Wednesday blue

I am working on a post, which I will have ready hopefully tomorrow, but I was playing around a bit and here is a little preview...I have been thinking about lifestyle and glamour, found a great book to show you and wanted to inspire some glamorous thoughts!



What does glamour mean to you? Is it connected to rich and famous? Do you feel glamorous at times? Is it just a feeling and how do you translate it into design?
Alright, I'll give you my thoughts on it tomorrow, I just have to find my fur stole and some bling...

XX
Victoria


Picture by V. Zlotkowski

Color explorations: yellow rooms

Yellow has been the color I had the most difficulty to find my way around. I have never been a fan of yellow, particularly because I do not like yellow on me. I have a feeling this is a major reason for people to choose colors in the first place. Some affinity is necessary to live with colors. Apart from insecurities towards the use of colors in your home, liking special colors is fundamental. In other words, no matter how much a color would look great in a setting or is IN for that matter, if you don't like it, forget it.
I love yellow rooms for the uplift I feel, the happy atmosphere and the light bouncing around. On the other hand many yellows seem too loud and shrill, maybe this has been the reason for my hesitance. I've painted my hallway a couple of years ago yellow and we choose purposefully a darker shade to accommodate the brightness of yellow.
I felt it was hard to pick the right yellow, but after some trial and error I've got it. Maybe a good advise is to scale the shade down even more after you pick the yellow you think might be right. And of course try it out before you paint, don't get fooled by small color samples, they are very deceiving.
There is one quality about yellow which I love: it is a great accent color, it has instant wow power.
Maria Killam of 'Color me Happy' is the person I look to when I feel I need advise, her blog is filled with the most useful information as how to use colors and how to select the right color/shade/hue. She is extremely experienced. She wrote extensivly on the use of yellow! See her on my blog list and click!
Here I show you a couple of yellow rooms which I admire and could imagine to live with.

























Pictures come from a variety of sources, the top one is by me, flickr, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, the books 'Domestic Art' and 'Wallpaper' and the Eijffinger wallpaper website. I appolgize for any accidental overlook of source.

Sunday picture perfect

I could not resist pulling this nice pic from British House and Home magazine...



Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
XX
Victoria

Designed with mother nature in mind

Last weekend I visited a friend a little further north from where I live and it is lovely country side, rolling hills along the Hudson valley.
She is a wonderful artist and her love for nature shows in her garden.
I took a couple of pictures and it remindes me again that great beauty lies within our close reach and we do not have to go far to enjoy it.
She had build the ponds only a few years ago and nature took over from there. Frogs serenade throughout the summer month and hurons, other birds and the occasional snake take care of the balance of species ...

















All pictures taken by V.Zlotkowski
Happy weekend! XX Victoria

Wednesday morning

I've researched at IKEA yesterday for our new living room, but I was not impressed with what I found this time. In resent years I believe the style and quality have changed and maybe my expectations have changed too and there are many more good and reasonable furniture designs out there, which do not scream IKEA. When I started out years ago IKEA was chic and hip and all I could afford anyway and it was a little bit a life style... This time it looked more shabby then chic, particular the upholstery and I felt like a dissatisfied lover. Don't get me wrong, I like IKEA, accessories and small things are still great, kitchens are a true value, but the sofas seemed tired and not comfortable enough, before I even got them home. Well, one sofa was alright - the Stockholm - but again at that price point (beginning @ $1000) I can find many others with more color choices.
We've had bought a brown leather sofa at IKEA about two years ago( Kramfors), it did not last long, seems ripped and edges, forget the hole poked in by my children...it was chic looking, but that was all there is. I have been trying to replace the broken cushion, but the customer service has been so bad and unresponsive, I finally gave up. As you can see I hide all the damage with a tucked in blanket, but it moves around!
So, for now fare well IKEA....



To recover from my disappointment I decided to play again with my window ledge display and showcased my IKEA bought kitchen canisters for our cereals...






All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Finds

Through one of my hunts in my local book store I came across the April 2009 issue of The world of INTERIORS, one of the magazines I love to read. This particular one had a few pages, which I absolutely loved and immediately turned in my head into a blog post...The pictures I took are rather bad, forgive the quality...
Firstly it featured the artist Brice Marden's house upstate New York on the Hudson and it's a show stopper. The rooms are airy and have a flair, which gives them that easy feel of relaxed living, artistry and style. The house itself has classic lines, incredible rooms and a wonderful porch...besides the gardens and views!
Just look!





Secondly I found pictures of Cardozo Kindersley's typography and stone carving workshop in Cambridge,UK with so much visible history.
I love letters and prints, this place is a like time machine, going back 80 years.
Kindersley designed the Octavian fond and after his death his widow continues the work.

Click on the image to enlarge it, so you can enjoy all the details!



Oh, all things I love!



D & E ( for Design...)


All pictures via The world of Interiors.

Color explorations: blue rooms

Over the last year I have been following color trends in the shelter magazines, stores and design blogs, it seems blue in all hues and shades is making a big come back. I love blue, one or the other room in my house has always been blue. It is easy to combine, most people like the color, blue has been used at courts as a royal color, it evokes feelings of trust and confidence(lots of banks and airlines are using blue combinations) and in Feng Shui it belongs to the element water and has great importence to calm and energize. (bed rooms, family rooms) Many famous china patterns come in blue and white. (Meissen, Royal Copenhagen, Wedgewood, original Chinese patterns, Spode and many more)
When I researched on blue I found uncounted examples for pretty bedrooms and I am glad to see more and more living rooms. Blue is calming, gentle, but can create drama when used saturated and strong. I love teal and midnight blue, ultramarine, Prussian blue, but at the same time adore all shades of turquoise, light blues and french blue.
I am working right now on a new color scheme for my own house and blue will play a major role... I will keep you posted!
The classic color combinations of blue/white, blue/yellow and blue/brown are wonderful, but I incourage you to try new ones like blue/red (not only country), blue/tan or cream and blue /green (in lighter shades). Combinations of blue with purple an hot pink can look great when combined with silver. Blue on blue so sophisticated!
Wallpaper is hip again and I found many incredible examples, why not try some blue patterns for an accent wall?
Darker blues often resonate with man, so this is can be a good choice for a study or bedroom.

Explore and enjoy the following selection of blue rooms, I found many more, but these made the cut...




























Pictures via flickr, Designers Guild, Domino Magazine, bpinteriors, studiomdesign, Elle Decor and the book 'Wallpaper - Dreams of color for the home' by Alejandro Asensio.