La Dolce Vita

I am off to Rome!

I'll be there for a week--so check back next week for pictures of fabulous Italian design, architecture, fashion and food!

Ciao!

PS--I'm staying right next to the Fountain Trevi which was the iconic backdrop for La Dolce Vita! I'll try to jump in the fountain when Ryan's not looking, but as a standby passenger in Rome, I should count my lucky stars and obey the law :)

La Dolce Vita

So I haven't really said much about it, because I didn't want to jinx it...but Ryan and I are off on a European adventure tomorrow!

That's right, we have 2 standby tickets to Europe, a week off of work, and our fingers crossed.

 

My mother-in-law has given us 2 buddy passes on United. We are trying for Rome, but could also happily end up in Amsterdam, London, or Munich.

I am 100% excited, and 25% nervous :)

So I thought I would dedicate a post to Italian street style. Since I will be traveling stand-by, and packing light with lots of layers.

Sometimes more is just more!

As I sit at my kitchen table, in my cute 50's rambler, sipping coffee and reading this article, I can't help but feel so lucky I don't live like this...

Sometimes more is just more!

(Article from yahoo.com)

India’s richest man has moved into world’s biggest private residence

Marking the end of seven years of construction work, India's richest man is planning a housewarming party for his 27-story palatial new home in Mumbai, replete with no fewer than three helipads and an air-traffic control station on its roof.

Image by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis

The 570-foot-tall glass tower, called Antilia, "features a swimming pool, a health club, a salon and a mini-theatre," reports the Times of India. "The first six levels comprise the garage where more than 160 cars can be parked. Atop the parking lot is Antilia's lobby, which has nine elevators."  The house also has a garden that can accommodate trees, according to the Telegraph, and a separate ballroom. About 600 staffers will be required to run Antilia, named after the mythical island in the Atlantic.

Image by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis

The house belongs to Mukesh Ambani, who owns much of the oil and retail giant Reliance Industries. He is estimated to be worth about $27 billion. Experts told the Guardian that "there is no other private property of comparable size and prominence in the world." Ambani, the fourth-richest man in the world, co-ran Reliance with his brother before the two had a falling-out and split the company.

A Reliance spokesman told the Times the house would cost about $70 million, but the Guardian says it's closer to $1 billion.



In completely unrelated news...have you seen the new pieces at West Elm? FABULOUS!!!

Look at these prints!

 

Also their new Wing back chair totally reminds me of the stellar piece I picked up at an antique store at Bethany Beach for $25! Except mine as nail head trim...so take that! Mine is falling apart and needs to be completely reupholstered but will look 100% charming when finished!

Happy Monday!

Inspiration Board: My Mom's Guest Room

Happy Friday!!!

When my mom asked me to help her come up with a design for her new guest room, I knew I would draw inspiration from HGTV's Secrets to a Stylist.

I fell in love with the gray guestroom with the goldish-yellow duvet from West Elm.

Here is what I came up with...

My mom is going to paint the walls the same color I painted my basement ceiling...and my new favorite color in the world--Benjamin Moore's Smoke Embers!

This will contrast beautifully with the goldish-yellow chain link duvet from West Elm. I love West Elm duvets because they are great quality and at $79-99 for a Full Queen you aren't afraid to be a little daring, because it's not necessarily a piece that has to last for years and years!

My mom already has guestroom furniture that is mostly white wicker (yes my sister and I begged for this back in the 90's :) so that will work well with the gray and yellow.

My mom is also going to paint a beautiful old dresser she had as a child...wait for it...a bluish teal. I think this is a great idea to bring an old piece back to life, and the teal color will really be a wow factor against the gray and yellow.

Because the teal dresser is going to be such a standout piece, I recommend putting 1 more teal piece in the room, so it grounds the color and doesn't seem so foreign--I love the idea of finding an old simple chair and painting that as well.

You have to have a chair in every guest room. Not only does it give your guests a place to put their things, it is great to sit on when they are getting ready / changing...or relaxing from a long day sight-seeing!

Since the room gets tons of light, and the furniture is mostly light, and I recommend using white curtains, I wanted all the other pieces to be slightly heavier and darker to ground the room. I love this dark washed out round mirror from Potterybarn.

And then lastly, I thought mercury vases were the perfect combination, since they are both ethereal but have dark coloring mixed in with the chipped platinum. And every guest room should have family photos to really make the space feel personal.

Well that's it! Looks like my mom and I are going to be doing a lot of shopping at West Elm, and painting!

Email me if you want me to do an inspiration board for your space!

How old is too old for posters?

Now I know that posters are not necessarily for adult houses, and the Moulin-Rouge french posters are so circa 1995 Friends, but...

I can't help but love these sailing prints for my basement family room. I think properly matted and framed, they could look fabulous and bring much needed pops of color onto my walls. What do we think?

 

Let me share some in-progress photos of the basement. We hope to have it all painted by Saturday.

Here is a pic of my basement walls before. Have I mentioned the previous owners hired painters to dip the whole house in this antique beige color? It is literally in every nook and cranny.

BEFORE:

You can see my 5 white samples painted on the wall under the window...I am insane.

AFTER: (the pics don't do it justice, but the Simply White paint made everything so much brighter!)

This is another project I have up my sleeve...painting the stairs and adding new (hopefully striped) runner

 Hopefully I'll have the pics of the ceiling on Friday.

I'm Dreaming About Nantucket!

On this crisp fall day, when my allergies are acting up, and work is piling up...

I can only wish I could run away to Nantucket. A place I have wanted to go to forever! I miss New England in the fall.

While I continue to paint my basement this week, and pack for Europe---I will be dreaming of Nantucket!

And I would want to stay at the Vanessa Hotel. Check out this boutique hotel which doesn't sacrifice style, while still paying homage to the coastal life.

(According to the hotel's website)

Vanessa Noel launched the Vanessa Noel Hotel in the summer of 2002 as the first boutique hotel in Nantucket. Digressing from stereotypical Nantucket décor while honoring the island’s flavor, Noel has created a warm, modern enclave. The hotel’s 3-story shingled structure was originally built in 1847. Noel has managed to maintain the architectural heritage while incorporating a refined, fresh style. 

The lobby is graced with the original wide plank pine floors, now illuminated with a 1930’s Baccarat chandelier. The lobby’s traditional hand loomed furniture creates a smart contrast with the ultra modern Desiron writing desk. Leopard-trimmed sisal Philippe Stark carpeting draws guests up the Colonial staircase to the eight bedrooms filled with every comfort imaginable.

 

"I want my guests to appreciate the nature of Nantucket without sacrificing indulgence," says Noel. Each room is adorned with sky blue ceilings, woven sisal carpets and hand-sewn Italian silk-taffeta shades that rest atop each window, allowing clear views of Nantucket’s historic streets. Noel selected solid Armani Casa bedside tables, adding a contrast to the frameless soft feather beds dressed with nine pillows and 300-count custom made Frette sheets and duvets.

The exquisitely detailed bathrooms incorporate Italian honey-colored marble, Philippe Starck fixtures, Bulgari toiletries, Frette robes and bath sheets. "Vanessa Noel Water" is featured in each room’s stocked mini-bar, and 15" flat-screen plasma televisions in each room.

The hotel is located at #5 Chestnut Street in the main town of Nantucket. The hotel provides quick access to the beach as well as the island’s finest restaurants and shops. The hotel is open year round.

How fabulous is this hotel! Plus it doesn't allow children (whom I love but don't particularly like to share bed & breakfast space with) and has a shoe store attached...SOLD!

October Loco + Guest Rooms

My Birthday flowers are finally dying...but look how beautiful they looked in their glory days:

October is shaping up to be a crazy month!!! This week we are finishing painting the basement...I hope to have some rough progress pics by the end of the week. We decided to paint the walls BM Simply White, and the ceiling a gray color: BM Smoke Embers. It is turning out fantastic!

After we finish painting, we have a few pieces we have collected that can go up right away. But we still need to purchase a couple of large items, such as the entertainment center & TV...and some fun photos we have our eyes on. I can't wait to show you progress pics.

Plus I have to find time to have the fabulously-old wing back chair & firewood storage (which I'm using as an end table/storage bin) I scored at an antique shop reupholstered and spray-painted respectively.

And then next week...we are off to Europe!! I'm going to post more on that later :)

But for now, I've been thinking of how I could add a little pizazz to my upstairs guest room.

Here are some guest rooms that I think are completely perfect & inspiring...who wouldn't want to stay here!!!