to entertain them and the adults ended up enjoying it more!
Here are some magical kids rooms that make me ache for a child....Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love and joy with your family - be it a family of two or two hundred!
E

Celebrity Home: Hilary Swank

2011-11-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I hope you had an amazing weekend and are gearing up for Thanksgiving. I have been so busy lately I barely have time to write these posts, much less go see all the movies that are out now that I have been to! hahaha (how gorgeous was the house in Twilight: Breaking Dawn? It was filmed here and several of the pieces were from my store!)
Speaking of movie stars, here is the home of Hilary Swank, featured in the latest Elle Decor. What do you think about it? I like the bedroom, but I honestly feel like the living room looks like a Crate and Barrel catalog. This apartment seems like a corporate rental. She says that there are very personal touches like the art and some African pieces she collected over time, but I honestly don't see it. It does not feel warm or lived in at all to me. This issue caps off a few months of disappointing spaces in Elle Decor - is it becoming the new Architectural Digest? Filled with impersonal spaces of celebrities? This condo is oddly reminiscent of Courtney Cox' house. What do you guys think?
E

hi ho, hi ho

2011-11-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, gang - I am off to Mississippi tonight to help my sister. She owns the Handworks Holiday Shopping Show - it is around 150 booths of handmade crafts and beautiful things - can't wait to shop! I leave you with my favorite library/office/den of all time. This is one of the only spaces I have consistently loved for the entire past decade. The Bakalowitz chandelier, the Hicks patterned rug, low parchment coffee table and dark velvet sofa, lacquered or glossy wood walls, and hint of organic with cowhide pillows, etc. has always blown me away. Have a fabulous weekend - will catch you next week!
E

i think this stuff is pretty

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I think these are pretty...Happy Monday!
E

my paintings

2011-11-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

So remember last week when I decided to copy Natasha Law's pop art paintings? I did six of them. Hers are gloss on aluminum, probably pretty huge. I did mine with acrylic on paper - 22" x 30" and I think they came out great. I think they would look awesome in the large Ribba white gallery frames from Ikea with the white mat. However, they are too bright for this apartment and are just not the look I was going for. So anyone can have them if you want. Let me know - it was a fun and easy project... I highly recommend getting out your paints and doing something creative this weekend. See you next week!
E

Leather pant alternative

2011-11-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hey all - I do not look good in leather pants, they make me sweat, and they are expensive as hell. Just got these "waxed effect" trousers from Zara and I adore them. They look like leather, you wash them in the washer, and they are super slimming. Possible downsides for you: they are slightly cropped and they ride up and/or stick to muscular calves. They also stretch at the waist so I am constantly tugging them up but they look so great I forgive that.
Get you some today! P.S. My shirt is not dirty - took these pics in an antiqued mirror...
E

Moving along....slowly

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hey guys - sorry to be MIA but there is some movement on the apartment front. Beni Ourain left and I put simple cream wool sisal down in living room. It is much simpler and gives a cleaner backdrop for the furniture I think...

Got this insanely heavy cool vase at Marshall's!

Still gonna paint this chair black or white

Still not sure about orchids here but loving everything else...

The desk area has not changed too much, though I got a new black hardback shade for the brass lamp...

Now the reupholstered desk chair, side chair, and armchair will be back in about two weeks, so that will make a huge impact. Then I really only need to do art for over the sofa and solar shades on the windows and either a bench or stools or poufs in that huge space in front of coffee table. Then pretty much done with living room!
In the bedroom I got in the parchment Augousti chest...

I love it but the mirror is changing and the styling will change. There is no outlet there so I can't have a lamp (ugh), I need a new rug and art (dogwood branches!) in there and then pretty much done with whole apartment this round. Can't wait to get the art up as it really makes the whole space. One of my fave parts of designing is taking and editing the photos at the end.
My friend Katy is coming in from Mexico tonight so the rest of the week is going to be spent going out to dinner and relaxing - catch you later!
E

I am a rude copycat

2011-11-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

We all know that everyone copies everyone else. The people who are doing insanely lovely but simple work (such as the polka dot painting by Damien Hirst) must know that every Tom, Dick and Harry out there is copying their piece for their own home. I do not condone this usually, especially since neighboring designers often copy pieces in my store. I get very self-righteous, and call it plagiarism and shoplifting, and every other nasty name I can think of.
But when it comes to art, sometimes I can't help myself. The only things I want to collect and spend big bucks on are the things I cannot even imagine doing myself. When someone has created a completely new process of painting (like my love Susan Dory), or something is huge and has a multi-step process (like the Longstreet photo branches I am getting one day for my bedroom) then I want to buy it. But if the artist lives in another country, does not show in a gallery in my area, and I think I can reproduce it fairly well, I will probably give it a try.
Case in point: Natasha Law is the sister of Jude Law and I think that is mostly the reason she gets so much press in England. Her pieces are gloss on aluminum, and really large simple line drawings with pop art colors of women in various states of undress. I am not impressed by them enough to try to buy one, but I thought I could do a few on paper for my own apartment for fun and to fill wall space until I can buy some art I love. These are the ones I am trying. Will let you know how it turns out!
E

Bi-Polar Design Friday

2011-11-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

On this Friday, I am thinking of going Bi.
Two-tone furniture, people! I have always loved the look of chairs with a solid body and patterned cushions, like these...

And I have always loved R&Y Augousti exotic skin furniture. I sell them in my shop and I also keep samples of their materials so that I can do custom pieces for clients.

So now I am going to combine these two things like chocolate and peanut butter! A two tone Augousti coffee table using ivory stingray on the outside and the peacock pattern on the inside:

Ok, it won't be a complete one of a kind since we just did it for a client - but it will be only the second of its kind in the world and bring some much needed pattern into my white/cream living room now that the patterned Beni is gone... what do you think?
(P.S. Takes 7 months to come in, so will be using the cypress/lucite table for a while yet....)
Happy weekend!
E

Thursday Thursday Thursday

2011-11-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Don't really know what to say today - my mind is all over the place. Here is the yellow dress that I sent back to Zara now being spotted on all the fashionistas...

I do love the color - guess I am going to have to hunt it down and get it again....Also, remember our undying love for this hallway?

Well, I don't have a hallway or white walls but I found a mirror very similar to this on Ebay - HERE - and someone should offer them half what they have it listed as and add the quartz poster from Etsy:

Wouldn't that be a great homage to that space? As inspired by the wonderful work of John Dickinson, seen below in the loft of Leila Rose....

I am planning my next purchase - the Arthur bench by Oly...will put it at the end of the bed or in front of one of my West Elm lacquer bookcases...

Hope your week is going swimmingly... Peace out.

zara goodies

2011-11-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

These things are on Zara right now. What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation????
E

posters

2011-11-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with these black and white posters by Etsy artist Debbie Carlos. They are printed on a plotter, which is used to make architectural drawings, so they have such a unique look! Wondering if one of these would be good over my sofa....
E

rash decisions, inc

2011-11-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Goodness - even if I think about something for six months to a year, when the decision is made, I sometimes feel like it was such a rash and unplanned thing! Do you ever feel like that? So once I decided to sell the Beni Ourain rug, of course someone contacted me about it right away I had some regrets. What is really bothering me is the large piece of dark wood that is the coffee table. So I should have kept the rug and done a creamy table - maybe parchment or painted grasscloth. Oh, well. The rug is possibly going away in the morning so here are shots of where we are now - memories for later....what a process in this crazy apartment!
E

Painted this Biedermeier chair white

selling stuff again...

2011-10-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

You are going to think I am crazy but I feel like my Moroccan rug is too tribal! The look I am going for in the living room is more French modern and the combination of the brass stools, the rug, and the cypress coffee table is making me crazy - it is too rustic and organic. One of them has to go, and since I had the coffee table custom made for me, I think it is the rug. Anyway, I have posted it on Ebay - see it here- if you know anyone who wants one let me know! It is huge and gorgeous and has been professionally cleaned...love it!
E

Lost in space

2011-10-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have been so lost lately - well, not lost as I have been intensely focused on things other than this blog - the LSAT (done), my MA degree (done), my newest and biggest client (ongoing but almost done), my birthday and out of town visitors (done), and now upcoming holidays and work obligations....I have not been very inspired by interior design.
Then I saw Barbarella on TV the other night. This was one of my fave movies when I was young, because it was so over the top. It is one of the most stupid/fun movies of all time. Jane Fonda saves the world with the help of a blind angel and has many adventures such as being almost killed to death by orgasm in the Orgasmatron.(P.S. that's the way I want to go...)

The fashion designer Paco Rabanne did the costume design for the movie. He is still showing futuristic dresses in metal and plastic at the age of 78, and he has always had an interest in the paranormal...

This made me think of his famous Space Curtain - dividing curtains made from aluminum, brass, copper, or plastic that he designed in 1970. I have always wanted one, but they sell for 4-10k.

Don't you just love? Here they are in some amazing interiors. I love the way it can be incorporated into a folding screen or architectural space in a home...

So maybe I am getting inspired again... Barbarella would be a sensational Halloween costume! Happy weekend everyone...
E

Halloweeny

2011-10-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend is Halloween and as you can guess, that is huge here in the city where 65% of the population thinks they are a vampire. Voo Doo Fest (great music fest) is going on this weekend and everyone will be dressed in costume on Bourbon Street. I don't decorate for holidays; I am kind of a party pooper like that. Here are some spaces that I feel are very fall flavored - I call them Halloweeny. Enjoy your weekend!
E

What a week

2011-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

My car broke down this morning and it really capped off a stressful week, my friends. I just want to get a drink at this bar....

Then have my friend play me some jazz while I relax in this music room....

Then go freshen up in my fave bathroom of all time....

And go to bed with an Augousti tray, some hot tea and cookies....

Here's hoping your week is less stressful than mine!
E

spare

2011-10-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am so obsessed with this spartan, bare space. I love the white sculptural floor lamp, white walls and roman shades, and architectural lucite desk. I hate the fabric on the chairs but other than that, this is my dream workspace. Unfortunately I am a renter and my entire apartment is a beige that can often go post-it note yellow. It also came with folding blinds on the windows that I cannot remove. I am contemplating buying the apartment just so that I can paint it all white and put white roman shades on the windows. I know that is what it wants and I want it to be happy.
E

friday faves

2011-10-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to share with you some of my favorite spaces OF ALL TIME. And that is a very strong thing to say. These spaces typify what my style is all about. Happy weekend, lovers!
E

My own store - this triptych will be mine in the next 6 months!

NOLA rolodex

2011-10-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hey guys - I know I have blogged about Shaun Smith Home a million and one times - but it is one of my fave shops in New Orleans. Maybe because Betsy works there, or because Shaun is from Mississippi like me, or because I always find the coolest treasures there! Just went down to visit during lunch yesterday and I picked up these two brass garden stools/tables/drums/planters for a steal. I love brass!!!!!! Anyhoo - sorry for the crappy pics but I took them with my phone. The stools are at the end of my bed now but are super light and can go anywhere.
If you are in the New Orleans area get over to Shaun Smith today (3947 Magazine Street) and get something cool. Like the plaster horse head or a piece of rock crystal or the hand crafted reclaimed wood dining table or the skull on a stand or the amazing black and silver silk ikat pillows.....agh!! I'm going back!
E

Entry Credenza

2011-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence, love muffins! Had my exams for my MA Tuesday and of course I am really pushing it with my new client, who would like to celebrate Christmas in her new house.
She really wants a wow factor in the entry. She and her hubby are huge fans of antiques, and want a stunning credenza with a piece of art over it and some amazing sconces....
Here was my number one pick and the option I was rooting for:

Her hubby was loving the marble top and figural details of this Jean Pascaud piece:

And this glossy burl Deco glam piece is the one she finally decided is her fave.

I will put these sconces over it on either side of a painting. They are 36" tall!

Happy hump day my friends, and happy decorating! I have ordered fabric for my armchair and a second West Elm parsons bookcase - will post pics when it is set up...

Saturday Spaces - For my new client

2011-10-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some spaces that are inspiring my new client - who has the super contemporary space and loves antiques...we will have a baby grand piano in the middle of the room!

** And we may get that exact credenza in the first pic! So excited...Happy weekend, loves!
E

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't see the Transformers movies, but I imagine I am in the Dark of the Moon phase of this apartment transformation. I moved in a year and a half ago and immediately decorated it like this:

But as you know I can't stand things for much longer than six months. Well, I can stand the things, but I want OTHER things every six months and have neither the room nor the funds for them. So everything in this room was sold and now we are at this point:

I am pretty proud of the things I have done. I always wanted a huge Beni Ourain from Morocco and I got it. We sell this cypress/lucite coffee table in my store for $4k and I challenged myself to copy it for less than a grand and I did. The huge lucite desk and mirrored 70's buffet that you can't see were fabulous Ebay finds, and you were with me for the reupholstery of the green monster velvet sofa.

But there is still so much to do! The desk chairs (and 3 other chairs in my apt) have to be recovered, I need art over the sofa and a mirror over the tv credenza, I need a second West Elm lacquer bookcase as I am creating a tiny library feel over there, I need a bigger black hardback shade for the brass desk lamp, maybe a floorlamp or large fig tree (but I can't keep them alive).... and this is all before we even get to the bedroom!

So I have been pretty overwhelmed thinking of what needs to be done in my little rental, until I just looked at these pics with fresh eyes. I have accomplished quite a bit. I have to focus on my clients and my school exams and then the holidays for the next couple of months, but hopefully this room will be finished on the 2 year anniversary of me living in the apartment. The end of February is the goal! Are you working on any ongoing projects? Would love to see the progress!

E

My new client

2011-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

My new client has a fabulous creole cottage in the French Quarter with uber-contemporary finishes inside. The main room is long and open to the modern kitchen. She already has an antique French dining table that seats 14! Here is the area where the table and chairs will go:

I want to do ghost chairs with it like this:

Cross your fingers she goes for it.

Oh, and go see my non-makeup wearing, tired-ass face and store over at Becca's blog. Love her to pieces!

Finally we meet

2011-10-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

I hope one day I get to hang out with all you peeps I have met while blogging. It is the one thing that I am so grateful for from my year and a half of putting out these messages every day. Today was an amazing day because I got to meet one of you. Becca from Rebecca June just came by with her hubby! They are the sweetest people ever and I could not stop talking. I could have held them hostage in my store and visited all day. Becca was actually one of the first people to accept me in the blog world and I really only continued to blog because of her support. I am sure she will post the pics when she gets home...
Anyway, if you come to New Orleans please come by and visit with me - it really makes my day! And I will be coming out to Cali soon to visit with all my West Coast peeps!
E

Becca's pic of NOLA - she has been hanging at the Old Absinthe House

How much is this puppy?

2011-10-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am too lazy to contact the showroom and just thought one of you lovers would know off the top of your head how much the Lumiere chandelier by Jean de Merry is....I kinda love it.
E

I'm back?

2011-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, guys, I'm back. Sort of. I have really enjoyed not having to come up with a new blog post every day. I mean, really enjoyed it. I still have some graduate exams to do this month to finish up my MA, so there may still be some erratic posting, but I will try to also post some re: interior design because I miss you lovers.
I also have a new client starting up Friday morning, so I will be discussing some stuff in that area with you guys as we work through a design plan.
Meanwhile, Fall is starting - enjoy these pics....oh, and PS I have lost 16 lbs! yay for me!
E

zara update

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, gang - here is an update on my Zara purchases. The palazzo pants are fabulous. I got a large (I am usually an 8) and will have to have them taken up at the bottom about a half inch. They are really long but that gives you the chance to hem them where you want. Love the color and the side buttons and the pockets. Amazeballs!

The yellow dress with the back cut-out was too large for me in size large, and was also made of a weird scuba suit material, so it went back. The black Angie Jolie style dress with thigh cutouts was gorgeous and sleek in a medium and even though I have nowhere to wear it I am keeping it because it makes me feel sexy...hahahaha

I also got these pants (below). I got a size 10 and they fit perfectly. They make me feel skinny and fashion-forward. But the print is just too crazy. I tried them with gray gladiator sandals and I just can't do it. I am not that cool of a girl and I don't think New Orleans is ready for it. They fit great but they are going back.

Next I may try the black sequin blazer.

I also want to say that the pre-printed Fed Ex sticker and return system are so easy and convenient...Have you gotten anything from Zara online? Give us a review!

erratic posting

2011-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys - just wanted to give a head's up that I may or may not be posting every day for the next two weeks. The LSAT is October 1st and I am focusing on that for the next ten days. I have really searched my heart and mind about whether I wanted to go back to school next fall at 36 - finishing up and taking the bar exam at almost 40, and the answer is "sure - why not?"
I truly believe that for me personally it would be miserable to do the same thing forever. I have pretty much changed cities or jobs every seven years since I was 17 and I just can't see myself stopping now. There are so many things I would like to try out there and since you can do school at night and keep working during the day, I just don't see a reason not to keep learning and having adventures! This quote from Michelle Williams really clarifies my thoughts:

"When you have options, anything is bearable. It's when a situation is inescapable that it becomes hell," Williams tells Hobo Magazine. "It seems to me that as soon as you get good at something, it is a sure sign that it is about to walk out of your life because it ceases to hold your mind and creative energy hostage."

I don't know what these pics have to do with this post, except that they are workspaces that do it for me....
E

Killing me softly this week...

2011-09-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am loving so many things this week that I have been attached to the computer screen - so inspired by the colors, fashions, and new furniture lines coming out this fall and next spring! First, Lily over at Gold and Gray got me excited about J Crew's Spring line. I will own these looks:

Kelly Wearstler's stores at Bergdorf's and Holt Renfrow have the best color scheme - turquoise, cobalt, black and white with a pop of kelly green...

These fluro heels are just one example of all the online shopping I have been lusting after: Topshop, Zara, and Asos all have amazing European style for low prices...

This amazing company Hippopota will take an everyday item that means a lot to you and photograph it so that you have a one of a kind sentimental piece of art! Crazy good idea for an unforgettable gift...

Dwell Studio is coming out with a super fab line of furnishings. I don't need anything in that area right now, but while browsing their site I got re-aquainted with their incredible accessories...the bar glasses are so cool and vintage looking!

Of course work is crazy and I am studying for my Masters exams and the LSAT, but I just can't stop looking at pretty things online. Thank goodness my job requires it!
Happy weekend...
E

itsy bitsy spider

2011-09-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Autoban, one of my fave design firms in the world, calls this chandelier the Octopus. But it looks like a spider coming down its silky web to me. I especially love the shiny brass one...
E

sliding doors

2011-09-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that movie with Gwyneth Paltrow - Sliding Doors - where one moment in your day can change your whole life without you knowing it? I guess that doesn't have anything to do with this post - but if I owned my own home I would make all of these doors and it would change my life! hahaha
How fun would it be to take a ceiling medallion and put it on the middle of a door and center a door knob and paint the whole thing glossy black? Delish.
Oh, and everything was gone when I got to Target yesterday. I am kinda glad because now I am not into any of it. Except the baby zig zag onesie - which I got and am sending to Maddie.
E

News around the interwebz...

2011-09-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on today I just don't know where to begin! Firstly, Lonny was the best it has been in months.... my fave space belonged to Christian Leone, of Gilt Group. I am a little biased, because my old buyer from Takashimaya works at Gilt now, but really, this was the best space in the mag....

Next, the Missoni Collection for Target is out today and so many people tried to buy online that it crashed the Target website! I have to run right after work to try to snag one of these throws....

I finally got my little glass light fixture up in my bedroom this weekend and also scored a lucite coffee table base for my cypress coffee table. Hopefully will be able to start photographing progress in the apartment soon!

Will have cypress top instead of glass

I also scored some amazing flat black boots for the winter at Marshall's this weekend for $50 bucks! Love a good bargain. Hope your weekend is starting out great, too! See you tomorrow!
E

I spy....pouf pairs

2011-09-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

politically incorrect

2011-09-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I love fur. I know it may anger some, and I am not in support of hurting animals, but I love it. I wish there were a way to do it that did not hurt them, but humans have been using and wearing animal pelts since the dawn of time. I love fake ones and I have several vintage ones. The damage has already been done, at least get some use out of it now instead of having it be in vain, thrown away.
Anyhoo, that is my rant on fur. I love this fall fashion inspiration shot and I will show you later how to take an old fur from the 80's and get several really modern pieces out of it...

And I have also always loved the look of a fur throw on a bed - as Delphine Krakoff has done in her bedroom. There are two or three other animal bodies in this bedroom as well - but it has always been one of my faves.

How do you feel about fur?
E

the spanish are coming!

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! So excited yesterday to read on Luella and June that Zara's website is finally shopable! I have been missing Zara ever since I moved back to New Orleans. I spent hours on there and could really have gone crazy but I held back and only got a few things. The thing about Zara is you really need to know what looks good on your body shape, as they like to do a lot of egg shaped skirts and 3/4" sleeves. These are my choices - will let you know how they fit and how easy the return system is. Get shopping!
E

Not sure about this "Angelina" dress

Classic sweater

Love color and back cut out!

Leather sleeve coat - so sexy

Palazzo pants look so comfy

Metallic shoppers perfect for lugging design crap

Goodbye Summer? Not so fast...

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the side effects of tropical storm Lee that just passed through is that yesterday was very cool. I know it will be super hot again here before long, but it was the first taste of fall and I loved it! I didn't get to go to the beach this year, but as long as I have my Christian Chaize photo in my living room, I feel like I have a gorgeous beach view all year round. Here are a few of my fave beach pics and photographers....never say goodbye to summer!
E

Massimo Vitali

Slim Aarons?

My fave pic of Grace Kelly

Michael McLaughlin through Robin Rice Gallery

My Christian Chaize photo keeps me warm in winter!

Do you dump something if it becomes trendy?

2011-09-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love these spaces - and a lot of them embody things that I have been doing and loving for a long time - fur, Moroccan rugs, mirrored furniture, exotic inlaid mirrors, vintage lighting, pictures hung on bookshelves. But lately I have been seeing too much of the same things. Do you dump something that you love because it becomes trendy? I know that it doesn't lose its beauty simply because more people love it, but as Interior Designers we pride ourselves on staying ahead of everyone else and get really depressed when everyone has the same things we do.... for example - I wanted a Beni Ourain Moroccan rug FOREVER and finally made it happen. Now, everyone from Anthropologie to West Elm has Beni Ourain rugs. I still love mine and it is still classic and beautiful, but you never want to look like you follow trends. What do you think? Dump or keep?
E

Happy 1st Birthday, Maddie!

2011-08-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet Madeleine is turning one! Inspired by her Sweet and Sour Nursery and the candy tables of Amy Atlas, her mom is throwing her a candy-colored birthday party in San Diego.

Inspiration candy table by Amy Atlas

Huge balloons are a must!

Almost everything you need for a fantastic event, candy tables included, can be found at Sweet Lulu. They have the sweetest plates and straws and napkins, and 36" balloons in solids and polka dots. You can use their cupcake kit to make your own fabulous cupcakes (I recommend the cookie-filled ones below), or you can have them delivered anywhere in the San Diego area from Cupcake Love. Etsy is filled with fabulous Happy Birthday banners, pennants, and other homemade decorations like pinwheels. I like these aqua and red ones from A to Zebra Celebrations. I think for a first birthday you should keep it short and sweet, so just serve small bites, like the ones I posted for game day from Kevin and Amanda. This link will take you straight to their chocolate chip cookie cups with baby blue icing! A cute touch would be to serve chocolate and strawberry milk with the cupcakes...

Holy moly there are a lot of links in this post! I suggest you get preggers right away so you can throw this party!
E

Choco-Cookie cupcakes from Chocolate and Toast

putting out fires

2011-08-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like all you did was put out fires created by other people? I return to work from two days off and it is like insanity erupted over here. Sometimes it seems like other people refuse to do their jobs correctly just to cause trouble for me. I am stressed and exhausted.

Oh, and there was a marsh fire this past weekend that has sent a haze of smoke over the entire city. People are advised not to go outside and it is difficult to breathe.
So, professional and literal fires today. Gross. Hope yours is getting off on a better foot...
E

this is a real time photo of New Orleans today - sucks ass

saturday spaces

2011-08-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the spaces I have been looking at this week...happy weekend, friends!
E

Either / or

2011-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

The amazeballs Erin over at Design Crisis posted her dining room with two different rugs. I know she searched on Ebay forever for the red Turkish darling and has just installed it recently, but I am kinda obsessed with the monochromatic beige one at the top. Which do you prefer?
E

Slumber party at Erika's

2011-08-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am guest posting over at Erika's blog today while she is out celebrating her Bday!! Since I just had mine last weekend I decided to name my post "Bday in Nola" with a few tips on what to wear, eat, drink and do if you get a chance to celebrate a bday in the Big Easy.
Come over and see me at Small Shop Studio!
E