RED RUM..Or should I say RED ROOM

So, tomorrow night is The American College of the Building Art's annual Red Party. It is a fantastic Halloween party in Charleston at the Old City Jail. When the "beau" informed me that we would be attending, I scratched my head a little and thought, what in the world will I wear to a red party? Red is not my color. It is not my color for an outfit or lipstick and it is certainly not my color for decorating. But it got me thinking, is there a red room out there or ways you can use pops of red in a room that is klassy, not trashy? (And yes, that is klassy with a k.) Well, I found my answer, yes, there is. Here are some examples of using this vixen color in a pretty fab way.

Oh, and not to worry folks, I figured out a perfect outfit with the perfect pop of red.

Love this turquoise kitchen with it's vintage look and perfect pop of red.

Red pagoda wall paper, I am a fan!

Love these red velvet benches. Wish this look was in a house instead of a showroom with it's ugly example of red, an exit sign.

A perfect dining room by Tobi Fairley.

Loving this Suzanne Kasler design. That red wall just catches the eye.

Tiniest pops of red with a huge impact.

The red room in the White House. Designed by Jackie Kennedy Onassis, with Nancy Reagan looking stunning in it. Love!

This is more of a version of a red room. Digging the turquoise foo dog.

From Elle Decor. What really caught my eye is the antique oushak rug. If only I could get my hands on that sucker.

This room makes me feel like I should be laying on that couch talking about my life problems. Love that wall.

Simple yet a little sassy.

Textile Queen, Lisa Fine's Paris Apartment.

Don't love this room but love the red lacquered chair.

Birds of a Feather

I really love birds. They are so peaceful in the sky and they sing such sweet songs. And you have got to love those peacock feathers. The problem is, birds hate me. I have a horrible track record with them. There was the pigeon in Spain who assumed that I was a bathroom. The attacking birds that lived outside my front door in the Cayman Islands. They liked to dive bomb me every time I was with in five feet of their tree. And then of course there was the tragic deaths of my brothers parakeets. All I can say is, it was an accident.

No matter how bad my luck with birds has been I will always love looking at them in the sky or in a tree. But lately, I have loved looking at them on a wall. I have fallen in love with all of the different wallpapers out there with these gorgeous creatures soaring across. From ostrich's to parrots, a print with birds brings a room to such a different level of elegance and sophistication. And luckily for me, I can look at them all day with out one worry of something going wrong.

Love the canary yellow.

A room by designer Sarah Story.

One of my favorites. Designed by Natalie Clayman.

How can a bunch of ostrich's with their heads in the sand

not bring a smile to your face. A room by Michelle Adams.

Attack of the sparrow's. Had to throw a DON'T in here somewhere. EEK!

Simple, soft, sweet.

Love how the bold orange chairs pop on the soft green wall.

The statue is terrifying, of course. But the wallpaper is fantastic.

Love the pops of color in this room.

I think wallpaper on the ceiling is extremely under rated.

Yes, please. A dressing room at Trina Turk.

Shabby chic is not always my thing but I am digging the bird cages in this room.

Could have gone wrong but it works.

Slightly dated but still fabulous. Makes me want some tea.

It's Like Velvet!

For me, velvet makes me think of royalty, childhood Christmas dresses, and most importantly the velvet Elvis painting that was in my 7th grade history teacher's classroom.

Velvet brings on all sorts of thoughts and feelings. But something that velvet should make everyone feel when used in interior design is warmth. I think adding velvet to any room no matter how cold the rest of the decor can bring an element of warmth like no other fabric. It is a fabric that can be used anywhere. Whether it be a sofa, drapes, or a tufted head board. Adding a simple pop of velvet is fantastic almost anywhere

Here are a few examples of how velvet really enhanced some great spaces and pieces.

Purple velvet. Yes, please!

Chesterfield sofa in gray velvet. Perfect pairing.

Yellow velvet on a silver Louis chair! Hello!!

Charcoal velvet chairs in a crisp white bedroom.

One of my favorite ways to do a padded headboard. Tufted velvet. Also love the fur throw.

Can't go wrong with simple velvet drapes.

I think there is a bolt of velvet this in my basement. I like it even more, now that

I have seen it on this chair.

Love a little bit of a Parisian feel in this NYC apartment. Blue velvet sofa really

pulls the room together.

Chocolate brown velvet. Makes me think of the drapes my mother made. Love!

Liking the black on black.

Another tufted velvet head board. Loving the wallpaper too.

A velvet Elvis annnd Jesus! Just could not resist.

Equestrian Chic

Let me start by saying, I am not a horse person. Both my sister and my mother rode. I got on a horse once when I was little and immediately wanted to get off. I remember it being consuming to some girls. You know the ones. The girls that galloped down the school hallway and took their plastic horses out of their backpacks during lunch. Personally, I just didn't get it.

Now what I do get it is the look of equestrian chic. Both in fashion and interior design. Just because I don't like to actually ride a horse, it does not mean I do not absolutely love fantastic leather riding boots, cashmere herringbone blazers, a classic vintage Hermes saddle mounted on the wall or a divine equine painting.

Sometimes I certainly would not mind living in one of those Ralph Lauren ads. Spending your days with your dogs and horses in a place like Middleburg, VA. Oh what a life it would be. But for a girl who will never be an equestrian, I guess I will just have to settle with slipping into my fab Ralph riding boots and hopping on the coin operated horse outside the grocery store. So, to help you bring out your inner equestrian here are some great examples of equestrian chic.

One of Beauregard's personal favorites.

The royalty of equestrian, Princess Charlotte of Monaco.

A great room for eating your dinner after your pheasant hunt.

HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, perfectly styled for a day of english side saddle.

Nothing like a pop of Hermes orange.

My mothers go to pants, Ralph Lauren jodhpurs.

Love the modern take on equestrian chic.

Yes, please!

Ralph Lauren Chesterfield sofa

Everything in this picture is vintage perfection.

A design by Summer Thornton.

A go to for great colors, Ralph Lauren paints.

Hermes, riding boots. Such a tease!

Design duo Badgley Mischka's master bedroom.