The Interior and Antique shop- recent pics

Today, I added lots of pillows and took some pictures with my "good" camera. Tomorrow will come the finished grey "furniture flip" tables and some needlepoint area rugs.

Here is today's look!


pretty gaming table with a collection of silver trays



Sweet bird cage chandelier... tomorrow it gets an Edison bulb!

Great clear ghost chair with a silk ikat pillow from Turkey.

I love my bird cage display/storage shelf!

Mirrors will always look contemporary when they are hung in a geometric pattern... every fussy and shabby chic ones like these!

Collection of rustic crosses range in size from 10" to 15" in height!

Velvet Ikat - the new love in my life

I have a new love, velvet ikat. As if ikat could not get any better, now it is uber touchable! Best of all they are handmade, which supposed my HOLA (Handmade, organic, local, or artisan) initiative.

Here are some great Etsy finds for Velvet Ikat Lumbar Pillows!



Black and palest taupe 14"x20" pillow


Hot pink and beige 16" x 22" pillow


Mustard yellow and cream, Chevron, 16"x 24" lumbar pillow



Red and cream Stylize cross, 16" x 24" lumbar pillow


Brown and cream, ironwork style, 8" x 16" mini lumbar pillow

Design through the lens of the inauguration

What can we learn, design-wise, from today's inauguration? Many things as it turns out.

Home design patterns are emerging into the clothing realm. Love the slight sparkle in the ikat patterned coat with the open weave silvery shimmery scarf.

From CNN video feed- Myrlie Evers-Williams

Great color comes in shades-
The Obama ladies shades of purple ensembles are a triumph. It speaks to unity of the two main political parties, how colors presented in three shades always go together (where as two colors often look "off"), and the contemporary nature of crisp colors.

The first family in pretty colors

Lastly, continuity. The act of the inauguration is an act of continuity and teaches us that all projects are a journey. Design is a journey, it doesn't end, but is flexible, fluid, and require a bit of paperwork. :)

A Pink and Orange summer

Pink Grapefruit, Tangerines, Pink Lemonade, Blood Oranges- the new citrus- pink and orange
The colors of citrus is typically yellow, orange and lime green. I want a refresh on citrus! Let's let go of the 1970's Sprite commercial for li-mon and bring in the fresh hues of Summery Pink and Sunshine Orange. Here is a few of my picks for these combinations from my favorite online shop for handmade items- Etsy.com as well as some ideas on incorporating the colors in your space!

Taza Pink and Orange Drum shade from Sassy Shades!

Pink and Orange with Black Grosgrain Ribbon and Burlap Pillow Cover from BouteilleChic

from Central interior design

Pink and orange shabby chic upcycled gallery frames with cast iron candle holder and pink butterfly retro home decor by lollipopfigurine on Etsy

I would have loved the above room as my college dorm room! Function, fun and good storage!

Dog Jacket - Pink and Orange Striped Fleece Dog Coat- Size Small- 12-14 Inch Back Length from KozyCanines on Etsy

Sophisticated space in vibrant pink and orange from apartment therapy

Pink and Orange Modern Pillow Size 14x19 from LekaliaInteriors on Etsy

Tangerine Orange and Hot Pink Indian Paisley Elephant Silhouette Giclee 11x14 from the pink pagoda on Etsy

Neutral no more- adding color to your home interiors- part 2

The second part of my adding color to a neutral interior space address a family room/den area. (To see part one of the series click here). In this typical neutral cream to taupe space, I have chosen complimentary colors to accent the space in blue and red-orange. As in the previous space, I have used olioboard.com to create the space. This color palette can take a room to an Americana space, Eastern influenced space, or can go quite modern. I have gone with a hybrid of Eastern and Americana.

With the simple addition of changing the accent pieces I have taken the ivory walls, sisal rug and cream sofa to a brighter, polished finish with blue wing back chairs, on trend patterned pillows with blue and white, tones of orange red in the lamp bases and a bronze Brown cut work bowl with a blue lining. Could this space go further to add color? Surely, but for the color timid, this is a great start by adding small changeable color pieces and practically neutral blue chairs.

If you are interested in any of the item's on this board, I would love to tell you more about them! Simply drop me an email at LaurlSelf@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you.

Tribal chic lumbar pillows- ikats, suzanis and more

Etsy is a great source for pillows of all kinds- decorator fabrics, leather, pleather, hand printed, screen printed- and all hand made!  I am in love with the new tribal prints. It is a trend I predicted in 2008 and it is finally making it way into the mainstream. Here is a selection of great tribal prints pillows that will bring a one of a kind look to your home. Best part of a lumbar pillow is that it is easy to use and does not hide you other awesome pillows. These are more functional that square pillows!

Suzani print pillow from Trina Turk fabrics from PillowChix on etsy.

Fantastic tribal chic pillow created with various patterned fabrics from SisterBatik on Etsy.

I love a rich salmon and red ikat! This one is from PlayPurdys on etsy.

Grey has a way of freshening any tired space. This is a great option from ChicDecorPillows on etsy.

Great orange and cream ikat from WillaSkyeHome on etsy.

Tribal, check, recycled, check. Eco-chic, absolutely!
Funky vintage tribal needlepoint reclaimed by PlanetDaisyWorld on etsy.

Delicious embroidered suzani pillow from BertieWoodhouse on etsy.