No words are needed explain why this new hotel in Sicily is inspiring.
For more pictures of this stunning place, please click on their website HERE:
Buon weekend!
(I’m going to dream about the bedrooms. I know it.)
I don’t even drink coffee or have an espresso maker, yet I would love to own these cups. Stylish, simple, elegant… I adore them
Designed for Alessi by Massimiliano and Doriana Mandrelli Fuksas
Photo: Amazon.uk
Speaking of Fuksas, the world renowned architects recently renovated the flagship Benetton store in Rome. I haven’t stepped into a Benetton since college but I’m very curious about this building.
I was reading LONNY magazine last weekend when I came across the gorgeous work of Brittany Asch.
Asch has a great eye and her use of color is inspiring. Looking at these arrangements makes me swoon. Truly beautiful work.
Buon (and bello) Weekend!
Photos: Brrch.com
Me: “What are you doing this weekend?”
Friend: “Cambio di Stagione.”
Yes, it’s that time of year… we have to swap out our Winter clothes for our Spring/Summer clothes.
My friends in Italy who are fortunate to have enough closet space to avoid under-the-bed boxes, still do Cambio di Stagione. Clothes that need to be dry-cleaned are dropped off. Boots and other other Winter shoes are taken to the cobbler.
My closet is tiny. I guess one benefit is even if I could afford to buy the clothes I want, I would have no place to put them.
As I get ready to Cambio di Stagione, I dream about more closet space.
Aerin Lauder’s Manhattan Apartment Closet
Photo: ELLE DECOR
Closet designed by Lee Ledbetter
Photo: Architectural Digest
Closet designed by Jodi Foster
Photo: Jodi Foster
A new Pope was elected this week. We still don’t have a Prime Minister. It’s kind of nuts but I digress.
The determined sun fought its way through today’s stubborn clouds and after a week of horrendous weather, we finally had a few hours of sunshine. The angels sang.
Perhaps it’s a little early for Spring cleaning (the horrible weather is scheduled to return on Sunday afternoon) but I would like to get started on some projects this weekend.
Thoughts of Spring brought me to the photo below.
How lovely is this space designed by L.A. based, British born, Peter Dunham?
A Beverly Hills Family Room Designed by Peter Dunham
Photo: Architectural Digest
We had a chance to visit Peter’s showroom during Kathryn M. Ireland’s Design Bootcamp. His showroom was filled with beautiful things and Peter was very charming.
I think those chairs need to be in my home.
Buon Weekend!
I saw this short clip about Jenna Lyons and her shoe collection and had to write about it.
Jenna is the President and Executive Creative Director of J.Crew. She has been with the company for twenty years.
Her aesthetic is deeply embedded in the company’s DNA.
They do take fashion risks but haven’t forgotten their core customers who love J. Crew for its cool take on classic style. It’s the only American store where I can find jeans that fit my body. J.Crew does have killer sales, which is great for some of their pricier items.
In the film, Jenna briefly explains how their shoes evolve from a drawing to the store. The shoes are hand-made in Italy.
Yes, you could buy knock-offs of these shoes at Zara for a fraction of the cost.
While the CEO of Zara is worth 57 BILLION (the third richest man in the world) how much does Zara pay the people who make their shoes? How long would the shoes last?
I doubt they are paid anything close to what the workers in Pisa, Italy are making for J. Crew. The manufacturing sector in Italy, along with other Western countries, is facing serious challenges in a global economy.
However, one advantage Italy has is her artisans. There’s a reason why companies from all over world chose to have certain items, like shoes, made in Italy.
Fast fashion is here to stay, but I’m glad there are companies like J. Crew who care about quality and profits.
What a week.
Just when you think Italian politics couldn’t be more confusing or bizarre, they are. I have no idea what is going to happen now. Maybe we’ll have new elections.
The Pope said good-bye yesterday. The city is packed with tourists who came to see him for the last time. Cardinals are flying in for the conclave and there are journalists in town from all over the world.
Work-wise, things were hectic. I’m not sure how it’s Friday already.
Yesterday, Domenico and I drove up to Tuscany to visit the job site and to meet with our client who flew in from Germany. Normally, we would stay overnight but we decided to make it a day trip and left Rome at 6:30 a.m.
It was a very long day. At one point my brain said, “BASTA!” and refused to cooperate. It was around the time I was asking the contractor questions in Italian and then translating his answers into English.
On the drive back home, all I could think about was taking a long shower, getting in my PJs, and then watching Law and Order SVU reruns on Fox Crime (I have a thing for Detective Stabler).
I wish I had a shower like this:
Unfortunately, I do not.
The shower in the photo was designed by Ilaria Miani for Monteverdi. Monteverdi is a group of rental villas and a hotel in the small village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro in Tuscany.
Stunning. I hope to check it out sometime later this year.
In the meantime, Stabler and I will be relaxing this weekend.
Buon Weekend!
It’s a cloudy, rainy day in Rome.
To be honest, I’m so over the rainy season it’s not funny. Perhaps living in sunny Los Angeles for ten years has ruined my ability to cope with normal winter weather.
I went to college in Upstate New York. I’m from the East Coast. Now all of a sudden I’m a big wimp when it comes to the weather? I really need to stop complaining about the cold because in a few months it will be too hot.
It’s Oscar weekend. One of the most fun events is the Independent Spirit Awards, which were held under a big tent in Santa Monica with the after party at Shutters On The Beach Hotel.
The last time I went to the party, a friend and I kept following bumping into Daniel Craig. It was a glorious day.
Unfortunately, the upcoming forecast is not so glorious… rain for the next five days. Clearly, there will be no stylish bike riding for me this weekend.
Buon weekend a tutti!
People ask me all the time what is the difference between a mood board, an inspiration board, or a presentation board.
The terms are used interchangeably, but a presentation board is the one that you would show to a client.
A mood/inspiration board might be used only in house as you brainstorm design ideas. The presentation board shows the client the actual materials/furniture you plan to buy for the space.
I prefer to do these boards the old-fashioned way (I like to touch and feel everything) but with clients who live overseas or travel a lot, a digital board is the way to go.
I finally bit the bullet and bought Photoshop. Of course I was on a killer deadline for a project and had to turn around my boards pretty quickly.
Did I mention that I had never used Photoshop before? It was straight up drama trying to get these boards done. Fortunately, I have talented friends like Nicolee Drake who are also patient teachers.
Mood boards are very popular with interior designers, fashion designers, and graphic artists.
I love what interior designer Nathan Turner says about the Picasso inspiration in the short clip below. It’s for Pottery Barn and Nathan breaks down the process in a way that’s fun and accessible.
If you’re in L.A. check out his store on Melrose. It’s filled with beautiful things.
I hope you have an inspiring weekend.
I’ve been a fan of these glasses for ages. I saw them in Kathryn Ireland’s kitchen last year and thought to myself, “I need to buy some when I move to a bigger apartment.”
I had to find a new kettle. I decided to go ahead and spend money on a solid one, as the cheap one I bought fell apart way too soon. Off I went to C.U.C.I.N.A.
I try my best to avoid this store as every single time I stop in to buy one specific item, I get sucked into picking up a few things.
It happened again. I walked past the glasses section and somehow two glasses ended up in my basket.
La Rochere French Bee Tumbler.
It’s okay. It makes me happy when I open up my kitchen cabinet and see these two little glasses. Once I move, I’m getting a set.
In the States you can find them at Sur La Table.
As for the kettle, I bought a Le Creuset that was double the price of my old one. However, this one is built to last and very pretty.
