White and Yellow. White and Yellow.

As you may know, I'm planning my (I mean OUR) wedding for this Summer! My life revolves around weddings, design, and school right now so let's take a moment and talk about the wedding (and then loop back to design)! I love the color yellow so it might be color in the wedding. As usual, I have to relate everything back to interior design so lets look at some fun, preppy, and bright interiors, shall we?

The simplicity of this bedroom is stunning and sophisticated. Of course it's designed by Lee Kleinhelter, who has access to the most ridiculous antiques. From Lonny.

I always think of John Loecke when I think of preppy colors. these two yellow chairs look bright in this fresh interior. I'm pretty much obsessed with all the fabrics in this room.

This geometric yellow bedding is definitely on my list for my new apartment. From Jonathan Adler. Want it now...

Green and yellow are so fresh preppy together, don't you think? Love the ribbon detailing on the roman shades and the lampshade. DIY project for the weekend? INTERESTING... (I can't remember where I found this image...anyone want to help?)

SWOON. A gorgeous combination and a balance of white and bright vibrant blues greens and yellows makes this room feel color infused yet light and open. From Country Living.

Marie Claire France. I love stumbling into an old French mansion. This living room is bathed in natural light and painted a soft buttery yellow for a sweet airy feel.

It's almost too cold for words here in NYC, but some people have been complaining that it's even colder in Chicago...These warm yellow rooms are making me yearn for Summer more than ever! I have lots to look forward to though in more planning of the wedding--what do you think of yellow? Just an idea I'm playing around with.

Now that I have internet finally in my new apartment, my posts might be more frequent, so thanks for your patience. I'm also excited that I'll be meeting up with some actual real live design bloggers--I've never met anybody that is also a design blogger so this is going to be monumental and scary. Wish me luck and Happy Friday everyone!

Alicia B.

Feeling Thankful

This is the season to be thankful. We all have had quite a year with many ups and downs but we made it! Now is the time to just relax and enjoy the moment if you're with family or friends. Think about what you are most thankful for in the world. For me, it's my loving family, my amazing supportive friends, and my health. On the design side, I'm thankful for my blog, my great readers and commenters (you guys COMPLETE ME), my school, just plain good design, and my job! Here are some other silly things that I'm thankful for--because there are so many!

Yes, I'm thankful for the color yellow. I believe I've mentioned my love for yellow before but nothing puts a smile on my face and warms my heart like the color yellow. This living room by Mary McDonald.

I'm also thankful for throw pillows. I love to make them, look at them, lean up against them, and buy them too! Isn't this one fun? It's from Anthropologie: The Waterloo Pillow.

I'm thankful for girly sophisticated dresses like this one! I just bought it in black for a holiday party in December. Silk Taffeta bow dress!

Painted furniture and gorgeous bedrooms. This one is by James Michael Howard.

I'm thankful for Country music. Isn't Taylor Swift adorable? Don't judge me but ALL of her songs are great!

Stuffing is my favorite thing for Thanksgiving. Nothing compares to the way my mother makes it and I've been known to by accident (on purpose) eat an entire pan of this delicious stuff! HERE is Martha's Chestnut and Apple stuffing. I bet it's DELISH.

What are you guys thankful for? I'm so excited to go home for Thanksgiving--it's actually one of my favorite holidays! I've been put in charge of the mashed potatoes this year and I'm going to make Herb and Rosemary Mashed potatoes (recipe from Martha Stewart), so they better be good! Have an amazing Thanksgiving everybody and please find SOMETHING to be thankful for!

ALSO: If you're looking for something to do over the weekend and you're in CT, please visit the Millrace Bookshop in Farmington and see my photography show! They will be open over the weekend! For more photos see www.aliciabdesigns.com


Alicia B.

Falling for Yellow

GAWGEOUS yellow diamond from 1st Dibs

I've always been crazy for the color yellow. Different shades can be happy, demure, sunny, or subtle but either way it makes me feel warm inside. Also,I look great in yellow, so that's a plus. I've been noticing lots of yellow lately (particularly yellow and grey), but not the bright lemon yellow that we saw in the spring, it's more of a soft yellow with a feeling of gold in it.

Alicia B. Designs. WOW, she's a genius!

This contrast of yellow and black is so striking. via material girls blog.

This is from good old Domino. I normally would shy away from this marigold shade but it works really well with the soft browns. Oh and I think we all know how much I love painted brick walls!

Elizabeth Stuart Design. I like the gilded furniture and frames and the yellow upholstery. So elegant.

This bedroom looks very cozy and quiet with the red and orange quilt and striped yellow wallpaper. Also of note: asymmetrical frames. Just sayin'. Designed by Chad Eisner.

This might by my favorite of the bunch but I haven't decided. The contrast of the yellow and the blue is pure heaven. And don't think you can get away with white washing the floors and painting a design on them and now have me go crazy for it. By Jeffrey Bilhuber.

Have you all noticed this gravitation towards yellow, too? I find it to be a nice welcome to fall. The color is warm without being too harsh or abrasive. All these interiors look soft. I'm in.


Alicia B.

Easter Colors: Yellow and Pink!

A match made in Peep Heaven!

In my last post of Easter colors before I jet off to CT, let's take a look at yellows and pinks! Besides pink and green, yellow and pink is one of my fave combos--plus I look great in yellow so...Pink is vibrant, romantic, and glamorous, while yellow is bright, happy, and fun. Enjoi!

I think a little yellow always goes a long way. What a pretty yellow color and I always appreciated a little modern art, as well. Garrow Kedigan.

Don't want to commit to pink furnishings? Just get a pop of pink flowers like here! Gorgeousness by Schuyler Samperton.

Pink paisley wallpaper and sophisticated and understated furnishings make this room by Sara Bengur so beautiful. Also notice the red and pink flowers on the sill of the MOST amazing window ever.

Oh Mary McDonald...SO much pink is making my heart swell. This pink is glamorous but not too girly because of the giltwood bamboo mirror and the dark mahogany pedestal table.

I'd say this is more of a mustard yellow but really works in this space with neutrals and touches of blue. By Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

A precious times one thousand pink bedroom here with distressed ivory twin beds by Leta Austin Foster.

Precious yellow is paired with contemporary neutral (and somewhat ugly) furnishings. I do love the yellow and bright blue contrast though. And the fur rug. Drake Designs.

I think this is what I would do if someone would let me (and then let me change it a few mins later). Pink. Everwhere. By Drake Designs.

Woah, that's intense pink! I really love the ornate accessories painted white though. It makes the space more comfortable/inviting. Diamond Baratta.

OMG Pink and yellow in one room! Together at last! This adorable and fun room is by Amanda Nisbet.

Sorry for the late post but, I'm not going to lie to you, I had the day off and I did a lot of fun stuff. I won a squash match, cleaned my apt (amazing!), and saw The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. Even though the NY Times panned it, I thought it was great and the guy playing Art was ADORABLE. Anyway, I'm off to CT for Easter, dying eggs, hanging out with the fam and the beau, and eating WAY too many jelly beans. Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!


Alicia B.

Hello Yellow

As I was working on a blog about the color yellow, I started reading things everywhere saying that yellow is coming back in! I read up in Metropolitan Home, Southern Accents, from what I could understand in Marie Claire Maison, and Miss Raina from HERE. I, for one, could not be more excited. I love yellow (it also looks good on me) . This yellow is sunny, happy, intense. It's just what we need right now in the world of grey winter. Also, so sorry about the lapse in blogging, I've been busy with my REAL life (who am I kidding, I mean school. I have no real life anymore). Yes I do.

In this room of neutrals, the bright yellow floor length drapery really brightens up the space by Sills Huniford.

Meg Braff chose bright yellow and white Clarence House wallpaper. Look how it reflects on the opposite wall in the shell mirror!

From Marie Claire Maison (amazing mag), this yellow so citrus-y, it almost looks greenish.

I know this one isn't as intense, but I found it very soothing. I love that bookcase that goes all the way to the ceiling and the yellow tone-on-tone wallpaper. By Libby Cameron.

Karen Marcus designed this adorable space in a house in Colorado. Yellow wallpaper, painted wainscoting on the outside of the tub (amazing idea), and yellow painted walls. I super love that painting above the tub (Rothko?).

Sheila Bridges created a sweet happy little scene with a lamp, table and book with a sunny yellow backdrop.

Victoria Hagan uses yellow paint on the walls and yellow fabric for the floor length drapes. She even extends the yellow with that mirror on the back wall.

Diamond Barratta, who love bright colors, really played up the yellow in this room. So sunny and feminine.

Fashion designer Lisa Perry used a very intense bright yellow in this mod interior.

It seems as if yellow looks great with nearly everything; blue, brown, giltwood, green. And if you didn't want to be one of the cool kids and redecorate entire rooms in yellow, you can add little accents. Paint one wall, add some throw pillows, a bright yellow painting or poster. A little can go a long way, too.


Alicia B.