Big Ticket & Budget Friendly: Dwell Studio Franklin Media Cabinet

The design world is all abuzz over the new furniture line from Dwell Studio. From the spread featuring founder Christiane Lemieux's eastern Long Island beach house in the October issue of Lucky magazine to enthusiastic reviews in every corner of the blogosphere, Dwell Studio's new line is making quite an impact. And for good reason. From bold patterned fabrics to unique leafed finishes, the line puts a perfect spin on a classic form with almost every piece. Price points are actually quite reasonable, but let's face it, times are still hard for many of us (you know, us 99%!!), which has forever lowered the cutoff point for what counts as a "splurge" purchase. I took my favorite piece - a stunning sideboard priced around two thousand dollars - and paired it with budget-friendly spins on all the pieces found in Lemieux's own dining room, coming to a total bill of just under $3000 for the whole look.





Big Ticket Sideboard: $2040 Franklin Media Cabinet from the new Dwell Studio furniture line.


Budget-friendly table: $179 IKEA Doksta Table


Budget-friendly dining chair: $101.79 each Wood Chair with Hemp Seat from Overstock.


Budget-friendly rug: $129 Faux Bengal Tiger Skin Rug from Hollywood Love Rugs


Budget-friendly centerpiece: try an inexpensive DIY project like this one I found on Love and Lace Blog using just liquid gold leaf and some spray sealer. Echoing the beautiful gold leaf on the sideboard in the tabletop piece reinforces its presence (figure about $10 in materials and $10 for a discount store bowl to be painted).


Budget-friendly lamp: $169 Wood Knot Table Lamp from West Elm. I decided to forgo the multi-arm task lamp for something more sculptural that picks up the wood from the dining chairs and the darker tones in the faux tiger skin rug.


Budget-friendly candlesticks: sale price $32.95 Three Piece Bryce Candleholder Set from Crate & Barrel.

Storage Stars

Whether you consider yourself an organized person or not, you're sure to have heard the old adage "a place for everything and everything in its place" at least once before in your life. It's a timeworn value that's very much alive in my house. But as both professional organizer and interior designer, the "place" must always be just as pretty as it practical.

My files live in 3 identical dark woven pandan boxes. My socks and underthings know only labeled canvas bins as their homes. Everything from the sporting equipment by my entryway to the cooking utensils in my kitchen to the Q-tips in my bathroom are all stored in appropriately sized wicker containers. Every functional storage piece I chose reflects my style and love of natural materials, is pretty to look at while serving its valuable purpose. Aside from in my attic where temperature and an imminent leak someday are factors, there are hardly any plastic tubs under my roof. (My one exception: OXO's BPA-free POP Containers for food staples like rice and pasta and for my son's markers and crayons. Plastic, yes, but still pretty cute.)

I'm pleased to see more aesthetically pleasing storage pieces on the market than ever before, for every style and taste, for children and adults alike. Function is just a given for these beauties.


Printed Canvas Storage Bins from Garnet Hill in 3 new patterns range from $28 - $48.


Handmade Senegalese Storage Baskets from Serena & Lily, on sale for $54 - $118 (shown in Aqua/Orange, also available in White/Natural, Pink and Blue).


Cargo Naturals File Box in Bluestone from Home Decorators is made from 100% recycled, post-consumer material and available in 3 other colors $36 (the collection also includes magazine butlers and boxes of various sizes).


Ikat Woven Storage Bins from West Elm range from $39 - $59.



Firenze Handbag Storage $21.99 and Open Bin $14.99, two styles from the somewhat preppy fabric-covered Firenze Storage Collection available at The Container Store.


Ikat Storage Stool $149 from Viva Terra.


Target Home Milk Crate in Paulowinia Wood $24.99 from Target.


Every healthy kitchen could use the organizational efficiency of this Farmers Market Epergne $75 from Sundance.


Patterned Storage Vanity Stool $79.99 from Bed, Bath & Beyond.


I prefer the original flea market version, but if you don't have the time to scour endless stalls, then these Industrial Baskets and Liners - Set of 3 $239 from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child are quite authentic looking.


Chalkboard Office Accessories from cb2 range from $4.50 - $39.95.


Mini Mountain Peaks Bath Basket $48 from Anthropologie is also available in two other shapes/sizes.


For adorable, handmade fabric baskets, head to Sewing Momma's Etsy shop for one-of-a-kind storage like this bin, pictured, $27.99.


A Tad Plaid Storage Baskets from Land of Nod are $49 for a set of 3 and are available in Pink Plaid or Blue Plaid.


3 Sprouts Organic Monkey Storage Bin in Yellow $39.99 from All Modern.


Trend Lab Baby Caterpillar Storage Bins - Set of 3 $47.99 from Kmart.

Monday Color: Chocolate Brown

Was it the box of chocolates that arrived as October's gift-of-the-month from my generous older brother, whose annual Christmas gift ensures that some yummy treat, box of citrus, or pretty plant is left on my doorstep once a month? Or the fact that it's Columbus Day, a "holiday" on which no particular color comes to mind, only thoughts of the soil our ancestors robbed from the native inhabitants centuries ago. (Perhaps I shouldn't get into this.) Or maybe it's the onset of Autumn and its cornucopia of warm colors from the brown of the earth farmed for the last time of the year, the reds beginning to tinge the ends of leaves, and the golds of the changing light.

Whatever the reason.....today I hopped onto my laptop and decided to scour the internet for the richest, warmest, dark brown interiors and home goods I could find. I hope you find them as delicious as I do.



























Images above:

1. I love the way the sheer white curtains, white carpet and massive white moldings keep this bedroom, found on www.creamylife.com from looking the least bit dark.

2. There's no question that the deep brown walls in this bedroom take backstage to the bold colors and patterns on just about every other surface (from Mix and Chic).

3. The chocolate brown accent wall makes the white furniture pop in this bedroom I designed.

4. Deep browns are the natural shade of many leathers and wood tones, as seen in the rich furnishings of shoe designer William Frawley's Soho apartment, featured on elledecor.com

5. A unique embossed brown wallpaper found on the Eclectic Revisited blog.

6. The interior of Omonia Bakery in New York was designed to look like the inside of a pastry.

7. An old Porsche 912 is one of the few automobiles that actually looks good in dark brown.

8. Venturing into more traditional styles, recycled materials and quality textiles, West Elm's Essex Sofa is stocked in a warm brown leather.

9. The Safari Rug adds a wild side to any room with its giraffe-inspired pattern of chocolate brown with cream accents

10. Robert Abbey Dark Brown Ceramic and Silver Table Lamp from Lamps Plus.

11. Dwell's Chocolate Dots Crib Set has always been one of my favorite gender-neutral baby bedding choices.

12. 100% bamboo makes this Chocolate Towel Set from www.bambeco.com both eco-friendly and design savvy.

13. The warm brown in sepia toned photographs and a nostalgic vintage typewriter are an unexpected combination on a white pillow (from Z Gallerie).

Etsy Love: The Lavender Tree

Sweaters aren't made like they used to be. I often find that one season's wear results in a worn-out pilled garment ready for the giveaway box. And while I have stored away two sentimental baby blankets, the rest did not stand up to the test of spit up or playground dirt, landing in the same "out" pile time after time. What is the fate of these textiles after they've been well-loved and worn out? Wisconsin-based Ann Tucker has found a crafty solution, turning wool sweaters, jackets and blankets found in thrift stores into pillows, pin cushions and a slue of other decorative items that are as adorable as they are environmentally conscious for her Etsy shop Lavender Tree.


The cute-as-can-be Bird Pillow is made from recycled felted wool sweaters and blankets.


Several own key chains, like this one, make an affordable but practical eco-friendly gift at $7.00.


The Flower Pillow 5 is, you guessed it, made from a recycled felted wool blanket and salvaged wool sweater scraps.


This recycled and felted wool sweater Strawberry Pin Cushion reminds me of a berry shaped pin cushion I had when I was a little girl.


Although Lavender Tree offerings are mostly made of recycled wool, these Recycled Rag Rug Heart Ornaments are an adorable exception.

Sending a message.....

I love that fellow moms come up to me on the playground of my son's school after pick-up with news of their latest "green" discoveries!! I'm not the mom to go to for celebrity gossip or confirmation of the events on the school calendar.....I am the tree-hugger, modern hippie, environmentally-conscious single mom on a mission, sans the smell of patchouli. Today, my friend reported that the US Postal Service offered a "Go Green" stamp booklet. Eek!! Even though most of my bill paying is paperless, I still use the occasional stamp, so I marched off the post office and bought myself several booklets of these statement Forever Stamps. They were released in April, but as they say, better late than never.....

The Go Green stamps illustrate little daily steps every average Joe can take to help rescue our beautiful planet. And they're pretty darn cute too. Here's what the USPS site has to say about them: "Go Green, a pane of 16 stamps, is the Postal Service's social awareness issue for 2011. Award-winning animator, filmmaker, and illustrator Eli Noyes worked with Art Director Derry Noyes on his first stamp project, using a colorful, playful style to convey the message that every American can take simple actions to conserve energy and improve the environment. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate."



Stock up on the Go Green Forever Stamps, that are always equal to the going rate on a first class stamp, here.

Monday Color: Copper

I took the easy route today and chose the next logical color after my two recent 'silver' and 'gold' Monday Color posts. But just because I'm not being very creative in my selection, doesn't mean the content can't be. Although copper is a dominant historic building material and can be seen every day in the American penny, it is a unique and enchanting hue when used indoors. In modern decor and furniture, it feels completely fresh and unexpected, having been overlooked due to the popularity of stainless steel and bronze in most every home category for decades. In traditional pieces, whether oxidized or polished to retain its luster, it harkens us back to the past when quality and materials were paramount. The copper pots above and the copper tub below are perfect examples. Of all the metallics, it feels the most warm and sensual. I scoured the internet for beautiful uses of copper (both the 'color' and the metal) and here is what I found:









































Images above:

1. A breakfast room designed by interior designer Peg Berens featuring a custom copper table and copper front armoire.

2. A rustic copper tub in a bathroom designed by Vincente Wolf.

3. A 'test house' in Southern Chile built to test behaviors of specific copper panel products.

4. A detail of the ceiling and lighting at Hong Kong's Sevva, all aglow in warm copper-like hues.

5. Screened-in porch featuring custom laser cut panels by Parasoleil.

6. Traditional copper gutters and flashing on a restored 1893 Victorian home.

7. There may not be any actual copper in this room from Martha Stewart, but each tawny orange-brown hues has the same warmth and depth.

8. The penny-tiled floor at the Standard Grille in New York City.

9. The oxidized copper top of The Sun Tower in Vancouver, CA.

10. A hand-hammered copper bed by Woodland Creek Furniture.

11. Copper Cabinet by David Derksen.

12. Innovations Metalessence Cork Wallcovering comes in Dark Copper and 7 other metallic hues.

13. The Cobre Copper Sink from Ecohaus is made from mostly industrial salvage recycled copper.

14. Linen Sheer Drapery Fabric in Copper by Opuzen.

15. Arts & Crafts House Numbers by Mission Metalworks available from Shop 4 Classics also contain a minimum of 95% recycled copper.

16. Copper Finish Iron Morroccan Candle Holder from Amazon.

17. Kitchen Aid's Metallic Satin Copper Mixer available from Everything Kitchens.

18. I am crazy about the hand-hammered circular pattern on the doors of the Cirque 3-Door Sideboard from Crate & Barrel.

19. Baroque pattern pillow from www.pillowdecor.com.

20. Copper Antler Mount from Crows Nest Trading.