super fly

If there is such a thing as an "it" insect, then butterflies are having their moment.  They have been turning up everywhere.  My two little ladies and I were not aware that butterflies were ever out of the spotlight (as we spend a lot of time discussing, observing, and drawing pictures of butterflies).  Apparently they were, and now they are back.  They are about to be back in a huge way in the world of interiors. 


Designer Tabitha Simmons had this rug specially made for her Chelsea town house.

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This wallpaper, by Nina Campbell, was used in a prewar Greenwich Village apartment designed by Fawn Galli.

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A great source of pattern and color for any room, butterfly wallpaper choices are abundant.  This one, from Schumacher, combines butterflies and birds. 

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Some would argue this trend could be traced directly to John Derian.  He has dozens of different butterfly objects to choose from.



Butterfly collecting itself is frowned upon.  Really.  Please do not do it.  There are, however, some amazing collections in existence.  This one is located in the private Butterfly Room at Singapore House in Adelaide, Australia.  There are six hundred framed butterfly specimens.

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Paper butterfly collections are a beautiful option. These are hand cut by artist Catherine Swan from vintage Playboy and Esquire magazines. Ms. Swan calls them "heartbreaking beauty."

Have a great day!!

What would Gregory Peck do?

My list of design crushes is lengthy, but David Netto is very near the top of that list.  Recently, Netto launched his own website, David Netto Design.  Netto is a great writer, with links provided on the site to many of his recent highlights.  Be sure to read his take on the Manhattan apartment of Babe and William Paley.  The writing section of the site is like a master class in design. 

But, please promise me that you will not leave the site without reading The Notebook.  Promise me. Netto's musings on art, the 80's and Gregory Peck are very thoughtful and inspiring.  There is so much more to him than modern baby furniture.  He grew up around design (his father is the former owner of Cowtan & Tout) in New York and even worked for Bunny Williams.  Netto knows his stuff. 

This photo is from Netto's former New York apartment.  That wall of bookcases and the Cy Twombly. Whoa. The kitchen features a Charles X chandelier and Alvar Aalto table and chairs. A hand-blocked wallpaper mural by Zuber and a Basquiat in his New York bedroom.  Leaving this apartment to move to L.A. couldn't have been easy.

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 Netto recently collaborated with architect Gil Schafer on the architect's own residence, Boxwood, in Nashville.

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Says Netto, "Gregory Peck is a major hero of mine. I have a test whenever I’m not sure of what to do where I ask myself: 'What would Gregory Peck do in this situation?' Then I try not to do the opposite." And YEEE, we can all follow him on the twitter.

Have a great day!!

coconut, baby

Coconut is on my mind lately; a lot.  And it seems I'm not the only one.  From coconut water to coconut shampoo, coconut is having a great run.  At once old fashioned and hip, I love almost everything coconut.

Nikki's Heathy Cookies come from one of my all-time favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks.  They are so good! 

These are Nikki's Cookie's less healthy older sister.  She's an oldie but a goodie.

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 Summer is a great time to try these.  The "cabana girl" is a limited edition; and in reading about it, I think it might actually be good for you.  



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Have a great weekend!!



This is a Thing

Turquiose and navy are a thing.  I think they are a thing I love.  The colors look crisp, cute, and very modern in an accessible way.  I've attempted this color combo a little in our family room.  These photos make me want to really go for it.  We have a tiny house, and using basically the same colors throughout would really work for us. 


Designed by one of my most favorite interior designers, Amber Lewis (next 2 photos).

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A little how-to from Lonny.



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Have a great day!

Always Aspirational

Day 3 of our assignment and I really wrestled with today's choice.  Should I be honest with you and admit that this (think Queen's Jubilee) is my deep down favorite blog? Or...should I choose my favorite real estate blog (great writing, beautiful properties)?  In the end, I chose a blog that I truly aspire to, Habitually Chic. 

The blog is beautifully written by Heather Clawson.  She's got a book coming out, her blog posts are always interesting and her subject matter is oh so, well, chic.  Seriously.  Sometimes it hurts my eyes. You could probably spend days looking at her blog.

Here are some recent photos posted on Habitually Chic

Blogging is hard

As you may have noticed, I'm taking a blog course.  I'm taking "blogging your way 2.0." So far it has been really great, but um...blogging is hard.  I had no idea how hard great bloggers really work.  After reading yesterday's assignment and then viewing other's homework I was completely intimidated.  Apparently, it takes time and talent to blog.  The homework was to list at least 3 blogs that I admire.  Rather than posting in the forum, I decided to post my homework here (see yesterday's post for my first choice, Amber Interior Design). There are some extremely talented people taking this blog course and they have introduced me to some incredible blogs.

So here is my second choice for you to enjoy.  I'm partial to interior design, fashion and lifestyle blogs.   At some point, I will know what this blog is. In the meantime, hope you enjoy viewing the blog of a lady who truly knows what's up.  Beatiful blog? check. Gorgeous original posts? check. Sponsors? Featured in numerous publications? Awesome clients? check. check. check. Erica Powell is extraordinarily talented. The photos of her work (below) were originally published in Traditional Home Magazine.  Enjoy Urban Grace.

Thanks so much for visiting.

Lisa

Blogs I Love

As I make my way here, I thought I would share some blogs that I truly love.  First up, Amber Interior Design.  Now, Amber doesn't know me from Adam.  I just found her blog and really love checking it regularly.  She frequently posts photos of her clients' homes & projects she is working on.   Based in California, Amber has great taste and a wonderful list of clients.  Here are some photos of just one of her awesome projects.  You can view her blog here.  Enjoy!

 

Thanks for visiting!
Lisa