Inspiring design...

More retail inspiration from two stores - Jonathan Adler and Anthropologie. Colors and patterns that catch the eye and can easily translate to home design. Nervous or unsure about a color combination? Look to your retail stores in fashion, design, cooking or even stationary to get ideas and confidence about what might work. 

Jonathan Adler 

Anthropologie coasters

(Photos by me)

Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I post a lot more frequently!! 

Have a great weekend -

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Best of MI...Dear Design Diary...Windsor Smith...

This is from January 2011 and I loved this issue of House Beautiful for featuring this gorgeous home of Windsor's.  I love dipping into my archives, of which there is so much to choose from!  I have been blogging for a long time now.  Hope you all have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!


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The last issue of House Beautiful had a couple of standouts for me...I know you love Windsor Smith and I just couldn't help going back to look at a couple of her rooms again and again. Her use of color, texture and fabrics just blend together so well and makes me want to redesign my living room and bedroom following her aesthetic:

The living room features an overall silver and white color scheme with hand painted de Gournay wallpaper that is just lovely. Notice the different textures (coffee table, chandelier, silk pillows) and the navy blue doors in the hallway...I think the white sofas give the room a more relaxed feel, making this space an expert mix of glamorous and casual chic...

Well, Peter Dunham is one big reason I love this room - that is his fabric and wallpaper - 'Samarkand' and I love the bed matching the wall! Note the metal bed, lantern, Moroccan pouf and wicker chair - so stunning! So, Dear Design Diary...make my wish come true and redo my rooms like these please!!!

(images by Victoria Pearson for House Beautiful)

(Interior Design by Windsor Smith)

If you would like your home to reflect your ideas and unique vision, contact me and we can work together to make your dream come true. Please send inquiries to monacointeriors76@yahoo.com - I would love to assist you with any project large or small!

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All about the color...purple...

This is one of my all time favorite designs by New Orleans designer Hal Williamson in House Beautiful and I studied these pictures when I got my issue.  I had never thought about the color purple much before this article, but, he uses these muted tones so well that I fell in love with the color.  I would especially love to use Martha Stewart's 'Shantung' (for Sherwin Williams) if its still available.  I remember I went out and got samples of this color while I was still in design school and used it in a project.  I love the style of furniture in this house as well as the colors.  

Do you love it or not?  Would you use these muted purple/lavender tones in your home or for a client's house?

Benjamin Moore's 'Driftscape Tan' which reads lavender
Such a gorgeous mix of furniture and materials

You can just spy the iconic Beverly Hills wallpaper
in the kitchen of large banana leaves

Silky curtains and a photo of Ella Fitzgerald in the parlor
Walls are 'Grisaille' by Martha Stewart, another
muted lavender

Martha Stewart's 'Shantung' for Sherwin Williams
Silkscreen of Mahalia Jackson by New Orleans artist
Richard Thomas
Toile  'Louisiana Purchase'

(Article here)

(interior design by Hal Williamson)

(images by John Kernick)

Oh the lucky people who get to live here - 

If you need styling services, please contact me and

I can work with you via email - 

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Sunday in the kitchen...

Care to join me for a scone and some strong Vanilla Spice Chai tea??  Ok, so what don't I LOVE about this kitchen? Its definitely colorful and I really love the happy yellow juxtaposed to the black + white.
The floor is lovely as well - so clean and the yellow lamps - love.  Notice the black and white details above the cabinets and against the wall near the window.  It looks like every detail was very planned and executed just right.




What are you loving?  Do tell -

(image)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Please visit my Pinterest boards for lots more inspiration!!

Need assistance with decorating your home for Christmas?

I can help with holiday, art selection and decoration, room

refresh, color consultation, organizing, textile selection,

office redesign, bath fixture selection, kitchen fixture

selection and space planning.  

Please email me

for more details at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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Design idea #1...curtain as a room divider...

I want to share with you a design 'tip' that I have used and would like to highlight for inspiration.  If you have a hallway or entrance that needs to be visually separated from a living area, or that might be draughty in the winter, or, just needs a little spicing up with color and pattern, then go ahead and add a single panel or pair of curtains.

In my cottage, I added a single panel curtain, though I have used a pair in the past.  One curtain does the trick here. The hallway is a brick floor and one wall is wood paneling (the other is two windows), so, to give it some 'oomph' and add color and pattern in both the living room and hall, I added a blue and white check Swedish style curtain. It also distinguishes between the two areas since there is no door here. I got these curtains a long time ago on sale at JC Penney's home store. I don't think I paid more than $15 for them, so they were a bargain.

View from hall into the living room giving the impression of two
distinct spaces

Curtain is blue, but shows as 'grey-ish' here because of the light

Rugs add more color and tie in with the blue checks in the living room

Looking into the hallway, I know, the paneling is very 70's,
but I love the look of it here - mirrors are from IKEA
and the 'LAKE' sign is vintage

Here, you can see the brick floor and a glimpse into the front
bedroom with my vintage leather footstool I scored for $25!!
The chair is IKEA's Poang with white cover, antique Art
Deco rug


The curtain adds just enough to this application to give the room some
'oomph' as I like to call it.  I can switch it up with a different colored
curtain or add a sheer with it.

When I lived in England, I knew some friends who liked to cover their
front door with a velvet curtain to keep out the cold.

How have you visually separated a space with no door?

What do you do to add some warmth, color or pattern to an entrance
or hallway?

(images by me)
Don't forget to visit my PINTEREST BOARDS FOR INSPIRATION!

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

I am available for myVirtualDecor design service from anywhere in the
world - my rates are reasonable and I can assist you
with any design project. 

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Top 8 living rooms...

Hello Bloggers!  I have compiled a list of my picks for the top 8 living rooms.  Please keep in mind these are only my choices and I know there are thousands of living rooms out there that deserve inclusion, but, courtesy of House Beautiful, my choices have lots of similarities as you will discover.  What makes a great room? Color? Texture? Balance? All of the above? Which is your favorite and why?

How is your weekend going?  I spent the day yesterday out in the New Jersey countryside, yes, New Jersey has fabulous country, at the Far Hills Race Meeting.  It is a steeplechase horse racing event on grass for charity and didn't disappoint. Lots of tailgate parties, tweed, wellies and wine to go with it.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

White walls, leggy furniture, pop of color with soft reds, rustic beams
design by Jason Bell; image Simon Upton

White walls, leggy French furniture, natural rug, gold
accents, crystal chandelier - neutral and stunning
image by Bjorn Wallander

White walls, natural rug, leggy furniture, gorgeous pop of pink
design by Jonathan Berger; image Francesco Lagnese

One of my top two!  white walls, pop of yellow and blue,
striped black & white floor, star chandelier
design by Ginger Barber; image Victoria Pearson

White walls, curtains, rug, pops of colors - blue and orange, zebra
chair, gold accents
design by Melissa Warner; image Victoria Pearson

White/creamy walls, natural rug, leggy French chairs, metal tables,
lots of gold, LOVE that sofa
design by Dana Lyon; image Reed Davis

White walls, animal rug, white chairs, leggy tables, bust,
hint of gold in the pillow, black & white
design by Stephen Shubel;  image Luca Trovato


MY FAVORITE:
Design by Hal Williamson
Image John Kernick

Mauve walls, leggy French furniture, gold

accents, natural blinds, silky curtains, crystal chandelier

I LOVE French and Swedish furniture

in this type of room - it always looks

beautiful and adds 'legs' -

See any similarities?  I do - lots of white, animal

accessories, gold accents, natural elements,

pops of color, symmetry in some of the rooms;

my favorite room has mauve walls, but I could

see them with a soft white as well - this room is perfect to

me.  The crystal, the gold and the furniture are 

just wonderful; I only wish I could see the front of 

the sofa!!  I have studied this room ad nauseam and I never

tire of it.  Great design should never be tiresome, it 

should always be inspiring.  

With that said, I am available for e-design from anywhere

in the world - please visit my 'Services' page for information-

I am flexible as well, depending upon the project or work

needed.  

Do you have a favorite room from this list? Please let

me know which one and why in the comments below!

Also please visit my Pinterest Boards and

my Whites and Neutrals Board in particular 

for more inspirational rooms-

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Sunday in a colorful room...

Good morning!  It is another gorgeous day here in Maine and for your viewing pleasure, I have found this room to perk you up.  Loving the color combos, wallpaper and zebra print in orange.  I had a great day out in Portland yesterday and will share pics with you this week.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day -

((image)

Please visit my PINTEREST page of Colorful

Rooms for more inspiration -

Contact me for interior styling at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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Gotta have these...JC Penney (where have I been?)...

Where have I been that I had no clue that Jonathan Adler and Terence Conran have designed lines for J.C. Penney???  I almost fell over when I saw the Conran ad.  When I lived in England, I bought a Conran sofa that I absolutely loved and had to leave there when I moved back to the US. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to post my fave column again!!  It is rainy and cool here in Maine, so I will be heading to a mall today to meet up with a friend. What are you doing?  Which line do you like better? Adler or Conran??

Lucina table lamp on sale for $121.99

Hyale coffee table on sale for $279

Brooke 84" sofa on sale for $985!!

Lola Magazine Holder $32

Lola Table Lamp $85

Elizabeth Faux Linen Curtain $45-55


(images jcpenney.com)


For more details go here-

If you need any help designing a room, please contact me!!

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Adding color to the home...

I apologize my posts are so sporadic but life gets in the way and so do taxes!! I came across Olioboard and their colorful shop that offers rugs, wallpaper, pillows, decorative accessories...well, just about anything for the home.  Pillows, rugs and accessories are such a great way to add color to your decor. On this Sunday that will hopefully warm up a bit, here are some of my choices to add some much needed oomph to your home or a client's home.  After all, its spring!! (or its supposed to be...)

I never get tired of the graphic rugs...

Gorgeous blue and white 

Bright red candlestick for pizzazz

Coral and white rug - so hot right now

Black and white will never go out of style...

Gray Chevron wallpaper is hot right now too

Trina Turk wallpaper to add a graphic 

element to your room...

Pantone color of the year - green and white = gorgeous!

Luscious blues-

Fuzzy hook style butterfly in green and yellow

Classic red + white = chic

For the vintage + crafty lover - sweet green heart

Do you go to Olioboard to see what's new?

Check it out!! Lots of great stuff -

Have a great rest of the day and

thank you to my new followers!

(images Olioboard.com)

Interested in some classic fabric? I have Eric Cohler fabric

for sale here in my shop - it is for sale on Amazon

for more than $400!!  I am selling it for $100 - please

email me for inquiries: monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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The color transformation files...

As I get ready to sell off my furniture which is housed in an expensive storage unit, I was able to look through the pictures and see my projects I loved doing.  I must part with some of my pieces now.

I love buying a table for less than $20 and painting it a fun color to mix with my other furniture. I gave my coffee table and matching side tables to a friend and will be getting rid of pretty much all my pieces, save for one or two.  I am downsizing in the biggest way possible and have some future plans I can't share yet.  My sofa and a couple of pieces that belonged to my grandparents will be going as well.  After all, its only stuff.  I think it was George Carlin who said: 'you get rid of stuff and then you get more stuff' - ain't that the truth!!??!  Are you feeling the 'spring cleaning' bug yet??

Here are my fave projects:

Laura Ashley fabric

New Maine Cottage fabric - I'm not selling

this, I just loved the transformation! (wink)

Old music/magazine cabinet-looks very rough

After with Sherwin Williams paint, 'Spa'

Tan cabinet

Turquoise Sherwin Williams paint- 'Spa'

See the little table in the corner? It was bought at LL Bean

and it was dark green. I painted it turquoise as well and gave 

it to a friend...

I bought this dresser above for, I think, 25 cents from my neighbor!!

I painted it with Sherwin Williams low

VOC Harmony paint 'Rejuvenate'

This old table needed a bright facelift...

With primer - it has nice lines...

Beautiful yellow - I don't remember what paint this is...

In my living room from a few years ago when I 

loved the red/yellow color combo together...

So, do you have an old piece you want to paint? 

Time to get cracking with spring here - although

its very chilly here in Downeast Maine today...

I will head to the beach soon-

I have a couple of nice pillows for sale in my 

shop listed under the header - free shipping

with everything! 

See ya later!!

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