no. 11: gallery wall

I'm a fan of the gallery wall--when done correctly. The trick is to make sure all the pieces are big enough to fill the space. If it's little things clumped together on a big wall, that rarely works. This room is a gorgeous example of a successful execution.

Via delight by design.

no. 10: velvet couch, check. bookshelves, check.

I am too busy sighing longingly over this room to even identify why I love it so much. And it's not the color-coordinated books, a trend I normally think is silly. This room is stunning!

Via the marion house book.

no. 9: rowr

Leopard socks! I love this. Via lookbook.nu.

no. 8: the simple life

More and more I find myself preferring jewelry that's exquisitely simple.

Photos: Elephantine rings found on Wikstenmade; Blanca Monros Gomez rings found on A Cup of Jo; photo of Miranda Kerr found on Aubrey Road.

no. 7

A love of detail can go either way. Sometimes it makes you attuned to little things other people never notice. Sometimes it makes you crazy over little things other people never notice. Case in point: that red wire basket of bug spray on the guest book table at my wedding. Even if I destroyed every picture of it in existence, I'll still know it was there that day. I tell myself, "You didn't notice it that day because you were so happy!" but the thing is, if I had noticed it, it would have been off that table so fast your head would spin. Ugh, just look at it, polluting everything around it with its ugliness!

no. 6

The owners of this couch redid it in navy with white piping to fit in with their modern decor. That's nice, if that's what you're into. Personally, I would have painted the walls a rich purply dark charcoal and thrown some ... why yes ... chartreuse velvet throw pillows in place of the bolsters. A lucite lamp and a gold art deco mirror would set it off beautifully.

no. 5

What is it about velvet furniture (especially tufted, chartreuse or rust-colored velvet furniture) that just makes a room look so amazing?

The books and wallpaper don't hurt, of course.

(Via apartmenttherapy.)

no. 4

Look at how perfectly this room is designed. The velvet chair's mustard echoed in the pillow; the cognac leather chair complementing the file cabinet by the fireplace; the black leather ottoman picking up both the wall and the texture of the cognac leather chair; all the colors mingling in the rug and the plaid pillow, which have patterns that clash just enough; the modern lamp and square mirrors playing against the more elegant, old-fashioned central mirror and candles. Really, really lovely.
(I don't recall where this photo is from; please let me know if you know the source!)

no. 3

I saw this DIY project on DesignSponge. It's pretty awesome. Look at how they gave it an ombre frame to match the way the art fades out. That's cool in and of itself, but especially because the art is so old-fashioned--the gradation gives it a rock star edge.

no. 2

A few months ago my husband and I went to see The Red Shoes on the big ("big") screen at Film Forum. It was a magical, sad, weird, long, lovely movie. But as much as the dancing, I found myself entranced with Moira Shearer's '40s Jacques Fath wardrobe. Imagine that blue tiered dress in white or ivory ... makes me want to marry my husband all over again.

no. 1

Vanessa Bruno's Paris apartment is (was) one of my all-time favorite domino spreads. I love the careless yet careful selection of art adorning the shelf along one wall. 

I also loved that jar of white candles. I had a box of ivory beeswax candles collecting dust in a box. I unwrapped them and stuck them in an unused glass vase. With some black ribbon looped around the neck of the vase, it's a minimal but luxurious addition to my mantel. And the candles are there for grabbing in a dinner party or power outage.