by Mari Robeson in Interior Design
It's Live! LivingLavishlyMag !!! WooHoo! Pop The Champagne!
There's a New Home Decor Magazine in town & I'm honored to have been able to contribute to it! Check out my Design Trends and let me know what you think! If you are local to the Central Coast, you will be able to pick it up around town this weekend -or- read it online! Follow Living Lavishly on FB & @LivingLavishlyMag on Instagram! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!
by Mari Robeson
The painting a day series continues over on my Instagram. For the most part I am really enjoying the entire experience. I have to say, that some days when I am super busy, it's hard to feel very creative at 10pm, but it's been a great lesson in discipline. I know that when I can't think of anything to paint I always seem to fall back on my favorites; rooms renderings, flowers, and dancers.
Yesterday I painted this dancer. I call it "Just Breathe" because that was how I was feeling yesterday. I went for a long hike to the top of the mountains of Avila Beach with one of my dear friends and came back to the studio refreshed. The past few days I painted this dancer, these flowers (which I'm loving for fabric and wall paper) and then I put them all into this room together. I call it "The Salon". The beautiful Eloquence Versailles Sofa is from LaylaGrayce (although I reupholstered it in stripes! - you can do that easily in a painting - haha) and the lovely Molly Red Sconces are from ShopTen25.
Tomorrow I hope to share some very exciting news, so stay tuned!!
by Mari Robeson
Today I want to share with you a very fun interior design project I recently completed. I had the wonderful opportunity to give this women’s clothing boutique a dressing room make-over.
What made this project so fun for me (other than the fact that it’s women’s fashion!!) was the ability to really design how I like to, colorfully!!! Of course we had a limited budget, every project does, but it’s what you do with the dollars you have and relatively speaking this project had a lot of bang for our buck.
One of the least expensive ways to create drama and atmosphere is with paint. I’m so grateful that my clients had full trust in me when I showed them the bold color choices I had selected. The dark pink is Sherwin Williams 6854 Impatient Pink and the light pink SW 6581 Verbena Pink.
We all fell in love with the Petal Pusher wallpaper from Hygge and West but because the wallpaper is a little on the pricey side we only used it on the two largest focal walls and as a wainscot down the hall. In the other dressing rooms, there are a total of six, I painted the back wall with our dark pink and added artwork.
I’m so excited when I get an opportunity to also create the wall art for my interior design projects. In this case I wanted each room to have it’s own identity so I painted six different designer Purses with Peonies. (In my Shop soon!) That way the customers could choose if they wanted the “Kate” (Kate Spade) or the “Co Co” (Chanel) room, the “Louis” (Vuitton) or the “Stalla” (McCartney) room. I was told today that the customers really liked the idea.
One of the owners had requested a solid door so I replaced the existing saloon doors with a light-weight solid door and added MyOverlays in white to dress it up! I would like to add that the people at MyOverlays were incredibly wonderful to work with! I highly recommend their products. They customized these panels for me and I couldn't have been happier with the result.
Another one of my favorite tricks to dress up a plain mirror is to frame it out with a small crown molding. Just remember you will need to paint your molding on the front AND the back when you do this because the back will reflect in your mirror. My painter also painted the picture frames I found at Aaron Brothers in the same gold metallic paint so everything tied in together perfectly.
The hooks, knobs, trim, base and molding are from Home Depot. The light fixtures are from Lighting Universe and the accessories, including the fabulous pink chairs, are from Home Goods. That was definitely a Home Goods Happy Day!
It was a lot of fun! I hope it brought a little color into your day and maybe a few resources and ideas you can use for yourself. Thank you for stopping bye and letting me share it with you!
by Mari Robeson
Bar carts seem to be all the rage these days and it’s no wonder why. They are perfect for small spaces and apartment living, plus they are quite pretty. Nothing says Party like a well dressed bar cart!
With the holiday weekend ahead of us and long, hot summer nights, it's always fun to be party prepared!
What you'll need!
Alcohol would be a bit of an essential for making drinks. There are many types of alcohol but the basics would include: vodka, gin, rum, tequila, vermouth, triple sec & whiskey. With the right mixers, you can literally create dozens of different drinks from these basic staples.
Some people may not care for a mixed drink so you may want to consider stocking a few other options. A good bottle of champagne is always fun to have on hand for that surprise celebration! You may also want to consider having a couple bottles of wine available too.
Mixers are important to have on hand as well. You may want to consider these basic ones: soda, tonic water, club soda, grenadine & bitters. Different juices are fun to play with too. Some good choices are tomato, lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and cranberry.
Simple syrups are used in many different mixed drinks. You can get creative and make your own simple syrups. 1:2 parts sugar and water boiled. Add any spice you want or just use as a substitute for raw sugar. It can last for up to 6 months stored in your refrigerator.
Garnishes are the jewelry to your drink! A twist of lemon, a Maraschino cherry, will make any cocktail just a bit more festive. Garnishes to have on hand pre-party time could be cherries, olives, lemon and lime wedges, as well as fresh herbs like mint. Any seasonal fruit or vegetable, depending on the type of drink you are mixing, adds the finishing touch!
Pretty glasses! Here are the basics. Wine, champagne flute, highball, shot, rocks & a stemmed cocktail glass.
Last but not least you’ll want to collect these utensils over time. A cocktail shaker, a long bar spoon, a jigger to measure exact shots, a muddler to crush fruit and herbs, and an ice cube bucket with prongs.
Create the atmosphere. Flowers, candles, bar art, tea towel, garnishes, stemware, ice bucket, cocktail napkins & fun mixing utensils.
The main thing is to create is a welcoming environment so that your guests feel free to help themselves throughout the evening and you’re not stuck behind a bar making cocktails. Have fun, drink responsibly & be safe! Cheers!
by Mari Robeson
I started the day with a run on the beautiful Bob Jones trail in Avila Beach. Little did I know how the day would twist and turn just like the path I ran on. When I got home I was going through my Instagram feed when I saw to my delight that one of my favorite Real Housewives of New York had reposted my photo! That lasted all of 2 seconds when I realized that she had not given me any credit for my image. My friends were quick to point out that she had posted on her Facebook page as well, also with no credit. I always thought that when reposting someone's photo you gave them a shout out! Pottery Barn, Wicknest, Rosenberry Rooms, Layla Grayce and many others have been so gracious to me. Oh well, I suppose it's a lesson in watermarking my photos! After a few hours and enough comments from my friends, I did get a tag on her Instagram feed but so far not on her Facebook feed.
My Pineapple Tea Towel is part of my Cabana Collection & available here! It also comes in prints & note cards.
But enough of that. I just have to let it go! Towards the end of the day a packaged arrived and my mood quickly shifted! This Adorable Llama traveled a Very Long Distance via Royal Mail no less, too meet his new friend! Check out Jessica Kathryn Art on ETSY!!! I seriously LOVE everything she creates and because my husband is from Peru, I just had to have this little guy! I adore him! So on that note, let's just say I'm happy this Monday is coming to an end!
by Mari Robeson
If you don't already follow her, you absolutely should! Abbe Fenimore is owner of Studio Ten 25 and one of the most charming Interior Designers of our time. I have always Loved Abbe's style and have been incredibly fortunate to work with her on a few projects. Our latest collaboration consisted of my illustrating some of her incredible room designs that she could later use for notecards and social media.
Interior Designer: Abbe Fenimore Photo Credit: Studio Ten 25
This bedroom took my breath away! I love how she pulls everything together! It's feminine glamorous! Watch her video on how to glam up your own bedroom!
This illustration is from another one of her projects Lash Maxx-Travis. You can watch the video here. I mean what girl would want to spend some time in this gorgeous salon!
It's been such a pleasure working with Abbe, I know you will love following her too!
by Mari Robeson
We live in such an amazing time! I for one, am a fan of social media. Although it's time consuming, I feel I have met so many wonderful people who inspire me on a daily basis! Towards the end of last year the talented people of Lola Home contacted me (all the way from Brazil via my Instagram) to see if I would be interested in creating art for them to apply to their home decor products. Do you know, it was the easiest job ever because these are the nicest people!!! I'm so excited to see how they applied my watercolors to their collections. You can see all there gorgeous goods in their on-line shop! You can view he entire collection on their blog!
I have to say I was pretty floored when I saw my art on the front door of their site!
by Mari Robeson
A little while back I had the honor to design a room for a young lady who was very into fashion. In fact, she inspired me to create these accent Pillows and Wall Art! If you look closely at my Glam Damask Pillow you will see that it is silhouettes of some of every girls favorite perfumes & make-up. Of course one of my favorites is my Lipstick Pillow front and center. The headboard is a fairly inexpensive Wall Decal. My favorite wall decals are from a company called Glam-A-Peel. Karen has so many options to choose from! They are perfect for someone who is renting, a dorm room, or someone who changes their mind a lot! The bedding is from PB Teen and it's still one of my favorites. Pretty simple! And Green! Happy St. Pat's!!
by Mari Robeson
I'm so excited to have teamed up with the amazing ShopTen25 for a very fun Valentine's Pop Up Shop! I've created a limited edition of Original Watercolors now available at ShopTen25.com! Once they're sold, they're gone! Give the gift of Original Art to the one you Love or buy one for yourself! Many colors to choose from, 8" x 10", sale ends February 10th! xoxoxo
by Mari Robeson
I recently completed a commission for LoLa Home, a beautiful home decor company in Brazil! They were lovely to work with! They had asked for several watercolors of flowers in their specified colors. It was so much fun to paint flowers! So it got me going on an entire flower kick! If you follow me on Instagram (@MariRDesign) I post quite a bit on what I'm working on.
This was one of my latest posts. I created this pattern from a Peony watercolor painting I did. When I started playing with different background colors, I couldn't decide! So I asked the question, which color? Blue, White, or Black??? I was actually a little surprised that one color was clearly the winner!
Blue! So interesting!
by Mari Robeson in Interior Design
OK I have to admit it, I'm really not very good at taking pictures of my interior design projects. I literally create dozens of projects in a year and I'm constantly moving on to the next as soon as I can finish the last. There's also the fact that my clients actually Live there. So as soon as I'm done I almost feel like I don't want to disturb them to take pictures. They've been waiting and want to obviously enjoy their space! I also just use my iphone to take pictures but this year I'm actually going to invest in a Real camera! Until then, I'm going to do my best to be a little more consistent on my blog & pop in a few pictures of some recent projects as best as I can, iphone and all.
I'll start with this Nautical Room I designed for a young boy. I love the accent wall and how it all came together. One of the best things you can do if your budget is tight, is use paint for impact. he Paddles are from Potter Barn & the mural from Land Of Nod. The bedding is Serena & Lily.
by Mari Robeson
It all started with a conversation over a glass of wine at Christmas. I was speaking with my mother-in-law who is from Peru. We were talking about New Year's Eve and what we had planned. She then says to me, in her rather heavy accent, "Make sure you wear your yellow panties." With a glass of wine already consumed and her accent, I had to think to myself if I had actually heard her correctly? But I was right. She told me I need to wear yellow panties on New Years Eve! Um, OK, why? She then told me it was a Peruvian Tradition. Yellow Panties means you will have happiness in the year to come! Well Ok then, getting me a pair of yellow panties & green & red! We then talked about several other traditions that were so fun to learn about. I decided to paint a little watercolor to share with you the meaning of these Peruvian Traditions!
I had to chuckle a bit more when my husband chimed in and recalled this memory from his childhood. "Remember Mom, when you'd make me stay up until midnight when I was a little kid to walk to the corner of the house with an empty suitcase? I never even knew why?" ha ha According to the tradition, if you do this you will have great travels in the year ahead! I'm planning on doing this tonight!
Well, there you have it. Thank you for stopping bye. I'd love to hear what your family traditions are! May you have Very Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year! xoxo
by Mari Robeson
by Mari Robeson
This year I've had the pleasure to meet some really lovely and wonderful people via social media. I like to think that Jennifer from The Pink Pagoda is a true trend setter and visionary in the world of design. She is the original and the real deal and collaborating with her has been an incredible pleasure. Today she is hosting her famous Blue & White Bash! I was beyond excited to receive an invite to participate! Head over to her blog to check out this incredible link up party and receive some serious Interior Design Inspiration!!
In between countless design projects for my clients, I try to squeeze in some design for myself. We built and designed our home over a decade ago and it's in need of a design spruce up. When designing for myself it's all about color. I recently created my two Pagoda Paintings with the colors that I want to use in my own living room but too much color can be, well, too much. This is why I love the concept of a Blue and White room with just pops of color.
I put together this Mood Board with my Wish List of Blue and White Decor that I would Love to incorporate into my living room. Just to share with you too, these are some of the best places on the net to find current and gorgeous home decor! I found the sofa, coffee table and garden stool from ShopTen25. The fabulous chippendale chair is from ShopTheManor. The woven wood blinds are from Hunter Douglas (really worth every penny!) and of course you can find All kinds of gorgeous home decor accents, including this fabulous Jana Bek Brush Stroke Lamp at The Pink Pagoda's shop!
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I'm currently obsessed with zebras. They are beautiful creatures! So when I knew I needed a more toned down fabric (meaning just one color) for some accent pillows, I painted this little guy. BTW if you like to paint, I highly recommend Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Watercolors. I scanned him in Photoshop and created a repeat that I liked for my fabric. I'm currently on the hunt for some hot pink fringe to finish off these pillows.
That's it...I'll keep you posted on how this room turns out. Make sure you head over to The Pink Pagoda's link up and check out all the other bloggers and their awesome Blue and White rooms!
PS!!! Don't forget today is Cyber Monday and everything in My Shop is 20% OFF Today Only! Use Code: CYBERSALE at check out. xoxo Mari
1 Blue Zebra Pillows coming to my Shop soon! // 2 Jana Bek Brush Stroke Lamp // 3 Pagoda Painting In Teal // 4 Pagoda Painting In Pink // 5 Navy Lacquered Coffee Table // 6 Blue Zebra Accent Pillow // 7 Indigo Garden Trellis Stool // 8 Chinese Porcelain Planter // 9 Chippendale Arm Chair // 10 White Leather Chesterfield Sofa // 11 Woven Woods
by Mari Robeson
In honor of my friend, Jennifer, over at The Pink Pagoda & her Blue & White Mondays, (today she is sharing gorgeous blue and white bedrooms!) I thought I would share a little snippet of a recent project. (BTW I'm thrilled with the new Squarespace format because now I can really show you some of the projects that I've been working on!)
WM Design Consultants
This was a gorgeous house that I had the pleasure work on from the beginning. During the design phase, prior to building, there are several conversations between the client, architect, designer and builder. It's the best time to hammer out all the details. So when it came to a long hallway my clients had, (most of my design friends know that I have an issue with Hallways - Not a fan of bowling allies unless I actually plan on bowling!) my clients were open to jazzing it up a bit. I suggested adding french doors and a fabulous reading nook, which I have to say, is now one of my favorite architectural details of this entire house. Fortunately my clients are very design conscious and were completely open to the idea and we repeated the arch detail in several other places throughout the house. (I Love repetition of form!) My client picked these great fabrics and now this thoughtful and creative feature looks out upon their gorgeous pool and landscaping. The perfect place to crawl up with a good book or take a nap!
Rendering By Jennifer Martin - Architect
