Feathery

I have a serious soft spot for feathers and birds, so it's no surprise why I'm in love with these gorgeous feather prints from SnoogsAndWilde on Etsy.  The watercolors are so fresh and bright.  I love buying prints directly from an artist and supporting their work.  It's fun to discover and artist and bring their work into your home. I had a hard time deciding which one to buy, but settled on this one for my living room.

These were some of the other contenders.

 

Living Walls

I love incorporating nature and natural materials into spaces I design. Usually it's through artwork that alludes to nature, natural fiber rugs and fabrics, or weathered wood.  But I recently found something ever better - a living wall - and it's central to my design for a hallway in an upcoming Designers' Showhouse. It started as a search for wall terrariums, and ended up with discovering a cool Michigan product by Bright Green that lets you grow a lush vertical garden inside your home.

 

Smaller scale framed planters by Bright Green can be filled with herbs and are a functional and beautiful addition to kitchens.

Succulent plants are so pretty is these living art displays.

Here are some other inspiring images of large scale living walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Brass

I never thought it would happen, but brass is back for interior finishes...and I'm loving it! Maybe it's following the longstanding trend of gold in fashion, or just a response to the chrome and stainless steel finishes that have been pervasive in the last decade. In any case, the interiors gold rush is happening. Mixing brass into most interiors can work even if you have mostly stainless or oil rubbed bronze metal tones. Using an antiqued brass vs. the shiny brass of the 90s is an good approach to adding it into your space.

Raid your mom or grandma's storage closets to see what gems them may be hiding, like these cool brass loon book ends I found helping a friend clean out his mom's house.

 

Pairing traditional brass pieces like these mirrors with clean and modern furniture and other metal finishes creates a cool, curated look. 

A modern shape with a brass finish like this antiqued brass lamp from Arteriors is a great way to incorporate the brass trend into a more traditional space. 

 

Check out the beautiful use of brass in this kitchen by designer Amy Meier. Notice how brass and stainless are artfully paired. 

 

Some more brass inspiration...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Wood Finishes

Mixing wood finishes can be tricky. Too many unrelated wood tones can confuse a space. Done right, a combination of woods creates a layered effect, adding character and distinction. Give it a try in your home. It's vital to keeping a room interesting and from looking like a furniture showroom floor.

A few tricks to make it work:

1. Painted wood in combination with other natural woods tones.  A painted wood finish becomes the neutral making it an easy way to get the look without too much room for error.

2. Pick woods that have a related undertone or grain pattern, but with a contrast in lightness/darkness.

3. Visually balance a space by incorporating others elements throughout your space that relate to the non-dominant wood tone.  This could be an upholstery color, accessories, lighting finish, or cabinet hardware.

Below are a few rooms that hit the mark.

 

Knitted Interiors

I am loving all things knit. From traditional cable knit throws, to more modern interpretations like these stunning stools by Clair Anne Obrien, knit brings a comfort and charm into a space.

The Just Plain Folk carpet tiles by Flor play with scale and and the design can be customized by you as you place the tiles.  The quarter-turned pattern with a colorful border creates a cozy and playful vibe.

 

Love these delicate, oragami inspired knitted pillow covers from West Elm.

This table runner glams up the traditional pattern with a metallic foil cable knit print.

 

You can wrap your food up in cable knit too with knit inspired tableware from Reshape Studios.

Reese Witherspoon's Hacienda

Reese Witherspoon was featured in the current Elle Decor issue--I love the eclectic feel of her historic hacienda style ranch. It's refined, yet casual. The ranch is reflective of its past and also represents Reese's personal style and family.

 

 

 

 

 

For more celebrity homes check out Hooked On Houses blog.

 

White Hot Chairs

Love the sculptural look of these chairs and the use of white, or white combined with wood. Incorporating one to your office or home adds something cool to look at, along with the obvious additional place to sit.

1. Bistro by Loewenstein
2. Go by Bernhardt
3. Forest Chair by Janus et Cie
4. Cherner Arm Chair
5. Formum by Lowenstein
6. Full Twist by Geiger