CATALOG ROUNDUP - quick edit of pottery barn

name a better way to use your tax refund than to spruce up your digs? (at least the thrill lasts...).

easily accessible + relatively affordable, i scoured pottery barn's most recent catalogs (also available online, for those of you who prefer late night shopping in bed).

happily, i found a handful of items to fit my self-appointed criteria of texture, color, form and/or function and fun!

(who wants a sad house?)

each item stands on its own, fits many settings + appeals to many style sensibilities.

mix it up.

it makes good cents...and sense!

~ rope chandelier - nautical (hot right now!) in richly textured jute. works in a variety of settings like kitchen, dining room, bathroom, home office. $299.

~ brooks armless armchair with brighton print slipcover - love the red! very versatile pattern. bedroom, living room, den, home office. $229-$879.

~ woven poufs - really great! creatively fills up space with beauty + functionality. provides extra seating or a footstool. eco-chic too - made out of renewable jute. $79-$89.

~ galvanized cubbies with hooks - indoor/outdoor storage. cool for multi-uses in a kitchen. $99.

~ tile rug - based on moorish tiles, this navy geometric design rug is for indoor/outdoor use. great idea underfoot for a kitchen to define an eating area without the worry of little messes. rinses clean! $49-$299.

~ edison chandelier - fab wherever it hangs. be it apartment, loft of colonial home, it is an "art piece" that makes a statement. $399.

~ heathered flokati rug - pb teen - hand woven in greece of 100% new zealand wool. adds nice texture to the room. good for layering atop other rugs too. $99-$399.

~ woven cafe chair - an all weather synthetic with the look of rattan. i particulary like the black + white. $199.

~ organic pom pom throw - pb teen - eco-cute for cuddling.

~ de-lite table lamp base + ribbon trim shade - pb teen - clear acrylic base + black ribbon trimmed shade. a classic look for less. $39 + $35

~ flokati rug - pb teen - ivory, pink + pale blue. throw down - why not? $99-$399.

~ kickstand trash can - pb teen - if you have the space, i'd line up a few of them (e.g., glass, plastic, paper). $29 + $6.50 personalization.

~ tea pot wicker storage basket - pb kids - sustainable rattan + so fun! for kids + grown ups too. $119.

note it:

"don't you agree" by david byrne + fatboy slim featuring roisin murphy (accents)

CATALOG ROUNDUP - Z gallerie

another catalog roundup (although this one is really bricks to clicks): here's some fun stuff that i saw yesterday at Z gallerie in san francisco.

if you are unfamiliar, Z gallerie is an eclectic, clean-lined, modernly glamorous shop. here, you can easily makeover aspects of a room. and, i personally think the budget-friendly light fixtures rock!

as you can see, i groove white right now. glass, silver and even gold would complement nicely. happy green or orange are cheery accents - a final nod to summer and sure to please in the dreary winter months to come. black always works.

here's the quick round-up:

~ prague accent chair - swivel-icious! - $369

~ glass link chandelier - customizable, can rearrange links to your liking - $299

~ devon mirror - in glossy white, it's modern yet classic - $169

~ orbit chandelier - retro mod, cool chrome - $249

~ giraffe tray in green - 30" x 30," fun dash of color on a table, ottoman or desk - on sale $39.99! (also available in chocolate)

~ marcello umbrella holder - faux croc, nailhead detail to perk up a corner - $79.95

~ calais chandelier - fabulous in many a setting! love the clear hand blown glass. so venetian! - $369 (also available in black)

~ twig lamp collection - metallic silver base + black shade - $89, $119 (i also like the antique silver twig coat rack -$139.95)

~ domino sofa - "oasis white" bonded leather, tufted + double-stitched - $1099

click on the collage to enlarge image.

find these items in store or online (shipping is extra).

happy shopping!

CATALOG ROUNDUP - pottery barn for mother's day

today's post is my first online catalog roundup, so to speak. i figured it was apropos with mother's day right around the corner (uh, fellas, i'm talkin' to you...).

if you (or your guy) need ideas for this occasion, here are my quick picks from pottery barn. depending on the item, stop by your local store or shop online with overnight shipping:

~ glass bowl of dominos ($59.99, on sale from $149) - glass bowl of colorful oversized dominos. for pretty tabletop décor + stacks of fun.

~ picnic wine bottle cooler ($69) - handwoven wicker basket with cutting board, knife, bottle opener + room for glasses/bottles of vino. for romance for two...indoors or out.

~ hanging cachepot planter ($119) - blackened cast iron planter. fill it with your mom's favorite flowers (buy 6" pots separately). for flowers that'll bring joy all season.

~ portable bbq grill ($29.99, on sale from $39) - lightweight, stainless steel, easy-to-store, bucket-shaped grill. for you + your honey.

~ woven decorative lights ($99 - $129) - reminiscent of bamboo fish traps used in the rivers of the philippines. made of rattan over a wired frame, hang or place on the floor. for a room that glows.

~ table topics game cards ($25) - thought-provoking game cards meant to spark lively conversation. for family fun.

now that's stop, shop + go!

STYLE IT: wishful for wisteria

as a follow up to wednesday's post "loony for louis," i felt compelled to find equally interesting if not stunning "commodes." these chests of drawers from wisteria fit the bill and won't break the bank (or a small country!).

while reproductions, each is historically influenced, versatile + full of character. any one could easily fit in a foyer, library, home office, living room, dining room or bedroom. it's merely a matter of determining its use. from left to right, the line up:

• china - a long dresser that's substantial in size, "aged" + simply adorned ($1,199)
• spain - wow, this gorgeous chest inlaid with intricate hand-cut bone is definitely a statement piece ($2,999)
• france - this directoire chest is simple in style + minimally carved ($1,299)
• eastern europe - hand-painted with colorful birds, twisting vines + spring flowers, this bird chest is added art in a room ($1,399)

while we all can't enjoy the finery of louis XIV (or XV or XVI) furnishings, we can all feel like aristocracy with wisteria. wishful thinking, right?

(photo credits: wisteria)

STYLE IT: sleeps with butterflies

even though i'm surrounded by boys in my home, i'm girly at heart. so when a friend of mine who lives afar needed modish yet frilly ideas for her daughter's room, what's a décorista to do but help?

i grabbed a stack of catalogs + hopped on the 'net to start goodwill hunting. what i found, i loved.

starting with this pink tufted headboard in microsuede from company kids, i was smitten. affordable + adorable, it works for little one, tween or teen. (a gray "sleepi" crib from giggle would look equally smashing in this room.)

behind it, hang this super fantastic eco-chic wallpaper (it comes in fabric too) from austin's mod green pod. licorice "butterfly jubilee" silhouettes flit + flutter amid a small-scale earl grey damask. each roll is vinyl-free + hand-printed using non-toxic inks.

choose fluffy white bedcovers like these egyptian cotton sateen from company kids (now on sale!).

next up, toss pillows. granted you'll need to make them or have your favorite seamstress do it for you. try bigger pillows in large-scale licorice "grand jubilee." then add a fewer smaller ones in small-scale raspberry "wee jubilee." fabric is 100% organic cotton canvas grown, woven + printed in the united states using non-toxic pigments. now you have yourself some awfully cute bed clothes (if you don't paper the wall in "butterflies," make some pillows.)

for fun, add jonathan adler's "hugs" needlepoint pillow. who can resist?

with a sparkly "mia" chandelier from pottery barn kids, a sweet matching pink tufted bench and cable knit throw in black (or punch, if you must) from company kids, your darling girl will fly and, of course, be fly.

p.s. check out "sleeps with butterflies" by tori amos on iTunes.

(photo credits: mod green pod/papers; company kids/headboard+ottoman+bedding; jonathan adler/pillow; pottery barn kids/chandelier)