Green with Envy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This day represents one of my very favorite colors - kelly green.  To me this particular shade of green embodies everything that is spring - optimism, possibility, new beginnings.  I just can't stay in a bad mood looking at this color.  Please enjoy some lovely green rooms and other chic greenery:)

via Colour Me Happy Blog

Kitchen via Domino

by Kelly Wearstler

by Miles Redd

Hunter Boots, Ippolita Earrings via Saks, Rebecca Taylor Dress, Tory Burch Bag

Feelin' Groovy

Of all the decades that fashion designers look back to for inspiration the 70's is one of my favorites.  Platforms, wedge sandals, bohemian florals, plaids, bell bottom jeans - expect to see a lot of this for spring.  Hold on to your skinny jeans, but if you have some flares or bell bottoms that you have put away for the past couple of seasons it's time to bring them back on out!  For some inspiration see below the epitome of 70's bohemian chic - the iconic Ali Macgraw:

The Getaway

IRO blouse via Net-A-Porter

Belt via Nordstroms

Shoulder Bag via Tory Burch

Joie Dress via Nordstroms - come fall add a pair of boots!

Dress via Urban Outfitters - throw a scarf on your head and I would swap the black belt for brown

Another 70's brunette who I'm channeling these days is Jackie from that 70's show.  Tibi and Rebecca Taylor collections are filled with floaty printed 70's inspired dresses ala Jackie Burkhart.

Dress via Rebecca Taylor

Tibi Dress via Bloomingdales - I would go with a neutral colored wedge or heels for this look

Belgian Chocolate, Fries and Interiors!

I heart Belgium.  What is there not to love about this country? Exquisite chocolate shops around every corner, street vendors selling the most amazing frites and waffles I have ever tasted and easily the best beers in the world.  Now, the interiors.  I first fell in love with Belgian style without even knowing what it was.  I stumbled into a charming shop in Charleston, South of Market, and I was in awe.  This was the first time in my life (I was about 25 at the time by the way) that I walked into a home store and LOVED everything I saw.  I could have had the shop owner drop off the contents of the entire store at my house and live a happy life! Fast forward a couple of years to 2008 and I was able to define the style when I saw this home designed by Barbara Westbrook and Kim Winkler featured in the May issue of House Beautiful:

 View of the Sitting Room and Kitchen.  This was the first time I had ever seen open shelving in a kitchen - LOVE!

 Love these dark grey walls in the dining room - Tabacco #33-19 Pratt & Lambert

Elegantly slipcovered sofas in a neutral palette with punches of turquoise and blue accents

This article was the gateway to my discovery of Belgian style and Axel Vervoordt, one of the best known designers of of this style.  Belgian style is marked by a neutral color palette, texture, simple lines, reclaimed wood, iron and linen.  At once rustic and sophisticated, you won't find anything too fussy or overdone here.  It is such an approachable style that it has now found it's way into mainstream stores like Restoration Hardware.  Rustic and worn woods and slipcovers are a cornerstone of belgian style so  it is a naturally good fit for family friendly lives.  I also like that this style lends itself to sustainable and eco-conscious design with reclaimed woods and repurposed objects as art.  See below photos from another House Beautiful feature - Kay Douglass of South of Market is the designer.

 Dining Room with slipcovered Parsons Chairs

 I never thought of putting lavender and orange together until I saw this!

Sitting area with reclaimed doors

Sourcing:

Carter chair via Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams

Sofa via Restoration Hardware, Coffee Table via Wisteria, Rug via Calypso Home

Happiness is an Organized Closet

or Dressing Room if you are lucky enough!  Happy March:)  I cannot remember ever being this excited for Spring, but I am practically bursting this year!  To celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and blooming flowers I have been doing some spring cleaning focused specifically on my closet.  I am so done with all of the big dark sweaters of fall and winter and am getting much pleasure packing them up into bins for summer storage.  And pulling out some of my stuff from last spring and summer is like shopping without depleting your bank account.  Every year I vow that I am going to keep my super teeny tiny closet organized and beautiful all season long.  We will see how that goes, for now I am using these photos as inspirations.

Aerin Lauder Dressing Room via Elle Decor

Windsor Smith via House Beautiful

Jenna Lyons Dressing Room

Olivia Wilde Dressing Room via InStyle

Laura Vinroot Poole (Owner of the Poole Shop in Charlotte) via Domino

via Elle Decor

Kaihoi Closet via House Beautiful - This closet is probably most similar in size to mine (sad!) and the key to this closet according to the owners is careful wardrobe editing.  I do love the pop of painted red in contrast to the soft pale pink wallpaper

Nicky Hilton Closet via InStyle - the contrast of the white and black and the glass doors - LOVE!

How could I collect closet and dressing room photos and not include a Carrie Bradshaw closet?  via hookedonhouses.net.  I know you were probably expecting the heavenly white closet from the movie, but I actually like this closet better for me.  Kind of like Goldilocks I think this one is just right:)

I love the chandeliers in these dressing rooms - if I ever get myself a dressing room it will most definitely have some sort of beautiful chandelier.  Quality matching wood hangers are a must - I did invest in some years ago and have never regretted it.  As I am going through my previous spring and summer items I am making piles of dry cleaning (wow is that a big pile!), tailoring, donate, and consign.  It is hard at first, but it really feels great to purge the items you are not using.  Then the fun part is assessing if there are any holes that need filling - dresses, sweaters possibly a wedge.