Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Mirrors can really add impact to a space by adding light, depth and reflection. If you choose a mirror that's bold, unique, and colorful, you can really make a statement. Hang a mirror above your fireplace, over a console, in the powder bath above a pedestal sink, the dining room, your closet, entryway, in a grouping of 3 down the hall...the possibilities are endless! Here are some of my favorites...

Armela mirror via Uttermost; Recycled Tin Mirror from CB2
Top left, clockwise: Agra Mirror from Gump's San Francisco; Gilded Open Work Mirror via Arteriors Home; Sitara mirror from Uttermost.

Randolph Mirror in Matte White & Jet Black - Shine Home


Top left, clockwise: Laminated Capiz Mirror via west elm; Randall from Uttermost; Grier Small Mirror - Crate & Barrel; Convex Mirror Panel from Pottery Barn.

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Today's featured charity is Quilts for Kids. Their Mission: "To transform unwanted and discontinued fabric into quilts that comfort children in need." Quilts for Kids, Inc. transforms discontinued designer fabrics into quilts that comfort children with cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses as well as battered & abused children. Among the different ways you can help, one way is by sending any fabric that you're no longer using, don't need, don't want....get that extra fabric out of your craft room / design studio / stock room...and get it to this organization so they can keep on making beautiful quilts for children in need! And not only are you helping a child, you are also helping save millions of pounds of fabric from landfills. What a great cause and a simple way to give back to a child who is struggling in their young life. Click here for more information.

FABRIC VIA VOLKSFADEN & PHOTO "AWAY WE GO" VIA ALLPOSTERS.COM

Quote of the Week

"It is usually a mistake to impose an individual's taste on a room that has its own style. Conversely, to put very fine pieces of furniture in a room that is without architectural distinction is as absurd as

wearing a tiara with a bathing suit."
- Nancy Lancaster

PHOTO FROM HERE /QUOTE FROM HERE

Happy Friday

I loved everyone's take on the most important room in the home! For me, the most important room is the Family Room. It's where my husband and I relax together and catch up, where we entertain and guests can make themselves comfortable, and it's the place we spend the most of our time. Here's how all of your answers panned out...

The # 1 favorite space, hands down, was the kitchen / dining area. The kitchen is a significant place to many of you simply because it's a place to gather together with loved ones, prepare and eat wonderful food and enjoy good conversation. As Callie describes it, it's where "your heart & soul is fed with love, laughter and food." The kitchen is always the place people congregate during a party, no matter how small or crowded it is!

The bedroom is also very important to many of you. As Eve puts it, "it's my place to rest, for refuge, to dream." And Lindsey said, " I surround myself with cherished items that bring me joy. It needs to be both soothing at the end of a long day, as well as invigorating when you wake up. That is a very difficult balance to achieve. It is my sanctuary, my haven, my own private island."

The living room was another place many of you love to gather with family and friends, talk, relax and play bored games. "It's the room where I clock in many hours watching Lost and Sex in the City re-runs, read, welcome and entertain friends...it is also the first impression visitors get of your home." (Quote via the sale rack).

The bathroom is a special place to Georgia, because, "it can be a spa or retreat, and the possibilities for design are endless..." That's for sure! There are so many incredible things you can do to transform a bathroom...by adding a fancy tub, crystal chandelier, lovely wall paper, glass mosaic tiles - the sky's the limit.

The home office is one incredibly important space, especially for those of us who work from home. Jennifer Ramos described her home office as a place "where I can create and connect with the outside world via my laptop! The decor in my office brightens my day and inspires me."

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I'll be expanding on each of these very important rooms in future posts. Meet you all back here next week :) Au revoir!

PHOTO CREDITS: BETTER HOMES & GARDENS, POINTCLICKHOME, DOMINO

This Week...

MAN AND WOMAN WORKING TOGETHER WITH PEGASUS COMPUTER VIA ALLPOSTERS.COM

Sunday, my husband and I went on a quick shopping trip to Costco to pick up a few needed items...food, water, diet coke...and we left with a new computer. So much for spending under $100!!! Anyway, the computer is a replacement for the ancient laptop I've been using, which is about to bite the dust at any moment. While we get the new computer up and running, I may take a day or two off of posting during the transferring of everything.


But I'll be back later this week to share about all of your awesome comments from the recent question I posted: "which room is the most important in a home and why?" It was very inspiring and interesting to read everyone's answers and reasons :) If you didn't get a chance to answer the question, please feel free to do so now - I always welcome everyone's input! Have a great week and I'll meet you back here in a couple of days.

Fireplaces & Fall

Today is officially the first day of Fall. Although I love summer more than any other season, I am beginning to get excited for the crisp fall weather, sweaters and getting cozy with a good book and hot cup of coffee, preferably by a fireplace. Now, not everyone has a fireplace and the people that do, don't always use theirs. I found some examples of other ways to make the most of what you have (or don't have)...

Don't have a fireplace? No problem. Each of these were created by simply building a mantle and surround to give the illusion of a real fireplace. Paint the inside your favorite color or spice it up with bold wallpaper.

Look closely and you'll see, that's not a burning fire inside the fireplace - it's a TV! In a small space, this could be a great solution.

I adore the framed art collage surrounding the mantle. The vertical mirror adds height and a bit of drama to the whole effect.

What a fun an interesting shape. Love the mixture of different textures.

Other uses for your fireplace (maybe if it's non-working) - us as storage, as shown here with a large trunk; or as a display for vases filled with white stones, candles, etc.

PHOTO CREDITS: DOMINO MAGAZINE

Quote of the Week

"Birds are so much wiser than we! A robin builds a nest for robins. A seagull builds a nest for seagulls. They don't copy each other - or build themselves nests as described in The Birds' Decorating Magazine."
- Dorothy Draper, In the Pink

QUOTE FROM HERE / PHOTO FROM HERE

And the Winner is...

I apologize for not announcing the winner last night of the belle maison give-away - blogger was acting up and I couldn't post anything. Anyway, the winner of the Domino Book of Decorating is lucky #12, Georgia B. from the blog Jorah-B! Congrats Gerogia!!! And I want to thank all of you who participated in the give-away and for your wonderful comments and insight. I'll be using all of your answers for inspiration on future posts! This was so much fun...stay tuned for more exciting give-aways!

Fashion Friday

Hot off the runway from NY Fashion Week - fabulous new looks for Spring 2009.

My wallet is not allowing me to purchase (much needed) new clothing right now and it's practically killing me. I haven't been to South Coast Plaza (the most amazing mall) in about 6 months...oh the pain! So, to fill that void without spending a dime, I've spent the last hour (or two) drooling over the fab new Spring collections from NY Fashion Week. Tomorrow, I'm going to spend the afternoon searching for that "money tree"- it's gotta be out there somewhere!

P.S. - Don't forget to enter the belle maison give-away if you haven't already! The winner will be announced tonight. Have a wonderful weekend! Meet you back here on next week :)

PHOTO CREDITS: MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Vintage Inspired

I've been a little obsessed lately with vintage inspired accessories, fabrics and patterns...here are just a few of my favorite finds for the home. What vintage resources do you love?
clockwise from top left: Toboggan Shakers; Needlework Pillow; Wise Ol' Cookie Jar; Sunny Woods Rug...all from Anthropologie (one of my favorite stores!).

Via Moda Home, the Apron Cherry and Summer In The City Tablecloth.

Vintage Botanica Dinnerware from Amy Butler. I love this collection! The patterns are so fresh and simple.

Inspiring Interiors

I just received the October issue of Elle Decor and had to share with you the home of fashion designer, Cynthia Rowley. This 1845 Greek Revival townhome is located in Manhattan, near 7th Avenue in West Village. As her husband puts it, "the interiors are totally reflective of the woman behind them -- traditional yet modern, utilitarian yet artistic, solid yet whimsical."

PHOTO CREDITS: ELLE DECOR / POINT CLICK HOME

My Dream Bed...

I spotted this bed over at the fabulous blog Avant Garde and just about died! It's available through The Conran Shop Online for only...um...well....for a measly $19,000. Hmmm, let's think about that - buy a super cool new bed OR put a down payment on a new house? I'll have to think about that one and get back to you...(okay - I'm not that crazy, nor do I have $20,000 just lying around!).

***belle maison give-away***

For today's "giving back" Tuesdays post, I wanted to give something away to one lucky visitor/reader of my blog. I recently did a post about upcoming design books that have not yet been released and received a ton of comments about the new Domino Book of Decorating. Everyone is so excited about this book (myself included), that I decided to give someone a chance to win it! All you have to do is leave me a comment answering one question: what do you feel is the most important room in a home and why?

Thank you for participating! I really value your input and comments. Good luck to all :)

The winner will be announced Friday Night (September 19th).

Seabrook Wallpaper

Seabrook has some fantastic wall paper choices that are pretty reasonably priced (a fraction of what my favorite papers from Osborne & Little cost). These are just a few of the many beautiful patterns and colorways available. On a side note, the Seabrook website needs some serious updating in the aesthetics dept. so don't be misled when visiting...you just have to take a little time to weed through the dated and boring papers until you find the good ones. The patterns featured here are from the following collections: Jazz, Vivace and Casa.

P.S. - Be sure to visit again tomorrow to participate in an exciting belle maison give-away! You won't want to miss it!

Quote of the Week

"A vase of flowers or greens will bring even a dull hotel room to life in the most delightful way. The small amount

of trouble or expense involved is honestly repaid in real

decorative effect. If you find cut flowers too

extravagant, stick to the greens."

- Dorothy Draper

PHOTO FROM HERE / QUOTE FROM HERE

A New Venture

I mentioned last week that I'd share with you a new little business venture I had going on with a good friend of mine...well, we've been working very hard on launching a line of refurbished vintage furniture and accessories and we're calling our business Vintage Glamour. We've been scouring thrift stores and garage sales (and I've even raided my parents house) for any old furniture that would be worthy of new paint, fabric, etc. to completely transform the look from old and blah to new and fabulous. This collage is just a sample of some items we've purchased and are working on transforming. We've set up shop in my friend's garage and have been getting our hands dirty - taking chairs apart, sanding, priming, painting - even upholstering seats! It's been a fantastic experience so far and I can't wait to show you the first round of finished goods. We'll be selling on ETSY in the very near future - stay tuned for details.

All That Glitters...

Michael McHale Designs is a new company out of NY that creates stunning chandeliers by combining unexpected materials, such as distressed brass pipes and fittings, mixed with Swarovski's finest grade crystals. They also try to use reclaimed pipes from various building sites and illuminate the fixtures with low wattage refrigerator bulbs. What's even more impressive is that Michael McHale was formerly an entertainment lawyer before launching his company and has no artistic background.

A Day to Reflect...

I can't believe it has been 7 years since 9-11...the tragic events of that day feel as if they just happened yesterday. I want to dedicate this post to the all of the innocent people who lost their lives, and to their families, friends and loved ones. I also want to honor all of the heroes who lost their lives trying to save others. May God bless everyone who has suffered from this great tragedy and provide them with comfort and strength to get through this day.
PHOTO CREDITS: ALLPOSTERS.COM

Galbraith & Paul Textiles

Galbraith & Paul is a lighting and textile company that originally began as a hand papermaking studio, specializing in lamps with hand made paper shades. They've evolved into a fabric design and printing studio, concentrating on lighting with hand block printed shades and fabrics of silk, linen, and velvet. Their fabrics patterns are fresh, unique and beautiful.

PHOTO CREDITS: GALBRAITH & PAUL