INSPIRATION TO INTERIOR: REFINED READING ROOM.

I'm perpetually inspired by the beauty I happen upon on a daily basis--sometimes in the most unexpected corners of my daily agenda. Case in point: my yesterday's lunch: a chicken salad sandwich, accompanied by a slice of rhubarb tart, had while perched upon a 50s chrome bar stool at the most adorable drugstore / diner, atop a crackled, black bartop, totally reminiscent of aged-leather. Thanks to the brilliance of instagram, I was stunned (and inspired) by my midday meal...to the point that I began conjuring an interior design scheme with the entrancing colors and textures I devoured for lunch.

Gorgeous, no?

 A WARM / ECLECTIC / REFINED READING DEN. 

 Gray horsehair wallpaper anchors the bottom portion of the walls and couples perfectly with a small, vintage wallpaper print that emulates warmth on the top half of the walls.

The black chesterfield sofa is reminiscent of the bartop in the inspiration photo. 

It's a classic piece that willage with grace and maintain its value amongst the design world. 

I love the masculinity it provides the space!

A plush, vintage moroccan rug instantly cozies the space and juxtaposes the hard

materials and angles throughout, balancing the rich, dark hues in the room.

Classic geometric prints lend a vibrant, unexpected pop of color to the room. I'd adorn the windows

with double-width, pinch-pleat drapes made from the sage green and brown honeycomb print, and 

lighten up the chesterfield with raspberry La Fiorentina throw pillows. 

Plushy upholstered x-benches offset the hard angles in the brass, rectangle-base coffee table, and provide extra seating and/or leg propping. Also a good surface for an open, resting book!

A tall, mid-century table lamp composed of rich greens and blues perches atop a West Elm, grey wood side table. Both are a refreshing juxtaposition to the space, as their cylindrical shapes add softness and depth. And I can't get enough of the stark black, tripod floor lamp! Uber-chic. And I love how it popsoff the backdrop without warranting too much attention.

So...the moral of the story is...

INSPIRATION REALLY IS EVERYWHERE. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

PORTFOLIO ENVY: RYAN KORBAN.

Perhaps the only thing more enviable than donning Alexander Wang's rock n' roll-fueled label? Designing the fashion icon's equally-cool apartment. Enter Ryan Korban: the 25-year-old interior prodigy who satiated Wang's place with his rock-infused (yet equally serene and tasteful) eye for decorum. And the buck doesn't stop there for Korban, either. You'd think it would, because where else could you possibly go but down after landing Wang? But that's where Korban proves us wrong. This guy has what it takes. And...zero wrinkles or gray hair to prove it. (25?!?!)

Yep, he rocks.
Quite literally.

I love his simple, relatively clean and neutral aesthetic. His designs are rooted in tradition, yet punched up with the emphatic use of dark, glossy hues, impossible-to-ignore texture, luxe fabric, metallic detailing, the perfect proportion of eye-catching color (like, that orange and mint green), and shapely furniture silhouettes.

That, my friends, is how it's done.

BIZ GOODS.

Ahh...I've left you hanging today. That's what happens when you work alone, I guess: too much to do, too little time to do it...with too few people. And that, my friends, is not a complaint...because I love it.

Speaking of work, guess what finally arrived?! Finally, the confusing printing haze is over, and  I can call myself official:


 I have biz stationery : 

See the texture on the black (front) side of the biz cards? 

It's supposed to be snakeskin.

It's not, really. And I was bummed. But I hear it still looks pretty cool.

My favorite part?

You guessed it:

the peacock green painted border.

 HAPPY THURSDAY,  FOLKS. 

BE YO-SELF.

 I LOVE THIS : 

 Profund...is it not?
 I printed it out. I hung it up.
 It's a powerful reminder to live out everyday in my own skin, 
 proud of all the things I am, and all the things I love. 

So, in honor of Mr. Wilde (I sort of wish that were my last name...just sayin') and those fine words of wisdom, I surrounded those eloquent consonants and vowels with my most-recent obsessions.

And, because I am insanely busy today...that's all I have time for. 

XO!

WEEKEND RECAP:

I love this city we live in. It's full of the very best things (well, to me...at least): friendly people; quaint coffee bars (where long-haired hipsters and tortoise-shell glassed, seersucker-suited men convene over slow-roasted beans; epicurean food, uber-pretty buildings/sidewalks/streets/gardens/piazzas/people, the rivers and the sea, incredible antiques/architecture/art; and sunshine.

Maple and I made it a point, this weekend, to enjoy all of the above:

Pretty downtown Charleston: Lower King Street. 

The antique district.
Therefore, my favorite.

You had me at "antiques."

And the orange and gray staircase.

The staircase to heaven did not disappoint!

Rug. Antelope. Haint blue ceilings.

I need you three...

Coffee date at City Lights.

Love the name.

Love the coffee.

Love the ham and cheese croissants.

And their chocolate brownie chess pie.

...Did you know I love food?...

Mostly too much.

The best gems are hidden.

In this case, my favorite antique store.

Unpretentious. Bold. Eclectic. Somewhat modern.
And just look at that view...

Art deco doors.

Art deco transom.

Both mirrored.

Both impossibly cool.

(It's also quite sad how much this photo excites me...

design is definitely my calling, no?)

My weekend uniform: 

messy hair (not at all intentional...merely a sad fact of life), 

hot pink lips, my beloved gray hoodie, and leather.

Pretty brass baubles.

Black...and pink.

Another revered Charleston shop of mine.

Same store. Stellar candlesticks. 

Definitely digging the black beeswax, electric blue, 

marbleized pyramid, burled wood credenza, 

extra-large bust, and round stone lamp. 

Need I go on?

There are no words...

except...

perhaps...

I need you. Or, you complete me? My office?

Yes, my office needs you.

Charleston's streets are infinitely captivating, 

but so is our home.

And...errr....our incessant yard work.

But...our azaleas are stunning.

And see that Maple? He just planted two hydrangea shrubs for me.

Don't look too closely. Our facade still needs a lotta love.

And speaking of love, say hello to my newest ebay purchase.

She makes our front door quite pretty.

All in all, it was a superbly-had weekend.

Hope yours was just what you needed it to be...and more.

HAPPY MONDAY.  

THE FRIDAY FAWN LIST.

This Friday I'm: 

This fabric.

This vintage, brass fretwork chair.

This rug. 

Leopard done well.

The back of this dress.

This dramatic black sea.

As oversized art.

This 3-dimensional tile.

I would cover an entire wall.

And add a black velvet bench.

This organized and inspired nook.

This marbled paper.

Decoupaged to this $10 side table:

These heels.

This sofa.

This simple, but dynamic bedroom.

These colors.

And splattered paint.

Happy Friday.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

xo.

CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

A little wake-up call for your morning :)





Pretty amazing, no?

GOLD.

Pinching myself this morning...hard. I'm busy. New interior clients are filtering in, and I'm privileged enough to be spending my morning (and most of my day, really) working on a design board for a client's fabulous apartment, which just so happens to propose the work-in of warm, understated, elegant pops of gold. And now I have gold on the brain:

[ images sourced here ]

So...of course...I thought you should, too.

Want a peek at the documentation of my perpetual inspiration?

Check out  my tumblr:

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

Get over that hump, friends.

02.14

 Hope it's filled with lots of red, perhaps some pink...chocolate...arrows...cupid? 
...if you like that sort of thing, of course.

Mine will be perfectly accompanied by coffee, design, and peanut m&ms (for breakfast)...because I am so not a Vday girl.
But I guess I wouldn't mind owning that little number above...

XO.