French Appeal

Love the fact that this dining table is next to the fireplace.

The light fixture is an interesting deviation from all of the other traditional 

elements of this room.  Do you like it?

Gold and Black

I'm really loving these rooms with all the gold.

The black light fixtures really look great paired

with it.

Torchiere Floor Lamp in Tiffany Blue

I was surfing the net looking for pictures of

Tiffany & Co. inspired Christmas stuff when

I came across this beautiful torchiere made 

by Louis Comfort Tiffany in Tiffany Blue.

I know I have not blogged about torchiere

lighting and saw this as an opportunity to do so.

Torchiere floor lamps provide an easy and 

effective way to supply soft, but effective room lighting

that bounces off the ceiling to illuminate a space.  They provide 

a beautiful way to light a room when overhead light is lacking, 

or simple when collateral lighting is preferable.

Louis Comfort Tiffany advanced his interior design career

by producing stained glass windows for the homes of the

elite of New York City society.  The interior design

firm ultimately evolved into a studio from which his

extremely prized leaded glass Tiffany lamps were 

handcrafted by a team of artisans and craftsmen.

Tiffany Blue mixed with Christmas Red makes this table really pop!

This is the Tiffany Suite.  The console table looks like it was

designed to look like a ring--very clever!

The flush-mounted crystal chandelier is probably from

Schonbek.  Schonbek has several levels of crystal and many

different styles from traditional to contemporary.

I recently used several Schonbek pieces on a project.

My client had a feng shui expert come in to tell her

how to create the best energy in her home.  He

recommended crystal chandeliers.

Do you think it's true that good things come in small

packages?

Double Chandeliers

This is a fun twist to a traditional chandelier.

Isn't two better than one?  Notice the very small recessed lights.

The chandeliers have sparkle because of the crystal, but the dining

table will sparkle because the recessed lights actually hit the table

directly.  You always want to use at least two recessed lights

in addition to your chandelier.

So, It's football day.  We are off to the coliseum.

Before and After Lighting

Before

After

I have seen this after shot before.

 My client sent me the before shot.  

It's hard to believe that it is the same space.  

I love the way the art is displayed!  

The pendant light, and  the pop of orange 

on the front door really transforms this entry.

Segreto Finishes by Leslie Sinclair

One of my clients loaned me the book "Segreto" by Leslie Sinclair.

The following images are from her website.  I absolutely love

the feeling of these rooms.  Her color combinations are so 

soft and harmonious.

This same client is struggling with what color to paint her walls.

The color we chose looks blah next to the existing chocolate 

brown.

So, to all the designers in blog land, what are some of your

secrets for choosing the perfect color?

All the chandeliers and wall sconces are wonderful.

If you have not seen Leslie's book, I recommend checking

it out.

Gearing Up For Thanksgiving

I've got Thanksgiving tables on my mind.

The white pumpkins and gourdes could make

an interesting table decoration.

Everyone loves a gift.  It could be fun to put a

beautiful package at each setting.

This is a fun way to do name tags.

A reminder to count our blessings.

I'm getting a head start on my list of things I'm 

grateful for:

I'm grateful to everyone who visits my blog

and leaves a comment.  I truly appreciate it.

Happy Monday.

Pendant Lighting

A Love Affair with all things French

Today's guest blog post comes courtesy of

Arcadian Lighting: enjoy!  Most designers and

design bloggers have a love affair with all things French

because their decor and design is inimitable.

In many French homes you'll see a combination of

styles, colors and periods, all put together with a

joie de vivre.  From the way light fixtures are hung

in a dining room, to the sangfroid approach to 

living room and bedroom arrangements, this

round-up will offer a glimpse of what makes French 

living so ridiculously chic.

This is quite an eclectic mix of styles.  It reminds me of the

way Roche Bobois puts their rooms together.

There are several French and Italian companies that 

make the white fiberglass chairs.

So, what do you think of the pendants?

Fermob Tables and Chairs

These tables and chairs are from a French company called

Fermob.  They come in all the colors of the rainbow.

I'm loving this particular setting.

Bonesteel Trout Hall

I just learned about the design firm of 

Bonesteel Trout and Hall.

They certainly are a talented trio.

The following pictures are only one of their projects.

For more images visit them.

Of course, I loved their lighting choices in the kitchen 

and bath.

The industrial pendants look great next to the stainless steel

refrigerator.

What do you think of the wall lights in the children's room?

I'm starting to see these pop up all over the place.

RED D OR KNOT

RED

Billy Beson says, "Harness the attention-getting

power of red in your home with these tips:

A good way to find a red paint you can live with is 

to choose a red in a fabric, rug, wallpaper, artwork

or even from nature, and match it.  Always try out

several shades of red paint on the wall first, and view at

different times of day, including nighttime.

Red looks fabulous with black and white.  Pair it 

with charcoal sketches in silver frames, hounds tooth

check or gray flannel stripes.

Don't overdo a good thing.  Red needs to be tempered

with neutrals such as white, cream, camel or silvery gray.

If you have red walls in a room, keep furnishings neutral.  

Red works well with nearly all woods, metals, and

many stones."

I love red this time of year.

How do you feel about red?

Beautiful Photography by Gabi Dendinger

Happy Monday

I would like to introduce you to the work of

the talented Gabi Dendinger.

Gabi was born in Hamburg, Germany and became

interested in photography and art at a young age.

Her first camera was a brownie.

At age 20 she moved to Israel to work on a Kibbutz.

Her time in Israel was spent picking grapefruit rather

than painting or photographing.

She now lives in southern California and enjoys

spending time developing and printing black and white

photographs.

Several of her photographs have been published by the

Orange County Register and she was a finalist in the

recent World Wildlife Fund photo contest.

Gabi can be reached at 714.271.8577

or 

gabrieleruth@verizon.net

Do you have a favorite?

Wine Cellar Chic

Wood floors are on my radar these days because 

I am helping a client find the perfect flooring.

In my research, I came across these pictures

of reclaimed wine barrel floors.  The product

is actually very expensive, but I love the way it

looks in this wine cellar.

I also found a very cool sconce that is

supposedly a reclaimed wine bottle.

Take a look below and then go Alamodeus

for other great ideas for used wine bottles.

This is such a clever use of an old wine bottle.

Cheers, hope you are having a great Sunday!