A Tiger (or Zebra for that Matter!) does change his Stripes.

A zebra clad hallway in decorator Ashley Whittaker's New York City apartment. Notice the transition from wow to calm waters. From Domino's April 07 article and photo courtesy of Peak of Chic
The adorable decorator Miles Redd in his New York City Townhouse. Photo from New York Social Diary


Do you have a love/hate relationship with animal skin treatments? They tread so close to tacky waters! But when it is done right, it is so chic and refreshing. Just a few loves in my file. The Rose Cummings paper above is just so gorgeous in a crisp blue. Such an unusual, fun approach to zebra. And Miles Redd paired classic zebra on the doors to his red and pink living room. I can just imagine pitching this to a client and seeing them cringe, but look it works!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't wait for turkey! Please have a wonderful day with all your friends and family and I"ll see you next week.

Fresh approach to Children's Bedrooms

I'm excited to have the opportunity to re-do my 18 mon. old daughter Georgia's bedroom over in our new house. Thumbing through some favorite saves, I thought I might post some fresh approaches to the traditional child's room or nursery. I love soft palettes mixed with sophisticated, "grown-up" fabrics. The built-in bed in a rich blue offers simple lines, but still inspirational for a young boy or girl. And I love the chicken wire on one of the cabinets! And notice the sophisticated nature of the zebra fabric on the twin headboards, but the mix of a playful fabric on the drapes brings it back down to a child's level of fun. It's the master of the mix!

David Netto, a children's furniture designer (and ex-husband to Ionie Sky) stated recently that people often feel they need to "dumb down" the furnishing in their kid's bedrooms, which simply isn't true. It's often a much more successful outcome in my opinion if you mix in traditional pieces with whimsical accessories. Skip the plastic, in everything for that matter!

Getting In the Mood

Ok, I know its a tad early for Christmas posts, but since I have a retail shop I need to start getting in the mood! I loved this article from last year's Cottage Living about Style Editor Heather Chadduck's 1930's bungalow in Birmingham Alabama. I was renovating our current home when I read this article, and it inspired me to do a chalkboard in our kitchen. I still love it. And now that we are getting ready for a new house (yes, we're vagabonds), I still plan on giving the new house that useful touch in the Mud Room. I loved Heather's whimsical touch to holiday decorating. She didn't have quite enough room for a tree inside, so instead opted for a porch placement. I just loved the big numbers on her tree. And I really liked the brown and blue treatment in the bedroom, just so PRETTY. That's ok to do now, ya know?

Felt fantastic!

Sorry for the felt kick, but I just am crazy for the hair clips for babies and toddlers. I can't wait to get these "Days of the Week" clips in this week at House & Life. They are darling and don't fall out to boot! I wish my mom had access to these. I had at least 10 years of bad hair days as a kid.

Little Uni tees

Little Uni tees make for an adorable new baby or toddler gift. I just love the playful animal shapes with the ability to customize with a name! I'm ordering my Gigi the chocolate brown with the pink elephant. This Chicago based business owned by two girlfriends seems to be gaining popularity. I know my friend Tricia will probably online ordering as soon as this post goes up. We always love the same baby clothes.

Anne Coyle

Ever since Chicago area designer Anne Coyle turned up in O at Home, I have been taken by her comfortable, colorful approach to decorating. She often treats unexpected colors as neutrals, such as lavender and orange.

I fell in love with Lulu DK fabrics at at the Kip's Bay Show house when I saw their iconic "Chant" for the first time on a roman shade, and Anne only reinforced my passion for it when she used in in her client and friend's dining and living room. I am so excited to be using Lulu DK's fabrics in my friend Kathy's gorgeous living room re-do. I hope she'll let me post some pics!

The last picture is from Cottage Living's 2006 Idea house, in which Anne did a beautiful job mixing soft colors with interesting metals.

(images are from Style Court post, originally from Cottage Living, and O at Home magazines)