Color Outside the Lines

Monday, August 15, 2011

TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by David Easton

There's something comforting about a traditional interior - whether the room is huge and grand, or small and simple. David Easton, master of traditional interior design for more than 40-years, is one of the worlds most sought after interior designers. From English Country to streamlined and contemporary, Easton's rooms are always beautiful, unique, and inspiring. His New York based design firm has a wealth of published work under their belt, so this will be quite a lengthy post of pictures I know you will all find as inspiring as I have. For more photos from the Easton portfolio click here! Enjoy!

David Easton has a wonderful book available in all book stores, and online here. I highly recommend it! It will provide you with tons of inspiration, especially for wall hangings, furniture groupings, and table top vignettes.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Basket Case: The DIY Story

I think it was this past fall, Pottery Barn sold large dark willow baskets with side handles for a mint! They were beautiful, round, and very large - perfect for storage of just about anything, yet beautiful enough to take center stage in any room.

Similar to the basket with the sansiveria, the baskets were darker in color, but again a great size. I think they retailed for somewhere in the market of $129, and though that's not a terrible price, I was willing to pass them up til' they inevitably hit the sale rack. Thankfully though, I didn't have to wait. Christmas Tree Shops, a chain of discount stores exclusively in the North East, got a shipment of the same baskets, in the same sizes, in the same finish. The largest basket - $29.99. So I snagged it, and used it in the living room of CDLV as a planter.

This summer, I started to make some changes in the living room and the basket got in the way. Seeing as I got such a good deal on the basket, I thought what would it hurt to have it under the pergola. Not a bad idea, especially seeing as how after 3-months in the elements, it looks a lot more tailored to the CDLV design style.

After I finished thanking mother nature for giving me an antique look without an antique price, I thought back to the room the Brooke and Steve did for the Ashton Kutcher showhouse this past winter.

See the old English wicker trunk in the corner? I'm sure you're all starting to see where I'm going with this, right? I loved this room - still do, I think it's the most unique of the showhouse rooms, and really one of the more collected rooms I've seen Brooke post about on her blog: Velvet & Linen. I love the layers, from the floor to the walls - but I digress. We're talking about the basket! I know that Brooke had that particular basket for sale after the showhouse, and it's no surprise it went quickly! I checked out their 1stdibs store, and found this one:

It had also been sold. But I loved the simple red line around the top of the trunk. So, I went out to the garden with tools in tow ...

So, what do you think? Not a huge transformation - but certainly an addition of character! Amazing what a little paint can do. Now this basket has a place in the house - but I'll show you that sometime real soon, when I'm ready to show you the whole room. For now, I'll let it be in the garden ... maybe mother nature will give it one more sanding before the summers over.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Ralph Lauren Fall 2011: Brookfield

I always love when the team at Ralph Lauren Home post the new collections each Fall and Summer, and I was so excited to see the return of the "RL" standard symbols: plaids, leathers, horn, mohair, and layer after layer of fabulous! Take a look at the full collection on http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/ along with the other Fall collections.

Snippets of CDLV changes, DIY projects, and much more coming this week! We'll see you monday!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Though Martyn Lawrence Bullard and his design firm have a great portfolio for viewing on their website, I'd like to take the opportunity today to showcase one home of his work recently featured in Architectural Digest. Now, many of you watched along with the rest of the blog-world as Bullard worked his magic on rooms and homes of designers on the Bravo Hit: Million Dollar Decorators. A lover of color, texture, class, and elegance, Bullard pulls together great rooms time and time again, and has a wealth of published portfolio work, million-dollar clients (more extensive than the celebrities that we heard about on the show) and an elite lifestyle perpetuated by the theory that the more coveted the decorator, the more solid the work, and the more heavy the commission.

Lifetime clients of Bullards, the Osbournes (Sharon and Ozzy), have nothing but good things to say about Bullard. Sharon even gave the induction speech at Bullard's induction into the International Designers guild. In June, Architectural Digest did a story covering the new home of the Osbournes, in Los Angeles' gated pacific coast Hidden Hills. Though not what we'd expect from a billion dollar grossing musician who sang "Hellraiser, I put a spell on you" and purportedly bit the heads of live bats in concert, it definitely had high-class the MLB way written all over it!

Stunning right? And by the way, uh hum, does anything look familiar? Though Bullard bought these bottles at the Los Angeles boutique: Maxfield, paying hundreds of dollars for one, thousands for the collection, you may remember that I make similar bottles which have been for sale here, here, and here. Of course, mine are of the same outstanding quality, made in the same exact way, but for much less.

So, why not start your collection of bottles like Sharon's today, but for mere fractions of what MLB paid. If you're interested in purchasing any of the bottles featured above, please email me at artie.vanderpool@gmail.com and I will send a paypal invoice with shipping to you immediately. All bottles will be sent no later than 2-days from your paid order, unless otherwise stated. (Note: If a bottle you see that has been sold, a similar one can by made at the same price.)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Relax ... Just Do It!

I've been moving at warp speed this past week, and I beg your forgiveness for my anticipated, and much needed break. I will see you all on Tuesday, and ask that you take some time to relax, too! Just do it, you won't regret it - I promise!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by Joan - for the love of a house

Have you ever found yourself lost in a photograph? And if you have, how often? Very few designers create spaces that once photographed evoke a feeling for the viewer ... and likewise, very few designers have the natural talent of my friend, Joan, the creative genius behind the blog: for the love of a house. Every single picture, of every single room that Joan shares with us on her amazing blog, evokes a true sense of calm, sophistication, and the inimitable style that comes from years of collecting only the most beautiful treasures found around the world. Joan has become one of my greatest blog friends, and is most certainly a mentor that I'll treasure the experience of having forever. My words could never do her talent justice, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, and encourage you to stop over and say hello.