Wild for Wallpaper

I have been a wallpaper fan for a looooong time now and am always game to slather a roll or two on to the walls of a project - but these guest rooms at Maison 140 in Beverly Hills have made my heart flutter like a only a new love interest (or design by Kelly Wearstler) can! 

Using wallpaper on all walls and overhead creates a cozy, cocoon feeling in these guest rooms, and I am LOVING it! 

{Maison 140 Beverly Hills, designs by Kelly Wearstler}

Sure, the furnishings are nice too. But the wallpaper really makes the rooms, don't you think?!

I Spy Lots of Canopies!

Until this week, I have always thought of myself as an upholstered headboard gal. No longer, my friends! I have finally taken notice of all the iron canopy beds I was spying - and LOVING! My only rule, no draping fabric, please.

Iron beds are a great way to add an additional material/texture to a bedroom. They blend beautifully with wood side tables and dressers; and while they are metal, they look light and airy visually which I am drawn to right now. A nice departure from their heavier-feeling, thick and tufted, upholstered cousins!

Bedrooms to dream about...

Sleeping in this bedroom would feel like you're in a birdcage, and I love that.  Along with the zig-zag rug, the turquoise accents are perfectly placed and keep the room from feeling to frilly. PS. Can you see those pleated, ruffly curtains....

{Miles Redd via Domino}

This bedroom is a perfect example of how the canopy bed can be masculine too. I know my husband would be content slumbering in here!

{Phoebe Howard via decorpad}

Another gorgeous room and bed! I want to point out that a few of these beds have the added bonus of a high yet thin headboard, perfect for reading in bed and keeping those pillows from becoming wedged between the mattress and wall - I love getting the best of both worlds!

{Alisberg Parker Architects via decorpad}

Lastly, my absolute favorite! I particularly love the shape of this bed, not to mention the AMAZING wallpaper, and stunning area rug, wood floors, darling chair, art, etc etc etc. This image has been saved to my inspiration folder. :)

{Elaine Griffin via her website}

Summer Slumbers: Bedroom Facelift

Tah-dah! The mirrors have settled into their new home...

Once the new mirrors were painted and hung, I decided that I wanted to change up the room a little. I guess I'm feeling fresh and summery and was looking for a brighter space! I really love the color of the mirrors, it is so cheerful. To compliment the green mirrors, I bought some ikat pillow covers in a coral and ivory pattern from eBay, and I absolutely LOVE them! 

A perfect bit of unexpected color...

I originally only bought a pair so I could decide on more if I liked the quality (they were coming all the way from Uzbekistan and I had no idea what they'd be like in person). Such a great purchase (seriously, you can't beat $30 for the pair!), and thus there are more in the works for my living room. ;) Lastly, I swapped out our duvet cover for our old ivory one. Such easy changes (and cheap!), but the room feels new and fresh!

~The Before~

{sorry about the white balance in this photo, should have fixed it!}

~The After~

So, back to the mirrors! We were worried they were going to be overpowering, as they looked HUGE when we hung the first one. But, once they were both in place, I was pretty smitten. What do you think?

PS. This room is a great example of how you don't need to spend a lot of $ to freshen up a space.

     Mirrors - $20/pair at estate sale
     Paint - $10
     Pillow covers - $30/pair
     Duvet cover - $0 from linen closet

     Heavy-duty 75-lb picture hooks - $6/pair....did I mention how heavy those things are and that I live in earthquake country!

Lonny Reminder...

The newest issue of Lonny magazine is out, and it is goooo-od! Grab your beverage of choice and click through some fabulous pages...

I really enjoyed this issue - I was inspired by the large article on the 16 YEAR OLD designer whiz-kid, all the upholstered headboard photos, and this page...

Have you heard of this Decorator Tag Sale website? How cool?! I checked it out, and there are so many fun items for sale. I'm definitely adding this to my list of shopping resources! I need a new coffee table and wouldn't mind giving that Hermes tray table a new home. :)

Oh Canada Cozy

I found this photo while browing the Elle Decor website, and you know what? It made me a bit homesick. After having both my parents, AND my husband's parents visit us this month I shouldn't be surprised that I miss the "homeland." But this photo, and the Hudson's Bay point blanket, has made me miss Canada som'thing-fierce.

{Weekend retreat on Long Island, designed by Calvert Wright}

I grew up seeing these blankets while shopping our national department store The Bay, and I also remember Roots Home showcasing them in their rustic-chic displays...

Originally these wool blankets were traded by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in western British North America and the United States during the 18th century and 19th centuries. The blankets were typically traded to First Nations and Native Americans in exchange for beaver pelts. In the point system, a blanket of higher point value would supposedly be larger and warmer. A common misconception is that each point indicated a quantity of beaver pelts or Hudson's Bay Company money. Blankets varied in color and design.

Today you can buy antique point blankets on eBay or Etsy, or go for a new version sold at The Bay in Canada or through Woolrich in the US. New or old, these blankets are oh-so-cozy, and just ooze Canadiana - perfect for a lake house, cabin or cottage. I know my mum has her heart set on the traditional multi-striped pattern for her winter bedding at our cottage.

This monochromatic grey-striped point blanket is a soothing version. A great option for a more contemporary, city setting...

{Designer Mark Cunningham's New York bedroom}

Also love it here in this boy's bedroom. A fitting compliment to the hockey poster (haha)...

{via Flickr}

Rael's Nursery

Here are a few photos of the nursery I designed for this sweetie...

I've mentioned earlier that we are currently living in a blah, carpeted apartment and are not allowed to paint our white walls. Oh, and did I already mention the lack of architectural features? When creating my daughter's room I had a few parameters that I didn't like, but had to obey. One, no painting. And two, it had to house my desktop computer and samples. In order to fit everything in and not stare at ugly office stuff from the doorway (I always like the bed/crib to be the first thing I see in a bedroom), this was the floor plan I decided on...

Once the floor plan was finalized, I thought about a starting point. I found this amazing "Rosie Babe" quilt from Monaleisa on Etsy, and the color scheme was set. I love the traditional coziness a quilt brings to a room, but especially like how this particular quilt was made of adorable bright and modern fabrics. This perfect mix of traditional and modern became the focal point above the crib...

I've starting collecting Rs to hang near the doorway and really like how they look together. The fabric and metal ones are from Anthropologie, the white wood version from Kohls, and the craft paper from Jo-Anns. The Morigeau-Lepine crib was a hand-me-down - I love its rubbed finish, straight lines and storage drawer (hidden by the crib skirt). Above the crib I hung a bird mobile from Pottery Barn Kids. I love mobiles that hang almost invisibly from the ceiling and move very slowly...

We went with a yellow dresser from Ikea because I liked the straight lines and the large drawers. It was also the PERFECT size to house a wide change pad and baskets with diapers and creams. To keep all these items from moving around on the dresser, my husband constructed a rectangular frame which we painted yellow and attached to the back of the dresser with metal brackets. I swapped out the top drawer's pulls and replaced them with green glass knobs from Anthropologie. This made the dresser look a bit more unique and feminine. The original photo-collograph print "Fan Training" above the dresser is by printmaker Erik Edson and is one of nine prints in a series inspired by old dictionary/encyclopedia illustrations.

I purchased custom (extra tall) wildflower wall decals from Byrdie Graphics on Etsy because we weren't able to paint. I really, really love the way they turned out - perfectly girlie without being too babyish! We wrapped them around the crib, and even onto the mirrored closet doors. In fact, I think my favorite flower is the dandelion on the mirror (pictured above). I think these are a great way to add color to a room without painting, and there are some adorable designs out there for kids' rooms.

My big splurge was the Luca glider from Monte Design. It is so comfy yet compact, and will work in any bedroom after the babies have grown up. I would definitely buy this glider again! I tested my sewing skills by making the dupioni silk curtains, and found the garden stool perfect for holding some books at Costco. 

I think she likes her room...

And We Have A Winner...

Last night I used random.org to select a

winner for our CSN Baby $60 gift card giveaway.

Congratulations entry #12, k_mortson!

And because you all deserve a prize, some lovely Sarah Richardson nursery pictures. Here is the nursery she designed for her first daughter, Robin. Wish I could find some photos for her younger daughter's room too!

We are going to wrap up this baby-bonanza with some photos of the nursery I created for my little babe.
Check back for those Thursday Friday!

I'm NOT A Morning Momma

Mornings have always been hard for me, but when I had my baby they became a whole new world of hard. The last thing I wanted was my husband's alarm waking up my peaceful, sleeping baby! Here is my Momma tip for you....the Moonbeam alarm clock!

I love its retro style, but best of all it has an extremely bright light that flashes to wake you up. (I tried to find a video of this. If you've seen "In Good Company" with Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid you may remember that Quaid wakes up to this) Perfect when you have a newborn in the same room or within close quarters! You may not think a light will wake you up, but honestly it is really bright at wakes me up from across the room. If you sleep through the light, an alarm bell rings 5 mins later.

And check out just some of the colors it comes in...

You can buy these through a couple online stores, including L.L.Bean where I bought ours. This alarm clock is an oldie, but a goodie!

***

Don't forget to enter our $60 CSN giveaway!

Kiddo Kool

Guess who this adorable kids room was designed for...

This stylish brood...

{ps. for those to-be-mommas out there, chris martin is pushing my exact stroller (bugaboo dark grey chameleon), and it is AMAZING! }

Gwyneth Palthrow is my favorite female celebrity. She is beautiful, has great taste, an adorable family, and the best part, she deals with being in the public eye with grace and humility. I always love to watch her do interviews and check out her outfits!

If you like her too, you should definitely read her blog/website GOOP. It's all about Gwyneth's favorite things - food, shopping, trends, kids books, traveling, etc, etc, etc.

Check out some pictures from GOOP's most recent newsletter of the amazing loft that was created for Paltrow and her family in Nashville - IN 10 DAYS!

You should really read the whole article and see all the pictures. Designer Annette Joseph gives great details on how she created this space with such a time crunch, and sources just about everything. A very fun read!

***

Don't forget to enter our $60 CSN giveaway!

Attention HGTV Lovers...

I know many of you likely watch HGTV and so I wanted to make you aware of a show that they just recently started to air. My all-time favorite TV design host is Sarah Richardson, who has 4 - count them FOUR! - design shows! I have a love/hate relationship with her. Well really it's love/jealously because hey, I'm a Saara from Toronto who's a designer. And well, I want to be her. And if her beautiful room designs aren't enough for me to covet, she also designs great furniture.

For 5 long years I have missed watching new episodes of Room Service, Design Inc, Sarah's House and Sarah's Cottage because only really old episodes were shown on FLN in the US but now very luckily for me, and you, they are airing brand new seasons of Sarah's House on HGTV. Yay! You must check out the farmhouse she is currently renovating - the show always starts with her real estate search and goes through all the steps to create the home she wants. And at the end she has her realtor assess the new value of her project. It's fun and educational watching her go through all of the steps.

* * *

To lure you in, here are some shots from the first season of Sarah's House...

I think she does a great job at keeping the charm in old houses apparent while mixing in new and vintage materials and furnishings.

I love the way she mixes patterns in wallpaper and fabric so effortlessly...

The shows talk a lot about budget which is nice to see on TV and she regularly uses stock cabinets and has them sprayed for a more economic, custom look...

Lots of her shopping is done if thrift stores and at auctions (which makes me miss home because I recognize all of her favorite stops). She bought these dining chairs for peanuts and had them refinished along with a slew of other items for this house...

I really liked the adult den in the house and would love to have that brass pendant and coffee table! I know the coffee table was vintage and super cheap, just another item that makes me thirsty for furniture hunting!

The kids bathroom was fun and a great example of how she uses inexpensive tile in interesting ways to create a more expensive look (hard to see but the white tiles are laid in varying directions and patterns). The vanity was a nightstand that was purchased online and then painted and topped with a sink...

Even I wouldn't mind doing laundry in this room. She really gives every room a lot of thought. The large frame on the left is hung on a piano hinge so it can swing open to reveal the ugly circuit breaker box. So smart...

All of these photos were taken from Sarah Richardson Design, and you can view the complete set of photos from this home 'here'.

Anyway, check her out. I think you'll be glad you did!