Z Gallerie - Plaza Coasters - Set of 4

Z Gallerie - Plaza Coasters - Set of 4

I really want to get these and frame them for my living room.

Pretty lights

100_1034, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

I did wind up purchasing the Skina Lighting chain mentioned in this post. I also got the hanging bucket, as a matter of fact.

Breakfast on the deck

Breakfast on the deck, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

This is a perfect way to start the morning. Unfortunately, not long after this photo it started to lightly rain, so I had to retreat back inside.

Can i say how much I love that flower arrangement? It's amazing what you can do with grocery store bouquets.

Deck lights

100_0751, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

All lit up at night! I LOVE my deck so far. I also got a big girl grill (still a charcoal grill, but it isn't a travel one, and it has an ash catcher, too!). SO excited for this summer.

I really need to go to Ikea

Lots of interesting things in their new summer collection.

Salvia Hanging Planter

I've installed a plant hook outside, so I'd like to make use of it with a large planter filled with flowers or a cherry tomato plant.

Skina Lighting Chain
Yellow

Pretty. Nice that it uses a battery - could weave them around the deck banister or on the table.

Grenö Bolster Cushion
Yellow
(Also a regular cushion in this pattern)

These would be a nice accent on my wooden bench if I can't find a yellow bench cushion.

Sommar Hanging Tealight Holder
Yellow

These are adorable, though I don't know if I could really use them on my deck.

Asian theme Plaques

A while back I mentioned I had a couple wall plaques with an Asian/Art Deco theme, and here are the pictures I promised. Still not sure what I want to do with them.

On deck

I took some photos of my deck as it is currently, and includes the lights I recently purchased.

I put the fun lights up! Can't wait to see them in the dark.

My two deck chairs and bench. I want to get a yellow cushion for the bench, but I'm having trouble finding one.

Targeted

Today's Target Haul
Lovely yellow platter to coordinate with my deck; lovely Dwell for Target placemats for my turquoise kitchen (not shown, matching dishtowels); in the back, the box for the Smith & Hawken Cafe Lights, below.
Also in the photo are some paper napkins I picked up some other time, and a container of straws from Ikea.

Mulling over the bathroom

I'm not sure why more companies don't make towels that are bold, fun prints. Solid color towels are so blah. I'm looking for towels to make that big pop of color in my tiny tiny bathroom. Think back to vintage towels - those things were amazing! Great patterns, great colors. I have a YSL set (from my parents), that are the most gorgeous deep navy and deep green geometric print. My goal is to have a 90% neutral bathroom, with the towels being the colorful/patterned pop.

Some ideas:

Nora Print
Pottery Barn
I have to admit, I do love this print - the coloring and everything.

Castle Grounds Print
Anthropologie
Nice towels... but I'm not sure if they really wow me.

Contemporary Home Towel Set in Red Jacquard
Target
Not bad.

Deck inspiration, cont.

Smith & Hawken Lantern Lights

Smith & Hawken Cafe Lights - Multicolored

Outdoorsy

So, with the weather getting gradually warmer, thoughts naturally turn to outdoor entertaining.

Last summer I bought a pair of chairs from Target that have a white metal frame and a sunny yellow fabric seat/back. Lovely!

I have a wood bench on the deck, as well, but I need more table space... and then I got distracted by Ikea and its outdoor/garden stuff.

PS Vallo Watering Can
Malaro Outdoor Table
Evert Stool

New sofa? Maybe.

So I suppose I can be as elitist as I want, in terms of wanting to buy quality furniture, but I can't step away from a good deal that is exactly what I want.

Enter the Ikea Karlstad sofa. It's pretty much exactly the style, size, and color I've been looking for in a sofa, and it's $500. Can't beat that. The only question is if I can transport it from the store on my own (if I can get my sister & her van in on it, maybe).

We'll see! I could very well purchase this very soon. At which point I'll have an extra sofa I won't know what to do with.

Wall Decor

So my walls in my living room are rather blank. I took a panoramic photo, and WOW are the walls BORING.

I'll try to post the panorama, later - it's not exactly the most neat version, but it's not too bad.

First off, I have two matching pieces of wall-art, made out of some plaster- or ceramic-like material, asian and deco inspired, from the 80s. From what I can tell, there was a bit of an Art Deco revival in the 80s, although it was done with all the 80s panache that you would expect. I got these from my Mom, and only recently rediscovered them, rather on accident. The only downside is that these things are SUPER heavy.

Need to post measurements and pictures of these items, later.

Next, I've been looking for prints that coordinate more with the green/deco theme...

"Flock Print" by Heather Amuny-Dey
Velocity Art and Design

"Soleil Toute L'Année" by Roger Broders
AllPosters.com

"Villefranche" by Roger Broders
AllPosters.com

"Cote d'Azur" by Jean-Gabriel Domergue
AllPosters.com

Also, I must say, that I may actual purchase an "As Seen On TV" product - Hercules Hooks. These seem like a great solution for a rental that more-or-less doesn't want one to use molly brackets.

Really Frustrated

Super Edit: OMG, I FOUND IT! Eleanor Grosch/Push Me Pull You Designs. Randomly found it whilst browsing How About Orange - THANK YOU. (3:03pm 28 Feb 08)

So, I had thought I had bookmarked the website of an artist that does her own screenprints. Her style is angular, stylized animals in bright colors. She is eco-conscious.

I can't find it for the life of me.

Argh.

Note: And, no, it is not Sanna Annuka, though her prints are equally nice.

Edit: Also, I recall that her style was inspired by Charley Harper (2:57pm 28 Feb 08)

New on Site

Added a feed to my green-color-related link posts on del.icio.us in the sidebar.

Computer at home has been out of service, so things are a bit slow, lately

Neutral Kitchen Shelving

Although I really like my kitchen, there really isn't all that much storage space. It's a kitchen/dining area, and the dining half has a small alcove in which I have set up a pseudo-quasi storage area. It's very much hobbled together from random stuff, and I'd like it to look a little more organized and streamlined.

I checked Ikea, and looked at a lot of different solutions. I started first with the cabinetry they made specifically for the kitchen... Unfortunately, I think it would be a bit frustrating and expensive to fit the area with those.

Then, I looked at the Billy shelving, but I really think those are a little too shallow for the needs of the kitchen. Finally, I decided to simply check the Ikea storage line page - and I found the Aspvik office line. I think the sliding door unit and the flipper unit would be perfect because (1) they're deep enough for use in the kitchen, and (2) they could hold electronic kitchen items with ease, since they're meant to hold computer stuff. I also found a Lerberg ladder-type shelf to fill the rest of the space.

Urban Outfitters - Lulu Chair in Leaf Green

Figures — it's been discontinued. No mention at all on their site. GAH, I really need to monitor Urban Outfitters more closely, things disappear so quickly.



I've been distracted by making things pretty. I cannot escape my designerism.

Not forgotten, just busy.

I have several things that I'm working on or compiling together...

• A mock-up of my wingback chairs in a new fabric and some explanation
• A round up of various decorative papers that might be nice to use as design elements somewhere
• A similar round up of fabrics
• More furniture to ogle

I need to do some cleaning (I have yet to put my Christmas things in their boxes ... must get done this weekend) and then I'd like to post some photos of the spaces in question for reference.

A break for fashion

O Target, how you tempt me!

I popped into the local Target last night to pick up some heat wraps (threw my back out moving furniture on Saturday - fun fun).

It seems as though Target has put out a lot of green items for the Spring season (as you might imagine). As I'm on my super-green-kick right now, I could barely resist.

I did find some clearance items—

Merona® 3/4 Sleeve Chest Pocket Dress in Green/Black Weave Print
I tried it on, and I think I'd prefer it with a wide black belt/sash at the waist. So we'll see.

Merona® Drop-Waist Skirt in Green Leaf Print
This is a lot brighter in person. I'd love to use a fabric like this (it's a canvas-like material) on an ottoman. Although it's showing regular price on the website, I got in on clearance in my store.

There was also something I didn't get, though I may go back with one of my Christmas gift cards...

Merona® Printed Trench Coat - Green/Gray
Obviously Merona® has some great green things going on right now. This coat is divine... I'd love to cover an ottomon in this fabric, too. I managed not to buy it since it was full price, but... I do want it.

A little background

In the midst of all this, I figure I should offer some background for my inspiration.

I've always been fascinated by and drawn to color (and sparkles) and sumptuous textures. When clothes shopping (even out as a young girl with my Mom) I would immediately pick out all the garish, brightly colored, clothes (bonus points if it had sparkly sequins or beads). A shiny satin would never be left alone — I had to touch it, to experience the fabric. Brightly colored satin always seemed like liquid jewels.

Now, my more reserved sense of style tends to prevent the most garish of clothing from being purchased, but I am none-the-less drawn to it. No whimpy pastels for me, either - I like my color fully saturated.

As my tastes have matured, I've been able to balance my love of color and texture with classic lines and styling to prevent it from being overwhelming. As I've learned more about myself (through the inevitable painful times that allow one to grow and develop), I've found my colorful wardrobe expanding. What used to be a closet full of blacks, browns, and blues (albeit, bright blues... the only bright color I really allowed myself), is now one that is becoming a veritable rainbow. I think this says a lot about how comfortable I am with... who I am, now.

In any case, obviously I am a huge fan of color. I recall ever since reading Mask of the Red Death wanting to decorate rooms by specific colors and palettes—

To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange -- the fifth with white -- the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet -- a deep blood color.

Of course, nothing quite that garish or extreme, but the idea has stayed with me. It evolved first with my bedroom - I have an assortment of beach- and tropical- themed items, and I wanted to use them in my bedroom to create a space of peace and tranquility (alas, this is often broken by the clutter I'm trying to dispose of). I chose a lovely theme of light aquas and browns to evoke the feeling, and augment it a bit with a lovely old world theme (a bit colonial carribean?).

The next inspiration was my kitchen. It all began with the Carribbean Blue colorway of Le Creuset. It simply enamored me - I loved that color. Knowing that turquoise was popular in the 50s as a kitchen color, I began looking into retro kitchenware and gadgets that would follow this theme... As time has gone by, it's evolved more into a main splash of turquoise accented by citrus, all set against my (white, white, white) kitchen. (I should post a photo of my kitchen just so you can see how... white... it is. This probably sparked the severe need for color.)

And, now, my most recent inspiration - my (future) green art deco living room/cocktail room... My living room in my townhouse is really a combination living/dining room area. However, since I don't have an extra dining table (nor really any need for one), it morphed into a piano/sitting area. Since my old roommates moved out, the amount of furniture in there as decreased, and I've been wondering what to do about it... and also wondering what to do about all the liquor and glassware my current roommates and I have - ergo, the cocktail area (perfectly complemented by the piano, I guess).

In any case, the "living" side of the room will be more organic - greens and whites, accented by naturals and a touch of black. The "cocktail" side will be more blacks and whites, with some naturals (piano, hutch). I need to sketch it out to decide for sure, but I think it will help differentiate the two spaces but still not have them contrast in a large way.

My moment of eureka came while I was watching Mystery! on PBS — specifically an Agatha Christie's Miss Marple show, By the Pricking of My Thumbs. Right at the beginning it shows a theme of white and black lattice against a lovely green wall, and I knew at that point what I wanted my living room to be.

Of course, much has evolved and changed as I've been researching and looking into things. I like to add retro elements (such as the '50s in the kitchen and the '20s-'30s in this case) without overwhelming the room with them - I don't want it to seem to contrived or kitchy. Rather, I go for a look that is more natural and more in line with a modern aesthetic.

Z Gallerie - Zoe Table Lamp

1st Dibs - Art Deco Loveseat

For the art deco lines.

1st Dibs - Green High Back Chairs

Something like this could be easily be mimicked with a painted white wooden chair and green cushions for a cheaper alternative.

Modern Throw Pillow | Bubble Pillow | Chiasso

Pop color for the white couch.

Z Gallerie - Water Lily Leaf Bowl

Organic.