I was on Robert Allen’s site yesterday doing  research for work and I stumbled upon Design Studio.  A collaboration between Robert Allen and Sherwin Williams, Design Studio is an inspiration site currently depicting beautiful color stories  inspired by the 2010 Color Forecast. The two companies broke them down into 4 color groups, Leaf (greens), Hydrangea (blues), Terrain (earthtones) and Tulip (pinks). Below, I have selected four of my faves from each collection.

Leaf: Neo Traditional

Hydrangea: Beach Retreat

Terrain: Modern Safari

 Tulip: Chinoiserie Modern

Talk about hard to choose! All of the palettes are really amazing. To see the beautiful corresponding  Color Library from Sherwin Williams make sure you click here.

When Brentano’s Casbah textile sauntered its way into the Studio the other day wearing a lovely deep rose color called Silken Veil, all I could do was stare. I wanted it upolstered everywhere. I’m loving their  update on the classic Ikat.

Here’s the pattern:

Below are a  few of my favorite colorways. Click here to see the rest:

{colors first row: lemon grove, walled garden; second row: silken veil, golden chains }

 Gosh, I  love a good ikat don’t you? Something I own must rock this fabric.

Happy Monday!  I’m back from a quick mini-break to NYC and I’m ready to tackle the week! I really hope your week is amazing and fabulously short (due to Thanksgiving if you are in the US). This week marks the beginning of my favorite time of year and I can’t wait to break out the holiday music this week!

But I digress…back to swooning over design…

Amy Butler’s handmade rugs collection for Chandra are bold, colorful and just dreamy all around. They come in two sizes, 5′ x 7′ 6″ and 7′ 9″ x 10′ 6 and are sure to brighten up any living space. 

{caracas}

{field poppy}

{morning glory}

{chrysanthemum}

I featured just a small sampling  of her wool rugs but is it bad to want them all? Anyhoo, they are available for purchase here.

I seriously love/want/need the Wakefield Chandelier from Pottery Barn.

And then there is the La Poeme Rug from Ballard Designs.  There are no words to express how badly I want this gorgeous thing  in my living space.

As I mentioned yesterday I went to the press preview at The Textile Museum for their latest Exhibition, Contemporary Japanese Fashion. If you will  be in the DC area anytime soon you must run the exhibition when it opens on October 17th. It’s AMAZING, as it blurs the line between fashion and art.

And because I love exhibition design (solidified by the fact that I worked on a large scale exhibit a couple of years ago), for fun I thought I would show you some behind the scenes images.

You will notice that many of these designs are hung by cable systems and attached at the base to abstract asymmetrical platforms. Dress forms are also abstracted, only hinting at the body’s shape.

{images via flickr}

The exhibit tells a fashionable story, giving real  insight to both the designers’ style and work and Mary Baskett, the woman who collects and wears each piece. It really has me rethinking my own wardrobe and how I design. It’s inspiring and I can assure you that I will be back several more times to see it.

Another Must See…NUNO

Another exhibit on view at the Textile Museum features the textiles of the Japanese textile company, Nuno. Blending the traditional and the technological, these stunning textiles can be used for both fashion and home furnishings.I didn’t know anything about them but now that I do my imagination  is running wild trying to figure out  fun ways to use these innovative textiles.

Here’s a few from the exhibit:

{Basketwork, 2002 Reiko Sudo, 100% polyester, Courtesy of Nuno Corporation}

{Threadstray, 2006Reiko Sudo, 100% wool Courtesy of Nuno Corporation}

{Mercury, 1997, Reiko Sudo and Keiji Otani,100% silk, with applied aluminium,Courtesy of Nuno Corporation}

Run to see this one too! You will find both the Nuno and the Contemporary Japanese Fashion exhibit compliment one another perfectly. Like I said Run don’t walk  to the Textile Museum if you are in the  DC area! Both exhibitions run from October 17th, 2009- April 11th 20010

Be inspired and have a Fashionable Weekend!!!

xoxo, Jessica

{textile images courtesy of The Textile Museum}

Hi everyone! I have to show you selections from one of my favorite textile collections. Today, I’m all about  Florence Broadhurts’s graphic black and white textiles.

{japenese floral}

{aubrey}

{tortoise}

{peacock feathers}

Aren’t they Fabulous?  I love her bold prints, and I think I could do a whole room inspired by them. The peacock feather print above is my favorite in the collection. And  I would love to upholster chair similar to the wingback chair in the image below:

If you are interested in seeing more from the Florence Broadhurst collection of Fabrics and Wallpapers Click Here. And this book chronicling  the mysterious Florence Broadhurst life and (even more mysterious) death has been on my wish list for a while.

Still Can’t Get Enough?

If you can check out the the  movie Unfolding Florence. I stumbled upon it on cable on day and only became more interested in her designs. (Hey, isn’t that poster amazing?)

Happy Monday! Welcome Back to Design Wonderland. For you, I hope this is the start of a wonderful week.

Currently, my design infatuations include the textile designs of Elora Hardy, textile designer at DKNY.

I love her use of vivid color and abstract patterns. Not only are her prints fun to wear, they would be a great way to liven up a home interior!

And here’s a video featuring Elora Hardy and Nylon’s Dani Stahl making hand-painted scarves and talking inspiration at the DKNY studios:

{images via elora hardy}

Doesn’t this little vid make you want to get some fabric paints and get to work? I know I do (and I think I’m going to need this book).

Have a wonderful Monday!!

xoxo, Jessica

I would never condone the wearing anything with the word lounge in it, no matter what decade. But when it comes to lounging in the Knoll Platner collection,  I definitely recommend you have a seat.

{image via knoll}

My deep and profound attachment started when I saw the image of them in Betsey Johnson’s’ pretty-in -pink home.

After that I just found myself compulsively drawn to Platner’s sculptural vision.

{image via knoll}

{image via pointclickhome}

Designed in the 1960’s by architect Warren Platner, the chairs, both the lounger and the armchair,  come in two finishes bright nickel or a painted bronze, adding an industrial element to any room. And by lending itself to different types of environments, it never comes across as too masculine or feminine.

{image via pointclickhome}

{image via spacecraft}

The rooms shown here are a range between electic, traditional and modern and this chair just slides in seamlessly, whether used indivudually or as a part of the suite.  Believe me, there are not to many furniture pieces that can do that without looking out of place. Personally I’d love to have a complete dining set with raspberry upholstery with a nickel finish.  Or maybe, plum upholstery with a bronze finish. It’s so hard to decide! Hmmm…perhaps this calls for a joyful trip to my local Knoll showroom.

I have a thing for glamorous offices. I think if I have to be in one room or area to work, it should be to my liking. At the office, open plan and cubicles are king, but when I work at home I want a space that is 100% chic.

{image via moodboard}

That is why, when I saw Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer’s office at Estee Lauder, a few years ago, I swooned from all the glamorous glory. I loved everything about it especially, that curvy DESK (swooning again) and the antique furnishings. I love that her space is feminine without being unwelcoming.

{image via habitually chic}

Here is Zinterhofer’s closet and home office. She has cornered the market on beautiful desks because I heart this gold one, from Gabriella Crespi too! Isn’t there something disco chic about it? (hmm…is that an oxymoron?) What a lovely place to be inspired! There’s a beautiful contrast between her home and work office. The home office is colorful, warm and less formal though not any less chic ; her design style is just interpreted in a more expressive  way.

Now let’s talk formal, shall we? Another office I adored was the design for Miranda Priestly’s black and white office in The Devil Wears Prada. At certain points in the movie I was completely distracted by it when I knew others were looking at the clothes. It’s rigid and orderly, but there is still something homey about. It was as if the set designer’s were telling us that the office was the only place she felt totally in control and comfortable.

{image via chateau de lu}

To contrast Miranda’s fictional office, here’s an office that is a welcoming, creative work space. This was Deborah Lloyd’s office at Banana Republic (she’s now at Kate Spade).  Of all of the offices, pictured it is much more relaxed and collaborative, but still very stylish.

To sum up today’s inspiration, what I’m looking for is a  creative space/office that is glamorous and chic with a  welcoming touch of home. And the more I think about it I really wouldn’t mind a little disco either…

Happy Monday! I hope you had an amazing weekend!

I spent this past weekend I attending BKLYN DESIGNS and the weekend was filled with the cool products, fun people and house tours. I didn’t leave Brooklyn until it was time to come home. In a word, it was a blast, but yes, I am, in another word, exhausted. But it was so worth it!

Anyhoo, Saturday,  while walking around the show I found myself in the booth of Shanan Campanaro’s wallpaper company Eskayel. Taken aback by her stunning prints, I had the wonderful opportunity to strike up a conversation with her and her excitement and passion over her work was catching.

{moroccan sun, opulence collection}

{shaman smoke, frontier collection}

In speaking with her  I learned, she has two collections, Opulence and Frontier. And though both collections share the tribal feel that’s really hot in fashion right now, Opulence is more decorative, while Frontier has a more indigenous quality.

{the stag hunt, opulence collection}

{ivory out post, frontier collection}

The prints and patterns for Eskayel come from portions of Campanaro’s paintings, which according to her are inspired by native peoples, endangered animals and the lands we all share. You can check out her paintings here. Her wallpaper is digitally printed on a latex and nylon blend paper, starting at $15 per square foot. As an added bonus, she will custom fit her papers for any space to prevent any excess. I can not wait to see more from her growing company.

BKLYN DESIGNS was an amazing show and I will definitely be back next year. I will be sharing more from my adventures in  Brooklyn tomorrow.