Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

What I’m loving …

It’s hard to believe that our first real snow didn’t come until February this year … I secretly love the cold snowy days when you are forced to stay warm and cozy indoors.  This past weekend I logged a few hours online as I watched the flakes fall outside my window and came across quite few new things to love …

So I hope you don’t mind this fairly random post, but I thought I’d share them with you here.

This is the time of year where I am so craving indoor plants … there’s no more holiday greenery and there’s nothing pretty outside either. Having little pots and vases around the house makes me happy. I really love the collection of interesting planters I found at Terrain …

I also totally love this idea I found over at Jones Design Company for turning a tea towel into fun kitchen art.

 
You can read the whole article here.

Did you know that online retailer and catalog company Horchow is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary? They’ve brought in Sally Horchow the original founder’s daughter to give the brand fresh new look.

 
It was fun to peruse around their site and see some new products, bright colors and fun prints.
 

Over on Design Chic, I loved their post about sisal stair runners … I’ve always thought this was a clean, sophisticated look.  Here are a couple of my favorite examples.

 
 
 
Finally, have you all heard of Mark & Graham?
 

It’s a new brand under the Williams Sonoma parent company that offers a really fun assortment of personalized and monogrammed items … everything from bar ware:

 
to linens …
 
to jewelry …
 
 
pillows and throws …
 
 
even the cutest paperweights …
 
 
What about you? What have you been swooning over online?
 

Operation Sandy Hook

 I saw this on Emily’s blog earlier today and wanted to share with you all. Check out this collection of sweet, whimsical prints compiled by the women Small Fry and the flash sale site Brickyard Buffalo to show their support for Newtown, CT. Each print is only $5 and you will be emailed an electronic file within 2 days.  All of the proceeds will go to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund through United Way. 

 
I’m about to order this one …
 
 
 
Isn’t that the truth?
 
Just click here to view all of the prints. The sale runs through Dec. 26th.
 
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!  I’m signing off until next year, but just want to thank all of my loyal readers for checking in with Swoon all year and for all of your great comments and feedback. It truly means a lot to me.
 
Hug your loved ones tight and enjoy the magical moments the holidays bring your way!
 
 
 
 

Unexpected Shopping Sources

 
 
 Sometimes when you are trying to design on a tighter budget, you have to get creative. You have to seek out unexpected sources for art, lamps, furniture, rugs, etc. It takes a little extra digging, but can lead to some seriously swoonworthy finds.
 
I bet you’d never guess where some of these pretty things are from …
 
First clue: While it’s no secret that kids’ rooms have become WAY more sophisticated than when we were growing up … sometimes shopping those stores designated just for kids can yield some beautiful pieces that are actually quite adult.
 
Restoration Hardware Baby + Kids Dandelion Art

Restoration Hardware Baby + Kids French Naval Clock
PBTeen Teardrop Chandelier
PBTeen Mercury Glass Accessories
How many of you think of Urban Outfitters as kind of an edgy, I might-be-too-old-for-it, there’s-nothing-in-it-for-me store? Think again.

Urban Outfitters Zigzag rug

 
 
Urban Outfitters Brass Leaf Side Table

Did you ever consider that you might find just what you’re looking for at a hardware store?
Lowe’s Baxton Studio White Table

Lowe’s Pewter Chandelier
 
Even some older stores and brands known more for their clothing are branching out into home decor items … with very on-trend pieces and budget-friendly prices.
Land’s End Ikat Pillow Cover

JcPenny Antiquus Lamp
JcPenny Versailles Mirrored Chest

So what do you think? Time to think outside the box?

My little gallery …

I finally did it.

If you read my post, Creating Your Own Gallery Wall, you may remember that I have been collecting pieces to create my own art gallery-inspired wall. I recently had a few things reframed and yesterday I decided that they have been languishing up in a spare closet for too long. So I got out my hammer and nails and got to work.
I’m really happy with the results.  It’s just a mix of things that make me happy … travel and nature inspired, Venice, Paris, a vintage postcard here, an old map there, a childhood sketch of mine … 

It didn’t even take all that long … I roughly laid them out on the floor in the layout I wanted, hung the two largest pieces first then played around with the rest.
I see this wall right when I step out of my bedroom in the morning and now it makes me smile.
It can also be seen from our main living area as you look up the staircase.

To read about some of my favorite examples of gallery walls and my sources for great art, click here.

Creating your own Gallery Wall

My blog is feeling a little neglected lately and I don’t blame it. Summer, travel, kids and sunshine are not conducive to sitting at a computer! So please forgive the infrequent posts this summer … I have been spending what free time I have on client work but also enjoying time with my boys and the pleasures of summer. I know the time will come all too soon when we are back inside for most of the day and I do not want to wish this time away!
Since it was SO hot today, I did manage to get a few things done around the house while we enjoyed the comforts of nice cold air-conditioning.
I was looking through some of my files and was reminded that I have literally dozens upon dozens of pictures I’ve saved over the years of art gallery style walls that have made me swoon. I’ll share a handful of my favorites with you here … some of them I don’t even have sources for, but they are all exquisite nonetheless. Dining rooms, stairwells, bedrooms, living rooms, I love them all.
Chicago Home+Garden

 To me, the more haphazard the better. I love a mix of different colors, frames, sizes, paintings, sketches, traditional and modern art.

Domino

Cookie Magazine

Check out Kate Spade’s New York apartment … each room is an art gallery in and of itself …
Kate Spade’s NYC apartment

Kate Spade’s NYC apartment

 I LOVE these black and white botanical prints.

Kate Spade’s NYC apartment

Another interesting mix of styles and frames …

 Add in a mirror …

via Decorpad

 Or keep it all black and white …

DIY ideas

 Love this for a young girl’s room …

via Houzz

 And what a way to make a statement in your foyer …

Pure Style Home
So I’ve been slowly collecting some pieces for my own art wall. I decided to pull them out today and play around with them a bit to see how I might put it all together.

These are pieces I’ve found in stores, art fairs, online, etc. that spoke to me in some way. As with all art, I think the most important thing is to make it personal.  Some of my pieces are travel inspired … a painting of Paris, European architecture …
I loved the original frame on this vintage watercolor.

I like to look for tiny art as well … perfect for nestling in between bigger pieces. I found the original painting of a farmer’s market and the feather both on Etsy.
It’s also nice to mix in a few nontraditional pieces.  I love the 3D quality of this vintage keyhole and pair of keys. Set on a beautiful background with just the right frame they too become art. (These were an Etsy find as well.)
I might even add in one of my own pieces. This is a chalk drawing I drew when I was in 3rd grade that my parents had framed and recently gave back to me.

 

Like I mentioned … I like to have a quite a mix. Black and white sketches paired with vibrant oil paintings …
So where and when am I going to hang this art wall? Well, therein lies the problem.
I haven’t quite settled on the place.  I am torn between this wall along our staircase …

Or holding off until we redo our dining room. I also think I’d still like to add a few pieces … I’d like something with a person or people. I think part of me enjoys searching for pieces so much that I’m not quite ready to commit to finished display. But that’s one of the great things about it … you can swap things out or tuck new things in as you find them.
If you are interested in creating your own art wall I’d suggest first going through your own home and picking out some favorite pieces.  Also keep an eye out at art fairs or smaller boutique home stores … especially for smaller pieces that usually are fairly affordable.  Periodically get on Etsy and search original oil painting, vintage painting, framed art, black and white sketch … you get the idea. It will take some time to sift through the results … but something may pop out at you and it is an easy investment. I am always pleasantly surprised by the quality of original artwork on Etsy.  And many of the shops specializing in vintage often have wonderful old art in its original frames … a great way to give your collection an “inherited” look. (Inherited art just sounds like it’s worth a lot of money, doesn’t it?)
Also check out Vintage Printable and the New York Public Library Digital Gallery for a huge collection of searchable art you can print right from your own computer and frame however you want.
I’d love to see what you have done to create a gallery style wall in your home … I’ll add it to my collection of inspiration photos and share the best here on my blog.
Have a good week!