Friday, October 28, 2011

Interior of the Week

I love the laid back and cozy feeling this space portrays despite many of the industrial elements in it. The furniture is simple and functional, it looks like nothing more than metal cots with thin mattresses placed on top but the collection of throw pillows in different muted colors helps add a layer of warmth. I was just reading somewhere that throw pillows should be kept to two colors in the same palette and then add one totally unmatching to keep it exciting - it looks like that's what was done here with the black pillow thrown in with all the neutrals.  It looks like a great little weekend escape, doesn't it?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Design Ideas and Inspiration

I always feel very energized and full of inspiration and creativity during this time of year so today I thought I would share some of my recent pins and what I'm drawing inspiration from right now.

I pinned this photo for so many reasons.  love the warmth this space emits - the rich hue of the chocolate brown walls and the oatmeal colored linen roman shades.  There are so many textures and patterns in the room making it feel well lived in and layered.  The art resting on the floor is a nice complement to the laid back feel of the room.  I am considering roman shades for our bedroom and something like these would be perfect. 


Inspiration can always be drawn from the most unexpected places.  The interior of this European cafe was shared by blogger Sania Pell on her recent trip to Croatia.  I love the bundles of magazines tied together with twine.  I'm holding on to this idea for my studio make over.  It's a great way to keep my design magazines organized by year.


I've been pinning a lot of bathroom inspiration pics lately since we're in the planning stage of our guest bathroom remodel.  I love the look of taking subway tile up to the ceiling and those gold edged mirrors with shelves are so great.  I wonder where I can find one of those...


I've been working on creating a couple of mood boards and I'm always drawn to the contrast of a black background against all my favorite inspiration pics and clippings, it helps them to really stand out and have more of an impact.  It's always fun to look at other people's mood boards and see what kind of things people clip to help them get inspired and creative.   I'll be posting a project soon showing my current mood boards and how to create your own large scale mood board like this one without taking up precious wall space!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Retail Therapy - Peg and Awl

I stumbled upon the shop Peg and Awl recently and am hooked on all the beautiful, handmade goods made from reclaimed materials.  I absolutely love the waxed canvas pouch in that gorgeous reddish brown color.  I'm adding that to my wish list! I'm such a sucker for little bags and pouches - I like to keep everything in my purse organized in separate bags, a tip I surprisingly learned from Hilary Clinton!  I also think the chalkboard tablets are adorable and would make perfect gifts.

peg and awl
eg and awl
peg and awl

Monday, October 24, 2011

Reno Diary - Our Living Room

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We were super busy working on house projects - many of which I will be sharing soon. Mike and I discussed the plans for our guest bathroom remodel which we should be starting in a few weeks and I finally found a fabric option for our living room pillows.  One of my favorite French vintage shops on etsy had this amazing French mattress ticking in blue and white.  I am such a sucker for ticking so I grabbed it!   I've also been shopping for a vintage wood legged ottoman (something like this) to go on the other side of our mid century lounge chair so I'm considering it as a fabric for the ottoman too.  I guess I will make up my mind when it arrives...all the way from Paris, ugg - I am so not patient when it comes to waiting on the post office!
vintage french mattress ticking

Friday, October 21, 2011

Interior of the Week

I have been all but obsessed with this interior since I spotted it on One Kings Lane to promote Nate Berkus as a guest tastemaker. I love that living room, the exposed beams, the rust colored velvet tufted chaise, the black bookcases...




Thursday, October 20, 2011

Travel by Design - Viceroy

We're state side for this week's Travel by Design in Santa Monica at the Viceroy hotel.   This hotel has a great California chic vibe and I love that wall of green and white mirrors.  Green is one of my favorite colors but I find that I rarely use it in decorating.  I will have to rethink that after seeing this hotel, oh and that white Chesterfield sofa is amazing!  Don't you think?

viceroy hotel santa monica
viceroy hotel santa monica
viceroy hotel santa monica
viceroy hotel santa monica

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

About Me

vw bus

Today I thought I would do something different and share a little bit about me, the person behind The Design Boards!  I can be a very private person so at times it can really be difficult for me to open up and share bits and pieces of my life.  One of my goals for this blog is to make it a more personal space - not that I'm suddenly going to start telling you about the inner workings of my mind or anything but I really want more of my personality to come through.  I'm really moving outside of my comfort zone here so baby steps are necessary but over time I really hope that my readers can learn more about me and my life.  In turn, I would love to hear more about my readers, so if you've been reading since the beginning or just recently started dropping in, please feel free to drop a line in the comment section telling me a little bit about yourself! 

Some things you may not know about me:

I was raised in Alaska - I lived there for 9 years and it was amazing...seriously one of the most beautiful places on Earth. 
I am a Flexitarian (aka - occasional meat eater and yes this is real term, I didn't make it up - seriously, it's on wikipedia) and I generally eat very healthy with the exception of a few vices like my wicked sweet tooth.
I am learning German - my husband is half German and his entire family speaks it and I am so excited to one day become fluent.
Mike and I have been together for eight + years, married for two.  We were friends first and to this day, no one makes me laugh the way he does!  He is my very best friend which is why our relationship works as well as it does.
My dream car is a vintage VW bus...If I won the lottery - first thing I would buy.
My favorite fashion accessory is a scarf - I wear them all the time.
I have a really hard time making decisions which is one of the reasons why it's taken me so long to make any progress on our house.  I constantly doubt every choice I make and I like so many different styles that it's sometimes really hard for me to focus in on one thing and just go with it. 

So there you have it, now you know a little more about me!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Things that make me smile...

We are expecting torrential down pours over the next few days which will be bringing in a nasty little cold front and most likely our first real dose of Fall weather.  I can't wait!  I love rainy days...there isn't a better excuse for curling up the couch with a pile of design magazines and a cup of tea and wasting the day away.  What's making you smile on this beautiful Tuesday morning?

rainy window
rain boots
hunter rain boots
rainy day

Monday, October 17, 2011

From the Kitchen - Pumpkin Parfait


Hello!  How was your weekend?  I had a hugely successful shopping day on Saturday and found some great items for the shop which I will be listing throughout the week.
Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite new snacks...since October rolled around I have been addicted to eating this little concoction I came up with that consists of layering Greek yogurt, pumpkin butter, and granola.  I've been using my own granola and pumpkin butter recipe.  I've been eating this for breakfast every morning and it's so unbelievably good.  I'm trying to get my fill of pumpkin before the season is over!  Are you enjoying any special Fall or seasonal foods right now? 

Friday, October 14, 2011

Interior of the Week

I have been a huge fan of Canadian shelter mag House & Home since I first got my hands on it while living in New York.  That is one thing I miss terribly about the city - my neighborhood newsstand sold all the best international design magazines.  Luckily the iPad makes most of them extremely accessible and I now have a yearly subscription to H&H, which is where I read about Michael Angus, designer and owner of Angus & Company, an interiors shop in Toronto which he lives above. The home has a great mix of antiques and contemporary pieces and the artwork is amazing. 

michael angus interiors
michael angus home
michael angus
michael angus interior

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Travel by Design - Uxua Casa Hotel

This week we are escaping to the small fishing village on Brazil's Bahian coast to explore Uxua Casa Hotel.  If I could, I would book a ticket tomorrow for a little beach weekend escape.  This place looks amazing, it has a wonderful rustic bohemian beach feel and it looks like the perfect place to relax and unwind.  The hotel consists of ten casas which are filled with Brazilian antiques and art by local artists. 







Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Throwing a Fall Campfire Party

Throwing a Fall campfire or bonfire party is the perfect way to enjoy the cooler weather and celebrate this beautiful time of year. You can keep it simple by choosing easy to prepare foods like sandwiches wrapped in parchment paper and freshly popped popcorn dressed up with your own homemade spices and seasonings.

Serve seasonal beers like ciders and pumpkin ales and a warm drink like hot apple cider (spiked or not!) or canela tea which is a delicious Mexican tea flavored with cinnamon that you can also choose to add alcohol to or not.  

Of course, no campfire party would be complete without roasted marshmallows!  Create a s'mores bar with classic favorites like graham crackers and chocolate but mix it up by adding options like Nutella, caramel sauce, or bananas. 

Display Autumn flowers in mason jars around the table and have wool blankets on hand for staying warm beside the fire and making the space feel cozy. 

This is such a wonderful time of year to entertain and spend time outdoors enjoying the changing leaves and inspiring elements of nature before winter moves us inside to hibernate until Spring!   

fall campfire party
 fall campfire party
fall party ideas
fall campfire party
firepit party
fall party



Sources: 1. Vintage Swiss Army Wool Blankets via Jayson Home / 2. Marshmallow Roasting Forks via Amazon / 3. Wood Grain Mug via Terrain / 4. Black Hurricane Lantern via Luna Bazaar / 5. Fire Bowl via Toast / 6. Fragrant Fire Bundle via Terrain /7. Firewood Log Basket via Good to Buy / 8. Enamelware Containers via Kauffman Mercantile

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Things that make me smile...

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a fabulous weekend.  Yesterday was a holiday here in the states, I headed up to one of my favorite Monday flea markets but sadly the weather seemed to scare everyone away, including the vendors so it was a huge disappointment.  Other than that the rest of the weekend was lovely.  I was able to catch up and begin planning some holiday projects that I can't wait to share with you over the next couple of months! 

One of my favorite things to do over the weekend is sink into a comfortable chair and enjoy a cup of tea while flipping through design magazines or reading my favorite blogs on my iPad.  Mike and I are big tea drinkers, I will usually have 4-5 cups a day (I don't drink coffee at all).  My tea tastes change as the seasons do.  Right now I am loving black teas like Almond and Vanilla and of course, Chai, which I always associate with this time of year even though it'd delicious year round.  Do you prefer tea or coffee?  What teas are you drinking right now as the days are getting cooler? 

tea
 tea
tea time
 chai tea