life so far
I have always wanted a vanity and stool to do makeup, but have either lacked the money or time to get them. Here are some lovely combos from the September 2008 issue of Domino Magazine:
I love the stripes and mirror:
{Photo: Domino Magazine}
I love the stool in this one, from Ballard Designs:
{Photo: Domino Magazine}
{Photo: Domino Magazine}
Some day I am going to have a huge walk-in closet with an ottoman in it, just like this:
{Photo: Domino Magazine}
I think a lot of people forget that Urban Outfitters sell more than clothes… they have some awesome decor and furniture. Some of my faves:
AHH the hamburger phone from Juno! Love that movie! I must get this!
If you have never been to a design house, I encourage you to check out this year’s DC Design House or check around to see if your city has a design house of it’s own (most larger cities do).
What usually happens in a design house is that local decorators and designers are assigned a certain room in a vacant house to completely redecorate. How fun!
The DC Design House this year runs April 18- May 10, 2009.
I have a shameless request, whenever you are reading the blog, click on the links in the google ads that are on the right hand column (I will get money).
Love, Julie
(I am the one all the way on the right, {this photo is obviously not current})
In the rare case that any of you find floor plans as fun as I do, I will share…
I spent 2 hours in Interior Design class hand drafting this bathroom design tonight, the very last think I drew was the drain in the tub which I messed up. I was upset, then I realized I put the wrong size doors on so I will need to redo it anyways. And I fudged up the toilet. This is why I wish I was doing AutoCAD!
Now that I look at it a few hours later there are so many things wrong. I will post more later on the finishes and materials that are going into the room. Enjoy!
To the right of the double sinks is a lowered makeup counter, to the left is a built in linen closet.
I am dying to take some classes on Feng Shui, I have read one book about it (The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room By Room) and I want to learn more.
Here are some schools that teach Feng Shui- I’m not sure what I will go with, I have just been browsing the internet and this is what I have come up with so far:
The Western School of Feng Shui- most of their classes appears to be in California, unfortunately. They do have an online class on the Bagua map- the Bagua map I think is a little too new agey for me and I am not interested in the more advanced theories of Feng Shui, just the basics. The author of the book I mentioned above runs this school so I am inclined to go with them.
The American Feng Shui Institute- they do have online courses which do look interesting, I would like to do more research on them before I give them my $80 to make sure they aren’t quacks.
The Feng Shui Learning Center- way more than I would ever pay, sorry.
For those of you who have no idea what Feng Shui is: FS is, or what I have gathered it to be is the practice of creating good energy in a space. It is unseen and affects everyone. Some people can pick up on it, others don’t and probably won’t even understand what I am talking about when I say “good energy.”
Some basics of FS:
-When you enter a home, it should be a welcoming sight (and smell!). No one wants to enter a home a trip over a door mat or shoes, see a huge pile of clutter when they walk in or immediately walk in to a piece of furniture that is too near the entry. Allow plenty of space in the foyer to allow guests to hang there for a second when they first enter. Make sure they are greeted with a beautiful image: a cozy seating area or a beautiful view out to your garden. FS suggests not hanging mirrors directly opposite the door as it will direct energy out the door. That is some of the new-agey part so take it with a grain of salt.
-Don’t keep items in your home that don’t make you happy. Furniture that you bought with your ex-husband, artwork you hate- if you don’t like it, it will create bad energy in the space it is in. Get rid of it if it has negative associations with it.
-Fake flowers and dead flowers = no no. You want your home to promote life. What a downer dead plants are. Beautiful, healthy plants and flowers can bring such a great energy into a space.
There are many more basic aspects to FS, that is enough for now, maybe more later.
I was at a local paint store the other day picking up a fan deck- I asked the dude who worked there (for lack of a better term- paint guy?) if Benjamin Moore was the paint they sold the most of. He said yes and that he wished it wasn’t so. He recommended C2 paint- it is a European paint which he raved about.
C2 is mixed using 4 additional pigments that most other brands of paint do not use, which creates a richer, deeper color. They have a line of low VOC paints called LoVo, if that is your thing.
VOC’s, Volatile Organic Compounds are elements in paint that make it smell like chemicals and apparently not so good for the environment. You can find paints with no VOC’s but I’ve heard they are not the best quality of paint. Not to run Duron under the bus, but I have heard that they traditionally have been known to have very stinky paints which means they probably contained quite a lot of VOC’s. Hopefully they have cleaned up their act, it looks like they have from their website.
Antiques scare me… who knows who owned them or if they died on the piece of furniture? I know it is majorly weird.
I am going to have to get over my phobia because I am beginning to LOVE the website 1st Dibs. It lists antiques from various dealers. Here are some great things on there right now. I am not going to link them as they will surely be snatched up by the time you read this.
1940′s High Back Sleigh Chairs:
Osler Wall Lights: My whole house would not be decorated in this style… any room or house does not need one style or era. Mix styles!
Oooooooo love this: 1920s French Giltwood Sunburst Mirror:
Be sure to check the site out!
While I am on the topic of Antiques, be sure to check out the DC Spring Antiques Show this March.
I really love some of the spaces that were featured in December 2008′s Domino Mag (yes, I just got it in the mail).
These photos below are from the apartment of Domino Contributing Editor Nathan Turner. I love his whole apartment.
{All Photos by Miguel Flores- Vianna}
Navy Blue is my all time favorite color. I would kill for that bed- I am dying for a canopy or a bed with posts of some sort.
Sisal Rugs are another favorite thing of mine.
Have I mentioned I like navy blue?
Benjamin Moore makes a great Navy Blue. Old Navy 2063-10 By Benjamin Moore:
{Actual Navy looks more navy}
Today to my surprise I noticed I was quoted in the Washington Post Home Section. In last week’s addition they had a small blurb on great movie decor, which inspired me to post some pictures on the great decor in the movie “Somethings Gotta Give.” {Here is the post.}
They asked readers to email in talking about what other movies have great decor. I immediately emailed them to tell how I loved the house from the Father of the Bride movie. You may or may not recall I have talked about my fascination with the FOTB house before {here is a post about it.}
I had forgotten I had emailed them until I was flipping through the home section today and say my name. I was like “Oh, that’s me… {long pause…} HOLY COW, THAT’S ME!!” I was very excited to say the least.
You can view the article here.
