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

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.

HER OUTDOOR DINING ROOM

As Rachel Zoe says, "Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak". I love picking up on my client's personal style. A good designer should be able to have an idea of what a client likes before they can even explain what they like. 
I met with one client regarding a work space; it was a brief introductory meeting but I had a good idea of what direction I was going to go before I walked out the door. He wore a soft vintage American motor t-shirt with clean, well fitting jeans. He leaned back comfortably in his chair and spoke very knowledgeably about his business and the commercial property he owns. He swore casually and used a lot of funny analogies regarding relationships with women. From this first impression I knew he wanted an inspiring and humors place of business and I worked off a concept of Apple meets dive bar. Vintage neon signs, quality and eclectic artwork, simple industrial materials- all within a budget that made sense in relationship to the property's value. To say the least he was very surprised how far I was able to go based off of a first impression and I got the job.

As I sift through Tumblr and Pinterest for inspiration, I especially enjoy the fashion photos. I had the idea to pick a picture I was drawn to and to try imaging the client behind the photo. This pretty girl below has a casual and cheerful style. In my imagination she's girly, a little nerdy at heart and cares about the environment. That's why I pulled together a solar powered outdoor dining room for her. The color pallet is directly related to her outfit, the subtle geometric patterns blend well with the ruffly solar lanterns and humorous brass corkscrew. Our beautiful blonde and her study buddies can gather around the farm table for late night conversation over a couple bottles of organic wine.

her look is from Nordstrom

1. Solar Birdhouse from oooms

2. Stackable Acrylic Wine Glasses from Crate & Barrel

3. Brass Muse Bottle Opener from Jonathan Adler

4. Farm Table from Seabrook Classics

5. Surya Rain Area Rug from Rug Studio

6. Soji Solar Lantern from SFMOMA

7. Hot Mesh Chair from Blu Dot

8. Rope Ice Bucket from Haus Interior

9. Cross Dye Napkin Set from West Elm