Fabulous Fabric Fridays...Maine Cottage...

Loving these blue and green fabrics...I'd love the Hotty Dotty's on any piece of furniture! I love the whimsical names and the 'beachy' feeling, especially the linen fabric...

Porch Fern Leibowitz (outdoor fabric)...

Porch/China Bloom Summer Blue...

Sea Pure Linen...

Sprout/Milk Hotty Dotty...

Porch on Bluebell Hotty Dotty...

Have any faves? what furniture would you put any of these on? in what room?

(images Maine Cottage)

The Green Scene...healthy lighting...

Thought I'd include some interesting lighting for this week's 'Green Scene'...

I like this idea...anti-bug lights - especially with spring and summer right 'round the corner...the bulb is energy efficient and only $14.00...

This is different..."clinically proven light therapy to restore your body's natural sleep patterns" - would you try this? turn it on 30-60 minutes before bed and it will help you fall asleep faster...hmmm...

Last but not least, is light therapy. I know this is popular in Scandinavia - this is the "HappyLite Deluxe Light Bath" and will give you the 'relief only sunlight can bring.' For jet lag, rainy days and shift work. Have you tried this? I wonder if it really works?

For more information on all these products, visit http://www.gaiam.com

(images via gaiam.com)

Jonathan Adler revisited...

I can't resist...I absolutely loved this House Beautiful pictorial of fashion designer Liz Lange's Westchester, NY house designed by her very good friend Jonathan Adler...I know its circulated around the internet, but I really like his color combinations, especially the turquoise and yellow and the zig-zag rug...

Which pic is your favorite??

(images by Ngoc Minh Ngo)

Black & White...

  I have been obsessed with black and white this spring and have purchased several pieces...various tops and dresses...Tommy Hilfiger shirt...

Proenza Schouler animal print dress (image by Dan & Corinna Lecca)

Donna Karan suit (image by Dan & Corinna Lecca)

Do you have a favorite color combo right now that you can't resist??

Fabulous Fabric Fridays...new series...

Welcome to Designers Guild! I love these fabrics and can only dream about these in any room in the home!

Beautiful blues...Hoxton...

Pinks - Primrose Hill Peony...

Greens - Monplaisir (love the name!)...

Floral with soft colors - Fairfax Sage...

For more divine fabrics, visit http://www.designersguild.com -

(images courtesy designersguild.com)

The Green Scene...EcoTV's...

I want to share with you easy things to do around the house that are green and eco-conscious...I'm not trying to 'preach' or say you must do this etc., but just some ideas...so, I bought a new HDTV and was surprised to see that it touts itself as "35% more energy efficient" and is called the "EcoTV" - I thought that was pretty cool...

So, if you're in the market and want to save just a wee bit of electricity...buy a TV!!!

Bought any TV's lately??

(image by Sarah for Monaco Interiors)

Architectural inspiration...

As Queen Elizabeth is turning 84 today, I thought I would post some shots of Windsor Castle, Eton College and St. Paul's Cathedral from a trip to the UK in 2005 (I think...)...

Above, Eton College...

Windsor Castle...

Another shot of Windsor Castle...

St. Paul's Cathedral...

St. Paul's Cathedral...with the dome...

Hope you are having a wonderful day and enjoy these photos...looking forward to my next trip (aiming for spring 2011...) I think I posted some of these early on when I started this blog last summer.

(images by Sarah)

Spring fever...

Inspired by the many bloggers out there who change up their decor regularly, it got me motivated to switch up my decor yesterday (hence, the spring fever!). I was tired of the color scheme and went "shopping" for my own stuff in storage! I changed rugs, paintings, pillows, a lampshade, curtains and tables. I had such fun doing it! I will also be moving house in August and will get to do a whole new scheme in a new home! I can't wait. So here is the finished product, the last photo is the old scheme heavy with reds and yellows. For the new look with new colors, I added my grandmother's blue 1920's Art Deco rug. I wanted the room to be lighter and prettier with blues, yellows and whites with just a little bit of red.

The 'new' (antique) rug above and the yellow pillows...

The new lampshade on the left (used to be a dark floral) and the art above the sofa with mostly pale blues...gone are the red and yellow art deco posters...

My painted yellow table (I painted it last summer) used to be over with the red chair, colorful leather poufe, IKEA chair and new silver lamp...

Another shot of the rug with the red chair in the foreground...

The previous decor with colorful rug, art deco posters, red pillows and dark lampshade. You can't see the leopard print curtains, which were darker as well. I've switched those out to a light cream color - much brighter now!

There is another rug you can't see that is sisal - much lighter than the other red rug that was there. The whole room feels redone, lighter and brighter and just has a different 'feel' to it. I moved the rug above to my bedroom and it looks great. I may still replace both lampshades and buy some new pillows for the sofa. Do you get tired of your decor and change it up regularly? I highly recommend it! If you do make changes, what are they?

(images by Sarah for Monaco Interiors)

Marbles...

These are some photos I took recently of marbles...I like the colors and the way the light was shining on them so I started snapping...

I think they look rather interesting...I love them grouped together and separately with just the blues and greens...which colors do you like?

(images by Sarah for Monaco Interiors)

Fabulous Fabric Fridays...new series...

Every week I will be introducing or writing about fabulous fabrics...one of my favorite elements in design. I love, love, love fabrics and usually start a room scheme based on a fabric or colors in a fabric. Feast the eyes on these gorgeous fabrics from 'Inhabit.' These are new "bamboo-organic cotton fabric blends..." Following my other new series 'The Green Scene' this material will fit right into the eco-conscious home.

 How cool are these pillows with classic chairs?? love it!

 My all time favorite chair, the Barcelona...I may have to buy this one...:)

 The above is the front page of the company website - it is gorgeous and easy to navigate...

 The bedding above is so serene with a great graphic pattern called 'Rhythm in Sky"

 This bedding is simply called 'Plus' - I love the way it looks...

 Beautiful pillows with lovely color mixes and patterns ("Carnival in Cornflower)

Another graphic pillow with green and white..."Faux Houndstooth in Grass"

For pricing and more fun...please visit their website: http://www.inhabitliving.com/

There is so much more to see and I think you will be looking around this site for awhile. What I love about this company is that the fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified and they say bamboo is "naturally antibacterial, cleans the air, breathes to manage body temperature and is two to three times softer than equal-thread-count cotton fabrics." Fabulous...

Which color combo do you like? which would you prefer? the pillows or the sheets? Happy surfing!


(images courtesy of http://www.inhabitliving.com/ )

The Green Scene...new weekly series...

Welcome to my new weekly series, 'The Green Scene' focusing on products that are eco-friendly, green and of course, for the home. I know a lot is being written about this and 'Lonny' magazine just did a spread, but I don't see a lot written on blogs so I thought this would make a great weekly series.

I am very interested in learning about how to incorporate 'green' products and accessories into the home whether large or small. The series will highlight different products and tips you can use at an affordable price. I will also feature books, designers and stores that carry all these products.

So, to kick this off I am starting small and that goes for the room I've chosen as well! the bathroom - there is not a lot out there for the bathroom other than the obvious things like towels or showerheads, so I chose a couple of products I think are off the beaten track. First up is a wonderful little bathmat that is an absolute necessity in my book...this little beauty is made of cork and is anti fungal! what more can you ask?  It dries quickly, is non-slip and is sustainably harvested.  Small and large sizes are $24 and $42 respectively at http://www.gaiam.com/ -

The second item is a great addition to the bathroom to hang your organic towels on! this is a bamboo bath ladder that is sealed with a moisture-resistant finish, is crafted by a fair trade group and sustainably-grown.  It is also a great magazine rack. This will cost $60 at http://www.gaiam.com/. These are both chic, affordable and a great addition to your 'green' bathroom.

I hope you enjoy this series as much I enjoy doing the research for the posts! Thanks for joining me here, I love sharing the information!

(images courtesy of http://www.gaiam.com/ )

Rafael de Cardenas...more design inspiration...

When I first saw this designer featured in the October 2008 Elle Decor, I couldn't believe how beautiful purple could look. Never my favorite color, that all changed upon viewing this gorgeous apartment in New York. I was blown away by the colors, mid-century modern furniture, vintage wallpaper and unusual accessories. I studied the pictures for every detail. Take a look at these photos and tell me which one is your favorite!


Vintage wallpaper and a 60's vintage Italian lamp above...

The living room features a vintage sofa found on eBay, vintage '50's armchairs with Donghia fabric, vintage lucite and glass coffee table (LOVE!) and a '50's floor lamp. What a wonderful mix of fabrics in here too.

More vintage wallpaper and chaise and a stool by Marcel Wanders for Kartell.

For me, the foyer sets the tone of the apartment with the designer's own mural, a Dorothy Draper lamp and mid-century side table. The chair is circa 1940's. Look at that fabric!

For something completely different as far as color goes, the master bedroom features more vintage wallpaper from Secondhand Rose in New York, a vintage Florence Knoll bench and quilts from Calypso Home.

Do you like purple in a scheme? Do you like the way the designer used wallpaper?

(images by Roger Davies in Elle Decor, October 2008)