Friday Find: The Bella Acrylic Chair

This week's Friday Find is the Bella Acrylic Chair by Spectrum. Influenced by the Art Nouveau period, this beautifully formed chair has an exquisite scrolled back. This versatile chair would be delightful in almost any home setting.

For over 25 years, Spectrum has manufactured high quality, yet reasonably priced, acrylic furniture. Their quality craftsmanship makes them an industry leader. Each piece of furniture is completely crafted by hand, made to order and available through the trade. I love this romantic chair with a tufted velvet cushion.

Do you have a favorite acrylic chair?

Love it: DIY Valentine's Cards and Decorating Ideas

February 14th is just a few weeks away. Traditionally I don't decorate my home for this holiday of love, but just might after being inspired by so many DIY ideas {many from fellow bloggers}. Here are some of my favorite DIY Valentine's projects to help you say, "I love you".

This romantic heart shaped wreath with fabric roses would look great on almost any front door. Crafty mom, Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots created this festive wreath and has a wonderful tutorial here.

Dressing up a console table with these darling frames reading XOXO is a great way to spread some love this Valentine's Day. Jennifer at Tatertots and Jello created this marble craft project and shows us how here.

Paper heart garland is an inexpensive and colorful way to decorate your home for Valentine's Day. Secret Pie Shoppe designed this version and has a great how-to here.

One place to hang Valentine garland would be your fireplace mantel. I love how Beth at The Stories of A to Z decorated her mantel for Valentine's Day.

I love this sweet origami heart, but haven't a clue how to make it. Blogger, Sonja at Craft-Werk has a great tutorial on how-to make these little paper hearts. She swears it is easy as pie.

For tea lovers, this is a perfect way to start Valentine's Day off right. Martha Stewart shows us how here.

This Rosy Stationary by Martha Stewart {again} was made using the end of a head of Treviso radicchio as a stamp. Kill two birds with one stone - eat a fresh leafy green salad and make darling Valentine's! Here's the how-to.

Disney's Family Fun show how to make this darling "Plant One On Me" card. It includes a packet of seeds for a fun project later!

Now, where to put all those darling Valentine's cards and projects? The talented folks at Paper Source transformed this simple file folder into a fun place to keep those Valentine greetings. Printed on the outside is a recipe for love. aaahhh.

No time for DIY projects? The Doodle Spot sells this darling "Crazy 4 You!" mini mailbox. It is also perfect for all those heartfelt notes.

xoxo

Designer Kitchens: Glass-front Cabinets

You have seen them in several previous Simplified Bee posts: Clean and Simple White Kitchens, French Inspired Kitchen Design, and Perfect Function - Mick de Giulio Kitchen Design. It seems more than ever, interior designers are incorporating glass-front cabinetry into their kitchen designs. And I love the look!

Glass-front cabinets provide an open, airy feeling and are used to display choice tableware. They are great incentives for you to be organized because any clutter will be noticeable. For this reason however, it is important to place glass-front cabinets strategically and perhaps sparingly in your kitchen. Here are some examples of great kitchen designs - including modern, contemporary and traditional - using glass-front cabinets.

Atlanta, Georgia-based designer, Suzanne Kasler beautifully positions glass-front cabinets on either side of the stove and farmhouse sink. Love the Roman shade in Galbraith & Paul's Zinnia print.

Sage Design uses glass-fronts in a series of standard rectangle shaped cabinets to give this smaller, classic kitchen an open and airy feeling.

In this soft cream kitchen the upper cabinets showcase decorative stained glass. I am a fan of mixing old with new and love how the stained glass old world look balances the contemporary design elements. Image via Decor Pad.

Natural light floods this gorgeous kitchen by designer, Suzanne Kasler. She surrounds a range and hood with divided light or mullioned door glass-front cabinets. The cabinets also nicely echo the look of the adjacent windows. The ice blue tile backsplash and bar stools add a touch of freshness to this beautiful kitchen.

In this Scandinavian kitchen from Vakre Hjem & Interior, the divided light glass-front cabinets are stunning. The X pattern contrasts nicely with the vertical pattern in the country beadboard.

In this kitchen, designer Molly Frey converts an antique hutch from New England into a wet bar. The glass-front cabinet in this case doesn't have to match the kitchen's cabinet style and adds to the overall charm by mixing old and new.

Designed by Elizabeth Dinkel, this kitchen's glass-front cabinets house books and frame an open window into the adjacent living room.

This curved glass display case is beautifully positioned on a corner. Love this use of space! Image via Kitchen Bath Ideas.

Painting the back or interior of a glass-front cabinet allows you to add a shot of color into your kitchen. Select a hue that complements your existing color scheme and is a contrast to your tableware. Image via House Beautiful.

Here is another example {via Decorology} of glass-front cabinets with a splash of color. Notice that all of the items on display are in a neutral white or glass so that they don't blend into the background. Using storage bins such as the large white labeled tins on the top shelf are a great way to display items you otherwise won't in a glass-front cabinet.

Featured in the August 2007 issue of House Beautiful, the interior of these divided light cabinets are painted by architect Gil Schafer and color consultant, Eve Ashcraft. Both the white cabinets and china contrast nicely with the apple green backdrop. The glass insert appears to be reeded which would help conceal the cabinets contents.

A fluted glass insert, as seen in the stainless steel cabinets above is another good option if you struggle to keep your dishware organized. Image courtesy of Luxury Housing Trends.

Frosted-glass cabinet doors also hide tableware, spices and other cooking supplies. In this colorful kitchen featured in Coastal Living, the homeowners etched letter into the frosted-glass to make finding items easy as ABC.

Do you have glass-front cabinets in your kitchen? Do you love the look?

* First image courtesy of Charles and Hudson.

Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge 2010: Design Trends and My Favorite

The Big Window Challenge at the Bloomingdale's on 59th street in New York City is underway! Three very talented designers - Eddie Ross, Eileen Joyce and Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan - have created some inspirational and trend-setting model studio vignettes. Here's a look at each designer window:

Eileen Joyce, Interior Designer and Bloomingdale's Operating Vice President creates a sophisticated NYC apartment-inspired space for a travel magazine editor. Joyce states, "The room has an early 1960's sensibility, combining modern furnishings with a grass cloth wall covering and appliqué fabric as the window treatment. It's a mix of primitive, Asian, folk art and photography in an urban environment—all anchored by a custom-patterned area rug."

I love and appreciate the room's furniture arrangement {perfect scale & rhythm} and uncluttered look {perhaps the homeowner is traveling again?}. But, my favorite element without hesitation is the grass cloth covering.

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, designer and founder of apartmenttherapy.com {love this site!} created a beautiful writer's library for a dear friend, Amor. It's a dark den set for a romantic dinner, filled with books and showcases treasures from worldly travels. The room has a great mix of masculine and feminine decor elements including a leather Ralph Lauren chair and ottoman, floral wallpaper by Neisha Crosland and glass top Excel Cocktail Table by Allan Copley. I love the relaxed feel of this room and would love to have seen a fireplace mantel added to the design.

Eddie Ross' room for Elle Decor was designed for a media mogul and mother of two boys {this woman knows what she wants and gets it!}. Ross says, "The signature space shimmers with a mix of classic and modern, new and old, together with a balance of bold patterns and vibrant colors. A spatter-paint print, like stars in an endless sky, reflects the owner's love of travel to wide-open spaces, and her passion for sparkling evenings at home entertaining friends and family."

There are several interior design trends that are repeated in each room:

First, wall coverings. Joyce covers her room's walls in a dramatic, textured grass cloth. Gillingham-Ryan selects a romantic wallpaper called Birdtree {above} by Neisha Crosland. And Ross incorporates a splatter-paint print inspired by Harry Hinson design from the 1970s.

Second, shades of orange. Soft, warm oranges are picked up in Joyce's upholstered chair and wall covering {sketch above}. In Gillingham-Ryan's room, the wallpaper's burnt orange floral motif stands out. Ross uses a vibrant Hermes' orange in the wall art and throw pillows.

And third, mixing design styles. Ethnic art and modern furniture mingle perfectly in Joyce's design. Gillingham-Ryan completes his look by combining a retro shag rug, antique books and a classic club chair. Ross brilliantly mixes modern art, contemporary furniture {i.e. Allan Copley Snowmass Bookcase}, vintage Italian brass flowers and a collection of antique Chinoiserie plates, vases and ginger jars {image above}.

My favorite window design is by Eddie Ross. Ross takes risks and hits it out of the park. The room's mix of color, texture, pattern and old & new is brilliant. The well balanced, split complementary color scheme of tonal blues, layered with hints of turquoise, orange, hot pink and gilded bronze is simply stunning. The throw pillows Ross selects pulls the color palette together beautifully. Love that ikat print pillow above, although I think Ross switches it out for an even better one in the window's finished look.

Even though the room is a bit cluttered for my taste, Ross' attention to the personal details and accessories is delightful. If you ask me, this stylish, media mama homeowner is busy enough and could use a little organizational help. Call me!

Now it's time to vote! You can vote for your favorite two ways {online & text} everyday. Here's how:

Online: Visit this page to cast a vote for your favorite design using the radio buttons that will appear at the top of the page.

SMS Text*: Please send a SMS text to the number 89800. Enter the number of the window you are voting for (1, 2, or 3) into the message body and send to cast a vote for your favorite design. *Standard text messaging rates may apply.
Please Send a Text to 89800-Enter Only 1, 2, or 3:
1-ELLE DECOR (Eddie Ross)
2-Apartment Therapy (Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan)
3-Bloomingdale's (Eileen Joyce)

Voting will run from January 20th through 28th. Dont' delay!

And now the big question: Which window design is your favorite?

*images courtesy of Apartment Therapy, La Dolfina, Neisha Crosland, Eddie Ross

Ancient Fretwork Patterns in Today's Interior Design

According to Wikipedia, fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, jigsaw or scroll saw. The Chinese Chippendale Chair {above} is a classic example of decorative fretwork. Open geometric fretwork patterns have been used to adorn furniture and architectural designs for over 3,000 years. Buzz Kaplan wrote an excellent article regarding Antique Fretwork on Decorati's blog.

Today, ancient fretwork patterns including those from the Chinese, Moorish and Greek cultures can be seen throughout our homes on decor items such as rugs, casegoods, tile, wallpaper and textiles. Here are a few examples:

Song IV wool & silk rug from Tai Ping's Fret Collection

Evan Display Cabinet by Hickory Chair

Barbara Barry Fretwork Lounge Chair from McGuire Furniture

Siam Trellis wallpaper by Sanderson

Fabric Collection by Michael Devine Home: Fretwork Pattern in Chocolate

Fretwork decorative molding on built-in cabinet by Burnham Design

Modern Fretwork ceramic tile by Michael S. Smith at Anne Sacks

Table OM with the ancient flower of life pattern

Round Fretwork Mirror at Neiman Marcus

Fretwork bedding by Leontine Linens

Open Fretwork Stool at Doxa Home

Oslo Side Table at Shine Home

Brooke Green pillow by Madeline Weinrib

Do you have fretwork patterns in your home's decor?