Lovely Mondays - Pillows!

I am often asked about throw pillows.  This is one of those accessories that I really believe can add a lot of drama and luxury to a room.  Scale and texture is crucial here and often these elements are overlooked.  In addition, pillows can completely alter the look of a room thus giving you the opportunity to change things seasonally or just every few years...

Below I have put together pillow combinations that work for maximum impact.  Of course there are no concrete rules, but here is some inspiration to get started!

-Anchor the set with the largest and heaviest looking pillow 

-Use varying fabric textures (consider sofa material as well) 

-Vary pattern scale

 City Glam on Jiun Ho's Chambord Sofa

 Modern Art Lover on the Raleigh Sofa from DWR

 Masculine Luxe on the Emperor Sofa by Chai Ming Studios

 Feminine Chic on the Lorae Settee from Bright Chair

Beachside Retreat on the Theodore Sofa from Z Gallerie

(Pillows by Dransfield and Ross, Willa Skye Home and Eskayel)

Fabulous Fridays - Family Picnic

I admittedly am the guilty one at the Whole Foods checkout.  Of course I partake in the organic offerings like the next person, but really I go there for the good stuff.  My cart usually ends up filled with artisan cheeses, imported chocolate and Lagunitas beer with some kale thrown in for good measure. 

With our move to Houston I have discovered Hubbell and Hudson market and it is exactly where I need to be...way too often.  It is a specialty market with the very best fresh and gourmet food.  They even offer a Viking Cooking School which I am desperate to try.

This weekend I am going to plan a picnic with my family with my finds there today.  Dinner truly “out” with no prep work and little expense!  I may strategically find a spot adjacent to where the Miranda Lambert concert is taking place so I can eavesdrop while the kids play.

My favorite finds today:

And how to pack all of this up?  

This case by Kate Spade is so chic.

And more casually I could fit my baguette as well with the one below from Jayson Home.

And for the ultimate in picnic basket design, please enjoy this clip which I found so inspirational:

Neri & Hu

Back to work now with my coffee and Jim Thompson swatches!  Happy Friday!

Wednesday Updates - FAQ

An answer to a FAQ about our Design Contest: We will work with a large range of budgets in order to give you a taste of all of the best design on the market, from vintage repurposed pieces to high end new designs.

GOOD LUCK!

Lovely Mondays - Store it

When working on city projects storage often becomes an issue so I find myself relentlessly searching for beautiful options.  This edition is all about our favorite ways to store....whether you are in town or country.

I noticed this Sheffley tiered shelf online at one of my favorite local sources in Chicago, Jayson Home.  I assumed it was a console without looking closely but then when seeing it on my recent trip I realized it was more like a miniature bookshelf, just 16" high.  The brass finish adds a major bling factor and I immediately wanted one or two for every room in my house.  How great would it be as something unexpected over a fireplace mantle?  Or lining a hallway with spotlights at eye level?  

Very soon, I will dedicate an entire post to my furniture idol, Paul McCobb.  But here is a brief version:  His shelving is to die for.  This one in particular was manufactured in the 1950's but could not look more current.  This one was available from Lost City Arts in NYC or online at 1stdibs.

Troscan's Ennis side chair is one of my favorite pieces.  Ever.  Needless to say when I saw it a decade ago in the Holly Hunt showroom I kept a close eye on Troscan and have used many of their pieces for clients.  Their Eamon Etagere would be stunning in a study.  Perhaps two flanking a daybed?  I especially love the mix of open and closed storage.  It is not as daunting to fill only 3 open shelves with items that look beautiful and then there are drawers for their more unappealing counterparts. 

The Ennis Chair at the Lake Forest Showhouse 2009

If you need to hide a lot of your things, opt for an entirely closed piece like this one from Ironies.  Is is handcrafted with bone inlay but can be customized with a variety of inlay options.  This setting is the 2012 Merchandise Mart DreamHome Foyer.  An unexpected addition to a foyer, but it would make quite a first impression.

Finally, this cabinet by The New Traditionalists is the ultimate bar piece.  Recently we were able to completely customize the finishes and details for a client in the Waldorf Chicago Residences to fit into our lighter palette.  If you have a chance to visit their showroom in Soho, I would highly recommend it because the finishes are so unique.  And it doesn't hurt that it is located down the street from having lunch at Balthazar!

Check out the purple drawers!!

Fabulous Fridays - Cake for breakfast 

I recently had to wait a few weeks for a new oven and it was TORTURE.  Mainly because I missed this coffee cake.  Really it's just cake but I call it coffee cake so we can eat it for breakfast.  This recipe originated from Bon Appetit Magazine and I came across it on Epicurious.  It is heavenly and with six in my house it is gone in a day so when there are guests I make two.

When you turn over the springfrom pan after baking, the color of the blackberries is beautiful.  It reminds me so much of this delicious wall color I used at the 2011 Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens.  I think at one point I said exactly that I want the wall to look like it had a blackberry stain.  Luckily, I found "Mahogany" by Farrow and Ball and it was perfection.  Since it was such a deep color I painted the mouldings and doors in the same color so that the contrast would not be too stark.

It was challenging shopping for fabrics that could hold their own with this wall color, but Donghia and Duralee both really came through for me.  

Rubelli's Gloria is total luxury with a modern twist.  I don't usually use a busy fabric on main upholstery pieces but a showhouse is the perfect environment for this punch.  And their Hollywood silk is stunning as well.

Duralee's Bellrose Linen was just the right fuchsia for the daybeds that we "made" with a faux fur throw from Pottery Barn.

All in all, this was a really fun collaboration of berry inspired color.  Below is a shot of the dressing room...if you're curious, I had this dress below from Tibi before I designed the room and it really served as another source of inspiration.  It turned into my version of camouflage...

Happy Friday!

Wednesday Updates - Contest begins!

An exciting week here for us at JOID.  A fun photography session in Chicago (see last Monday’s post for details), the launch of our new Atelier at Home site, and most excting....

The official start of our design concept contest!!

You can now enter at any time (see contest details page) to win your own concept design created by JOID.   Yep, all of our ideas, for free, shipped right to you!  The deadline for our first contest will be 10/31/13.  After that, a new deadline will approach at the end of each month and we’ll select one winner from all that have entered.

So, start taking those snapshots of your room that needs the love of our team!

GOOD LUCK!

Lovely Mondays - Excitement and soap dishes

I was lucky enough to spend a few days back in Chicago recently as one of my latest projects was photographed for a magazine.  #feelinglucky  #staytunedfordetails

I wanted to write a note today about photographic styling.  Seriously, it took HOURS for us all to get one room just right.  Then we had to move on the next room...and the next...  And this is after the design was “complete”!  Two books or three on the cocktail table?  Can the leaning art "tilt" less on the mantle?  Why is this sconce shade slightly more ivory than the one next to it?

The most extreme example of this is when my lovely design assistant, Kelly, and I sat at Whole Foods and debated how to best use the soap dish we were going to purchase.  “Should we place the bar in the dish?  On top of the dish?  I am losing my mind so much that I forgot how to properly use a soap dish.”  For those of you who are on the edge of your seat, we used the dish on it’s own with it's hand carved cover showing and the bar of soap did not even make the final photo.  This is serious stuff. 

Moral of the story?  No home is perfect.  But it's yours so enjoy it!  I love a beautifully composed home but I love my kids jumping up and down on my sofas with excitement more.  Hopefully my clients felt like I got them 99% of the way there, if not "picture perfect".   

Here is a preview of our day...I will let you all know when to look for the story on newsstands!

If you are drooling over the sculptural bowl in this photo like I am:  it is by Michael Clement and I found it at one of my favorite shops called Decade in Charlotte, NC.  We had it custom colored for the space.  I can't wait for my trip to New Orleans next month to see more of his work!

"Lindsay" Bowl, Michael Clement

On a personal note, I was thrilled to catch a few minutes to catch up with some of my wonderful Chicago friends at RM Champagne Bar!  I highly recommend getting to their patio before the weather in Chicago takes a turn for the worse.

Fabulous Fridays - Happy hour and inspiration

Well, here it is.  Our first post.  

We thought we would begin with something lighthearted and fun because that is what we aspire to create with this site.  

Last month I was eating a lovely dinner outside at Tommy Bahama restaurant to celebrate my son’s 6th birthday.  It was 98 degrees and the air was full of Houston humidity.  

A waiter walked by with the most lovely cocktail I have ever laid eyes on.  Why does a drink recipe deserves to make it on to a “design blog”?  All of my clients know that my favorite color is lavender.  How can you not love lavender (I don’t always subject them to this obsession, but most are game for trying it in doses) I ask?  It is elegant, beautiful and diverse.  Add a little gray and it makes a great neutral.  Add warmth and it is sublimely romantic.  Add red and you get my next favorite color, fuchsia.  

So...getting to the fun part.  This particular martini was called “Bye Bye Blues” from Tommy Bahama.   

Bye Bye Blues

Mix in a cocktail shaker and strain over ice:

Van Gogh Acai Vodka

Scratch lemonade

Muddled mint

Seriously gorgeous.  And delicious.   See, everyone??  Inspiration everywhere!

For those of you who absolutely will not order a lavender cocktail, let alone use purple in your decor....here is a nice neutral cocktail for you using coconut.  Just as appealing. 

Coconut Cloud Martini

1 part Tommy Bahama White Sand® Rum

1½ parts vanilla vodka

1½ parts coconut rum

½ part Coco Lopez® 

Shake in a cocktail shaker and strain. Garnish with toasted coconut.  

While we are discussing lavender...here are a few of my favorite paint colors...give them a try??

Farrow and Ball Blackened is a wonderful neutral with a lavender undertone.

I used Blackened at the Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens, shown below.  

 I recently used Behr's Feather Gray in my own master bathroom.  It is a pinky gray.

Farrow and Ball's Calluna is seriously lavender, a la French Countryside.

Here we are ("I'm melting...I'm melting...") at dinner.