Open Sesame

Now, this is a kitchen. Those are some SICK cabinets...the rolling doors, the open plan. I am not a fan of the open shelves below, and I think I might like the wood a little lighter, but I am loving the farmhouse sink and the white counterrop. It all makes me rather happy. How about you?
Gotta have this in the villa!

You Fancy Huh?

I was on a fashion kick for a time, but now that I have some changes going on...I see some things around my home that I wanna change! Change is good and positive, and it is good to mix up your setting every once in a while to reflect the new you and your new mood. So, I found some interesting and fancy stuff I might like in my home...cuz I am feeling quite interesting and fancy these days!


This Time Talks English Clock is perfection...from Conran for $499. Most things are better in plain English.


The Chalkboard Globe gives you freedom over what is important to you in the world...its more than just places and names, it is where you have been and want to go! From Well Appointed Home for $298


Everything he touched, turned to GOLD. This Midas Carafe Set is perfect beside your bed...DWR


Wax Collector Candle Holder is just cool...DWR


Flat Bar Frame Chair for some shine...Hive


Zebra and Nickel Wall Mirror is really fancy...Flair New York

It's the NEW style

Pinboarding is a relatively new idea, where you make a vision board of sorts full of things that sort of float your boat, inspire you, or simply make you smile.
Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE when they take an idea from the physical to the digital...and now you can pinboard online at www.pinterest.com.
You can make fantastic themed pinboards of items found ANYWHERE online or on your computer.
Check out my pins to the right at Karyn Lynn's Pinboards!
Happy Pinboarding.

White House Beautiful

I hate white walls, I just think that the walls set the tone for the room, but I love white...I think a perfect white framed mirror, a white chair, a white lacqered table...any white Jonathan Adler pottery...is perfection!
Here are some of my favorite rooms filled with white...


Photo Courtesy of designporn.ca

I fell in love instantly when I saw this.
First, it has the beautiful Saarinen table and chairs that I adore!
Then the sweet colors, the green, pink, gray, orange, and whites...all the small pops of color are so light, it looks like a bowl of sherbet.
Then there is that branch light, which is by Lindsey Adelman.


Photo courtesy of La Dolce Vita, www.paloma81.blogspot.com

Now this, this is a wall...and those khaki and white stripes are PERFECT!
Want this in my house...the office...NOW!


Photo courtesy of La Dolce Vita, www.paloma81.blogspot.com

I simply love how white is used as the POP in this room, and it works, makes the room graphic and dynamic!


Photo courtesy of La Dolce Vita, www.paloma81.blogspot.com

This is one of top fave white rooms...not because it is decadent and luxurious...but it is simple and functional...and a studio...so it needs to be work ready. The white keeps is simple, clean, and makes organization nenecessary! LOVE!!!

Little Wedding Chapel in the Yard...

My wonderful business partner is getting MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY for her, and her ultra lucky husband to be (and she is mighty lucky herself, so shout out to the both of these awesome people)!!!

It got me to thinking...what if someone wanted to get married in their own backyard...how could they decorate, or better yet, how would I decorate & plan it for them? So...here goes!

The Dress
We have to start out with a dress for inspiration!!!



The Accessories


You may as well get some shoes you can wear again...and not those satiny things!

The Cake

I love this...and I would use these yellow hydrangeas instead:


The Bridesmaids



The Decor


Favors



White Hydrangea for Centerpieces at Tables (middle image)



White Tissue Poms Hanging from Trees



Seating Arrangements presented in Bed of Grass Table


These Yellow Pomander Branches would be staked throughout the backyard with tiny lights on them, to light up the evening!

FUN!!!

Play that Funky Music

I don't know about you, but there is nothing like the sweet sounds of my favorite music wafting through the speakers and enveloping my home in soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz, Old School Rock, and occassionally some Alternative Pop. But that,is out of my new fangled iPOD with all the bells and whistles and Bose speakers.

However, NOTHING beats that ripe and crackling sound of Prince's "Uptown" or Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" on a record player...NOTHING!



This cute little wood number from Urban Outfitters fits the bill. It is modern in style, but old school in flavor! So you can still get that good old fresh outta the crate sound, with some stylish flair!!!

Sample Sale-icious!

Okay, it seems like there are SOME people still stuck in
Ipayfullprice.com mode...which is so '80s!
Come on, we are in a recession...and it is time to start acting like it,
even if we still love Louis, Gucci, and Prada.
There is NOTHING better than Louis, Gucci, and Prada...AT DISCOUNT!

SOOOOO, for all you fashionistas of wardrobe and home, check out these AMAZING sample sale and auction sites. Click on the link to get a free invite.
Oooh I Love is an auction site. You can buy bid packages, each bid costs 99cent, and yodu will have a certain amount of time before the bid ends. If your bid is the last, you pay ONLY the final auction price...up to 90% off the price of the item...includes handbags, jewelry, gift cards, shoes, etc.

Gilt Groupe : a sample sale site, with everything from Marc Jacobs, Diane Furstenburg, Tory Burch, Stella McCartney, and housewares. On Monday, April 19th, Marc Jacobs Handbags will be on sale.

Gilt Fuse : a sample sale site for mid-priced designer clothing and wares.

Haute Look : another sample sale site with some of the best designer products you will find at a discount anywhere on the web. Michael by Michael Kors starts on April 20th.

Editor's Closet : high end designer sample sales

Check 'em out, you might just find that one little something you coveted, but never wanted to pay full price for!

Home Styling Resources

We at De Luxe Home know our services are worth it and necessary.
We also know, that like us, many of you are creative DIYers, who want to do their own thing in the home.
So, to help you out, we wanted to showcase some of the GREAT online tools we use to make home styling for ourselves and most importantly, for our clients, a great deal easier.

ColourLovers



You can create custom palettes, colors, and patterns on this site, get feedback, and check out those of the other members of the Colour Lovers community.

Floor Planner


This site gives you free access to a floorplanner, that transforms you 2D room into a 3D rendering, giving you a better idea of things will really fit into your space. Tons of items, colors, and even a tutorial blog!


Spoon Flower

My Own "So Much Love" design!
Make your own design then upload them, and you can order and sell your fabric to make your one of a kind chair, decorative pillows, or bedding.
How fabulous!

Power Play

Photo courtesty of elledecor.com

Color is so powerful. It can transform something from exciting to moody, from calm to electric...from love to hate! So when I saw this room, my eyes lit up! The beauty, the flow, the aesthetic...it took me into my wildest home interior dreams...where my own home looks like a page out of Architectural Digest...
Even though it is well designed, it is still liveable, comfortable, functional, and real world!

And don't get me started on those curtains and that ottoman...perfection!

Etsy: The Home Centric

As you know, I love love love Etsy.
Nowhere else on the web can you find such one of a kind, quality, and unique items...some things you never thought you needed!

Pillows...are something I always need. They can add color, sparkle, shine, and style to a room in a simple and cost-effective way...that most other accessories cannot.
So when I stumbled upon this DAZZLER:


I wanted more and more and more...and more is what I got.
Made by The Home Centric, these beauties could up the style factor in a room in a major way...and for $20 to $30 a pop, you have spent less than a pair of jeans!
Check these out:

Esty World

I love etsy, it is a haven for one of a kind, handmade, goodies that will add the flair and personality to your home that you need to make it uniquely yours.

Here are a few of the things I am loving this month on Etsy for your home.
Check out etsy for other great gifts, jewelry, and clothing as well!


Monogrammed Wedding Vases by Maid of Clay!

These would make the cutest wedding or anniversary gift, or simply add your own monogram and get one for yourself...would work great as a pen/pencil holder for your office!


Micro Clay Wall Tiles by Elements of Clay

These are so stylish and unique. Add to a white wall for seamless textural interest, or to a colored wall for a stark contrast of unique wall art!
I would love love love these in my bathroom!


Felt Chair Pads by Inbound Thread

I hate regular chair pads, the kind that ties to the back of the chair. They are always moving, make you slide, and those pesky ties are always breaking off! These, however, are my kind of chair pad. First, they are made of felt...one of my favorite green materials. Second, they are slim, stylish, and ahhhhhhhhhhh...anti slip! Great!


Wire Sphere Light by Splurge
Finding a good pendant light, for an affordable price, is a task. Well, this one, you can use it as is, for a slightly rustic look...or you can cover in in the paper, fabric, or covering of your choice (make sure it is not flammable) to make a statement all your own. Personally, I like it as is...in a modern room...to play down the shiny, stark, hard lines of the furniture! But you do it your way...

On the Treetops...

I always wanted a treehouse growing up.
Now that I have a child, I would love for him to have one...but one that I could go in as well.
Check out these amazing treehouses!





Photos courtesy of Apartment Therapy, Barabara Butler Treehouses, and the Treehouse Workshop.

Princess Pumpkin

Cinderella Crib from Punkin Patch for $4,750.00

Okay, now I am sure that Cinderella, with her evil stepsisters, never got to sleep in one of these! This is the crib de la crib...
This crib is made of iron and hand painted by skilled artisans. So you know its top o the line!!

Eclectic Ego

Eclectic Dining Room

This room is magnificent, with its bright red coloring and its stark white contrasts. It is, however, the furnishings that make a room eclectic, and this room has it!
The only true characteristics of an eclectic room is a variety of art, furnishings, and decor from different time periods, styles, and parts of the world.
And with its 1950s Italian chairs, the modern chandelier by Pellucci, the vintage table, and the neoclassical style of the room...you get just that!

Glam it UP!

Living Room of Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopolous
(photo courtesy of Elle Decor at www.pointclickhome.com)

Glamour is all about living it up, the high life, entertainment, and style!
It is about adding that dash of panache and that pinch of punch to your space and your life!
Most of all, it is about full-on, no holds barred...FUN!
And that is exactly what this couple has brought into their living room, loads of rip roaring, never want it to end...FUN!

Here are the style points of any good glamourous room:
1. Lush and luxurious fabrics. Think velvet, silk, Egyptian cotton, thick wool.
2. Mirrors. A glamourous room without a mirror, is lacking glamour. I mean REALLY...would a glamour girl not have a mirror to look at herself in EVERY room!
3. Metallics. Reminiscent of jewelry, legs on tables, and decor are often decorated in golds, silvers, copper, and pewter for a hint of shine and sparkle.
4. White. There is always a little white in every glamourous room, whether vases, curtains, walls, or rugs. It simply makes all those lovely pieces stand at attention.
5. Artwork. Often pricey artwork lines the walls of a glamourous room, but even a simple print in an ornate frame will look equally appealing.
6. Patterns. Often, you will find rather feminine colors and patterns in a glamourous room, but that alone does not make it feminine. These patterns are often rich in detail.

Let's see how this room stacks up:

1. Well, the velvet sofas, the silk curtains...I think we have lush fabrics covered.
2. The mirrored table brings all the glamour of the 20s into this room, and keeps it on trend.
3. The gold table legs, the silver metallic items on the bookshelf. These add polish and shine to the room.
4. The white walls, the white vases and mantel pieces. Even the white chair makes that lovely golden woodgrain stand out even more!
5. The art here is not just on the walls. The John Derian moroccan poufs are art in and of themselves. The shocking pink color makes them even more artistic.
6. The pattern on the Baker chairs is wonderful, as is the one on the floor. The lavendars, periwinkle, and pink...all girl colors...in this contemporary room keep it from appearing to girly!

This is one room I would LOVE LOVE LOVE...but my husband would despise that pink color! George gets a standing ovation for that one!

Wood or Woodn't You?

Ancient California Redwood Headboard by Urban Hardwoods $8200.00

Now, I love nature as much as the next girl...the kind of nature that involves pretty flowers, park benches, beach towels, a great pair of sunglasses, and maybe even some OFF bug repellent. However, love rich and decadent woods. I always dreamed of having a dark mahogany hardwood floor in wide planks, but instead I have just regular hardwood in regular planks...and that too, is okay with me!
This beauty above though, it something I can only see in a large and lavish log cabin home tho...nothing like my quaint and family friendly home!

It is a beauty though!

In a Manly Mood

Masculine ModernRoom by Candice Olsen of Divine Design
This room has a really strong presence. It is filled with gender neutral items, but has a distinctly masculine appeal. The dark woods, the large scale furniture, the tough, yet sophisticated leather and velvet seating, the non-matching, yet cohesive design items. This is masculine style at its best...not plaids and moose heads, but definitely strong, sturdy, and manly!

The key elements of a masculine room include:
1. Rich textures
2. Deep color palette
3. Personal items
4. Layering of different styles and items
5. Use of Iconic male design elements

Now, using this list, let's see how well the room above scores in its masculine design!

1. Looking at the room there are a wide variety of textures: leather, velvet, marble, dark wood, silk window panels, glass tile, mirrors. This is definitely very rich in texture!
2. The color palette of this room is mellow. The browns, oranges, black, grays, and the dim light keep the room darkened, but not dark. It is definitely full of deep vivid colors.
3. Most men's room have a bit of personality intertwined with the design that doesn't quite go with the room in theory, but in actuality keep the room from being Sherlock Holmes Stuffy or James Bond Slick. The paintings, the floating flowers in the bowl, the figurines on the mantel...are examples of these types of pieces.
4. In its bare form, the room is a dark wood room with black marble...very masculine base. When you think of what the next layer was, it was the contemporary furniture, yet everything else is a nod to other styles. The very mod pillows, low table, lighting and lines were the next layer. Then just a slight bit of shine with the glass, mirrors, and metallics. Lastly, the small touches like the floating flowers, and paintings were added for that quirky detail.
5. The dark wood, the tortoise shell floor, the marble, the leather, the nature inspired art...these are items that are iconicly masculine.
So this room is most definitely masculine in design and in practice. I am sure any man or woman would love it...don't you!

Online Obsession

Okay, almost EVERY day I check online at Jayson Home and Garden because I am basically OBSESSED by this store.
It is this collection of fantastic and unique furniture finds...that will make your room into the modern, eclectic, contemporary, or traditional room you have always wanted...with style to boot!
Check out some the best pieces, with style tips on how I would use them in my personal space!

The Rockefeller Sofa
This would be sitting right across from the fireplace in my study, with a couple of strong chairs sitting opposite. I would sit here, read my latest Toni Morrison novel...and even work on my laptop when being at my desk was just a little to Presidential.


Madeline Settee

Picture this, in an ivory bedroom with a sleigh bed done in the darkest of woods...this beauty is perched by a wall, with beautiful Vogue pages in frames above it.


Antique Argentinian Bench
Simple...in a long foyer...beautiful!

Moroccan Marvel

Kasbah Tamadot - Morocco: Sir Richard Branson's Moroccan retreat set in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains{photo courtesty of Apartment Therapy (www.apartmenttherapy.com)}

This the the ULTIMATE Moroccan theme room, but why not start there!
There are several KEY components to any Moroccan theme room:
1. Vibrant Colors-usually red, orange, blue, green, gold, and silver
2. Simple Furniture-usually set low to the ground in rich and detailed woods
3. Lush Fabrics-fabrics rich in color and texture, such as silks, satins, velvets. Lush curtains are often used, from ceiling to floor and collected with heavy cords to tie them back! Pillows in rich patterns are often added.
4. Lighitng-dim lighting from colored glass, pierced metal, candlesOften Morovian stars and lanterns are found in Moroccan interiors.
5. Floors-dark hardwoods or ceramic tiles, plush and patterned rugs, and floor cushions or poufs
6. Decor-mirrors, carved wood, jewel embellishment, and items with onion domes

Let's compare our list with the photograph above!

1. You can see the room is intensely golden with shades of red and orange throughout the space. The walls appear to be a golden ochre color.
2. The furniture in this room is not as simple, but the grand scale of the room can handle the more ornate furniture. It is all wood, and most of it appears to be colored wood. All of it is relatively low setting. The table by the windows is a traditional Moroccan piece.
3. There are fabrics galore. The rich bed linens. The lush and full curtains, with the cord tie back!4. The natural lighting is fresh and bright, but the artifical lighting from lamps is very low and dim. Very traditional for Moroccan style!
5. The floors appear to be a light ceramic tiling. More impressive is the detailed ceiling.
6. The mirrors, the light fixtures, and all of the decor come together beautifully in this room.

The onion dome of the entry way makes this place a stand out as a Moroccan getaway!