I'm ready for Spring...

Are you? I'm sure you may have noticed, but I've been a wee bit quiet this past week. I started a new job (project coordinator at an amazing design firm!) on Monday and I'm MEGA busy with it and with school, as usual, and haven't had a moment of time to attend to you! Be that as it may, I've been enjoying my new job and am incredibly inspired everyday. I'm surrounded by color, which is how I like to be, and have been loving springy greens and turquoises. Get into it.

This designer, Ellen Hamilton, is literally my idol right now. How fabulous is the green rug in this dining room? SUPER fab.

Not totally on board with what's happening on the walls, but I AM on board with bold teal color for the seats on the dining chairs. This is from the new Lonny, which arrived in my mailbox (on the world wide web/internet superhighway), designed by Filipe Pereira and Augyst Zung.

The soft greens and yellows (which I'm really into) really reflect the light well and i love the bright PUNCH of the striped rug. Designed by Gary McBournie.

IN LOVE with this image. This powder room was designed by Meg Braff. A busy patterned wallpaper such as this one is perfect for a powder room--a chance to really take a risk and have fun. Snagged this image from HB.

They should put something fun on the wall and maybe take away that 40 oz. and bag of chips but...I love the acid green on the day bed. Nice work, now clean up. From Living Etc.

I'm not sure but it looks like green grass cloth on the walls, right? This room feels like there is a warm spring breeze coming through. Amanda Nisbet, genius.

Can you believe it's Friday already? I feel like this week has blown by and all I have to show for it are bags under my eyes and a rad new job. I am truly happy to have moved from drab black and grey and walking the boss's dog to colors, energy, and creativity. Have we had enough rain in NYC and are we ready to move to warmer, and happier colors? I am.

Alicia B.

New Year's Eve Partay Wrap Up

I hope you all had fabulous New Year's Eves whether you were cuddled up at home watching a movie or out on the town dancing up a storm. I had a mini party in my apartment with a few old and new friends! I had the most fun time decorating and baking for this party. Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to use the color green throughout to keep the holiday spirit up but now have it look like Christmas. I used blues and greens mostly and I think it looked festive and fun.

On my tiny nautical hors d'oeuvres tray, I set up some glasses for Champagne. Each one was tied with a little knot of the blue ribbon. I think it adds a little something extra.

I made and decorated these cookies, you'll see close ups later. In one of my gorgeous Juliska bowls that my sister gave me as a gift, I put some of my new green ornaments that I bought 50% off after Christmas. It was a genius time to buy Christmas stuff because it's all on sale. I also made bruschetta which is maybe my fave thing to eat at a party.

I bought these gorgeous green and white flowers and spread them throughout the apartment. Instead of confetti, which is a drag to clean up, I got wrapping ribbon and curled it and made little ribbon curlies. They looked tres festive, no?

I made good use of the otherwise useless filler from the flowers I bought and spread the green around the room in random vases that I have. And yes, I bought munchkins. YUM.

Here is a close up on my ornament bowl.

It never hurts to have fresh fruit like these wintry clementines there. They look so orange in the blue bowl.

In my efforts to phase out the Christmas decorating and move towards New Years, I just switched the ribbon on my little tree that was wrapped in this gorgeous Lee Jofa plaid fabric. I got this little blue gros grain ribbon at Kate's Paperie, I believe.

Here are the cookies that I mentioned earlier. I received a cookie decorating book for Christmas, Cookie Craft Christmas, and it was very inspiring. I made wreathes, snowflakes, birds, and hearts.

Glamour shot of a snowflake.

The recipes and the ideas were so much fun. I can't wait to zip out and get some more cookie cutters and adapt some of these ideas to other seasons!

All in all, I had a fantastic New Years. Not only was I pleased with my little soiree, but I was surrounded by great friends and loved ones which is really the best way to start a new year. Happy New Year's everyone. Let's make 2010 a great year!


Alicia B.

A Green for Winter

As I was working out in my head what colors I could use for my New Year's Eve party (which has taken a turn in a more relaxed direction), I was thinking what would be holiday but not Christmas? My colors were silvers, whites, and greens. I think the sparkle of the silver with the green color would be just festive enough but not scream Christmas at the same time. I've also been seeing light greens nearly everywhere against whites, gilt woods, and silvers.

This interior by Nate Berkus may be in my top 20 favorites and not just because of the patriotic moment in the back. The tiny pops of green among the neutrals is very subtle but makes the room fresher.

I saw this chest in the Wisteria catalogue today and was instantly enamored. It's so simple but it has so much texture.

This is a little vignette from a Lynn Morgan interior. Even using a plant is a great way to add green to a room. Like I said above, I'm super drawn to the metal tones with green.

This is really bringing the outdoors in in this Eddie Ross interior! The ferns are so sweet and natural with the brass lamp.

In this rustic and mostly white/creme interior, the green from the plants softens it. I love that layered display on the mantle. From Country Living.

This is a perfect neutral holiday scene. Even if it's not Winter these colors look warm and fresh. Bierly Drake.

An interior using Anne Selke fabrics has more light fresh mossy greens with a faux bamboo upholstered ottoman. I adore her fabrics; they're so fresh and whimsical.

These interiors are certainly inspiring for my little NYE get together. I'm thinking of using some of my same trees that I have for Christmas but remove the red elements and replace them with green. Perhaps the green theme is a good one for New Years as well; turning over a new leaf for a new year, that sort of thing. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back to New York and things get a little less abstract.



Alicia B.

Easter Color: Green

Easter is now only FOUR days away and I have YET to dye any eggs (I have to wait till I get home, but still). The color green can invoke many different hues: kelly green, minty green, a dark traditional green, grass, or light celedon green. When I think of Easter, the light celadons and mints come to mind. Here are some interiors with those greens.

Suzanne Rheinstein, a long time green lover, uses this soft silk on the bedspread and the drapery which makes the room look light and comfortable.

This is a more minty green used in a country bathroom by Martha Stewart. How clever is Martha to make that little shelf under the window? I have some antique brackets and am thinking of making a shelf in my room!

This green isn't my favorite but j'adore how the color of the green changes when the light is on it. From Marie Claire Maison by Francoise Smilenko.

Pink and green is my absolute favorite color combination. It reminds me of summer and I'm pretty ready for summer or some warm weather. This is a beautiful color green. The iron work on the balcony is so amazing, I'm quite jealous of whomever lives here. From Marie Claire Maison.

This precious living room by Kathy Abbott uses mints, celedons, and aquas.

Now we're cooking here! Lets all get outside (PLEASE GET WARMER). This gorgeous and relaxing terrace is by Joe Lucas and Parrish Chilcoat of Lucas Studios.

The fabric in the room is so to die for! Prints, stripes, solids and then little pops of other colors like the raspberry red flowers and the mini blue throw pillow are making me freak out with envy. By Heidi Freidler.

This is from Point Click Home about a story on Feng Shui. Green is meant to represent harmony. I think that is definitely accomplished in this comfortable yet elegant front hall.

Overall, greens have a very relaxing and approachable quality. They are beautiful and can change hues when the light is shining on them but they are solid and soothing. I have a green painted kitchen table which is fun and always makes me happy and a pastel quilted pillow sham on my bed which is adorable as well. Kinda matches my personality...


Alicia B.

Red and Green and X MAS all over!

I just found out that I will in fact get Christmas Eve off from work so I am imposing myself on my family one day early! Now I can really feel Christmas coming! Not feeling the Christmas spirit? Don't celebrate Christmas? Well, here are some red and green rooms that you can enjoy all year round no matter what you celebrate. Yay!

Tomo Callahan designed this sweet study. I love the eclectic look of this room and the rolls of wallpaper off to the side make my wish that my stash wasn't hidden under my bed.

Mario Buatta's room in Kips Bay I believe from a few years ago. This is the perfect looking room for a holiday gathering. A tartan seat in the middle in front of the fireplace and dark green walls to ground the room.

Miles Redd uses many dark red accents here that do not clash with the pink wall! Crimson flowers, red and white throw pillows, sweet red pleated shades, etc.

How classic does this look? It's from House Beautiful 1943 and still looks perfect now in 2008!

I love the green moire silk on the walls of The Green Room in the White House (taken in 1968).

This is a red kitchen from Domino Mag. It's accented with greens (chair, green bowl, plants) and wood tones.

Bunny Williams designed this formal yet still country styled dining room with a rich muted green. I love the plates on the wall inside the wood paneling. A bit too 80's for me though.

Anne Miller designed this small sitting room. Somehow the red seems more inviting than bold and aggressive (we all know how I feel about red). I think it's the stripes. I really like the yellow accents on the chairs with this red.

A bright pear green Benjamin Moore paint is the backdrop for this sweet bedroom. I am super in love with those monogrammed sheets. They look vintage in such a mod sort of setting. From Domino Mag.

Sara Story's fun red bathroom with red and white tiling is quite festive! I especially love the round ball lantern hanging from skylight we can't see.

Kathy Abbott used a bright traditional green wall paper in this dining room. SO pretty.

I think my favorite is the red tartan (swoon) and green walls in Mario Buatta's room. Thoughts? What are your favorites?


Alicia B.