Decorating

Cambria Cove for Luxury Gifts

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Confetti Tumbler Glasses by Rose Ann Hall Design - Set of 4_$50 Confetti Pitcher by Rose Ann Hall Designs_$50

Last week at the Mom 2.0 summit, I was lucky enough to meet the fine folks at Cambria Cove, a new online shop that carries finds from artisans all over the world.  They had a suite filled with some of the fine goods they sell on their site – from stationary to jewelry to home goods. Often I feel gift sites look pretty online, but my purchases disappoint me when I get the product home. But everything I touched, sampled and felt was exquisite! I was enamored by the variety if home products Cambria Cove carried, many of which would make perfect gifts.  BTW – all products arrive all wrapped up in pretty green boxes – ready for gifting.

A few items caught my eye:

Confetti Rocks Pitcher and Glasses by Rose Ann Hall Designs.  This glassware is all hand blown by artisans in the gorgeous town of San Miguel De Allende, Mexico (One of my dream cities)  The glasses had a nice sturdy weight to them, making them the perfect glass for summertime iced tea or a margarita!  This is perfect for wishing away winter blahs. (Pitcher $50, Set of 4 glasses $50)

Perched Pair Soaps by Gianna Rose Atelier_$35

I have written before about my little obsession with Gianna Rose Atellier soaps.  I love their whimsical designs, the lovely scents and luxury feel of the soap itself.  They are nice hostess gifts and add a little sparkle to your bathroom.   I love these soaps!   Cambria Cove carries quite a selection.  These perched turtle dove birds come with this bird bath/soap dish ($35) are scented with hyacinth and tulip.  These Robin Egg Soaps would make a sweet Easter gift ($55).

Robin Egg Soaps in Jar by Gianna Rose Atelier - Large_$55

Sheila - Lookiloos.com

Vintage End Table-Bar Cart Doesn’t Solve Dilemma

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

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Ever watch “What Not to Wear,” where fashion mavens Stacy London and Clinton Kelly give style advice to unwitting fashion faux pas victims, but until the very end of the show, those victims still pick out the least flattering outfits on their shopping sprees?

Well, I kinda feel like I’m one of those victims, when it comes to my home decor dilemma. I’m getting great advice, but I’m not executing well. In my last two Mud Room posts, I have received several comments from loyal readers giving me the thumbs up and thumbs down about solving my end table and lighting issue in my living room. One in particular, from Val at Retro@Home in Emeryville said that because I already have heavy pieces in my smaller living room, I should get a “lighter piece. ..something two-tiered, perhaps with a nice leg detail, and glass topped would open up  the space and compliment your lamp!”

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Well, that sounded good to me, so I stopped by Not Too Shabby on Bascom Avenue in San Jose, and there was a vintage bar cart, or tea cart, in the window. It was glass topped and two tiered! (I felt like I should have a camera crew following me and Clinton and Stacy shrieking in horror as I say how this is exactly what they suggested!)  It has plastic wheels and a Greek gold key motif circling the edge of the oval glass. I liked the idea that it had a retro “Mad Men” feel and had a dual use. I really thought it had possibilities. But just as my first end-table choice was too heavy (and now appears headed for my den), I’m afraid this one seems too light. My husband, Chris, and my parents and a good friend, think the lamp is too heavy on top and the cart seems a little flimsy. What do you think?  I know I can count on you to be honest. It’s only on approval ’til this afternoon!Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

Here are my previous posts on this weighty issue:

Light my Living Room: On a Mission for Style

Retro Furniture Search Ends in Husband’s Ploy for New TV

Valentine’s Weekend Sale of Refreshed, Re-Purposed Decor

Friday, February 12th, 2010

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In a little storefront next to the old Burbank Theater in San Jose, Mary Schlichting Francis is pulling together all her favorite finds that she has recycled, re-purposed and refreshed for a three-day Valentine’s weekend sale.

IMG_0115“I love changing something old and giving it new life,” she said.

The space used to be part of the venerable Stan’s Scuba Shop and has been empty since Stan retired some time ago. Mary first came upon the shop with a friend who was looking for space to open a bakery. But when Mary saw it, she had ideas of her own. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Monday, ”Metamorphix” will be open for business.

She will be selling everything from fresh floral arrangements in vases that she has painted, to vintage leather chairs, daybeads and end tables. Although the shop will only be open this weekend, she hopes to find a nearby space to have periodic sales. So stay tuned!

IMG_0113You can find Metamorphix at 554 Bascom Avenue.Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

You can see a story and photo shoot Lookiloos did of Mary’s garden patio by clicking here.

 

LAMA Designs- Home goods from Argentina

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

pinkladypillows

While at the ALT Design summit last month, I had the pleasure of meeting Bay Area local Christine Martinez, the force behind LAMA designs. She wanted to bring the beautiful trinkets and home goods she discovered on her adventures to Latin America to the United States.  There is a nice mix of kitchen goods, home decor, accessories and paper goods with great stories to tell from far off lands on this online shop.

evitaboxesI was immediately drawn to two items hailing from Argentina. I am entranced by stories of strong women.   Hence storage boxes covered in images of the infamous Evita Peron are sure to bring style and spunk to any desk or craft table. (Set of 4 boxes $38.00)

I am also in major want of this set of lovely cotton pillows made by Argentine design duo Coty Larguia and Eugenia Troncoso. These sweet accessories are perfect for both a child’s room or some place more sophisticated, sans Sponge Bob. ($56 .00 each)

Sheila Looking Left - Lookiloos

Retro Furniture Search Turns into Husband’s Ploy for New TV

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
A false start on an end table, but possibilities abound. Nice lamp, eh?

A false start on an end table, but possibilities abound. Nice lamp, eh?

Let me ask you this: How can my simple quest for an end table for my living room turn into my husband measuring for a flat screen TV in the den?

For those of you who have any interest in following my little design dilemma, here is the latest: So, I’ve been a bit obsessive lately about finding an end table as a perch to add more lighting in my small living room. And I had the idea that it would be a stylish little thing, maybe channeling a little retro Kelly Wearstler. Well, after a jaunt last weekend to Move it Elsewhere in San Jose, a huge warehouse  that bills itself as a giant estate sale, I brought something home.  It’s a 1960s-era solid walnut credenza, with geometric carve-outs. It was one of two matching pieces, both with removable book cases on top. I hemmed and hawed for more than an hour before I loaded the solo piece into the station wagon. I took the legs off so it wouldn’t be too tall to sit next to the couch. I swapped my grandmother’s lamp from my parent’s attic with the  cool silver one from the den that I actually spent money on and set it on top. (I took designer Kathi Mann’s comments from my last story to heart, adding a little shimmer to the dark living room…)

Looks better with legs, doesn't it? Could this whole thing go in the den?

Looks better with legs, doesn't it? Could this whole thing go in the den?

I waited anxiously to see  Chris’ reaction.  Boy, can the truth hurt. “Too big for the space. Too clunky,” he said. Now, I’m not that unreasonable. And  I acknowlege that it lost a fair amount of its grace without the legs. But I really like it! And it was a bargain. Did I have to take it back? Was there another spot in our 1,900-square-foot house for it?

Well, in the span of a few minutes, Chris was measuring the wall of our tiny den, not only for the credenza and its mate, plus the bookcases, but a flat screen TV to span them both.   Do we need a flat screen TV? No. Do we need a credenza for the den? That wasn’t on my priority list. (The Ikea cabinetry holding the old TV isn’t that great, but it’s not a focal point for the rest of the house.)

Still, would I love to have both credenzas and book cases? Yes. Would that add style to the frumpy den? I think so. And would I concede to a new TV to make that happen? Quite possibly.

There’s only one problem. I still don’t have an end table.

Julia Looking Left - LookiloosIf you missed it, here was my first post about my lighting dilemma:

Light My Living Room: On A Mission for Style

Light my Living Room: On a Mission for Style

Friday, February 5th, 2010
My living room. I've since moved lamp into corner.

My living room. I've since moved lamp into corner.

I’m on a mission.  I need more lighting in my living room. (Even this photo is dark!) The only lighting is lamps — and since we’re not going to do any budget-busting recessed cans, I’m looking for more lamps and end tables (or a slim sofa table) for them. I’m heading to Move It Elsewhere in San Jose today (a giant estate sales open only one weekend a month), hitting up the annual St. Christopher Antique Show, and checking out Emily Joubert home and garden in Woodside, which is donating its proceeds from this weekend to Haiti relief efforts.

Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong!

Asian-style credenza with leopard skin lamp

Asian-style credenza with leopard skin lamp

The problem is, I’m in the midst of a decorating identity crisis. It’s just too easy to call myself eclectic. I consider myself a modern girl who loves clean lines (I’m an architect’s daughter afterall!). But look at my living room and you’d never know it. Still, it’s filled with things I love: an antique jewel-tone rug in reds and golds, a faded brown Belgian tapestry behind my French writing desk, and a black credenza with an Asian-style fretwork motif. I even love the lamps I have, including my grandfather’s cloisonne floor lamp, a small marble lamp with a leopard skin shade (from our days in Dallas), and a tall table lamp with a funky mid-century shade in gold and white I salvaged from a throw-away bin. Love it! (I even repainted a rattan chair from white to black that my mom sent me away to college with.)  

My crisis continues when I try to figure out just what look I’m going for here. I get so excited about vintage mid-century and ’60s things. I go ga-ga over Kelly Wearstler, who can take a 1970s heavily carved buffet table, paint it lime green and voila! But I need to get down to business. So, I’m looking for end tables on which to place lamps. I saw some at Not too Shabby in San Jose — bright gold boxes with glass tops (so Wearstler, I thought) but when I came back a week later, they were gone, of course. I saw some white Asian-style end tables, kind of retro, but they might be too stark.

A Kelly Wearstler living room. Why do I see myself as this?

A Kelly Wearstler living room. Why do I see myself as this?

And here’s the red herring. Out of my parent’s attic came a lamp from my grandmother — a 20-pound ceramic-but-looks-like-wood painted piece from the 50s or 60s probably with one of those huge conical shades. I’m thinking sentimental funky, and maybe that’s a good thing.  Take a look and tell me if I’m crazy to keep it. Or, perhaps with a new shade, someone might say, “You can pull it off, girl!”

The lamp from the attic. Be honest! (but remember it was my grandmother's)

The lamp from the attic. Be honest! (but remember it was my grandmother's)

I need help. Serious help.  

 

  Julia Looking Right - Lookiloos

Prairie-Style House Gets Modern Makeover

Friday, January 29th, 2010

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Hillary Fox and Matt Jacobs had lived in their 1920s Prairie-style home in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood for eight years before they remodeled. They loved the bones of the house, but they had to walk through a warren of rooms to get to the dark, galley kitchen.

4171100966_8a3c11ea47_b“We wanted to open it up with more light,” Hillary said. And she wanted it to be more modern, “but consistent with the principles of the house.”

Two years ago, they started the remodel. With two living rooms, they turned one into a dining room.

In the kitchen, they opened walls and added a new family room that stepped up their hillside lot. That gave them more space for their growing family.

4170346307_1d0a84c2a8_bThe couple love clean lines and neutral colors. In the kitchen, they installed white Caesarstone countertops with translucent, white glass subway tiles, then added red-topped stools for a splash of color. They opened their home to the Rockridge Kitchen Tour last fall.

The family decorated with Matt’s original paintings, inspired by Modigliani.

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

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Indie Fixx Galleria: A place for Unique Finds

Monday, January 25th, 2010
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Vintage Shot Glasses

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Tasha McKelvey Bowl

I am a huge fan of finding things for my home that either has a great story or is a super unique find. One of favorite sites to spy decor fit for the hippest casas is Indie Fixx Galleria, an online showcase of handmade, indie-made & vintage goods.  Whether you are on the hunt for a fine art prints, pottery or vintage wall hooks you are sure to find something here to tickle your fancy.   These are a few things that I am loving this week:

Pillows

Pillows

Handmade Pottery Bird Bowl by Tasha McKelvey This cute little bowl would be so perfect for new love birds (read engagement gift) or just something to remind you that spring is just around the corner! $60.00

I love things “mid century cool”, so I was enamored by the delights at the Sunny Day Vintage shop. I love these houndstooth shot glasses and this vintage Rules of my Kitchen plaque.

I am a sucker for pillows that bring a pop of color to my sofa or bed. My fave is the Red Bird on the Branch. Freshline Illustration &Design is a whimsical shop filled with many one-of-a-kind items.  They offer free shipping as well!

Birds of a Feather Hook

Monkey and Squirrel Shop: Bird of a feather Wall Hook – These  little cast iron bird hook is  “for hanging your keys, towels, cardigans, or vintage scarf”.  Perfect for when you want to hang things with some style!  Their online shop is full of whimsical goodies for you and your home.

Sheila - Lookiloos.com

Original artwork adds zest to decor

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

chairs-table

Catherine Richardson is a former editor at  Architectural Digest with a penchant for interior design and decorative objects.  Erin Lee Gafill is an artist from Big Sur who paints impressionist landscapes along the California coastline.  When Catherine discovered Erin’s artwork at a gallery of the famed Nepenthe restaurant, which Erin’s family has owned since it opened in the late 1940s, a creative collaboration began. Red-Wall

“I wanted to incorporate beautiful works of art along with beautiful objects to place in people’s homes,” said Catherine, whose design business is called “For Love of Home.”  (www.forloveofhome.net) When she came up with the idea to have seasonal shows in the backyard and tiny cottage of her southern California home,  showcasing vignettes of antiques and vintage pieces she had collected, she called Erin for help.

“I told her my theme and the colors I was using and asked her if she wanted to send beautiful little artworks,” she said.

And that’s when the fun begins. Together, they place Erin’s work in groupings on tabletops or a ladie’s desk, for instance, “that best show the quality of her work and work with interior spaces and sacred vignettes we’ve created,” Catherine said.

OrchidWith Erin’s paintings,  she artfully arranges Chinese and French porcelain, mid-centery Italian artglass, special Buddahs and other decorative pieces. She invites her friends and clients, who often are so inspired they want to bring home the entire vignette.

“It’s joyful. We love what we work with,” Catherine said. “It’s a labor of love.”

(to see more of Erin’s work, go to www.eringafill.com  Photos by Tom Birmingham.)

You might also enjoy these stories:

Nepenthe Turns 60Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

Before and After:Touch of Modern Art in Traditional Space

Get Lost in Brick Monkey

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

* Ball Pillow Getting lost drives me nuts. I hate it. I always stress about keeping my clients waiting and I don’t really care to be spending any extra time wandering around trying to figure out if I’m headed in the right direction.  But on this particular day, I found myself lost.  I was supposed to be in a very nice residential area of Redwood City and instead,  cow paintingI found myself in the middle of downtown Redwood City.  So I’m trying to find my way back to the street I need and something catches my eye.  A gorgeous red brick building and on that building there was a sign  — Brick Monkey.

What the heck is that?  Wait, what’s that in the window?  I loop around the block to check it out. It’s an interior design shop. Yippee! And it looks so wonderful.  Now, of course my client is waiting, so I can’t stop now.  I find my way  and finish my photo shoot.  I ask my client, “Have you been to the Brick Monkey?”  She had not, but heard they had some wonderful things.  So, I pack up my gear and I head back down to the Brick Monkey.  I crossed that threshold and instantly felt like a kid in a candy shop.

I have so many favorite things I wish I could have brought home with me. The cow painting at $395 is to die for and the turquoise sofa so inviting, so calming,  it chases my winter blues away.  Another one of my Modern Leather Chairsfavorites is this set of metal nesting tables for $1350.00 and let’s not forget these fabulous chairs.  I love the geometric shapes of the leather.  Now here is the best part—Brick Monkey is having their very first factory floor sale!  All of their custom metal furniture will be up to 70% off.  Metal Nesting TablesSo mark your calendars for January 23rd and 24th.  Be sure to come prepared with a large vehicle and moving pads to bring your one-of-a kind treasure home.  Trust me on this. Bring a big car.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been caught in the wrong vehicle.  Once a year,  designer Stephanie Kolkka, a Brick Monkey partner and the metal-smith( who created those wonderful nesting tables) clears out her Napa Valley studio to make way for new designs.  Expect great savings and wonderful finds.  OK, I’m putting this out there— I’m up for the floor sale! Who else wants to make the trip? I’ll drive and I’ve got a big suburban. Let me know. We could meet for coffee  (Peet’s preferably) and then some serious shopping! C’mon it’s twenty ten and we all could use a dose of fresh!  Comment here or drop me an email—desiree@lookiloos.com

Brick Monkey

2400 Broadway
Redwood City, CA 94063
650.260.1155

Desiree Looking Left - Lookiloos

Here’s the complete slideshow:

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