My favorite trompe l'oeil to date

Trompe l'oeil can sometimes be really cheesy and over-the-top.  I can definitely appreciate the talent of the artist who executes well done trompe l'oeil panelling, for example, but to me it seems a little silly to incorporate fake, painted-on panelling into an interior.  Real panelling is a different story, but in general I think it's better to celebrate the beauty of what is there rather than to try to disguise it as something else.  

That said, this trompe l'oeil light pattern is stunning!  This is a Boerum Hill parlour by Nightwood in Brooklyn.  It makes the room feel even more light and bright that it already is.  I do wonder if it would seem odd at night though, when it's very obvious that the highlight is painted on.  At any rate, it's beautiful, inventive, and well-executed.  

Image from www.nightwoodny.com.

Cozy Rugs

Vilcanota Rug, Anthropologie.

My feet are cold, so I'm wishing I had a cozy rug under my desk.  Some other nice rugs after the jump.

Instant Attraction: Apartment of Brandi Becker

This one is a little bit of a stretch for me, but the eclectic mix of pieces in the Soho loft of interior designer Brandi Becker of Indi Interiors works so well together.  The warm color accents make the otherwise stark finishes more inviting.

Photos by Matthew Williams, from www.indiinteriors.com.  More after the jump.

Brooklyn Art Library

I had the chance to stop into the Brooklyn Art Library yesterday.  Such a cool store selling really interesting books, art supplies, stationery and vintage ephemera.  Also the home of the Sketchbook Project.  

Books I saw that I wanted:

The Art of Instruction, by Katrien Van der Schueren

Lists, by Liza Kirwin

Architects' Sketchbooks

Guy Brown Reel Light

Reel lamp by Guy Brown.  Another example of the trend of embracing and celebrating the cord as part of the lamp.  Love it! 

Images from www.guyandbrown.com.

Awesome & Inexpensive Table

Vika Amon tabletop + Vika Lerberg trestle legs = a super affordable yet quite nice looking work or dining table.  From Ikea.

Sourcing: Ercol Love Seat

Love Seat by Ercol.  Images from www.ercol.com.

Loop Modular Table & Shelving

Very, very cool modular shelving system prototype by Coco Flip.  I love anything that can be used in multiple ways and changed around to suit our changing needs.  

Photos by Jackson Eaton, from www.cocoflip.com.au.  Here's the product description from their site:

Loop is a modular table & shelving system that celebrates isolated lanscapes and spaces in-between. Sitting somewhere between furniture and sculpture, the pieces are designed to interlock in a number of formations, engaging the user and adapting to the environment.

Sourcing: Pendant Lighting

Coco Pendant fixtures by Coco Flip are like the lighting equivalent of chocolate dipped strawberries.  

The Stealth pendant by AAREVALO is like an unfolded origami shape that lets the light peek out from within.

Instant Attraction: Craftsman Bungalow by Nickey Kehoe

This beautiful overhaul of the interior of a Craftsman bungalow in Venice, CA by Nickey Kehoe was featured in the February 2012 issue of House Beautiful.  The designers began by brightening up the interiors with white paint, which neutralized the Craftsman architecture.  They highlighted ceiling beams and mouldings with black paint and grounded the rooms with deep brown black wood floors, then added a beautiful selection of furniture and textiles.  I love the the black, white, and muted neutral palette with pops of the right colors.  

House Beautiful has posted a video showing before an after shots of this project so you can see just how incredible the transformation was.

Photos by Amy Neunsinger, scanned from House Beautiful.  More photos of this project after the jump.

Wolfum

Love these coyote bookends and everything else by Wolfum.  Below: a screenshot of their selection of coasters.

Stuff I Found While Looking for Florals

While I was trolling the web for acceptable florals I found a bunch of other cool wallpapers.  The one shown above is Mountain Majesty by Flavor Paper, designed by Boone Speed.  The rest after the jump.

Florals That Won't Make Your Eyes Bleed

Malvasia by Rubelli.  Stamped velvet.  Shown in Morandi.  Image from www.rubelli.com.

If you're like me, the thought of florals can give you hives.  Remedy that with this selection of highly likeable floral wallpapers and textiles.  I think the key with florals is to either keep them unrealistic in some way (for example by abstractly painting them or playing with scale, color, or repeat) or to portray them hyper-realistically, with almost scientific detail.

See more examples of successful florals after the jump.

Good Idea: Killer Lighting by iCrave

Super, super cool lighting system designed by ICRAVE for Carte Blanche at the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking district.  Here's what the designers have to say about it:

Leather cables – gathered on some nights and hanging loose on others – create a seductive filter for the building, reminding guests that they are in a distinctly branded environment but part of a larger hotel beyond. The counterweight at the end of each cable is a custom glazed ceramic light fixture finished in bronze and handcrafted by a local potter.

Images and text from www.icrave.com. 

Good Idea: Staggered and Stepped Wall Panelling

Love this staggered and stepped horizontal wood wall panelling.  Image scanned from Living Etc January 2012.

Graphic Patterned Textiles

I love the mix of black and white graphic patterns on the textiles in this bedroom.  The bright and white bedspread, window and window treatments sit nicely on the dark background provided by the wallpaper and carpet, and the bright red and fuchsia pillows add a nice shock of color.

Image scanned from Living Etc January 2012.

Instant Attraction: Anthropologie Reading Nook

Saw this image in the Anthro catalog and thought I could definitely spend a few hours sitting in that corner.  It also made me want to listen to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors.

Image from Anthropologie.com

Good Idea: Photo Explosion

I love this image, but I'm not sure whether it's something I could stick with for a long time.  It works though, because all of the photos and postcards are roughly the same size.  That keeps it from looking cluttered and messy.

Photo scanned from Living Etc January 2012.

Good Ideas: Gift Wrapping

A couple of good ideas for gift wrapping from Living Etc January 2012.  Images scanned from the magazine.

Left: I like the idea of stringing letter beads and wrapping them around packages rather than using sticker labels.

Right:  Fabric as gift wrap.  You could use it year after year for a more eco-friendly option than paper, or wrap a birthday gift in a scarf that becomes part of the gift.

Sourcing: CB2 Standouts

Dylan Dining Table:  I love the simple materials used to create this dining table (shesham wood planks, powdercoated, sandblasted iron) and the graphic look of the base.  A nice departure from a standard vertical leg, but still simple and easy on the eye.

After the jump, a roundup of more furniture, fixtures and accessories that stood out to me while flipping through the latest CB2 catalog.  All photos from www.CB2.com.

New Portfolio Site!

I've finally completed my online portfolio!  After a couple weeks of perfecting my files and hacking away at Blogger I now have a page that is clean, simple, and displays my work the way I want it displayed.  It can be found at www.laurenstanleyportfolio.blogspot.com.  Please stop by and have a look!