Outdoor Inspiration: Kelly Wearstler

This outdoor room by Kelly Wearstler, featured in her book Modern Glamor, is one of my favorites.  The color and scale are marvelous - and if it weren't for the tree and shrubbery, this space could easily pass for any indoor (gifted interior designer decorated, of course) living room.  

I like this room so much, I decided to look around for some "inspired" pieces for my own space.

Paris Club Chair, $899. It's not a wing chair, but the lines are elegant and I love the black piping on the white cushions.

Iron and glass table, $198.

A grey ikat pillow adds texture to the mix. $19, West Elm.

Aren't these marvelous?  By Italian designer Paola Navone, maker Reichenback.  The name of the line is "Taste." These shapes are fantastic enough to be artwork - and perfect for hanging.

Thomas Paul melamine plates. To eat off of, or mix in with the Navone pieces.

I LOVE Zebra, and this outdoor rug is marvelous. 

What's your inspiration room?

Chair and table: www.outdoorgardenfurniture.net. Plates: splendidwillow.com. Melamine plates: thomaspaul.com. Zebra rug: apartmenttherapy.com. Pillow: westelm.com. 

The Examined Life

Do you journal? What sort of journal personality are you?

Plane Jane basic, frills-free. Your thoughts don't need embellishment.

No - you're an astute fashionista, a trendsetter. In your hands, an LV Agenda's pages are replaced with lined sheets. You linger at the cafe over crepes and record your chic life. 

BUT... today you're also an intellectual - with flair. The journal of choice for Van Gogh and Hemingway is your ideal. But the modern version in pink (or green) is your style. 

Or... perhaps today is just a day for play - and jotting down a few jokes. Kate Spade's papers are perfect.

Hmmm... but what have YOU been up to? Life is an adventure, after all. 

Especially when you're traveling the world!  Today, Venice.  Tomorrow, Fiji.  Your daily life could fill a book - or be a book.  The publisher just called. 
Or maybe you'd just like to have a journal for one trip - to the beach, perhaps, and your sunny friend Lilly Pulitzer would love to tag along.

At the end of the day though, you just want to go home. Cozy, modern, or daring, your nest is YOU, and beautiful Italian marbled journals reflect your taste for quality.  A perfect design. 
Who will you be today?
Journal 1, mead.com. Journal 2, louisvuitton.com. Journal 3, moleskin.com. Journal 4, katespade.com. Journal 5-6, jennibick.com.  Journal 7-8 katespaperie.com.  Book, amazon.com. 

Cheap and Chic Thursday: Inspired by Nature

I love nature-inspired designs, and lucky for me, they're very popular this summer.  Favorite read, Style Redux, recently did a feature on Anthropologie's charming animal jewelry. Everyone from Saks to Dior is embellishing baubles with natural inspiration - but considering the economic climate and the subject, perhaps a more tree-friendly approach is best?  These options will save plenty of paper.

Floral and stone embellished sandals, Macy's.

Caspari Dinner Plates. 

Ann Taylor Loft zebra flipflops and floral umbrella.

Beautiful rings at Banana Republic.

Coral decor at Target.

All images from objects' respective shops, as listed. 

Bizarre Bazaar

The June issues are out (hurrah!) and Bazaar is on a run - a pink colored, funky font run. I mentioned this last month, but apparently the latest budget-crunching trend of recycling the old as new applies to magazine covers too. From the color, to the font, to the over-the-shoulder pose, this issue is like the answer to an equation: what does March + April + May equal? June! Viva la Recessionista!

June cover image: glossies.net.

Simple Palette and Subtle Pattern

The May issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles had so many beautiful interiors, I just can't help coming back to it.  One of my favorite spreads was on designer Margaret Bosbyshell. Her decor for one of Buckhead's old homes is full of color and pattern, but the use of pattern is very subtle and muted. Despite being in virtually every room, the intricate looks she uses are not the first thing you notice. For those who are afraid of too much texture in a room (or for even the fearless!) this home is a great guide.

Pattern on the mantel and curtains...

Pattern in the carpet. 

Patterned wallpaper. 

Pattern, pattern, everywhere - can you spot all its uses in this room?

Patterned walls and chairs! 

All images, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

The Memorialized

One of the stranger cultural shifts I experienced when I lived up North was the observance, or lack thereof, on Memorial Day. In many areas down South, Memorial Day is much more than bar-b-que and burgers; it's an encounter with personal history. Faithful family members visit the graves of ancestors from conflicts past - literally, their memorials - and decorate them with flowers and flags in a very public expression of acknowledgement and gratitude. 

I would encourage you this Memorial Day to make an effort to do likewise - even if the graveyard holds strangers, you are heir to their sacrifice.  Don't ask that a low-flying flag or official proclamation recognize the day on your behalf.   Go and give thanks. 

A  S.P.A.R. uniform, WWII.

Picture, Jackson Library, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Home Trends: HGTV Kitchen and Bath Expo 2009

Tune into HGTV's coverage tomorrow night of the Kitchens and Baths Expo, held in Atlanta. Starting at 8pm, Eric Stromer and Taniya Nayak will be covering the latest and greatest in appliances, flooring, decor, and other products. Everything from the whimsical to the weird is featured (just see the sampling below). Don't miss it!

Can you find the television? TV Mirror by Seura. 

Even better: can you find the RADIATOR?  Carisa Adagio "harp" radiator.

Images by Seura, Carisa.

Made Me Smile

The Kate Spade silk organza fairmount park mona coat, katespade.com.