Fabulous Fabric Friday...Ralph Lauren...

I hope everyone had a great week celebrating Christmas.  I had a pang of nostalgia for my old column (Fabulous Fabric Fridays) which I ran faithfully for a couple of years.  I have been blogging so long now, it all seems a blur.  

I stopped in a Calico store yesterday and saw these Ralph Lauren fabrics up close and immediately wanted to design a room around them. Preferably in an English country house or in a suburban New Jersey home - who cares?  Of course dark wood, fireplaces, brandy snifters, velvet, Wellies, deer heads, tigers and tweed come to mind and it takes me away to the Scottish Highlands or Devon (my favorite).  The quintessential library or game room would be the best place for this style.  This could all be equally fabulous in a bedroom or living room without all that ambiance don't you think?  Super inspiring fabrics! I added some furniture to the mix.  Have a great weekend!


For the English Country house, I have added some furniture from Home Decorators Collection to complement the fabrics:: 

Maldives Coffee Table $399.00

Maharaja Nesting Tables $199.00

Custom Greenwich Sofa $1299.00

Porter Armchair $699.00

The English Country House fabrics to cover the chairs, sofas and windows:

Hillcliff Plaid Moss $200.20/yd

Serengeti Linen Zebra Mahogany $116/yd

Kingsbridge Original $255.20/yd

Aragon Original $261.80/yd

Leighton Hunt Olive $81.40/yd

Maya Silk Original $123.20/yd

Do you like the English style? 

Which is your fave?

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I will do a digital moodboard for you that won't cost

the earth. Please contact me at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com

for more information.

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The way it was...Country Living 2007...favorite house...

I have kept this issue of Country Living for one piece - the home of Theresa Smith in Kentucky, who transformed a double wide (28 x 72 foot) mobile home into a fabulous home.  Not only is the kitchen nothing like a cookie cutter kitchen, she painted the whole place white with the exception of her office done in bright red.  I love it when people take something so ordinary and turn it into extraordinary. I have photographed the best here and still love to look at this piece for inspiration. You will too -

Issue from June 2007

Who needs a McMansion?? This has 4 bedrooms
and is 2,016 square feet - Theresa ordered it with
as few walls as possible to keep it light and airy

I still can't believe this is the living room! Fabulous!
Theresa's ingenious use of wood, lino, crystal, metal and marble
is unlike anything I have seen -and the pediment is so unusual
here above the sofa instead of curtains. None of the
windows have curtains, they have metal swirly things (I
have no idea what they are called!!)
Theresa is the master mixer of textures -

This kitchen is so unique - Theresa Smith had all the standard
cabinets taken out and put in her own idea of what would work
here such as a retail shop table and antique vintage cabinets-on the
right shows her collections of white antique ironstone and the
industrial sink and faucet - notice the metal all over mixing
with the wood (note the window above the sink and
the decorative metal accent used as 'curtains')

Close up of the fab kitchen details-she also added an outdoor
wire metal table with glass top and chairs for eating

The red office and details on the left of  the sun room on the
above right; note an actual front porch here!! So cool -

The master bedroom in all white with superb use of textures here
giving the room a truly vintage feel - metal, glass, pearls, marble
crystal and her grandmother's collection of beads, pearls, hats and bags

Theresa's husband Craig makes and sells
candelabra's like this one shown - so unique

Close up of the bed and side tables

(all images photographed and edited by me)

(original images Keith Scott Morton)

(original article written by Jill Kirchner Simpson)

Would you do a transformation like this? Could you?

I would LOVE to live here - what are your thoughts?

Design DO or DON'T?

Enjoy the weekend!

Don't forget to check out my SHOP and contact

me for online styling for your home!

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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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Best of MI...shabby + chic = GORGEOUS!

Hello fellow bloggers! How are things in your new 2013 world today? I hope you are well! Continuing with my 'Best of' series, I wanted to include a post on the lovely shabby chic aesthetic and Pinterest is a fabulous place for constant inspiration for this and many, many other fashion, design, art etc. aesthetics.   This was a post from 2011 so grab a cup of tea, glass of wine or water and enjoy!  ;-))



Are you at a loss as to where to put that shabby and worn out dresser, table, chair or bureau?  Well, look no further than these pics showing a piece of shabby furniture in rooms with different aesthetics. The look of these worn items mixed in with other pieces is fabulous and timeless. Its such a classic look that you can experiment with and see how it fits. These pics are from one of my favorite boards on PINTEREST - are you following me there yet? Do you love?

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Each piece is unique and looks so right - I especially love this

kitchen cupboard - just the right amount of paint is gone.

Have a great rest of the weekend! Hope you are inspired to 

start a new project!

Is your home exactly how you like it?

As fall is quickly approaching, I am offering my decorating services. If

you are thinking about changing things up in your house, I can help if its

new artwork, fabrics, pillows or a whole room redesign. We can work via

email with consultation, then a mood board with suggested stores and sources. Please

contact me for info at monacointeriors76@yahoo.com.

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Gotta have these...Cath Kidston edition...

I had the pleasure of stopping in a Cath Kidston store in Chiswick in the UK last May and got on their mailing list.  Well, 'tis the season and the online shopping is phenomenal - so many choices, so many things, so little time!  It was very difficult, but, I chose just four items that would be great for stocking stuffers.  How many of you out there shop online as opposed to driving to the mall?  Happy shopping indeed!

Christmas To-Do Diary $14.00

This is a great idea for anyone who needs organisation

and lists to get things done -

Cut Roses Mug Crush Mug $8.00 - great for 

a hot cuppa!

Kempton Rose Travel Set $20.00 - luggage tag

and belt to secure your suitcase

2013 Tea Towel $16.00

(images cathkidston.com)

For more festive fun, go here -

Don't forget my shop is open and I have some great items for sale!

Also, I am offering my design services at great prices if you need a kitchen or bathroom

refresh, give me a call - monacointeriors76@yahoo.com

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The Snow White home...

I am a huge fan of the ABC hit show 'Once Upon a Time' and I have done a couple of previous posts about the fabulous sets on the show.  Since tonight is the second episode of the season, I thought I would showcase Snow White's aesthetic again via my Pinterest board.  Pinterest is a great way to put together boards (of any style or anything you want) with photos of this shabby chic aesthetic that I love.  Please comment if you like the pics too -

via

photo Trevor Trondo

via

Is this room perfect for Snow or what?

Photo Maria Carr 

 Flowers in Snow's house -

via

via and via

Is this spectacular??

via

Perfect for Snow and Charming...;-))

via

Photo John Reed Forsman

via

Are you hooked on this show? I love it!

Visit my Pinterest board for more Snow style -

Happy Sunday!!

and watching the show -

xo

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Awash in white...

Welcome to 2012!  Continuing my obsession with white decor, I just got 'Country Living' magazine yesterday, and it confirmed what you and I already know: white is hot!  It is timeless, will never go out of style and let's not forget that Rachel Ashwell built an industry around this color...non-color?  So, herewith, some gorgeous eye candy to greet the new year:

First up, is the home of Bill Pattee and Michelle Albright in northern California -

Combination of textures, woods, whites = gorge

Rustic kitchen

All white + dark floor = gorge

Gorgeous tub + wood floors and vanity = spectacular


Next is the bathroom makeover of Country Living 's Editor:

Country Living editor Sarah Gray Miller's new white vintage + rustic bathroom

Pale blue cabinet bought inexpensively; love the dark mirror

(images Bjorn Wallander)


For more white design, visit me on PINTEREST to see my selections - Happy 2012 and see you back here soon - I will be hosting my first giveaway in, well, too long, so please join me!!


For information about my decorating services, please email me and/or see which design package is right for you in  myVirtualDecor at the top of the blog.

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