One for the inspiration files...

The prettiest office ever, I think. How gorgeous is the pale blue desk and gleaming silver branch light fixture? Definitely one for the inspiration files...

p.s. Check out the extended tour of interior designer Kimberley Ayres' home here!

Image via Habitually Chic

Random Friday Fun

It seems the week is ending with another lovely bedroom occupied by another adorable dog, just as it began on Monday! This one is from a home belonging to the owner of Shine Home that was featured in Sunset Magazine (you can see more here). Meanwhile, here are some random things that haven't found their way into their own post. Hope you enjoy, and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Gorgeous handcrafted jewelry by Isharya, discovered on Ideeli (a private designer shopping site). Are you all familiar with these invitation-only shopping sites? If so, please share your experiences... I'd love to hear what you think!

"Swede Lotus" quilt and shams currently on sale at Urban Outfitters.com...

Goache paintings and prints of interiors and furniture by Anne Harwell, on Etsy. Wouldn't it be great to commission her to paint a favorite corner of your house? (via Style Court)

... and sunny summer dresses (on sale!) from J.Crew... perfect for the beach or the city!

Fresh White Spaces

Such bright and clean dining areas, via Living Etc... 

Whimsical Wants

I've recently had my eye on a few fun things for the house and for myself. The animal print "Karkuteilla" fabric from Marimekko is one of my favorites ever. Each yard contains one repeat of the image, and for $59 would be perfect stretched and hung over a bed or sofa. But, do you guys think it's too "kiddie" for anywhere other than a child's room?

Meanwhile, I can't stop thinking about these enchanting charm necklaces by Tord Boontje. Crafted from sterling silver and 18K gold-plate and ranging in price from $27-$40, they are bargains that would look so eye-catching with a simple black dress.

Who else has something they've been craving?

Fashion House

The insanely glamorous and playful home of fashion designer Max Azria, designed by his wife Lubov Azria and interior designer Aly Daly....  

Can you believe people actually live like this!? Who wouldn't kill for that Tord Boontje for Swarovski light fixture over the dining table, or ever better, the cascading crystal chandelier spilling into the wood table above. Wow!

Via Harper's Bazaar

Before and After Armoire

After a couple days of prepping and painting, we finally have the new armoire settled into its home in the master bedroom. As you can see, I went with a bold and sunny shade of yellow (Valspar's "Almond Puff" #3008-3A) in a nice semi-gloss finish. I don't have the proper drawer pulls on it yet, but otherwise it's pretty much complete. Here's a look at it's original, straight-from-Craigslist state...

Dirty and blah, right? But I knew the moment I saw the listing that it was the right piece for our bedroom. I was searching for a classic chiffrobe (with the closet on one side and drawers on the other) and this fit the bill. Also, I loved the curved top and the spindle legs, and knew the whole thing would look amazing with some TLC and a bright coat of paint. Oh, not to mention the $75 price tag... sold!

Now, when refurbishing this lovely piece, I didn't stop at the outside. The interior needed some loving too...

Seeing that I take up most of the closet space in the house, I wanted my fantastic boyfriend to be able to make use of the storage in this piece. So in order to make it slightly more masculine, I lined the interior of the closet with vintage map prints from Cavallini (though I'm thinking this would have been an even better choice) and painted the remainder of the wood trim in Martha Stewart's aqua-hued "Vintage Map" (#MS 337, also in acrylic semi-gloss).

Lining the walls was super easy. I simply measured the area I wanted to cover and cut the paper to size. Then after carefully applying a coat of spray adhesive to the area, I applied the paper and smoothed it down until it had completely adhered. $12 worth of decorative wrapping paper can really do wonders, don't you think? And now, Kevin has a worthy home for his gorgeous and pristine new Prada penny loafers (yet another wonderful NM Last Call find!)

The chiffrobe has some wonderful little details. This close-up shows the lock and key that adorns the sweater cubby. This also allows me to show a better example of the paint job. I started out by sanding the rough spots, followed by applying two coats of an acrylic all-purpose primer to the entire piece. Once the coats had dried, I applied 2 coats of the yellow semi-gloss. There were challenges in this process though. I found that the yellow paint was not taking well to the surface, even with the thorough primer coats. There was running and dripping and the coverage was not coming out even. So, instead of re-sanding and re-painting the whole piece, I decided to go along with the imperfections and play them up! Using small pieces of sand paper, I roughed up the surface and corners to give it an intentionally weathered look. After 30 minutes of random sanding, I had a finished look that was just enough "vintage" without veering into Shabby Chic territory (I hope!)

And so, another project checked off the list! I am very excited for us to have this extra storage - hopefully the bedroom will be much tidier, and more cheery, because of it!

Happy Monday + Bridget Pizzo Photography

Isn't this the cutest, happiest picture ever? It was discovered on Flickr, and belongs to Philly-based photographer and stylist Bridget Pizzo. The space shown above is her lovely guest bedroom, and it shouldn't be surprising that the rest of her house is equally charming and chic. I think I have discovered a kindred style spirit here in Philadelphia! Her whole color palette and use of cool, vintage finds is totally my thing! Check it out...

I'm loving her use of vintage wallpaper to add decorative flair to plain white cabinets!

The turquoise door pulls are such a nice touch...

These black lamps are so dramatic!

You can read lots more about the before and after process of creating these rooms at Bridget's blog, and for those of you lucky enough to live in the Philadelphia area, an FYI... she is moving soon and plans to sell many of pieces photographed above. If you have interest in any of these fab items, contact her here!

Bargain Baubles

There is nothing better than a good bargain, and I've been finding lots of them recently at area flea markets, consignment stores, and outlets. Jewelry seems to be where my luck has been best of late. Take a gander at some of the beauties I've discovered! They are all laid out on a vintage lucite cosmetics tray that I bought for $5 at a recent flea market, and the sweet little fern is potted in a $1 footed milk glass urn from the Salvation Army....

How amazing is this chunky, Art Nouveau-style bracelet? It was found this morning at a flea market for the ridiculous price of $4. It's a real statement piece, and will look great combined with a variety of studded bangles, or perhaps all by itself.

The little enamel and rhinestone whale is from Buffalo Exchange. If your city has one of their store locations, by all means make an effort to stop by on a regular basis. I often find wonderful vintage jewelry for mere pennies - this cutie was $2 and looks great pinned to the lapel of my khaki trench.

While not exactly an "under $10" find, this rhinestone stunner by Tom Binns was a remarkable bargain nonetheless. Thank you, as always, Last Call Neiman Marcus, for continuing to fulfill my fashion fantasies!

It really is amazing what beautiful things you can find if you know where to look for them. The next time you pass a flea market or thrift shop, make sure you scan the folding tables and cases for a sparking gem!

p.s. The Flora by Gucci perfume pictured on the tray is also a recent acquisition. If you have not had the opportunity to take a whiff of this yummy new fragrance, do so immediately. It is lush and decadent, yet perfect for summer.

PB Teen Bedding + New Project

So sorry I haven't been around much this week. I've taken on the final decorating frontier of my house - the master bedroom - and it has been keeping me busy. I purchased a vintage chiffrobe from Craigslist for the bargain price of $75 and have been in the process of refurbishing it with paint and lining paper. Hopefully there will be pictures to share soon! 

(This is how I wish my new armoire would turn out!)

In the meanwhile, I've been thinking about other items that need updating in the bedroom, and first on the list is bedding. White sheets have been my preference for a while, but I believe it's time for a change. And that change is with color and pattern! The selection from PB Teen is pretty fantastic in that regard, with everything from Missoni-esque zig zags to a multi-hued variety of the classic hotel bedding. In this case I like the classic black, but they also come in aqua, pink, apple green and so on...

Most tempting though for me are the aqua-colored zebra stripe sheets, which have been a mission of mine to find ever since seeing a set in the "Sex and the City" movie (do you all remember that scene with Samantha in bed with Smith?)

Super cute, don't you think? I only wish they weren't so pricey. Am I wrong that $100 seems like a lot for a teen line? Do any of you have experience with their products, and if so, what do you think?

Any which way, changes are in store for my master bedroom, and I'm looking forward to sharing the results with you!

(Armoire image via Pal + Smith)

Sunny in the City

Such sunny and colorful images, from a Kate Spade advertising shoot in Los Angeles. Seeing these makes me want to put on a bright dress and go for a stroll around the city! 

See more here...

Images via Kate Spade