Instant Obsession

Nate's "upholstered stool" by HSN. I'd probably reupholster, since it would take, what, half a yard to recover two? Then, I'd sit back and bask in their delicious-ness.

You're Welcome

A little rough, since it's fan made, but still worth it.

Say what you will...

...about being tired of sunbursts here, sunbursts there, but if this gold on glossy blue doesn't make you do a double-take, I just might need to check your pulse

design by Kirstin Kelli via Veranda

What would I do?

Do B&A pics draw you in, almost addictively? I'd venture to say my interest has some sort of sadomasochistic twist, since I have precious little opportunity to partake in Before and After fun - what with the lack of resale/Habitat/Craigs down here in Brazil. (Do I hear violins?)

Anyway, I still spend hours conjuring up the What Would I Do's when I see something begging for a facelift. Lately, I've seen some very snazzy images of cane back chairs taken from sads to shaZAMZ

via daisyjanie

designsponge

pemberley style

So, when I spied this little 'ol lady (one of a pair) on Houston Craigs, I immediately thought of giving them a new lease on life for my sister client.

Of course, fabric and color selection depend on room, personal aesthetics, and for me, mood. Here's a few fabric and paint combos I put together:

Yellow Ikat via L&S + Glidden Rich Navy


Flowering Branch via CC + Francesca by Martha Stewart Paints


Sudan by L&S + Behr Premium Ash Violet


Formosia via L&S + Glidden Deepest Wooden Green


Jamil via L&S + Glidden True Turquoise

What would YOU do?

*Psst...if you don't know, let me help you! email me at: atexski@yahoo(dot)com

Take your pick!

I spied these candy-colored lamps during a recent Ebay search. I like how the cheery colors lighten up their traditional lines. They're petite little dudes (15"), but absolutely perfect for pulling in an accent color on bookshelves or another small niche. My only problem - deciding which color is my favorite!

vendor

Ready for Red?

We're nearing the time of year when, after a brief hiatus following holiday excess, red reappears front and center. It seems there are clear camps regarding red: those willing to use it in their home, and those who can appreciate it in others'.
I'm a member of the former, but I prefer to keep it in small, somewhat unexpected doses.

Sofa = a little too bordelo, but the chandy in an otherwise understated setting could be magical.

Anyone see anything unworthy of our respect here?
No, didn't think so.

The striped chair makes me smile.

Given the choice of redness today, though, I'd have to vote for a glossy Thonet.

Specifically, the new, "twist" on the original.

Would you ever?

...have the patience to do this...

In order to get this?

...and finally, this?

LeAnn did. She lives in Austin, so, she's de facto cool. And talented. Really, ruuullly talented. ...and patient, apparently.

Daydreamin'

There are many days where I fall prey to daydreaming about how I'll design our home once we get back to The States. I look at our sad, abused microfiber sofa and pine for the day I'll be able to purchase a nice, quality sofa in the fabric of my dreams.

My need to temper those thoughts was not aided when I spied the newest additions to Serena & Lily's furniture line.
The Miramar is an ode to the traditional, English roll-arm sofa.

I've recently thought this is the shape I'd go for if in the market, but then S&L did a little tricky-trick and offered my other fave: anything with nailhead trim by way of the Spruce Street Sofa.

I don't know about those legs, though...

Wait! A happy medium? Why, yes! The same Spruce Street in the slipcovered option. Perfect.
Now, if S&L would begin offering a larger selection of fabric options (say, like some veeeeelvet) we'd be in business!

Coffee Table Quickie

Hope that title didn't mislead you into thinking this was going to be something risqué ;) Unless, of course, you consider a coffee table styling something provocative...

Over the last few years of having a toddler around the house, my coffee table scheme has wavered somewhere between boring and depressed. Like many moms, I just grew tired of having to remove anything that could be harmed, or cause harm to the kiddo.

This past weekend, though, I tried to hone my non-existent table styling skills to make it at least a tad more presentable...

There's a formula for this, but I haven't quite got it down.

Still, the right angle makes all the difference. (As does having a hubster put his two-cents in)

Guess what else happened this weekend?

Baby Girl turned 9 months old! Crawling like a champ, and pulling up on anything she can, so you know this new table scheme's days are numbered.

Did everyone fire their stylist?

I didn't watch the Globes last night (too late down here), but that doesn't stop me from departing from design and projects to dish on the dresses. Overall, I thought, "Wow, the stinky economy has hit Hollywood - everyone has fired their stylist." There were, however, a few stellar moments. Let's see...

The Mo-Mo Parade
I'm not sure if these women were trying to look older, but to me, between the dress and/or the hairstyle, these women weren't drinking from the Fountain of Youth last night...

Leighton Meester - isn't she, like 20-something? You wouldn't know it here...

Angelina Jolie - AMAZING color on her, but the hair is so half-assed, I miss something. Oh wait, she's sooooo over these parades...

Ann Hathaway also went with a fully-beaded, Dynasty-sleeved number. The rose gold color becomes her, but all that beading adds visual weight - ugh.

Michelle Williams - daisies on a nude background do NOT a flattering palette make.

Scarlett Johanson = Mother of the Bride
This also goes to show that nude can be VERY difficult to pull off - probably even more so on camera.
Wait! There was one more...who???

Freakin' A - that's Sandra Bullock! She's either:
a) Pulling the "I was the winning princess last year - this year, I'm goin' Goth" a la Gwyneth or
b) She's trying to hide from ScarJo (pfft, pfft, MeOW!)

Battle of the Bumps

Both women look radiant, but the rose applique on Natalie's dress is distracting - in a bad way. Jane Krakowski's fabulous earrings offer a much more clever device at drawing the eye up.

What were they thinking?

Just because you have a rockin' bod doesn't mean you have to show up in public with nearly all of it on display. Halle - we've seen you naked in films, we get it.

Helena Bonham Carter - well, what did we expect, right? I just wish for once, she'd pull a 180 and do something pretty/elegant/flattering for gawd's sake!

Gals who Got it Right

Helen Mirren. My husband believes she's "one of the sexiest women alive." Not sure how I feel about that...

Catherine Zeta Jones went full-throttle with the of-the-moment emerald, and she had her cancer-survivor husband on her arm. Kudos to them both.

My hands-down favorite(s)

Emma Stone in this body-skimming Uh-MA-Zing dress. The peachy-nude complements her skin to perfection, and shows just enough to be non-boring.

In a similar vein - Claire Danes. Although a tad more predictable, it is very well executed.

...and because I can adore the look of non-skinny women of color, too - Gabourey Sidibe's lilac, beaded maxi dress is the perfect amount of boho-chic for this less formal awards show. I'd actually loved to own that dress.

...and last, but certainly not least...

Tilda Swinton's channeling of Sharon Stone's "my husband's shirt" moment. This woman is such a rock star of an actress, she can tell all us hecklers to stuff it (and I would.)

Agree or Agree to Disagree?