golden leaves+gray skies

The skies have been gray quite a bit here lately and it may sound odd but I love the way the gray skies look against the golden leaves of the aspen trees. I also happen to love the contrast of gold and gray when it comes to fashion and home accents. Case + point...

(via malene birger, banana republic, kara ross, tory burch, judy ross, kate spade and chloe)

styling [floor to ceiling shelves]

Styling just a couple of floating shelves in the living room is hard enough, let alone styling floor to ceiling shelves. There are so many routes to go, but these are my favorite. First you can use the shelved wall as though it was an other wall in the room by placing a sofa against it or even hanging a mirror or on the shelf frame--all while still utilizing the shelves for storage.

Or you could add sliding glass doors over the shelves in order to add some framing and protection for the items inside.

I also love the look of books when they are stacked in piles versus upright. It also allows the placement of breakable items next the books without the worry of the books falling over on to them.

And they do look lovely when they contain no books at all and are just touched with a few lovely vases, pieces of china or leaning photos.


Although difficult there is something so clean about ones with a monochromatic color scheme .


And lastly, the style this is most like mine--a little bit of of all these styles all in mixed in to one bookshelf.


(images via i suwannee, melanie acevedo, hus and hem via made by girl, via velvet and linen, paul costello, aaron hom, michael del piero, steven gambrel, canadian house and home and furbish studio)
OK, that turned into a much longer post than I planned--but there are just so many options! So, what is your shelf styling style?

styling staples [flowers+hats]

Sounds like an odd combination, right? But in the past weeks I have saved these three images away in my "perfect styling" folder and what do they all have in common? Not only flowers but brimmed hats!



(via city sage from domino, lonny magazine and francois halard)
I currently don't own a lovely fedora or straw hat but if I ever have my home photographed I think I have been convinced to buy one! What are your styling staples?

jolts of jade

So refreshing and yet still so incredibly appealing on this cold day. Jade may just be my new favorite in the cool color family.


(via this is glamorous, under a paper moon, nuevo estilo, micheal kors spring 2010 and anson smart)

eye candy [stella spring 2010]

Alright, so much for my attempt to avoid the Paris runway. But how could I turn my head at the amazing collection that Stella McCartney put together for spring 2010!? I honestly think it is my favorite collection from her yet. There was everything that I dream of in a spring line-subdued colors with the perfect feminine detailing...

bold color with classic flair...

simple but heard turning shapes...

and vivacious patterns with playful details.

And look at the models faces--they know they look amazing!

fashioning interiors [muted + moody]

Although I love adding bright colors to my fall and winter wardrobe the muted and moody staples of the season cannot be ignored. Especially when the pieces are from Chloe's lovely fall collection.



(via lisa cohen, pure public, eric piasecki, s.r. gambrel, hans zeegers)
Also it seemed to wrong to post more of the loveliness from the Sping 2010 Paris shows when there is more than an inch of snow waiting for me outside! Have a great Monday.

a cozy [fireside] evening

It just started snowing here and all I want to do is spend a quiet Sunday evening curled up by one of these lovely fireplaces in a serene neutral living room.




(via southern accents, unknown, hans zeegers, stacey bradford and canadian house and home)
Hope you all had a lovely and cozy weekend!

happy [icy blue] weekend

In the past two days the warm indian summer we were experiencing came to end with a sudden onset of cool temperatures (18 degrees this morning!) and brisk winds that smell of snow. The icy winds reminded me of the cool but pleasant shade of blue in these spaces.

(via francois halard and nuevo estilo)
Wishing you all a very lovely and serene weekend!

perfect [rustic chic] style

When I hear the word rustic in relation to interior design I think cozy but I also tend to think dark and heavy as well. However, that is not necessarily always the case--rustic can also be bright and light when white is added to soften the natural elements or by using lighter toned wood.

And the chill in the air is definitley leaving me wishing I had just that type of cozy space to warm up in.

I just think there is something about cooking a pot of chili in a rustic (and chic!) kitchen that is much more appealing than in a contemporary or modern one.

And the being immersed in the warmth of rustic style's natural elements would make it so much easier to bear to dropping temperatures (and snow!)

(via lonny magazine, nuevo estilo, canadian house and home, living etc, and jeffery bilhuber )
How would you define rustic?

Lonny Magazine Launch!

I knew that there was a reason that I was excited for October 1st but I couldn't remember why. That was until I woke up this morning and remembered it was the day that Lonny Magazine, an online magazine hoping to reopen the doors to accessible design, launched.
I have to say that this 195 page collaboration between Patrick Cline and Michelle Adams did not disappoint!

I wish I could spend the entire day drooling over the amazing interiors, gorgeous photos, fabulous tips, wonderful styling and oh so fabulous hyperlinks to many of the products featured...but, I am sadly off to work.

Aren't those dining rooms stunning!? I highly recommend that you pop on over and take a read! I would love to know what you think.