Room Dividers

Rooms dividers aren't something you see in every home, yet they are one of the most versatile of all home furnishings. The can be used as a decorative backdrop, headboard, a piece of artwork, or simply as a room divider. The selection is huge with everything from shoji screens, to woven rattan, to the bold selections below. Check these out for inspiration to apply in your own interior design scheme.

An antique wrought iron art deco screen by Edgar Brandt, available through Maison Gerard.

Resin Screen by Dan Bleier Studio.

 

The Nomad System from Mio - Green Design for Everyone.

Thatch Partition by 3form

Buzziscreen, available through Bouf

Casablanca Screen from Ballard Designs with customizable fabric.

Inspiration from William Morris

Last week I looked through a "History of Design" project that I did in school.  It reminded me that a.) really nothing is "new", but styles and trends just come and go; and b.) I love the thoughts and theories of William Morris. He was the father of the "Arts and Crafts" Movement, which reacted against the gaudy and cluttered Victorian styles in England. He championed function and simplicity of design and truth and honesty of materials used. My real inspiration comes not from Morris' designs, but his ideas.  So here are several quotes to sum up his philosophy. Some will surely be familiar.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

"If you cannot learn to love real art at least learn to hate sham art."
 
"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."

"Give me love and work - these two only."

"Not on one strand are all life's jewels strung."


And for some visual inspiration, below are some images of the varied work of Morris & Co. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

You can find more on William Morris at Wikipedia, V&A Museum, or The Red House via the National Trust.

Favorite Things - Smocked Furniture

Between the swooping arms and the sculpted folds of the fabric, I love the look of the Smocked seating line.  It was realized by Moroso, designed by Patricia Urquiola.The simplicity of shape contrasted against the detail of the smocking make it absolutely stunning. It looks comfortable, too; a bit like a big hug.  Enjoy!

Favorite Things - Personalized Artwork

All artwork is personalized to a certain extent, but these options from Wisteria bring a whole new meaning to the concept. The Thumbprint Wall Art is, as you've probably guessed, your very own thumb print blown up onto a canvas.  It comes in your choice of black, red, or blue.

 

And if your thumb print isn't what you want in your home decor, try the Personalized Handprint Wall Art.  Really, it's just a kit of paint and a burlap canvas, so use your hands, feet, pet's paws, whatever.  It may not be museum quality, but it's a great project for the kids!

 

 

Orange October

October always makes me think of orange.  It may be the changing leaves. It is most likely the pumpkins.  Regardless, I love splashes of orange in October. Orange should really have more prominence in our lives. It's a warm and vibrant color that combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. In color theories it represents joy, enthusiasm, fascination, creativity, determination, success, encouragement and stimulation. Who doesn't want to feel more of that everyday??

Here are some great products to bring orange into your interior design plan in large or small doses.

Light fixtures are all available at YLighting

Acua 1c35 Pendant from Modiss

 

Powell Street Pendant from 2Thousand Degrees

 

Wally gator Table Lamp by Ai Lati

 

 Grayson Chair from Pottery Barn

 

Form Chair from Kartell, available from Hive Modern

 

Orange Suzani Pillows from Wisteria

 

 

Moorish Chest, also from Wisteria

 

And finally - go all out and paint your room, or just a wall, orange!  This room is is from Veranda magazine, December 2008.

Favorite Things - Perfect Picture Wall

Groupings of photos look fabulous and are a great way to establish a theme or personalize a room. But creating the perfect arrangement of a collection of photos can be a lot of work.  I created this scene of travel photos and it took nearly two hours to measure, draw up the plan, and install. Yet skimping on the measuring and planning would have diminished the effect.

There is a genius product out there to take the time and stress out of creating these photo masterpieces - Perfect Picture Wall.  It's a complete system for hanging 10 included frames quickly and precisely. It uses a Patented "Pre-View” Template allowing you to determine placement, height and style of frames all without measuring and before the first hook is installed. The templates safely adhere to any surface allowing you to “Pre-View” what the frames will look like prior to hanging them. The  templates can be moved multiple times to different locations, until you are completely satisfied with the look.

Favorite Things - Creative Reusing

From reestore ltd in the UK, we have some brilliantly repurposed products.  Annie the Trolley Chair and Max the Bath Tub Sofa, both available from bouf.com. If all of our trash could be so cleverly reused, the world would certainly be a cleaner place.  I hope restore's witty recycling inspires others to reuse something at hand in an uber-creative way !

Details from Bouf:
Annie the shopping trolley chair is perhaps the most iconic of ditch fillers. Trolleys are generally scrapped due to unaligned wheels or exposed wire. Once transformed by reestore they become beautiful yet functional upright chairs.

Details from Bouf:
Max the bath tub chaise. A contemporary twist on the sofa briefly featured in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Created from a vintage cast iron bath and upholstered in fabric of your choice. Perfectly formed for single seater slouching or sofa for two.