I Love....Ombre!

I'm itching to paint my little bookcase (again).  I've been considering using an ombre technique.  I know you've already seen this everywhere - but ombre is a technique where tones of colors are graduated from light to dark.  Sometimes the different shades are well defined color blocks, sometimes they bleed into each other.  I'd love to experiment with this technique using spray paint on a canvas.  Here are some lovely examples.

Beautiful ombre sofa!  Beautiful room.  Image from Designers Guild.  They are masters at creating soft, airy rooms with gorgeous color.

Look at this fabulous ombre wallpaper!  Looks so great with those curtains.  Designers Guild via Apartment Therapy.  Designers Guild are also masters at using textiles and textures.

Gorgeous sofa with horizontal ombre treatment.  Love it.  Image via Boston Bethany.

Love these closet doors!  I just might do a wall like this in my apartment.  The Inglenook Decor.

I love this dresser!  Does anyone know where this image is from?  Please let me know.

I am completely obsessed with the Kora Vase by Studio Pepe.  I need this!

The fabulous Gwen Stefani wore one of the most beautiful wedding dresses I've ever seen!  In a pink ombre.

I Love .... Acrylic!

I feel like my apartment is done, I like it simple and sparse.  But... I'd love to have an acrylic piece!  I adore how well they fit in a small place, as they take up no visual weight.  I especially love them on white floors, so airy they appear to float.  Here's some lovely acrylic pieces.

Love the acrylic Louis Ghost Chair designed by Philippe Starck.  Image Louise Roe.

The Victoria Ghost Chairs (also designed by Starck) look perfect with this industrial table and white floor!  Swoon!  Image via sfgirlbybay.

Cute acrylic console serves as a desk and fits neatly under a set of stairs.  Brenda & Harry's Contemporary Coach House via Apartment Therapy.

I love the idea of putting a table runner on this acrylic coffee table to add a dash of color.  House to Home.

Ghost chairs and an acrylic coffee table!  Be still my heart.  That hanging lamp is pretty amazing too.  Lamps Plus.

This is one of the most fascinating dining rooms I've seen.  I hope you will humor me, I simply must dissect it.    The acrylic chairs are the perfect foil to the heavy wooden table.  A perfect combination of hard and soft.  Look at that gorgeous white console!  I wonder if this is a custom piece, I'd love to have it in my entry way.  Of course, I'd pile pottery on it.  Its severe geometry is complemented by that totally fab lantern.  Perfect gray walls.  A very discerning eye created this room.  Daymon's Open Plan with an Open View Rental via Apartment Therapy.

I love a traditional chair reinterpreted in a non-traditional material.  Typically, I find a wing back chair too heavy and stuffy.  Not so when it's made of acrylic!  I love the airiness of this room.  And check that hanging light.  Too fab.  Lex & Lynn's Not Boxed In via Apartment Therapy.

Simple Impact: Large Art

Decorating simply is not as easy as it looks.  Simplicity takes restraint.  Restraint is a beautiful thing, and makes your place look elegant.  The best way to accomplish this is go large with your art.  Fewer, larger pieces make great impact and keep your place looking uncluttered.  Jill Stuart's apartment is a perfect example.

This is one of my favorite apartments of all time!  The large art is impactful and yet the overall effect of the room is ethereal due to the soft colors and glass coffee table.  See the rest of this beautiful apartment at Elle Decor.

Simple Impact: Accent Walls and Large Art

I'm always obsessing about decor.  As you know, I think simplicity is key in designing a beautiful and relaxing room.  Over the next few days I'd like to focus on how to make a big impact in a simple way.  One of my favorite ways to freshen a room is with color.  I've been obsessing about Tiffany box blue for sometime and would love to do an accent wall in it.

This home boasts a stunning use of paint.  The room has just the right amount of drama and edginess, but still remains simple.  I love the look of a the large piece of over the sofa.  A large piece makes an impact and looks cleaner than a grouping.  The amazing light fixture on the ceiling is impactful in its size and geometry, and still maintains an airiness. The unexpected black boarders make the blue and yellow wall look like paintings.  I would love to do a room with large color blocks as the art.  

I love this yellow accent wall with the black border!  A great way to make an odd wall into a piece of art.  Above two spaces designed by Sarah Lavoine.  To see previous posts on color blocking, click here.

This is such a beautiful modern room.  I adore the color of the walls, and dig that coffee table with mismatched legs.   The only change I would make to this room is hang one large piece of art instead of the grouping.  I think groupings look cluttered.  Image via Falken Reynolds (this is a great post on lighting).

Here's my gratuitous plug.  I've edited the room to add one of my pieces to demonstrate the point.

How I spent my Saturday morning...

The light in my apartment was so beautiful this morning.  I wish I knew how to capture it with my camera.  I was very content in my little place.  So I made a cup of my favorite Colombian coffee, instead of music I opted to open the window to hear the birds.  And I did my favorite thing.  Rearranged some of my pottery collection. My favorite is matte white ceramic in simple forms.  I enjoy mixing in a few glass pieces as well.  These pieces beg to be touched.  Each vase makes its own unique music when touched.

Here are a few of my favorites.  1) TJ Maxx;  2) ASA Selection Germany, an exquisite piece;  3) hand blown Polish glass;  4) Portuguese, a perfect vessel;  5) Ikea;  6) I love tea cups as well.  These are vintage Japanese.

Here is my favorite corner in my apartment.  I love contemplating these ethereal forms, it's fascinating to watch how they change with the light during the day.  I need a vase store, I could dust and arrange vases all day!  For now, it's a beautiful day in Akron, Ohio so I think I'll spend my afternoon taking a walk.  I'll be sure to take my camera with me.

What about you dear readers, how are you spending your Saturday?  I hope you are doing something that brings you joy!

Friday Fashion Fun

I wear my hair long.  I've tried many lengths and styles, but I prefer long, straight, one-length hair.  It's very easy to take care of.  But lately I've been seeing a lot of cute cuts with bangs, and I just can't decide if I should cut my hair or not!  I know I would miss how easy it currently is to take care of, but one of my new year's resolutions is to try to look cuter and to be braver with fashion.  I do love being a girly girl.

Have you tried Hollywood Makeover at InStyle?  It's fun!  You upload a picture of yourself and you can try on celebrity hair styles, different makeup and even change your eye color.

Here's a picture of me with a Heidi Klum hair style.  I kinda like it, but I haven't had bangs forever!  I get a lot of emails asking why I never put pics of myself on my blog, so here is one.  If there any plastic surgeons out there willing to do surgery for free - I would love a nose job!  You can use me in advertisements.  I don't like my nose, but I am rather lucky because it's been broken twice so it could be a lot worse.

Remember this gorgeous model from my previous post?  I love the cut and color of her hair.  She really rocks this 'do.  I wish I were brave enough to try it, but I think you need a cute little face for it.  Also that color and cut are both high maintenance.  I love fashion, but I'm not a high maintenance kind of girl.  This lovely model is also rocking that orange lipstick.

I've been searching for the perfect orange lipstick forever.  I want a citrusy look, not rust or brick.  Lime Crime has some of the best opaque lipstick I've ever used.  This lovely color is called My Beautiful Rocket and is perfect.  Unfortunately, it's sold out.

So here I am with white hair and orange lipstick.  Hmm.  Stay tuned for a line of clothes I am designing!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, dear readers!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I was very fortunate myself, I spent a lot of quality time with cherished family and friends. I didn't participate in the holidays in the traditional sense, and I didn't participate in the chaos of shopping.  I have no money to spend on gifts, but I made sure to let everyone know how much I love them.  I am very grateful that I have many people who love me. I was a little embarrassed because I received a lot of gifts I did not need.  Some have been regifted and some have gone to the Goodwill.  Like I said, I have a lot of people who love me.

I don't typically make new year's resolutions, because I get mad at myself when I don't keep them.  But, I do hope to blog more in 2013.  I have a lot of pretty and fun posts lined up, and also some provocative ones.  I truly believe this is going to be a great year.  I might as well start the year off by giving you a view of what my apartment looks like today.  As you know, I love my apartment and am grateful for it.  I am full of gratitude!

 My sister-in-law gave me a gift card for TJ Maxx.  Of course, I had to run out and buy some vases to play with.

I love arranging vases so much, I'd like to open a vase store.  The white and pink vases are from TJ Maxx, and are glass, so are a bit of a departure for me.  My first love is still ceramic.  The little yellow bowl was only $1.00 from the Goodwill.  It's totally funky and I love it!  I wish I could capture the way it looks when the sun shines on it, it's fab!  I think it's vintage and may have been part of a lamp.  I'm not sure why, but I'm not really happy with the pink vase and might return it.  Perhaps it's too tall?  Although I think being over sized is precisely the point.  Ah, obsession...... it's not always easy balancing a love of simplicity and sparseness with a love of beautiful things.

What about you dear readers?  How were your holidays?  Have you done any redecorating or organizing lately?  We're going to have a great year together!  As always, thanks for reading.  xo