K is for... Kooking in the Kitchen!

I love these colorful kitchen goodies featured in House Beautiful magazine.


Great silicone spatulas from Chef'n.



Nesting bowls and measuring spoons from The Conran Shop.

I LOVE cooking - and these colorful goodies make it a little more fun!

K is for... Knits

Next month winter officially arrives! If you are on the East Coast, that means you are probably already bundled in in your heavy winter coat. If you are in LA, like me, that means you are in shorts, a t-shirt and Uggs. If you are in Hawaii? Christmas is probably bikini weather.

But no matter the outside temperature, everyone loves the idea of winter - hot cocoa, warm fires, and knits! The Anthropologie catalog arrived last week filled with gorgeous knit homewares - here are a few.

Adorable knitwear candles.


Knit cuckoo clocks - we almost bought one for our house, but ended up not pulling the trigger. If I ever buy a ski condo - this is going on the wall!

And a knit chevron patterned throw that is reminiscent of both Missoni and grandma at the same time.

J is for... Jewelry

I find inspiration everywhere. On a recent trip to Disneyland, I saw a jellyfish on the Nemo ride that is inspiring me to design a chandelier. Weird, yes. True? Yes.

One huge source of inspiration to me is jewelry - here are some parallels/inspirations that I have found the are both in jewelry and interiors:

Keys have been a big motif this year (I love the Tiffany key necklace). One of my favorite jewelry designers, Wendy Mink, makes this more affordable and funky looking piece:




Love vintage keys in home decor too - like these from Pottery Barn.

This tassel necklace (also by Wendy Mink) might have to find a home in my jewelry box


Obviously, the interior "tie in" here is with tassels - which can be used as drapery tie-backs, upholstery details...


Love this gorgeous image from high-end showroom Janet Yonaty.

Or this affordable adorable one from West Elm (which we bought for a client's bedroom!)


J. Crew has become a go-to for jewelry - LOVE this necklace.

Love the same gold drippy feeling on these Wendy Mink earrings


I think they both tie in gorgeously with this drippy chandelier.
Room was designed by Kara Mann (whose interiors I always love) for the Met Home Showtime Showcase House. Love the room shot - another hanging chair!


Some great Wendy Mink necklaces



They remind me of these napkin rings from Neiman Marcus (by Kim Seybert, who is my new obsession in tabletop decor)

And finally, guess which one is the ring and which one is the napkin ring?Top: napkin ring (another Neiman's find). Bottom: ring (by Kenneth Jay Lane @ Macy's.) But I'd wear them both!

I is for... Interior Designers

Good design doesn't just happen. It takes planning, organization, creativity. So here is a list of some of my favorite interior designers.

#1. Kelly Wearstler. She isn't just an interior designer, she's a brand. I love how she moves fluidly between hotel design, residential design and products. Definitely how I would like my business to grow.

I will always love canopy chairs. And the detail in the moulding with the black and gold paint? Subtle but gorgeous.


A great outdoor residential space. Makes me feel like I'm back on vacation


A STUNNING kitchen



#2. Jonathan Adler. Many are aware of his product design, but I think his interior designs are equally fabulous.

A fun Mad-Men-esque bedroom


I dream of the day I can put a hanging chair in a room in my house


This living room is retro without being campy


Chic!


Love the play with pattern



#3. Thom Felicia. With shows like Dress My Nest and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy under his belt, he has a lot of great press. His interiors are so serene - I love them!



Classic, chic and beautiful.


#4. Betsy Burnham. A local LA designer who I can't get enough of.


The detailing on that cabinet is kind of genius.


#5. Amy Lau is a designer I've mentioned often on this blog. Her guts to continue the wallpaper on the ceiling - good move!
** all images from the designers' websites

H is for... Hotels

As I mentioned earlier today, my week-long trip to Jamaica for a wedding was spectacular. The hotel was amazing (Moon Dance Villas). The bride and groom were glowing. And the whole experience made me realize that I need to travel WAY more while I still can. Here are some gorgeously designed hotels that make me want to get on the road.

Hotel #1: Cabo Azul. This hotel opened in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico while I was working at the hospitality design firm Dodd Mitchell Design. I had the pleasure of going down twice to work on it - once for the grand opening. I would love to go again someday (but not for work!)

The guestrooms have the most fantastic mood lighting


That view is stunning!


The entrance to the delicious restaurant, Javier's. Love the hanging lanterns


Lounging by the pool. Yes please.


The amazing Palapa Bar


A pool lounger - I'd love one of these at my house (plus a pool)


The resort


Hotel #2: The much blogged about Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Can't wait to visit (but worried about cheating on my favorite hotel, The Parker). Designed by Commune (pictures from the Commune website)




LOVE the Palm Springs bohemian vibe.


For a completely different city vibe, I'm loving these two urban hotels designed by Cheryl Rowley Design.
Hotel #3: The Wit in Chicago


Love the book covers - very witty.

Hotel #4: Her Miami hotel, Epic Hotel & Residences.



So tranquil. And I would definitely attend any boring conference in that amazing conference room!

Next vacation for me - skiing!

H is for... Housewares

Everything about my wedding was wonderful - the flowers, the dress, the groom - but my husband and I discussed it and there is one teeny tiny thing we may have done differently: the registry. I love my dishes, don't get me wrong (we did Kate Spade's Pompano Point for fancy pants days and Nambe's Butterfly for everyday), but about a year ago, I had a flash of brilliance. To register for twelve different sets of china, one place setting of each set. That means everyone at the table would get a different gorgeous plate. We could get all the dishes we liked, no hours in Bloomingale's working out a compromise between two different patterns... Of course, I can still carry out this dream by picking up a new funky place setting from time to time, but for now I'm working on putting together my dream team. Here are the twelve I would register for now if I could (I picked two shops, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus.)

Love this one
Ombrages by Raynaud at Bloomie's.


I would want to mix in fun colors with gorgeous neutrals - this Missoni one would definitely do the trick

From Bloomie's.


I haven't hid my love for all things Kelly Wearstler on this blog - here are two sets of her china that I'm in love with


Both from Neiman Marcus.

Another Neiman's option to bring some color and whimsy to the party - this adorable owl dinnerware called Taika


For some bold black and white I'd definitely get this Kate Spade style (from Bloomie's)


And balance it out with this mellow, sweet one, also Kate Spade (Bloomie's)


This Juliska motif has been a fav of mine for a while (I have the cake plate, which sadly only gets used once a year, if that.)
from Bloomie's.


These melamine personalized plates from Neiman's would be fabulous - I might have one for indoors and a few more for when we entertain al fresco.


Love this zen one
Golden pearls from Neiman Marcus.


This lace one - Jasper Conran for Wedgewood at Bloomie's is high on my wish list


And of course the table wouldn't be complete without the red coral by Raynaud at Bloomie's.


And to take the cake, I'd get one of this amazing table runners from Kim Seybery at Neiman Marcus. Time to plan my next dinner party!

H is for... Heaven!

I just came back from heaven on Earth - the Moondance Villas in Negril, Jamaica. We were there for a cousin's wedding and it was spectacular!
Will be posting more A-Z's of design asap!

G is for... Guitar

Who doesn't love a guitar? They are great for campfire sing-alongs, midnight serenades. And did I mention decorating?

Love this wall of guitars in Emily Robison's home (of the Dixie Chicks) as seen in Metropolitan Home (which, like many other design mags is throwing in the towel.)


Or this room, in Kate Walsh's home from In Style mag.I have a busy weekend planned, so I'm off - be back on Tuesday with more A-Z's.

G is for... Green

Some great green rooms:

An unexpected, bright green kitchen by Miles Redd (in House Beautiful)


An olive green bedroom from House Beautiful


Or a palm green bedroom by Amanda Nisbet
Which green would you rock in your home?

F is for... Fantastic Fabrics

Some Fantastic Fabrics (if only it were Friday than I could REALLY have fun with "F" day.)

A KWID fabric for Schumacher. I love that her stuff doubles as traditional AND fun. Fun fantastic fabric.



Some great Trina Turk fabrics for Schumacher featured in Domino.
But this one of her's is my favorite:
I might have hesitated to use it on a chair until I saw these great photos on the Chic Coles blog.




Another great patterned fabric on upholstered furniture - here's a great George Smith sofa that was shown in Domino.

Another Schumacher fabric that I am itching to use on a project, Chang Mai.


And a fabric posting isn't complete without a Rubie Green gorgeous, eco-friendly print:



Love these Thomas Paul fabrics.I have enough fabrics here to make pillows for days!

E is for... Entry

I really do live in my dream house - we have gorgeous French doors, a fantastic kitchen, and a wonderful yard, but if I could change two things, we would have bigger closets and a formal entry for me to decorate. Here are some of my favorite entry spaces at other peoples' homes:

These first three are from the Domino book of decorating.

I LOVE the chandelier and the drapes - I'm trying to convince a client to do a similar drapery look in her formal entry space - let's hope she lets me pull the trigger!


This entry has two of my favorite elements: peacock mirror and zebra rug.

From the blue color to the patterned runner to the sweet doggy, I love this one



This entry is by Thom Felicia featured in House Beautiful. I like that he doesn't over-do it with massive furniture - the sweet chair and great lanterns go a long way,




Another House Beautiful one, designed by Alessandra Branca, has a gorgeous suzani bench pictured in the lower right corner. I want it!



And last (but certainly not least), I'm loving this black wallpaper from Rita Konig's entry from Domino Mag.