Cobalt

Lately my eyes have been noticing cobalt and I haven't had the desire to blink it away. This, along with my ability to wear a lime green belt paired with a pink necklace today, are signs of my flourishing color maturity.

Below are a few of my recent cobalt blue inspirations. It seems this color can make a statement no matter the square feet it covers. As an accent wall it speaks for the entire room, in an entire room it somehow becomes warm and soothing, and on a small detail it adds a dose of life.

How do you like your cobalt? Paired with natural woods? Accented with a vibrant yellow? Cooled down with soothing grey? Popped with spotless white? Nonexistent? 

Me oh my

How do I like this? Let me count the ways:

Mix & Match dining room sets. Trendy, maybe so, but it is a trend I plan on holding on to long term.
Peaceful hues
Eames Molded Plastic Chairs. Honestly, is a better chair yet to be created?
Landscape artwork. Iz my fav.
Picture collages - done with order in the overall shape and similarity in the pictures to achieve a clean look.
The table. Why do I cherish old wood tables so?

and lastly . . .

The bread. Mmmm. My favorite way to make myself sick.

Have you found an element that you like most?

Happy 4th of July

I hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. I spent mine in the company of good friends and family hiking, shooting, getting dusty, and eating well in the setting of Zion National Park. Very American, right?

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."

Abraham Lincoln

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table"

Ronald Reagan

"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance.  It is also owed to justice and to humanity.  Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

James Bryce

"How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy."

Paul Sweeney

Elements of Style, Desire to Inspire, Elle Decor, Elle Decor, Flourish Design and Style, Pinterest, We Heart 

Thinking Out of the Box

This is the background on my computer:

Thanks, you.

This background sustained me though my final weeks of design school. It kept me willing to think of and try new things within my final projects. Now, with the phrase running through my mind every day, I'm discovering more out-of-the-box designs. Here's a look at a couple that have caught my attention.

Thanks, Contemporist

CUBE Architects designed the bookshelves for a book store in the Netherlands.  What most impresses me about this is that CUBE maintained the practical needs of a bookstore within and still managed to shine a creative (and bright!) light on the bookshelves. They certainly reinvented a magnificent wheel.

Thanks, Anna Kern

The stark contrast of black to white has its edge taken off by the natural materials in this loft. And anyone who can feel secure painting a wall black deserves a round of applause.

Jonathan Alder has intrigued me for years. Though he is a world-renowned creator of pottery, fabrics, and interiors, his designs remain...graspable. That is a made up word, I know. They look as if they are filled with collections of pieces purchased because the owner loved them and the thought of "where will this go?" and "what does this go with?" was thought about after the fact. 

"I think a room should be 95 percent chic. There needs to be a solid 

foundation of good design, functionality, and harmony. Then you 

have the remaining 5 percent to layer on a playful vibe. 

If a room is merely playful it's usually wildly unchic. Conversely, if it's 

too chic it's dry and off-putting. I try to strike the perfect balance of 

chic and cheeky — an inclusive, unsnobby sort of buoyant spirit." 

Jonathan Alder