Like the rest of the world,I’ve been checking out Madewell for a while. As I browsed the stores and perused the website, I’m really loving what I see coming J. Crew’s kid sis. For instance, this frockin’ number caught my attention something serious.

For fall, I’m looking at adding more navy to my wardrobe than black and a little feminine ruffle action always makes my day.

Sometimes all you need are the contrast of subtle textures, warm neutrals and bold graphic art to make a room perfect. Oh, and fabulous built-in shelves for books help too!

But look at the difference a warm wash of cocoa paint brings to this  den. Isn’t it lovely?

{images via atlanta homes and lifestyles and courtney giles interiors}

I’m not sure which I like better, but when a room has good bones  and there’s time and thought put into the palette it’s hard to make a mistake.

Which version of the room do you prefer?

Most of the designers I know have a great love of Textiles, including yours truly. Last year I found out about Aviva Stanoff and was in awe of her designs. Over the weekend, I found this video that at the time was done for pointclickhome. You get a dose of what goes into her  design thinking and creative process.

I’m not sure why I haven’t seen this sooner. I guess inspiration comes at the right time.

Happy Monday! I realized that I never did a Bright Star feature last week.  My apologies. However, I found a lovely pendant at Restoration Hardware to make up for it.

Please let me introduce you to the Victorian Hotel Pendant.

Pretty isn’t it? It comes in 2 sizes, 18″ diameter as well as 24″.  How lovely  and welcoming would this be in a foyer? Or perhaps in a master suite as RH suggests. I want one for my beautiful non-existent walk-in closet.

It is so inspiring when a feature, such a this pendant harkens back to a more elegant time. That’ s exactly why this fixture is today’s Bright Star!

If you  have been reading this blog a while, then by now you know about my slightly unnatural undying love for graffiti (see here and here). Perhaps I’m a latent graffiti artist, because I love seeing text transformed into bold art and I’m pretty open to any form of creative expression even if it happens on the city streets. So you can imagine that my heart got all aflutter when I saw these beautiful porcelain tiles. Graffiti might be better on the floor.

Making their debut this year at Coverings, these porcelain tile beauties are a part of the Banksy Collection by Peronda, a Tile of Spain branded manufacturer. For use on wall and floor, they come 17″ x17″ and use digital printing technology to capture actual images of  some of  the world’s best graffiti onto the the tile. ( At work, I’ve been reading and talking to reps about digital printing technology on tiles and I’m fascinated by the realistic look .)

Seriously, I can’t get enough; these are art pieces for your space. I get so much inspiration from seeing amazing materials and right and now I’ve got a billion ideas whirling around my head.  All I need now is the right client!  I can’t wait for that day!

So, my dear readers, I’m off to to work then to start the weekend fun! I hope you have a great weekend! I will be out treasure hunting and exploring the urban landscape this weekend. Hopefully, these tiles will inspire me to look  for unconventional beauty everywhere I go.

Happy Weekend!

xoxo,

Jessica

I love these out of scale, dollhouse views of Claire Coles‘ wallpaper designs. All of her papers are handmade and it’s easy to get a sense of her artistry when looking at them this way.

Without art I would be totally lost. When I need to clear my head and make room for creativity, the first thing I do is head to a museum. Or as Thelma Golden calls it, “the think tank.” Ms. Golden always  inspires me…

Oh how Mango temps me so! First, DWJ sent me this dress, which I adore but was no longer in my size. Whew… I made it; or so I thought. Silly me kept looking and then I found this dress:

{dress bombon via mango}

And yes, this perfectly belted,  slouchy, comfy dress does come in my size. All I need are these boots to go with it. Then, I guess I would be ready for fall.

Lately I’ve been looking at a lot of offices and studios. Today, I’m inspired by the charming modern/traditional mix of Milly designer, Michelle Smith’s NYC showroom.

Clean and serene but with pops of color and pattern, I just can’t get enough. I thought I’d through these picks just for more fun and color.

{images via traditional home}

I love a little color to reinvigorate a gloomy Wednesday!

Two weeks ago I headed to Phillips after 5 at the The Phillips Collection, the first museum in the US dedicated to Modern Art. In a collaboration with Project Beltway and  Neiman Marcus,  the museum,  put on Fashion Follows Art, an abbreviated showing of Jason Wu’s Fall Collection 2010 for TSE with the art of Robert Ryman. Jason Wu’s fall collection was inspired by Ryman’s art and an exhibit of his work in on view at the museum. It was a great event, but it was really crowded, partially because of torrential downpours.  So you can get a feel of the beauty that I saw, I must share this wonderful slide show comparing the two.

I found myself in awe of Ryman’s abstractions and his exploration of  impermanence and the layered, tactile nature of them, even more  than Jason Wu’s  collection. I actually felt the yearning to reach out and touch the art but luckily I refrained.  However I can’t shake the feeling that I really need to go back and see these small scale paintings again. This teaser of the exhibit is helping me in the meantime.

Sometimes, all I want to do is sit in a gallery and just absorb all the creative energy around me.  I can see why Jason Wu was so inspired.