1. RAAK chrome and steel floor lamp, Decorum
2. ‘Untitled, from the series New Eden’ Andrea Juan, 2012, Praxis International Art
3. Verner Panton Heart Cone Chair, Scandinavian Antiques & Living
4. Faux zebra carpet, Modern One
5. Fallen red oak coffee table, Adesso
I love the look of eclectic pieces in a home – modern furniture, contemporary art, and pieces mixed in from travels or vintage stores can work really well together, when given the correct placement. Below, some of my current favorite pieces of home decor that would be sure to offer any room a sense of eclectic glamour.
1. 1980′s Italian chandeliers, 1st Dibs
2. Sam Orlando glass mirror, 1st Dibs
3. Gold leaf on lacquer chest, Dylan Egon for reGeneration
4. C-back Occasional Chair, Cuff Home
I love the idea of a glam-cum-gothic dining room. Lucite and fur always go well together, especially when we’re talking purple sheepskin. And these upholstered chairs offer the perfect pop of color against the stark (yet bold) painting. The agate chandelier might be the best part…certainly one of the nicer fixtures I’ve seen in a while.
1. ‘Bone’ painting, Jenna Snyder-Phillips
2. Eclipse Agate chandelier, Emporium Home
3. Purple Sheepskin rug, Not Pink
4. Pink French chairs, Furbish Studio
5. Kartell-top lucite dining room table, All Modern
I have a major thing for body parts in home decor. Weird enough, right? I collect heads of all shapes and sizes (I’m not a serial killer, I swear) and also have a gorgeous foot (my boyfriend mistakenly broke it a few months ago, but I can’t bear to part with it) and a mannequin torso in the bedroom.
My amazing mother bought me this head last weekend…I can’t believe how amazing it is. Definitely my most amazing piece yet.
I think I got into collecting heads from my grandmother. She is incredibly adept at styling interiors (if you’ve visited her store, Cottage by the Sea, than you are well aware how talented she is) and passed that gene on to me.
Here is a head from her home, it’s pretty great:
A selection of items fit for the Dapper Dude in your life…masculine pieces with just a touch of femininity.
1. “Everything is Ok” print, $34
2. Sprinbok Gazelle Horns, $95
3. “Lucky You” red wine, Swanson Vineyards, $25
4. Vintage Kilim Area Rug, $495
5. “Don’t Give Up The Ship” navy throw pillow, $58
6. Vintage Schumacher floral fabric, $45
7. Vintage beetle print, $26.95
My interior style is typically quite eclectic – I like to mix old and new, high-end and low-end. I also love mixing modern pieces with textured and patterned accessories. I think mixing different colors and textures makes a house feel more like a home. My own home is filled with items from different eras but I also love the more streamlined look of contemporary, minimalist pieces.
Below, my selections for a modern, minimalist den….fit for the Mr. Marvelous in your life.
1. Life-size horse lamp, Netherlands
2. Vasa Mihich Sculptures, 70′s & 80′s
3. Lip Streaks (Donna Mitchell), Melvin Sokolsky, 1967
4. Book, Jean Dunand, His Life and Works
5. Zebra hide rug, Africa, 20th Century
6. Cubist coffee table, twentieth art & design
This weekend marks the third annual Ponte Vedra Home Tour, a tour of some of the area’s nicest homes to benefit the arts program of the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center. I volunteered at the event last year and this year, I (along with some of my girlfriends) will be volunteering yet again! In fact, I think I’ve been promoted to “House Mother,” which I’m not sure actually means anything, but is exciting nonetheless.
Ponte Vedra Home Tour: Saturday, March 3, 2012
10am – 4pm
This year’s tour will showcase five exquisite homes located in the neighborhoods of The Plantation, Sawgrass Island, Marsh Landing and on Ponte Vedra Boulevard. Local artists will also be onsite at each home, to meet the public and talk about their art. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by visiting The Cultural Center at 50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, or online at http://www.ccpvb.org.
For more, watch the Cultural Center’s Judy Hixenbaugh and interior designer Carol Kirchner discuss the tour on First Coast Living.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1
This past weekend was pretty much perfect. I got to spend time with my grandmother and my wonderful boyfriend (who was so kind to go antiquing with me – he is definitely not the antiquing type), eating delicious food and hunting for goodies.
On Saturday, we drove down to Mount Dora, a small town outside of Orlando, for their annual antiques extravaganza. I came away with an amazing pair of jackal earrings and a gorgeous vintage map (on which Maracaibo, Venezuela – birthplace of my boyfriend – is clearly visible.) The jackals are some of the more impressive earrings I’ve ever seen – they are incredibly detailed and kind of creepy (which I love.) I assumed they were fox until the dealer told me otherwise. The colors and font used on the map reminds me of something from a Wes Anderson film.
That night, we had a huge sushi dinner at Amura (we go every chance we get, it’s some of the best sushi I’ve ever had) and then went back to the hotel to watch the Michigan basketball team wipe the floor with their rival, Ohio State. Full disclosure: I am by no means a sports buff, but after all that antiquing I couldn’t very well ask to turn on Real Housewives, could I? 
On Sunday, the two of us spent time in Winter Park, brunching at 310 Park South (which was great) and perusing the local boutiques. We also made a pit stop at Orange Tree Antiques, where I found three additional pairs of earrings (one of them Fendi!)
The last pair, the Fendi, are pretty incredible. I saw them inside a case and could just barely make out the intertwining “F”s. When I requested to look at them up close, I turned them over and, sure enough, they were signed “Fendi.” Pretty good find for $20.
PS. My Valentine’s flowers are still in bloom and still so beautiful…nothing like fresh flowers to brighten a room.
A few of my favorite things as of late….
A trio of vintage pink lightbulbs that I picked up for $1 at an estate sale on the river. (I’ve already installed one in my bedroom and it gives off only the slightest dusty pink hue.) Sorry, boyfriend, if you’re reading this from work!
A vintage silver tray that is inscribed with the words “Tampa Charity Horse Show, 1968.” Another estate sale find that I think will be a great way to collect vintage jewelry that inevitably ends up in every corner of my house.
A new (-ish) metal table that I recently put in my living room. (An amazing Home Goods find that adds so much to my space and plays perfectly off my two Wassily chairs.) Note the orchid – surprisingly, it hasn’t died yet but I give it another week, tops.
