Saturday Snooze

Design by Mary McDonald.

Here is my favorite room of the week – by the marvelous Mary McDonald! I love the serenity of the space. Soft blends of gray, white, and cream accented with the graphic lines of chinoiserie style. The best place to wake up on Saturday morning!

Saturday Snooze

Design by Susan Zises Green, House Beautiful 2008.

Here's the bedroom I'd most like to wake up in tomorrow morning. Down the hall is a library stuffed with gorgeous books, and the view through the window is a stormy seashore. Tea and caramel digestive biscuits are on the breakfast menu.

Have a great weekend!

If It's Wednesday, You Should Buy House Beautiful

Oh, a tug at the old heartstrings. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday, attempting to locate a suitably chubby mum (mums are like chickens - thin equals bad), when I started flipping through the October House Beautiful and completely forgot about seasonal florals. It's a gorgeous issue! Loads of beautifully colored spreads, genius tips, chinoiserie everywhere, a dreamy tablescape by William Yeoward - and the Barefoot Contessa does kitchens!!! Seriously, why are you still sitting at your desk?

My favorite pick - this bedroom by Meg Braff. I have an abiding love of green and white. Feelings run deep. I saw this spread not 45 minutes after purchasing a 5-piece green and white overlapping squares patterned desk set. Coincidence? I think not.

Another Braff bedroom. The five reasons this room excels: 1. Chinoiserie. 2. Toile. 3. Zebra. 4. Sky blue. 5. All together. Beautiful! Visit her website for more wonder.

That's all for teasers. You'll have to buy the issue!

Recessionista Tips:

If you're not a subscriber, but you ARE a Sam's Club member, get your HB (and Vogue, Victoria, etc.,) at the same time you're buying enough kleenex boxes to supply Bulgaria. They offer a discount off the cover price.

Be sure not to miss the Technophobia article on p. 48 of this month's HB. It includes a special reader's invitation to join the FABULOUS home discount sites Gilt, One Kings Lane, and Rue La La, with none of the usual "wait list" time. I'm a member of all three, and believe me, it's worth it.

All images: House Beautiful.

The Economic Apartment

Economizing is all we hear about these days: money, space, or both. Ugh. Time for some can-do attitude! My favorite tip this week is for folks learning to live large in a studio apartment. No - don't click away. It CAN be done. Behold...

Here are a few marvelous "little" spaces that are big on style. First, Ron Marvin's studio apartment is breathtakingly simple. Choosing three colors, black and white with yellow accents, prevents visual clutter. The acrylic coffee table, which would normally block a large section of the floor, blends into the rug. Another hint: don't avoid pattern! In the same palette as the rest of the room, it keeps the eye moving. For another great example of a black and white studio apartment, click here.

This picture from gorgeous blog, La Dolce Vita.

Another beautiful studio apartment, courtesy of the late, great, Domino Magazine. Notice how white is a continuing theme. Why? It's just like you learned in your first visit to the dressing room: white makes things look bigger! And a high gloss white refracts light around a space. Another plus? Renters who choose white walls need not repaint. This apartment, like the one above, takes full advantage of natural light and a simple color scheme. And notice how mobile all the smaller pieces of furniture are. If you feel a little claustrophobic, pack 'em away!

Now, as anyone who has lived in a studio knows, the biggest question is: what do I do with the bed? Well, there's the traditional screen (made more interesting here with pattern). Don't be discouraged if you find only blah screens - decoupage my friends! Find a gorgeous paper and glue your way to a more stylish room. For how-to, click here.

Next up, the bookshelf conceal. This is my favorite, for a variety of reasons. 1) It doesn't look like you're trying to hide a bed somewhere. 2) It doesn't cut off light from the "bedroom" section of the apartment. 3) It has so many decorative possibilities!! Aside from placing eye-catching items on the bookcase, you can add a curtain for increased privacy when visitors come. And, you can treat the space a bit like a wall - stack books artfully, or hang pictures or mirrors. (For great hooks that you can attach to a bookcase without damage, I recommend Command hooks.) Can you tell there's a bedroom back there? Believe it!

Third and final option: give up and sleep on a daybed or divan. This is for hard-core fashionistas only! Not recommended if you have back troubles. But this look will convince your guests that the closet door really is a passageway to an entirely different room.

Now for the how-to. Here are my top four (inexpensive) suggestions for studio transformation, based on the designs above.

1) The Screen. These options from Overstock.com are $188, and come in a variety of great colors. My personal favorite is the Hermes orange! At five panels, they can cover a sizable space and are sturdy enough to hang pictures on, if you're so inclined.

2) The Daybed. This example from West Elm, called "overlapping squares," has been displayed in a number of magazines recently. Available in white and brown.

3) Bookshelves. I am such a fan of these Expedit bookcases from IKEA. I've had a set in white for years, and they've survived four moves and numerous other destructive attempts. They still look great - and just as good as models four or five times their cost. The best part? This wall-size unit is only $199. My favorite option, however, is the add-on desk. It's sleek and modern, and in a tight space? It's a desk AND a dining room table. All yours for only $50.

Naturally, storage is always a big problem in little spaces, so add some of these shelf inserts for $20. They look good from both sides, they're perfect in a room divider, and the little door opens to reveal whatever you've hidden. Even BETTER? Upgrade the hardware with some gorgeous knobs from Anthropologie, priced between $8 and $14. Remember: you have no problem buying cheap. You just don't want it to LOOK that way!

4) Acrylic. Pair some Philip Starke chairs with the desk/table above, and live spaciously ever after. Two for $258.99 at Overstock.com. For nesting tables that you can easily move around a space, try these from Target: three for $179.

Picture 1, La Dolce Vita. Pic 2 -3, Flickr.com. Pic 4, Elle Decor. Pic 5, Flickr.com. Pic 6, Overstock.com. Pic 7, West Elm. Pic 8 -9, Ikea. Pic 10, Overstock.com. Pic 11, Target.com.

Missoni

I love Missoni's rich and varied colors and patterns. 

Isn't this how you visit the beach?

Or hang out at home?

Clothing image: business of fashion. Home images: Missoni.

Saturday Smile

These interiors by Elieen Katheryn Boyd just make me happy. It's all about positive colors - and yet, no single room is overwhelming. Every space is wonderfully balanced.

For more from Eileen of EKB Interiors, and to see her design for this year's Kipp's Decorator's Showhouse, check out her blog.

All images, ekbinteriors.com.

Great Things Come in Small Packages

There's always some excuse for not having a room just the way you like it - too small, too dark, and on and on. Well, the grass is always greener. Home design aficionado and plucky restaurant worker Anu decided to make the most of what she had (a teeny tiny studio with a couch and a bed in the same room). "When Anu Suebsawangkul painted her 408-square-foot apartment all white she had no idea that her quick fix to conceal hideous blue walls would be the start of a design obsession. After that it was all white all the time: painting white furniture, purchasing white accessories, and fabricating white curtains. Soon, however, the monochromatic room wasn’t enough and, says Suebsawangkul, 'I decided to give my room some pizzazz. I discovered the Hollywood Regency style and I fell in love with it. Kelly Wearstler and Dorothy Draper are my style icons.'" - Metropolitan Home. Lesson learned? Your vision should always surpass your square footage.

Images, Metropolitan Home.

Serenity, Brought To You By Tobi Fairley

Ironically, it's a GORGEOUS day outside right now - brilliant blue skies and strong sun. But when I came across this bedroom from designer Tobi Fairley, I suddenly felt like curling up in a corner with a good book. This room is just gray and cream layered - and it's so soothing. Wouldn't you like to wake up here on a Saturday morning?

Images: Tobi Fairley.