Glitz, Glamour and Gatsby

The Great Gatsby movie comes out tomorrow ... is anyone else as excited to see it as I am?

The Great Gatsby has always been one of my favorite books ... so I'm hoping the movie won't disappoint.  I know there have been other movie versions, but I haven't really loved them.

With Baz Luhrmann directing this one, it is sure to be a visual feast. Of course, the costumes will be to-die-for, but I am equally excited to see the Gatsby Mansion come to life on the big screen.

In anticipation of the Premiere, I thought it would be fun to pull together a few pieces you can use to inject a little Gatsby Style into your own home.

Since The Great Gatsby recounts affluence in America during the 1920's ... glitz, glamour and opulence are in tall order. The Swinging Twenties were also defined by the Art Deco style – geometric shapes, streamlining and clean lines. So here are my picks ...

Glamorous Lighting: Nothing has the ability to add more glitz and glam to a room than a few stunning chandeliers, and this ‘20s-inspired version will cast a glittery glow above your fabulous parties.

NEW 1920s Odeon Glass Fringe Chandelier

Geometric shapes: One of the most definitive styles of the era was the use of geometric shapes in everything from fashion to architecture to interior design. This metallic and teal wallpaper pattern from Graham & Brown is perfect for adding an Art Deco touch to a powder room or accent wall

Graham & Brown Wallpaper

Lacquered furniture:  High gloss furniture is another way to evoke glamour and drama. Introduce a lacquered piece like this desk into your decorating scheme to give your space an opulent touch.

Jett Desk in White Lacquer

An elegant and well-stocked bar: Jay Gatsby seems like the kind of guy who would want to be able to mix himself a cocktail from any room in "the manse".  A bar cart  like this streamlined gold-leaf version, filled with chunky crystal decanters could fit just about anywhere.

Gold Leafed Bar Cart

Traditional Decanter

Art Deco Artwork: The style of the Swinging Twenties can easily be defined in the Art Deco artwork that was produced throughout the decade. I love this poster from Red Gate Arts on Etsy.

Art Deco Bauhaus Poster

Silky, shimmery fabrics: The early Hollywood influence on the ‘20s is evident in the popularity of shiny, luxe fabrics like silks and satins. This metallic throw pillow is the perfect addition to give any room a touch of old Hollywood glam.

Frosted Diamond Pillow Cover

Mirrored furniture: Reflective furniture was all the rage in the ‘20s, and it wasn’t rare to see mirrored tables and chests in the homes of high society like Jay Gatsby. This one feels Art-Deco inspired with it's circular base.

Splendora Mirrored Console

And there you have it ... (cue the fireworks). Don't you want to bring Gatsby into your home?

 

All of the fabulous mothers out there ... have a great Mother's Day weekend!

Spring Inspiration

Who out there isn't super excited to see things start blooming outside?  Even the grocery stores and flower shops are filled with new and luscious varieties of flowers that just make my heart sing. Having cheerful blooms around the house is my favorite springtime accessory ... what about you?

I recently discovered the website of Amy Merrick, a florist and stylist in Brooklyn, New York. Let me just say, I would have LOVED to have this woman do the flowers at my wedding! Even now, I would kill for her floral styling for some upcoming client photo shoots.

 Her work is gorgeous, but in an unfussy, just plucked from the countryside kind of way ...

I love the idea of fresh blooms in a teapot ... perfect for a kitchen island or windowsill.

Don't you just LOVE the saturated color in this arrangement? It would be amazing in an otherwise neutral room.

This one is just perfect in a yummy kind of way ...

 

 

 

Even an assembly of wild greens makes a statement.

I know succulents are kind of trendy right now ... but they really are so pretty gathered together like this in a shallow dish.

Wouldn't you love to have her style your next dinner party?

 

 

 In my living-in-New-York-City fantasy, I would have definitely visited her here ... 

You know .... I would have just walked there from my Tribeca loft ... after having lunch with Nate Berkus, of course.

 

I would love to see how she puts together these sweet little creations.

 

 

In the meantime, I'm just waiting for things to bloom in my own yard so I can experiment with some haphazard bouquets.  The flowers on my Viburnum bush are getting close ... they first bloom in a vivid lime green color and then quickly turn into to fluffy white snowballs. They only bloom for a few weeks but when they do, I try to bring some inside and enjoy their heavenly scent.

 

 

both photos via Centsational Girl.

What flowers do you like to fill your home with?

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What matters ...

I haven't written a post in awhile, and there's a reason.  One week ago today, a very special friend passed away unexpectedly. There have been a lot of tears in this community of ours, a lot of prayer, a lot of memories shared.

 Heidi Walsh was beautiful inside and out.  She loved God with all her heart, soul and mind.  She comforted, encouraged and prayed, passionately, for all of us that were lucky enough to know her. Now we continue to pray for her 4 amazing children and husband as they begin an very different tomorrow.

In a week like this, a lot of things don't seem to matter. Fabric, paint colors, pillows, material possessions do not hold much interest.  Cherishing small moments, holding loved ones close, prayer, healing, remembering ... that is what I am doing.

Thanks for understanding. I know many of you are doing the same.

California Dreamin'

Yes I've been happily absent from reality ...

 

Hanging out with these two little dudes ...

 

 

... and this big one ...

 

 

... in sunny Southern California ... one of my favorite places in the world.

 

My parents also joined us for the week so it was a wonderful chance to spend some quality time together.

 

 

 

 

Nothing like a little sand between your toes to put a smile on your face.

 

 

I'll be back soon with more design-related stuff ... I promise!

 

 

 

March Madness

Whew! While those words mean something else to my husband and oldest son, I feel like I've had my own March Madness going on ... good madness, of course ... but it has left me little time to show my blog and loyal blog readers some love! I apologize. Kristy and I have been busy, busy, busy with some great collaborative projects this month. Then, throw in my sweet 9 year old's 3 day birthday extravaganza ... getting ready for Spring Break ... and there you have it ... madness.

So, today I thought I'd do a little catching up ...

A few things that have made me swoon lately ...

Is it wood or is it tile?

I LOVE the look of this new tile from Walker Zanger's new Nature Collection.  Yes, it’s tile, “made with state of the art glazing technology” creating an antique wood floor look with the durability of tile.

 

Very "farmhouse chic" don't you think? I’d love to see these used in a kitchen or mudroom.

And they've also just introduced their AnTeak Collection. It's made from teak wood reclaimed from construction projects in Indonesia. The teak grain is visible on the tiles, which come in several stains and shapes, including herringbone, hexagon and chevron. It's already cured, because it's been exposed to the elements for 75 or 100 years, which gives it a wonderful pantina.

Is it wallpaper or is it paint?

 

It's paint!  We are working with a wonderful artist to achieve the look of high-end wallpaper in one of our client's homes. 

 

 

These are just a few samples of her work ... amazing. (And of course, an iPhone doesn't even do them justice.)

 

 

If you are interested in having her create a "masterpiece" in your home, contact us and we can set up a meeting.

Next up, have you heard? Nate Berkus is back with a new TV show! 

It's going to be call Renovation Nation and will air on NBC in the fall. Read all about it here.

I blogged quite a while ago about my love for these Classic Penguin Book Prints here ... and I was excited to see when one of my favorite bloggers, Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone, created a variation of them for her daughter's adorable nursery.

 Even better, she has just announced a giveaway of these prints to readers of her blog.

Well, that's it for now!  Be sure to share your favorite swoon worthy things with me ... I'd love to feature them here.

A few winter tweaks ...

I don't know about you, but after so many hours indoors at home, I really get the itch to change things up a bit around my house. Some changes are small ... some a little more involved (ask my husband and father-in-law). But I thought I'd share a few here ...

#1 Simplifying the top of our entertainment center

 

 

Before I had a few more things up top ... but I decided to go for just 3 bigger objects this time. These were all things I already had in my house but now they kind of have a new life in this very focal point of our family room.

 

I always think it's a great idea to shop your own house and move your accessories around. Store some things away for awhile and then bring them back out when the mood hits.

 

#2 I painted my rooster! 

 

 

I've always liked my quirky rooster but he used to be red.  He kind of blended into the cabinets ... so I took out some of my leftover Annie Sloan Chalk paint (I wrote about here) and gave him a makeover. I'm always looking for ways to brighten up my dark cabinets, so this gives a nice pop of creamy white up above the cook top.

 

 

#3 New Chandelier for my dining room (!!!!)

 

 

This is what my dear husband and father-in-law spent a couple of hours hanging for me on a recent Sunday afternoon. It makes me very happy!

 

 

You might remember the old when that came with the house ...

 

 

It just felt heavy ... our dining room is not all that large ... so I knew we needed something a little more delicate, light ... and sparkly ...

 

 

#4 More sparkle ... to the fireplace.

 

 

Decorating a mantel can be tricky ... because I have bookshelves in this room that already hold a lot of different decorative objects, I wanted to keep this mantel a little more uniform. A collection of mercury glass votive holders in various sizes, shapes and textures did the trick. Plus, I like the juxtaposition of the more rustic fireplace with the glamour of mercury glass.

 

 

#5 A few purchases from One Kings Lane

 

In wintertime, when I can't physically get out to wander around outdoor antiques markets, I have to get my fix browsing the Tastemaker Tag Sales and Vintage shops of One Kings Lane. 

 

So many one-of-kind treasures ... it's a great way to score some unique pieces for your home. My recent purchases ...

 

 

This gray and white French ticking body pillow ...

 

 

... this white ceramic pitcher and vintage French bottling tray:

 

 

I think the tray will be pretty come spring & summer to fill with vintage glass bottles and fresh cut stems from my yard.

 

 

So that's it for me ... how are you beating the doldrums of winter?