Glam Lighting for the Fall Season

Fall has arrived and it's time to embrace the new season and cozy up your decor!  One easy yet impactful way to do this is with a new table lamp or two. Soft metallics, shimmery mercury glass and matte brass and gold continue to be popular finishes, which are great for adding a touch of glamour and sophistication to a space! Here's a round-up of table lamps that caught my eye (especially the teal & gold lamp - I need this!). What other ways are you introducing fall in to your home?

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  GO GLAM! GET THE LOOK

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Glass & Gold Cylinder Lamp // Moorish Pattern Ceramic Table Lamp // Zasio Mercury Glass Jug Lamp // Linque Table Lamp // Lubna Chowdhary Tiled Table Lamp // Monaco Table Lamp // Gold Rings Table Lamp

Adventures at Design Camp

I recently headed out to Austin Texas to attend Design Camp, hosted by celebrity interior designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis. These ladies did such a fabulous job, were super down-to-earth and kept us laughing and entertained the entire time! The 2-day event was jam packed with tons of design info, fun cocktail parties, networking and attendees from all over the country. I had such a great time and made a handful of new friends - everyone was so open and friendly! I loved Austin, but didn't get to see a whole lot of it since most of my time was spent at the conference. I did squeeze in a couple of fantastic dinners, but definitely need to go back to really see the city! Here are some highlights from my trip, including valuable tips and information that I plan on incorporating into my business and blog! Here we go...

Posing with my two new friends, hosts Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis

With Lori Dennis, fellow design blogger Ashley White of Decorology, and Kelli Ellis

Camp Highlight: Hearing guest speaker Susanna Salk talk about how to get published! Susanna shared some very valuable tips on getting your work out there: 

• Submit your project snapshots to major blogs - bloggers are always looking for fresh content to share with readers! And you never know who's watching.
• If you don't have very many projects to have photographed yet, style a photo shoot in your own home; you can always focus on styled vignettes with accessories / details if you don't have a whole room to photograph.
• Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and share what you've done - take advantage of social media platforms! There has never been a better and easier time to promote yourself as a designer. Editors and bloggers are always on the lookout for fresh faces and new projects to feature.

Camp Highlight: Hearing Ronda Carman, editor of the amazing blog All the Best. Ronda spoke about building your brand and writing a successful blog. Takeaway tips:

• What is a brand? It's collectively what people say, feel, think...about a product, service or company. It isn't what YOU say it is. It's what THEY say it is. 
• Be clear on who you are and what your point of view is - it's all about the whole package! 
• Be different than what's out there - you want to stand out and be original!
• Focus, focus, focus! Avoid being all over the place with your blog and /or business. Be disciplined and innovative on what it is that you're trying to accomplish.
• Collaborate with like-minded people to help build your brand and business - two heads are always better than one! Especially if you work for yourself and are often alone. 
• Stay connected with social media and be sure that you're actively participating in the conversation about your brand, other brands, etc.

 

I finally got to meet Keri Peterson of KP Spaces - she won the giveaway I hosted for Design Camp a few months back! We instantly clicked and I look forward to keeping in touch with this talented, sweet and fun lady! Check out her blog here.

A snapshot with the amazing new friends I made and hope to stay in touch with!

I couldn't come to Texas and not visit a boot store! This one was filled with the most beautiful boots in every color and style imaginable. I was so tempted to splurge on a pair but will have to save that for my next trip to Texas :)

There were many more highlights of my experience at Design Camp and I plan on sharing more in future blog posts. For more info and to see if there will be a camp hosted near you, click here. I'll be guest speaking about blogging when camp heads to Orange County, CA next year!

Quote of the Week

"Light can add a whole new dimension to interior design. Moving far beyond the purely practical, by using light imaginatively we can now create dynamic visual statements, enhance mood and atmosphere, alter color and emphasize texture."

- From Book: Lighting By Design

{IMAGE CREDITS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 }

Lighting Ideas for the Powder Bath

I spent some time yesterday searching for the perfect light fixture to go in a client's powder bathroom. Originally, I envisioned one 3 - 4 light decorative bar fixture to mount above the mirror (kind of like this)...that is until I started noticing [just about EVERYWHERE] that people are illuminating their powder bathrooms with a pair of matching wall sconces, mounted on either side of the bathroom mirror. Hello - where have I been?! After rounding up so many great examples for this post, I'm definitely all for wall sconces in lieu of the traditional bar light fixture, especially for the powder bath. Sconces are great for creating ambiance and can look so classy and chic. See my top wall sconce picks at the end of this post! What type of lighting do you prefer in a powder or guest bath?

MY TOP PICKS FOR WALL SCONCES: 1. MARGO CHROME WALL SCONCE; 2. BILL BLASS FRENCH LIBRARY SCONCE; 3. CRYSTAL LEAF 2-LIGHT SCONCE; 4. BARONNESS TWO-LIGHT SCONCE; 5. RAPHAELLA SCONCE; 6. REGATTA HIGH 1-LIGHT WALL SCONCE; 7. VENTANA WALL SCONCE; 8. VIENNA FULL SPECTRUM MANHATTAN SCONCE

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IMAGE CREDITS: DECORPAD; HOUZZ

Quote of the Week

"We want to feel lovely, whether we're brushing our teeth trying on an outfit, chatting with a friend on the sofa, or sitting at our dining table. Warm glowing lights, appropriate task lighting, and the ability to manipulate mood and functionality make the experience of a space uplifting or calming."

- Celerie Kemble, To Your Taste

IMAGE CREDITS: ELLE DECOR; HOUSE TO HOME; LONNY

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Hello and happy Monday. Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was a little bit of an adventure...I went to San Diego for the weekend with 5 of my girlfriends and yesterday, we participated in the San Diego Mud Run. It's a 5k race that takes you through obstacle courses, up steep hills, and through pits of mud, mud and more mud. We were absolutely filthy dirty and had the best time! I haven't laughed that hard in a while and it felt good to just let go and do something way outside my comfort zone :) Anyway, I wish you all a fabulous and productive week! (P.S.- are any of you attending West Week at the PDC? I think I'm going on Wednesday.)

Monster Lamps = Fabulous Accessories

Giant lamps can double as a light source and tabletop accessory. I say, the bigger, the better! I was perusing Tobi Fairley's portfolio and noticed how she uses an oversized, and often colorful, lamp in just about every space she designs. Her accessories are minimal, which keeps the overall look clean and polished. I know lamps can get expensive, but if you think of it as a two-for-one deal, where you'll save on having to buys lots of additional accessories, it may be an investment worth every penny! How do you feel about oversized lamps? Do you ever give lamps much thought? I'm especially loving the green ones below!!!

IMAGE CREDITS: 1,3(TOP RIGHT),4 TOBI FAIRLEY; 2,3&6 HOUSE TO HOME; 5 DECORPAD; 7&8 JULIE THIGPEN (TAKEN AT THE LAS VEGAS MARKET)

Crystorama Chandelier Giveaway Winner...

Last week I hosted a giveaway and the results are in! Nicole was selected via Random.org. Her comment was, "My 14 year old daughter is begging to redo her bedroom....this would be perfect for her!" Congratulations Nicole - I'm so excited for you and your daughter and hope this sweet little fixture will be perfect for her bedroom. A big thank you to everyone for participating in this giveaway - it was fun reading everyone's unique and creative ideas on where they would hang the chandelier :) And thank you to Crystorama for offering all belle maison readers a chance to win such a fabulous giveaway!

Chic Chandeliers & Another Giveaway

I know I've been hosting a lot of giveaways lately, something I normally do just a few times a year. I don't want my blog to become all about giveaways, but I've had some really great offers come my way and I figure since it's the holiday season, why not give my lovely readers a few extra chances to win something fabulous?! This brings me to today's exciting giveaway from Crystorama Lighting! They're offering one lucky winner a  beautiful chandelier from an exclusive collection created by jewelry designer Dorian Webb! Known for their unparalleled craftsmanship and design, Crystorama chandeliers are the perfect accent in any home - traditional and contemporary. This fall the top lighting trends range from clean and simple designs to natural and white colored chandeliers. For inspiration, I've included several different spaces accented with a sparkly chandelier. Whether it's a dining room, bathroom or closet, chandeliers add instant glamour and sophistication! Details on how to enter to win are below.

Size: 9"w x 13"h. Click here for more info on this sweet little fixture.

Antique White Chandelier from the Paris Flea Market Collection

Chandelier from the Bohemian Crystal Collection 

Ceiling mount light fixture via Crystorama

How to Enter: Just leave a comment on where you'd hang this lovely little fixture! Winner will be announced next Tuesday, November 23rd! A big thanks Crystorama Lighting :) P.S. I've just been informed by Crystorama that this is only open to US Residents...I'm sorry to all of my lovely international readers :(