Get into Banana!

The Material Girls are major jewelery nuts! One of our favorite go to places for the most fab jewelery on the cheap is Banana Republic.

{on sale for $29.99}




{on sale for $29.99}

{$38.00}



{$58.00}

{$48.00}

So many more great pieces in their stores, and many of them on sale!

House Beautiful Mobile

http://m.housebeautiful.com/

At this website you can join the House Beautiful Text Club for color and decor tips sent directly to your cell phone every Tuesday and Friday- simply send a text message with HBTXT in the body to 432778.

Just a few things House Beautiful Mobile offers: Daily Insight, Paint Calculator, Design Dictionary, and Interior Tales.

"I'm convinced everybody has a beautiful house in them, and HB mobile web can help you create it, anytime, anywhere. You can't always have a magazine under your arm, but digital content goes wherever you go: the best paint colors, a design dictionary, great shopping ideas and much more."

Stephen Drucker, Editor-in-Chief, House Beautiful

A few tips I learned from House Beautiful Mobile:

-"A checkered floor painted on the diagonal is a great space-swelling strategy."

-"A great painting or a giant mirror makes a true mark in a room."

-"A desk in the kitchen can be a simple space, handy for planning menus and paying bills, or it can be more elaborate with a computer, TV, and stereo."

-"Add a backsplash. A tile backsplash behind your sink, counter, or range looks great and will last longer than either paint or wallpaper."

What a great way to put your texting to good use!!

Chair of the week!

I saw this Bell Baroque Side Chair in this month's House Beautiful under the article "I'm looking for a dining chair" and I absolutely fell in love. This chair goes for $450 and can be purchased on www.cbellfurnishing.com. I love the lacquered green hardwood- absolutely gorgeous! It might get a little costly to buy five more to fit around your dining table, so sticking with one or two as decorative side or desk chairs is always another option.

Sunny Spaces

Met Home quoted in its issue this month, "The color forecast this winter calls for bright sunshine with a twist of lemon."


This bright yellow hue that's been showing up in homes all started with one beautiful dress...Oscar de la Renta's designer gown in fact- one that was strutted on the runway this season by fashion models and later to be worn by celebrities. This dress received a ton of hype- I know I saw it in a bunch of fashion magazines this year and hence the bright bright shade of yellow was reborn...


Remember the little yellow dress that the newly single Reese Witherspoon wore at the Golden Globes this year? This dress made headlines all over and she was deemed a knockout! Imagine if you got this much attention because of your home!




Design Within Reach AC Chair


Jan Showers Lamp


Target Shadowbox


Horchow Faux Lily Arrangement


Philippe Starck-La Marie Chair


World Market Paper Lanterns


William Sonoma Home Rug


Ballard Designs Prints


Pottery Barn Vases

Anthropologie Shower Curtain

As you can see, yellow has been very prevalent in the design world lately- hopefully this uplifting and cheerful hue will be here to stay!

Z Gallerie Updates

A sneak peek at Z Gallerie Spring Collection 2008! We love all the green and white- such a fresh crisp look- we can't wait!


Another trend on the rise- skulls! First celebs were sporting this look everywhere- wearing anything from pendant necklaces, to scarves, to shirts! Now this interesting symbol has invaded homes and Z Gallerie has an entire skull collection!
http://www.zgallerie.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=skull
I think my favorites would have to be the skull coasters and the skull wine charms! A little scary and cute at the same time!

New Blog Name!

We have finally decided on a new blog name- "Material Girls"- inspired by our love for fabrics and all design materials!
Web address is: http://www.materialgirlsblog.com/

Also, new blog header coming soon!

A Rebel in an Ugly World

Who was Elsie de Wolfe?

She was believed to have invented the profession of Interior Design and often referred to herself as “a rebel in an ugly world”.

In 1903, at age 40, Elsie began to pursue Interior Design after being an actress and staging plays for many years. She was responsible for brightening the interiors of some of the most impressive Victorian houses of that era. In 1913, she wrote The House in Good Taste- one of the most influential and memorable design books of all time.

She also introduced society to the cocktail party and the small intimate dinner party (love it!)

In her clothes as well as her Interior Design, she lived by the motto she embroidered on taffeta pillows in her parlor: "Never complain, never explain."

The three aspects Elsie always desired in a room were light, air, and comfort.

Elsie’s home decorating tips are not lost today. Using Horchow’s gorgeous traditional furniture and accessories, you can bring an up to date Elsie de Wolfe style into your home and create a timeless environment.

Here are a few of her decorating tips below:

1) Artwork: Elsie often hung artistic portraits and traditional landscapes in the homes she designed.

2) Color Palette: Elsie loved the colors- blue, rose, and cream. This bedspread embodies all of these hues while maintaining a high level of elegance and femininity. Other colors she desired together were greens, purples, and lavenders.

3) Comfort is Key in Furniture: She used 18th century French and English furniture in her designs but she made sure the chairs were always comfortable.

4) Chaise Lounge- this piece of furniture was often a key element in Elsie's decor.

5) Preferred lots of light sources: Elsie wanted her rooms to be filled with lots of light- coming from various sources. This crystal chandelier and mirrored sconce are updated versions of the ones Elsie used to fill her homes with.

6) Delicate Writing Tables: This writing desk from Horchow looks very similar to those chosen by Elsie back in 1903.

7) House Plants/Flowers/ Porcelain Bowls- These were the kinds of accessories that Elsie liked to decorate with in a room. She especially loved potted palms.

8) Footstools- Elsie used these small pieces of furniture throughout her rooms to give them a dainty touch while also providing another place to sit.

9) Painted and Stenciled Furniture: Elsie loved the intricate detail in painted furniture.

10) Animal Prints: A popular home trend now, she often used animal prints in her designs. It just keeps coming back!

11) Mirrors: Elsie used mirrors mostly over fireplaces and dressing tables; her favorites were those with silver and gold gilded decorative frames like the one above.

12) Persian Rugs- These rugs are classic and timeless- still used today.

13) Vanity Table: These were seen in a lot of bedrooms she designed. The vanity table's skirt adds sophistication/glamour and softens the hard edges of the table.

14) Wall Colors: Elsie desired light, fresh, and soft wall colors.

She was once heard saying- "It's my color- beige!"

15) A few of her other design tips included: Faux finish treatments, chinoiserie print wallpaper, chintz fabrics, and uncluttered rooms.

Her design advice was very practical and relatively inexpensive to carry out.

One of my favorite quotes from Elsie- “It’s the personality of the mistress that the home expresses. Men are forever guests in our homes, no matter how much happiness they find there.” Amen!