Thursday, June 30, 2011

High Gloss Glamour

Have you checked out the latest issue of High Gloss Magazine?! It's packed with gorgeous photos, interesting articles and fashion & home decor must-haves for summer. I was especially taken by the Beverly Hills living room that was featured, designed by Melissa Warner (pg.51). The color palette, furniture and fabrics she used are just stunning. The overall design is fresh, modern and glamorous. Coincidentally, the color scheme in this living room is pretty much the same scheme I used to design my room at the Good Shepherd Shelter! Deep fuchsia, gray, white and pops of yellow. I finished my room last Saturday, along with 9 other designers, and we had them professionally photographed on Sunday. I'm thrilled with how my room turned out and can't wait to share the photos with you! However, until they finalize which magazine(s) may be interested in publishing some of the re-designed rooms at the shelter, we've been barred from publishing photos of our rooms all over our blogs :( I might put together a small style board with hints of the finished room to give you a sneak peek...I'm dying to show you. I'll keep you posted. For now, be sure to see the rest of this living room and the full issue of High Gloss / July/August edition.



IMAGES 1 & 2 VIA HIGH GLOSS MAGAZINE

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Design Event: The Art of Entertaining

A couple of weeks ago South Coast Plaza hosted an event showcasing inspiring vignettes from nearly 20 home collections, including Hermes, Versace, Baccarat, NapaStyle, Emmo Home, Room & Board, Bloomingdales, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and Williams-Sonoma. Several stores showcased newly launched pieces, exclusives and ones that have not even hit the stores yet. The tablescapes created by each vendor were absolutely beautiful and filled with inspiring ideas! Later in the evening I attended a private al fresco dinner with fellow designers, editors, and representatives from several of the companies who showcased their new merchandise. The dining table was centered in a courtyard, surrounded by a canopy of draped fabric and twinkle lights...it was breath taking! The dinner was delicious and I had a wonderful time meeting all of the people who attended. I'm more inspired than ever to host an outdoor dinner party one day soon! What about you? Do you like to entertain outside in the summer?


The seating consisted of large chesterfield sofas mixed with gold chiavari chairs and slip-covered chairs. 

The table was tightly wrapped with burlap, which I thought was a fantastic idea! The neutral color & texture served as a nice backdrop for the colorful flowers, candles and accents that decorated the table.

We each took home a copy of new book, The Comfortable Home by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

Me with my best friend Gina

I couldn't get enough of the gorgeous tabletop! This is my dream outdoor summer dinner party. 


Favors for each guest were an over-sized terrycloth beach towel/ blanket courtesy of Henri Bendel.

Design vignette by Z Gallerie


A beautiful tablescape by Hermes

Crystal stemware and table setting by Lalique

White mugs filled with fresh herbs serve as a centerpiece in lieu of flowers. I love this idea!
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PHOTO CREDITS: TAKEN BY JULIE THIGPEN

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Quote of the Week

“You always want to mess with perfection. You decide to convey an idea, then do something to throw it a little off.”
— Mario Nievera




  




Friday, June 24, 2011

Fenton & Fenton

Lucy Fenton is one passionate woman with incredible taste and style! During a backpacking trip around Europe and India, Lucy was deeply inspired to open a store that would reflect her love of travel and passion for colorful accents, unique home furnishings and artifacts. After working and travelling alongside industry pros, she launched fenton & fenton, which is located in Australia. The store is gorgeous and looks comfortable enough to move right in to! And it goes without saying that a woman with such an incredible eye for color and design would have a home as equally fabulous as her shop! Take a look at both her store and apartment for inspiration and lots of eye candy! If I ever have a small storefront, this is what I'd love to model it after :) Have any of you ever had the privilege to visit fenton & fenton in person?
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Fenton & Fenton Store...
{click here to see more!}








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Lucy Fenton's Apartment...
{click here to see more!}




ALL IMAGES VIA FENTON&FENTON.COM

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With that, I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. My husband and I will be working around the clock tomorrow and Saturday to finish up my room design at the Good Shepherd Center. The photo shoot is scheduled for Sunday afternoon and I plan on incorporating several items from my shop to get the room camera ready! I can't wait to see how it all comes together...it's one thing to have the design vision in my head, and another to see it actually come to life. Looking forward to sharing the before & after pics with you all! xoxo - Julie

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Accessorizing with Summer Blooms

It's "officially" summer and to me, that means spending lots of time outdoors in the warm sunshine, along with filling my apartment with vases of fresh flowers. I believe having a vessel of your favorite blooms on your dresser or kitchen table can add a touch of joy to your everyday life. As you'll see in these photos, you can use just about anything to display flowers - mason jars, teacups, pitchers, etc. A fun challenge for you this week: pick up fresh flowers from a farmers market or flower stand, or even your own garden (if you're so lucky to have one!), and arrange them in your favorite vessel. Maybe it's a teapot or vintage tea tin...whatever you choose, be creative. And feel free to send me a photo so I can share it in a future post on Belle Maison! Have a fabulous day :)














IMAGE CREDITS: BHG.COM; 3. FLICKR; 5. FLICKR; 6. FLICKR; 7. FLICKR; 8. FLICKR; 9. FLICKR; 10. FLICKR; 11. FLICKR; 12. FLICKR; 13 + 14. BHG.COM