House Beautiful

Archive for the 'Color Palettes' Category

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Spring is in the air

Published on March 3, 2012 in Color Palettes, Decor, Fashion and Seasonal. 1 Comment

Is this what today looks like at your house?  Because this is what it looks like at mine.  Saturday mornings are marination station in slow-mo…  filled with coffee, Pinterest, Gus at my feet, Bob Dylan on Pandora, and fresh squeezed OJ.  In about 3 hours, I might decide to move.  But for now, there is a vat of coffee and a stack of juicy design magazines in front of me. Both equally delicious.

I don’t know if it’s the treasure trove of candy-colored spring goodies I’m perusing today on the mothership of all crack addictions, the cool, dewy air in the mornings when I take Gus out, or the fact that I’ve slept with my windows open every night this week, but I’m telling you, Springtime is stirring in my little soul.  It’s rounding 3rd, people!  Can’t you almost SMELL it?!  So go fill up your coffee cup, crank the ditty below, and let’s gab about all the things we can’t wait for when it gets a little warmer.

1.  CITY STREETS THAT LOOK LIKE THIS.

2. FARMERS MARKET SEASON.

3. ALL-WHITE OUTFITS. Nothing – and I mean, nothing – fans up my skirt like monochromatic whites.  White denim, billowy silk shirts, paper-thin white tees, and delicate lace tops.  Sigh…  the perfect spring outfit, and the perfect back-drop for punchy hot pink or red lipstick (Revlon’s Fuschia Fusion = my all-time favorite color), a great bag or a crazy piece of statement jewelry.  All that no-white-till-after-Memorial-Day garbage can stick it.

PS:  I bought this top last week at Anthro and it might be my favorite purchase in eons.  I wore it to a cocktail party with a thin white cami underneath, black silk harem pants and peep toe heels.  Money.  Also wore it to a hockey game a few days later with jeans & flats.  It’s kind of demure, kind of bohemian, uber versatile and so so pretty.

4.  BLUSH & BUTTER-COLORED LEATHER BAGS, comme ça.  I’d tote the buttery iPad case {right} to work, and the oversized blush Claire Vivier clutch {left} out at night.  With the all-white outfit.  BANG!

5.  FRESH HERBS.  Pot them now in the kitchen window…

{Note:  You can also paint terra cotta pots with chalkboard paint – either just the rim, or the whole shebang}…

…and move ’em outside when it gets a little warmer.  This is our backyard in Chicago, and there is a basil plant the size of me, which makes me happier than a pig in $#*@.

6.  CLOTHES THAT LOOK LIKE CANDY.  Say that 10 times fast.  But ah (!)  Who wouldn’t want a wardrobe full of Skittles?

7.  PAINTINGS THAT LOOK LIKE CANDY.  This is from Anthropologie – of all places…  I love it, but I don’t $3600 love it.  Which means,  if anybody needs me, I’ll be in the canvas and oil paint aisles at Michael’s.  I can totally paint that (!)  And so can you.  Nothing like punching up your decor with a fresh piece of art.  Holler.

Happy Saturday & Happy (almost) Spring!

xoxo,

*photo credits: {Saturday morning montage} – Slouchy sweater, toast & jam, rumpled bed, pink room, French press.  {Farmer’s Market Pic}.  {White outfits} – Denim and silk, Trousers and tee, Lace. {Herbs} – Shelves of herbs, kitchen sink, chalkboard herbs. {Candy-colored outfits} – Calvin Klein models, hot pink skirt, robin’s egg blue blazer, spaghetti strap top, yellow dress.

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My Pretty in Pink Closet

Published on February 16, 2012 in Color Palettes and Decor. 4 Comments

So, one day as I was piddle puttsing around on Pinterest – as I (*cough*) often tend to do – I saw these dreamy pink rooms…

And a few days later, I ran into a few ditties like these…  (GASP!)

Pops of blush & bashful – THE happiest hue out there – seemed to be everywhere I looked, and I couldn’t get enough of ’em.  And then one day, this one really did me in…

And that was that.  I had to have it…  somewhere.  Knowing my landlord would murder me if I painted our front door or our entire living room the color of Peptol Bismol – or bubble gum – I opted for a smaller space:  my closet / dressing room.  Why?  Easy.  Because if you reaaaaaally screw something up, small spaces are doodles that can be undid.  Here’s what my closet looked like before:

Vanilla walls…  white mirror…  vintage dresser.  But this space is actually a long, narrow mini dressing area – about 12 ft by 5 ft – with the racks and shelves at right (not pictured):

Scuzzi for the high-water curtains.  That was the day I moved in a few years back.  Clearly, they were too short and those bad boys came right back down.  (Good rule of thumb:  Curtains should always skim the floor, or puddle for a more formal look.  And to make the ceilings appear higher, don’t hang the rod just above the top of the window – hang it just below the top of the ceiling.)  This is a GREAT decorating trick to put in your back pocket.

Moving along…  I busted out a shade of perfection called “JAIPUR PINK” (Sherwin Williams) – which got a cheerful endorsement from my girl Vani, since “Jaipur” is an Indian word that actually means “Pink City”.  So I said, Jai ho.  Bring it on.

When the paint first went on (above), it literally looked like Barbie hosed down my closet in neon, tacky pink.  But soon after it started to dry, it started looking closer to what I had envisioned.

And now that I’ve hung everything back up (my “analog Pinterest” inspiration boards + some uber traditional wallpaper samples in shades of white) – I think I might just love it.

{DETAILS}

Other dip-your-toe-in-water, non-threatening places to experiment with crazy colors?  Powder Baths.  The inside of clear glass cabinets.  The inside of bookshelves (!)  Ceiling medallions.  OOooooooooooooooooooooooooh (!)  Give it a spin!

xoxo,

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