Monday, November 29, 2010

A “Hurry, Hurry, Ding, Ding” Project!

I thought yall might like to see one of the projects I’m working on this week….and working quickly, I might add.  One of my favorite clients asked me to redo her guest bedroom BY CHRISTMAS !  But hey, where there’s a will, there’s a way!
The project is a guest bedroom.  The client has requested a blue and brown color scheme for the bedding.
I pulled together several fabrics….thought I had a beautiful selection ready to do.  And then I checked stock only to find the signature fabric that pulled the whole look together was backordered until mid January.  Since I’ve been charged to have this ready for Christmas (yikes!), that wasn’t going to work. 
So I’m on to my second set of selections.  Starting at the top and going clockwize:
Candice Olson for Kravet (those dots are actually little crystals ) #9573/6, Highland Court 800233H/273, Duralee 15107/54, Kravet 29504/115, Highland Court 800227/563.
fabric collage 1
Inspiration for the headboard is this picture frame headboard.
Beautiful Interiors in Colour or Monochromatic by Lisa Caldwell Flake and Mary Ruth Caldwell
These Euro shams in different fabrics, designed by Sandra Morgan, showcase your favorite fabrics well.
Sandra Morgan interiors 4
I’m also planning to use a lovely matelasse coverlet on the bed with a tailored bedskirt.

I like a fun “tootsie roll” pillow too.
Elizabeth Dinkel
Tall lamps to balance the high headboard would look really great.
EMILY-WALKER_HOME-TOUR_BEDROOM
A beautiful piece of art is on the list….maybe a Rothko! (well, maybe a print….)
Mark Rothko
So….I have 24 days to pull this together……eat my dust!

Sally J. Designs  helps make you LOVE your home!
Contact the team at Sally J. Designs for personal and online design services and consultations.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanks Y'all !

In my first year as a design blogger, I've met some of the most wonderful friends and fellow bloggers.  I've recieved so much more from this experience than I ever expected, so I want to take this opportunity to say a very special THANK YOU to all my fans, followers and friends.

Have the best Thanksgiving ever, y'all!


Sunday, November 21, 2010

I’m Inspired!


I must look at hundreds of images every week in preparation for writing DivineDistractions.  I keep a massive image file on my laptop, and whenever I need inspiration, I go peruse a file or two. 
That’s what I’ve been doing today, and I thought it might be fun to share some pictures today of things that are inspiring me.

This dining room was designed by interior designer, Antonia Hutt.
Antonia Hutt ID 
I just made the comment in the studio last week that I was really tired of the blue and brown color scheme, and then I saw this room!  I love that she took a risk and painted the walls this rich, deep brown, and then she balanced it with these icy blue drapes.  I think the effect is just luscious, don’t you?  The white on all the woodwork and in the background of the rug join with the beautiful light coming in to make the space feel bright and cheerful. Adding in the neutral gold as a third color creates a beautiful balance.  The pink tulips provide the perfect, unexpected element to the space. 

Could this inspired you to go dark with your walls?

Kathryn Scott Designs Parker Summer house NJ
This room by Kathryn Scott Interiors, inspires me to remember to think about symmetry when I’m designing a space.  Check out all the multiples that are balanced throughout the room…..matching lantern chandeliers,  vases on the mantle, small sconces in the windows (which seems interesting to me anyway?), matching chairs facing one another, pillows on the sofa….all pairs that draw your vision to the incredible color in the art over the fireplace.  

 Surely, this art piece was the inspiration for the whole room, don’t you think?

Tom ford's apt in Manhattan
And then the masterful, Tom Ford, show us how an asymmetrical arrangement can work to draw the eye around the room as well.  Don’t you love his advice at the top of the page?  This photo inspires me to think of new and interesting ways to draw attention to the focal points in a room.

vicente wolfs home as in Lonny mag
This photo from Vicente Wolf’s home inspires a couple of ideas for me.  If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I am more Team Color than Team Neutral, but I don’t know if it’s the playfulness of the gallery wall or the amazing shot of yellow-gold in the sunflowers, but I’m liking this all white space!  I know…shocker!  I love the way the art is framed and grouped….so random, and yet SOOO planned! I’d love to have my morning coffee here if I wasn’t so afraid of spilling it on all the white!

Small-Elegant-and-Beautiful-Powder-Room-Interior-Design-by-Stephanie-Marsh-Fillbrant-5
This must be the smallest powder room on the planet, but interior designer, Stephanie Marsh-Fillbrant, has created beauty and interest as well as functionality in a space no bigger than a closet. I’m inspired to consider difficult spaces as opportunities to think out of the box and create something that delights.  What a cool little space!

Barbara Barry
Here’s another small space bursting with personality!  The wallpaper designed by Barbara Barry (you can see it in person at my studio!) is just fun!  I love that it takes this bathroom to a whimsical place, yet it is tailored and modern and oh, so sophisticated.  I’m inspired to think of the smallest details….the ribbon over the seams, the skirt which allows us to focus on the wallpaper rather than plumbing parts, the shape of the basin which mirrors the shape of the mirror frame, the retro design of the fixtures and those tiny, precious wall sconces.  Just a very complete space!


I love a round dining table.  I love this one from John Saladino because it so represents the kind of dinners I love to have…..casual, yet elegant, mixing the simple linens with the beautiful tableware…lovely carafs of wine, comfortable seating in a majestic setting.  I love the intimacy of sitting at a round table where talking across the table is encouraged, and lingering is the order of the evening.  Delightful!!

Well, I could go on and on with inspiration photos, but the real world calls with a list as long as my arm!  I hope you enjoy taking a few moments every once in a while to just be inspired!  I hope you always find inspiration here.


Sally J. Designs can help you LOVE your home. 
We provide personal and online interior design and decorating services, so email us at Sally J. Designs for help with your home projects.


Technorati Tags: inspiration photos,interior design,dark walls,symmetry,asymmetry,balance,focal points,art,wallpaper,details,dining tables,Dallas interior designer



 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

Just one more to share....

I'm just extending my Black and White post from yesterday a bit, and offering for your viewing pleasure, a great tablescape for the season.

Have a Fab Friday, everyone!

Country Living

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Black and White – A Neutral Every One Can Love!

I was quick to ditz neutrals on the blog the other day.  It was a case of “open mouth- insert foot”  I guess!  It’s not that I hate neutrals.  I really appreciate them and love monochromatic rooms.  I just think SOME color is more interesting…..just me!
However, there is a neutral combination that always works for me because it’s a classic, fits into any trend and always looks fresh and new……..
Presenting!!!!!
BLACK AND WHITE
(I know Kathysue is doing the happy dance!)  Check out her blog and see what I mean!
Just thought I’d share some fabulous uses of black and white with you today and prove that I can see great design without a lot of color! 
Photo by Melanie Acevedo,
Photo by Melanie Acevedo

Caldwell  Flake 4
Caldwell Flake Interior Design
Diane Bergeron
Diane Bergeron, Interior Designer
Lisa Martensen ID paper  by Studio Pintworrks
Lisa Martinsen, Interior Designer
Caldwell  Flake 9
Caldwell Flake, Interior Designers
Allessandra Branca
Alessandra Branca, Interior Designer
romo's simonii in linen.

Caldwell  Flake
Caldwell Flake, Interior Designers
Cushions 032
 Robin Bell Design Inc_
Robin Bell, Interior Designer
Practice what I preach…..Here’s one from us.
craig black and white
Sally J. Designs
Sally J. Designs can help you LOVE your home! 
Call or email us for personal and on-line consultations and interior design services.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Thanksgiving when you don’t “Do” orange.

 If you’ve been reading my blog this year, even a little bit, you know that I love the colors of fall….orange, gold, rust and reds…throw in a little purple for good measure. 

I’m in my element in the fall…..AHHHHH!
 But what if you don’t love the warm tones of fall?   How do you do a beautiful Thanksgiving table that works with your decor and still symbolizes this special time of year?
Have I got a post for you!

Whoever learned to engineer a white pumpkin opened the doors for fall tablescapes to be so much more than shades of orange and red. 

Pair it with copper or black…
whitepumpkin phto by bobbi fabian 
photo by Bobby Fabian
Or shades of green and pewter.
martha stewart 3
Martha Stewart
Or even gray.
Chrisine Lemiux of Dwell Studio
Christine Lemiux of Dwell Studio
Other neutrals work equally as well.  
Go shiny rather than colorful like this setting from event planner extraordinaire, Colin Cowie.
colin cowie
Colin Cowie
Or shades of natural
nuts-centerpiece-good housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Or chocolate.
country living 7Country Living
  Or just hints of color….nobody does it better than Martha!
martha stewart 4
Martha Stewart
But what if you like more than a hint of color?
Purple is becoming a real player in the world of design, so it’s only natural it would show up in holiday decor.  It complements the fall tones so well, and it seems that everyone is doing it!
Eddie ross
Eddie Ross
martha stewart 2
Martha Stewart
ralph lauren
Ralph Lauren
Do you need a little more encouragement to decorate out of the box this Thanksgiving?
I think we’ve thrown the rules away!

Shabby Chic does Thanksgiving!
A cottage industry
A Cottage Industry
No body goes over the top better than Preston Bailey.
( This is actually his family Thanksgiving table! )
preston bailey
Preston Bailey
My favorite tablescape of the season is this one that Eddie Ross did for Lonny magazine!
Eddie Ross Lonny mag
Eddie Ross
Inspired yet?  You can DO IT!
(If you need help, call me!)
Sally J. Designs helps you LOVE your home.
Contact the team at Sally J. Designs for personal or on-line design consultation.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Return to Love….uh…I mean….Color

I was catching up on Facebook this morning, and my friend and fellow designer, Wanda Horton, posted an article that caught my eye.

The title “Neutrals are Out….Bold Colors are In” was like the angles descending and the heavens opening up!

I’ve been waiting for this day!!  (Not that I’ve ever hitched my train to the neutral bandwagon).

restoration hardware

Restoration Hardware catalog
How do you stay awake in this room??

My theory is that these mass marketers (who make all their furniture and accessories overseas somewhere), have discovered that if they don’t give you any options and keep everything neutral, then they make more money!

I have nothing against making money, but just don’t try to convince me it’s good design!

While this room, and many others in a neutral theme, do incorporate the elements and principles of good design otherwise, leaving out color is like eliminating salt from frenchfries or eating oatmeal for every meal !

So I was elated to read that “They” have decided that color is back…..like it ever really left!

Isn’t this just more fun?
house and home  photo simon kenny
House and Home – Simon Kenny, Photographer

Doesn’t this stir the senses a little more?
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart

Even when color is subdued, it can be interesting.
photo Tracy Shumate
Photo – Tracy Shumate

Doesn’t this just make you happy?
I Elaine Griffin for Home Goods
Elaine Griffin for Home Goods

In reality, there aren’t bad colors….neutrals aren’t bad either. 
They are necessary to ground a space, but I’m  just grateful to see a little more life in my color palette.



What say you?  Team neutral or Team color?

Sally J. Designs helps you to LOVE your home!
Contact the team at Sally J. Designs for personal and on-line consultations.



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Divine Tablescapes

It was pumpkins in October, so for November, I'll be showcasing ideas for creating a beautiful tablescape for your Thanksgiving table. 

I love the idea of a formal table for the holidays....doing the little things that we just don't ordinarily do everyday.

Menu cards are certainly not found on my everyday table, but how pretty they look for a special occasion.

Country Living  - photo credit - Gridley and Graves

Traditional china paired with silver and milk glass on a gray tablecloth...not so traditional!
Love the pheasant feathers for accent.

Are you encouraged to take your holiday table up a notch! 

Sally J. Designs can help you LOVE your home! 

Contact the SJD team for personal and online consultations
as well as "to the trade" fabrics and furnishings.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The View Through the Door

 When we are designing and decorating a room, we are usually visualizing the space from inside the room. 
But what does the room “say” in the approach….walking up and looking in?
I think the view from the doorway has the potential to take your breath away….to set the tone for the room and bridge one space to the other.
It is my design philosophy that we need to have some mystery in the space.  Don’t show it all at once!  Give the viewer the opportunity to experience bits and pieces of a space in small, carefully orchestrated moments.
Do you pay attention to the view through the door?
Did your jaws drop the first time you saw this ad from Schumacher?  Mine did.
Copy of Schumacher Schumacher
What is it about doorways that is so dramatic?  I love the way the stylist draws the eye from one scene to the other….the curved moldings, the pillows, the gold sofas, pulling the eye further into the scene…..such a calculated journey!!
Cath Kidston for Lonny Mag Cat Kidston seen in Lonny Magazine
Color, color, color…..can you imagine what lies around the corner in the other part of this room?  Certainly that bold painting and the antique chinoiserie chest are only a taste of what’s to come…..Delicious!
Gerard butler in Arc Dig 8
Gerard Butler’s loft as seen in Architectural Digest
Look beyond.   What a chair!  Perfect height…great contrast to the textured wall, and a beautiful compliment to the glow of the stately lamp.  Are you drawn in? 
House beautiful
  House Beautiful
Love this vignette!  I’m almost sure that the ocean is right outside that window!
Melanie Elston Interiors 2
Melanie Elston Interiors
Check out the walk-up to this library!  Just try to take your eyes away from the mural.  Talk about setting the mood!  But check out the white chair… it is a focal point too. Contrasted against the dark, rich paneled walls, it’s calling you to come and sit a spell.
souther accents riverhills kitchen
Joseph Minton – Riverhills Showhouse for Southern Accents
I walked up to this kitchen in person at the Riverhills Showhouse.  My heart skipped a beat!
What draws you in?  Is it the thick walls of the arched doorway, the deep color and sheen of the metallic backsplash or the shape and patina of the amazing light fixture?
Tria Giovan photo   Tria Giovan
I’ve shown this pic before, but the first time I saw it, It knocked me over!  I’m not even a big fan of that shade of green, but I was compelled to stop and 
 take it all in. 
Melanie Elston Interiors 5Melanie Elston Interiors
This hallway has to be the epitome of planned drama.  I wonder how long it took to find exactly the right chair and sconce for the end.  I want to check out each space on the way down the hall….teases of zebra on the floor and tone on tone wallpaper, great black and white photographs….Lots of eye candy here!
Miles Redd Hallway
Miles Redd
As if the green leather, nail-head studded doors aren’t enough, Miles Redd hides this amazing chevron rug amid a caramel and white color scheme.  I don’t even care that I don’t know the function of this room!  Is it a powder room?  an office ? or a foyer to another space?  Who knows?
  But I want to go in, and that’s the important part!
spaces designed Austin tex  It’s a Zig Zag from wall to wall.   An open room divider crosses over to the stacked stone wall.  Then you’re hit in the face by the bold orange and huge mirror before you turn into the drama of black and white damask wallpaper.  How gutsy is that?  But the designer has totally led me to see exactly what she wants me to see. 
tory burch vogue larger 1 Tory Burch seen in Vogue Magazine
Who’s got the nerve to imitate Tory Burch’s apartment?  Green velveteen walls leading into a burnt orange dining space.  The chandelier,centered on the fireplace, matching sconces on either side, twin mirrors and benches underneath, set a formal tone and direct the eye all the way through the space to the mirror on the back wall. 
Ok….you have an assignment if you’ve read this far. 
Walk from room to room in your home, and see it with new eyes.  Study the first viewing you have of a space and then decide if you’ve created something memorable.  Have your enticed someone to walk in with interest and curiosity?  Is there drama, beauty or even whimsy?
I’d love for you to email pics of your space where you’ve improved the view.  I’ll post them if you send them.
Let me hear from you !  sally@sallyjdesigns.com
Sally J. Designs helps you to LOVE your home! 
Contact the team at Sally J. Designs for personal and on-line consultations.