Am I late to the picnic on this one?  Summer's almost over but I'm obSESSED with Cynthia Rowley's Whim collection for Target:



From top:  Melamine bowl and platter set ($13.99), Multicolor woven serving set ($18.74), and personal fave Madras Table Runner for only $9.99!  Even though it's polyester I want to buy 20 of these and make [Indian] summery curtains!!

I'm tempted to start a regular feature called "But Is It Fugly?" because as much as LOVE playing expert on this blog, sometimes in my deepest, darkest decorating hour I question my judgement. For instance I wanted to see the good in the Eliot Sofa but the people have spoken: FUGLY. Softee Sofabed: Medium Fugly. But what have we here ...


The Movie Sofa from CB2. $1,199, which in my world still ain't cheap but it's hard to find fault in the design. And I'm wild about slipcovers lately and this one is 100% cotton, not some poly-blend woven. At 7'-4" long it seems comfortable for sleeping. Yet no back cushions -- does that bug? Let me know. And feel free to quote Germi on those little apple baskets I lurved so much: "So sorry - where you go, I cannot follow .." Ha!

Quickie post today but this is a RED ALERT DEAL:

Restoration Hardware is having a big sale and this chic little X-back Carmel chair (for outdoor but I could totally see around a breakfast table) is marked down from $325 to $98.88. CRAZAYZEE!! Also loving the Cornflower or Navy Blue cushions but at 49 more bucks they seem a little outrageous. Spring for six of the chairs and have your own cushions made if you're sticking 'em inside.
Also check out their 50% off markdowns on curtain hardware!!

I have just found myself on a site called Whorange a slightly irresistibly named blog and I was amazing at what I found. There is a street artist called Slinkachu who takes microscopic painted people and creates scenes with them on the streets of London. I particularly like the man that has shot the bee, and the stags on the street corner with the cigarette butts. I am always intrigued by scale and what happens when you start to mess around with it. Slinkachu has a book of these photographs coming out on September 5th, called "Little People in the City". If you are in London check out his site. There is a book launch on the 31st August at Cosh Gallery on Berwick street. They are doing a treasure hunt. When you register, you are given clues and have to find four of Slinkachu artworks around London. Sounds like quite a funny and mad day. Wish I was there.

I also think that these are great artworks, I want to look into buying some, they sell for about 150 pounds each.

I have to admit that I am rather excited about this next shopping trip. Am off to Palm Springs in September. I know that I have got to stop feeling like I am going on holiday but it just seems like too funny a destination not to get a little excited by. Am anticipating a lot of palm trees, pink drinks, kitsch junk shops and vintage cadillacs. If anyone has any Palm Springs delights to share please do. xx

Good things really do come in small packages. Like Chick-Fil-A's Chick-n-Minis, or actor Jeremy Piven. In the decorating realm I'm an advocate for scale (read: OVERscale), especially in lighting -- dinky chandeliers and sonces drive me nuts -- but these smallish pendants from Shades of Light are super cute (and cheap enough to use in multiples):




From top: Nantucket in brushed stainless ($79), Classic Orb in brushed steel ($129), Mercury Glass ($125), and Cone Glass ($49!!).

This is post is dedicated to one of my favorite peeps, Howard, the debonair dean of garden chic-porium Treillage, who told me today that he plans on starting a blog. I'm here to bully him into it! Honestly, a thank-you note from this man is like Oscar Wilde writing for The Onion. His collection of bons mots rivals his closet of vintage Moschino. Anyway, might Howie like these metal potted plants from Wisteria?


The smaller succulent is only $29; I love the shape and the zinc-y finish. I see them next to the real thing and some crisp boxwood, like on Mugatu's terrace.

I got {Froliced!} on Friday! I gave Chelsea 5 of my decorating tips and she spun them into a beautiful blog post with pictures of interiors i wish i had created!! Thank you so much Chelsea, I am utterly thrilled to be on your blog.

I am just editing my copy for the Boston shopping story which is coming out in the October issue. It is lovely being reminded of these beautiful shops and Simplemente Blanco is one that a) I particularly liked and b) has a really good website. The purity of the products for bed, bath, kitchen and garden are so appealing. I long to live my life as tidily and whitely as their photography! Sadly I last about two minutes before I am wrinkled and have dripped something down myself or, worse, the poor person sitting next to me.

The site is well worth checking out, even if only for a little escapism into the world of crisp white linen, the bathing section is excellent for gifts or better still a little self indulgence. I find that when decorating bathrooms these sort of things are a very important part of the decorating process, as much so as the furniture is for another room in the house.

Here's another kooky cleaning product with old-fashioned packaging for your consumption:

I should keep one of these Janie Dry Cleaner Sticks on my person at all times, specifically for the tomato salad dressing at Corrado Bread & Pastry that ends up all over my blouse. [Desperate plea to Corrado: open more downtown franchises!!]
Questions: Has anyone used it? Does it work? Will I see one in the next Wes Anderson film?
$4.99 each.

John Derian is selling these wonderful wooden books by acclaimed illustrator and author, Leanne Shapton.  They are the same size as a normal sized book and covering a wall look absolultely fantastic.  I have a couple at home, a few of my favorite books "Someone at a Distance," by Dorothy Whipple - which is a Persephone Book--I recommend it in paperback as well as wood--and Nancy Mitford's classics, "The Pursuit of Love" and "Love in a Cold Climate."  I have them sitting amongst regular books.  Leanne's website shows a large selection of them and her other work, which is prolific. 

This is the image John Robshaw has been sending out to his clients to draw their attention to his new collection! It leaves me longing to redecorate with all those terrific fabrics and quite frankly to hop on a plane to India IMMEDIATELY.

John has started a blog on his website called Chai Talk, which just in case there were any morcels of doubt about leaving your desk for the airport will have you clicking on Travelocity. There is a little footage of video from a trip to Jaipur showing the printing process and ladies stitching cushions in amongst the bustle, dust and sounds that are so evocatively Indian.
In the September issue of domino Scouting is devoted to India and the people who have fallen for this country, its people and its wares. John of course is in there with Carolina Irving and Mark Rice amongst others.

Here's a little old school domino on a Dime, though I've never seen one of these Water Mill Tables from Mecox Gardens in the mag:

Love the X's but it's 950 bucks.  Target takes away one X on the back and begs you to buy this Delano Small Bookcase for a tenth of the price:

I bet you could pop/saw off the back panel and make it more of an etagere. Such a deal!

Why must West Elm try to reinvent the wheel?

This random cutout headboard reminds me of a stained glass window in a 1970s Methodist church. Or the bedroom in one of those badly staged model units in the glass condo going up next door.
*Putting down my bottle of Hatorade*
WE finds redemption with this new headboard upholstered in jute with nailhead trim:

Judging from the photo this could pass for custom upholstery. No weird asymmetry or postmodern slope-iness or fat biscuiting or chenille texture. Not every stick of furniture needs a ta-dah! factor.

Fancy schmancy fabric showrooms are pretty protective about their overstock and discontinued items. Scalamandre for one has a big annual sale but I'm not sure it's open to the public. For the layperson sites like Discount Fabrics USA offer a ton of "designer" fabrics from collections (seemingly decades) past and while many are fugly with a capital "F" some have major throwback appeal, like this nautical Rigging Trellis from Brunschwig & Fils, 67% off the list price at $23.81/yard:

And this charming Picnic Plaid by Pashma Picasso (Paloma's sister?) for $14.49:

And finally this begging-to-be-revived 80s stripe in black, fuschia, gold and teal from Ralph Lauren, 73% off at $16.81/yard:

Can't you see it on a sofa in a library with cranberry lacquered walls and a gold Savonnerie rug? So very Bonfire of the Vanities.

While I was in Seattle, I went to this delicious restaurant, Sitka and Spruce, I mentioned it actually in my previous post.  While I was there I shot these beautiful carnations.  I have always been a big fan of the carnation, mostly because I think they look like upturned Dior skirts from the fifties and frankly the colours do too. I have always found colour palettes for rooms in quite peculiar places and this is one of them.  Look at the pale grey of that delicious salt next to the deep purply/garnet of the carnation and the green stem - they are so good together and in a room would look beautiful.  The thing I love about discovering colour palettes in this way is that they have landed next to each other pretty much by chance.