trend spot / chambre & sequins

With fashion week underway, I guess I should take a break my from room redo obsession...sigh...and share some trends for Fall. I really love the mix I've seen with chambre and sequins and shoes with leather straps.

1. Anthropologie Washed Denim Buttondown $88 | 2. Free People Fever Sequin Bodycon Skirt $148 | 3. Dolce Vita Jordana Platform Heel $289 | 4. Sosie Dolce Vita Java Ankle Boot in Taupe $125 | 5. Reiss Belle Multi strap Court Shoes $425 | 6. Zara Zebra Print Blouse $49.90

Update (Week 3 & a half??) / Bedroom Makeover

Carrie Bradshaw was right sometimes a girl needs a half. While everyone else in NYC is going crazy for the upcoming Fashion Week, I'm ogling over the new edition of Domino Magazine. And I tell you what, even after a 3 year hiatus from publication, it never seems to disappoint.

In this edition, the editors take readers through their favorites spaces of all times. My favorite room from this bunch was Amy Kehoe, a principal of L.A. based Nickey Kehoe, Inc. I am completely obsessed with her sense of design, and am now rethinking my entire room plan (let's hope this is the final end to my indecisiveness). I love her approach to the color palette and furniture type in her living room, and turns out it's a perfect solve for how to make my vintage vanity fit into my overall bedroom scheme without having to paint over the tiger maple.

Here's my inspiration from Amy Kehoe:

Domino Magazine Fall/Winter 2012

Needing to make up for three weeks I've already wasted in my bedroom makeover (thank you indecisiveness) and get my room in shape for my out of town guests later this month, I hopped right into this new project last night - my rendition of Mark Milroy's woodblock print. I hung it up last night, and am already obsessed!

IKEA Hacks

Coming in at a close second on my home decor guilty pleasures list are IKEA hacks. 

Don't get me wrong I love IKEA, but the Sh*t Nobody Says video has a point. 

And voila hacks were invented. 

Ok, so I really have no idea who initiated IKEA hacks, but I love them. 

And how could you not?

 As long as you're a bit crafty you can turn any IKEA piece into a unique (and expensive looking) piece of furniture. My favorite item to hack right now is the Rast dresser. It's super cheap and unfinished making it an easy target!

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Happy hacking :)

Neutrals To Love

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Vanities

What do you think? Vanities, are they are yes or no?  I will say that on my long wish list of furniture pieces I must have,  a vanity hasn't even made it close to being considered. But the other weekend, my friend and I were walking around the city and passed a vintage furniture and consignment shop with an awesome vintage vanity. So I got to browsing vanities online to help with my decision process, and found some great things you can do with a dressing table.

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Needless to say, I was sold. Here it is - no judging yet! It doesn't go with anything else in my room at the moment and I haven't been able to invest in new stool fabric or a vanity tray.

Bedroom Makeover

So a group of bloggers that I follow kicked off a one room challenge at the end of June, and tasked themselves with redoing and blogging about a room in their house. Since my new apartment bedroom is in some serious need of some decorating, I've decided to follow suit and challenge myself to a bedroom redo. Even though I moved to New York with no furniture, I've picked up a few IKEA pieces from Craigslist and the store. So as I was deciding how to decorate my room, I had to find a style that would go with the mix-match items that I've already purchased....so here's what I've already got.

And here's what I'm thinking -  one of the two below. What do you think - room 1 or room 2?

Hard Chic // Schiaparelli and Prada

This weekend I went to the Met to see the Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibit. It was really interesting to see how completely opposite these two Italian designs are in how they approach fashion, and surprisingly comical. 

One of my favorite highlights from the exhibit was the focus on Hard Chic, a fashion trend from the 1930s to the end of World War II that focused on attention in the shoulder, with butterfly sleeves, banjo sleeves, and exaggerated shoulder pads. (sorry for the dark photos - these are clipped from an online video tour of the exhibit!)

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What I like about this trend is its simplicity and subtle femininity. It reminds me of Top Shop's line from a show earlier this year featuring "utilitarian dressing reworked for the modern girl."

"Utilitarian dressing reworked for the modern girl" or maybe...hard chic?

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Do you like Hard Chic or not?

Hump Day Home Makeover // Bedrooms Galore

In lieu of the past few week's of Hump Day Home Makeovers...if you're reading this week's, you've hit the bedroom makeover jackpot. I'm in the process of deciding how to decorate my new apartment, and have been doing some pretty heavy Pinterest and blog browsing. Here are some of my favorites that I've found and how you can get the look for your room!

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1. Rellance Atrium White Wood Table Lamp

2. West Elm - Stevenson Nailhead Headboard in Solid Coral Pink Sumbrella

3. Annette Tatum - Navy Windowpane Pillow Sham

4. My Paris Apartment in Summer Sky Blue on Etsy

5. Leigh Viner Draw The Line - Art Print on Etsy

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1. Serena and Lily Fillmore Heaboard with Nails in Bark Jaiper 

2. Vienna Crystal Cube Table Lamp

3. IKEA London Doors  + Riba Frames

4. West Elm - Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover + Shams

5. For this one, you're going to have to get a bit crafty. Check out this awesome DIY IKEA hack for the Rast dresser - here.

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1. Pottery Barn - Morgan 400-Thread-Count Duvet Cover & Shams

2. West Elm - Moroccan Pillow - Black

3. Golden Gourd Lamp + Black Lamp Shade

4.  Crate and Barrel LaSalle Round Nightstand

5. Pottery Barn - Polka Dot Organic Sheet Set

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1. American Idyll Wingback Bed 

2. Williams-Sonoma Solid Cashmere Throw in Core Red

3. Natori Tree of Life Coverlet, White

4. Yellow Trellis Pillow

5. Crystal Table Lamp

6. Matted Gold Picture Frames  

Which look is your favorite?

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend CT came to visit, and we had a great time shopping and eating in the city. I am still in the process of decorating my room so we took a trip to IKEA on Saturday. It was a huge ordeal, but pretty cool to take a ferry to get there. While shopping in Soho, we found this shabby chic furniture store by Rachel Ashwell. The awesome silver baskets and tufted baby blue headboard pictures are from her shop. 

Most importantly is the picture at the bottom right - it's from CT and my new favorite spot - Upstate Craft Beer and Oyster Bar. We went their Saturday night after trying to get in Friday and ended up going back Sunday night. It was delicious! They also do a happy hour special from 5-7 where you get 1/2 a dozen oysters and a beer for $12. All of the their food is extremely fresh and they order daily from the market to make sure it stays that way. We ate a lot of east coast oysters and tried about four different beers (even though I am a huge wineo). I'd highly recommend the Sly Fox Royal Weisse Ale, Hell of High Watermelon Wheat (goes great with Oysters), Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, and the Peak Organic Nut Brown. 

A New, New Yorker

2 weeks, 5 packed bags, 1 flight later, and I'm in NYC! It's been a crazy few days settling into my new apartment i.e. trekking the 5 packed bags up 4 flights of stairs.

Here are some shots from moving and meals from the week. 

Paumanok Chenin Blanc from...Long Island - who knew! | oysters with mignonette sauce

salade nicoise from Cercle Rouge | my roomate's awesome chandelier

my new home | & bathroom

Pictures of friends are a necessity | my new bed!

all set up with lots of work to do | goat cheese and beet salad at Banc