Caitlin McGauley

Art is a passion of mine and I have a soft spot for artists and artisans of all kinds.  I can't help but be enamoured by creative minds.  Maybe it's because my young daughter is very talented and draws every single day or just an appreciation for artists making the world more beautiful--often without recognition or monetary reward.  Whatever the case may be, I love learning about someone talented and delightful.  Caitlin McGauley certainly fills the bill.  A friend of mine introduced me to her blog a couple years ago but she came to mind again as I was going through Lonny's archives.

Enjoy!

Dots!

Cath Kidston's dots are so darling.  Now she offers it as flooring.  I would love to see this installed in a mudroom or kitchen.

Lonny Magazine

photo Ruth Fremson/New York Times

Patrick Cline and Michelle Adams, founders of the online Lonny magazine.

 photo from Lonny magazine

There's a great article in the New York Times about this terrific magazine.  This past spring I began reading Lonny and was skeptical at first.  As someone who loves to read books and magazines, it was hard to imagine really enjoying this type of online magazine, especially when the photography is so important to the content.  But I now look forward to each new issue and I love that the spaces and homes are real and not designed for the photo shoot.  The detail and sources are excellent as well.  If you haven't read it yet, give it a try--I think you'll become a fan.

Jenna Lyons

Jenna Lyons has always been inspiring.  Her influence goes well beyond J.Crew.  Love this list of 12 things from Elle Decor--especially that cool lucite chair she has in her office.

Lucite

Modern furniture has never really been my style but since I began studying design my taste has certainly become more diverse.  A love for high and low, vintage and new and eclectic looks has begun to develop.  This Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chair was paired with an antique desk recently and I thought it looked great!

Guest room peek

It has been a lot of fun updating our guest room.  The walls are grey and it used to be decorated in black and white toile.  Yellow + grey are a favorite color combination of mine and now the space looks so much brighter and more modern.   I hope our steady stream of houseguests enjoy this room! :D  

Custom window panels and pillow cover are Braemore jolie fabric made by idari.  The zebra chair fabric is by Braemore Textiles.

Inspiring

Am finding the work of Annchovie very inspiring. :)

Have come to love, love watercolor interiors.

Beautiful!

Home

It's always fun to see other people's homes.   I really enjoyed seeing photos and reading about the author of The Great Lady Decorators, Adam Lewis. 

I love the mostly neutral room, the mix of animal prints and the touch of Tiffany blue on the small lampshades.  Each piece of artwork had a story behind it--the sculpture is called ‘Diving Boys’ by Pericle Fazzini.  A gift from Albert Hadley to Mr. Lewis.  All photos are from the New York Social Diary.  For the complete story and more photos click here.

Chairloom

From what I have seen of Chairloom, they do beautiful work.  As someone who is crazy for great fabric, their furniture is exciting.  I learned of them through the Virginia Johnson blog.  They will also be at the Brooklyn Flea this month--can't wait to see some of the chairs in person. Molly Worth works with a family run business that has been doing reupholstery for three generations.  She is based in Philadelphia.

"We believe that one doesn’t need to buy something new to create a satisfying and inviting living environment.  Instead we affirm the transformative power of applying a fresh, creative vision to quality antiques." - Molly Worth

a chair delivered to a client in Brooklyn

love these!
all photos from chairloom

Recycling luxury for a good cause

Today I attended a vendor seminar for design students.  One of the companies has the unique mission of recycling luxury for a good cause.  Green Demolitions is a company that recycles kitchens including cabinetry, counter tops and appliances deemed to be in salable condition.  Proceeds are then used to financially support addiction recovery programs.  In 2009 Green Demolitions diverted approximately 800,000 pounds from the landfills including 362 kitchens.  Donors receive tax savings and reduced labor and/or disposal costs.  Consumers get 50-80% off recycled kitchens, appliances, bathrooms, home decor, architectural artifacts and more.   Some of the donated kitches are brand new, the representative shared stories of kitchens that were measured incorrectly and didn't fit as well as stories of mid-construction changes where new owners didn't want the previously ordered kitchen.  An interesting option for homeowners willing to take a look at the inventory and be ready for delivery or storage within 7 days.  It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.  Recycling at its best. :)