Musings & Wants: A Dazzling Divider

just in time for the holidays, new shimmer at pier 1

I simply cannot! This room divider is well within Pier 1's wheelhouse and yet it is such an unexpected piece. Platinum-colored frame with a curvy, elegant Moroccan trellis design. The possibilities: dressing mirror, draped with scarves, angled near a window. Heck maybe dismantled and painted...teal? 

Or even paired up with this lovely...

Single-Girl Style: Downtown Decadence

now: nanette lepore's stunning bedroom

Six years ago, Elle Decor featured the Manhattan brownstone of fashion designer Nanette Lepore. It was one of those legendary shoots - eternally popular with shelter enthusiasts online. This is a family home, not a "single-girl's," but the styling is distinctly feminine. LIVINGetc just revisited Lepore's home with the launch of her homewares line... and it's still stunning.

Retail Odyssey: Rustic Modern at Target

the new asmara furniture collection from mudhut @ target.com

One of Target.com's featured home dec brands, Mudhut, is now offering furniture in a clean, earthy style. The Asmara line looks warm and sturdy being made of four woods and metal hardware. The collection is on the affordable side with nothing priced higher than $179.99. I love the long, slim legs on the tables. Plenty of room to store other things underneath them, especially that console. These are pretty versatile. The product line is Indian/South Asian style, so it will coordinate well with various global styles, whether colorful or monochrome. 

Fuschia + Aubergine: Peacock Towels

peacock feather jacquard towels

Unexpected combination of color and pattern, but these World Market towels are quite lovely. Feminine, interesting and the contrast between the two colors is not jarring. Of course, the real test of a towel is plushness and softness. (Back when I couldn't afford them, I used to think that Turkish towels were the way to go. Then the Thomas O'Brien collection dropped at Target in some irresistible colors. Large, soft and plush. Still love 'em.) 

Imagine mixing these up with some other patterns for an eclectic look. The Thomas O'Brien experience taught me that you don't need to limit yourself to two colors. 

Rooms on Film: Cloud Atlas (Luisa Rey)

There are a ton of film sets I want to talk about lately and that's all I really want to talk about. It doesn't make for a balanced blog, but so what? Some months ago, I had the tremendous pleasure of seeing Cloud Atlas for the first time. It came out in 2012, starring Oscar Winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, and the promos were downright confusing. Never having heard of the (magnificent) novel, I just didn't know what to make of it. My loss! This movie is visually stunning and best viewed in the theater. The story - tighter and more romantic than the novel - is entrancing, resonant and powerful. From the 1850s to the very distant future, the cinematography, CGI and set design produce a dazzling array of scenes in the 1850s, 1930s, 1970s, 2000s and distant future. If you haven't seen it, or read the novel, run don't walk...

Now let's discuss the 1970s studio apartment of Luisa Rey...

Retail Odyssey: A Peacock Hamper

one of those things you can't find just anywhere

I was in Toronto this summer and tried to take in as much of the city as possible. One of the first things I did was stroll a good length of Yonge Street. I mostly covered the retail-heavy part that is full of malls, restaurants and shops. One of my first stops was HomeSense whose ads I often see in Style at Home and House & Home magazines. Turns out it's just like our own Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx in the U. S. 

Rooms on Film: Enough Said (Marianne's House)

Let's have a look at the second of three lovely homes in the 2013 film, Enough Said. Unlike main character, Eva's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) little suburban two bedroom, Marianne's (Catherine Keener) house is just a little more..something I can't quite put my finger on. Certainly Eva is impressed when she first visits the home. This one is also in a suburban neighborhood, but the location seems to offer some cooler outdoor decoration options. 

Should Eva be jealous? I certainly am.

Retail Odyssey: Gorgeous Global Mirrors

sana mehrab mirror from world market

Mirrors are one of my many weaknesses. After hot pink, color, texture, pattern, turquoise, bedding, hammered bronze, mehrab arches, floor cushions and paisley...comes mirrors. There are ten around here. Ten! Without shame. So why are the decor imps out there sending a perfect storm of showstoppers down the pike? The last thing I need is another mirror, but...

Bring Back Domino: Thank You!

an eclectic, global rooftop cabana in los angeles

This is quite overdue. In the year since domino magazine returned in it's new format, I failed to thank the publisher for one particular detail: making the archive images full-size. It did take me a while to realize that they were. But other people's pins showed me I was missing something. It has been really fabulous to be able to get my favorite house tours at a properly viewable size. It's pretty hard to see the details in 3x5" images. 

So, thank you, domino. I can finally appreciate my all-time favorite profile without wearing cotton gloves to protect the pages.

Rustic Canisters

paddle wood & glass food cannisters from pottery barn

These wood-topped glass canisters caught my eye. The rustic lids are very earthy. For the right price, I'd like some in my kitchen. The only space for canisters is on the window sill, really. Perfect spot to see them every time I'm in there.

Rooms on Film: Enough Said (Eva's House)

julia louis-dreyfus as eva in "enough said"

This is a lovely little 2013 film about a midlife divorcee who meets a new man and also meets a new friend/massage client at a party. Turns out the new man used to be married to the new friend/client, which our heroine discovers after having developed a serious girlcrush/envy on the new friend while listening to all her complaints about her ex - who our heroine has fallen in love with. One woman's shlub is another woman's teddy bear. 

Anyhoo, in the course of events both of these women have lovely girls-only homes that each shares with a teenage daughter. I see no reason for anyone to be jealous of anything given these two pretty boxes. But I'm a midlife woman in a studio apartment. Shall we? 

Color Story: Rustic Glamour

from nz house & garden, august 2010 - photo: jane ussher

Here's one for my "Someday" file: a simple room that is both down-to-earth and elegant. Black walls temper the airy room and plentiful sunshine making the space cozy and intimate. The aged credenza and bare wooden tabletop bring an earthy, rustic sensibility rather like a traditional farmhouse or outdoor dining. Then the details kick it up a notch combining low-key gold luster, simple glass, porcelain and silver into a simple gleaming focal point. And those Tanzanian portraits anchor the restrained color scheme. Despite my allegiance to bright colors, this room seems like the perfect restful space to end the day and focus on the personal. 

Someday...

A Milestone

On Friday, March 21, I reached 2000 Pinterest followers! This is pretty funny because I have done A LOT of pinning to get this far over the past...couple of years. Gaining followers is not the point of my pinning, to be clear. But it is amusing to see a celebrity like Sanaa Lathan signup one day and have 2000 followers the next when you've been at it consistently for so long. 

So here's to the insomniacs, fashion enthusiasts, geeks, film buffs, graphic designers and photographers who keep it so lively! To the continuing collision of all our (PG-rated) interests!

Rooms on Film: The Bourne Legacy

This action flick is a lot of fun! Tense, exciting, covers lots of climates and locales. As is typical of a Bourne film, everyone was dead serious. There isn't much room for comic relief. If someone smiles before the last five minutes of the film, they probably don't mean it. By far, the most arresting interior location was this rural Virginia mansion owned by Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz). Still very firmly in fixer-upper status, this house was completely breathtaking. From this wonderful oval staircase to the worn gray exterior, it was a marvel of great bones and light. The abundant potential was evident in every shot.

Brace yourself, this ends in flames. 

Viva Print Media: New Domino Out Now

second quarterly issue now available

Look what I found at the supermarket the other day. It includes a few homes I quite like the look of... This business of Scandinavian color schemes that balance spare pops of color with white bases is definitely not my thing. But I do appreciate it and enjoy better examples of the style.

Lotus & Fig: New Homewares

the paz pillow from crate & barrel

Not sure when I last set foot in Crate & Barrel. In recent years, I've seriously curtailed my window shopping. Much easier to keep what you make if you steer clear of temptation, right? But I may have found my 2014 birthday present! It encompasses so much of what I love in color + texture + pattern. The watercolor designe makes it seem like a rich silk, but it's actually printed cotton. Maybe I'll get rid of (sell off) all my other throw pillows and add this to the couch. Move forward with a lighter load and a fresh update at the same time. 

Maybe...

Single-Girl Style: Robin Roberts' NYC Apartment

 

good housekeeping's spread from june 2012

Since she's been in the news lately, it seemed like a good time to take a quick peek at the Good Morning, America host's livingroom. Robin Roberts did a covershoot for Good Housekeeping that indicates a lovely, ladylike space. Too bad we didn't get a full tour. The article specifically mentions a show-stopping view of the Hudson River. 

Surely, we'd all like to take a gander at that. 

Dazzleships: Ringin' in the New!

okay, 2014. gimme all you got!

Here's wishing everyone a prosperous new year, in whatever way you define it. Health, comfort and joy to all! 

Happy New Year!!!