Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Baby's First Halloween

Happy Halloween! Today is Luke's first, which is so exciting for me and my husband. We're heading over to the pumpkin patch to take some pictures of him this afternoon and then on to a block party at my Aunt's house where Luke will be dressed as a tiny Pirate :) How cute is his costume?! I found it at Babie's R Us, but I really need to learn how to use my sewing machine so I can whip up his costumes in the coming years, just like my mom would do for me and my siblings. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the day and have something fun planned! Are you dressing up? What will you and/or your kids be? And if you're one of the millions affected by the devastating hurricane, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Be safe!

[Pirate Luke at 6 months old]

[Me and Luke - I just had to buy him overalls for our night at the pumpkin patch!]

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Trend Spotting: Faux Fur

The 2012 fall runways were filled with fabulous faux fur pieces, a must-have for this year's fall and winter seasons. Whether it be a fuzzy vest, beautiful coat or fur lined boots, a touch of faux fur in your wardrobe is essential! And as fashion and interior design often go hand-in-hand, the faux fur trend has carried over into home decor in the form of fluffy accent pillows and soft throws. I do love seeing a large plush throw casually draped on the back of a sofa or over the arm of a large comfy chair. If you're looking to cozy up your decor for the cooler months, why not start here? Just remember, a little goes a long way and be sure to stay away from "cheap" looking faux fur (think luxurious, not tacky!). I've gathered some great inspiration photos on how to pull this look off in your own home, along with resources on where you can purchase some fabulous pieces online. What do you think about this trend in fashion and /or home decor?

{Faux Fur Throw via HomeDecorators.com]

{A luxurious throw on the bed via Decor Pad | Hannah Blackmore Photography}
{An over-sized throw on the sofa makes you want to curl up with a good book | Image via Elle Decor}

{A glamourous bedroom with fluffy faux fur pillows | Image via Lonny Magazine - Ryan Korban}
{Fashion statement - Faux Fur Jacket found here}

{Faux Fur Throw - Ombre via West Elm}

{Get the Look}
1. Faux Fur Accent Pillows via Horchow
2. Faux Fur Throw in Gray via Pottery Barn
3. Faux Fur Pillow via Target
4. Faux Fur Throw in Ivory via Pottery Barn
5. Luxe Faux Fur Throws via Restoration Hardware

Monday, October 29, 2012

Quote of the Week

"Sometimes more is more...a stripe on the walls, a marble graphic-patterned floor, and a moderne art-deco inspired antique silver-leaf closet...all these graphic forms come together to tell one beautiful story." 






 [IMAGE SOURCES: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]

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Welcome back to another week! Did you have a nice weekend? I returned home on Saturday from Design Camp in Austin, Texas, which was a lot of fun. I'll be sharing more about my trip and the conference later this week! Enjoy your Monday :)

Friday, October 26, 2012

Book Review: Rhapsody by Kelly Wearstler

Happy Friday! I recently received a copy of Kelly Wearstler's brand new book, Rhapsody, and absolutely LOVE it! Her style has definitely evolved and changed over the years and I appreciate her incredibly creative eye for design and creating stunning and memorable interiors! This book is packed with breathtaking photos along with wonderful tips and notes by Kelly on her design process. Here's a snippet from the press release that best describes Rhapsody:  "Celebrated for luxurious interiors that are reminiscent of old-world Hollywood with a modern sensibility, Kelly Wearstler is known for her decadent residential designs and boutique hotels, including the Viceroys, Maison 140 and Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills. Wearstler’s ornate interiors are renowned for their layers of bold textures, patterns, and rich colors juxtaposed with lustrous surfaces, completing the whimsical and elegant look sought after. KELLY WEARSTLER: RHAPSODY, the designer’s fourth book, offers a look into Wearstler's glamorous world, profiling in detail her latest residential designs, including sumptuous new hotels along with her creative process."

Pick up your copy through Amazon! I'm still in Texas for Design Camp and look forward to getting back and sharing my trip with you! Have an amazing weekend :) xoxo - Julie









KELLY WEARSTLER: RHAPSODY 
PUBLISHED BY RIZZOLI USA
[ALL IMAGES COURTESEY OF RIZZOLI]

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Designing My Dream Car: The Buick Encore (Pinboard to Dashboard Program)

Last week I was invited, along with 6 other bloggers, to the Buick Design Center in Detroit, Michigan to get a special preview of the brand new Buick Encore, which will be coming out early 2013! It was an absolute blast and I'm so excited to be sharing my experience and design concept with you today. As part of the Buick Encore "Pinboard to Dashboard" blogger program, we've been asked to design our very own dream Encore by creating a Pinboard on Pinterest that reflects our design vision, where we'd take the car, what music we'd listen and more. Getting to see the Encore in person was awesome - it's such a fabulous, stylish, luxury crossover SUV. Described on Buick's website as, "The luxury crossover with premium materials, ingenious design, flexible storage and purposeful technology. It’s like we knew exactly what you were missing in a crossover, and created the versatile Encore for you."

Our Pinbaords went live on Monday and for today's post, I've created two concept boards (using my pins from my Pinboard) to illustrate my dream Buick Encore! When you're finished reading this post, please visit my Pinterest Pinboard (labeled Pinboard to Dashboard / #PinMyEncore) and be sure to follow or like my board and re-pin any images that inspire you. There are a total of 10 bloggers participating in this program and 5 of us will move on to the next round, depending on how popular our Pinboards are...so help a sister out if you like what you see :) !

 My Design Concept for my Dream Buick Encore...

Concept: Living in Southern California and growing up near the beach, I was inspired to create a cool color scheme with shades of blue, turquoise, gray and soft white. I'd incorporate a limed oak wood finish on the interior accented with mixed metal trim in matte gold and brushed nickel. See more on Pinterest!

Lifestyle: I'd take the Enclave just about everywhere! To the beach, farmer's market, weekend getaways to Vegas, on picnics, to Palm Springs...it's small enough to drive on a daily basis but has enough space to hold groceries, shopping bags, a couple of suitcases and more. See more on Pinterest!

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Some highlights from my trip...

The first night we arrived we the Buick team took us all out to an amazing dinner at Cliff Bells, the oldest jazz bar in Detroit, built in the 1930's. If you ever get the chance, you have to go!

Design Day at the Buick Design Center

A tour through the Buick Design Center - a place that many people don't get the chance to visit because it's very top secret! This is where the cars of the future are being created and designed! The color and trim department (above) is where the design team works to create the interior and exterior color schemes for all of the cars. I was so inspired to see their creative process!

Checking out the new Encore (and getting windblown!)

Me with my 6 new blogger buddies! It was a fantastic day and definitely a trip to remember :) Thank you to the Buick team for inviting me to be a part of such a special event and program! 
Follow Buick on Facebook and Twitter!

*Though this post is sponsored by Buick Encore, the opinions shared in this post are 100% my own.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Art Wall Inspiration

I love a well designed art wall. There are so many ways to display favorite prints, paintings and photographs. Here are just a few great examples of how to successfully pull off your own art wall! Have you tried something like this in your own home? 

Today is my birthday (I'm 32!) and I'm off to get a mani/pedi and do a little shopping :) I also have some packing to do for Texas. I leave tomorrow morning for Austin to attend 3 fun filled days at Design Camp, hosted by celebrity designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis. I'll also get to meet the winner of the Design Camp giveaway I hosted a couple months ago here on belle maison! I'll be taking lots of notes and pictures to share with you next week. I'm looking forward to getting re-inspired as a designer and blogger!









[IMAGE SOURCES VIA MY PINTEREST PINBOARD: WALL DECOR IDEAS]

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Quote of the Week


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Welcome back to a brand new week - hope you had a great weekend! We finally had some cooler weather here in Southern CA, which was a NICE relief from the ridiculous heat we've been suffering through the last several months. It's finally beginning to feel like Fall! Last week I flew to Detroit, Michigan for a special blogger event at the Buick Headquarters - I was invited along with 9 other bloggers to participate in the exciting launch of the Buick Encore, a brand new car coming out early 2013. We were asked to create a Pinboard via Pinterest that illustrates how we would design the car to fit our personal style and all 10 Pinboards go live today! Please take a look at what I came up with and let me know what you think :) To view all of te Pinboards, enter hashtag #PinMyEncore on Pinterest. I'll be doing a blog post more in detail on Wednesday of my design concept and vision, so be sure to visit later this week! xoxo

Friday, October 19, 2012

Book Review - Segreto:Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors

I have an obsession with beautiful design books, as many of you do, and recently added a new one to my ever growing collection. I received a complimentary copy of Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors and have really enjoyed flipping through all 300 pages of inspiring spaces. Segreto Finishes is a premier decorative painting and plastering company in Houston, TX. Leslie Sinclair, the owner, self- published this book, which is filled with stunning interiors, focusing on why different finishes were chosen for different architectural and design styles.

Each chapter walks you through stunning homes that have plastered walls, stenciled ceilings, custom finished cabinetry and so much more! Although my style is usually more transitional and modern, the traditional interiors of this book are absolutely amazing and I'm left feeling inspired. It's a great reminder that there's so much more you can do with a wall than simply paint it! And custom finishes really do add that special touch to a surface. Below are some images from the book to give you an idea of what to expect. You can see more of the book and read personal notes from Leslie Sinclair on her blog  by clicking here.

Would you like to WIN a  copy of this gorgeous book? If so, please leave a comment at the end of this post! The winner will be announced next week. To purchase “Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors” from the website click here or to purchase through Amazon click here. Happy Friday and have a great weekend! xoxo - Julie










[IMAGES COURTESY OF SEGRETO FINISHES; IMAGES #4 AND #8 WERE TAKEN BY MY CAMERA OF THE BOOK ITSELF]

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