Pretty Spaces

Room of the week:(ok so this photo really came from an advertisement) but it is one of my all time favorites. The whole room is just pure bliss. I have already had an incredibly busy week (and it's only Tuesday!) Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a tranquil room like this to come home to and relax in? I'm sure if my Living Room looked like this, I would be afraid to touch anything in it for fear of rumpling the couch pillows...but a girl can always dream! The blue on blue scheme is so calming and we love the added touches of cream. The new trend seems to be to match your drapes with your wall color and they did this beautifully! The lucite coffee table adds to this room's airy and light quality. Also, I love the symmetry in this room- everything seems to be in its rightful place and looks untouched. This Living Room is my ideal room even if it is perhaps a bit unrealistic for my lifestyle! I must say that everyone needs one room in their house that is "pretty" and solely exists for looks!

The Tub Set

To the Romans, taking a bath was the most prominent leisure activity for both men and women. It embodied the Roman way of life. Business deals were secured and local gossip was exchanged all while taking a dip in the public bath houses.
Bathing was truly an art form.

Roman Bath Ruins in Ostia, Italy (outside of Rome).

Beautiful Mosaic Tile Floor (also in Ostia)

Roman Soaker Tub! Just kidding, I have no clue what this is, I thought it looked like a bath tub.

Today the bathtub has become the art. Sculptural freestanding soaker tubs or traditional claw feet tubs often take center stage in a bathroom (whether they are actually used or not).

(photo credit: Miro Dvorscak)

The showcase of this clean, contemporary, bathroom I worked on is the beautiful tub.

(photo credit: Miro Dvorscak)

Simple wall mounted tub filler and backlit frosted glass are simple touches that envoke just the right atmosphere minus the green towels :)

This bathroom in the personal residence of Houston Designer, Bill Stubbs, uses traditional fittings for modern convenience. The handshower is great for both bathing and cleaning!

More shots of Mr. Stubbs' bathroom.

(photo credits: Miro Dvorscak)

This award winning bathroom designed by my boss contains a Japanese soaking tub. These tubs are extra deep (about 41") and are made for bathing in the upright sitting position.

Freestanding tubs can be traditional or contemporary. These more traditional images are clean and timeless (two of my favorite words used to describe a bathroom design).

A deck-mount tub can allow for the shower and bathtub to be more seamless. Sometimes the logistics calls for a deck-mount, but many people prefer them because they are easier to get in and out of (or they fall in love with a tub that has to be under-mounted).

(above four images via Point Click Home).

Dainty Dish Towels

As you probably have figured out, the Material Girls love any and all printed fabric...but what about the fabric on your dish towels? Those just like anything else in your home deserve to be stylish and take center stage in your kitchen! We love these vintage looking towels below from Couture Dreams

Each retails for only $22! Enjoy!

Blog watch- Life in a Venti Cup!

Thanks so much to Franki Durbin- the brilliance behind the blog, Life in a Venti Cup for mentioning our blog today on her site. We loved her endearing title for the post- "Material Girls in a Material World"- I couldn't have phrased it better!

I recently discovered Franki's clever and stylish blog- full of insightful thoughts for the modern woman on all that is chic and trendy. I love how her blog doesn't just focus on one subject- she writes about anything from fashion in the home to fashion on the runway!

Her blog description says it all- "Life is too short to think small. So live large. Live with style. Live with adventure. Live venti. Written by Franki Durbin, the blog discusses style, design, modern culture and travel."

You really need to check out her blog- it's one of my favorite new finds in the blogging world and I am definitely looking forward to some more great posts to come from Miss Franki!

Desperate for...paint colors?

With all of the drama continually happening on the hit show Desperate Housewives, it is almost impossible to notice anything other than the catfights, marital drama, and murderous plots. Who ever thought to notice paint colors? Well, that person is me- as it seems I don’t have anything better to do since the writer’s strike is STILL going on and all of our shows are on repeats! Blogging has recently become a larger part of my life with my decrease in television watching and what better topic to focus on than the Desperate Housewives' set!

Tom Walsh is the genius Production Designer involved in choosing the paint colors for Wisteria Lane. All are Benjamin Moore colors- you will be happy to know- as these are widely accessible and very durable. Tom feels that you should tell the character’s stories through their environments and that’s why he carefully chose paint colors to reflect each of their different personalities.

All of the houses incorporate Ben Moore’s Whisper Violet 2070-70 for their trim and picket fences to make the setting “clean, bright and ideal”. They used a hint of violet on all of the conventionally white trim since the show is in fact set on 'Wisteria' Lane.

Wisteria flower

Nothing is too detailed in the homes due to the characters’ hectic lives. The producers did not want any distractions from them. Color is used in character association- each of the characters in the show having their own distinctive palette (the majority of which are soft and muted)

Susan Mayer- works from home as an illustrator- they used mostly soft pastel colors for her house to signify her sensitive, creative, and colorful personality.

Lynette Scavo- Busy working mother with a hectic life raising four young boys. She is the only desperate housewife to get deep blue in her scheme- perhaps because of her house full of boys?

Gabrielle Solis- Former model with no kids- living a glamourous but deviant lifestyle. They gave her the warmest color scheme. Signifies her Hispanic Catholic background. The pumpkin shade in her Living Room suggests her fiery personality and unfaithful history with men.

Edie Britt- Couldn't find a single photo of her house online (could be because it burnt down last season!) but here are the paint colors for Edie's home. Edie is your girly girl always wearing tiny dresses and trying to seduce the neighbors so I'm sure this is why her color palette stays feminine, sultry, and seductive. This is my favorite palette!

Bree VandeKamp- Bree is known as a bit of a perfectionist. It's no surprise that her color scheme is very calming and is nothing too bold. Her simple "pretty" colors echos Bree's personality to a tee. The wythe blue is a color that would make her fiery red hair pop on the set!

We heart V Day!

Valentine's Day will soon be here and we've compiled a few photos of our favorite red and pink rooms!
This decked out closet from Traditional Home (Oct. 2007) is so playful and feminine. Flats and heels are showcased in pink shelves while purses, dresses, and sweaters are neatly arranged in front of a barely there lilac color. The bench adds a bit of whimsy and ties together all of the surrounding colors. If only my closet was a quarter of this size!

Another photo from Traditional Home- I love this antique desk that sits in the Master Bedroom- it serves to separate the bedroom from a sitting area. The added touches of soft pink in the throw and roses really gives this bedroom an added touch of romanticism.

Yet another Traditional Home photo here (Oct. 2007) by Jamie Drake. The magazine describes Jamie as "infusing a 'wow' factor into interiors with his fearless use of bold color". That's for sure! You have to be pretty fearless to cover an entire bedroom in fuchsia. Adding purple broke up all the pink while still maintaining femininity and luxury. Textiles were designed byJamie also (his collection for Schumacher). Again, he's another designer who mixes the contemporary (lucite chair- not shown, and luxe geometric velvet headboard) with the traditional (antique desk- not shown, and gilt accessories).

Hello red! This New York apartment with its bold red walls looks extraordinary paired with blacks, golds, and even animal prints to accent. This scheme is very exotic and daring. I love it because it does not look too masculine or feminine in here. It's a room anyone could get along with!

This boudoir featured in Oprah at Home is incredibly chic. Can't get enough of those pink houndstooth drapes or that mirrored vanity. This room acts almost as a little retreat for one to go to and relax in- with shoes all over the floor, feminine colors everywhere, and elegant furniture- every girl should have one of these to escape to!

Here is Gwyneth Paltrow's Dining Room in the Hamptons (featured in last year's House and Garden). The pink here is almost invisible- but if you look closely you will see small touches of pink sparkle in the stunning chandelier and in the inexpensive, but fabulous plates from CB2. We love how this Dining Room is far from being overdone and its simplicity is what really gets us!
Another celeb home photo for ya. I bet you can guess whose bedroom this is- oh yes, the always flashy and extravagent Paris Hilton's bedroom (or was her bedroom- those celebs seem to move around a lot!) I actually really adore her bedroom. The powdered pink and mirrored furniture (I have a thing for those mirrored pieces as you can tell) looks very striking but at the same time very serene.

Last celeb bedroom featured in Elle Decor U.K. is that of the designer Betsey Johnson. Her clothing is very unique as is her home design. I am really liking the yellow Dining Chairs paired with the pink walls- very unexpected and unique. Her signature color pink is used everywhere in her home- even pink carpet in the bedroom (not really my style but it wouldn't be Betsey if it wasn't a little bit unusual!)

Also, found a few V Day pieces that you could put in your home year round-

These chairs are from Mecox Gardens- definitely a bit more Valentines looking but aren't they sweet!

This garden seat is also from Mecox- a popular home accessory right now

Tea cup candle from Tracy Porter- would make a great gift for that special someone!

This Swedish farm table from 1st Dibs make a great craft desk in a feminine studio or would look adorable even in a child's room

Had to feature at least one Anthropologie find- the queen of girliness and charm. Love this little "Inside Out" bowl that you can purchase on their website.

I saw this Blu Dot chair in a magazine a while back and loved how inexpensive and modern looking it was.

This chair from Container Store is another inexpensive desk chair find- comes in a few other bold colors and is only $49!!

This houndstooth print pillow from Heals is only $40- what a bargain!

Ok..not really an inexpensive find but we LOVE this Venetian lamp from Jan Showers. So fabulous!

Step into Spring!

Well not yet..it's still incredibly frigid here in Texas but we can always dream! William Sonoma Home already has their Spring line out- they must have known we were anxious. I don't know about you but I am sooo ready to get rid of all those fall and winter colors- I am so much more of a Spring person. Spring colors are just so cheerful and lively. In my own home, I tend to gravitate towards designing in blues, greens, pinks, and creams. I have been such a green person lately- I was in heaven when I saw all the green that WS home is now offering.

Silk Twill Printed Pillows- $78 each

Potted Lemon Tree- $58-68

Pierced Ginger Jars- $138-238

Garden Mazes Artwork- $395

Decorative Spheres- $38 each

Decorative Porcelain Garden Seats- $250-295

Blue and White Ginger Jars- $125-375