Completely Inspired by Kelly Wearstler

After a crazy several days of working like crazy at my job as well as on homework for my design class I am so happy to have a day off today and catch up and just relax! While catching up on one of my favorite blogs, Design Sponge, I found this really great interview with Kelly Wearstler that you can check out here. She is such an inspiring designer to me in how she is completely fearless and creative in the spaces she designs. I posted before on her hotel design, but here is a picture of a living room in a home she designed. Just love it! It reminds me that sometimes you just have to take a break from your busy life and take the time to be inspired.

This Weekend in Chicago

Be sure to check out Jayson Home and Garden in Lincoln Park this weekend. They are having a European Flea Market Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It begins Friday at 8am where you can shop their latest collection of vintage and antique furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork and more. I'm really loving the small framed bird pictures below. I'm hoping to get there Friday morning to find some great pieces! Click here to view more info. at the Jayson Home and Garden website.

Chicago's Julia Edelmann featured in Rue Magazine

If you haven't checked out Rue Magazine online yet you simply must! One Chicago Interior designer that I am very inspired by is Julia Edelmann. Her Wilmette home was just recently featured on LX.TV Open House Chicago and now in the first issue of Rue Magazine. First of all I love her home! It's the style of home I dream of owning with such amazing architecture and character. I love how she mixes gorgeous antiques with modern art work on the walls. It's just the perfect combination. I love the quirky conversation pieces too. A home to be inspired by. Take a look below at the photos and check out Rue Magazine to see more.

This guy is right in her front entry way - a total conversation piece and something to make you smile as you walk in the door after a long day of work.

Check out these stairs! Incredible architecture.

Love this chain table she used in the parlor. Very unexpected.

A beautiful combination of modern artwork mixed with an antique table.

Funky Lighting

We could use some additional lighting in our current apartment and browsing I found these adorable, whimsical lamps at Atelier Abigail Ahern. They are sold in Europe, so I'm not sure I'll be getting one, but definitely inspiration for finding something like this or maybe even making my own......possibly find a ceramic dog like one of these and turn it into a lamp. You can go to her website to see close up pictures of these (and click on this picture to make it larger), but there's pelicans, bull dogs, poodles, and more. So cute and fits right in with my whimsical nature decor I already have going on.

Happy Friday all!

Unique Halloween and Thanksgiving Tablescapes

This late summer is flying by for me after beginning a new job as a Design Consultant, so I am moving right into Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving ideas! I will be hosting my family for Thanksgiving this year for the first time ever and am getting ideas already. I know it's a little early, but better to get an early start since things get so busy that time of year. I was brousing ideas and found some great tablescapes from one of my favorite blogs, Coco + Kelley.

This one was Halloween inspired. I really love how non-traditional it is in terms of typical Halloween decor. It is a different shade of orange but still fits in with the season. Love the black floral, candlestick, and the textiles! Well, love it all, actually.

This was from last years Thanksgiving tablescape. I love the interesting and unexpected color pallette. She also used items from different generations in her family. It has a history along with just being pretty. I have to say the vase and feathers are my absolute favorite.

What are your holiday table decorating traditions? It's always fun to get ideas and inspiration from others.

Global and Antique Inspired

Just yesterday I got the mail and was so excited with the cover of House Beautiful! I flipped through the magazine immediately to find more pictures of the amazing living room that is filled with global and antique decor. I am really into somewhat traditional cozy spaces right now.....must be due to the cooler weather. Here are a few images of the home and you can check out the full article and home online, here. Enjoy!

Wishing I had the artwork here of the horses.

The wallpaper is actually an antique map blown up.

The interior designer says his style has changed from modern minimalist to cozy english country. I love that... since my decor style is always changing and I think that helps us to keep being creative. It never gets boring that way!

Fall at Pottery Barn

I am so happy that fall is finally here! The signs of it are certainly in the air.....squirrels gathering nuts, crisp cool mornings and evenings, sunflowers at the flower shops, and fall decor coming out in many of my favorite stores! Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, but it seems to go by so quickly. I try to savor every second of it. First I put out some of my fall decorations, which included an apple scented candle. Soon I'll be heading to cider mills, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. This past weekend I went to a Pottery Barn decorating class on fall decorating. They always have such cute vignettes set up at each season. I didn't get the best pictures with my camera, so here are some images from their website that totally inspire me.

Pottery Barn always has such great ideas for how to decorate your fireplace mantel each season. It is so much fun to spruce it up with something new every so often.

I always love their tablescapes with their runners, different dishes for each holiday, and gorgeous vases and vase fillers.

I am so excited to see they also have started selling faux antlers! I'm kind of kicking myself for not splurging and buying the antler candle holders from The Antler Lady at the Blueberry festival! Hopefully I can order some off of her website some time soon.

I hope you've been enjoying the begining of fall just as much as I have!

More from the Chicago Flea Market

Here are some more pictures to give you an idea of the great pieces you can find at the Chicago Flea Market. Tons of great furniture, as you can see, and some fun smaller items too. I really loved a lot of the lamps I found as well as the furniture. I love the idea of mixing flea market finds with some classic designer pieces with some box store pieces. It gives your home a much more interesting look and definitely won't look like it's straight out of a catalog, which can be terribly boring.

These tiles are from the vendor Olde Good Things. You can also check out their website here. They came all the way from NYC!

Love this cute little cabinet and acrylic stool!

These tin elephants and pigs are made out of old oil cans. I love how they repurposed them to make a work of art. I plan to get a few of these pigs for my garden someday.

This bench was a new item that is finished to look antique but has the quality and function of a brand new piece of furniture. There were many different sized cabinets sold by Village Craft Shop in Roscoe, IL as well. This bench caught my eye as another perfect piece for a garden. I am really into the mustard color right now in fashion and interior design, so that is why it caught my eye. The picture doesn't show it's true color very well.

Cute little nesting tables.

Tons of vintage picture frames. I just recently saw an episode of Design Star on HGTV where they spray painted a bunch of vintage frames just like these in gold paint and hung them empty but all together on a brightly painted wall. It was a great artistic statement!

This spring made into a dog is actually a vintage letter/bill holder! Wish I had gone back to get this one.

Last but not least a huge farm table with 2 benches that would easily seat 10 people. You could have some great family dinners on this table.

Coming up this weekend is the Kane County Flea Market. I have heard nothing but great things about this one. Sounds like it may be the best one in the greater Chicago area. It is a bit of a drive if you are right in Chicago. I am hoping to get there this weekend and will let you know if I think it was worth it!