make my room a viceroy one (part one) ....

ok who doesn't adore the wearstler? so i thought it would be fun to take her widely popular "viceroy" hotel room and recreate some of its key components...(please bare w/ me- i am not very computer savvy and i don't know how to display a grouping of pictures.)

one of the key items in this room is the wallpaper. it's a foil and has a cane pattern appearance- couldn't find that one exactly but i thought that this trellis has the same feeling so i went with this one. oh, and did i mention that i am tweaking the room slightly...mainly b/c i like this chair and think it would look great w/ the wallpaper but still follows the idea of the Chippendale design and of course we will upholster the cushion in a slate grey linen. now, this dog lamp is different b/c its a foo dog (but kelly likes the foo) and it has a black shade but i think it works b/c it echos the black in the desk. oh i guess we need a desk- you will have to add the marble top, sorry! and we need the decorative hexagon plates. let's do this phone b/c after all, at your house you don't need a button for the front desk. ok, that should keep you busy for a little while. tomorrow, we will tackle the bedside of the room!

if i sent you a letter....

i would write it on a card like this.... stationery has totally become hip and classic and my fav- geometric. i adore these preppy note cards and if i was better at writing them, i'd send all of you one! jack and lulu (love the name, although i think if you put lulu in any name combo you've got a winner) make divine note cards. they actually inspired my business cards after receiving these from my sister-in-law (bet you couldn't guess what color it is). all of the note card designs are fab but i picked the lime tiles and windowpane orange and pink to share. another great place to get hip note cards is fabulous stationery. i am a huge fan of the metropolitan collection...again b/c they are bold and geometric. i adore the huge print of the trouble 2 note cards and large text block on stax makes a great statement....its like "hey, you totally just got a letter from SHANNON". ok, w/ that corny comment, i'm signing off...peace out and get yourself some hip note cards!

recycling the past

this weekend i did one of my favorite things....hunting (not for animals) but for the "perfect find". i adore going to antique malls, flea markets, and salvage yards in search for some undiscovered jewel! if you are going w/ something in mind, you usually come home disappointed but if you go just to look, you come home with lots of goodies. you have to be in a mood to dig and not be scared to do this. i found a cool old military trunk and for $10 in was definitely my "perfect find".

when i got home from hunting, i was so excited about what all i saw, i wanted to look more. so i checked out some salvage yards online. i love recycling the past. it has a plethora of jewels at the click of your mouse. you don't even have to dig to find them! here are some of my favorites: these industrial carts have so many undiscovered uses- i think it would make a cool coffee table if you had a piece of glass cut for the top of it! this tudor style door is so amazing- if you were building a house, it is great to find a cool old door and have it incorporated into your home- this could make a cool side door or door to a pantry or powder room. i also love these beautiful, old tiles; this art nouveau tile is circa 1890's and would make a gorgeous backsplash in a kitchen- remember that you are not limited to just new tile when you are planning a backsplash, creating a truly unique backsplash from vintage tiles can make a kitchen or bathroom! these are just some teasers to share w/ y'all. this website is so wonderful and has so many possibilities if you are in search of a "perfect find".

my bro's airstream

my brother is definitely a drifter. as of now, his home is in the usa but we never know when that zip code might change. for the last 10 years, he has lived back and forth from thailand. you ask what he does over there...he drifts...he teaches english sometimes...he acts in commercials and movies (americans stand out there, especially a 6' light- brown haired guy)....and he owns a laundry mat/ bar (yea, weird combo but apparently it makes sense there). my fam has adjusted to the fact that my bro is a drifter.

so when he made the purchase of this 1959 airstream it just seemed to fit. he found it online...he is one of the people who can search the internet effortlessly...very unlike myself. if i have a problem w/ my computer, i immediately start cussing out geek squad (i always blame my computer problems on them...they set up my PC when i started my company (should have gotten a mac) and i think they put a curse on it that only "geeks" know how to fix). one day he called me and said, i bought an airstream and i want you to help me fix it up. and the next thing i know, it was delivered from somewhere across the country and was parked at our cabin. it lives there. the people who own airstreams are kind of like a cool cult...they all worship these vintage steel motor homes. and they rightfully should, it's definitely not your typical motor home....

i am so excited to help my bro w/ the renovations of this 1959 piece of coolness. it definitely needs a little TLC; it's taken some beating up in the last 50 years...the first purchase my brother made was carpet tiles from FLOR. we decided on a stripe pattern carpet that we are going to lay in a random pattern...i think it is going to look really cool when it's down! when i go home in a couple of weeks, i'll take pics of it and will fill you in as our renovations take place. it's a very slow process...b/c after all, my bro is a drifter.....

do i live in a bubble?

sometimes i feel like i live in this tiny bubble...like when i found steven gambrel- why have i not seen this guy's portfolio before yesterday? when i searched his site, i couldn't click the pictures fast enough. beautiful, colorful, interiors filled my computer screen. i got so excited and almost started writing my post at that very moment...but remembered that i was getting sick and that it was better to save it for today when i would feel less inspired to search for something "new" and "innovative". soooooooo, i love steven gambrel's interiors; he gracefully mixes traditional and modern (my cup of tea) and he is lucky enough to have a "town portfolio" and a "country portfolio". i also think that he is ahead of his time...using pops of orange and peacock blues in 2005. i am adding him to my "design heroes" b/c he makes me giddy and allows me to love what i do even more. i just get so excited when i discover a new designer (well new to me, i'm sure all of you design bloggers have known him for years). i feel like a little girl who just received her first cabbage patch kid. i just love what i do and am constantly inspired by the great designers in this industry!

* on a technical note, does anyone know how to post images that are on adobe flash player? there are so many beautiful interior shots that i want to share but i can't figure out how to get them? maybe that is the "user's" point...not to have them shared!

belvedere lighting...

so on my quest to keep sharing my mag tear outs, i found this store also in my random pile...belvedere! then i just read my comments and this was a place that things that inspire said to visit in atl....i will definitely be checking this place out. i am in love with the lamps...ok, check out the birch bark lamp. i love how they describe the beautifully, handmade Peter Lane lamp: park avenue meets the farm- how fantastic! their vintage collection has so many cool things like the six- point art pottery gourd lamp and the pagoda lamp (that bronze shade is killing me). i am also a sucker for acrylic so if you put it on anything, i am bound to like it. the store does more then just feature lamps...the have a heavy emphasis on mid-20th century furnishings and accessories. they have an amazing inventory that i can't wait to see in person!

vagabond vintage

beware, i think this week's post may consist of "finds" from my magazine tear outs...

this little gem, mothology, was found on a tear page that just listed "places you need to know". last night i searched a couple of the resources and came across this beautiful shop in atl. has anyone been here? the online store consists of beautiful, vintage inspired accents for your home and the prices are really great. I adore the canvas bordeaux buckets and can think of so many great uses for these and at $21 they definitely don't break the bank! the turquoise milk glass collection would look amazing displayed in a book shelf against a chocolate brown accent wall. but i have to say i'm a sucker for anything this color...its just gorgeous. and lastly, after reading the description of these french wine glasses it made me want them even more...the 23 stands for 23 francs which was the going rate for a glass of wine in France back in the day.

i am heading to atl the first weekend of Feb. and i might just have to stop by this little diddy. i am also going to ADAC and i cannot wait to visit "Pieces"...i have been dying to see what this place is all about. If you have any other suggestions of "must see" shopping in the atl, please let me know!