Pretty Neat

Most of us are already well into our Spring Cleaning checklists this time of year, but for those of you who are putting off the necessary tasks, maybe you need the right tools!! Take a look below for some of the prettiest cleaning companions around, making the dirty work a little more pleasurable.


Handmade Broom Set from Viva Terra includes a dust pan, mini whisk, and full-size broom made from renewable sorghum and colored with non-toxic dyes. Set is $65.


Also from Viva Terra, stock up on cleaning essentials in aesthetically pleasing eco-friendly materials and even a pop of colorful turquoise on the utility brush handles. Eco Cleaner Collection $5 - $14.


Gaiam sells a great alternative to the popular disposable mopping devices: a spray mop (fill with any non-toxic cleaner or a simple vinegar/water solution) with durable, effective, washable microcloths. Spray Mop & 5 Microtech Cleaning Cloths $60.


The Eclipse Bucket from Stacks and Stacks is made from recycled soda bottles, holds 2.5 gallons of liquid and features a handy pour spout and raised channels inside the bucket to help separate dirt from water. Only $12.99!


If a few home repairs are part of your Spring Cleaning routine, you will be much more eager to reach for a wrench in this Lime Green Striped Toolbox from Organize.com $65. (Check out the whole line of home products in this cute design!)

Monday Color: Salmon

My mother has always had an affinity for the color salmon, which she repeatedly paired with various blues in every house that I can remember. I can't blame her; salmon is an incredibly pleasing and versatile color to decorate with, falling comfortably between its more daring cousins of orange and pink. It can feel either classic or modern, depending on the way its used. Feast your eyes on these delicious salmon rooms and accents.....























Images above:

1. A salmon pink inspiration board from one of my favorite blogs, The City Sage.

2. A pop of salmon on upholstered dining chairs, found on the Dream Design Live blog.

3. Sheer salmon curtain panels in an otherwise neutral room designed by Katie Ridder.

4. I love this hi-gloss salmon library, found on Blu Label Bungalow (image from House Beautiful).

5. A bold salmon takes on even more energy against a deep blue and paired next to a patterned slipper chair (photo by Thomas Loof).

6. Salmon and gray are a unique but natural color combination, found on We Heart It.

7. Salmon is commonly paired with deep browns, but this eggplant and salmon combination imbues an extra sense of sophistication and warmth (found on decor pad).

8. Williams & Sonoma Home Cashmere Throw in Lantana (and 6 other available colors).

9. An area rug in salmon and tan from the Country Living Farmhouse Stripe rug collection by Surya, found on www.justarearugs.com.

10. The Fringe "Asia" Tray available at Bloomingdales features many colors with brilliant pops of salmon.

11. Serena & Lily's Coral Diamond Throw Pillow

Etsy Love: Wren Woods

Today's Etsy find is a reflection of my love for reclaimed wood and those that creatively repurpose nature's most beautiful resource, keeping the axe away from 1000's of trees each year. Michigan-based Wren Woods supports this mission by crafting floating shelves and boxes out of salvaged barn wood, as well as coat hooks and vases from tree branches. The Lorax would be proud!!


Small Rustic Floating Shelf


Rustic Barn Wood Business Card Holder


Various Wooden Hooks


Rustic Wooden Vases with dishwasher safe glass inserts.

Go West!!

The days of limited eco-friendly bedding choices are behind us and the future keeps getting brighter! The new organic cotton bedding patterns from West Elm boast colorful, artistic, nature-themed designs that can transform your bedroom.....and the planet! Their two new 200 thread count organic cotton collections are made from certified GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) fibers - as are the older patterns featured below - and are part of West Elm's vision to bring greener home design products to the mainstream (read more here). These bedding options can help us all rest more soundly. Here are a few of the highlights:


NEW!! Organic Reflections Duvet and Shams


NEW!! Organic Lilly Pad Duvet and Shams


Organic Bloom Duvet Cover and Shams


Organic Dandelion Duvet Cover and Shams


Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover and Shams (the longest running style in their organic cotton collections, offered in 8 different hues).



Organic Butterfly Collage Duvet and Shams (available in Cactus and Ivory; both on sale!)

Monday Color: Chartreuse

Defined as "halfway between green and yellow" by Wikipedia and named after the color of a French liqueur, Chartreuse has shed its dated retro stigma and now has a new reputation as a classy, happy, and timeless accent color. A few of the home office pieces in cb2's current collection (see example below) came to market in white, gray and chartreuse, affirming that the masses are ready to embrace this hue once again, and not just in French bars. It is these very chartreuse filing cabinets that inspired the whole color palette for a small office I'm helping to pull together right now, so it was a natural choice for my Monday color post. Voila!!

P.S. As I set out to find all the inspiration and objects for this post, I realized how many different tones of green actually get referred to as "chartreuse," from lime green to apple green to variations of yellow. I'm relying on Wikipedia, the French and cb2 for the version of chartreuse found within.
























Images above:

1. and 2. In a nod to the hue's vintage roots, I decided to start out with a couple chartreuse velvet sofas, that have managed to transcend time in a modern way.

3. A happy chartreuse and white kitchen.

4. A dapper chartreuse and gray room from Coastal Living (photo by Tria Giovan).

5. Chartreuse chairs against a dark, smoky backdrop create a more serious feel (as found on the Tudorks blog).

6. A chartreuse painted table amidst whites and neutrals is airy and fresh.

7. The Chartreuse Mini Dot Suitcases from The Paper Source make for clever storage in a kids room or add a whimsical touch to a home office.

8. Thomas Paul's Love Bird Rug, available in 3 sizes from Design Public (note: the color states "corn" and "cream" but it's really a chartreuse and cream as pictured)

9. TPS Chartreuse File Cabinet from cb2.

10. A lovely chartreuse and gray sateen print designed by Ty Pennington for Free Spirit.

Elledecor.com Featured Designer!!

Forgive me for tooting my own horn just a little.....but I'm honored to announce that I am the featured designer right now on Elle Decor.com's online Designer Registry, a directory of national interior designers intended to pair those seeking design help with the right professional in their area. I'm hoping the seekers start beating my door down any minute!!

Etsy Love: Down Home Amy

What's not to love about organic cotton and hemp materials, lovingly screen-printed and crafted into handy snack pouches, baby burp cloths and dinner napkins with clever utensil pockets?!? Today's featured Etsy shop, Down Home Amy, is a collection of handmade, parent-friendly eco-housewares that are as adorable as they are useful, solving some key parent dilemmas in true style. Freely feed, burp and dispose....Down Home Amy has got you covered (literally)!!


Machine washable, recycled organic cotton and hemp Snack Pouch makes a great eco-friendly substitute for some of the plastic containers and baggies that most of us parents stockpile by the dozens.


Unbelievably adorable Set of 2 Organic Cloth Napkins with Pockets (several designs available).


Organic cotton Diaper Pouch with a waterproof lining, essential for cloth diaper users but also handy for wet swimsuits after summer day camp or romps at the beach.


Set of 2 Organic Burp Cloths are incredibly soft yet absorbent.

Must read: Undecorate

As a decorator, I was a little hesitant to check out a book called Undecorate. What, are they trying to put me out of work?!? One review claims that Undecorate "emboldens readers to push aside stuffy, professionally-designed décor, showing them instead how to infuse their own personality into their home." Well, this was a relief. NO interior I've ever designed could be considered "stuffy" and the goal of personal, individual style is exactly what I help every client achieve. Phew! The bottom line is that some can do it on their own, some need good inspiration from a book or two and voila!......and the rest (thankfully) need a designer like myself to help execute their unique interior visions.

Feeling less threatened, I dove into the pages of Christiane Lemieux's new design bible and was smitten with image after image (much like I am with pretty much everything in the home textile and decor line Dwell Studio that she founded in 1999). "The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design" is perfectly in line with my personal and professional philosophy on good design. Melanie Acevedo's photographs are stunning. The 20 American homes profiled offer endless inspiration in an era when creativity is more abundant that design budget dollars, and undecorating is the new decorating.








All photos in Undecorate by Melanie Acevedo.