Coral is the new bold. Check out what is new with the fabulous sister to pink….
There are lots of new designers using coral in their palettes… designers such as madelineweinrib.com, luludkmatouk.com, and osborneandlittle.com all have used this fun color to update their collections.
I can never resist the Bohemian look in fashion or home decor. Probably because at heart…that is who I truly long to be. Always on the go, no worry about time and mixing my own style with what ever and where ever I am. Life of the nomad. No rules. Free spirit.
That is why whenever I see a new layout in fashion, such as the one in the recent W Magazine, photographed by Bruce Weber, I was instantly drawn to the pages. The colors, mixing of different textiles and models who look like they just got out of a gypsy caravan…inspire me!
This month there is a festival that I have attended that takes place every year in the South of France in a town called St. Marie de La Mer. I had the time of my life there, one May many years ago, and by accident stumbled on the annual Gypsy Festival.
If you ever have time to visit, this is one of the most amazing gathering of gypsies in the world. I have often been fascinated with the lifestyle and history of the gypsies. Check out the book Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca, to learn more about gypsy culture and traditions.
Florals mix with deep reds, hot pink and black. Colors of the traveler. Music and Flamenco influence adds drama and dance to the sands of Southern Spain.
Deep red sets the tones of the bohemian palette. Suzanis, deep velvets, dark florals all from the deeper hues of the gypsy.
The softer side of bohemia takes a siesta. Softer shades of pink, turquoise all accented with black and deep maroons. Top hats mixed with music, odds plus ends all fuse together to make the muse of the moment. With no sense or urgency the bohemian lifestyle rides at its own pace. With a life on the road and a home built where ever you are, the gypsy lifestyle happens in the moment.
Exciting and exotic are the lives of nomads. When ever you can enjoy and escape to distant lands and find adventure, reinvent and explore your own desires and passions for new experiences and follow your dreams.
Check out Lulu Powers new book Lulu Powers Food to Flowers.
As a designer, I am always looking for new and exciting ways to throw a party! Secretly I want to be a party planner in my next career. Over the years I have enjoyed having intimate gatherings for holidays and dinners for 60 to celebrate the Harvest Moon.
After flipping thru LuLu’s new book, I discovered new ideas, suggestions and visuals. Great recipes too! She also gives great tips on how to set up a buffet table.
I hope you enjoy Lulu’s new book as much as I did. Happy Cooking and Creating!
I love to take one color and focus on its many possibilities. Simple blue is not enough when calling for the grande dame of color. As one of the favorites of designers, fashion and home, blue can be translated into many a splendid thing. Either dark and moody, soft and dreamy or regal and royal blue travels the color spectrum.
The soft side of blue can be romantic and dreamy. Pale blue silhouettes, vintage remembrances and resort like feeling all mix with the palest of blue hues…
The Bohemian side of blue, rich and royal. Mixed up patterns with bold accents set this table far apart from the usual blue day.
The theatrical side of Blue. Rich deep tones surround this crown either in home or fashion. Embellished and stately is the darker side of blue.
The many sides of blue.
Paint colors to explore. Blue is one of the most versatile colors in the spectrum.
Madeline Weinrib has amazing combinations in rug designs. Here her blue palette captures a volume of blue.
Take a cue from blue and translate your favorite color to fit your personal sense of style.
I have to say I love a good Ikat. I have been working on one for my new collection and simply love the pattern. Crazy but classic. Ikat is one of those patterns that you can dress down or up with amazing results. Rich in historical reference, it can be brilliant whether done in muted tones or brightened up. Check out the link below for more on the history of Ikat and how the process of making Ikat weavings is done. The process is indigenous to the people from which the Ikat comes, making it part of a cultural exchange of a work of art. Check out the book IKAT Patterns by Pepin Press & The Pepin Press and great Ikat related design on DesignSpongeonline.com
House Beautiful ran an article on Ikat’s last year and a great place for amazing Ikat fabric purchases in Bermingham & Co in New York City. The store is stocked full of amazing Ikat fabrics, furniture and accessories.
The Ikat has also been a fashion favorite for many designers such as my favorite Alexander McQueen, Josi Natori & others. Ikat has had many a turn on the catwalk with a wide array of interpretations.
Found also in home decor and accessories, the Ikat is the fun at any party.
The accent to any well dressed home, the Ikat is the signature of the Bohemian or Eclectic. Fun as an accent chair, wallpaper or one kind of rug.
Visit the new collection from Calico Corners…they have a great new line of Ikat prints and Suzani’s, the sister print to the Ikat. Lee Jofa also has a new line out that is worth exploring.
Life with the Ikat is never boring nor bland. It is rich in it’s complex story of how it has come to be. Introduce a good story with a collection of Ikat prints and patterns into your own home.
I have long been a fan of the “well traveled” look of the bohemian nomad. In fact, I dedicated a chapter to the bohemian style in my new book, The Well Dressed Home. This remarkable style delivers fabrics from far away lands, colors inspired by the desert and beads and heavy adornment from many exotic destinies. Such is the life of ”les bohemians;” the free spirits and wanderers of the world.
Bohemian style to me has always been the eclectic mixing from different cultures and places. I love that bohemian can be added to any room or wardrobe with just an accent. Like a drop-in-visitor whose life is on the road, bohemian style makes its home anywhere. Layer in deep teal blues and crimson reds or invite tassels and beads into your room and you have the bohemian look. The “boho” is ethnic and exotic, daring and bold; the well worn symbol of a life well traveled. Check out Gypset Style by Julia Chaplin here.
The bohemian runway of collections from Blumarine and Etro offer a bounty of inspiration for home décor.
The “hip” look of boho-lux can be found in room décor as well.
A well layered room can invite and entertain those who rest there. Let your walls tell their tales of a journey to another land. Welcome visitors to share your travels with a display of your treasures.
Every once in a while I have to visit the color pink. It seems to be for me the color that consistently catches my eye. I love its romance, its quiet calmness and its punch of fun when the volume is turned up. As you will see…pink is everywhere.
Always a fashion favorite, pink is the ever changing girl in the room. Like a chameleon, pink blends in where ever she goes.
Pink is for the Garden. Perfect in nature, pink offers bloom after bloom of creations.
When in a room, pink inspiration from your favorite embroidered shoes can remind you to add texture and pattern to simple details such as pillows on a daybed.
Interiors alive with pink…either center stage or as a favorite accessory.
There is much to be said about the “art” of arranging. Whether it is trying to figure out the best way to assemble art and photos on a room wall or simply create an arrangement of books in a bookcase. It is a talent that takes practice and lots of trial and error. To be able to arrange or style the perfect look in your home can be daunting. Over the years I have struggled in my own home to figure out what looks best. How to arrange books so that they have that random look of having lived forever on a shelf. Should they be stacked horizontally or vertically? Or the challenge of what to do with my collection of photographs, so that they look interesting when on a wall. How to best display photos down a staircase? What are the rules and how do designers make their rooms with books and photos look fabulous? I have assembled some of my favorite magazine tear outs that offer inspiration and hopefully some solutions to the task of crafting a great personal gallery wall or bookcase. Enjoy the view and try some of these ideas at home!
A Life with Books…
There is a book I love called Living with Books that is worth exploring. Here the mixture of books and treasures works well. Often a tip to creating a great book shelf is to pick a theme. Like mixing in a collection of artifacts or Chinese vases. Often simplifying and sticking with one motif can really define a great book case and add interest to the room.
Creating a charming ‘mad’ professor look. Mixing in paperbacks with hardcover can work well in the right space. Here the casualness of the room can support the large book cases filled to the brim with books acting like “wallpaper” in the room.
Color from the spine of books can add decor and boldness to a room. Here the balance of artwork hung on the shelves mixes well with books. The collection of mercury glass and silver demonstrates a theme that is subtle but makes a statement.
The messy studio look is one of my favorites. Like a constant work in progress, nothing is too precious. Everything is a tool to be used over and over again.
Artful Arranging…
I love this hallway. All the red frames make for a fabulous look! I would love to take in this visual gallery of photography while walking down this hallway.
In my own home, I often lean art work against the wall. Layering photos or art can be a great way to fit in a collection of pieces when there is not enough wall space for everything.
A fabulous statement of a staircase gallery. It is as if each photo were part of a great play. Some line up in a row, some are slightly off but all working together to create a great drama and scale.
There is much to be learned from the creative process of a child. All things special and important when lined up together. There can be no right or wrong in this case. Creating a collage look of well loved photos and art work can offer the perfect arrangement.
The comfort of order. Sometimes in a room the perfect order is the perfect solution. I love a ‘lined’ up look with matching frames for a graphic look in a room.
The solution to arranging a bookshelf or art on a wall is a personal statement and choice. There are no rules. For some, comfort can be found in a look that is more defined and even for others the random placement and every now and then additions, can create a comfortable lived in look that is soothing. Whatever your ‘look’ remember that it is the one place in your home where you can be creative and bold. Books add character to a room. How you let others discover your treasures depends on how you display them. Have fun and experiment with your home. There is nothing more entertaining than to step into someone’s home and be able to get a feeling of who lives there. It is not about the furniture that makes the room, what makes the room is the expression of you which if you let it can be found on the shelves and walls of your home.
Check out this months ELLE DECOR for more tips and inspirations for arranging or rearranging the art in your own home!
I have to say that whenever I am asked what my favorite color is… I always include Pink! To me pink is a great neutral, pale or hot.
The image of the bedroom below, was from a photo shoot from one of our favorite magazines Domino that sadly is no more.. check out photographer Paul Costello who shot a lot for Domino. I love his style and the way his images tell story… I even used a couple in my new book. Visit paulcostello.net to view his work.
