Not So Heavy Metal Seating

POSTED BY By Decor Girl ON June 19, 2013 – 6:00 am
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I told you I’d be back with more outdoor furniture finds from ICFF, hey I can’t hardly save this until winter time.  This week is is heavy metal, but moveable.

Like I said last week, metal is trending in outdoor furniture.  Maybe I should rephrase this, colorful metal was all the rage in outdoor furniture.  Outdoor colors were hot, baby hot.  Go bold or get out of my backyard is what this metal furniture has to say.Fermob Outdoor furnitureThis is both recycled and recyclable metal outdoor furniture.  I like how Fermob mixed the magenta, pink and orange.  (Hmm, I guess this color scheme stuck; this is also the color scheme of my backyard flowers I just planted, a lightbulb moment.)  Marka Moderna Outdoor Furniture ICFFMarka Moderna table from ICFFWinner of the 2013 ICFF Editor’s Award for Outdoor Furniture, Marka Moderna gets high marks for their clean and simple lines in Stainless Steel, perforated sheet metal and colorful powder coat finishes.  Not your Momma’s wire mesh furniture. Half 13 at ICFFSpeaking of outdoor wire mesh… how about a club chair?  These were cool and of course you gotta love the designed and handcrafted in the USA bit.  But seriously what is the name, Half 13?  Am I missing something everyone else knows?  What does Half 13 mean?  Maybe it is some esoteric arty thing.  Don’t know, but the guy has some cool metal club chairs in zippy outdoor colors.

Notice any similarities in the colorful metal seating I’ve been posting on?  I laid out the hint last week in the Get Wired post.  Aside from metal, colorful and cool?  None of them will make your butt look big because they aren’t going to leave some unsightly impression (or attach themselves to you) when you get up.  Sorry, as a designer I think of these things… comfort for everyone. :)  Lisa sig

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Fresh Patchwork Rugs to Update Casual Decorating Styles

POSTED BY By Decor Girl ON June 17, 2013 – 6:00 am
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Rustic, country, and shabby chic decor styles all have one thing in common: mixed history.  Each style has elements which suggest a past.  Shared characteristics of old lived in wood, well used finishes, and wear marks give these styles a homey appeal.   What makes these styles of decorating popular is their ease; the lived-in, I-can-plop-my-butt-anywhere attitude.  But how does one breathe new life into this type of decor while staying true to the theme?Decorating styles

Not long ago I was in Los Angeles at the Decorative Carpets showroom on Melrose when I almost tripped, not on a rug, but over these super chic over dyed patchwork rugs.  Oh baby, this is not your back country patchwork! Decorative Carpets LA - Patchwork RugsOozing style and fun colors these patchwork rugs are a happy marriage of old and new.

Patchwork Rugs in Traditional Colors

Patchwork rugs in Pastel colorsFor me, nothing says tired, like an old oriental rug;  just not my thing and those rusty burgundy colors are just so a hundred years ago.  Certain oldies are okay and appropriate in historic interiors.  However when used today, they can be the one item which drags the interior down.

Oh, I know some people love them.  All I am saying is the old oriental is not the be all and end all design statement it once was.  Unless you want your room to say, “all I got from grandma was a rug and damn it I’m gonna use it.”

Patchwork rugs in bright colorsBoth pattern and craftsmanship of old rugs are still alive in these these patchwork rugs from Decorative Carpets.  Finally, a way to capture old world charm in a fresh form.

Detail of patchwork rugPieces from old rugs are pieced, stitched together and backed to create one outstanding area rug.  Each rug still has an element of history and pre-worn quality injected with a fresh dose of color (life).  If you  take any one of these and plop them into each of those three interiors above, whoa instant makeover.  Say  ”hello” to the new patchwork.

Lisa signature

  Interior photos: Tumbler, Pinterest and Skonahem

Posted under Everyday Design for Home Interiors, Great Resources | Tagged , , , , |

Best Road For Driving In Northern Michigan

POSTED BY By Decor Girl ON June 15, 2013 – 7:00 am
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For those who like to drive, to become one with their ride and experience the road, there are few roads/drives in the United States which allow you get the feel the enjoyment of driving.  Hugging the shores of Lake Michigan one of these super driving roads is a 20 mile stretch of  M-119 north of Harbor Springs to Cross Village, Michigan.  Filled with twists, hairpin turns, natural chicanes, banked curves, short straights, launching terrain changes, and smooth pavement, this section of M-119 in Michigan is a primo driving road.Harbor Springs Driving Tour Got a need for a two handed driving experience?  This road is challenging to even the most skilled driver and while the scenery is fantastic, make two passes, one to look and one to focus.  Overlooking Lake Michigan from M-119These pictures are pretty much in order (coming south) to give you an idea of the left right action. M-119 DriveM-119 driveM-119 DriveEvery car acts and handles differently, which is why we make a beeline to this road when we make a car switch.  (Family, spamily -  we go home to drive.)M-119 drive M-119 DriveEven if the road is not a 60 mph road, performance driving is not all about speed – you can still get your car off.  Driven well, you can take the road.  Over drive or be too aggressive, this road will take you (to the emergency room).M-119 Drive M-119 DriveBeing overly aggressive, dangerous or using excessive speed on a public road, is not good driving.  On this road, it is just stupid.  Many accidents have occurred around the infamous Devil’s Elbow. There is also a rising 90 degree turn which if taken at speed will land you on the roof of a garage, or into a tree.

Wanna pretend you are a race car driver, book some track time.M-119 Driving turnsDriving M-119Driving M-119The best time to take this road is off season in the early spring or late fall.  During the prime tourist season, get your ass out of bed and hit the road around 6 am before the tourists and cyclists are out.  This charming two lane road has some very narrow spots amongst the trees where etiquette dictates pulling over to let others pass.  It is also called the Tunnel of Trees in tourist-speak.

If you love to drive, and love your car, this road will not disappoint.  (Admittedly it is boring as hell to get here, but once Up North, it is worth it.) Lunch in Harbor SpringsAt the end, do stop for lunch in Harbor Springs – you’ll have earned it.  The best sandwiches on earth are at Gurney’s (takeout only) on Main Street and one must follow that up with Traverse City Cherry ice cream from Kilwins.

Happy Motoring! :)   – Lisa

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From Capital Cooking Stadium – Battle Of The Bloggers

POSTED BY By Decor Girl ON June 14, 2013 – 5:30 am
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Are you ready to catch design bloggers going all out in the kitchen?  Not only do we practice what we preach, we put products through their paces.  Saturday June 22, 2013 is the 2nd Annual Dwell on Design Cook-off sponsored by Capital Cooking Equipement.  Battle of The Bloggers

OMG if there is a live feed you will be in for some wild antics given who’s involved (I’m the one with the potty mouth):Designer Chefs At Dwell

Yes, those designers and design bloggers are at it again in the Capital Cooking Equipment booth at Dwell on Design.  Join us as the folks who usually design the kitchens, put their aprons on and show off their culinary expertise (or lack thereof!) in the kitchen and on our cooking stage. DwellCookoff2012Here is an example of the fun from last years first spirited event.

Will returning champion Lori Gilder retain her crown in the head to head battle against last year’s opponents Brandon Smith and Stacy Garcia?  Or will newcomers Erica Islas, Arne Salvesen and Lisa Smith come out of nowhere and take the top prize?

Join us for the fun as the competition heats up.  Come see us at Dwell on Design if you are in LA next weekend!  – Written in collaboration with Leanne Wood Newman Lisa sig

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The Great Interior Design Hoax

POSTED BY By Decor Girl ON June 12, 2013 – 5:00 am
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Interior design advice is not created equal.  But there is one particular piece of advice which when followed can leave you with an interior disaster rather than a solution.  I’ve seen it in magazines and even heard it from a few A-list designers.  Regardless of who it is from or where it is found or written, this pice of design advice is not good.

Example of a lazy decorator

This single pice of designer-speak literally makes my skin crawl.  Lets’ be real, it is complete BS!  Telling someone they can add any old thing to an interior is misleading at best.  Oh, on occasion it may not turn out hideous but a majority of the time it does.  Take a look around the next time you are in a home faced what you gently call bad, now remember they think it works.

Common twists on this sentiment:

  • Buy what you love.
  • Fill your house with what you love.
  • If you love it, it will go.

Let’s take a look at this for a moment, seriously.  Imagine if you will, your power is out and your closet is completely dark and you need to get dressed for a public speaking engagement.  If it is in your closet, we assume you love it, so you begin to put together an outfit… Bad clothing selection

Following the logic of “if you like it, it will work” allows you to pick anything from your closet including shoes and accessories for a successful outfit.  After getting dressed, the lights come on and voila you look fabulous, not.

The same thing happens, with the lights on, in home decorating when people follow this advice.

  • Everything does not work together.
  • All colors do not work together.
  • All decorative accessories do not work together.
  • Every piece of furniture or fabric does not work with another.
  • A stylish wall color does not always work with the rest of the decor.

Table does not work with rugNo matter how much I might salivate over the above table, I can not put it on top of this rug – too conflicting.

There is no such thing as making it work when it clearly doesn’t, though we will try.  Often our ego makes us ignore what our brain is telling us: “but I paid $500 for it” or “it was my Mother’s” or “but I love it.”  If you catch yourself trying to rationalize some interior object or idea, in most cases it does not work.

Hey, I get in fights with myself over this too.  I love some fabric or wallpaper but no matter how I try to convince myself, it does not work.

Beautiful interiors are created not just from items we love or all beautiful things, but from the combination of parts and pieces.  Good decorating requires restraint and great editing.  As much as I might love a certain wall color, my artwork is more important and white is what features it the best.  If I went for a wall color I love, my living room would look hideous.

As a designer I realize many things are subjective but every color, object or idea does not work with everything else.  It isn’t so much about good taste but about understanding what works together is a science more than it is a given.  One has to learn it and cultivate it.  Telling someone anything works when it come to design is perpetuating a design hoax, it is a lie.Lisa sig

 Clothing photos via Net-A-Porter

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