Want to take fabric (or pretty paper) and give it a whole new purpose? How about applying it to the front of a dresser as shown here in 101 woonideeen magazine date November ’07? I’ve had this on my inspiration board for a few months, I’m dying to pick up a piece like this and experiment with some fabric and spray adhesive.
I’d also like to try cutting out floral patterns from fabric, stitching the edges, and doing some furniture applique work… Maybe apply a floral cutout up the side of a cabinet in an entryway for instance. Imagine painting a dresser like the one shown above in red lacquer or teal and then up one side, apply a large floral motif cut from fabric? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Maybe only to me because I’m a little left of center sometimes, but I think it would look great.
I’d like to start collecting issues of 101 woonideeen but cannot find them in the states. It’s the best magazine ever, and I do mean ever. Even better than Livingetc and Elle Decoration because the things featured are so attainable, it’s packed with DIY projects that don’t involve Chex cereal boxes, pipe cleaners, or tin cans but really chic things that give you a chance to put on your pink toolbelt and have some fun. I wish we had a magazine just like it here – we really need something like this. Badly.
(image from 101 woonideeen.)
One of my dear friends in the Netherlands authors a fabulous blog called the Style Files, and though I’ve talked about her and her blog a million times on this site I just realized that I’ve never formally announced the opening of her online shop Le Souk. You may remember Danielle, we went to Stockholm together in October. I can’t believe how I let Le Souk slip from my radar, but not today!
Familjen wallpaper by Swedish designer Lisa Bengtsson.Danielle’s life dream was to set up her own business so while she still has a day job, she’s hoping that Le Souk and her blog will someday give her the opportunity to work from home full-time. She’d also like to widen out and work more with clients as an Interior Stylist, and I know for a fact that she’d excel at this because her taste level is so exquisite — her rooms would be magazine worthy and gorgeous. I can’t wait to see Danielle continue to march towards her dreams, it’s so empowering to see women going for careers that they’ve often only dreamed about before. And though it’s only baby steps that get us there, Danielle has made so much progress in one short year being online as a blogger and a few months as a shop owner that I know she’s got a lot of great things in store!
Le Souk ships worldwide and offers a range of home accessories for modern living, most with an ethnic flavor to them, and she offers personal accessories too. Mixing traditional ethnic pieces with modern and handmade items, each Le Souk item is carefully sourced by Danielle so you can be sure everything is made well and looks wonderful. From rustic, wooden stools to authentic vintage silver tea trays from Morocco and even beautiful crocheted pets for the kids, Danielle’s growing shop is a real treat. Enjoy!
Would you like to read more about Ethnic design? Click here.
(images from le souk)
Jeni Crawford contacted me last month in regards to her charming new store Rian Rae, which she calls, “The online version of the store that I would like to open someday.” Jeni has an eye for beauty and her eclectic mix is a fresh and cohesive blend of old and new finds. It takes a lot of confidence to open a store and present your “best of” list to the world – you hope your customers will walk away feeling the same about your finds as you do. Jeni’s collection is a delight, she will no doubt develop quite a following with such exquisite taste. Congrats, Jeni!
Peeking through her offerings, I couldn’t help but notice all the texture, subdued hues, and the general nature theme she has going on – everything feels so casual yet so very sophisticated, and she has some of the best lighting ever at all price points. Jeni told me that Rian Rae is a work in progress so you can visit the site daily and expect to find new items.
Here are some of my top picks: The crochet throw and pendant lighting (love the airy feel and oh so tactile!), French crinkle pendant (reminds me of Paris), Scandinavian stag head (I’m not even a big fan of animal heads on the wall, but I would totally own this), and the Marseilles beverage dispenser (we had these at our wedding for sangria).
Thank you for sharing your new shop with us Jeni, we’re inspired and happy to see unique and beautiful pieces!
(imags from rian rae)
I have to begin this post by stating that I know very little about Candice Olsen and though her style feels a bit more traditional than what most of us seem to gravitate towards, I must point you over to her furniture collection at Norwalk because some of the pieces are quite affordable, lovely, and can be used in a range of decors.
Take this Maxine sofa for example, first spotted in Country Living magazine. The girly pleats, tailored welting, and decorative nailheads are great accents that give this piece a very expensive look without the price tag (it’s priced at around $1,750). It’s available in tons of different fabric choices, but I’m a fan of it in pearlized gray or pure white. The Bette, a double-hump camelback sofa with a tight back and exposed legs is another favorite of mine, I like the apple green velvet because it looks like it would only become prettier over the years with a little wear and tear. I have to highlight Lola, another look I love because it’s so sleek and feminine, and this surf blue is fantastic. My favorite sofa, which surprises me because it is so traditional and English, is the Naomi high-back in white. I’d love to order this in a white linen because it has lots in common with the gorgeous Kirin from Oly Studio (saw it in person this past weekend at Hudson) and I’m willing to bet that it’s at least half the price (The Oly one is around $5,500 but you can be certain that if I had the cash, I’d go with the Kirin for sure).
Tip: The Norwalk website has lots of tools for playing around so if you have time to burn it’s a lot of fun to view these sofas and all of the chairs and ottomans in the Candice Olsen collection in like 2,000 different colors. ;)
(images from norwalk furniture)
While researching kid’s stores for my round-ups, I discovered that Jennifer DeLonge, children’s furniture designer and rock star wife to Blink-182′s Tom DeLonge, has a new section on her website where she offers restored vintage finds under the name Fresh Vintage.
Since so many of you like Marimekko, I had to point you over to these super cute vintage Marimekko Kivet dot lampshades measuring 16″H x 10″D for $200/pair. They’re the cat’s meow. She also has a set of white wicker lamps that are just over 32″ high and at $299 for the set, they’re also decent on your wallet. Great site to bookmark for times when you’re looking for something new (to you) for su casa.
(images from jennifer delonge)
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Flickr
LinkedIn
