Fab Finds Friday: Ballard Designs Travel Art

My favorite pastime is internet shopping. Dangerous on the credit card to just point and click I suppose but I will say, often I’m just “window shopping” and getting inspiration and ideas. One of my favorite sources of home inspiration is Ballard Designs. A friend turned me on to them a few years ago and I’ve never looked back. I only wish I could afford to design an entire room with their product but that’s just not feasible at this time. In fact, I don’t think I technically own anything from Ballard and the bargain shopper in me enjoys the challenge of finding the look for less, as you know. But I would love to invest in a few pieces that will go the distance decor wise and I’m gravitating to their accessories and art prints. Unlike a big piece of expensive furniture, lighting fixtures, decor, and art, allows you to achieve the Ballard styling without breaking the bank. Now, if only I could make a decision on what absolutely needs to be in our home!

On to the art. I’ve been smitten recently with their travel and map inspired art prints. Primarily because travel has been such a huge part of our lives and we’ve both been very fortunate to have some wonderful experiences abroad. I’ve been scheming how and where to execute some travel art in our home. I have a few DIY ideas up my sleeve that I’m still working out the details but Ballard has some awesome options as well. Here are a few of my favorites:

I’d love to know. How have you incorporated your love for travel (if you have a love for travel) into the design or decor of your home? I’m always looking for ideas!

PS: I was not paid or otherwise provided incentive to feature Ballard Designs in this post. As always, products or companies that I feature and discuss are because I’m just obsessed. 

Moroso Redondo

In English…it’s a sofa.

This one is short and sweet.

It’s amazing the treasures a little random Googling around will get you…

Moroso is an Italian company featuring amazing furniture design…mainly sofas and armchairs. In the spirit of shorter posts…and because who wants to read when we can ogle this curvaceous quilted goodness…here’s the eye candy.

This is the Redondo sofa collection by designer Patricia Urquiola. (PS: In the company description, they indicated you may find your rear end enjoying the likes of this furniture in places such as palaces in Bahrain…I’m guessing that’s why I didn’t see prices listed…)

I don’t know about you buy something about all this quilting sings to me. I just imagine it feeling so plush and cozy…like you’re favorite blanket. That’s actually probably a blasphemous statement and the design gods are reeling thinking I likened this furniture to your favorite blanket seeing as it probably costs more than my house…

Look but don’t touch?

Any favorite amazing but out of your reach furniture wish list items?

 

Fab Finds Friday: Best Home Design Apps Version 1.0

Good Morning sweet friends! Wasn’t feeling too hot yesterday so didn’t have time to prepare my morning post set to publish first thing, but not to worry, I have some more fab finds to share with you today. Yay for Friday!

I’m still LOVING my 3 day weekends…honestly, it has allowed me to be more productive and preserve some of my sanity. In fact, I’m sitting here this morning at my new shiny dining table (I really need to get that blogged, but the dining room isn’t anywhere near finished so I’ve been avoiding it) while sipping on my coffee, and glaring at my cat who keeps laying on and crushing the cushions on the backs of my living room chairs. GRRRRR. Tips please, he’s a defiant little bugger.

Anyway, for Christmas, Andy finally dragged me to the Verizon store and got Momma a new phone. I had been a proud user of the iPhone 3Gs for several years but she was starting to peter out…slow, slow, slow. Plus, certain apps/functions were no longer compatible. I had also switched service to AT&T at the time. Andrew was itching to get me back on the Verizon family plan so we finally bit the bullet and I scored a brand new iPhone 5 in the process. Actually, it sort of worked out nicely because we’re saving a pretty big chunk of change each month with the family plan. So much so, that based on our calculation, within 3 months, this phone would have paid or itself! Score.

So, I’ve been having fun with some apps since getting this little gem just after Christmas and it has really fulfilled my needs for on the go inspiration. Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorites. I’m planning to break this down into a few categories over the next few weeks given that I have quite a few to share and I can more or less classify them into different categories. The best part…they’re all FREE! The more I blog, the more I realize how cheap I am, but who doesn’t like free! Honestly, I’m sure there are some great paid apps out there and I’d love to hear about them BUT unless it’s something I absolutely can’t live without, or would be useful almost daily, or has such unique functionality…I’m happy playing with free stuff for the time being. Today, we’ll discuss a more nebulous, general category…home design apps. I’ll feature some apps below that I use for inspiration and ogling pretty things. Here’s what I’m loving.

Best Free Home Design Inspiration Apps

1. Houzz Interior Design Ideas I’ve been using the Houzz website for a while for inspiration. In fact, CNN calls Houzz “the Wikipedia of interior design”. I’m actually sort of in shock this app is offered for free. You can browse their expansive library of over one million high resolution photos. The app has great features as well that allow you to “clip” and save the photos to in app idea books. Be sure to look past the photos though! If you explore your other menu choices, you’ll note there are forums for any design question under the sun as well so the ability to search for local professionals and review portfolios if you realize you need to bring in the big guns. Finally, the app has some easy to use share features if you’re a social media junkie.

2. Dwell  You may have seen Dwell magazine on newsstands. It’s a great publication that covers modern architecture and design…and their app doesn’t disappoint. I mean really doesn’t disappoint. They have high quality images for inspiration along with articles detailing each feature. Your menu options are extensive as well and you can link to slide shows and videos, an idea book for quick inspiration, get information about exhibitors that attend their design events as well as view calendar of their upcoming events, share your inspiration easily on social media, and even do a little shopping from their products tabs.

3. Decor Pad – Interior Design I have also been visiting the Decor Pad website for quite some time for inspiration. Their free app provides inspiration and ideas on the go as well. Beautiful photos are available through this app and you can easily search by space and bookmark favorites. I’m especially enamored with their Look 4 Less tab. This is a feature on their website and it’s very handy through the app…definitely get’s my penny pinching motor humming.

4. Benjamin Moore Digital Editions This is actually a pretty neat little app and allows you to explore digital editions of their color cards and magazines. If you explore the app a bit you’ll find you can link to some videos featuring before and afters and design tips. While the app is clearly intended to push and enhance the Benjamin Moore product, if you’re a fan like me, it’s a great resource.

By no means is this list exhaustive but these are the apps I’ve been returning to time and again for inspiration, planning, and tips. What are you’re favorites? I’d love to hear about them!

Also, as per usual, I have not been compensated to feature any products or apps discussed in this post. The opinions are entirely my own and based on products and apps I use myself and believe in. I hope you find these apps as useful and enjoyable as I have…and again, I’d love to hear your recommendation for free apps I may have not yet discovered!

Have a great day!

Painted Interior Doors

A while back, we finally finished painting the trim in the living room/dining room. I used Decorators White by Benjamin Moore and I think it came out really great. It’s a nice complementary white paired next to our paint color, Moonshine. When the trim work was all said and done, the crown molding, baseboards, and trim surround all doors and windows was a crisp shade of Decorators White. I’d initially intended to take the doors down and freshen them up with a coat of this white as well…but now I’m considering going in an entirely different direction. I’m looking for s0me drama, a statement, a little fun pop of color. Not sure if I want it to be crisp, bright, or moody…but painted doors are looking more and more enticing. Let’s adore a few that particularly spark my desire to dip into some paint again.

Entry design by Montreal Interior Designer Tamara Anka

Contemporary Kitchen design by Newark General Contractor Michael Robert Construction

Modern Hall design by Other Metro Architect LASC Studio

Traditional Hall design by Los Angeles Interior Designer MJ Lanphier

Modern Entry design by San Francisco Architect Feldman Architecture, Inc.

I’m leaning towards black or a much darker shade that was complimentary to Moonshine in the Ben Moore color decks. I’m thinking of going high gloss as well. The wheels are turning and we may be breaking out the rollers sooner than later!

Schoolhouse Rock

I’m putting “Break It or Take It” to bed. See original post here if you’re new around here and you care at all about what that means. It seemed clever at the time but now…well, it sounds stupid. So, goodbye. It’s ok though because the thing I like most about this whole blogging thing is that it unfolds organically. There’s room to grow, find your voice, feel awfully clever, and then realize you may sound like a complete moron. It’s a place to try quirky titles, talk too much, or not enough…like, when you’re typing away only to look down at the bottom of your page and realize the word count is quickly approaching 500+ and then ask yourself who in the H would want to read all this crap and hit publish anyway. Speaking of I better move on to my point…

I still want to share mid to high end finds with it’s bargain basement match made in heaven but we’ll do so without painful titles. Unless “schoolhouse rock” is a painful title…but anything has to be better than the nonsense that was “break it or take it”…buh-bye. It may come back but for now, we’ll retire it.

I recently discovered Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. through a project that was completed on the Bravo show Million Dollar Decorator. Guilty, guilty pleasure that network. Anyhow, Jeffery Alan Marks completed a project in Nantucket where the requirement was to furnish virtually all of the home through “catalog” resources. I was enamored with the lighting fixtures used throughout the house and quickly learned through some participation in the live tweets of that episode that many of the fixtures came from Schoolhouse Electric.

Ok, so let’s all get over the collective groan that I’m late to the party on this one. They aren’t new, they’ve been blogged to death, but they’re new to me…and fueling my lamp fetish fast. Seriously though, there are some amazing fixtures available and pictures of their showroom have justified a trip to Portland, Oregon. Seriously, I asked Andrew if we could go to Portland…to see a lamp store. My poor husband.

Anyway, remember the lamp I featured in this shopping post?…yes, the one the evil wallet gremlins at Target made me purchase? Well, I found it’s long lost relative on Schoolhouse Electric. Observe.

Schoolhouse Electric Lafayette Lamp…gorgeous at $339.00

Target Buff Beige Table Lamp Base…tolerable at $54.99

My wanna-be at home:

The navy ikat print shade is also from Target and was $22.99.

In closing, I wanted to share a blurb on why Schoolhouse Electric is so awesome…this is from their LinkedIn company overview.

Schoolhouse Electric Co. is a homegrown company started in Portland, Oregon in 2003.
The showroom and factory are located here with a showroom also in New York City.

American made vintage lighting fixtures and shades. Our shades are hand blown from original molds found in an old warehouse in upstate New York.

Too bad most of their selection doesn’t quite fit into the budget. While I can’t afford larger pieces such as table and floor lamps at the moment, I plan on giving them my business through smaller fixtures and finishes on offer.

So, how about you…any “look for less” finds this week?

PS: official word count is 545…new years resolution…shorter posts.

Planking

No…this is not your favorite ab workout. This is wood planks…wood plank ceilings that is. In the words of Rachel Zoe…I die.

As we approach the new year…I’m scheming projects for around the house. Built-ins around the fireplace (old news, I know), a possible minor kitchen and/or bathroom(s) overhaul (hi husband…you’re probably reading this and I may or may not have clued you into these things…you love meeee), and planking…something. Presumably the ceiling. Not throughout the whole house but just in the kitchen/den space…some wood planks, throw up some crown…cook me, I’m done.

I recently caught a glimpse of a wood plank ceiling in a catalog online somewhere…for the life of me, I can’t recall where…but a search for some inspiration pictures readily turned up images on Houzz, Traditional Home, Coastal Living, and House Beautiful…among others. Brilliant.

This is my new obsession and we need to make it happen. Can you hear the pitter patter of my heart. Here’s some inspiration and what’s making me swoon at the moment.

Southern Living

Traditional Kitchen design

Traditional Kitchen design by Philadelphia Architect Asher Associates Architects

Contemporary Kitchen design by Dc Metro Interior Designer Bruce Palmer Coastal Design

Contemporary Living Room design by Chicago Interior Designer Tom Stringer Design Partners

Traditional Kitchen design by Miami Architect Balfoort Architecture, Inc.

Contemporary Living Room design

What are your thoughts on this detail? Have you planked out your ceilings or own a home where this was part of the finish work? What are your thoughts on the “timelessness” of this look? Hubby hubs had a good point and said…”Will we look at this in 15 years and say what were we thinking?” He equated how this may look someday to how we currently feel about his parents massive wall of stone that surrounds their fireplace. It was innovative and chic in 1984 I’m sure, and now it looks like you’ve gone spelunking in their den. It’s a horrid picture but take a gander at the wall behind us in this photo:

Yes, it happened. I would seriously give my left arm to gut and makeover that house. It’s an  AWESOME property with great bones right on the Gulf…maybe we’ll inherit it and I can have my way with it. There I go getting off topic again. Have a fab day!

Spin Cycle

We’re just going to ignore that I haven’t posted since April. To be honest, all’s been quiet on the home front. I decided to change jobs because the last one sucked (new one is AMAZING) and we decided to see a little bit of the world and within one month jetted off to Vegas, Singapore, Vietnam, and Dubai. Needless to say, funds we reallocated for a little globetrotting and we were in maintain mode (aka Catie can’t decorate otherwise we’d be broke) until now.

Next up! Laundry room. For a few reasons:

1. We could use a little more storage.

2. The utility sink is not so pretty <– Andrew is still confused why a “utility” sink needs to be pretty…but it does.

and

3. I’d like to get a fresh coat of white paint up in there and add a little life to the space.

In our last home, we transformed a small laundry room space into a nice crisp, white, clean, and modern place to launder our unmentionables. Hey, they deserve to bathe in style. We ripped down some awful wallpaper border (don’t have pics, it was too much of an atrocity to document) and painted over the walls which had been sponge painted dark blue (some things in life I just won’t understand). We simply painted in a crisp white satin finish and purchased some awesome IKEA cabinets which were super easy to construct and hang ourselves. Same plan for the laundry room in this house. I’ll get pics posted in a few days so you can see some before shots but here’s the plan:

1. Paint the room white, as above.

2. Head to IKEA (hopefully tomorrow) and pick up our cabinets.

3. Sand, prime, and paint the utility sink cabinet and likely replace the counter and sink…still brainstorming on this one.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few laundry room inspiration pics. (All pictures are from Decor Pad).

Manifesto

Those in the design know may have heard of Jonathan Adler. A while back he was a host on Top Design, one of those BRILLIANT Bravo reality series shows (can I get’a heck yea for the Real Housewives of…well, name your location 🙂 ). Anyway, I definitely appreciate Adler’s aesthetic and in measured quantities, I feel his textiles and other tchotchkes can add some awesome interest to your space.

I’ve actually been working on a mood board for our family room and I’ve got a few of his pillows that just may make the cut for inspiration. While they charge a little more for their pillows than I’m comfortable spending, at least for the family room, I don’t like to worry too much about the price of items on my mood board…just that they are inspirational. The fun comes later when you go on the ultimate hunt to find a fabulous bargain look alike or a way to score the real thing for less…hello clearance sales and Craigslist.

Anyway, I was perusing the Jonathan Adler website before and I came across their Manifesto. And it made me smile. And I feel like sharing.

Sleep tight friends!

The Deep-Seated Meaning Of The American Sofa : NPR

I’m currently having a love/hate relationship with our couch…this one.

I mean, she’s not that bad but as I stated previously…I’m just not sure it’s right for the space. Also, despite the fact that slip covers and cute pillows really pretty her up…I think there are much cooler couches on the block.

As I was mulling over the meaning of life and whether or not my couch and I should break up, I came across this article. (I’m an NPR junkie and they have the quirkiest articles which I LOVE).

The Deep-Seated Meaning Of The American Sofa : NPR

Image: Dierk Schaefer/Flickr via NPR

Still not sure what the future will hold for my couch and I. But in the meantime, rest assured that you can find me comfortably curled up on the couch thinking about it.

Yo Homie

Get yo’self over to Apartment Therapy and feast your eyes on the awesome lists of blogosphere nominations for all blogs home-related. Apartment Therapy has been an awesome inspiration of late and most certainly a gateway to all the other amazing blogs out there…whatever tickles your fancy, including the best of the best home design, cooking, family, and DIY related blogs.

For 2012, Apartment Therapy has brought back The Homies, a survey of all the wonderful blogs out there showcasing a vast array of personal creativity and passion for all things “home”.

So in the spirit of “The Homies“, dougie your way over to Apartment Therapy and check out all the wonderful blog nominations. You can even cast your ballot for us! (Registration is as simple as creating a log-in with your email address, and no, they won’t bombard your inbox, and casting your vote…we’re nominated in the Best Home Design blog category). Be sure to survey the other nominees and vote for your favorites! And, thanks for your support. This blog has been such a fun experience to date and we LOVE LOVE LOVE sharing our home with you.