PUTTING PEN TO POSH PAPER - SCHUMACHER PATTERNS BECOME DEMPSEY & CARROLL STATIONERY!

Photo by Coco of Cococozy
Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon fabric on a living room sofa accent throw pillow. (above)

What a smart idea...take great wallpaper and fabric patterns and make them into fine stationery! Well Dempsey & Carroll did it when they combined forces with famed fabric house FS Schumacher. Here's their new collection of correspondence note cards and envelopes with some fantastic accents. Also have added in a few photos of the real fabric and wallpaper so you can see the inspiration!


Dempsey & Carroll - Schumacher Dragon Correspondence Cards - $60 per box of 10 (Chiang Mai Dragon print lines envelopes in this set. 10 white note cards and 10 lined envelopes.)(above)


Dempsey & Carroll - Imperial Trellis Correspondence Cards - $60 box set of 10 (White notecards with envelopes lined in Schumacher's Imperial Trellis print. Silver bevel edged note cards. Each box includes two of each color lined envelope: grey, green, red and yellow)(above)


Photo courtesy of Beach Bungalow 8
Schumacher's Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis wallpaper graces a small dining room with red tole pagoda style chandelier, Saarinen white round table and modern dining chairs. (above)

Cute cards. Great gift idea or use for all of those long forgotten thank you notes you still need to send off (I should replace the "you"s in this sentence with "I"s...ooopsss...time to catch up on being polite!)

Are you tired of Imperial Trellis or do you still adore? Let me know what you think.

xo
Coco

BEFORE & AFTER: BACK TO BASIC ROOM MAKEOVERS THAT WORK!

All photos in this post courtesy of Jennifer Jones of Niche Interiors

A dining room gets a makeover with walls painted red, an 8 foot long modern wood table, a hand painted drum chandelier and plastic/metal chairs - making it a friendly place for a growing family. (above)

Jennifer Jones, the principal designer at Niche Interiors, a San Francisco based interior design firm, sent me these before and after photos last week. I liked the pictures and immediately said I would post. Three different rooms...in three different bay area homes...all get back to basics makeovers that work.

I like the fact that the makeover solutions to these rooms are very basic. The design rule here seems to have been...keep things simple and clean and the room will look better. No fancy interior decorating bells and whistles with these makeovers...just the basics: fresh paint, simple furniture, good coordination and tah dah! Probably relatively economical too.

These rooms show that with a new coat of paint in a monochromatic color palette, well edited furniture with very clean lines, easy ceiling or floor lighting and good space planning, a cluttered disorganized lifeless space can be turned into a good looking room.

ROOM #1 - BLAND & BLAH BECOMES VERY VIBRANT

Before - An outdated ceiling light and blah wall color made this empty dining room space seem hopeless. (above)


After - Warm red paint and a grand modern farmhouse style dining table make a big impact in a formerly blah space.(above)
ROOM #2 - OUTDATED TURNS MODERN

Before - Yikes! The living room in this city apartment is all wrong with yellow walls, an Aztec looking rug and a tan 1980's style sofa. (above)

After - A neutral color palette, an architectural column, low modern furniture and a great shag rug make the new living room in this bachelor pad feel larger, brighter and far more stylish. (above)

ROOM #3 - MISHMOSH TRANSFORMED INTO REFRESHING RETREAT

Before - This living room was without an identity with its tiny flokati rug, outdated green leather sofa, dark blinds, midcentury modern chairs and what looks like a teacher's desk taken right from a classroom.(above)

After - Ahhhh. The room now has white window shades and color palette of blues, matching wood tones and white. Simple!

Thank you Jennifer for sending along these photos.

Readers, what do you think?

xo
Coco

WEEKEND PHOTO: WINTER ON THE WATER'S EDGE - EXTERIOR OF A CLASSIC COTTAGE IN THE SNOW!

Photo courtesy of and copyright by Eric Roth of Eric Roth Photography

In the middle of a snowy winter, a classic cottage sits on the waters edge. (above)

I know...the WEEKEND PHOTO is a about a day earlier than usual. Love this photo though and couldn't help it!

Hope you have a great weekend. Stay tuned...as I will probably be posting again before Monday.

It is Superbowl weekend...and unlike last year, when I was totally blase about the Superbowl...this year I am totally invested. My good friends from New Orleans FF and CCF are headed down to Miami to hang out with our friend RBL to lend support to her and the Saints. Who Dat! Go Saints! I am headed to New Orleans next week for Mardi Gras and hopefully to congratulate my friends in New Orleans on a Saints win! New Orleans needs this win.

I may go to San Francisco for the gift fair there this weekend and was just invited to a Superbowl party on Sunday at CS and HW's. Still trying to figure out plans. Hmmm....

Anyhooo....hope you have a great weekend!!!

xo
Coco

REFLECTING ON SOME NEW MIRRORED FURNITURE!

All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

Mirrored circles make Oly's new mirror and metal drum chandelier sparkle on the floor of the New York International Gift Fair this past Sunday. (above)

New from Oly...some classic pieces embellished with antiqued mirror accents to make them sparkle and shine. Eye catching I would say.

These are the only pictures I have of the mirrored furniture...because pretty much the minute I walked into the New York International Gift Fair on Sunday was pretty much the minute my camera's red "battery low" light started flashing. Had to think at the time, " Drat...what's up with that. No. No. No. No. No. No. This canNOT be happening. My camera can't be dying out now. It can't. Hello?" Well it was. I went all the way to New York to see what's new in design and decor...and wanted to share what I saw with readers...only to run out of juice for my camera - tres amateur of me. It was my last day in NYC so I was pretty much out of luck. With only enough time for about 30 photos, I decided to be extremely strategic...and only take photos of new things that I didn't think I could pictures of easily...and things I love. Hence these photos.

This drum chandelier and armchair were in the Oly booth.



This new mirrored ceiling hanging light with brass accents is a spin off version of Oly's much coveted capiz shell Serena drum chandelier. (above)



A tight backed leather upholstered armchair in off white is trimmed with small square antique mirror tiles. I believe this armchair is named the Warner chair..(above)


Like in the case of Jonathan Adler Junior...I forgot to ask names and pricing for this furniture. Smart. Right? That's the way to cover a story! Journalism students take note! Wooohoooo!

Anyhooooo...hope you enjoy even though my photos are few and far between and the information is sparse.

xo
Coco

All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

KIDDIE COUTURE #2: A NEW CLEVERLY CHIC FURNITURE LINE OF MODERN CLASSICS FOR KIDS!

Replicas of 20th Century modern furniture classics from Victoria, Australia based Little Nest. (above)
LOVING EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS LINE OF MINI FURNITURE! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Managed to meet Samantha (Sam) Firestone, the owner of Australian furniture company called Little Nest at the New York International Gift Fair this Sunday. Recognized the furniture after realizing her husband, Richard, had emailed me just days before with an introduction to the company and their line of children's furniture.

Was charmed by Sam because during the hustle and bustle of the fair, she took the time and told me her story. Basically about a year or so ago, Sam and hubby Richard invested their life savings into this furniture company idea - Sam's idea after having kids. Her concept was to shrink down the best of modern furniture design into sizes made for kids. Sam, a designer already, spent months perfecting the designs so that they were exact small sized replicas of the classics. A year after launching successfully in Australia (both online and wholesale), Sam and Richard thankfully are now gracing the U.S. market with their chic children's furniture line. Yipppeeeee!!!!

Anyhooo...was captivated when I browsed their sleek and clean website filled with mini versions of familiar furniture shapes and forms - all 20th century signature furniture classics. Still can't get over the great design and what a good business idea this is!

So when I was walking through the fair and I saw hoards of ladies swarming a booth (Yes, the design fair is basically filled with women swarming...no men really...just a bunch of design focused (obsessed) women who tend to swarm certain furniture finds). As I worked my way through the swarm of women (note, I could have been mistaken for a swarming design lady at that point), I realized I was looking at the ADORABLE furniture I had just seen online earlier that week. I had to confirm this was the exact same line that Richard had emailed me about. So as I managed to escape the swarm, I stood off to the side of the booth and sifted through my messages to find the email Richard had sent. While off to the side, I watched for about five minutes as the design swarm of women ooohhhed and ahhhhhed over this little furniture line...the swarm continued to grow...with very few of the design bees leaving...I wondered how long the swarm would last. After I confirmed this was the right furniture line, met Sam and was on my way out...the swarm was still there. The bottom line was that this line was a hit with the design ladies!

With that said...take a look at this cute line! Also features a table based on an Arne Jacobsen classic, a mini knock off Bertoia, and small sized version whimsical modern chairs by Eero Aarnio (Pony Chair and Ball Chair).

If you have a child, little boy or girl, might be time to introduce them to fine furniture design! Bye bye bean bags and generic kid room furniture...now kids can be modern too!!!


Little Nest - Mini-e - $899 (Based on the famous Eames Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956. Aluminum swivel base, wood shell with walnut veneer, leatherette padding)(above)


Little Nest - Le Club - $425 (White armchair miniature version of Le Corbusier's famed 1928 LC2 chair. Comes in white leatherette with stainless steel tubing frame.)(above)


Little Nest - Madrid - $425 (Children size replica of classic 1927 chair by Mies van de Rohe. In white leatherette with stainless steel base)(above)


Little Nest - The Yolk- $585 (Miniature version of the Arne Jacobsen's classic 1958 Egg Chair. A mid century modern classic re-imagined for children)(above)

GOOD NEWS...if you have kids and are as in love with this furniture as I am...I have some fantastic news for you...

So that nice Sam is offering COCOCOZY readers free shipping for a week ...yes free shipping for a week!!!! If you order any item from Little Nest except the "Giddy Up" chair during this next week, just enter the code SHIP4COCO at check out and shipping will be free!

Thank you Sam and Richard for the information, pictures and the shipping discount for Cococozy readers! It was such a pleasure meeting you!!!

xoxo
Coco

P.S. Did I mention that this line will be carried at Barneys flagship store in New York!

LITTLE LAMP LUSTER!

Hive - Cindy Table Lamp - $273 (Thermoplastic technopolymer iridescent metallic table lamp. Conical shade and teardrop base. For Kartell, a Ferruccio Laviani design, 2009.)(above)

Was browsing through Barneys here in Beverly Hills the other day when I saw this little lamp in person. So cute. I was surprised to find out it is plastic though because had been admiring it for months online and thought it was some sort of shiny polished chrome like metal. Well who cares if it is plastic...it is darling..another fab Kartell design! It stands only 16.5" high and comes in a variety of colors including platinum (silver), bronze, mint green, flamingo (pink), tangerine (orange), ultramarine (blue), gunmetal, violet (purple). A cute little accent light to add some luster and shine to a space!

KIDDIE COUTURE - A FAB FURNITURE LINE FOR KIDS - JONATHAN ADLER JUNIOR!

All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

A miniature children's version of Jonathan Adler's popular Lampert sofa in light blue velvet with white lacquer base and legs. (above)
Was cruising the halls of the New York International Gift Fair and happened upon the Jonathan Adler booth...colorful, cheerful, bright and happy as usual (I say "as usual" as if I have been to a million design fairs and had seen this booth before when in fact I have only been to this show once before and have only seen this booth once before...new rule: if you see something more than once and a minimum of two times and it is similar to what it was like before, you can say "as usual"...so there...solved...).

Anyhoooooo....I couldn't resist stopping into the multiplex booth with its many rooms and settings. Before I stepped foot into the main booth, I noticed a colorful little annex filled with what seemed to be miniature versions of Jonathan Adler furniture. Thought "hmmmm...let me see what this is all about".

Turns out JA (I will be so familiar as to call Jonathan Adler by his initials from here on out) brilliantly decided to shrink down some of his popular home furnishings so babies, kids and children might enjoy too - he calls it Jonahtan Adler Junior! JA's new p.r. maven Starret (love that name) was kind enough to show off the collection to me....and it was worth showing off.

From a new palette of kid room friendly colored zebra rugs, to miniature versions of furniture, to featuring playful animals like giraffes and lions in famed needlepoint pillows, to shrinking down the monogram pillows into junior sizes...kids can now go JA glam too!

Was so excited...forgot to ask when this line will be available in stores and prices...but am sure if you check in at Jonathan Adler's site that info will soon be available.

For now...take a sneak peek at the Jonathan Adler Junior collection:




A cute lion rug! (above)


A mini hot pink velvet upholstered Templeton armchair for kids. (above)


Zebra wool rugs come in light pink and pale blue for kids. (above)








Great furniture and accessories from the Jonathan Adler Jr. collection for the baby room, nursery, toddler's room, boy's room or little girl's room! Moms and dads, mothers and fathers...might be time to add a bit of cool style to your kids' spaces...just might perhaps!

Hope you enjoy!

xo
Coco
All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

WEEKEND PHOTO: LIVING IN STYLE!

Photo courtesy of Carrier and Company

White living room with natural linen upholstered sofa and armchairs featuring a delicate stripe pattern. (above)

Love this living room designed by Carrier and Company! I like the light and airy feel of the space and I love the upholstered furniture - natural linen with a dark stripe. Vintage linen sacks are the de rigeur in home decor...while the sofa and chairs here are probably not covered in actual grainsacks, they have that same feel. LOVE!!!

Am still in NY, went to a fab lunch yesterday with friend JT and her friend Kalyn Johnson (who also has a great style blog) at a place in Tribeca called Landmarc (fantastic), then dinner (only two hours later) with best of friend AM and her hubby JE at Lucky Strike (one of my favorite Soho restaurants), and then off to a cool party at an artist's home, and now it is morning...was supposed to be at the design fair by 8a...not there yet (it is 10:30a and I am still in my PJs...oy). AM's husband JE referred to us as being as slow as a herd of turtles...hmmmm....then he changed it to us moving as slow as a herd of dead turtles...hmmmm (JE has been up and about, dressed, went to Starbucks and got me a tea and AM some coffee, he has taken their 2 year old son to soccer practice (yes soccer practice) and is generally moving...we're still here at the apartment piddling around...). Can't seem to step it up and move fast...AM and I keep talking about celebrity gossip, home decor, random stuff and her cute daughter LE...we are trying to make progress to get out of the house...trying...trying! Okay...well, as soon as I press send on this post...will be off to the Javitz Center with AM and daughter LE...design and decor here we come!

Anyhoooooo.....what do you think of this living room?

xo
Coco

IN SEARCH OF DECOR AND DESIGN FINDS IN NEW YORK CITY!

Photo in this post by Coco of Cococozy

The view of New York City at 7am this morning...! (above)

Helloooooooo....am in the city! Took the red-eye in...why I do this to myself I do not know. When I got out of the airport to take a taxi, I cried. I cried inadvertently actually. It is soooooooo cold here that tears just started pouring out my eyes. I am a true California girl.

I crossed over into Manhattan at about 7am after landing at JFK. Made my way to best friend AM's house where I am staying. AM called me in the taxi and I told her how cold it was, she responded "I wondered how long it would take you to start talking about the cold. I estimated 20 seconds and I was right" (AM is from the North East, I am from California...ever since our college days, she has known that I am perpetually cold...she is the type who wears open toe shoes and sleeveless tops in the dead of an east coast winter. Yin and yang I suppose!). So, when I arrived to AM's lovely Soho apartment, I met her adorable daughter LE who is just 3 months old and who is DARLING, danced with her cute 2 year old son JE Jr. for about half an hour, chatted with AM for about an hour before she left for work, and then rounded out the morning with a nice chat with AM's husband JE.

I have a full day ahead of me...going to stop off at the New York International Gift Fair to see what I can see in textiles today. Don't know where the textiles portion of the fair is...so have to figure that out...hmmm...note to self...before leaving find out address...

TILE FILE: WATER WORKS TO CUT INTRICATE MARBLE MOSAIC TILES!

All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

Inside the Waterworks store on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, CA (above)
Walked into Waterworks on Melrose awhile back and immediately started ooohing and aaahing over all things bath: bath fixtures, fittings, furniture, ceramic tiles, stone, textiles, accessories and apothecary.

The biggest ooooh came out as a I mused over the incredible marble mosaic samples on the wall in the front room.

These tiles are water jet cut - a technology that allows artisans to cut a variety of shapes and forms. Love these!!!


Precision cut mosaic tiles featured on the store wall are part of the exclusive line called Aqualinea. Prices for this line of tiles starts at about $125 per square foot. (above)
Here's a look at a few of these water jet cut marble mosaic samples up close:












Which do you like best?

xo
Coco

All photos in this post by Coco of Cococozy

DESIGN IDEA - WALLPAPER IN KITCHEN CABINETS!

Photos courtesy of Sara Gilbane Interiors

Glass front upper kitchen cabinetry gets an extra zing of design when blue and white wallpaper is added inside the cabinets. (above)

Hmmm...interesting idea...use wallpaper on the inside back panel of glass front kitchen cabinets. In this case, a white and blue kitchen holds true to its color scheme even inside the cabinets. A floral (almost calico) blue and white wallpaper lines the backs of the cabinets making for an interesting and colorful display.

You wouldn't necessarily have to use a floral...imagine a more modern version of this kitchen with Kelly Wearstler's Imperial Trellis print peaking out from behind the glass...or one of these modern and bold Vivienne Westwood wallpaper patterns from Cole & Son (see below).


Vivienne Westwood - Squiggle Wallpaper (above)


Vivienne Westwood - Tartan Plaid Wallpaper (above)


Vivienne Westwood - Shirting Wallpaper (above)


Wide shot of kitchen pantry area shows white cabinets with panel edges painted blue, antique brass hardware and black countertops. If you look closely at the glass front upper cabinets you can see the floral wallpaper peeking out from inside the cabinets! (above)

Could be interesting. A good decorating idea for those of you who are daring enough to give it a try. I think I am too boring to try something like this...but I would certainly applaud the person who does!

What do you think of wallpapering the backs of cabinets? Is wallpaper only for walls or can it successfully be used on any flat surface?

xo

Coco

Photos courtesy of Sara Gilbane Interiors

CHEAP TO CHIC: TRANSPARENT STYLE - THE BEST CLEAR CHAIRS!

yliving - Frilly by Patricia Urquiola - $302 (Presented by Kartell. Polycarbonate side chair with wavy pattern and shape. Weather resistant)(above)

Lucite, polycarbonate, acrylic - are these all ways to say some form of plastic? Anyone? Any scientist/decor junkies? Hellloooooooooooooo?????

Anyhoo...I like a good transparent chair. They come in so many shapes and colors these days. A translucent chair can be a great permanent accent in a room (let's say dining for example)...or just some chairs you pull out for a gathering when one extra guest arrives (that guest who did not RSVP but just shows up)...some of these chairs can even be used outdoors!

Here's today's CHEAP TO CHIC on clear chairs:


Z Gallerie - Aero Side Chair - $149 (Acrylic side chair with chromed tubular steel frame)(above)


cb2- Vapor Chair - $179 (Acrylic and chrome plated steel frame side.)(above)


Modern Dose - Vicki Chair - $185 (Clear acrylic side chair oval back. Stackable)(above)


Weego Home - Thayla Chair - $292 (Side chair comes in clear polycarbonate or mass dyed options)(above)


Hive Modern - La Marie - $305 (Philippe Starck designed polycarbonate side chair. Shown in pale yellow)(above)


Weego Home - Papyrus Chair - $349 (Polycarbonate chair in clear or smooth finish color options. Shown in rust brown) (above)


yliving - Vogue Chair from Spectrum West - $875 (Acrylic chair in orange or clear. Scooped seat back with gently waved top. Tapered legs with cross ties)(above)

Any of these see through chairs stand out to you? Do post and tell!

COOK LIVE DINE ALL IN ONE ROOM - HOW THREE DIFFERENT SPACES FIT INTO ONE NORMAL SIZE ROOM!

All photos in this post courtesy of Angie Hranowsky Design Studio

A living room, dining room and open kitchen all in one room. (above)

Came across the website of Charleston, SC designer Angie Hranowsky this weekend. Her designs are full of fun color and elegantly eclectic combinations of home furnishings and accessories.

Thought this room was tres interesting. I am usually 100% against an open kitchen (100% against it really) but I think this space works (so maybe I am not 100% against..maybe just 99% against and this room is the 1% that is the exception). Maybe it is the sleek and well designed gourmet kitchen that provides a nice backdrop for the living and dining spaces. I think it is the kitchen in fact that is so very cool.


The kitchen is all white with wood floors that carry through to the rest of the space. Modern simple white cabinets, a squared off main center island, and a very dramatic textured tile feature wall with a shiny range hood combine style and function perfectly. (above)


The view from the open kitchen into the living room. (above)


The small dining room is neatly appointed with a mid-century modern style wood dining table, white Bertoia dining chairs, two white cone shaped pendant lights and finished off with a colorful abstract portrait painting.(above)

WEEKEND PHOTO: TIME TO RELAX!

Photo courtesy of Eric Roth


Hope you take the time to relax this weekend. I love this photo...three rocking chairs on a sun porch...overlooking a gorgeous sunny yard. I love the idea of a porch...and I love a great rocking chair. (Do I sound like I am 90? Can't help it though I do like rocking chairs and porches!)

The sun is finally out today...literally and figuratively speaking. We've had days and days of rain here in California...when I woke up this morning, all of the clouds were gone and the sky was bright. After a crazy couple of weeks in weather and some personal challenges, it is definitely time to take a break, time to enjoy the beautiful day, time to relax!

Ahhhh....

FLAWLESS FLORAL DESIGN!

Photos courtesy of Lily Lodge

Plaid enamel plates and cups, a simple white runner and an original centerpiece made of gorgeous orange roses in brown paper bags complete this outdoor lawn picnic table setting for four. (above)

Was in desperate need of the perfect flowers yesterday. Needed to send flowers to someone who was of great help to me this past weekend. A thank you. Challenge was this person lives in Washington D.C. and I live in L.A. The other "challenge" was that I never trust out of area florists...no reason...I just don't...(really logical right?)

For this flower order, I couldn't risk it. Way too important. I needed these flowers to be just right. Nothing too extravagant, something elegant, simple and tasteful. How could I know that a D.C. florist would do the job right...how could I trust (I know...D.C. is a major city filled with competent florists...but I was over thinking the whole thing as I usually do over think things...indulge me please...)?

With perfection in mind, I turned to Ariana Lambert Smeraldo the owner of Los Angeles' swank flower shop called Lily Lodge. I would fly flowers across the country in the dead of winter just so I could be assured of the caliber, quality and design. I knew Ariana's taste in flowers was impeccable and I also knew she offered a service called Flowers in a Box that has flowers delivered in a wonderful box straight to the recipient's door (reminds me of watching old 1950's movies where women received flowers in boxes from their love interests...and also reminds me of my dad - he used to bring home flowers in boxes for my mother, sister and me on Valentine's Day...love this concept)!

Well, of course, Ariana of Lily Lodge had the solution...a lovely box of purple Vanda orchids was shipped off overnight...I got an email from the recipient the next day saying "Wow"! Mission accomplished! (Poor Ariana though had to endure a million emails from me changing my mind, hemming and hawing, wishing and washing on every detail down to the salutation on the card...in the end, I went with what I had first ordered and she had first suggested...Ariana then wisely commented that one should always go with their first instinct.)

Another byproduct of working with Ariana on this flower order was that she gave me permission to use photos from her website...stunning floral arrangements! Yippeee...!

This post features some ideas from Lily Lodge for floral decorations for tabletop entertaining...flowers can make a table standout...whether for a luxe wedding luncheon, a glitzy dinner party or dashing table setting for an afternoon shower...wonderful flower arrangements are the answer!


Garlands of California bay leaves, persimmons, raspberry branches and figs are draped over long tables at an outdoor hillside wedding reception. (above)


White peonies and gardenias in a gold bowl compliment the gold rimmed white china used for this May wedding table.(above)


Green succulents and white dinner plate Dahlias in a vintage silver revere bowl ooze elegance.(above)



Purple New Zealand hydrangea flower arrangements are artfully designed to make a lovely picture for the table at a wedding set in an art gallery. (above and below)





Flowers in a Box from Lily Lodge. (above)


Outside the Lily Lodge store on Robertson Blvd. in Los Angeles, 310.360.9400. (above)

Which centerpiece or table setting is your favorite?

xo
Coco

P.S. These tables look fantastic because of the flowers and because of the "tablescaping". Place settings (plates, forks, knives, glassware etc.) for the first two photos are by Small Masterpiece - a company that focus on tabletop design! How cool is that? Make sure to pay attention to all details when trying to set the perfect table.

Photos courtesy of Lily Lodge