Turn the lights on!

I am in LOVE with Beyonce's latest video, Sweet Dreams (definitely broke it down this weekend at a birthday party to this song...tee hee) These images may seem a lil random...but each one uses light in a way that leaves me tickled pink.

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

"My guilty pleasure. I ain't goin no where" Break it down B!!!



What a CUTE house!!!! Someone please give this to me :) (no, but really...lol)
I absolutely LOVE when a house is all lit up. How perfect are the lights reflecting off the lake in the front of the house? I especially love the composition of the lights and how they're lit up to accentuate the grand foyer and the peaks in the windows and roof. This house would definitely be a part of my Sweet Dreams ;)

Really loving the concept of taking a crystal chandelier and covering it with a sheer drum shade. I've been seeing this design trend a lot lately. Definitely a nice way to add glamor to any room. I'd like to put something like this up in my walk-in closet.


So this would be one of my outdoor "chill rooms." I can just image me, my two adorable kids, my drop dead gorgeous husband and Coco (my crazy Yorkie) enjoying dinner and board games in a similar space. I love how this designer used tea candles, candelabras and lanterns to give this space a calm glow against the sunset.



The details in this ceiling molding are stunning. It gives off amazing shadows from the chandelier light.


This is the coolest photograph I've seen in a good minute. I love how the girl in the image appears to be leaving a storm and entering safety. The colors are so rich. The light in the breaks in the clouds look like God. If my first photo was a Sweet Dream...this photograph is my Beautiful Nightmare.

"Turn the lights off!"

The September Issue

"I'd just been on a trip to Minnesota, where I can only kindly describe most of the people I saw as little houses." -Ms. Wintour (courtesy of BClassic's FB page)

All I can do is LOL at that statement. It must be nice to be God.

Step by Step...Oooo Baby

I miss having stairs!!! There's something really nice about having the option of retreating to a different floor. Here are some cool staircases that I've been drooling over today. And yes, I drool over silly things like stairs.




Let's play a game called "Paris' Fantasy World". OK...so in this part of the game, we pretend that the image above is of my house. This staircase is in my bedroom and it leads you to my private "chill" room. I'll explain more about "chill" rooms in another post ;)

OK...back to my fantasy world. I've always been a lover of spiral stairs (although they're a BIA to get furniture up). I love how the details in the railing compliment the arches in the window frame. The handrail and steps look like they're made of delicate lace. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like these stairs are made of wrought iron. If this is true, I love them even more. A feminine lace cut out of a masculine material such as iron, Yes! Imagine how fantastic they'll look when some of the white paint begins to chip and it has a rustic look contrasting with the freshly painted white walls and furniture. Love it!





So there's nothing too out of the norm with these stairs...but as an avid reader, I can't help but be a little turned on by the site of all these interesting looking books. Oh yeah, baby...nothing says lust like a nice quiet night with a book. Owww!





If the stairs at work looked like these I'd never call in sick. But my legs and booty would be...sick that is ;) (lol) I love laughing at my corny jokes and I love how both of these images juxtapose straight lines with curves.

Sleek Black Stairs: My eyes keep bouncing back and forth between the straight lines in the wall, to the wavy lines of the stair rail, and the lines in the wood planks. I also like how the designer paired different textures together. Grooved concrete/stone wall, sleek black wooden stairs, and smooth marble floor. What an innovative way to add flair and excitement to an otherwise boring looking space.

Hot Mama Red Stairs: Where do I begin?? "Yes" to the ceiling's lines playing off the curved stairs and walls. I love how the inside of the railing and steps are blood red. I Love Love the chrome on the outside of the railing. Love Love Love the stone mixed with the chrome. And I absof*ckinglutely love how the railing splits at the top into a hand rail (you gotta look closely) Ahhh...the talent!


Honorable Mentions:

Fit for a Queen...or King

Yessss! It finally happened! With all the luxury discount websites popping up left and right, its so refreshing that there is finally a site for luxury home furnishings. Similar to the Gilt Groupe...One Kings Lane offers daily private sales on some of the hottest items for the home. Tomorrow's sale includes Riedel, a wine glass company that I discovered after a visit to my favorite dessert bar in the city, ChikaLicious.

The sommelier used this fabulous decanter to pour cold water for the patrons and I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Imagine how sad my pocket-book was when I found out that it runs for about $400. Ouch! Crossing my fingers that OKL will shave off...hmm...maybe $250 or so. Hey, a girl can dream right ;)

Side Note:

Definitely check out ChikaLicious if you're in the city. The cutest dessert experience I've had in Manhattan. They only allow about 20ppl in at a time but if you encounter a line out front, believe me...its more than worth the wait. The menu changes every day so you're always in for a unique surprise. Try to get a seat at the bar so you can see the chefs create these sweet and adorable designs.

Favorite Design Touch: They use the cutest ceramic and porcelain plates, tea cups and bowls. Each plate is different and none belong to a matching set. They're all the most darling looking things. I just want to pinch their cute little cheeks (well, if they had cheeks...you get where I'm going with this)

You're terribly late, you know...Naughty!

OK, so I'm getting ahead of myself again...but I just can't resist ;) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass were two of my favorite books as a kid. I remember spending many a Saturday night, ponying up to my Grandmother's television to watch the Disney cartoon of Alice in Wonderland...Jif peanut butter and a spoon in one hand, and my paper dolls in the other.

Tim Burton is coming out with a film version and I'm on the edge of my seat. I'm sure Tim won't disappoint with the spectacle that is Wonderland. And with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter...it has to be amazing. Judging from the photos I've seen, I'm sure there were more green screens than actual sets...but I can definitely appreciate the genius that goes into creating a computer generated world. I'm just going to have to find a way to contain myself until March 5th, 2010.

In the meantime, you can fall down another rabbit hole by checking out this cute spot in the West Village called Sweetie Pie. No, its not named after me ;) (you're too kind) But like me, its FULL of color. Julie Daniels Janklow is the visionary behind this whimsical place where you can order up some absinthe and cake and eat it in a bird cage. Sounds trippy, right?? But you have to admit...slightly intriguing :)

Gold bird cages, pink tufted booths, marble floors, mirrored walls and a mural of Storm Troopers and cake. It doesn't get more eccentric than that. I love how this place looks like every little girl's fantasy (spiked) tea party.

be*HUE*tiful

I fell in love with Kelly Wearstler’s style the moment I saw her on Bravo’s Top Design. Chic and oh-so unique…she definitely marches to the beat of her own drum when it comes to fashion and interiors. I LOVE designers that aren’t afraid of color…and Miss Wearstler is fearless. Her latest book, “Hue”, will celebrate the power of color in Kelly's work and the possibilities of color in interior design and decorating. Sorry fans…it’s not slated to be released until November 15th. But it’s never too early to pre-order a copy ;)

Kelly's redesign of landmark Tides South Beach

The Library in the Viceroy, Santa Monica

My absof*ckinglutely fav by Ms. Wearstler - The Lobby in the Viceroy, Miami

Honorable Mention for Fearless Color Addicts:

Jamie Drake – Knew I’d be a dedicated fan of his work the moment I saw his Kips Bay 2007 bedroom. (Can someone please give me that closet??)

Fifth Avenue Loft by Jamie

Flat Iron Loft by Jamie

Kips Bay 2007 (aka...my future closet)

"The Dying Swan" by Karl Lagerfeld

God, I wish my mother made me stay in ballet! Everything about this video shows elegence and grace...from the perfect lines of the ballerina to the soft lines of the beautiful costume designed by Mr. Chanel himself.

(personally, I prefer the music that the Chanel website has for this video...check it out by clicking on this link http://www.chanel.com/fashion/8-fashion-trends#8-fashion-trends I'm still learning how to use this thing and I couldn't quite figure out how to post the one directly from the site)



This video got me to thinking about how it could translate into a room.







The bedroom above, designed by NY's Kelly Giesen of Kelly G Design, is perfection! Monochromatic, clean, simple, classic. If I could only replace the chandelier above the bed with this feather ball chandelier from Moss, swap out the round rug under the chair with a fluffy, white sheep skin and add the ivory Tuxedo Ruffle Curtain from UrbanOutfitters...how loverly would that be :)

Beauty is in the eye of the designer

Each of us has our very own definition of beauty. What may be enamoring to one person can be disenchanting to the next. Hence the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." With that said, there may be things on my blog that you will find alluring, immaterial or even butt-ugly. And I implore you to stick to your guns :) This blog is not about influencing or forcing what I find beautiful on you.

This blog is about the designers and my amazement with the design process.
(and some random fun things that I stumble upon)

I challenge you to take your time with each image. Go beyond the finished product and try to appreciate the creativity, ingenuity and passion that produced the object or composition of objects before you.

As I begin the New York School of Interior Design this fall to become an interior designer, I find myself anxious to emulate such designs as the ones you’ll see here. Your thoughts and opinions on my posts will prove to be a great help in cultivating my design aesthetic…so PLEASE feel free to leave any comments.

Thanks so much for checking me out. Enjoy!