I just love these colors together. That’s all for now, looking forward to the first official weekend of Summer. Back on Monday with a post that gets a little deeper into my printing process!
Interior Design
Top Five Interior Design Books for Happy Modern Homes
I’ve been taking advantage of the public library lately, checking out some relatively new books from famous designers, and revisiting some of my favorite interior design books. I wanted to share a roundup of my top five favorite interior design books, the ones that I’ve been mining for inspiration for my own home….
Design Camp with AB Chao
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending AB Chao’s Design Camp here in LA! Design Camp is a weekend interior design workshop with decorator + stylist AB Chao. At Camp you learn everything from interior design basics to magazine-worthy styling; how to apply what you’ve learned to your own space; and insider tips on making your place a beautiful, happy place to be.
(AB’s photo from Design Camp NYC)
Design Camp was lots of fun, and a big motivator to put more thought into the layout and decor in our apartment. We’ve been living in our current space for over two years now, and it’s never felt quite finished, so I’ve been looking for ways to feel more at home in our apartment.
My number one lesson from Design Camp: draw a layout of your home to see the space as it really is. I love to rearrange the furniture in our house, but I would often find that things didn’t quite fit right once I’d finished moving them around. Drawing the floor plan of our apartment on graph paper helped me to visualize the different arrangements we could achieve before lugging the sofa across the apartment.
(I contributed Cotton & Flax postcard sets to the goodie bags each attendee received)
AB posted a recap of LA Design Camp, in case you’re curious about attending when Design Camp visits your hometown! While my experience was a little less glamorous (since I was helping out as an intern), I learned some amazing interior design tips I’ll be applying to my own home in the weeks to come. Maybe I’ll even share some before/after photos here on the blog!
A Luxurious, Bohemian Studio
I’ve been mentally rearranging my living room a lot lately, I’m really itching for a change. I put together this little collection while I was imagining the perfect bohemian corner where I could sit and sketch out new ideas for Cotton & Flax patterns.
- Satellite 3 Light from Schoolhouse Electric
- Honeycomb Pot from Terrain
- Torque Stool (used as a side table) from Anthropologie
- Cordage Chair from Anthropologie
- Gold Triangle Pillow from Cotton & Flax
- Kasbah Wool Rug from West Elm
A little pattern never hurts.
I’ve been thinking about the many ways you can add pattern to your decor, and while textiles are my favorite, I compiled another collection that uses pattern in different ways. In paticular, I love the way that the Eames chair creates repetitive shapes in the design of the chair, without using any fabric at all.
- Factory Light No. 7 from Schoolhouse Electric
- November Frost print from Amber Alexander
- Diamond Pillow from Cotton & Flax
- Mrs. Godfrey Chair from Jonathan Adler
- Eames DKR Chair from 1st Dibs
- Brasilia Stripes bowl from Jonathan Adler
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Coffee Table from Finnish Design Shop
- Jute Rug from West Elm
Feminine vs. Masculine
Living with your significant other can provide all sorts of decorating challenges. For my boyfriend and I, that’s meant finding a way to display his many collections, while also finding space on the wall for the various art pieces I’ve collected over the years.
While I don’t consider myself very girly (I’m pretty sure I don’t own any pink clothing…), it has been tricky for us to compromise between decor that leans towards the masculine or feminine. Even for couples who have similar taste in decor, it seems that there is always something contentious about decorating your home together.
As a couple, we can agree on a few things: we prefer clean lines and neutral colors. I put together a little collection of items that I think we’d both love to incorporate into our own living room.
*The best part of this collection? Everything was made in the USA! Except for that little ceramic planter, that’s from Belgium, but I loved it too much not to include it. You could certainly find a unique ceramic piece that’s similar on Etsy!
1. Painting from Jeremy Miranda (I believe he’ll do custom pieces)
2. Mulberry Tripod Floor Lamp from Schoolhouse Electric
3. Petrie Sofa from Crate & Barrel
4. & 5. Pillows from Cotton & Flax
6. Amersley Coffee Table from Schoolhouse Electric
7. Ceramic Planter from Terrain
