WEAR IT // LIVE IT.

Design inspiration is absolutely everywhere, and the transition from coveted wardrobe pieces to a put-together interior can really be quite seamless. See?

All it takes is a hint of imagination, the daring attitude to do (and live with) something a bit bold...and perhaps a well-trained eye to bring it all together in an effective, cohesive, understated way.

HAPPY MONDAY.

DWD: AERIN LAUDER'S ASPEN HOME.

Girlfriend's got it made in the shade, quite literally, in the ubiquitous terrain of Aspen's mountain-peaked skicountry.  Yes, good style is quite easy to come by when you're the heiress to the Estee Lauder throne (which started in a measly garage, I might add), but I'm so taken with the deliberate simplicity of the design (as any view-oriented interior should boast), that I kind of want to believe she's pretty cool...and down to earth? Anyway, Daniel Romualdez nailed the design: simple, refined rustic with a dose of casual, kid-friendly luxury (as I would call it).

...Perhaps I could be her nanny?
...Pretty please? I'll even cook for you. For free.

DOMINO:

  it's back. 

 well, partly. 
 BUT NOTHING...  NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING... 
 CAN EXPLAIN MY EXCITEMENT. 


Read about it here:


And huge thank-you to Design Blossom, as that's where I first spotted the life-altering news. (Yes, I've spent what...like three years?...in mourning. No more, friends...no more.)

CLOSET TO WALL.

...REMINDS ME OF MY LOVE FOR...

 THE VIVIENNE WESTWOOD COLLECTION.

VIA COLE & SON.

And just how kick-ass is Serena Rees' London apartment?

MY WEEKEND WAS:

 filled with: 

 breezy, open windows 

 freshly baked bread 

 really great art 

 warm, guitar-playing, friend-singing fires 

 pasta making with food-loving friends 

 cozy lounging 

 good company and inspiring reads

 and finally the install of my new 

(but oh-so-old) brass gooseneck faucet.

Ohm...Mon

 Ohhh, Monday. 

WORDS OF WISDOM:

From my Nana.
She was always so pretty.

HAPPY FRIDAY.
And therefore weekend.

xoxo

A DINNER STORY.

If you know me at all, you must know that I love to cook.  Yes, I love food...and I am always hungry...but there's just something so personal, and mostly gratifying, I guess, found in the process of transforming pure, raw ingredients into a wholesome, palatable meal. And perhaps it relates to what I love most about design, in that I find so much creative satisfaction in combining relatively simple things, but in new, intriguing ways...ending with a result that's distinguished, and perhaps never-before-thought-of.

Anyway, we have these friends. They are married. And awesome. And I love them...for a million and one reasons...but partly (like, a huge part) because we share the same passion for food. And the simple art of cooking: the desire to prepare your food so that you enhance its best offerings versus disguising them with too many flavors. Anyway, they tell me what to cook...a lot...and I do it. Because it's always the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth. Like, what I made last night:

Browned chicken thighs (my fav cut), brushed with *really good* honey, covered with an inquisitive blend of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cardamom, and roasted atop parboiled sweet potato slices. 


Simple. Perfect. And well-accompanied by roasted brussel sprouts with bartlett pair slices, shallot wedges, thyme, and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice:

I love this part. 

Bitter brussels and sweet pears. Brilliant.

Easy-peasy pretty chicken.

Scraps are pretty, I think.

Happiness on a plate.

Enjoyed, of course, with a crisp Sierra Nevada IPA, Maxine Nightingale's pandora station...and candles. There's always candles.

Now, off to eat those leftovers...
HAPPY THURS.

HAMISH.

If I could be anyone, I'd be Hamish Bowles.
A man...I know.
But an incredibly lucky man, at that.
Mostly I'd want to be him so I could live here:

Never mind his jet-setting, art-indulging, fashion-storied, international, design-laden lifestyle.

Nope...I just want to live here. In his Paris apartment. Or perhaps his NYC abode. 

All I know is I really can't get that hot pink velvet, navy and cobalt damask (and I hate damask) paper, emerald fern fabric, or luxe all-black lamps out of my head.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

FIG LEAF FABRIC.

Don't judge.
I have a love affair...
with:

Yes, it's getting serious.

And I can't help but think the feelings are mutual. That this pretty, pretty fabric would give almost anything to sit in my peacock chairs...perfectly round and cushy...piped in a crisp, contrasting black.

Yes, I think I owe it a favor.
I think it needs a good home.
I think I may just commit.

HAPPY TUESDAY.
Is it really just Tuesday?

COLOR CRAVE: CORAL.

Pretty pops of color don't have to be overly-feminine or trendy.  When played right, punchy hues can add just the right eye-pleasing twist to a design scheme, especially one that's built on monochromatic layers.  Electric accents seem to be the momentary rage, but I'm finding myself especially drawn to the more understated (and therefore less tiring) addition of the color coral:

[ photos sourced on my pinterest ]

Pretty, punchy, and inspiring: coral draws the eye in, adds a layer of warmth and depth, and, when done well, remains totally understated and elegant.

HAPPY MONDAY.