Shape: Moorish Arches on Curtains

my wool semi-sheer panels from the company store

For several years now my wool curtains have needed replacing. Moths have eaten them through. It isn't noticeable since there is seating in front of each panel now. But when I go back there the holes are shocking. How dare something eat my beauties! The search for the same curtains has been fruitless. I got them on clearance in 2007. Nothing like them has really surfaced: both sheer enough to let the light in and with that exotic flair until recently.

But they're missing one important factor...

Exotic Beds: Fall Color in Bloom

the company store's highland paisley duvet (or comforter)

'Tis the season for deeper tones, the kind that temper brights into soothing vibrance while complementing their base colors. Those that play off hot pink, orange and amethyst will always be my favorites. And when they come balanced in strong, energetic patterns, I love them all the more. 

Color Story: Copper's Moment to Shine

moroccan trellis patterned pillar candle holder in from h&m

As decorative metals go, hammered bronze is my favorite. It's darker, earthier and mixes well with browns. Brighter metals like gold and silver are less to my taste. But copper is having a nice moment lately. It's turning up on items that are usually dominated by gold and silver. And it's really striking...

Retail Odyssey: The John Robshaw Sample Sale

fergana lotus duvet cover by john robshaw - blanket stitched edges

My intentions were noble. Swing by the hallowed annual John Robshaw sample sale, locate a Primrose decorative pillow sham, buy it at an awesome discount and go home. If there were no Primrose shams on hand, I was to leave empty-handed. No other purchases, since more bedding is the last thing I need. 

That was the plan going in. Unfortunately, there were no Primrose shams to be had... To my credit, I only spent $20 on the duvet above.

Color Texture Pattern: Modern Kuba Prints

bright and beautiful: kuba napkins in persimmon by serena & lily

The first time I learned about Kuba cloth was in the Marche Puces in Paris. My mom and I had a lovely conversation with a vendor who had once lived in Ohio. He tried hard to sell us some wares, among them a rough-hewn fabric in contrasting shades of brown. When the vendor called it "kuba" I was confused, but my mom - who was an endless font - assured him she understood. Since that vacation, I've always considered actual Kuba cloth a little too rough (the raffia palm) for my taste. Wool is fine, but I tend toward softer hand-feels. 

It's a simple pattern from classic tribal cloths, which modern designers have really taken to updating with color, texture and scale. Certainly the pattern is an uncomplicated one that's easy to play with.

And it works really well...

Mehrab Motif: Bassett's Emporium Collection

texture + pattern are great, but bring your own color to the seats

This one caught my eye on Pinterest, a chair with a Moroccan trellis pattern as it's back. Were Chez Moi a house (a big one), I'd put this collection on my wish list. The collection offers a full range of furniture from Nursery to Office. It's the dining collection that speaks to me most. The whole thing is inspired by antiques with Old World themes, which is...on the money.

Rooms on Film: Doctor WHO (Clara Oswald)

surprise: there's a t.a.r.d.i.s. in her bedroom

It’s the dream we all dream of - rollin’ with The Doctor - and Clara Oswald is living it to the fullest. At first she was reluctant to fall in with his epic brand of whimsy, but now she’s totally on board. So much so, that The Doctor regularly lands the T.A.R.D.I.S. in her postage stamp of a living room. (A couple times he even lands inside her bedroom, which makes no spatial sense.)

…Epic brand of whimsy, right?

Lotus & Fig: Palampour by Zara Home

pink + orange: one of the ones that got away at zara home

Of the many Zara Home items I couldn't get before they began shipping to the US, this lively palampour was one of my favorites. The lightness of the paisley allows you to see the complementing background orange so well. The pinks are searingly bright but not over used. The deeper shades of orange (sienna) and browns ground both feature colors, neutralizing their vibrancy. A perfect accent for a calming room. 

And they didn't limit this pattern just to a pillow, oh no...

Cozy Under Foot: Orissa Kilim at World Market

orissa kilim at world market

It's always fun to see wares in person, particularly things you've seen online. Sometimes the brightness doesn't come through in a photo, other times the act of photographing itself draws certain colors out making them seem far more vibrant than they really are. So, I was glad when the new mini Cost Plus World Market store - finally - opened in the Chelsea Bed Bath & Beyond. After all these years of shopping their fantastic wares online, I can finally see them firsthand. Well, some of them. It is a mini store, after all, with a very limited selection of goods. 

But this rug in particular was even more impressive in person. 

Color Story: Celiosa in Bloom

a closeup of celiosa plants with burgundy leaves

For about a dozen years now, I've been enjoying the cerise variety of this flower in pots and plots along my street. Downtown Brooklyn is pretty competitive about gardening and it's hard not to appreciate the efforts every summer. Of all the varieties on display, I get the biggest thrill from the Celiosa. It's eye-searing shade of deepest, deepest cerise is transfixing! One year I thought they'd been skipped, but the plants only came up late. Whew! 

So a few weeks ago I was strolling around upstate and found these potted in downtown Rochester (State Street, to be exact). There was not only cerise, but also orange, yellow and pink! Too much beauty to ignore...

Windows on the World: Lillian August

the view from west 20th street: why are my pics always slanted?

It's September in New York and global eclectic is on. The signs are all around us including this fabulous window at Lillian August's showroom in the Flatiron District. This staging stopped me in my tracks: it has glamour, exoticism, urban sophistication, rustic texture and many pops of bright color. Inviting, not overwhelming. 

A fabulous vignette. Of course, it's only in keeping with the general quality of their window displays...

Rooms on Film: The Strain (Dutch's Loft)

The Strain is having a much improved second season and in honor of that I'd like to profile a Season 1 set that was pretty cool: Dutch Velder's Gowanus, Brooklyn loft. It's no secret that S1 Dutch needed to be offed. Other than creating the internet blackout of NYC, she was beyond useless. She couldn't even call off the hack and restore internet access once she realized she'd abetted a vampire invasion. However, S2 Dutch - mere weeks older than S1 Dutch - has learned to fight and weld and look on the bright side. No more curling up behind a gas station toilet with a bottle of vodka while vampire's tear the roof off the building...

Shall we?

Lotus & Fig: Charming Charlie's Moroccan Muse

pattern perfection: moroccan muse jewelry box

A few months ago, I wandered down a quiet wing of a shopping mall and discovered a store called Charming Charlie - and was promptly ensnared by the siren call of their Moroccan Muse collection. It had it all: color + texture + pattern: glorious shades of hot pink, bright orange and gold; airy cotton, gauzy weaves, glossy lacquer, smooth beads, rough straw. Good thing there's a store right on Fifth Avenue, NYC 'cause I didn't have very much time to spend in that mall.

But I did not leave without that gorgeous box...

Retail Odyssey: Earthy & Exotic at Pier 1

the moroccan coffee table base with glass round top

Is Pier 1 killing it, a little, kinda? Some of their summer offerings are shall we say, righteous. Sexy in that understated, clean & natural sort of way. Items that feel rich and stately without being too showy or ornate. 

Mrrrowwwrrrr...

Mehrab Motif: Morocco on My Mind

megan pflug's diy wall on one kings lane; photo by eric masters

For whatever reason, I have been in love with mehrab arches for several years now. There is no limit on size or detail either. They all appeal to my eye. So finding this Weekend Decorators project on One Kings Lane's blog was right up my alley! Maybe I wouldn't go so bold considering my space, but there are a few walls that are ripe for such a DIY. 

Of course, in my travels I've come across many other examples of mehrab decor lately... 

Lotus & Fig: Pink + Orange Accessories

colombian handmade love: san andres tote by guanábana

Summer is rolling along - a bit too forcefully it sometimes feels - and the orange and pink union continues to indulge it's relationship out in the open for all to see. What should be a competition of vibrant fellows often plays out like a loving partnership, with real partnership.

Their shared goal? To make much life less ordinary.

Stormborn Chic: Party Like a Khaleesi

keepin' it classy: a chic white dress and silver necklace

Even in the face of her fiercest fire-breathing dragon, or surrounded by enemies, Daenerys Targaryen has managed to keep it regal, rocking some outstanding dragon-themed jewelry. If the long wait till April is too much to bear, consider throwing a Breaker of Chains-themed soiree to ease the pain.

Rooms on Film: Saturday Night Fever

let's dance the last dance: john travolta and karen lynn gorney

It seems I'm still in an Empire State of Mind. Specifically, New York in the '70s. This movie has several locations: Tony's family home, the dance studio, stores, the disco hall... And it briefly breezes through the new Manhattan digs of Stephanie, a young woman who is very serious about her ambitions. 

Typically, it's one of those places that gives the impression that elevators had not yet been invented. Or at least, no one had thought to install them anywhere in the five boroughs...

Single-Girl Style: Moody Modern Luxury

home of di botha and athol moult featured in house & leisure south africa

This house near Cape Town, SA is nothing short of striking with its dramatic combination of dark walls and opulent colors. The interplay of modern lines and luxurious textures adds up to a riveting home. It's not so much welcoming as demanding. You feel required to be there right now, reveling in it's cozy, relaxing atmosphere for as long as possible before the owners kick you out. 

Musings & Wants: The King of Bookcases

the maharaja bookcase from wisteria - $1500 of exquisite decor

It's the Auntie Mame of bookcases. One of those things I'm not even pretending might ever be mine. There are just too many other things to do with the money. But, if wishes were horses and money no object... This bookcase would be a central part of my very own, super-sacred reading nook. Stacked top to bottom with only the most re-readable books - and magazines - I own. All within arm's reach of a wonderful sloping chair-and-a-half draped in saris and kilims...