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Coral, Aqua, Bubbles, and Baubles!

22 May

I have this thing about carbonated water: I like it. In my house, we call it “bubble water.” I also have this thing – which I like to think of as an eccentricity but some may call it weird – where I like to match my outfit to whatever drink container I’m toting around. Not that I have to match it: that would be weird. But, for example, if I have on a pink necklace and go to my fridge to grab a drink to go, I’m inclined to choose a pink one rather than think about what I actually want to drink. Get it? Ok, then let’s assume you’re the same way.

YOU ARE?

Great! Then let’s talk about the sparkling water I am currently drinking, which has the most deliciously hokey 80′s can I’ve ever seen. So much so that I hesitated to purchase it initially. But I did. And man, I love these cans.

It’s LaCroix flavored sparkling water, and my favorite flavor is “pamplemousse.” That’s right: grapefruit. In French. It’s charming, really.

Ever since I’ve been carrying around these cans, I’ve been seeing tons of things in these lovely colors. Particularly things you can wear. So below are some picks I’ve pulled together to help you maximize your pamplemousse. Or something like that…

Clockwise from necklace at left: Palamino Necklace by Stella and Dot, $138 (image via Stella and Dot);Cashmere Two-Tone Sweatshirt in Azeala Flax from J. Crew, $258 (imaeg via J Crew); Missoni Mare Bikini, $390 (image via Missoni); Elina Shoe by Kate Spade, $225 (image via Kate Spade); Darcee Shades from Kate Spade, $148 (image via Kate Spade); Charlize Teardrop Earrings by Stella and Dot, $34 (image via Stella and Dot).

 

That was fun! Next post, it’s back to decor.

P.S.: If you want to purchase any of those gorgeous Stella & Dot baubles, head over here to make it happen. I still have an online trunk show going on until June 1, and I can guarantee your stylist is the best, because she’s my wonderful cousin!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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Stunning Swatches!

21 May

Testing paint colors is a really fun process!

I feel a top of the stairs project coming on…  (image via ApartmentTherapy)

 

Well, it is for me at least. I can’t always say that’s the case for my clients, who have called/emailed/texted me at all hours of the day to tell me how stressed out they are about the crazy test patches on their walls. Thankfully I’ve never had a client who didn’t find the perfect color…even if it took four trips to the paint store for $8 sample quarts, and the very-infrequent, sometimes very-necessary do over. 

Part of what I love about the process is the imperfection of all those blobs on a wall. You know: the spot on the wall where you haphazardly paint six colors, hoping that one will jump out at you? Hopefully, you use primer if the existing color is dark or bright (most of my clients do this, or let me do it). And hopefully you use a real paintbrush like a grown up and not a tiny brush from a craft kit or a spongey-stick thing (you know who you are). Because when done right, test patches are really informative and crucial to the process.

Sometimes I have people tint samples if they find the right hue that’s not quite the right value. Sometimes we mix sample colors together to try to achieve the right feel before choosing another round. And sometimes – sometimes! – we get it right on the first try. But that’s not as fun, is it?

Here are some beautiful color swatch images that get me excited about painting. Admittedly, most of them aren’t done correctly for real swatch tests (at least 12” x 12”! on a white base! two coats!), but many are beautiful enough to leave as a permanent wall treatment. Some of them aren’t even house paint, but are watercolors instead. I’d love to have an office like the second image one day, where I can test anything and everything…and leave it there forever.

Enjoy the rainbow!

Watercolor grid – fantastic! (image via http://pvedesign.blogspot.com)

 

I love this application. Just LOVE it. (image via a source I’ve misplaced…bad blogger!)

 

Candy-colored paint and spoons! Love it! (image via http://www.happymundane.com)

 

An acrylic sketchbook exercise. (image via http://rozwoundup.typepad.com)

 

I love this image from Flickr user “angrypirate” – it’s an exterior wall, but shows the right scale for test patches! (image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/angrypirate/881055467/)

 

A watercolor sketchbook exercise. (image via http://dane-caldwell.blogspot.com)

 

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Bright Yellow!

18 May

Yellow is the color of summer, isn’t it? Think about all those glasses of lemonade, ears of sweet corn, sunshine, pretty dresses, and daffodils!

(L via DecorPad; R via hellohappinessblog.com)

Though it isn’t summer quite yet, it kind of feels like it these days. Plus, I just booked a long weekend get-away for my husband and I in July, and I can already smell the flowers and feel the sunshine. So bright yellow it is!

Here are your picks!

Clockwise from light at top: Zooey Mini Chandelier by Perch! via 2Modern, $480 (image via 2Modern.com); “Manners Can Be Fun” Book, $14.95 at Anthropologie (image via Anthropologie.com); Stray Dog Design’s Blum Wood Floor Lamp, $638 (image via StrayDogDesigns); Dwell Studio’s Draper Stripe Citrine Rug, $165 and up (image via DwellStudio.com); Yield Coffee Table from CB2, $449 (image via CB2.com); World’s Away Acadia Wastebasket via Layla Grayce, $119 (image via LaylaGrayce.com); West Elm’s Colored Stripe Lacquer Box, from $24 (image via WestElm.com); Dover Mirror in yellow via Art Dreams Hospitality (image via artdreamshome.com); Trina Turk Multi-Floral Yellow Pillow, $150 (image via ZincDoor.com)

 

Have a great, sunny weekend!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Find of the Week: Beautiful Bookcase!

15 May

I can’t even…

I don’t know…

Nothing to say about this piece except that it’s incredible.

The Kitamura Cabinet from Anthropologie is $1,598, and measures 82” tall x 40” wide x 17” deep. It’s a casual distressed dark brown on the exterior, and has vibrant – almost yellow – gold leaf in the interior nooks. Simply put: it’s stunning!

I’d style it like this..

Items on the shelves are from here, here, here and here.

Do you love it as much as I do?

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Happy Mother’s Day!

13 May

I hope all the moms I know have a wonderful day, especially my own very special mom, who I love very much and will be celebrating with tomorrow! I also hope that all of my dear friends and readers who don’t have their moms around anymore remember them fondly, and take some time out to enjoy themselves today. I, for one, have been planting my garden and will be enjoying Thai food and Mad Men tonight!

Have a great day, everyone!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

It’s Been A While…A Few Updates!

11 May

I know that I haven’t been blogging much lately. While I’ve been offline life has been busy, but good. I think I previously mentioned that this summer (which began two weeks ago, for us) I am going to be keeping my son at home full-time (and by full-time, I forsee some type of irregular babysitting arrangement for  meetings and to cover my teaching schedule). His wonderful nanny recently (and deservedly) retired, and my husband and I concluded that keeping him home with me until August, when he begins daily six-hour preschool, is the best option. For those of you with little kids, I’m sure you feel me on the topics of “potty training readiness,” “behavior modification,” and just good, quality “mom time.” Here he is caught in a serious moment, which I believe was warranted by the excruciating anticipation of our neighborhood egg hunt last month.

So…how’s it going, you ask? Well, thanks to three-hour naps and a little bit of television, it’s going pretty well I think. Except for the blogging. The blogging is majorly lagging. But I am 100% able to keep up with my clients, and have even added several new ones over the past two weeks. I’ll be focusing on consulting this summer, and likely delaying any projects involving invasive renovations until the fall. In an effort to keep my productivity up in regards to my design practice, the blogging has had to fall behind; I expect this to be a trend over the next few months, but come fall I will be back to my regular almost-daily posting schedule. Who knows, I may even hold a few giveaways to compensate!

Here are a few other things I’ve been up to these past few weeks, in no particular order:

I started a project that is going to be using a lot of rusts and coppers, and I’m excited to see it through over the next few weeks. This rug is the starting point:

 

I entered a competition at a furniture vendor to design a chaise lounge, which if my plan goes right, will be MINE in a few months. Would love to show you my sketches but I don’t think I can…

I put together a few mood boards for a long-time client’s two children. This scheme, for a little girl, is a big time favorite of mine:

Lucky, the client favored this scheme, too. I love it when that happens!

 

Potty training. It’s been very very successful very very quickly. I don’t want to jinx it though, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.

And finally, last night I hosted a Stella & Dot Trunk Show for my cousin Joelly, who is a stylist. Fun was had by all, and there was wine and cupcake treats for all. You can check out, and shop for, some lovely Stella & Dot baubles here. I’m loving the four picks below!

1.) Carrie Bangles, $59; 2.) Bardot Hoop Earrings, $34; 3.) Chantilly Lace Cuff, $98; 4.) Bahari Necklace, $98

 

All in all, this summer experiment is working out. I’m thrilled to be able to maintain my ever-growing and currently thriving design practice, and I’m happy to be spending lots of time with my almost-always-adorable-but-sometimes-challenging three year old little boy. Pending any crazy shenanigans, I’ll be back next week with Color Friday and hopefully a post or two before that.

Until then…have a GREAT weekend, and if it applies to you, have a GREAT Mother’s Day on Sunday (which if I can really get organized, will warrant a Mother’s Day post)!

 

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Five Under $50: Perfect Placemats!

2 May

I used to feel the same way about placemats as I still sort of do about panty hose.

Which is to say, I felt like they were for some people…but not for me.

Then I had a child. And I wanted to keep my dining room table in tact as much as possible (which I can’t say I was particularly successful at, but that’s another story). 

So now I use placemats.

Typically, they’re neutral Chilewich ones like these, because I find them pleasantly modern and easy to clean up. However, some more colorful and decidedly refined textures and fabrics have recently caught my eye. Here are five perfect placemats, each of which is under $50 (as they rightly should be,  because you will spill on them!).

1.) Avril Loreti Paintchip Placemat from Leif Modern, $18, four colors available (image via LeifShop); 2.) Rustic Placemat in linen from Jayson Home, $24 (image via JaysonHome); 3.) Octagon Placemat from Crate and Barrel, $10 (image via Crate and Barrel); 4.) Dwell Studio Color & Count Placemats, $11 (image via DwellStudio); 5.) Duo Carbon Linen Placemat for Two from CB2, $16 (image via CB2)

Which is your favorite? I love the reasonably priced two-person mat from CB2 and adore the Dwell tear-off coloring placemats for my son. Speaking of which, look out for another placemat post geared towards children alter this week! Until then, have a great day!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Find of the Week: Natural Building Blocks!

30 Apr

Did you know that I love Jayson Home? Because I do. They are often my go-to for finishing off a space because they always seem to have “that one last thing.”

They are experts at neutral shades, and they carry tons of accessories that have wonderful texture and material: copper, wood, resin, bone…the list goes on. These Earth Blocks are no exception. As one of their less expensive offerings, they are $45 for 50 pieces.

(image via Jayson Home and Garden)

 

To be honest, I have no idea if these are intended for actual play or not. They appear to be substantial and cast like a resin, but something tells me that they won’t hold up to water (or apple juice) given that they are made from tree bark and tea leaves. But still, they are a wonderful addition to a sophisticated home that appreciates play and loves a little whimsy. If you take them for a spin in your house, do let me know how they work out!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Blue Hues!

27 Apr

Today is a blue kind of day. The sky is a clear and gorgeous shade of blue, and I’m a little bit sad because my son’s wonderful, sweet, and kind day care provider is retiring, and today is his last day with her. The kids are a little too young to get it, but the moms…oh, the moms are SAD. And so it is: today is blue. Just a little bit blue. 

Warm blues, cool blues, old blues, new blues! (image via The Rug Company)

 

Now here’s a lot of blue to get you your Color Friday fix:

 

Clockwise from pendant at top: Niche Modern Aurora Pendant, $425 (image via Niche Modern); Hudson Necklace in Deep Sea Blue from Chewbeads, $36.50 (image via store.chewbeads.com); D. L. Rhein Honeycomb Peacock Pillow, $104 (image via ZincDoor.com); Industrial String Lights from West Elm, $39 (image via West Elm); Blue Louis Chair (source unknown); Godta Mug from Ikea, $2.99 (image via Ikea); Darling Art Print by Sugarboo Designs, $280 (image via ModernChicHome.com); Blue Ombre Jar from Wisteria, $59 (image via Wisteria)

 

On a more positive note, did you see that gorgeous light from Niche Modern? And I love the necklace: it’s meant for teething children to chew on (because what mom hasn’t had their baby teeth on their jewels, right?) but it would be stunning without a baby and with a neutral sundress or cardigan!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the blue skies!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Find of the Week: Ethnic Inspirations!

24 Apr

This week’s Find of the Week is just in time for spring entertaining! The Round Sequin Tray  ($150) from Serena & Lily is part of their new “Africa Collection,” which is chock full of other neat finds.

Round Sequin Tray, $150 (image via Serena and Lily)

 

It’s made of recycled woven materials in Swaziland by artisans who create part time, which allows them to maintain their traditional lifestyles. Use this tray to hold some appetizers, and plate them on these equally lovely Moroccan Dessert Plates ($18 each) from Jayson Home and Garden !

Moroccan Dessert Plate, $18 (image via Jayson Home and Garden)

 

Happy entertaining!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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