Genius Idea

When Jen of Made by Girl, shared a few shots of her new home office, I was instantly drawn to her luxe mousepad...

Can you believe it was actually a little DIY project?? She made it using a piece of an old handbag pasted onto an existing mousepad! What a creative way to upcycle!

Beautifully Organized Space of the Week

This week's beautifully organized space of the week is from the home of graphic designer and fellow blogger, Sheila Vu, a.k.a. Miss Vu. She keeps her desk clean and uncluttered, organizes her pens, pencils and markers, etc. in pretty cups from Anthropologie, and my favorite thing of all, has created a giant wall calendar using numbered large black squares. I love that it not only can be used for organizational purposes, but it makes a beautiful graphic statement.

october 2010

While browsing through Sheila's flickr albums I noticed she had archived other photographs of her home office. She has used the wall space above her desk to display, organize, and change as needed, the images that inspire her creative work. Keeping the inspirations in this dedicated area, keep them from looking messy or too chaotic. Take a look at how it has beautifully evolved since January of 2008:

january 2008

february 2009

march 2009

april 2009

november 2009

december 2009

january 2010

july 2010

Designer Spotlight: Chloe Redmond Warner

Today I happily to browsed through the portfolio of talented San Francisco Bay Area based interior designer Chloe Redmond Aldrich and added these beautiful rooms to my inspiration file:

To see more of her work, click on over to her website here.

Source for Affordable Art

Have you heard of Zatista.com yet? It's a great source for original and affordable artwork. Here's a few of my favorites from their Under $250 section:

(1) Yipes Stripes painting, oil on canvas $70; (2) Wise Math Print, digital on paper $35; (3) Sunrise Over the Peninsula painting, oil on wood panel $150; (4) You Should Think On painting, acrylic on canvas $250; (5) Scattered Light painting, oil $250; (6) Quiet on the Lake painting, acrylic on canvas $125 (7) Viola painting, acrylic on canvas $125; (8) Summer Roses painting, oil on wood panel $175

P.S. If you're an artist, you can sell your art on their site.

Inspirational Quote

via absolutely beautiful things

Two Red & Black Libraries

Loving these two library rooms filled floor-to-ceiling with books and injected with black and red for an element of drama.

via canadian house and home

via traditional home

Beautifully Organized Space of the Week

Beautiful boxes, a basket, and vintage suitcase provide ample storage and keep the color story consistent. A white stand near the door keeps umbrellas contained and readily accessible. The dark wall colors (love those stripes!) help the TV and DVD player"disappear" and keep them from being eyesores.

via lonny mag

Idea for the Kitchen: An Open Cubby Unit

Little bright spots of order can be transcendent, especially if they're resolved in a stylish way :-)

photo by jen siska via sunset magazine

You can tell everything in the cubby is purposefully there. With open units like that, belongings need to be edited down for it to look that good.

Pillow Love: Get the Look for Less

I've admired the beautiful Sheesha pillows ever since I first saw 'em in the living room below. Unfortunately though the price tag on these babies is a bit more than I am able and willing to shell out for a pillow. John Robshaw sells a 20x20 version (pictured below right) for $200 (each!) and Jayson Home and Garden sells 'em for $250 for the 20x20 version and $345 for the 26x26 version (yikes!).

L: Karin Kohlberg via Page Six Magazine; R: John Robshaw Sheesha pillow $200

home of Karen of the blog The Art of Doing Stuff

Recently I was excited to find a few pillows that have a similar look for much much less. West Elm sells the Bijoux Dots Pillow (below left) for $34.00, and Etsy seller The Home Centric sells the White Mirrors Throw Pillow (below right) for $33.20 as well as the Light Beige Reflections Throw Pillow for $33.20 to $39.90 (price depending on size).

L: Bijoux-Dots Pillow Cover $34.00; R: White Mirrors Throw Pillow $33.20

P.S. I'm loving the large selection at The Home Centric! Check out her shop for more fabulous pillows!

Cozy Up

With the current cold and rainy weather here, I'm drawn to cozy spaces where I can cuddle up...

by jeffers design group

via the cinderella project

Hope you're having a great first half of the week!

Peek Inside Coco Rocha's Home

Woohoo! Aren't you glad it's Friday? I sure am! I'll leave you with photographs from a Vogue shoot featuring a peek inside the apartment of model Coco Rocha and artist James Conran. The home has a great mix of pieces: estate sale finds, like candle holders that once belonged to Andy Warhol; funky handmade art, like the dress form covered in pennies and decorated with peacock feathers; antique books and furniture; as well as affordable buys like the eight mirrors in the living room from Crate & Barrel.

photography by Claiborne Swanson Frank for vogue found via the decorista

Have a beautiful weekend!