Updating Your Furniture With New Hardware

If you're like me you tend to get bored of your surroundings quickly and find pleasure in making changes. I believe I've inherited this trait from my mother who was rearranging the furniture in our living room every other week. As a young child I found that I would come home from school and things would be completely turned around and as I got older I started to participate in this activity with her. Now as an adult I find that a good DIY project can keep me entertained for hours or sometimes days if the project requires research and prep work. I can obsess over the perfect fabric to reupholster a chair or the right shade of paint for an old piece of furniture for days..okay let's be honest...weeks! My current DIY obsession is hardware. I have 2 nightstands and one dresser that currently have no hardware and I suddenly came to the realization that hardware was needed stat! Design emergency! Now I find myself scouring the internet for the perfect option and am over whelmed by all of the amazing options.  For you DIY-ers here's all the fun hardware I've come across.

Images Clockwise:

1.Color Swatch Knob 

2.Walnut Teardrop Pull 

3.Turquoise Knob 

4.Lucky Number Knob

5.Ripe Melon Pull

6.Rosette Knob

7.Victorian Forest Green Knob

8.Big Easy Knob

9.Aurora Knob

10.Bakelite & Zinc Deco Knob

1.Lucite Rail Pull 

2.Secret Key Handle 

3.Victorian Style Glass Pull

4.Mid-Century V-Shaped Handle

5.Zing-Zam Handle 

6.Soho Bar Pull 

7.Rock Candy Handle

Fall Wish List

Fall is officially upon us and as we prepare for colder weather, holidays and lots of entertaining, I feel the need for a little change. The mood of the fall and winter season is always one of warmth and cheer and I think a few new items around the home will suffice my craving for a bit of change. Here's my wishlist for fall!

Images clockwise: Vintage French Linen Lumbar Pillow, Vineyard to Table Cutting Board, Boucle Shopping Wire Baskets, Cloches, Starburst Bowl , Moose Antlers , Pixel Hurricane and Fur Throw 

A Vintage Camera Collection

Lately collections have been a recurring topic of discussion on the numerous design blogs I follow. One issue that is quite tricky in the fine art of collecting is how to display your findings. Without much order and organization a collection can start to look like a mess of junk and when that collection continues to grow at a constant rate, your friends and family may begin to think you have a hoarding problem! Okay maybe that is a bit extreme but in the case of Type A's like myself, order is a must. Collecting something of interest can be a fun hobby and sharing those precious items is part of that fun. Below is an image from the office of part time Niseko Japan resident, Peter Grigg. This is, in my opinion, the perfect way to display a collection. One wall of his office is divided into space for a bookcase and his collection of 83 vintage cameras. Each camera lives in its own cubby and together they create a more powerful artistic statement.

For more information and images of Hanazono House click here.


*Images via Belle Magazine Australia.

Barn House to Home

Check out these amazing barn remodels! I would love to live in any of them. I'm always a fan of the unexpected, and the idea of a rustic barn in a rural area with an elegant, modern interior makes me very happy. Enjoy...

coolboom.net

zainterioria.com

I love the juxtaposition of the rustic beams and the ultra modern decor & finishes.

archinspire.com

One of my faves, the open garage door feel. Talk about bringing the outside in!

thisoldhouse.com

Looks like fun!

archinspire.com

Gallery Wall

I often find it hard to choose just one large piece of art to hang on a wall in my own home and tend to be drawn to collections or galleries. For some reason it has always been easier for me to fill a space with a grouping of my favorite smaller art selections. I think it stems from a pleasure in shopping at flea markets,thrift stores and antique shops. You can find great art at affordable prices and build a collection of pieces you love.

Wish

Domino

Style Curator

Domino

Tip: Layout all your favorite pieces on the floor before hanging. This allows you to play with the arrangement of the pieces before putting any holes in the wall. Be sure to look at not only how the pieces fit together based on the measurement of the wall but also look at the visual composition.  If you have a mixture of colors and sizes spread them around so that you don't have a completed look that's too heavy on one side. To help with this try painting all the frames one color to create a common trait. 

Pop of Color!

I often find myself torn between spaces that have sophisticated monochromatic color schemes and spaces that are full of color. As a designer I can appreciate just about anything and the bottom line is that if a space is done correctly it will be beautiful! While looking for inspiration in the Elle Decor photo galleries I stumbled upon some great spaces that combine both my love of the monochromatic color palate and those bright colors!

I'm in love with this space by interior designer Steven Gambrel! The colors, furniture, patterns, dark ceiling and molding and lighting fixtures are all amazing! Couldn't resist posting both angles of the room...

Stainless Steel Tile

The stainless steel tile in the first picture from the Jean Paul Gaultier post on Wednesday reminded me of a similar tile we are using for a client in Fallbrook California. The client has a very modern style and originally wanted a backsplash done in stainless steel sheeting.  We liked her idea of the stainless steel backsplash but wanted to add more interest. As designers it is our job to share our knowledge of the products available so, we showed her the many exciting tile options in stainless steel. She was very excited to see the possibilities and we ended up selecting a hexagon stainless steel tile design. Contractor work will wrap up this week but here's a little preview of her kitchen remodel.

BEFORE

AFTER

We're also changing out the corbels on the curved island. We originally wanted to have custom designed stainless steel corbels cut by water jet which can be pricey but our clever carpenter thought of a way to save our client some money by creating the corbels on his own with wood and stainless steel laminate. They turned out amazing and you would never guess they were made from laminate stainless steel!  What do you think?

New York Design Center

I recently visited New York City for the wedding of a dear friend. Luckily, the rain spared her outdoor event, but did infringe on my flea market shopping in the following days. I did, however, check out the famed New York Design Center. The NYDC was built in 1926 and is our country's oldest furniture and design building. The historic 16-story, 500,000 square foot was designed by Ely Jacques Kahn and was originally only available to department and furniture store buyers.

The New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Avenue, NYC

It wasn't until the late 1970's that the center began to shift focus toward interior designers and architects. The NYDC now houses nearly 100 showrooms representing more than 500 lines of residential and contract furniture, fabric, floor & wall coverings, lighting and decorative accessories. The NYDC is a must see when in the city, and make sure to give yourself enough time. There is so much to see, it's almost overwhelming for a day trip. Here are just a few of my favorites...

Atelier Compos Sideboard

McGuire Butterfly Chair

Brueton Metropole Sofa

Tucker Robbins Porcelain Mortar Side Table/Stool

McGuire Fretwork Chair by Barbara Barry

Jean Paul Gaultier Teams Up with Roche Bobois

The French designer has translated his runway fashions into the interior design world along with the help of contemporary furniture company Roche Bobois. The results are glamorous showcase pieces mixing stripes, color and feminine florals. 

Industrial Chic

Citified

One of my absolute favorite styles is industrial chic. It's all th rage right now and I can't get enough! This style incorporates vintage and modern pieces (hence the oxymoron "industrial chic") and more specifically vintage pieces that seem to have a mechanical flair.  If it has wheels or is made of metal it's a perfect industrial accessory. Right now we're seeing a lot of industrial lighting reminiscent of a factory warehouse scene and tables that look more like carts with their large metal wheels. 

House Beautiful

House to Home

House Beautiful

House Beautiful


Wisteria

One retailer that has run with the industrial craze is Restoration Hardware.  They've taken their industrial pieces and mixed them up with light wood furniture that has a rustic flair. This seasons collection has rejuvenated the typically classic style of Restoration Hardware giving them a new and distinctive look.

Diane von Furstenberg Fabrics for the Home

With a new home line debuting early next year, Diane von Furstenberg is giving us a taste with her collection of 87 graphic cotton prints. With inspiration from her runway creations, these bold and colorful prints are perfect for pillows and upholstery. A showcase of these prints can be experienced at the Claridge hotel in London, a spot frequented by Diane for the last 30 years, where she had the opportunity to design and furnish the 20 guest rooms.

* Images via Elle Decor and Perfect Escapes