09/09/2022

Ode to the Yellow Bedroom

When you decorate with the color wheel’s version of Reese Witherspoon, you want to find ways to tone it down while preserving its optimism. Such was the case when designing a yellow-themed guest bedroom.

yellow pillows bedroom design

Color palette

A white-painted room allows for the statement color and accents to stand out. When selecting the yellow shade, we went for a school bus yellow over a softer lemony hue. It was natural to weave in black accents to add a sophisticated contrast.

yellow bedroom

Supporting pieces

The trundle bed, the room’s main furnishing, is painted in Benjamin Moore’s glossy Decorator White. A layering of yellow linens and pillows reinforce a cozy, styled feel. There’s a mix of block prints, mud cloth and hand-painted textiles that are both controlled and add design appeal. The black patterned carpet by Hook & Loom brings in a subdued, whimsical feel while adding another warm texture. 

One statement artwork piece is all you need on the walls to keep the colors from looking too manic. A Stray Dog Design chandelier that gives the impression of tamed seaweed increases the wow factor.

Whatever shade of yellow you choose, there won’t be any downer moments in a room with this bright color. From happy faces to a radiating sun, yellow pays homage to iconic emblems of cheerfulness. It’s the ideal color to design a room with impact.

Resources

Brighton Rug, 3’ x 5’: https://hookandloom.com

Chucho Chandelier by Stray Dog Design: https://straydogdesigns.com

Handwoven Fringe Tassel Clouds Pillow Cover: www.ichcha.com

Peshtemal Bath Thow: https://turkishtowelcompany.com/

07/09/2022

Ultimate Guide to Vacation Travel Terms

There’s more to come from COVID’s restrictions than an errant face mask clogging up the laundry gasket. A new, freeing mentality has emerged, which is especially true with travel. The summer of ’22 and vacationing has rebounded with fervency. Cars are packed with beach tents, Kadima boards and groceries stocked with mini cereal boxes and a lot of condiments. International travel is so robust, escalating gas prices won’t keep those over shelter-in-place from jetting over the high seas. These past years have earned us the right to explore new territories. We even have new vacation travel terms as a result.

Beach entrance

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06/03/2022

Summer Accessories that Multitask with Style

When filling up the Denali costs the same as a 2020 plane ticket to Bermuda, multi-tasking summer accessories are a must. Our picks include woven seagrass glassware to fashions and linens that can take you from the beach to sunset cocktails. The best accessories this season perform double duty to maximize summer living.

Wide brim sun hat

Shop summer accessories:

 

Summer accessories resources:
  1. Hofdeco Shibori, 18”x18″ pillow cover 2. Coola tinted sunscreen 3. Sunday Afternoons Montego hat 4. Andrew James Starry Night blanket 5. Lauren Hat Raffia Round with Sand Dollar 6. Mexican Navy Blanket 7. Raya blanket 8. Now Designs Pinch Bowls 9. Harbor view Herringbone blanket 10. Serum sunscreen 11. Boho Skirt 12. Queen bamboo duvet cover/standard pillowcase set 13. Solange stripe kantha quilt full/queen 14. Rattan cage pitcher, set of 4 glasses 15. Sugarloaf cotton throw 16. VFAN Sr. Vintage Air Circulator 17. Carly pants by Paige 18. Glass and marble decanter

 

05/08/2022

Home Update in a Month? Fear Not!

Six weeks to plan a holiday event, update the dining room, maybe even organize a wedding can be done with limited nail-biting moments if you’re organized. But  an entire home update, including two bathrooms? Follow these no-fail steps we used when renovating our house for the summer season with limited stress and stylish results. 

Loft renovation

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04/28/2022

Breakfast in Bed? Pass! Mother’s Day Gifts for the Home-Obsessed Mom

For design savvy moms who rather paint a bathroom than be confined in bed with a tray of pancakes, we have the ultimate Mother’s Day gift list. Not only should you save her from courtesy-nibbling a rich breakfast she eats once a year, but give her things she’ll love.

Mother’s Day gifts for stylish moms
jute baskets
Tall Round Jute Baskets:

Forget a mother daughter mani pedi, but three beautifully constructed jute nesting baskets that don’t smell like they came off a cargo ship with livestock will make her swoon. From stowing away unsightly odds and ends to using as trash receptacles, even as a stylish accent, these baskets will become workhorse pieces anywhere in the home. (Baskets pictured with Hook and Loom rug and Indigo and Striped pillow.)

Prices range from $60 – $230

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04/18/2022

Why We Give Flowers on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a time to show gratitude to our ultimate caregivers and treat mom to a day of pampering. What do mom’s really anticipate on her day? Flowers! Arrange for a delivery of her favorite blooms with a thoughtful note attached and that’s a double swoon.

Mother’s Day is arguably the biggest delivery day of the year. The tradition of giving Mother’s Day flowers is a symbolic gesture that dates to the ancient Greeks. They were used in springtime celebrations to honor the divine mother goddess Rhea. During the Middle Ages, Mothering Sunday was established in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the fourth Sunday of Lent when Christians visited their mother church, which is where they received the sacrament of baptism. 

Peonies for Mother's Day

The modern incarnation of Mother’s Day began in 1913 to honor the mothers of earthly homes, the Virgin Mary, and Mother Earth. The tradition evolved to a day when servants were given Sunday off so they could visit their mothers, perhaps attend church services with them, and they picked flowers on their travels home to give as gifts. Flowers represent spring, rebirth, and beauty – all qualities of motherhood.

While flowers have enough loaded symbolism to generate a lively discussion in a lit class, what truly matters, is giving an arrangement of mom’s favorite flowers is guaranteed to make her day.

03/15/2022

How to Respect Your Food

When you prepare a meal for someone it feels pretty great. Even a beautiful tray of cut veggies and hummus shows care. If someone were to take a few bites and then throw away their meal, reactions could get emotional. This happened when I served dinner recently to close family — “respect your food” was said repeatedly. Learning to respect your food is an ethos that covers health, positive engagement, and enjoyment.

Picture of rice in pots

Seven ways to respect your food, as follows:

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02/14/2022

Ski or Sun? 12 Must-Haves for your Mid-winter Resort Break

Mid-winter can drag, literally. The holidays are now a memory, Valentine’s Day is just a day, and hygge is losing its cache. There is only so much wood to chop or scarves to knit. Which is why mid-winter breaks were created. Whether you hit the slopes or shed down to a bikini, you deserve something new to add some resort style during your time away.

Spring midi dress

The Charlyle Midi Dress by Perry Walker is a multi-tasking dress: easy-to-pack in wrinkle-resistant silk, stylish and comfortable.

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02/07/2022

Five Steps to an Allentine’s Day Celebration

Every February, or earlier thanks to holiday marketers, our bleak winter environment is saturated with red, hot pink and an abundance of hearts thanks to Valentine’s Day. Many aren’t as receptive to Feb. 14th’s arrival and its treacle overtures of romance. Not everyone is in a relationship. Some prefer not to participate in a cliched holiday. We have a solution — celebrate Allentine’s Day, which is a Valentine’s Day that includes everyone you love. Here, we provide simple Allentine’s Day celebration ideas that deliver on fun.

Photo of red hearts for Allentine's Day

Five Steps to a Memorable Allentine’s Day Celebration:
  1. Plan the guest list: Inviting your friends and family to the holiday event is a simple enough agenda simply cut out those who are celebrating a traditional, romantic Valentine’s Day and refine your guest list to willing participants.
  2. Choose a party theme: Treat the festivities like a birthday party with an abundance of decorations, albeit styled for Valentine’s Day. Hang a garland of glittery hearts woven through a pink ribbon across a mantle or over a window. Classic streamers, paper streamers or colored lights will round out the look.
  3. Create a menu: Valentine’s Day doesn’t have a set traditional menu like Thanksgiving or Christmas, which opens up your options. Serve foods associated with romance like oysters, figs and honey. Heck, just go straight to dessert with chocolate-covered strawberries, assorted chocolates and a chocolate fountain.
  4. Activities: Before the event starts, make sure you have music playing. A busy host will not have time to handle the playlist once guests arrive. Also set up different activities, like charades, truth or dare or a crafts table with blank cards and art supplies to create and exchange at your event.
  5. Goody bags: Treat guests to a bag of holiday favors or one tasty treat they’ll love. Who wouldn’t appreciate Louis Sherry chocolates with a tin they can save as a keepsake of the day?
01/30/2022

Winter Survival Guide

After weeks of below ten-degree temperatures and a Nor’easter that hit on a weekend, embracing winter has become a necessity. You can find inspiration on how to beat the winter blues by looking to the season’s experts. Most notably the Scandinavians who have given winter naysayers hope by following the customs of hygge.

Hygge is an attention to comfort and bringing warmth into the home that resurfaces every winter on illustrated social media posts of a steaming mug of cocoa, fireplaces, and cute mittens. Customs that could be more accurately defined as a guide to winter survival.

5 winter customs to enjoy until winters end
  1. Ice skating: Not just a few rounds in a rink exercise, with the kind of temperatures we’ve experienced this winter, local ponds and inlets have turned into ice cube trays. This means more than free ice skating despite missing out the closing show of watching the Zamboni smooth away the nicks. Skating outdoors is more of an event. Thermoses are filled with hot chocolate. Blankets are packed. You can even bring the dog if they’re an agile breed and won’t dodge other ice skaters. At the pond, you must scout out the right place to launch into the ice. Also keep in mind that there are hazards, like twigs embedded in the ice that could cause a tumble. You’ll also connect with fellow neighbors and share the wonders of winter.
  2. Baking: If anyone’s seen the inventory of supermarket shelves this week, baking and creating food from scratch is not only an enjoyable activity but a necessity. Transform basic ingredients into culinary delights. Enlist family members to make it more fun.
  3. Leisure activities: Have a game night, start sewing, a science project, or a magic show, which makes being snowed in more eventful. Other ideas are to produce a play or concert. Recite poems. Or share a canvas and everyone contribute to the art.
  4. The wonders of snow: Make a snow to do list and check off every activity by February’s end. Here’s our task list: Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, snowball fights, build an igloo or, even better, a living area into the snow if it’s deep end. Are all your neighbor’s driveways in need of a plow? Start an entrepreneurial activity for your kids and have shovel driveways for a fair rate. They will have fun outside, learn business skills, and be pleasantly exhausted once the task is complete.
  5. Binge-watch: Find a new show you’ve always wanted to watch. The new season of Ozark could not have come at a more opportune time. Start early because these riveting episodes are addictive.

 

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