Design Darling

the magic of paint

is there anything a fresh coat of paint can't do? it can bring new life to furniture, decor, walls, everything.

furniture:

two red lacquered end tables make a unique coffee table.

a hot pink picnic table reinvents a dark dining room.

i love this orange dresser.

classic black and white takes a turn for the modern in this revamped dresser.

a do-it-yourselfer achieves the same look for less.

jenny from little green notebook's rockstar credenza.

decor:

this red chandelier makes the room.

paint swatch-esque art.

walls:

painted details make a plain white wall extraordinary.

doors:

appliances:

and even a staircase:

incredibly inspired by these pretty examples of calligraphy. it's on my list of things to learn (right up there with cooking and diving!) but i wouldn't even know where to start. my family will attest that i've always loved practicing my handwriting and my signature, but this would be taking things to a new level.

black and blue

...in a good way! i think. i've been noticing lots of navy blue and black combinations both in fashion and interior design and thought i'd ask you, my very fashionable readers, to weigh in. does it work? would you try it? let's hear it!

black and blue with a dash of red. do we love it?

olivia palermo and this girl from stockholm street style think it's a go.

do we like mary kate's navy blazer with her all black ensemble? how about the blue curtains and black chairs chosen by nate berkus?

designer darryl wilson's living room and german beauty diane kruger make a convincing case... but i want to hear from you! lay it on me.

desk lust

lots to do this week! admiring these pretty workspaces and thinking they might just motivate me to start checking things off my never-ending list:

i know everybody and their mother has blogged about this home office but it's just too perfect not to repost on the off chance that one of you missed it.

natural light and shiny white floors... yes and yes.

playful lighting and a pretty rug keep this home office from taking itself too seriously.

books, books, and more books. i can't help myself!

are you sensing the pattern?

here's to a productive week for you and me both!

"i die."

spotted this shoot of rachel zoe at home on habitually chic this morning and had to post some of my favorites here. i absolutely love her show (mostly for this guy) and her home is just as fabulous as her fashion sensibility.

where her personal style is all about color, patterns, and plenty of bling bling, her home is largely neutral, save for the occasional pop of her enviable book collection:

we all know i love the design impact of books, so moving on to her closet:

which houses her excessive collection of wallets and leathergoods, then back to the first floor:

where a rack of oscar gowns is being housed in her living room.

celebrating street style

too wiped out from a busy weekend to pull off anything brilliant but thought i'd share some inspiring examples of amazing european looks. can you imagine having the innate sense of style to just roll out of bed and throw on one of these looks? they make it look so easy.

updating a classic trench with a chic headwrap. and making it look effortless! if i ever had the guts to try this look, it would take me hours to figure out how to get the headwrap just so.

proof that a striking haircut and killer heels can make the most basic outfit chic.

pretty shades and pretty shoes... what's not to love?

look at her posture and then at the guy checking her out: this chick is owning it.

a military jacket keeps tousled hair and an untucked hem from looking sloppy.

paris teaser

see more photos of my weekend on my other blog.

a word to the wise

shoes like these

will not do for your first night out in france. you may reason that you are 5'1" and a 4-inch heel really isn't that high. thankfully, i am here to inform you that you will instead have trouble walking, wake up with blisters, and spend the rest of the day cursing yourself for not knowing that the chosen bar was a 25 minute walk (one way) from your house.

ahhh, you live and you learn.

happy weekend!

i have survived my first week of classes at the language institute and so it's off to paris for the weekend. i hope you all have a very happy weekend wherever you may be and thank you for reading my little blog — your comments and views make my day.

too good to be true (but i'll take it!)

unwinding from a very happy and not too chilly day in france. classes sorted out, long weekends due to lack of friday classes, new friends, a friendly professor, skype up and running, a jaunt to paris this weekend, seeing my boyfriend the weekend after... provided the weather stays above 40 degrees, i will be one happy américaine-en-france.