Finally!

Weather should be perfect here in DC and I hope for you as well! I have an interesting weekend ahead and can't wait to fill you all in! I hope you all get to enjoy your weekends!

Pictures are of the Stratosphere casino in Las Vegas from my trip a few years ago. It is the tallest free standing observation tower in the United States; quite the view! The tallest in the world is the CN tower in Toronto.

Grand Designs April 2009: Bold & Beautiful

The Grand Design Team suggest livening up the drabbest interiors with ISAK Penguin Wallpaper. Add impact with pattern & print: no better place to look than ISAK for all your print & pattern needs.

Also, lovely to see our Penguins flying next to our friends at mini moderns who have a great range of designs as well.

Penguin Wallpaper £30/roll.

Fur Sure

From Living etc, this luxurious throw comes from Heal's.

It all started with a pair of mink earmuffs. You get one pair of mink earmuffs and it becomes a slippery slope to buying a huge fur to put on your bed as a comforter (see above). Basically, I'm obsessed. Earmuffs, vintage fur shawl, fur pillows, mink collar over the weekend, and now I've discovered these amazing fur rugs by Kyle Bunting on Decorati. The patterns and wild colors are so interesting. Check out my fur obsession.

This is Sweet Caroline in Cream. I love this pattern in a neutral slash subtle color.

What a fun Greek key pattern! Rip Cord looks dramatic in these contrasting colors.

One of the most popular ones is this pattern called Jet Stream. It's amazing how many colors these rugs are available in.

Cute patchwork one here. I love the different textures of the furs--they add so much depth to something flat. It's called 3 Lock Box (haha remember the lock box?) in cream and turf.

I love this fun modified quatrofoil shape, called Kashmir with these pretty celadons, and charcoals.

Doesn't this remind you of a pretty Twister game? Called Limelight--not twister.

Clearly, they can be in different shapes and sizes; this one is a runner size. Called Confusion.

The textures of these are so gorgeous! This one is a blonde sort of color--so pretty!

Here are three that Kyle Timothy Blood used in the Hamptons Idea House in 2008. So unexpected!

Hamptons Idea House again.

What I love most about these is that you would associate fur with winter and warmth, but here Kyle Timothy Blood uses them in a summer/beach atmosphere! They are light colored and it just shows that these furs can be used in all seasons.

Perhaps I've gone off the deep end, but at least I did so in high-end style. I'm just so drawn to the textures and the creative colors that the furs are dyed. It's very unexpected--I've never seen anything like them. How amazing would it feel to walk on one of those rugs; they look so soft. Check out his website HERE and his profile on Decorati. What a hard worker!

UPDATE: He has a blog too! HERE.


Alicia B.

Clayton House

One of my favorite places since childhood is Clayton House in the East End of Pittsburgh, the home of the Frick family which now operates as a house museum. The estate houses a great art gallery and concert hall (free to the public), the house of course which is a wonderful example of wealthy victorian home life, an antique car & carriage collection in a newly remodeled building (which is really magnificent!), a great cafe, green house, and a great giftshop located in the former children's playhouse (in the bowling alley portion!). Seriously...the children's playhouse is a 1500 sf HOUSE. Don't you love the purple roof?! The style is referred to as victorian chateauesque -you can see why!

The stair landing's stained glass copper clad bay window seen here over the porte cochere.

Helen Clay Frick died here in 1984 (moving 'home' from NYC to spend her last years) and left it to be refurbished as it was during her childhood. It's really a worthwhile place to visit! Each season it is redecorated with different family objects, my favorite are summer (awau with the heavy carpets and linen slipcovers for everything! and Christmas of course). I think I've toured the property well over 20 times over the past 15 years! One of the entry gates is seen above, the estate is located across from one of the largest parks in Pittsburgh - Frick Park. Below is the caretakers cottage on the property which I've always just LOVED.

If you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, visit Clayton House!

Snapshot by ME

This is a mini snapshot of the mirror arrangement that I put up a few days ago. They are hung asymmetrically from little blue ribbons. I was looking for the perfect small space and this was perfect! This pipe was making it difficult to put up a piece of art, too. The mirrors are from Pottery Barn, though I'm not sure if they make them anymore. HERE are some cute round ones from West Elm.


Alicia B.

Cuban Tiles

Cuban tiles, as they are known in the United States, are really just encaustic tile made of cement. Encaustic refers to the fact that the patterns or figures on them are produced as part of the material, not applied or painted on. Encaustic tiles are mostly made of clay or cement (as with Cuban tiles). The great part about this is that they last forever. Even if the tile gets worn down from a lot of traffic or chipped somehow, the pattern remains the same hiding the damage!

A traditional floor detail of cement Cuban tiles from Luxetile

They also happen to be a green material as most are done with natural pigments in the mix and won't off-gas or leach dangerous toxins. I love all of the pattern and color these provide! Aren't they fun?

kitchen floor tiles in Cuba from the book 'Inside Havana' -a great book with a link on my sidebar to buy if you're interested.

I worry that the cement would be hard on your feet but you could also use them as a backsplash in kitchens or baths or as wainscotting around a room with wood flooring. Any Cuban interior isn't complete without them. Wouldn't they be great in a hallway? Especially in a mediterranean style house!

A very pretty floor layout from Villa Lagoon

I like that the patterns range from Venetian, Victorian to very modern and in all sorts of colors so they can be used in any style of interior. Where would you use them?
Interior of Cuban Barbershop from Inside Havana

For a great slideshow of a bunch of different historical uses of tile in Cuba, visit El Nuevo Herald
Some sources for Cuban tiles that I could find online are below, no this isn't a paid advertisement or endorsement! I don't think they're available at your local home depot!

Cuban Tropical Tile

Villa Lagoon Tiles

Luxetile

Aventetile

image at top of post from El Neuvo Herald slidehow

Trina Turk fabric is all I can think about.

Nothing is making me more giddy about spring than the new (ish) fabric line from Trina Turk. Not only does she make fabulous summer dresses and tunics that make me actually have a soft spot for Florida, but her new line of fabrics is making me want to build an entire cabana around these!

Appropriately named, Super Paradise in Pool color. OBSESSED.

A shot from her store. Love that little pouf in the foreground. Scared of the head though...

Schumacher is carrying her line in their showroom in the D & D in NYC! I must check them out in person.

Stole this from Apartment Therapy. These fabrics would be great for so many things; upholstery, drapery, place mats and napkins!

This Zebra pattern comes in black, java, dune, and bamboo as well as the orange seen above. I think J. Crew should take a tip from Trina on color naming--they've got competition!

Adorable Trellis pattern here in Pool. I'd love some of that in Watermelon, please!

Peacock print in Punch! Such a fun ikat sort of print.

I love this fern pattern and it also comes in other colors!

I think this is my fave pattern. Its called "Arches" but to me it looks like little feathers. Birds are so now.
This is just the beginning of my inspiration for the cabana I'm going to design. Moises Esquanazi uses Trina Turk Pisces Print in the pillows.

I meant to post about these fun and bright fabrics but I think I got caught up in my other bright and summer obsession with my Lilly Pulitzer Stationary post. So many bright colors make me distracted with happiness. Do you all like these? Faves? Here is the regular Trina Turk site. Spring is on its way, I can feel it!!

Alicia B.