I love a little animal print! “Little” being the important word here. Animal prints can be very bold so think about just using one type of print and selectively placing it in an area of impact. In other words, be conservative.
I also love animals so please only use the faux versions. I adore the look of a fabulous faux zebra rug angled on the floor. It makes me think this person must be well traveled or at least they are quite adventurous, but I really don’t want it to be a real skin. That just makes me sad. You can easily create the story of the well traveled person without harming anyone! Do not even get me started on elephant tusks! Those only belong to the elephant!
Some places you might consider adding a little “Roar” would be on the seat of a chair, an accent pillow, a rug, or a throw blanket. If you want to add animal print wallpaper, you may want to consider using it on an accent wall or on the back-side of a book case. Just a splash of animal reads sophisticated. Animal prints on all four walls would feel like a safari gift shop.
If you’re just not that person who can see yourself living with a wall covered in zebra stripes, it may suite you better to hang a painting of a zebra but I’m personally a fan of a little animal pattern play in a room. It fits my personality. It’s a design motif you can easily try without a whole lot of commitment or you can just get yourself a fabulous kitty cat, that will do the trick too!
1 Designer Jana Beck's Gorgeous Brush Stroke Lamp Coming Soon! // 2 Cameron Gold Leaf Black Velvet Chair From ShopTen25 prrrrrr // 3 Gold Leaf Square Table also from ShopTen25 //4 "Beatrice" The Zebra Exclusively Painted By Muah For The Pink Pagoda 5 Jonathan Adler Zebra Rug from Zinc Door
A couple more thoughts about styling a tray for your coffee table:
Save your perfume bottles & use them for a vase. I just love this idea!
Add a quirky item like this Skull Candle from ZGallerie!
Keep matches in a decorative holder.
Add some sparkle, like this gorgeous Lollipop Agate Stone from ShopTen25.
Of course books, let guest know who you are & what you like. Surround yourself with as many as possible. Stacking books is a great way to add depth and dimension which creates a pleasing visual display.
Work with a color palette. Pink, Black & Gold is fun & sofisticated.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!
Maybe it's because I have three daughters or maybe it's because a beautiful bow just has a way of making me smile. Today's Mood Board is all about Bows! Introducing my New Hello Darling Collection! Something really special and sweet happened this week. My new friend Karen from gLaM-a-peeL made this gorgeous coral headboard decal to specifically match my new Hello Darling pillow! It's truly the Inspiration behind today's watercolor! You can find these goodies and many more of Glam-A-Peel's yummy decals over at District17.com!
1 Sweetheart Houndstooth Coral Headboard Decal from Glam-A-Peel 2 Bow Pillow at District17 3 Marilyn Quote Print Coming Soon 4 Girl With Ponytail Bow Art Print 5 Top Knot Bow Art Print 6 Marco Side Table from District17 7 Hello Darling Bow Pillow 8 Rosebud Mini Chandelier from District17 Also from Distric 17 Black & White Modern Border Duvet
Funny, I'm painting flamingos right now because I certainly feel like I've had my head burried in the sand, working away like crazy in my studio on all kinds of new designs. Just when you think, all work and no play makes you feel like you're not getting anywhere, you get a really delightful surprise from another designer!
I'm going to write more in depth about Karen from Glam-A-Peel and her INCREDIBLE Designs in the near future but I just had to show you what she created on Olioboard! The headboard decal is just one of many of her fabulous designs...Love, Love, Love them all!!! and of course the Kiss Me and Sparrow pillows are from muah...no pun intended... You can visit her Olioboard page here and make sure you Like GlamAPeel on Facebook here. The exciting thing is you can shop this look at the New Teen Decor website District17.com the awesome sister site to RosenberryRooms!!!!! I am beyond thrilled to have our products there (especially being the mother of three teenage daughters!!) Thank you Karen for including us in your great Mood Board Presentation on LOVE!!! xo
Last night was crazy in California...the power went out for over 145k households and we were one of them. What was amazing was the super moon! With no other lights in the skyline, the moon was brighter and more beautiful than ever. So I wasn't sure what I would wake up to and how that would effect my day but thanks to the hard work of PG&E the power is back on.
Prior to the power outage I was working on my Pink & Blue room design and came up with these fun guys. I posted a video clip on my Instagram feed of painting this little lovely. (Instagram now has video which is the coolest thing ever. I just wish there was a way to add music to it but I'm sure that's coming.) You can view the video on my FB Page or follow me on Instagram @MariRDesign. This is how my design evolved into this new print. I'm also kind of loving these blue dots by them selves...hmmm....I just may have to turn that into some fabric to play with. 
Just when you think you can't get any busier, the universe has a way of handing you more! I've had such a fun week, talking on the radio, working on projects that I just love with clients that I love, and perparing for my Seminar this Sunday at the Home Expo! That is just a small part of what's been going on so my blogging has been a little - a hem - delayed. :-)
I mentioned a little while ago that I am designing a dozen different children's rooms, on a budget, and a tight time frame. Love it! Every room has a different theme and it's sparking all kinds of ideas for new art which is why my blog has been reflecting more of a kiddo vibe these days.
This is a little peak of how I work. I do this with my E-Design clients as well (if you're interested in that just email me and I'll send you all the info.) Side note: My website will be undergoing some major construction these next few months, with all new features and services, so stay tuned for that!
Anyhow, back to the "process" First I pick my room theme, in this case, it's my Bulldog Room. Then I create a floor plan. Next, I find all the goodies; the furniture, bedding, and accessories. Last of all, I pick the paint colors. All these items and links to them are cataloged on schedule sheets so that the client knows exactly where they can purchase the items. This also gives the client a clear idea of what the project is going to cost. In my case, I had a budget I had to stick too and I'm happy to say that I came in under budget on this one.
And just for fun, I like to put together an illustration of how the room will look. This can also be done digitally at OlioBoard.com which is a great resource for those of you who like to create your own designs. I'm going to talk about their site this weekend at the Seminar. I hope to see you there!
Bed from RosenberryRooms Bedding from Serena & Lily Bulldog Pillow & Print from Piccola Casa License Plate Art from ETSY Little Red Bulldog From ETSY Rockin' Bulldog Lamp from PB Teen Wall Decal from Trading Phases Stuffed Bulldog from IKEA
There are a couple of things trending right now in design and I've fallen hard for them. First of all, I'm madly in love with all things spotted. Oddly enough, it wasn't the easiest accessory to find so when I came across this fabulous spotted cowhide rug over at Society Social I was beyond thrilled. In fact, let me just tell you, this is a fabulous site for designers and those who love design. The founder/designer Roxy Owens has really put together an incredible team with some serious design inspiration on her sites.
And while we are trending. Let's talk about Hollywood Regency for a bit shall we? It has always been my first love in design. Many of my textiles are influenced by the old Hollywood black and white movies I watched over and over as a kid. I remember being 7 years old and being mesmerized by the fashion and even the architectural details in these movies. Many of the borders on my pillows, like my Cherry Pillow here, are reflective of that time period. When I saw this crib over at Jack & Jill Boutique, I knew I just had to create a room around it. (More to come about this adorable website and the incredible designer behind it, Sherri Blum) This crib is gorgeous! Who says a nursery can't be sophisticated?
Leave it to designer extraordinaire, Abbe Fenimore from Shop Ten 25, to have the hottest selections in lighting on her site. She finds the most unique and distinctive items like this amazing Tassel Pendant!
And any room wouldn't be complete without just a touch of animal print. That's my "Good To Know" designer tip of the day by the way. Where else to find it but at Layla Grayce of course. Their Sophia Lounge Chair with zebra upholstery, adds just the right amount of chic to the room.
Last of all, let's talk about Walls. Another hot trend is Greek Key. I came across this super ETSY shop that makes a Greek Key Vinyl Border. You can't get any easier than that to dress up a room! Don't be afraid to go bold with color too. A few years ago I designed a restaurant in San Luis Obispo called Palazzo Giuseppe. The owners of the building thought I was crazy as I was painting all the molding and doors in a high gloss black and the ceilings, yes all of them, in a metallic silver, but when the last chandelier was hung and crystal placed on the table, they all said, Wow! The restaurant is still going strong and I highly recommend everything on the menu!
Here's one more "Good To Know" designer tip; whenever you are painting anything metallic (like the big gold heart on my Mood Board) it's best to rent a cup sprayer. Mask off your heart and spray the paint on. Otherwise you will have roller or brush marks. Of course you want to make sure that the room is well ventilated, windows open, etc. and you wear a mask too.
1 Original Heart Painting From Piccola Casa 2 Spotted Cowhide Rug From Society Social 3 Sophia Lounge Chair From Layla Grayce 4 Ivory Tassel Pendant From Shop Ten 25 5 Greek Key Border From ETSY 6 Beverly Crib from Jack and Jill Boutique 7 Black and White Stripe & Cherry Pillows from Piccola Casa
It's just not Thanksgiving without Sparkling Cider and as I start to set my table for Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of all the yummy table settings that I wish I had. Take note hubby, these are on my Christmas wish list!
I hope you all have a very wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I have many things to be grateful for. Our year was full of ups and downs. We lost some great people this past year and will miss them deeply. So I don't take the holiday lightly. Everyday I give thanks. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by family and friends and wish you all the same.
1 Mini Chinoise Vase from Zinc Door 2 Chevron Navy Napkins from Zinc Door 3 Les Dessert Beaded Round Pedestal from Layla Grayce 4 Gold Banded Champagne Flutes from Williams Sonoma 5 Gorgeous Chinoiserie Ice Bucket from Layla Grayce 6 Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider from Costco
On Monday I talked about my wish for the fabulous Lily Pulitzer Beach Cruiser. Here are a few more things I'm coveting this summer!
1 Awesome Chevron Tote from ETSY Shop MonkeySeeBoutique. So fabulous you can even have it monogrammed. Love!
2 Adorable Little Bakini from Victoria Secret...love the mix of the stripe and the polka dot.
3 Prrrrrrrrrrr Yummy Sunglasses from Juicy Couture.
4 One of my latest "stumble upons" via Instagram. Love this Summer Sherbet Tip Pouch from K.Slademade!!!
5 Super fun and fabulous La Sardina Camera from Lomography.
There you have it! Happy Summer everyone! Now off for a run on the beach so I can actually one day fit in that bakini!
Some days are just really fun and today was one of them. I met with some of my favorite clients today as we have started the discussion on the interior details of their new home. The architecture is Mediterranean which brings to mind a treasure trove of details. Warm colors, dark wood doors, floors and cabinets just to name a few. Today we were having the discussion on what to put at the end of the hallway. All, yes all, of my design clients know that I'm not a fan of hallways, but if you have one, best dress it up the best you can. In this case the walk down this hall will have gorgeous floor length windows and french doors to the left, a cozy reading nook (I sense an upcoming blog post) to the right and a deep set window at the end of the hall to draw you in. Dark beams above, dark wood floors below and creamy walls....now that's a hallway I can live with! My client wanted a sketch of what that would possibly looked like so before our meeting today I painted this quick, like super quick, sketch. Happy Mid-Week Moodboard!
1 Marrakesh Pendant from Ballard Design 2 Suzani Pillow from One Kings Lane 3 Reynolds Bench from Ballard Designs
Most of you know that just about every weekend you can find me on the soccer fields watching my daughters . Go Condors! Last weekend wasn’t any different but it was even more fun because Chyna had a morning game in Santa Barbara. That meant the rest of the afternoon would just have to go to lunch, the museum, and shopping of course! It just isn’t right to go to SB and not pay our respects to all the Mom and Pops as well as Anthropologie and Nordstrom.
So after Chyna got civilian again, aka out of her soccer uniform, we had lunch on State Street at a cute little Mexican restaurant. Then we walked down to the Santa Barbara Museum. Much to our surprise, they were having several incredible exhibits!!! All my favorite Impressionists were represented as well as an incredible collection of Modern Art as well. It was heavenly!
After we left the museum we went to several little shops. I just love how everyone creates their displays and the architecture alone in SB is beautiful to look at. Soooooo much eye candy to take in. Of course I had to visit my favorite shop, Anthropologie. Talk about great displays. Their visual merchandisers are masters at it!
As the afternoon meandered on, the skys started to get grey and we knew the rain was coming…one last stop…Nordstroms. I don’t know why I love it so much there. Maybe because we don’t have any kind of shopping like that in San Luis Obispo. We don’t even have a mall! I love to look at all the designers and see their latest creations. I especially have a thing for purses. These are a few of my favorites, I painted just for fun.
We left Santa Barbara that day and drove home in the rain. Having that time with my youngest daughter, exploring and getting inspired, is a day I will always remember and hope to do again soon. (Oh yes, and they won their game that morning 3-0.)
1 Kate Spade 2 Co Co Chanel 3 Tory Burch 4 Louis Vuitton
In keeping with the "Mint" theme of the week, I have to share something else that keeps popping up on my Interior Design radar! Foo Dogs or Lion Dogs are protective guardians. I'm seeing them everywhere! These two I found over at Shop Ten 25 and happen to be in this week's color palette!
And just for fun, I threw in two more quick watercolors of Lucky Cat & an Antique Vase! Hope everyone's week is going super!
This week’s Mid Week Mood Board is a quickie because I’m swimming in design projects right now, so I wanted to do something simple and fun. I’m obsessing over these Chloe Chairs from Bungalow 5 (and their case goods too!). You can purchase them at Layla Grayce on-line. I thought about putting a little Bulldog in my illustration when it dawned on me that my Bulldog Pillow would go great with this chair…so Viola! A quick and simple Mini Mood Board for this week’s continued design inspiration.
Some of you may know that I have two daughters that play Club Soccer. As much as I love being a soccer mom, the traveling can be exhausting. Recently we spent two weekends traveling to San Diego for State Cup. It’s a long drive from the Central Coast but we were lucky enough to be able to stay with my brother and his lovely wife instead of a hotel. After five hours of driving late at night we walked into their charming home with candles flickering and hugs all around. It made me realize how much I love candles and why don’t I light them more often? So when we got back I purchased some yummy candles for my home. Of course you need something pretty to put the candles in and I love lanterns. Places like Pottery Barn and World Market carry a large selection or you could be like Ohdeedoh contributor and DIY expert Katie Steuernagle (Courtesy of Design Sponge) and make your own out of spaghetti jars! Clever!! You can check it out here. It can also be as simple as making your own with a little sand and a tea light. Whatever your fancy, I recommend lighting a delicious candle or two this week and watch the atmosphere change in your home! You can buy delicious candles, I favor these by Zensual, at Stephen Patrick Design on Monterey St., downtown San Luis Obispo, right next door to the Bladerunner Salon & Spa.
1 Lantern available at Pottery Barn 2 Lantern available at Pottery Barn 3 DIY Sapghetti Jar Lanterns by Katie Steuernagle 4 Zensual Candles available at Stephen Patrick Design 5 DIY Mason Jar Candle holders
It’s Wednesday, so how about a Mid-Week, Mini Mood Board? (That’s just fun to say!) Continuing on with this week’s theme colors, blue and yellow, it makes me think of beautiful blue and white vases. I found this one at Amazon of all places. I also have on my “someday wish list” Red Macau Chairs. Although I didn’t quite find a red one yet, Ballard Designs has these in black and white. I would cover the seat cushion with a blue and white Ikat fabric to keep with my color palette and then finish the vignette with a sweet, little side table from Shop Ten25…a wonderful place to find designer goodies! Hope this little pop of color brightens your week. Check back every week for more of my Mood Board Inspirations, Resources, and Paintings!
1 Macau Chair From Ballard Designs 2 Blue & White Vase at Amazon 3 Side Table from Shop Ten25 4 Ikat Fabric
