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.

Martyn Lawrence-Bullard = AMAZING!

So anyone who knows me knows that traveling is my passion. I will go anywhere and do anything (well just about anything). I do not consider traveling to be lying on the beach at some horrific Sandals type mega resort with a not so low cal pina colada in my hand. Traveling to me is immersing yourself fully into the culture of the country you are in. You should be eating the strange food, dancing the crazy dances, taking every little bit of it in. This is why I absolutely love designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.

One of Architectural Digest’s top 100 designer’s in the world, he has a taste for the exotic that few designers have the ability to pull off. He takes his love for exotic travel and brings it in to a client’s home like no one has seen before. And his new line for Schumacher is the ultimate proof of this. With fantastic ikats, paisleys, and hand woven silks and velvets he makes you just yearn for a fantastic new travel adventure! Here is a little taste of some of his fabulous projects and his new line for Schumacher.

Love the warmness in this room.

Over the top? Maybe. Fantastic? Definitely!!

Marjorelle, Kaba Kaba and Marrakech.

Ikat in jewel, Sikar in jewel and Sinhala Linen

Adras Ikat in Sky

The face of brilliance.

Love, Love and Love!

Cheryl Tieg's Home

My personal fave

I do love me some purple!

Colony Palm Hotel, Palm Springs.

I know two ladies that would put those shells in

their purse if they were eating at this table.

"It's Getting Hot in Here!"

June 1, 2011

There is nothing worse than Washington DC in the summer. Don't get me wrong, this is a great city but when the heat index hits 105 degrees and you live in downtown DC, you don't even want to leave your apartment. These are the days that I am craving getting back to Kiawah and having that cool ocean breeze on my face and that icy cold firefly and lemonade in my hand. But that is just wishful thinking for now.

To make myself feel a little better I am sitting in my bedroom with it's cool blue walls and the blinds closed thinking only cool thoughts. So to make you feel a little better and cool you down here are some beautiful blue rooms to admire while you dream about the ocean too.

I am now going to go and paint my floors blue too!

Rrrfff!

Velvet in the City! mmm.

Love this ceiling, I would lay in bed all day just staring at the ceiling.

A simple take on monochromatic from Martha Stewart.

Periwinkle is sooo under used. Love!

So relaxed. So calming.

Simple stripes in House Beautiful.

A fun take on blue. Loving the lucite bench with polka dots!

I have used this one before but I just adore this wallpaper.

Blue, beachy, perfection! Thanks, Elle Decor.

Modern Blue.