Guest Posting...

Hello and happy Friday! I'm so happy the holiday weekend is almost here and am kicking things off early by taking the day off to visit my two best girlfriends. I'm taking along my precious little pumpkin Luke, who's almost 4 months old - time flies! For today's post you can find me as a guest over at the blog Simplifying Fabulous, by interior designer Robin Baron. Robin asked me to be a part of her weekly series Fab Fridays, where she interviews various people from the design industry. I'm honored to be a part of her growing list of exciting interviewees and would love for you to take a moment to visit her blog and check out my interview! You may learn a thing or two about me that you didn't know ;) Have a fantastic weekend! Any fun plans?

I love this dining space that I recently pinned! I'm such a sucker for anything cheveron and this wall is pretty darn amazing, right?! {Image via Apartment Therapy}

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A Bold & Beautiful Library

This is by far one of the boldest, color-filled libraries I've ever seen! It was designed by Lindsey Coral Harper Interiors for this year's Cathedral Antique Show's Inspiration House. Lindsey says her jumping-off point was the carpet. "I wanted to do a rich, jewel-toned room, glossy from floor to ceiling. I love the unexpected, and I wanted to take your typical library and turn it on its head. It’s okay to push the envelope and go a bit modern in a traditional space. A bold, rich color can work in a small room. Hopefully, it made people realize that it’s OK to think outside of the box." I agree with what she says and applaud her for taking such a daring leap for the show house. I can tell you right now, I'd never have the guts to paint an entire built-in of bookshelves this bold of a color, (which happens to be Mulberry by Benjamin Moore), but it totally works! And I love the eclectic wallpaper on the back of the built-in, in addition to the fabric choices, artwork and gorgeous chandelier. I'd be so happy to work in this library or curl up with a good book and cup of tea (or be fancy and sip a martini in the middle of the day :) What do you think of this space? To see the rest of the show house which was featured in Atlanta Homes Magazine, click here!

Meet Me in Texas? MAJOR Giveaway!

Ready for some exciting news? Join me in October at Design Camp in Austin, Texas for a two-day seminar hosted and instructed by Celebrity Interior Designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis. The best part? ONE lucky Belle Maison reader will have a chance to WIN a ticket to Design Camp, Austin...a $1,300 value! That means YOU may have an opportunity to attend for FREE. Here's the lowdown:

WHAT'S DESIGN CAMP? The course is tailored for design professionals and design aficionados,with special guests segments led by local and national industry experts in niche fields.  Each day runs from 9AM-6PM and is broken down into 8 segments per day. Drinks, Snacks, Lunch, and Cocktail parties included. By the end of Camp, attendees will have the confidence and ability to run successful modern-day design careers, execute magazine ready interior projects, take careers to an entirely new level, network and collaborate with local suppliers and colleagues. Click here to see the line-up of exciting speakers.

WHEN & WHERE? October 24th - 26th in Austin, Texas @ The Marchesa Hall & Theater. See the Full Agenda here!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER:

• Winner receives one entry ticket to Design Camp Austin, $1,299 value!
• Leave a comment or email me on why YOU should be chosen to attend Design Camp and what you would look forward to most! The winner will be hand selected by me, so please make your comment thoughtful and detailed (and make sure I have a way to contact you if you win).
• Mention the giveaway on Twitter (please include handle @TheDesignCamp and @ModernChicHome) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thedesigncamp).
• The winner will be chosen and announced next Thursday, September 6th. Good Luck!

PLEASE NOTE: The ticket DOES NOT include hotel and flight accommodations, so if you do enter, please make sure that you will definitely be able to travel to Austin. Recommended hotel for design campers is the newly renovated Austin Midtown Holiday Inn - click here for special rates.

*** THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED ***

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What's New! Crate & Barrel Fall Lookbook

Crate & Barrel sent me a copy of their 2012 Fall look book a few weeks back and I was excited to see  some pretty fabulous items showing up for the new season, which I'm sharing with you today! Although it's hard for me to bring myself to even talk about fall, (I'm still in total summer mode), there were quite a few items that caught my eye and made me a teensie bit happy about cooler weather, accompanied by cozy blankets, pretty candles and a color palette of deep jewel tones mixed with gold and gray. What are you looking forward to this fall? Where do you love to shop for new fall decor?

{What a lovely bar cart! Simple with a touch of glam. Libations Bar Cart}

{Art Glass}

{Art Glass}

{Love this sofa! What a fun color. Tailor Sofa in Peacock}

{On Trend: Shades of Charcoal and Yellow}

{Entertaining: The Elegant Home}

 Several amazing new items caught my eye, especially the bar cart 

and mirror!

Shop these items:

1. BLOSSOM II PRINT

2. TINO DECANTER

3. CASPAR PITCHER

4. OLEVERI PURPLE PILLOW

5. TUVALA BOWLS

6. LIBATIONS BAR CART

7. CLARENDON LARGE WALL MIRROR

8. GLINT PENDANT LAMP

9. MATEO MINK ALPACA THROW

10. CHLOE CHAIR IN RASPBERRY

[ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF CRATE & BARREL]

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Quote of the Week

”Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.” 

 -Mary Lou Cook, interior designer 

 

 {IMAGE CREDITS:DECOR8; JONATHAN ADLER; ELLE DECOR; HOUSE TO HOME}

Inspiration: My Latest Pins

Hello and happy Friday! I've been searching for new inspiration lately and Pinterest is one place I frequent for fresh ideas on fashion, home decor and food. Take a look at what's inspiring me lately and click here to see what other gems I've been pinning. What's inspiring you these days? Enjoy and have an amazing weekend! xoxo - Julie

 {ALL IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON MY PINTEREST PROFILE}

On My Radar: The Color Coral

Ever since I considered using the color coral as an accent in my living room, I've kind of been obsessing over it. I'm noticing it everywhere and love its versatility! Not quite orange, which can be a bit too bold, and not quite pink, which can sometimes be too feminine, coral is a fabulous accent color that can be dressed up or down. Pair it with charcoal gray for a sophisticated look or pair it with turquoise and yellow for a fun modern feel. I've gathered some fantastic spaces that show how beautiful this color can be when used the right way. Now I'm on the hunt for the perfect coral fabric to make accent pillows for my living room re-do. What do you think about this color?

  [IMAGE CREDITS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12]

Bedroom Blues

The latest issue of House Beautiful (September 2012), is centered around color, color, color! They surveyed thousands of designers, HB readers and bloggers across America on color preference, color trends, etc. and the favored paint color for the bedroom turned out to be BLUE. This comes as no surprise as blue is such a calm, serene and soothing color - perfect for the place you spend time relaxing and resting. For today's post, I've rounded up several bedrooms in various shades of blue - from powder blue to navy walls, you'll see why this color is a favorite across the board. What about your bedroom color? What do you have going on? Mine is a soft blue-green that I absolutely love, even after 5 years!

 {IMAGE CREDITS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |12}