Friday, September 28, 2012

I SPY SOMETHING: AMETHYST

In last Friday's 'I spy somthing: Plaid' post I mentioned that the colors to look for this fall are jewel tones. It's a big step away from the summers bright and cheerful colors like aqua, coral and anything neon. Garnet, Amethyst, Emerald and Topaz are deep and moody colors and they remind me of royalty. I send you off this weekend with an Amethyst color board to get you in the mood for some weekend window shopping! 


1. Hair Color Trends for Fall
2. Double Connected Amethyst Slice Necklace by Jennijewel
3. Dashes Knit Blazer from Anthropologie
4. Amethyst Soap Rock from Furbish
5. Pantone Universe Jewel Lacquer for Sephora 
6. Amethyst Concetto Slab by CeasarStone
7. Diamond Sideboard from My Home Sweet Home
8. Etage Handmade Rug from Studio Bijoux

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

GROWN UP TENTS

While playing around on Pinterest I came across the sweetest teepee! It got me a little sidetracked and I found a few more indoor tents that I thought were worth sharing. What a fun way to mix things up around the house for kids and adults alike. 


1. Indoor TeePee via Ali Schulz
2. Moroccan Tent via Liz Parke
3. Library Tent via Jessica Nguyen
4. Shabby Chic Tent via Pei

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

SPOTLIGHT ON: WSAKE

I love this company's story, WSAKE is a father-daughter run company in Regensburg, Germany. They design jewelry and beautiful little plant accessories. The father Waldemar Artmann has been a silversmith for over 50 years and he creates all his designs by hand. His daughter became a graphic designer and jewelry designer in 2009. With Waldemar's extensive experience and his daughter's fresh eyes, they've been creating beautiful and delicate works of art. I especially love their Plant Jewels; a collection of handmade spikes that add a bit of glitz and personality to your potted plants or bouquettes. They are made out of silver, copper and brass with unique materials like ostrich egg shell, porcupine needles, wild hog tooth, mountain crystals, pebbles, amethyst and more. They are so unusual and beautiful, I especially love the porcupine needles! 






WSAKE also makes a product called the Can Vase. It's a brass vase with interchangeable tops that help shape your flower arrangement. It comes in two different sizes and you can order the caps individually. 



You should definitely make a stop at WSAKE's website to see their full collection of jewelry. I singled out a few of my favorites below. Their style is very simple and minimal, making them a perfect source for everyday pieces.








Monday, September 24, 2012

10 COOL CAMERA ACCESSORIES

I recently bought my first big girl camera so I could take a shot at photographing my own portfolio images. I got an Olympus SLR, along with a bad ass wide-angle lens for interior photos. Learning how to use my new toy has been fun and I've been itching to customize it with fun accessories and lenses. It's amazing how many strap, bag and cases there are out there, as well as filters and gadgets to create different effects. Check out my top 10 camera accessories below.  I really like the color filters; I have some acrylic samples in my office that would probably have the same effect.


1. Camera Straps by Bloom Theory from $90. to $130.
2. Color Lens and Flash Filter from Photojojo from $15.
3. The Brooklyn Shoulder Bag by ONA for $309.
4. Joby GorillaPod for $28.07
5. Padded Camera Bag by Watermelon Wishes for $68.00


6. Camera Bag by MariForssell for $125
7. Lens Cap Case from Acru
8. Dreamer Camera Strap from Mochithings for $33.95
9. Rocket Air Blaster from Giottos for $10.33
10. SLR Pinhole Lens from Photojojo for $50.

Friday, September 21, 2012

I SPY SOMETHING: PLAID

Today I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season and it's got me in a Fall kind of mood. Fall is my favorite season; I love sweaters, boots, scarves and PLAID. This year the big colors for Fall and Winter are going to be jew tones- think Ruby, Emerald, Amethyst, and Topaz. These deep and decadent colors are starting to pop up in fashion and interior accessories, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite fall plaid products with you. I have to say the coolest of the bunch is the close up photograph, Plaid Shirt No 4. This deep wood mounted print is by Justin Belmont, each print is signed and numbered. 


1. PlaidBench by Raw-Edges Design Studio for Dilmos Milano
2. Medium Camera Messenger Bag by Stash
3. Plaid Shirt 4 by Justin Belmont from Not A Gallery
4. Plaid a Line Dress from ModCloth
5. Donegal Chair by Crate and Barrel
6. Maharam DWR Pillow in Paul Smith's Exaggerated Plaid

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

HER IMAGINARY FLORAL OFFICE

This week I created a home office for the girl in this picture below. I like that her style is feminine with a bit of edge and sass. The outfit looks casual and put together, the tailored shirt is softened by the girly floral pattern and the whole look is dressed up by the addition of the black leather clutch. I think that this girl is a hard worker, living in a metropolitan area- maybe a magazine editor or a journalist. I wanted to create an office for her, something that would represent her as a fearless, creative female business person. I gave her a bold palette based on her outfit; the furniture is a mix of timeless classics and high end contemporary pieces. The office represents her with feminine style, bold colors and modern designs.

Her look is from J. Crew

1. Flora English Garden Wallpaper
2. Marnie Tangerine Table Lamp
3. Eames Soft Pad Management Chair
4. Inner Layers Print
5. AJ Floor Lamp
6. Pure Cabinet System
7. Harlow Desk
8. Cartuccia Waste Basket
9. Prism Pastels Rug
10. Sissinghurst Castle Mug
11. Powell Gold Leaf Side Table
12. Catifa 80 Lounge Chair

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

FARM CHIC WEDDING

Last weekend I went to my best friends wedding in Kentuky. It was so beautiful, unique and romantic. The couple, Drew and Kelly, are both artists and Kelly is also an interior designer. With all that talent, along with the help of two crafty families, they dove in head first with DIY projects to make this wedding original and personal. The ceremony was held outside a huge red barn with corn fields and llamas in the background. The couple was married under the umbrella of a big tree. They hung a chandelier from a branch to create a backdrop and the seats curved in a semi-circle facing the trunk. The grooms men wore bow ties and suspenders and the bridesmaids picked their own dresses in different shade of nude. The bride wore a beautiful fitted gown with customized touches like a handmade sash and cap sleeves. The reception was inside the barn, under twinkling lights and vintage chandeliers. The groom painted an American Gothic inspired portrait and asked their guests to sign the matte board. Instead of place cards at the door, they filled a farm cart with mini canvases and easels with handwritten name tags; on each table there were painting supplies for us to play with. They danced to a sweet and slow live version of "Home" by Edward Sharp and The Magnetic Zeros. The whole night was magical and I'm so impressed with all the handmade details that contributed to look and feel of the event. 



Kelly and Drew let me contribute to the look of the wedding as well. I made the garland you see below out of fabric scraps, lace and white Christmas lights. I also got to make all the flower arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres. Kelly wanted the flowers to be soft and natural, like something you'd pick from a garden. I had so much fun chipping in and I can't wait to see the professional pictures! 



Monday, September 17, 2012

SPOTLIGHT ON: LIGHTBOYS

Lightboys is a company that makes large scale, quality LED backlit photographs. The company was created by Designer and Craftsman, Jirko Bannas, and Creative Director and photo-book publisher, Oliver Seltmann. They are based out of Hamburg, Germany and the photographs from their online gallery are from Internationally known photographers.
I looked into Lightboys for a project once, I think their product Polaboy is so freaking cool and versatile. You can choose from their online photo gallery full of beautiful professional photos that have an eerie vintage vibe going on or you can send in your own Polaroid. I was plesantly surprised with their prices for custom piece (to get pricing information contact Lightboys via email). I think this would be a great way to add some ambient lighting to a large space, it would be a creative way to share a family photo or a wedding picture. I could see one above my fireplace!


Polaboy


Another product by Lightboys is the Lightwall. By using the highest quality of LED light panels and photography enlargement, Lightboys are able to create this flat and evenly lit photo panel. I would love to use this product in a bar or retail space!

Lightwalls


The Roof Top Lights is similar to the Lightwall in technonlogy. This photo panel and lighting system is light weight and ultra-thin so it mounts to a ceiling easily.

Roof Top Lights

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

BOOKSHELF PORN

I came across a really cool blog that is completely devoted to the storage of books called Bookshelf Porn. It's a great site for inspiration; not just in storage design but also in the "Now I want to curl up with a good book" kind of way. I love using books in design, they add color, depth and personality, also you can never have to many of them. My house is full of books: from The Twilight Series to the Romantic Classics, giant art books to my husbands physics books. They are all beautiful and they all deserve a good home. Check out some great storage ideas below from Bookshelf Porn.


all photos via Bookshelf Porn

Monday, September 10, 2012

10 COOL WRITING DESKS

Today I am sharing a bunch of really cool writing desks with you. A writing desk is perfect for a small apartment, an area to work in your bedroom or as a place to keep your mail in an entry or living room. They are typically narrow so they can fit in tight spaces. They have just enough storage for some pens, paper and chargers and surface space for a laptop or stack of your favorite books. No matter your taste, there is a writing desk out there for you. Check out some of my favorites below.

1.Basis Desk from Room and Board for $1,299.00
2. Deskbox by Raw Edges for Arco via Dezeen
3. Big Boss by Piergil Fourquie
4. Isala from Ikea for $199.00
5. Cornell Desk from Made.com for $249.00

6. Yves Writing Desk by Pinch
7. Wallflower Walloffice by Jonas & Jonas Design
8. Cappellini Riga Desk by Marc Newson at Unica for $8,788.00
9. Desk 51 from Blu Dot for $699.00
10. Odyssey Writing Desk from Graham and Green for $595.00

Thursday, September 6, 2012

HER IMAGINARY DREAMY BEDROOM

As a last ditch effort to hold on to sunny summer fashion, I'm loving this fashion girl for her bright summer pallet used in a long sleeve sweater look. The mix between aqua and powder pink is feminine and comfotable. The ankle length jeans with a collared shirt and sweater suggests to me that this girl is out on a crisp September afternoon- people watching and window shopping. Her style is inviting and delicate; she likes to watch the world and learn new things. Her dreamy bedroom is somewhere she can come home to and record the stories and memories of her life. The room is a blend of styles that stem from Mid-century glam that she's incorporated layers of personal objects and comforting textures.


Inspiration Girl

1. Circle Jig Mirror
2. Dandelion in a Jar 
3. Links Printed Roman Shade
4. Vintage Nystrom Globe
5. Worlds Away Phillip Glass Desk
6. Octavia Headboard
7. Large 12 Arm Brass Light
8. SMOK Chair
9. Seeded Glass Table Lamp
10. Georgina Bedding 
11. Zigzag Rug
12. Hans Pedestal Side Table
13. Dresser with Chrome Detail

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

SEPTEMBER OBSESSIONS

Oh September- last of the beautiful summer weather, back to school in my neighborhood, is wool plaid expectable yet?Here are some cool things that I am obsessed with right now; in this set I can say I have no ultimate favorites. 

A. Azature Fine Chocolates

B. Chloe Chair from Crate and Barrel- I am so impressed with some of the new forms and textiles coming out of Crate and Barrel's factory. This chair in particular is so cool, it's hard to believe where it came from!

C. Autumnal Library Necklace by Peg and Awl- This necklace comes in other styles, including individual hand made books.

D. "Live a Lot" typeface by Ten Dollar Fonts- I am definetly obsessed with this company! They sell beautiful and unique sets of typeface all for, you guessed it, $10.00

E. Lappljung Ruta Rug from Ikea- This rug is beautiful in person and it also comes in black and white; it's a low-pile surface and it sells for $69.99! Ikea has a really cool on trend textile line currently.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

BACK TO REALITY

I have to admit it, I'm still on vacation mode after my trip to NY and a long weekend. I had such a great time in the city with my Mother In-law Mariette; who is a travel agent. Usually when I go to New York run around trying to find new stores and galleries and inspiring new hotels and restaurants. This trip was fun because Mariette was interested in checking out a lot of the traditional Manhattan sites for her clients. It was also a great opportunity to play with my shinny new camera!




MAD- Museum of Design 
9/11 Memorial
Top Of The Rock @ Rockefeller Center (Radiance Wall by Swarovski Crystal)
MOMA- Museum of Modern Art
The Clipper City Tall Ship 
Radio City Music Hall
The Highline
Chelsea Market
The Maritime Hotel

About Me

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As a lover of all things creative, I've created this blog to inspire and admire crazy good design. I own Kayte Designs, a small interior design firm with a focus in Hospitality, Residential and Office Design. We are based out of Atlanta, GA.

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