Vintage Remix

Kishani Perera is an LA based designer who has risen, in the design world to rockstar recognition in just a short time. Her work is being featured all over the place, from magazines to blogs to tv… With good reason. Her eclectic mix of bold color, high and low brands, vintage and new is something to inspire or aspire to. I was excited when I found out (light years behind all the truly savvy decoristas) that Ms. Perera has a new book out. It’s called Vintage Remix: The Interiors of Kishani Perera. I’m aiming to make it a part of my collection now. In the meantime, I’ve been checking out more of Ms. Perera’s work online:

Kishani Perera design. Image via Project Pretty Blog.

Kishani Perera design. Image via Aphrochic

Kishani Perera design. Image via Color Sizzle.

Each of these bloggers has done a great feature on Ms. Perera’s work. There are more photos (and gushing… not unlike mine!) on each of these fab blogger’s sites. Please check out all the great pics they have of Kishani Perera’s work. Just click on one of the pics above.

Kishani Perera at her LA based store, Rummage.

There are some great pics of Kishani Perera’s store, Rummage, on the blog Brittany Stiles. Just click the photo above to take a look. You can also see some great shots of the Vintage Remix’s sections on The House of Fifty blog or pick up your own copy and make it a part of your collection. Isn’t Ms. Perera’s work fab?

I hope you’re having a fabulous day… and colorful day! Until next time. 🙂

Totally Inspiring Room

At work today so I can’t get too into my post. Here’s an oldie but goody from Domino. From Claire Forlani’s house. Beautiful.

Happy hump day, y’all!

All White Now

I’m kicking off this Monday with some inspiration… in white. I hope your week gets off to an equally calm start. Enjoy!

Floored.

I’m a fan of wood floors. Probably because I have some mild allergies. Or maybe it’s because while I was growing up, I lived in apartments and I always had to look at and live with cream colored carpet (the often ignored or forgotten plane of the ubiquitous “plain white box”).

Wood floors have a look and feel that can’t be achieved with any other material. For me they look warm and have so much more depth and interest than wall to wall carpet. And though, generally speaking, I love wood floors of all colors and configurations, my favorite is a herringbone floor… Crisp, beautiful chevrons laid out side by side, creating an almost 3D effect when viewed from the right angle. I don’t think there is a more beautiful style of wood floor pattern! So, today I’m offering some favorite pics of this beautiful style (including one that I tore out of a Met Home years ago and lost the clipping of. I found it again online last night!).

Do you have a favorite type of flooring material and layout pattern?

Kelly, the Riveter (with help from hubby).

Cruising one of my favorite design blogs, Centsational Girl, in the middle of the night (!), I came across this link to The View Along The Way to a tutorial on how to make a version of Jonathan Adler’s swanky bed… DIY!!!

The View Along The Way author, Kelly, and her husband, Andy, pulled out one of those most gorgeous DIYs ever. I’m just saying. And THEN wrote about it with humor and grace. Check it out and give this gal and her husband some props. They deserve it!

Picture above is by Kelly from her blog. There are more detailed photos of the process on her post. Hope you enjoy it!

Inspiration.

No more Domino.
No more Met Home.
No more InStyle Home.

What is a shelter magazine loving girl to do?

LONNY
From the minds of ex-Domino staffers. Brilliantly inspirational.

RUE
Domino fans will also love this online magazine.

NEET
Look for the NEET Homes links on this fashion/craft blog/zine.

Up top… one of my favorite rooms ever, designed by Miles Redd.

Gotcha covered.

My grandmother had, my mother had, and I have it.

A few weeks ago when I was looking for a sewing machine on Craigslist, I came across a listing for a used copy of the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. I sent an email to the seller and voila! I got the book in the mail yesterday.

I literally jumped up and down when I opened the box. I know it seems corny but both my Gram and my Mom had this book (they both crocheted back in the day) and I remember sneaking this book and spare yarns, hooks, and needles and make these random swatches from the knit and crochet stitch pattern sections.

I intend to put this good book to use shortly and I’m going to take the opportunity in the near future to use the knitting section to see if I can re-teach myself how to knit again. I’m really looking forward to delving into this classic again.

After I finished my initial look through, I remembered some other books that will be helpful to me that are along the same lines. They are the Harmony Guides published by Interweave Press.

Basic Crochet Stitches

Crochet Stitch Motifs

Crochet Edgings & Trim

The Reader’s Digest is pretty much an introduction to the basics of the most popular needlecrafts but the Harmony Guides really give you a comprehensive, though not exhaustive, overview of stitch patterns, motifs, and edges. It’s enough to get you started doing some very fancy work. I’ve got one down and four to go. I did get a chance to browse through the first two Harmony Guides listed as check-outs from my local library and I saw a lot of beautiful patterns in both. They definitely could help a fledgling designer come up with some interesting ideas.

I am a total book nut and I probably don’t need to add anymore books to my already sagging shelves but I hope to own all three before the end of the year.

Also check out my new additions:

The Domino Book of Decorating

Domino. RIP. I adore this magazine. Even now that my favorite shelter mag of all time is no longer being published I still cherish the style and design ideas that radically changed the way I look at interiors. Beautiful, affordable, and stylish interiors could be had if you knew the right people and places and lucky for us, Domino was that friend. I’m glad this book is on my shelf right next to a nearly complete collection of Domino magazines. I’ll pick up the rest as I can and pull this book and the mags out whenever I’m needing inspiration… and not just for decorating!

Design It Yourself Clothes by Cal Patch

This is sort of a preemptive strike for me. I want to be able to make my own patterns eventually. So I got this book because it’s the easiest and most user-friendly instruction manual for pattern making and grading that I’ve ever seen. I’ve done a cursory read through and am pleased that I spent the money. It’ll come in handy when I’ve got my sewing machine all set up and humming to go.

That’s it for today! Hopefully it wasn’t overload! I’m going to try and find some more Cool Crochet for you all to take a look at. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

As Jen says: Ciao, for now!