Tuesday, March 29, 2011

How to get your Life together (or the Great Spring Clean-Out)

I've been Spring cleaning.


Actually, I've cleaned out like I have never cleaned out before.  I've been nicknamed "The Editor" around the studio these days.  At home, I am purging and eliminating so many things that I've been clinging on to for YEARS, asking  myself Why?? with every box I take to the trash.


So now that all the extraneous stuff is out, organization is the key to creating a beautiful space.   Luckily, blogland is full of ideas for creating an organized home  and office.  


Check out some images that are inspiring me to get it together around here.


Making It Lovely Blog

Houzz

Houzz



Posted on Houzz by Naps Beneath the Porch Blog

Maryika Byskiniewicz

Jacobs Design,Inc

Rev-a-Shelf

Cozy Little House Blog

The Vintage Gltter House

Houzz

Ok....inspiration over...Go clean something!!


Sally J. Designs can help you to LOVE your home!
We work with you to create beautiful spaces.
Contact us for in-person and on-line consultations and turnkey projects.











Saturday, March 26, 2011

Violet Eyes and All That

Like so many of you, I was saddened to hear of Liz Taylors death last week.  She certainly aged gracefully, but I will still remember her young and beautiful with her violet eyes.


Even with all her beauty, I suspect that her eyes were the first thing you noticed when you met her....that COLOR!

Violet is an unusual color....not really purple, but a shade of....not really blue, but a shade of.....not really pink, but a shade of!  I think it's a color that is a bit polorizing....not everyone loves it, but those that do are huge fans.  (My mother always said it was a funeral color!  Yikes...that's a lot of baggage to hang on a color!)


I thought it might be fun to see what I could find in interiors in Violet.  
What do you think about using violet in your home?

Home Property Design

Mosaica Tiles

 Marie Burgos

John Saladino

Katrin Cargill 

Emily Walker


Wollf Kahn

Viera Cristos

Beautiful color, this violet!  
Beautiful lady, Miss Liz....can't forget those eyes.



Sally J. Designs can help you to LOVE your home!
Providing full-service interior design and decorating services and turnkey projects,
 in town and on-line.
email us!



Tuesday, March 22, 2011

All That Glitters Just May Be Gold!

 High Point market is around the corner, then the Dallas Market is right behind it. (Seems like we just did this!…..oh, we did!)  But that doesn’t stop all the wonderful companies from sending their new catalogues and product brochures to entice us to shop!
I have to admit that I’m liking a trend that I swore to myself that I never would!  The more I see gold gilding on tables, mirrors, chairs and other accessories, the more I like it!  I grew up with brass in every home, and I  just didn’t think I could like metallic gold ever again.
But I DO!! I really Do!  
Dillard Design GroupDillard Design Group
Jona Collins
Jona Collins
kerry joyce avot table 
Kerry Joyce Table from David Sutherland’s
Available through Sally J. Designs
Danielle Oakey
Danielle Oakley
fixture
Graham and Green
Graham and Green
twos company
Two’s Company
Available through Sally J. Designs
Aerin Lauder's dressing room
Aerin Lauder’s Dressing Room
{satin gold fixture from Kohler}
Kohler
Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects
Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects
twos company bamboo
Two’s Company
Available through Sally J. Designs
Sue Burgess via Dc by design blog1
Sue Burgess
So tell me, isn’t it growing on you just a little bit? 

Sally J. Designs provides interior design and decorating services in-town and on-line.
Email us for "to the trade" quotes on all items featured.
We help you to LOVE your home!










Saturday, March 19, 2011

SPRING !!

It's feeling like spring here in Dallas.
The pear trees and redbuds are blooming all over the place, and the tulips are popping up.  I even saw a patch of blue bonnets yesterday!


I thought I'd share a couple of florals to celebrate the "Spring-y-ness" around today!


Jeremy Philips - Photographer

Colleen Sawatsky

Bennison fabrics

Buckingham Interiors

Meg Adams

Yall enjoy the sunshine and flowers today!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Blessing for St. Paddy's Day


May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find your way.
May you always have courage to take a chance
And never find frogs in your underpants.


Happy St. Patrick's Day, Peeps!

Porte Italia


A Fine Thing

I'm posting a little bedding love today.


Shaped, upholstered headboard....
Nailheads.....
Crisp linens.....
Pretty pillows.....


And I'm so impressed that it's actually made up!!  (Not that I don't make my bed everyday....)


Sara Gilbane Interiors

Monday, March 14, 2011

Bigger Things

In the wake of the devastation in Japan, it's hard to make blogging about interior design seem very important.






And even though we may not be individually touched by this natural disaster, as citizens of the planet, we are all affected.  The pictures I keep seeing of the devastation are etched in my mind today.


Perhaps tonight I'll think about spring and beautiful chandeliers and cheery colors....after all....life goes on....but in the darkness of this early morning, my thoughts are on heavier things.




Here's a link from USA Today with organizations you can contact to offer help and support.
Please pray in whatever way works for you.







Thursday, March 10, 2011

Lighting the Way

Dining rooms are on my agenda this month.  We have three that we are designing...all very different....but obviously, many of the elements are the same.  

I've been shopping lamps this week.  I'm looking for a pair of floor lamps that really have some presence.  What I realized while I was doing my research is that in some spaces the lamps don't make much of a statement...they fill space and bring in light, but they are not the focal point in the space.

....And then there are others!  I've pulled together some inspiration photos that really showcase the lamp.  Sometimes the lamp is the "it" of the space....just wouldn't be the same without it.



It's hard to put huge purple shades in the background!  The color of the shades is more intense than any other color in the space, and the bold shape of the lamp bases just cannot be ignored!

Domino Magazine

Clearly, this arc lamp was never meant to take a back seat in this space.  It's shape, color and contemporary styling put it front and center!

Caroline Paterson Interiors

I love the soft shades of this room, and the pink spun glass lamp is an important element that helps to set the mood.   It has a feminine and almost ethereal quality that makes this room feel calm and relaxing.  The room wouldn't be the same without that interesting lamp.

Workstead

The lamps in this picture really speak to the way that lighting can impact a space.  I love the drama that is created by their placement and focus.  The designer has left no doubt that the art work is to be the center of attention.  Try to picture this room without the directed lighting.....blah!


Caldwell and Flake 

If you've been reading blogs for a while, you've seen this space before.  The lighting here is integral to the design of the space.  It repeats the color, creates symmetry in addition to bringing light to the bedside.  They are so sculptural and unique and they draw your eye to the amazing padded headboard wall as well.

Lamp by Quasi Moto as seen in Canadian House and Home

A "Sally Principle" in interior design is that every space needs something fun!  I like rooms that don't take themselves so seriously all the time.  This oversize lamp provides that element of the unexpected and is instrumental in creating a happy room.  You just have to smile, now don't you.  A non-descript floor lamp just wouldn't cut it here.

Good Housekeeping

These light-hearted lamps pull everything in this room together.  The shot of lime green in a sea of neutrals is playful and coordinates so perfectly with the art.

Home Sweet Home

You don't often see a brightly color lamp with a matching shade.  The two-toned theme of this room could have used white shades on the lamps, but try to picture how the impact would have changed.   The color of the shade was a deliberate design decision, and I think the room would have felt very different with a contrasting shade.  I love to consider what message the designer was trying to convey....I love design!!

Mary McDonald

Here's the reverse concept from the pic above.  This time the lamps are all white to bounce off the dark wall.  The contrast is even higher here, but once again, the lamps are so important to the overall design.  Can you picture any other lamp creating the same feel?  Don't we love Mary McDonald!

Westmary Castle

This pic is not my design esthetic at all....I do think the bed idea is very cool...and it does demonstrate how important scale and balance are.  I could probably teach an entire design class based on this picture....I digress!  Anyway, the choice of lighting here creates shape and the curves balance out the stark, linear lines from all the hard edges in the room.  

Nathan Turner

Hmmm....four lamps instead of two?  No doubt that was a conscious choice!  Of course, out-of-the-box thinking is an important quality for a designer to have.  I suppose he could have used two oversized lamps to fill the extra space, but isn't it fun that he went a different route?  He has given us all pause to consider how we might also do something different.  

So where's the inspiration for you today?  Are you inspired to go big, or quirky, or colorful? Part of my purpose in writing this blog is to get my readers to think about their design decisions ( and to push me to do the same!)  Even when it comes to a lamp....a simple accessory, I hope we can all take inspiration to make thoughtful choices about every element we put in a space.  It really makes a difference!

Sally J. Designs can help you to LOVE your home!
Contact us for personal and online consultations and turnkey projects.