Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

Friday Foursome

Welcome to this week’s Friday Foursome, where I share a few of the things that made me swoon over the past week.

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I’m always excited to come across a new wallpaper brand – and I love the charming prints created by artist Marthe Armitage in her English studio.

MA5

The best part – she is 86!

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There are so many unique and whimsical patterns. But even if you can’t find the right space to use her wallpaper -you can get a little sample by purchasing one of the Jo Malone products she collaborated on. marthe-jo-bath-oil-large_transvM2WFVaXGCcglIGy6zUqRvUdtlPqjh3KKG9pWgLOV9E

How sweet is this packaging? Mother’s Day gift idea?

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joanna

It seems that everything Joanna Gaines touches turns to gold lately, doesn’t it?  I’m sure that’s going to be the case with her new line of Loloi rugs.

loloi

These are just a few of my favorites. I love working with Loloi rugs – so please contact me if you are interested in these or any of her rugs, pillows or throws.

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And speaking of Fixer-Upper’s – no this is not a European villa – it is Gwyneth Paltrow’s new “fixer-upper” in Santa Barbara, CA.

 

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atwood

I’ve clearly got textiles on the brain today – loving this sneak peek Rebecca Atwood shared on Instagram of her new line of hand-dyed one-of-a-kind quilts!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful Mom’s out there! Excited to spend the day with my Mom and Sis today visiting all our favorite shops in Geneva … with lunch at Bien Trucha – of course!

Friday Finds – Turkish Rugs

Happy Friday!  With two sick kids at home this week I have been fairly homebound. While they sleep I have been online swooning over Turkish Rugs.  Maybe it’s the cabin fever and snow on the ground that has me craving some bright warm color – but seriously – aren’t some of these rugs just gorgeous?

 

(Amanda Peet’s house featured in Vogue)

 

 

Studio McGee
Apt 34
In an entry, a kitchen, a bathroom – they work almost anywhere. But as you can see, the key to these beautiful room is keeping the walls light and bright – and really letting the rugs be the star of the show.
Apartment Therapy

 

via Pinterest

 

Kate Marker Interiors

 

Ikea

 

Lonny
Truly, these rugs are works of art for the floor.

 

Apartment Therapy
So where do you find these rugs?  Surprisingly, it’s not that hard. And they don’t have to break the bank either.  An easy search of Turkish rug or Turkish Kilim rug on Ebay and Etsy turns up a bounty of beauties!
On Ebay:
From Turkish Kilim Store
From eCarpet Gallery
From eCarpet Gallery
From Gallery99
On Etsy:
from ZaferCarpet
from WovenResource
from KilimBazaar
from YourRugStore
And yep, even Ikea has a fun and colorful version, as you saw in my example above from the Ikea blog.
Kattrup rug – Ikea
I am debating how I might use one of these in my own house.  I like the idea of using a runner in our upstairs hallway or a smaller one in our kitchen in front of the sink. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

… and uh, Merry Christmas too! Between the holidays and the kids-home-from-school-cold-days, it’s been awhile!

Hopefully you all had a little R&R during the holidays!  Now, let’s start the New Year off right! I’ve got lots of client appointments lined up for January already … it’s a great time to make a fresh start. And since we’re spending so much time inside these rooms of our homes this time of year, it’s only natural to start picking apart the things you don’t like and look for ways to make a change.

I thought I’d share a few things on my radar lately … maybe they will inspire you to make some little “change-ups” around your house!

I am loving these bath towels from Kassatex … darn, would have been a great Christmas present idea!

 
Speaking of Christmas presents, after 16 years, we finally decided to retire the everyday dishes we registered for at our wedding. My parents, in-laws and sister were kind enough to help me collect a new set for Christmas!  I did a lot looking before I finally settled on these:
 
 
It’s the Marin White Dinner Collection from Crate & Barrel. I really liked the kind of uneven gray edge that gives it a unique, organic feel. I also wanted a set that came with a large wide bowl (they call it a pasta bowl). We use this size a lot for soups, meal-size salads, chili … and, of course, pasta!
 
 
 
 
Now that your dining room table is cleared of Holiday centerpieces … what about designing a custom table runner at Loom Décor? You can select your fabric and border from a great selection of gorgeous prints and even some metallic solids.
 
 
I’m also loving the glass and Lucite hardware at this fun French site.
 

 
Maybe the males in my house are rubbing off on me, but I love this blue, locker-inspired cabinet from Ikea … and it is only $99!  I would use it as little media cabinet in a basement family room or for craft storage in a kid’s playroom.
 
 
Another great steal … this coffee table from West Elm. I love the mix of wood and metal. Kid-friendly with the rounded edges!
 
 
I also have many dog-eared pages from some of my favorite magazines …
 
This light fixture from Urban Electric caught my eye … it feels unexpected in this room, but I kind of like that.
 
Campion Chandelier
 
I’m also kind of digging this rug from Kravet.
 
Kravet Fine Facet Rug
 
 
Finally, are things feeling a little bare at your house now that all the greenery of the holidays is gone?  Terrain has some nice preserved and faux options to bring a little life and color to your house and help us all get through these winter months!
 
Adiantum Fern Bunch
 

Dogwood Branches
 
 

Faux Blooms Bunch
 And last, but not least … while many people like add a fur throw or pillow this time of year, we decided to add something else a little furry …
 
 
 His name is Pancake and is he 7 months old!  He was rescued from a rough neighborhood in the city, but seems to like his new home.
 
 
 He also likes to follow our 15 year old cat, Luke, everywhere he goes.  Luke is a good sport, but sometimes he needs a little separation.
 
 
We are super excited to have this little guy pitter-pattering around the house … one of our best home additions yet!
 
 
 

Rockin’ the Moroccan Look

I am looking for a new rug for our family room and while I’ve looked at and considered many, many, many, many (many!) options, I keep coming back to a Moroccan Berber style rug.

I’ve had this picture on my “Inspiration Wall” in my office for months now …

 
It’s from the California home of Corbin Bernsen and Amanda Pays featured in Country Living and (unfortunately for me) the article says she got the rug in Marrakesh.
 
Hmmm. How can I get to Marrakesh?
 
I think these Moroccan style rugs are a great alternative to heavier traditional ones. The lightness and subtle pattern make them versatile and easy to coordinate with a variety of design styles. Plus, unlike many of the natural jute and sisal rugs that are popular for the same reason, these are typically super soft and cozy underfoot.
 
The Moroccan rug designs of which I speak are from the Beni Ourain people, who comprise 17 Berber tribes from North Africa. These rugs have distinctive designs, which range from ordered geometric shapes to more free-form, expressive patterns. They almost always are in a neutral palette (usually they have an ivory background with brown or black geometric lines), and they have a shaggy pile. Never intended to be decorative objects, the rugs were originally woven for practical purposes: It is cold in the mountains, so they were used for blankets, shawls and bed covers.
 
My favorites are the ones with just a simple, subtle large scale diamond pattern that aren’t too shaggy.
 
 Wouldn’t you agree these rooms are all rockin’ the Moroccan look …
 

 
Emily Henderson for Design Love Fest
Erika Brechtel
 
 
There are some that are a little more funky too …
 
Jenna Lyons Brooklyn office in British Vogue
 
Pinterest

1st Dibs
 
Original Beni Ourani rugs cost a small fortune so, aside from hopping the Atlantic, where can you find great reproductions?
 
 
Restoration Hardware features some in their catalogs … although when I checked them out in-store they were much shaggier than they look in photos.  I was somewhat disappointed to see how matted down they were in person. Granted, they withstand a lot of traffic, but I’m not sure I want to take the risk for that price.
 
Dara Moroccan Wool Collection
 
This one from Clayton Gray is a beauty…
 
http://www.claytongrayhome.com/item.php?item_id=1408
Beni Ourain style diamond rug
 
The one Emily Henderson used in the example above was from Rugs USA:
Moroccan Shag Ivory Rug

 

 
I also really love this version from Shop Furbish …
 
Cream Moroccan Rug
 
This one from All Modern is a little different, but very pretty too.
 
Pasargad Moroccan rug
Even Pottery Barn and West Elm carry variations on the theme …
 
Souk Wool Rug
Beni Ourain rug
 
 
Once something hits mainstream stores like West Elm and Pottery Barn, I worry that it is a trend waiting to die.  But I’m not so sure about this.
 

A long line of designers and taste makers have had a love fest with these rugs. In Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, designers used Moroccan rugs for their modern yet ethnic look. A couple decades later, mid-century modern designers were known to use these same fluffy piled rugs as a counterpoint to their sleekly designed furniture. In 1972, designer Billy Baldwin chose a room with a diamond-patterned Beni Ourain rug for the cover of his book Billy Baldwin Decorates. 

When something has been a staple in the decorating world for almost a century, I don’t think you can call it trendy. I think these rugs are timeless. What do you think? If you have a Moroccan-inspired rug in your home, send me a picture! I’d love to see how you are rockin’ this look!

 
 

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?