Hey! You! Get off of my cloud!

After using one of these indoor/outdoor ceramic stools as a side table in a project for Ye Olde Dayjobbe, I've been obsessed with the celestial cloud pattern:

And check this out--they're even availble in lamp form from Arteriors! I'm dying to use these in some project, whether for Retrograde or Ye Olde Dayjobbe:

Chalk it up to collective consciousness or subliminal marketing, but I'm really digging the clouds for this spring and summer.

(And remember to stick with a designer, either me or one of my colleagues to the right. We can save you money on purchasing, and in some cases like the Arteriors lamps, you can only get them through us or the trade!)

Check out this hotel in Taiwan that's taken the clouds to a more modern form:

This is how we do it...

Alrighty, after last week's birthday shenanigans, I'm back to the regular postings!

I've been working with a great new client, figuring out her style and helping her get rid of a bunch of hand-me-down pieces she's been living with for the past few years. However, there were several hand-me-downs that were actually family heirlooms which neither of us would ever consider throwing out!

The bedroom is filled with these huge antiques, which have been passed down several generations:

How to break it up and make it feel less formal? It all comes back to the balance that I use in my Retrograde work.

Step 1: Add some fun bedding.

This bedding from Dwell Studio is grounded in a formal European floral/animal pattern, but is also incredibly bright and colorful and really packs a punch.

Step 2: Mix it up. With the bed furniture pretty much set, the only way to balance out the heavy wood pieces was with bedside tables and lamps. In all three options below, you'll see some combination of contemporary and formal, with most of the traditional shapes re-imagined in modern materials or colors. 

Option 1 features inexpensive lamps in a traditional shape but also a shocking pink color, combined with nesting tables made out of clear plexiglass.

Option 2 features nightstands made of foxed mirror (which is a really traditional finish) in a really clean, modern shape. The lamps are playful plexiglass takes on rococo-style lamps.

Option 3 combines super-modern wall sconces with a ghostly floating table made of clear plexiglass.

Why so much plexiglass, you may ask? Yeah, each option features it, and I thought of using it in all three options in order to lighten up the space visually and to provide an ultra-modern foil to the carved wood bed and dresser. Maybe I read too many Wonder Woman comics when I was a kid, but I also like to think of it like the Invisible Jet--functional and totally rad all at the same time.

Anyhow, it all comes down to balance, balance, balance. It's the key to so many designs. This is how we do it, people.

Come to my window...

Quick post this week seeing as how I was so busy at Ye Olde Dayjobbe last week, shipping things out for the One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale. I'm telling you--this sale has killed me! Guess who had to ship out all those bolts of fabric and small accessories that sold?

That's right--me.

Anyhow, whenever I was feeling stressed out between OKL and a new commercial project at work, I just took a moment to enjoy the view out my kitchen window:

The yellow flowers, the plum trees, and the lemon tree remind me that spring is around the corner and that I shouldn't worry so much.

If you've been as stressed out as me, just take a minute to enjoy your local scenery too!