House Design

Hola!! I'm getting back on track with my Friday "loves" post. I've been feeling pretty inspired lately. In the past three weeks I've traveled to The Bahamas, NYC and VT! I've been taking in the sites, sketching, working with fabulous clients and perusing my favorites, such as Insta and Pinterest. Here is what has been motivating me lately!! 1. House Beautiful looks sooooo good this month!! My favorite project was by Summer Thornton . It's pure perfection. And blue!! I love blue and my client's seem to as well! Speaking of blue, my bathroom is almost done and it's a yummy mix of deep royal, black, pink, marble and white!! I honestly CANNOT even wait to have my house shot! I hope my photographer is ready...It's going to be a long day...full of styling! eek!! 2. The off the shoulder dress or top is a "must have" this summer. I am waiting for a fabulous dress to arrive at my house! I ordered it a couple of weeks ago. I'll share the l...

I often say good bye to the cooler weather by welcoming the summer with a splash of color! I especially adore embroidered frocks and tops! Here's a look I can't wait to wear!! I don't own much red but this dress gets the stamp of approval from me. It's adorable!! 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 + 5 // 6 // 7

My tastes change with the tide, well not really, but I am always inspired by something new, fresh and unexpected. I can appreciate styles that range from modern to classic and my favorite interiors usually combine both. Organic textiles and natural woods are becoming a part of our lives again.. this trend has caught on with most. The natural beauty of wood, linen, cotton and sea grass not only look appealing but feel wonderful to the touch. I came across Michael Kors' Long Island beach home today. The interior is directly inspired by the surrounding landscape.  To add a touch of Michael's organic look to your own home mix natural textiles, fabrics and woven rugs to the mix. Here are some pieces to get you inspired: Anthro's day bed Patch's natural fiber ru g   Stool

Last week was school vacation for my kiddos. In all honesty the past three weeks have been a blur but I did take the time to head to Vermont late Thursday-Sunday. It is amazing how much children appreciate your undivided attention. I put down the phone and lap top and we went hiking, played soccer and snuggled up to a movie together. Those moments do wonders for their attitude and mine. We had a wonderful time and today they are back at school! I am feeling uber focused on work!  (hence this week's quote).  Here's to a productive week all around!! This is Friday's edition of Shelter Loves. I have zero wi-fi in VT. 1. I am pretty into my skin! I wash my face every night and am always trying new skin and body lotions. I figure I'll do anything to avoid more sun cancer surgery, wrinkles and dry skin. I will be using this Beauty Counter sugar body scrub to get my skin bathing suit and beach ready. 2. I am a dreamer by nature...Since my house is almost done (they are puttin...

With beach season (let's hope) just around the corner I thought it appropriate to share Art Luna and Tim Clarke's "hip and homey" surfer's haven. Nestled between Malibu mansions in Paradise Cove, this cottage has a vintage, bohemian vibe. I'm loving the mix off blue, sand and one of a kind furniture. Grass cloth covers the walls throughout as does art collected from California and Hawaii. They entertain weekly and head to the beach to unwind and dine on lobster..Sounds like heaven to this beach bum! See more here . 

I am working from home today for two reasons! My bathroom tub and tile circa 1972 is being torn out. Good bye harvest gold! This is the last major reno for my home. (Until I add a second floor). Whoo hoo. I am so excited. I went with a clean subway tile and I spent some time deciding on the grout color. The floor is a black hex tile and the vanity has Carrara marble. I am painting the wood work glossy black next week and am going with wallpaper on the walls! I also have a mirror I am going to lacquer in a splash of color. So here are the images I perused for my color selections. Do you have a favorite? Scroll down to see what I color I chose and for some inspiration!! The first idea was black. The contrast is nice and it certainly makes a graphic statement. The second choice is pale grey. These bathrooms are both beautiful. These tiles look a bit smaller than your standard subway tile but medium grey is another pretty choice! This look feels updated to me and pairs beautifully with thi...

Hello, hello! I hope you excused my radio silence. I was in New York all week with Ace Hardware and DBCp r ... I usually visit once a year for Ace and meet with the editors of some of the biggest and best Fashion and Interior design magazines in NY.  I shared some easy d.i.y tips and the latest Ace collaboration with Amy Howard's chalk paint line.  I promise you won't be disappointed with Amy's amazing selection of chalk paint and finishes now available at your neighborhood Ace store. The liming wax and lacquer are my favorite!! The few hours of down time I did have were spent catching up on work emails and doing a little shopping. How can I not visit a few stores in Manhattan?? I LOVE N.Y. and most of what goes along with it!! It's funny cause most of us have a few facets of ourselves that are opposite. For instance, I am equally happy staying in with a cup of tea on the sofa as I am going out and sitting at a bar with a salted, cold margarita. I was a city mouse all...

Delicately feminine with the perfect amount of sophistication this luminescent shade was inspired by hydrangeas.  Pale blue makes a wonderful accent color and can be paired with virtually any shade!  Lamp // J.Crew top // Sunglasses

HAPPY FRI-YAY all! It was hard transitioning back to work after my tropical vacation but I made it and here it is, Friday already! These are the goodies and great "stuff" that caught my eye this week! 1. Amen 2. I mentioned gardening yesterday on the blog.  Every summer I plant my herbs in pots and leave them near my back door! Ummm, these look amazing!! 3. Lauren is so chic!! I am going to a lax fundraiser for my son tonight and we are supposed to dress like pirates! Pirates? Really? I am taking my inspo for my outfit from this shot! Arrghhh.... 4. This space is a very layered but it works because the colors were repeated and pattern sizes were varied. I love me a non cookie cutter looking house.  Rebecca de Ravenel's home is just that.... 5. I AM buying this light fixture for my living room! Let's just hope my kids don't knock it off the wall.  6. I love sipping tequila drinks. I'm a bit of a tequila snob though and will only drink the good stuff! (it is so...

Purchase the items above here: Shopbop is having a 25% sale on their site today! Be sure not to miss out on the savings!! 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // Last summer Matty, the kids and I planted a vegetable garden. It was a team effort and it rewarded us all summer with a number of herbs and veggies. Last year my goal was to make delicious salads using what we had grown, this year I am going to take that a step further. I also plant flowers and will be adding more boxwood to the mix. I'm continually trying to layer my gardens... I was inspired to put together this "look" after reading a bit more about Susan Hable Smith's beautiful property featured in this month's Better Homes and Gardens .  It is a great interview sharing the creative process she uses for both her art and very popular textile designs sold through her company, Hable Construction . I especially like to use their fabrics ( the Hable sisters began the company) in kid's spaces. Susan l...

As the adage goes: Time flies when you are having fun. It seems in the blink of an eye my Bahamas get away is over and I am back in snowy Boston! I am however thankful I was able to steal away with Matty for a bit. We all need time to rest and rejuvenate. I am continually inspired by my travels. I often look to these memories as inspiration for my work... I do however look forward to my blogging! So here goes it. I came across this relaxed yet cohesive young family's home in Elle Decor today. I often dream of building a house, in fact I hope to make that a reality some day.....There are a number of elements seen here that I too would use....The ship lap, black window frames and light wood floors are just a few items on the top of my list. Cheers and happy Tuesday! xx All images via Elle Decor .  Interior Design: Tamara Magel. Photos:  Rikki Snyder