Spring Edition

Spring is a time for birth, renewal, freshness, and the amazing energy that comes from seeing bright green leaves unfurl and fragrant blossoms bursting with their tempting scents!  I have been so inspired lately by the lengthening and warming days - and it seems like there is a lot that's fresh and exciting on the design & fashion scene, too:

GR Home/University Village neighborhood

Brainchild of Graciela Rutkowski and overseen by the stellar Diana Paradis, this breathtakingly beautiful store is a necessary indulgence.

Not only does GR Home have gorgeous wares (found objects, the best furniture for all rooms in the home, unique accessories) but these women are obviously having fun.  Shopping here is a mini party - but all business, of course.

Many of the lines we designers have come to know and love are found here:  Lee, Hickory Chair, Rosanna, Arte Italica, and a bevy of stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Gracious House to Home

Near GR Home is Gracious House to Home - wonderful "almost antique"furniture, jewelry, vintage table wear - there's a lot to decide among here.  Tracy and Deirdre are knowledgeable and friendly - great stuff!  Gracious House to Home, near U Village.

Altstadt Interiors


I've written before about this jam-packed consignment store and interior design firm, also near U Village (is there a trend here?) and their incredible finds.   But time to revisit!

I recently helped my son furnish his 100-year old studio apartment near downtown Seattle (more on that in a subsequent post) almost entirely from Altstadt Interiors:  this Deco bed frame, a vintage 9 x 12 Oriental rug (virtually wall-to-wall in his space), deco sofa, etc.  Budgets were spared and it was an adventure in shopping!

  
Inspiring Fashion

Not to rush things, since summer isn't even here yet, but I am head over heels in love with this look for fall 2012 from Dior: 

....and this current "Street Chic" item spotted on the streets of Paris by Elle Decor...

Details

For those who love innovative design as well as traveling abroad, some of the most fun pages to peruse are found at MODULE-R.com.  Are these the most exuberant dual voltage adapters, or what?  And they'd be easy to find in luggage.....

 Or, how about this Highland Court fabrics advertisement?  Stunning!

Books

I'm intrigued by a new design book called, "Be your own decorator", by Susanna Salk, published by Rizzoli.

My eye was initially caught by the cover because it's actually the same photo - of a Paris apartment, naturellement! - that I ripped from a magazine and pasted to my Vision Board a while back.

But this excerpt from Ms Salk drew me in:  "Unlike many artists in other mediums, interior designers never hoard their secrets.  They are a gloriously generous bunch, much more concerned with making the world a more beautiful and livable place than worrying about whose idea it was to put that vase over there."

Mais, oui!