Entries Tagged 'Interior Design' ↓

The Chick-a-Dee Smoke alarm is a stylish and quirky new smoke alarm in the shape of the cute American Black-capped Chickadee perched on its branch. Like any smoke alarm, the Chick-a-Dee smoke detector is easily fitted to the ceiling. It boasts an impressive 1.5-year battery lifetime, as soon as smoke is detected an 85 db alarm signal is activated. When the battery goes dead, an alarm signal will be played so you will know when to replace the battery. Under normal conditions, a control light flashes once a minute. The Chick-a-Dee can be tested by pressing the test button.

The Chick A Dee smoke alarm is available in white, pink, blue and white/black. Dimensions are 17×17x12 cm. $69.00

www.dutchbydesign.com

Jennifer Lopez knows a thing or two about red-carpet glamour. But at her California residence, a different, more serene glamour prevails. In the foyer, a dramatically sweeping staircase greets visitors. Beneath, a lunette sofa graciously invites them to stay. A white lacquered piano makes a striking statement in the living room, but it’s the ethereal blue-grays, velvet sheens and shimmering silvers that truly captivate. In the pale mauvedining room and pastel peach guest bedroom, crystal and blown-glass chandeliers gleam like pieces of jewelry.

“It’s sort of Jennifer in a nutshell—she has a romantic streak,” says interior designer Michelle Workman of her multi-talented client, who becomes a judge on American Idol this winter. “It’s tastefully glamorous, like Jennifer herself. That approach goes along with my whole design philosophy, which is about capturing the personalities of the homeowners.”

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Article and Images Veranda Magazine

Kelly Wearstler is a distinguished interior designer and tastemaker best known for her enchanting take on interiors and the luxury lifestyle. As the visionary behind her eponymous studio, Wearstler has primed the lifestyle and design experiences for international and domestic resorts and hotels, including the Viceroy properties in Santa Monica, Palm Springs, Miami and, most recently, Anguilla; the Tides in Miami Beach as well as a re-design of the Avalon and Maison 140, both in Beverly Hills, CA. In addition to international resorts and hotels throughout the United States and the Caribbean, Wearstler has designed select offices, restaurants, retail environments and residences for a high-profile and celebrity clientele, which continually magnetize design cognoscenti around the world. Currently, she is preparing the lifestyle and design experiences for four hotel projects, which are underway in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico and the Middle East.

“His stuff, your stuff, now what?”

By Joy Moyler, interior designer author Hautezone.Blogspot.com

As an interior designer with over 25 years in the game, you could say I have endured some design challenges. And now as design head for Armani Casa, Giorgio Armani’s interior design studio, I have been fortunate enough to design home environments for bachelors like singer John Mayer, violinist David Garrett, actor Adrien Brody, and various captains’ of industry. I’ve spent seven years designing showrooms for Ralph Lauren, including the Beverly Hills and New York stores amongst others. But the most challenging feat is often a new home for ‘newlyweds’

Man, Check! Ring, Check! Venue, Check! But did you really, sign on to gaze at that threadbare sofa ‘Til Death Do Us part’? What will your response be when he comes home dripping from sweat, some hazy, hot and humid mid-August summer day during a New York City garbage strike? He walks in, runs his hands through his sweat laden hair, hurls his Kenneth Cole laptop messenger bag to the floor, runs into the kitchen for one, no two, cold ones. Pops the cap, grabs the remote control and salt and vinegar chips, to watch the eighteenth run of Rocky 2 (like he never saw it before), poised to stretch out, feet up and realizes someone moved HIS sofa?

‘Till Death Do Us’ part. Hmmmmm. Sometime in the not-so–wee hours of the night (okay, day after he’d gone to work) the Salvation Army Truck arrived. I know, I know you never saw it coming, didn’t call them, but somehow they managed to enter your newlywed home and haul that raggedy thing to an unknown location. Hmmmm. Where, Oh where are the by-laws buried for the not-so harmonious task of ‘blending furniture’? This was not covered in marriage counseling. If so, the pages must have been stuck together. It is likely easier to ‘blend’ in-laws, and extended families. Well except for the ‘crazy cousin’ no one wants to claim much less talk to.

I am often asked to ‘marry’ styles. Contemporary, with Traditional, Moderne, with Bohemia, French with Vintage Metal, as in Heavy Metal. Generally there has already been a degree of editing done way before I show up. But all too often, there is that one piece that manages to be the ‘button’. The piece that can be a real deal breaker. The one fabric clad (often stained) heavy piece from the ‘hot’ bachelor/bachelorette days that can question your own judgment. The piece that makes you wonder is you should have married ‘Fred’ instead of ‘Ted’. What is the solution?

The answer, in short is ‘diplomacy’. The same level of ‘diplomacy’ required in deciding where to spend the holidays, how to tactfully avoid eating his mamas, overdone pearl onion casserole which is like chewing a plate of marbles, with cheese.

Identify pieces that fit well into the new environment.

When I say ‘fit’, I have four suggestions:

1) Scaled to fit. Do not keep a large sofa in a studio apartment just because your sister gave it to you.

2) Keep ‘non-trendy’ pieces that are in good condition and made well. Even if something is old consider updating with new knobs, pulls, hardware etc. Strip the finish and add a coat of paint. There are numerous shops allowing DIY practicing before committing to an entire job.

3) Make breathing new life into old pieces a ‘date night’. Wear sexy clothing and he will forget you’re ripping the denim fabric off of his favorite football night chair, replacing it with velvet and a colorful Jonathan Adler toss pillow. Whenever, he see’s the chair, he will imagine how much fun you had frolicking on it, forgetting what it used to look like. And if he can’t remember, frolic some more until it’s all he can think about. You know what I mean!

4) 1-800-STO-AWAY and any likely facsimile available in your region. Costs are generally manageable. Who knows, down the road there may be more room for it, or the style will come back. Again, only keep pieces in great condition.

Remember, “keep it moving or be left behind”. So try not to worry about sofas, curios, tables and such. When the music stops, just be glad to have a chair! - Joy Moyer

Images: Elle Decor

Their Mission:

“OUR MISSION is to reopen the doors of accessible design. By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live.
At Lonny, we value independent thinking and believe not in following trends but rather in making choices that lead to happiness. We believe that good design and affordable design can coexist and that true inspiration can be found in the teeniest of homes or in the grandest of spaces.” - Lonny Magazine

www.LonnyMag.Com

World Ma Aqua, $75.00

Green United States Map, $45.00

Letterpress World Map, $100.00

www.TheseAreThings.Com

Apolostered Silk Chair in Taroni Fabric.

I have gotten several emails from you darling Wives wondering about the gowns I create and curious to know where I get my silk fabric from. Well this post will be the answer to all of your curiosities….

Taroni silk out of Italy is the fabric I use for all of my sewing needs. Not only is Taroni one of the oldest silk companies, but is made exclusively in Italy using traditional and authentic techniques that no longer used. They have provided fabrics that masters such as: Hubert De Givenchy, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino used to create their haute couture collections. Also current designers of today like Albert Elbaz, Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquiere use Taroni silk in their present day collections.

Acquiring your own silk fabrics is easy whether it be for a sewing project or materials for upholstering furniture. Depending on if your ordering a light Georgette silk or a heavy double Duchesse silk, Printed silk or Plan, Prices range from $25.00 per yard to over $100.00 per yard. (For fabric orders over 10 yards the price per yard becomes lower.)

The future of Taroni is also working on developing products such as throws and pillows that will soon be available for purchase on their website. - Miss Taryn Cox

Dozens upon dozens of silk and color swatch variations that Taroni offers

www.Taroni.It

I always see these fun colorful pom poms hanging over charming tables at bridal showers, baby showers or like shown below to decorate a child’s bedroom. I assumed you had to spend grueling hours constructing each little pom from scratch until I discovered the company PomLove or as they like to call it “Happy Floating Paper.” Each Pom is available in an assortment of rainbow colors. Ranging from $5.00 each, 7 Poms for $30.00, or a 20 Poms for $75.00. - THE WIFE

www.Esty.Com/Shop/Pomlove

www.Rikshawdesign.Com

When comfort leads with style and softness embraces sophistication, an entirely new category is conceived. Introducing Olio - the chic solution to any Wife’s search for fashionable home, children, and nursery decor.

That is why Oilo exists. We’re about turning your nursery into the most comfortable, clean, and carefree sanctuary in your home. Because a more enjoyable nursery, means a more constant and enduring bond between you and your baby — or, as we like to say, your little sprout.

www.OiloStudo.Com

Kiddie Records Weekly began in 2005 as a one year project devoted to the golden age of children’s records. This period spanned from the mid forties through the early fifties and produced a wealth of all-time classics. Many of these recordings were extravagant Hollywood productions on major record labels and featured big time celebrities and composers.

Over the years, these forgotten treasures slipped off the radar and it became our mission to give them a new lease on life by sharing them with today’s generation of online listeners. Each week throughout the year we’ll add a new recording.

So whether you are hearing these records for the first time or reuniting with a childhood favorite from long ago, we hope you take great pleasure in your trip down memory lane!

I also thought that if you found Kids Records from the 1940’s or 50’s at antique fairs or records stores they would make great pieces of art to frame and hang in a child’s nursery or room. Another decorating tip from THE WIFE!