Very "Pinterest-ing!"

Recently I have been reading lots of great articles about Pinterest and it's rise in the world of social media.  Just yesterday a friend sent me this article from the Chicago Tribune. So I am interested in knowing....

Are you on Pinterest?

What do you like about it?

What do you wish was better or different?

How do you use it?

I have been on Pinterest since last Spring and love the way it helps me visually keep track of images,

 Stacey Brandford for The Globe and Mail

ideas, 

 Sarah's House via Design Maze

DIY projects, 

 Corrieberry Pie

recipes, etc.

Epicurean Mom

I use Pinterest to search, surf and be inspired, but mostly I use it to "pin" the things I see that resonate with me for one reason or another. Previously I had bookmarked those things on my computer and had a list so long it was often difficult to find something when I needed it.

One of the uses I have found for the site is to help me in working with my clients. I can pin things that I want them to see and we can have a conversation about those images. They can do the same.

Personally, I worry a bit about about how watered down the original image source often becomes on Pinterest. I try to find that original source when posting and sharing images here, but it is not always possible. In fact as I was creating this post, I had a couple of images that I wanted to use, but could not get past Google to find where they originated, so I decided not to use them.

I am sure I am not utilizing this resource to it's full capacity.... I plan to add the "pin it" button to my blog, and a group of social media buttons to my sidebar including a Pinterest button, I probably should be pinning my own images and content and more, but it all takes time and lately my time has been spent like this....

 Yes, we successfully dropped off our son at Conserve School this past Saturday! The day was stunning and the Northwoods location amazing. There are 60 impressive kids attending this semester from all over the country (and even one from Germany) and I'm sure the experience will be nothing short of transformative. Thanks for all of your well wishes, they meant so much to me! I'll keep you posted on how it all goes!

  I would love to hear your thoughts on Pinterest and please, if you are interested, feel free to 

follow me! 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Design Concept Board or a complete Room Rx.

Trad Home

There is a new kid on the block,  Trad Home, the online, hip off shoot of Traditional Home.  A collaboration between Traditional Home's Editor in Chief, Ann Omvig Maine and Lonny editors Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline, the e-magazine is aiming to attract a younger reader, yet still embody a more "traditional" design aesthetic.  They did not disappoint, the first issue was chock full of inspiring interiors and profiles 20 "Trad" designers that are worth watching.  Grab a cup o' joe and get on over there to check it out...plan for a bit of time to soak it all up, it's a long issue with lots of eye candy!

I grabbed these three images as it struck me that rarely in a shelter magazine have rooms been featured that are built around this large piece of furniture: (apologies for the tiny photos, click on the numbered link for a better view) 

 {1}

It seems that "traditional" embodies not only a look, but a function that will withstand the test of time. Sectionals are without a doubt functional, so there is no reason why a designer can't embrace using them to create a great room!

{2} 

{3}

I think this is an issue I will be visiting a number of times as I take it all in, but so far I am impressed.  What do you think about Trad Home, but more importantly, online magazines in general?  Did you know that you can go directly to several of my favorite digital magazines from the "E-Magazines" sidebar on the left side of Room Rx?

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!

BHLDN

My darling, younger {much...} cousin Jesse, is getting married in May and I have been honored to be helping her with planning some of the details of her day.  We are both fans of Anthropologie so when I received an e-mail introducing their new line of bridal wear, I immediately contacted Jesse, and no surprise, she had already heard.  The line is called BHLDN which is pronounced "Beholden" and is apparently inspired by the Dutch word for “to keep.”  The gowns, dresses and accessories are stunning, created with beautiful, unique fabrics and details in typical Anthro fashion...

the huffington post

BHLDN

 100 layer cake

So, inspired by these stunning dresses and other wedding accroutrements, I immediately thought of the white, natural and lace home accessories I saw during my visit to ABC Carpet and home a couple of weeks ago....

and remembered a few other "lacy" home decor items I have come across recently....

maggie weldon

 brocade home

It is fun to interpret and translate what is seen in the world of fashion to the home front. Lace is graphic, textural and emotive, a piece or two could easily be layered into a room design and done right, can add interest without feeling fussy or old fashioned.  

Have you used lace in your home decor and if so how?  I would love to hear.... 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!

Matchbook

Wow, online magazines seem to be the latest craze and is it ever exciting!  Have you seen the recent launch of Matchbook?  A wonderful new lifestyle magazine, check it out here, it's well worth your time as there are lots of terrific interviews, photos and content.  One could be sitting on their computer all day with the proliferation of these wonderful  magazines......

Gary & Elaine at Catalog Living

Gary and Elaine ran down to the water, giggling like children in anticipation of the first dresser of the season washing ashore.

Gary was really looking forward to a weekend of kicking back and knocking out a few chapters of Fork.

Until we bought this new console, Gary and I had no idea where to put our discarded art!

Catalogue Living

Our local newspaper The Wisconsin State Journal recently had a write up mentioning the website Catalog Living.  The creation of Molly Erdman, an LA based comedian, writer and actress, it follows the catalog perfect life of fictional characters Gary and Elaine.  It has me laughing out loud...check it out!

2011 Color of the Year

2011 Pantone 

 2010Pantone 

Each year the Pantone company selects their "color of the year" used in all design related fields from graphic design to fashion to interiors and architecture.  2011's color is a coral pink called Honeysuckle.  What fun!  I can see this used with other brights like orange and greens like in the room below just showing up in the latest issue of Lonny.

Here are some other uses of this bold color... from room accents grounded with more neutral color to bold fabrics, bedding and accessories. 

Jonathan Adler

Lilly Pulitzer 

 Garnet Hill

 

 Angie Hranowsky

Seems Jonathan Adler and Lilly Pulitzer have been on to something!  As I have mentioned before, with anything this bold and trendy, for most of us, less is more.  While there is nothing wrong with going all out, a small dose can also make a big impact.  What do you think, is Honeysuckle for you in 2011?  My daughter's bedroom actually has a similar color as the base for it's decor, maybe if she ever cleans her room I'll post some photos!

Craftacular

If you live near Madison, Wisconsin and want to be inspired by the creativity of area artists and craftspeople,  plan on attending the 6th Annual Holiday Craftacular this Saturday, December 11th at the Eastside Club from 10 AM - 5 PM.  With over 40 different vendors selling their wares, this is a great way to shop local and find unique gifts for everyone on your list (and those special little things for yourself which cannot be resisted!) My calendar is cleared, my list is made and I'll be heading over with some creative and crafty girlfriends!

by row:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

On Line Magazines

 Admittedly, I LOVE design magazines and for years have subscribed, at one time or another, to just about every one that has existed.  I am also hard pressed to toss them when I am done reading them, as I mentioned here.  As a result,  I have stacks and stacks of magazines around my house, which I refer to for inspiration when I am working on a project or when I am just in need of a creative jolt.

Over the past couple of years many print magazines have ceased to be published as the economy, and the use of the internet as a news source have made it difficult for them to be profitable.  In the wake of this has come a  wave of new on-line magazines (or what I call  E-magazines.)  The first design magazine of this type that I became aware of was Lonny which has recently celebrated one year of publishing.  There are now several others, a few of which you can check out by clicking on them on my sidebar under "E-magazines."  The idea is very interactive as within the feature stories as well as the advertising, you can click on a link and go directly to a website or blog associated with that story or ad. Some of them even have a means for which you can clip or save the story that is of interest to you.

The fact is, while I  really enjoy reading these E-magazines and will relish their continued publication in this fashion (my magazine stacks will not be growing at the same rate as in the past,) I still like those good old glossy magazines!  Thankfully I can subscribe to a couple of them and get the glossy version as well as the on-line version.

What do you think?  Have you read any of these publications and joined the E-magazine trend?