dwellings and décor

While Anne was guest posting for me today I was guest posting for Ashley at Decorology! Check out the post here: http://decorology.blogspot.com/2009/06/tropical-style-bedrooms.html

Hi Dwellings and Decor readers! Anne at The City Sage here! In the wake of Rachel’s Maui wedding and my own recent Hawaiian honeymoon, I’ve been indulging in a series of Island Style posts—and I’m thrilled that Rachel’s invited me here to do some ‘Get the Look’ tropical paradise moodboards!

Natural materials bring the lush textures of the rainforest indoors. A rattan chair, a reclaimed elm sideboard, and a spiraled acacia wood floor lamp create an organic sensibility. Neutral accents like a rough-hewn frame and seahorse pillow lend their quiet personality, while the cheerful touches such as a flower rug and artisanal glass bottles let the sunshine in.

For a serene island retreat, a mosquito net is a must! A woven bedframe provides the perfect place to settle in for the evening, and a curvy bedside table boasts an airy feel. Evoke the mood of a South Seas cruise with a chest of drawers inspired by classic steamer trunks, give a nod to traditional cane webbing with the motif on a cozy cushion, and pull on a lightweight throw to protect against evening breezes. Perhaps a delicate seashell platter will guarantee dreams of the beach?

Thanks to Rachel for being such a lovely hostess, and I hope to see you all soon at The City Sage! xo Anne

Note: Anne is having a giveaway this week so please check it out!

Check out my guest post over on Mochatini! Manvi is visiting Argentina so I decided to post some photos from a book called “Living in Argentina”. So pretty!

Click here to see post.

I am happy for to be guest posting for Rachel today while she is having fun in the Emerald Isle, lucky lady!

Today I am showcasing a gorgeous home that appeared in an Australian magazine called Notebook. This magazine has a little bit of everything - food, craft, beauty and of course, home living. The theme of this month’s issue is ‘finding comfort’ and it was a real treat, full of lots of goodies including this stunning home.

This home is both rustic and elegant, uncluttered but cosy. I love the earthy palette of this home - sand, slate, ochre, vanilla and café crème - sophisticated and sublimely restful! Stripped back timber floors, aged wooden furniture, mother of pearl and wicker add rustic, touchable texture. The soft chalky plaster adds a soft, comforting feel. This is a home where you could curl up on couch with a creamy latte and a magazine and feel completely comfortable and relaxed.

I loved the accompanying text to this home too. Here are some parts of the text that really resonated with me:

We’re falling in love with our homes again - make the affair last with simple, soothing décor that looks to nature, and take your time finding pieces you really adore.

Modern rustic is the sort of look that can be enjoyed the rest of your life by eschewing trends and buying quality pieces as you need and can afford them. Not everything has to happen quickly and some things are just worth waiting for. For instance, instead of buying ready-to-hang cheap polyester curtains that are never the right length and you’ll be sick of six months, make do with what you’ve got and save for beautiful made-to-measure curtains or blinds in natural fabrics that you’ll love forever.

There’s so much stuff on the market, be it furnishings, clothes, jewellery or food (just think how many different varieties of cereal there are in your supermarket) it can be overwhelming at times. One way to edit all that excess is to define your style. For example, here the look is modern rustic, so if your eye’s been caught by something while out shopping, ask yourself it if fits. If it doesn’t, put it down and soon you’ll find you’re editing naturally. Best of all, you won’t have made an impulse purchase and you’ll be one step closer to the item you really want that works with the rest of your things.

All wise words don’t you think? Definitely words to live by in your decorating.

I hope you have enjoyed my guest post today, thank you for stopping by!

Images Notebook Magazine

Guest post from Catherine from Simply Natural

Spring is being a tease up here in NYC. It’ll be a lovely 64 degrees one day and then we wake up in the morning to find it’s turned 38 degrees and rainy. Needless to say lots of us are suffering colds, sleepiness, and other ailments that come with rapid weather changes. However, to keep the optimism and hope alive, I turn to light and airy interiors for some cheering up, and those with generous splashes of green seem to be best at bringing a smile to my face….

I really like the look of the crisp black and white pillow and blanket against this pale green…

via Better Homes and Gardens

Mix and match bedding has to be up there in my top 5 decorating styles!
via Real Simple

via Decorology via Domino

Guest post from Ashley at Decorology

Hello there! I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger here on Dwellings and Décor while Rachel is away. Just a little about me…I’m an interior designer from Southern California and design is my absolute passion! I’m constantly searching for new ideas and resources to share on my blog, belle maison, to inspire people to create a beautiful home that they love. I decided to do today’s post on hanging art in creative and unique ways, making the most of bare walls.

Now, if you’re like me, you tend to hang art in neat and even rows, perfectly spaced apart, or select pieces that are very matchy-matchy…it’s so hard for me to envision a wall full of different sized frames, colors, art, etc! I’ve pulled together some photos of awesome art gallery walls that break outside the box, providing inspiration and ideas for your next art wall!

PHOTO CREDITS:

(1-6) POINTCLICKHOME http://www.pointclickhome.com

(7) COUNTRY LIVING http://www.countryliving.com

(8) MADE BY GIRL http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/2008/04/glimpse-into-my-home.html

Hi! I’m Trudi - I’m from Norway and I’m normally to be found over at The Deco Detective. But today, I’m invited by Rachel to do a guest post here at Dwellings and Decor while she’s away. Congratulations on getting married, Rachel! Hope you’re having a great time in Ireland!

Since I’m a bit of an eco nerd I’ve been checking out a few eco friendly interior decoration sites for this post. Eco friendly used to be a bit beige, but it’s becoming more colourful by the minute! So if you’re looking for something new, eco chic decor is well worth considering!

If you want a look that’s contemporary, but still organic:

The Spaghetti chair would look lovely with a couple of merino applique & silk velvet pillows designed by Kevin O’Brien for VivaTerra. On the wall: Jefdesigns lightbox from 2modern.

At the moment, I’m very fond of red:

The Barcelona storage bench would work well in a hallway or a teenager’s room. Combined with the Coron felt lampshade and the Birdie coathanger you’ll get a a fresh, bold look.

Because the storage bench is multi-coloured I thought it could be fun trying another combo - this time for a smaller girl’s room:

I think the bench would look super cute with the Delight shade by designer Nahoko Koyama and a embroidered pillow. Embriodered accessories are “it” at the moment, so it might be an idea to check what’s hiding in your own home - or at second-hand shops!

As you can see, there are lots of options if you want to shop eco friendly. I actually had problems choosing just a few items for this post…

Links:

www.inmod.com (Spaghetti chair)

www.vivaterra.com (Barcelona storage bench; Kevin O’Brien pillows; embroidered pillow)

2modern.com (Gorgonia lightbox)

www.ecocentric.co.uk (Coron shade; Delight shade; Birdie coathanger)

Guest post from The Deco Detective

I am very excited and honored to be here today posting on Rachel’s blog while she is away on such a romantic honeymoon with her husband. I enjoy reading her blogs daily and this is so exciting. This is my first guest post ever and I am so happy to write about my current obsession.

My love affair.
My truly smitten, head over heals, twirling affair with Chesterfield! It all started with this image :

The simple neutral fabric, slouching in the seat and tuft in the back with uniform button sitting so proud in front of the decorative wooden doors, slightly worn. The contrast is comforting. Reassuring. Classic.

I have been searching for the perfect sofa recently, since I just purchased my first home and I need a sofa. This style keeps turning up in my inspirational files. I love the style, the size, the look, ability to be traditional to transitional to modern and remain a strong element to hold down any room. In my quest to find the perfect sofa, I came across this site www.chesterfields1780.com and what handsome chesterfield collection I found. *sigh* see for yourself…..

The Graham Chesterfield is strikingly bold with its punch of red and dark nail heads, just lovely!

The Heathcote is strong, built and completely handsome against the wood paneling and dominates the space.

The Philip Stanhope is strong with a slight delicate touch with the caster leg.

The R.W.Emerson in olive green takes my breath away with its unexpected colour.

The Samual Johnson is just pure lux, with its soft velvet fabric.

Oh, and my favorite the strong, dark and handsome William Blake. Slightly worn, but manly, sturdy, strong and expressive.

So, now you see why I love the Chesterfield. What is your perfect sofa style?
xx callie

P.S. Again, thank you Rachel for such a fun opportunity to be on your blog.

(all images from www.chesterfields1780.com)

Post from Callie Grayson

Hello All!
I just LOVE Rachel’s talent, so when she asked me to be a guest blogger, I was honored!

Today I am going to share a little bit of Kerry Joyce with you. I think his designs are perfection and I think you might adore them too.
Here is a little bit of why I like him, tell me…………what do you think?

and here is the link for Kerry Joyce:  http://www.kerryjoyce.com/main.htm

Guest Post from Bloom Studio

Although vintage styling may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I simply adore it. The lace details used in this home is gorgeous and creative, and it also looks very much homemade.

Vintage cake tins is also something I very much would like to own.

Thanks so much for having me today Rachel & your dear readers for reading this :)

(photos by Trine Thorsen)

Guest Post from Luphia Loves