Monday Morning Inspiration: The Raleigh Hotel

Happy Monday my dears!  Did you have a good weekend?!  I hope so.  I am loving summer, but I'm also definitely feeling a bit of wanderlust lately.  When I came across an image of this stunning pool on Pinterest, I knew it fit the bill for my next getaway.  I had to discover where this gorgeous gem of a watering hole could be found.  Upon further research, I discovered it's located at the The Raleigh Hotel in beautiful South Beach, Miami:

Originally designed and built in the 1940s by architect L. Murray Dixon, The Raleigh Hotel is a glamorous display of Art Deco style.  

Although The Raleigh Hotel already seems pretty swoon-worthy, Tommy Hilfiger recently purchased the property and plans to give it a zhush.  He recently shared his plan for the hotel:  "The Raleigh Hotel is a true Miami Beach treasure with sophistication and style... the 1940s design of The Raleigh and its rich history are central to our plans to rejuvenate the property." 

Shop This Board:

1.) Tassel Bloom Earrings $38 /2.) White Embroidered Playsuit $68  /3.) Black Floral Pillow $95 /4.) Ginger Lace-Up Sandals $119 /5.)  Turquoise Cluster Necklace $120 /6.) Fendi Sunglasses $340  7.) Gold Dot Napkins $12 

So who wants to escape with me and go lounge by the "Most Beautiful l Pool in America", as Life Magazine says?!

Color Crush: (Not so) Mellow Yellow

I've always been a bit apathetic towards the color yellow, but the latest issue of House Beautiful has rekindled my interest in the hue.  The intensity of the color gives it a modern freshness. Because I find it so over-powering, it only works for me in small doses.  For instance, how fab is this headboard in Tilton Finwick designer Anne Maxwell Foster's bedroom, featured in this month's issue?

I LOVE her room down to all the details.  The Farrow & Ball wallpaper, the Hickory Chair side tables, the bedding with the hint of lime in the bedskirt, the abstract art- it's all FAB!  The pop of yellow is just the icing on the cake.  Here are a few more yellow pops I adore:

{Robert Passal}

{The Sartorialist}

{Lonny}

{Atlantic-Pacific}

{Living Etc}

{Nick Olsen}

I don't know if I would enjoy having yellow on my bedroom walls, a place where I'd like to feel relaxed.  But I do love that Stephen Schubel paired the yellow walls here with a neutral palette of whites and browns:

{Stephen Schubel}

Doors that Add Architectural Charm

I'm a big appreciator (is that even a word?) of beautiful doors.  They are so often forgotten that when they are lavished with even a bit of attention, the results can be astonishing.   Take for instance these gorgeous master bedroom paneled doors painted in high gloss black:

{MDD Architects}

Or, this geometric paneled side door.  The design is so unique and creates an element of art by itself.  I love that designer Lucy Williams paired it with a grasscloth wallpaper:

There really is something stunning about a black front door paired with brass hardware.  It creates a regal first impression:

{Klury}

I'll always have a soft spot for steel-cased doors, and I love that in this home the steel continues above to serve as windows.

{Heiberg Cummings}

How stunning is this trellis millwork detail? See- even pocket doors can be architecturally beautiful!

{Finn}

I know you might be thinking... these are gorgeous, but only homeowners building a new home or remodeling a current one have the luxury of customizing doors.  But fear not! Even a fresh coat of paint can turn a drab door in to a more interesting one.  My wedding planner, Jacin Fitzgerald, recently updated the paint color of the exterior of her home and added gorgeous mint doors:

{before}

{after}

What a makeover!

I'll always fantasize about the type of doors I'd spec for my own dream home one day.   I'm sure they'd include all elements of the gorgeous options above! 

Weekend Recap

Happy Tuesday and Happy Summer!  June 21 marked the official start to my favorite season and the longest day of the year, and I was thrilled to spend it in Oklahoma City with my family.  With the wedding craziness and a busy quarter at school, I hadn't gotten to travel home since Christmas!  Spending time with my baby niece was my top priority.  She will be 7 months old on June 26, and is cuter than anything or anyone I've ever seen (totally non-biased aunt talking right here).

{Baby Lily in her Sunday best for church}

{Sunday, I spent the day by the pool, catching up on my favorite glossies}

{A trip to OKC wouldn't be complete without a club special- 1 part vodka, 1 part lime juice, 2 parts Sprite, fill with soda and garnish with a lime wedge.  The club special was started at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.  I always love having them when I come home because no one makes them as good as Oklahomans do!} 

{While home, I stopped by my Rose Creek Project because I am planning to do a few more items for the client!  I couldn't help snapping a pic of the custom barstools I did for their kitchen.  I worked with Boxwood Interiors to create these beauties}

 {Sunday night, our family went to eat dinner at OKC Thunder player Kevin Durant's new restaurant in Bricktown}

{We got to hold some of his shoes, and look at the size of his foot compared to Baby Lily!  Ridiculous!}

Spending the weekend with the fam was the perfect post-finals recipe.  It was nice having a relaxing weekend with no set plans or commitments.  We all need those weekends every now and then, don't we?!

Chic Site Alert: NG Collective

This past weekend I finally got to catch up on some of my favorite glossies.  With Domino back in the mix (my very favorite shelter mag), I devoured their Summer 2014 issue and nearly earmarked every page.  I know we pretty much all love them and their praises have been sung ad nauseam, but they do such a beautiful job of mixing high end pieces with accessible decor in an effortless way.  One new-to-me company I learned about in this issue  is NG Collective.  Started by sisters and artists Laura Naples and Kristin Giorgi, NG Collective features their artwork, as well as graphic textiles, books, and pillows.

The sisters run their online store together, despite living halfway across the country from each other.  Laura lives in Hudson, Ohio, where the sisters grew up, and Kristin lives in Atlanta.  They feel that the distance between them helps each of them bring a unique perspective to their collective work.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces from their shop:

1.) Painterly Dyptich $Price on Request/2.) 5" x 7" NG Mini.9 Print $50/3.) 4.) 20" x 20" Hand Painted Pillow in "Korthos" $125/5.) 18" x 18" Klara $Price On Request/6.) Kolette Print $Price on Request/7.) 22" x 30" Kosta Print $Price on Request

Some of their watercolors remind me of artist Sally King Benedict's works (who was also the cover girl of this month's Domino!).  I love the free flow of them.  Finding unique and affordable art that speaks to you is not the easiest task, so I'm thrilled to have discovered NG Collective.

Any favorite artists or art resources?  Share them with me in the comments!  I'm always searching for new inspiration.

Needing, Wanting, Loving: Navy Cabinetry

There is something so tailored and chic about a high/low color contrast.  Although I'll always have a soft spot for all-white kitchens, I love seeing designers and homeowners mixing it up a bit with darker accents.  Case in point: navy cabinetry.  When paired with white subway tile, Carerra marble countertops, and Shaker-style cabinetry, it's a total knock out:

{Kitchn}

{Kitchn}

{Lonny}

I love that designer Sarah Richardson paired the navy with gold fixtures and pulls:

{Sarah Richardson}

I love the look when balanced with whites, such as on bottom cabinetry only.  But for a man cave or bar, all-over navy would be dramatic and sexy!

What do you think?

Needing, Wanting, Loving: Decorative Screens

Happy Monday!  How are we doing?  I am happy to be back after a week hiatus while I finished up some of my finals.  This week, I'll be finishing up the other half of them, and then I'll have 3 weeks of summer bliss!  Of course I'll still be working on design projects, but a little break from school will be nice. :)  Today I wanted to share my latest decorative obsession- hinged screens!  Whether used solely for aesthetic beauty or as a makeshift wall/divider in a small space, screens are the perfect example of function meets beauty:

{Shelterness}

{Little Green Notebook}

{Architectural Digest}

{Hallie Henley via La Dolce Vita}

{Lonny}

There are so many gorgeous screen options! From gilded wood to antique mirror to upholstered, here are a few of my faves...

Top Row: Arteriors Annabelle Screen $3,600/MGBW Adam Black Nailhead Screen $2,500/Arteriors Gilded Wood  Greek Key Screen $1,584

Middle Row: MGBW Pink Ikat Upholstered Screen $2,000/John Salibello Mirrored Screen with Stainless Steel Surround $Price On Request/Bernhardt Dynasty Screen in Ivory Lacquer $,1565/

Bottom Row: World Market Upholstered Hara Screen $199/ Bespoke Global Seamus Fairtlough $16,400/ Folding Screen with Silver-Leaf Background $1,900/

That World Market screen is a steal at only $199, and no less chic than the other options!

Jenny at Little Green Notebook put together a DIY tutorial for how to make a folding screen for only $15!

Fantasy Swag Bag

One of my favorite things to invest in is a nice handbag.  I'd rather wait and buy a beautiful, high quality one every few years than a handful of cheapies from Target (although I love me some Tarjay).  So when Katy of Katy Byrne Design invited me to participate in the Fantasy Swag Bag series, I knew exactly the fantasy tote I'd pick- The Phillip 3.1 Trapeze bag.  It's a total smokeshow (new word I learned this weekend, click here to see meaning)!  The Fantasy Swag Bag post was started by author Susie Schnall, and then The Zhush, Pretty Pink Tulips, and Katy joined in, before the torch was passed to me.  The idea behind it is super fun- if you could buy all your best friends a "swag bag" and fill it with your favorite items for a girls trip, where would you go and what would be in the bag?  If it were up to me, I'd take my girls to Capri, Italy (a place I've been dying to visit), and here's what I'd fill their Trapeze bags with:

Shop My Swag Bag:

3.1 Phillip Lim Leather Trapeze Bag $895/NARS Lipgloss in Turkish Delight $26/OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Nail Polish $4.95/Kind Bars Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt $16 for a box of 12/GirlBoss Book $16/NARS Blush in Orgasm $29/NARS Lipgloss in Turkish Delight/J Crew Patterned iPhone 5 case $29.50/Pink Tassel Key Chain $30/Chromeo "White Women" CD $19/Illesteva Leonard Sunglasses $180/Tory Burch Marion Quilted Wristlet $165

Beauty Products:

NARS lipgloss in Turkish Delight is my go-to for a casual weekend or a fancy night out.  It's flattering on everyone and gives the perfect amount of soft color.  OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark is one of my favorite nail colors and makes a bold statement.  

Snack Food:

Kind Bars are my go-to snack food.  I always have a few Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt bars in my handbag in case I get hungry throughout the day and don't want to be stuck eating something unhealthy!  They taste amazing and are very low in sugar/high in protein.

Book:

I really want to read Girl Boss, by Sophia Amoruso.  Sophia is the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal, and not your stereotypical female power figure.  She spent her teen years hitchhiking and dumpster diving.  In her 20s she began selling vintage clothes on Etsy for fun.  Before long, her small side business was thriving.  Today, she runs Nasty Gal and manages the 350+ people they employ.  I've been dying to read this- I'm sure it's both refreshing and hilarious.

CD:

Are CDs even relevant anymore?  Probably not, except for people like me who don't have a USB port in their car!  Nonetheless, my go-to album right now is Chromeo's White Women.  Even Huffington Post said their song "Jealous" was the official song of summer. 

Location:

My girls and I would stay at Capri Taberio Palace.  Talk about a dream locale:

 {images via Mr. & Mrs. Smith}

So there you have it!  And now I'm passing the torch to Lindsay, a real-life BFF who I'd love to take to Capri and shower with a swag bag.

PS- I apologize for being a bit MIA last week!  Finals have arrived, so life is a bit crazier than normal.  I promise it'll be back to normal around here soon!  XOXO