chillin' southbeach style

Happy Summer 2012!

via

Big Major Cay plus Florida

swimming with pigs

 looking good, Florida (my new home state) !

intoxicating vignette

curves and texture

always put some x's in your design plan

tortoise and blue and white pottery can't be beat

lighting that would make cereal and dry toast seem like dining at the Ritz

golden bundle of logs box

fantasy in green leather and brass studs

 Design Center, Fort Lauderdale via Urban Grace - The Blog

2012 Blog Fest

attendees

Sadly, not me, because I didn't even know about it. Wow...maybe next year.

where they will be staying

Ace hotel in NYC and meeting other designers - can't believe I'm not going...

agenda

Thom Filicia, among other things...

Next year. There's still time to achieve the remnant of our dreams.

This model is 80.

REVENGE

The TV stand cleverly built into a niche in

Emily's bedroom on the hit show Revenge!

Love this show and the interior shots

of gorgeous homes they portray.

Inspirations

Pinterest is not going anywhere,

so wanted to give you a link

to my 'Pins".

Here you will find exciting 'DATA'

about paint colors, how to camouflage televisions,

gardening ideas, photography tips, how to make things, 

house plans, some pretty fabulous recipes and more!

Have fun dreaming and pinning!

Click Here.

Love this idea. On the wall facing your patio maybe?

Gotta Serve Somebody

Have a Happy Holy Week everyone. 

Bless you.

The Best Television is a Hidden Television

This posting has to do with hiding televisions in some of our most favorite rooms. I'm showing the beloved television in settings that are not located front and center in gigantic entertainment units, but sort of strategically inserted into their surroundings, using paint and placement as the camouflage. I tried not to select the generic "slap a flat screen over the fireplace" technique so common in home after home nowadays. Here's hoping you will find a clever ways to include the television into your home, but not to the exclusion of conversation, reading and game playing in your seating areas. Long live our most cherished friend - the squawk box, as I affectionately call it! Don't flaunt it, hide it!

Flower arrangement and small picture frames minimizing it's presence. 

Celerie Kimble

There she is, on the far wall with a nice, fat frame around her in a most elegant, two room salon. Wait a minute, is that a mirror?

In the breakfast room, snuggled into a bookshelf, this time with luscious, 

off white trim work, minimizing the black finish.

 

My favorite placement for a television is against a black backdrop,

 here with lots of artwork and plants to mesmerize the senses.

You might say they slapped a flat screen on the wall and called it a day. 

They did, and it is spectacular.

Black on black.

Not everybody gets a view, but most do.

Again, the black on black downplays the television in this most congenial bedroom.

 Reading, watching and sleeping - all done with ease here.

Lots of brightly colored ceramics and artwork to accompany her royal highness in black.

Nate Berkus

There are lots of this design out there. 

White walls and flat screen over the fireplace. 

Why did I post this one?

Cuz it's a kick ass room.

Take a two drawer dresser, paint it the deepest black and place atop a flat screen, all the while bringing in loads of lighter tones of white, gray, gold, and yellow and yep, it works. 

Notice the black finishes sort of scattered all through out the room. Wow. 

Most publicized room on the web, hands down. 

TV on one side in an armoire and conversation area on the other.

This one's a sneaker - it's over by the window on the bookshelf. 

Again, conversation and other activities rule this room.

Just cool.

"Cottage-ee" with the little paint strips to look like shutters. Saaweet!

Paint the inside of a small armoire with vivid paint and 

place a couple of slipper chairs in front,

 keeping the focus on conversation in this room.

Sara Jessica Parker and "Mr. Big", Sex and the City

The matching fabric in this television room is just fabulous 

and the huge television hidden in the built ins is an after thought.

But, can someone pop some popcorn? I've got a film to watch.

First of all, to have a spare room to set up for a television room is just the biggest luxury. 

And I'm a huge fan of the flat screen over a credenza, especially ones that are both white.

Bring on the books!

Television in office/sitting room on bookshelf amidst hanging artwork.

Palm Beach, Florida rocks the 'look' and hides the TV while they're at it.

For solo tv watching, maybe for the cook to take a break.

Here's an idea - take a credenza and place a petite tv 'inside' the unit and artwork on top

 - talk about undercover!

Apartment Therapy

Found this great idea where homeowner has run the wires and cables behind the trim to the right and down to the outlets. She uses skinny brad nails instead of caulking the trim down permanent. 

Via

Simply place a decorative frame around flat screen for some pizzazz.

Via

Lake House Dreams in Palm Springs

I ran across an interesting blog via Pinterest of course. It's named Hollywood forever, Kevin. Boy bloggers are something of a unicorn sighting, and coupled with the Hollywood, California mystique, I knew I had probably found a winner. I happen to like the look of the three S's - Stucco, Spanish Revival and Southern California cool. It's that certain je ne sais quoi that is easy to recognize but hard to describe. He recently posted pictures of a resort property he designed in Palm Springs named Villa Dell Valle that is serving as an inspirational starting point for me on a Lake House I'll be designing, if things go well in the near future. It's the same design style that I'm looking for, just a little bit inland! 

English sofa, club chairs, symmetrical and cozy around the fireplace. 

 Big roomy seating, for at least 6 people to spread out. 

The wicker club chairs are the bomb and the leather wing back with ottoman! 

Heavenly.

 Love the bench and matching art work. 

 Lush and beautiful gardens, and the chaise? Please pass the Sangria.

 Easy indoor/outdoor living and dining.

Honey, I'm home!

Postscript:

This last picture is from Kevin's garden area at his home and I just love the hanging pots around the old rugged cross.

~~~~~  

This post doesn't even scratch the surface of Kevin's artistic personality and design style. I will be dropping by his site frequently to see what treasures he unearths in the great Hollywood basin, such as a

Steampunk Doll

 or a Bad Ass Birdhouse

Thanks, Kevin! You've been a delight.