REDvolution

So I have mentioned many times that red is not my favorite color. [Thank God my dad doesn't read my blog because he would disown me seeing as how we are a HUGE University of Georgia family!] I think it stems from the fact that a) I am a summer...I mean my coloring so blues and greens and purples look better on me and therefore I gravitate towards those cool colors. Seriously, there is an annual charity event here called the RED Party and I have to go out and by something because I literally have no red in my closet. And b) I live in Charleston and I absolutely love the coast so this (I'm sure) influences the color pallet that I gravitate towards. Makes sense, right? Sooo...I feel the need to give some red love out because I do not hate the color red. Promise. I have decorated with it for clients many, many times. And since we have been seeing so much red on the red carpets I am thinking that this color will be showing up more and more in the decor world very soon. Don't ya think?

I especially like it done in small splashes so it doesn't overwhelm the room or make it feel heavy.

House Beautiful

Domino

House Beautiful

Elle Decor

Elle Decor

Southern Living

I will go on record however saying that their ain't nothin' like a Georgia boy in a pair of red pants! Go Dawgs! [That was for you dad.]

I'm Blushing!

Designer Windsor Smith

Designer Gary McBournie

Designer Amanda Nisbet

Designer Jonathan Adler

Blush is not good when in comes to wine but it is very good when it comes to these smokin' rooms!

Feelin' Lucky?

Domino

via decorinspiration

via HighHeeledFootInTheDoor

Designer Toby Fairley

Designer Mary McDonald

This last room is from a past Charleston Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse designed by a good friend of mine, Lauren Muzekari Lennon, with Morris Muzekari Interior Design. She is crazy talented, go check out her website and see for yourself! The 2010 Showhouse opens this week and runs March 18th-April 18 and you can get tickets here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Design Inspiration

A friend of mine once said, (Lisa if you happen to be reading I am talking about you! And while I am giving her a shout out I should mention that she is the founder of the hugely popular Aspen Fashion Week. Check it out! So proud of her success!) but I digress....so she once said to me "I am in awe of the creative process." And I couldn't agree more!

As a creative person, it is so interesting to me how other creative types get their inspiration. For example, aspiring Project Runway designer, Carol Hannah (from Charleston-woo hoo!) explained that her collection on the finale was inspired by the architecture from a visit to the Duke campus. Not surprising as fashion and interior design often go hand-in-hand. Eventually, runway trends trickle down into the design world this perhaps is most apparent in the use of color. Domino magazine use to have a section where they would take an outfit and directly translate it into a room. Some of my fellow bloggers have continued this task like Two Ellie did here or as shown here with Anthropologie.

Creative inspiration behind a design can come from anything-a recent trip, watching an old movie, listening to a song, or a crab. Yes, I said a crab. While going through my sister-in-law's photos on Facebook, I came across this photo from our summer vacation on Fripp. I was staring at this photo for an unusually long time I finally realized why...it has all of my favorite colors in it. I could literally design a house based on this silly little crab!

(Paint color doesn't translate very well via Internet but you get the idea!)

Now go get inspired!

~Images: 1-3) via Flikr 4) Personal 5) SherwinWilliams.com

Orange Crush

As I was decorating my house for supper club last night, I got to thinking about my love for the color orange. I grew up a Georgia Bulldog and therefore was forbade to wear the color orange because it represented all of our SEC rivals-Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, etc. And personally, I am a cool colored type of gal but I really do love to color orange! It reminds me of some happy times-carving pumpkins with my brother as a kid, picking oranges off the trees at my grandparents place in Florida, sunsets on the beach, watching Real Housewives of Orange County...

Need help picking out a good shade of orange to paint your walls? Check out this article from House Beautiful's October issue in which top designers gab about their favorite orange paint colors. Have a go-to orange paint color that you have used before? Let me know!

~Images: 1) Designer Tobi Fairley 2) Designer Mary McDonald 3) Designer Palmer Weiss 4) Designer Celerie Kemble 5) Designer Ashley Whittaker 6) Designer Sara Story

Black and White

Who says black and white has to mean bland? Check out these beautiful rooms decorated primarily in a black and white scheme. Being a fan of color, I don't think I could do this in my home however I can appreciate the look. What do you think?

To avoid having the room look "flat" be sure to vary the textures of fabrics, rugs, art and accessories to add some interest as they did with the grasscloth

in this dining room.

And if ALL black and white is too much try adding

an accent color for some contrast.

~Images: 1) Porchlightinteriorsblog 2) Apartment Theropy 3) NJ 4) KWID 5) Elle Decor Oct 2007 6) Cottage Living Sept 2008 7) Cottage Living March 2006 8) Unknown 9) Freshome

You Are My Sunshine...

These rooms really do make me happy! The weather forecast for this weekend in Charleston is nothing but a big, round sun! I love that! Hence these images of some bright, cheery interiors in the succulent shades of lime and yellow. Accoding to Google, there are hundreds of songs with "sun or sunshine" in the title. Some of my favorites are Aqualung's "Brighter Than Sunshine," Slightly Stoopid's "Sun is Shining," and when Sting covered "Ain't No Sunshine." Hot! What is your favorite "sun/sunshine" song?

~Images: 1) Phoebe Howard 2) Kelly Wearstler 3) Jonathan Adler 4) House Beautiful June 2001 5) Elle Decor 6) Unknown 7) Unknown

Feelin' Blue

My nephews are big on a few things right now: "How old are you?," "How are you related to my dad?" and "What is your favorite color?" I think they ask me these questions several times per visit. Cracks me up. My answer is always the same to all three. I am 24 (which is a lie). Your dad is my brother. And my favorite color is blue...always has been, probably because it is reminiscent of my love for the sea.

The shade of blue however, has varied over the years. As a child, I had a Williamsburg blue bedroom with a very traditional mahogany antique furniture as well as a floral comforter "set" complete with matching wall border (gag!). Then I went through a painful phase in high school where my entire wardrobe was navy (I blame The Gap because that was their signature color the few seasons I worked there). Next came the infamous royal blue LL Bean Pancho that I wore every day of college (whether it was raining or not) until my wise friend advised me to retire it...three years too late mind you. Now I would say that my favorite shade of blue is more of an aqua like the soothing Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue in my bedroom. Today I have an appreciation for all shades of blue and I am especially fond of the blues in the images above as well as the fresh, modern take on the classic blue and white color scheme!

~Images: 1) Unknown 2) Unknown but believe it is by Designer Mary McDonald 3) Deisgner Tom Scheerer 4) Ralph Lauren ad 5) Unknown 6) House Beautiful June 2001 7) House Beautiful 8) Designed by Amanda Nisbet 9) Designed by T. Keller Donovan