Thursday, December 31, 2009

Eye Candy to end the year !





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Happy New Years Eve

Wow, where has the year gone? I hope you guys had a wonderful 2009 and I wish you all the very best in 2010. Please stay safe and have a great time tonight....Happy New Year!
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Artwork on a Budget

It's calendar season which means it's a great time to get new and interesting artwork. For example, I've been thinking about getting some of the Barbie artwork from Z Gallerie for about a year now But the price just hasn't been right. Thanks to Graphique de France I was finally able to achieve the look by using their Barbie calendar. If Barbie isn't your thing, they have some great Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. Please send me pictures if you guys try this, I would love to post them on the blog.....Happy Decorating!

P.S. If you have a Sam's club card you can get these calendars for only $7.88

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Here’s to a Fabulous 2010!

clocks
My friend Mica, of Business Bombshell recently sent me a fun survey about 2010 and I thought it would be fun to share it with you. I have changed some of the questions so that the survey is better suited for a design blog like LDV. It is a less formal version of a resolutions list.
In the past, I have made to-do lists for each year, which have actually yielded a pretty good success rate for me. However, this year, I have been racking my brain for resolutions for 2010 and haven’t come up with anything monumental. I think the goals and aspirations in this survey are probably about as close as I’ll get to making full-blown resolutions this year. I hope you’ll take the time to share your answers some of these questions! Happy New Year!
resolutions Image via Tobi Fairley
1. Design Trend to Embrace in 2010: I’d like to incorporate more rustic and antique pieces into my home. I love the new Belgian-inspired pieces that Restoration Hardware debuted in 2009. I don’t think it would be very “me” to decorate entirely this way, but I think it would be nice to incorporate some rustic, neutral pieces into a more eclectic look a la Sally Wheat.
wheat new Image via Cote de Texas

I would love to have Restoration Hardware’s swoon-worthy Brickmaker’s Table in my living room!

2. NEW Style Icon I love Olivia Palermo's style, though any interpretation of mine would be on a much more modest budget than hers! I would also prefer to purchase more classic pieces as opposed to trendy ones and mix up my accessories.
[Olivia-Palermo.jpg]
3. 2010 Signature Look: I suppose it will continue to be mostly casual as that is what my job and lifestyle dictate. I don't think my overall look will really change from this year into next.
I really like Reese Witherspoon’s approach to casual elegance. I tend to favor a more classic look, especially when dressing up. I like feminine details, like the ruffles on Reese’s blouse…
but I usually fancy jeans and a casual top paired with cute accessories on most days. Needless to say, I don’t have throngs of paparazzi surrounding me everyday!

4. NEW Favorite Pair of Shoes: I am craving a good pair of flat, black boots, maybe with some nice hardware.

I like these boots from J.Crew, but I would prefer some with hardware. Let me know if you have any recommendations for a nice pair under $200!

5. 2010 Hair Style Preference: I doubt that I will change the way I wear my hair in 2010. I will most likely keep it the same...long and straight. I might try the Olivia Palermo / Kardashian (don't care for them, but they have such gorgeous hair!) waves sometime, but I think it would look best with my bangs pinned. I debated if I should grow out my bangs, but I think I will keep them since my hair looks more "done" with them.
olivia palermo hair
6. NEW Décor Color to Try in 2010: Pantone officially declared turquoise as the color of 2010. It happens to be one of my favorites, so I am excited about it. I still have a big crush on peacock blue and Hermes Orange, which I may try to infuse into my décor a bit more.

7. 2010 Design Inspiration: Rustic elegance inspired by European country houses and charming California Spanish architecture. This may have a little to do with the fact that I just saw It’s Complicated and fell in love with Meryl’s house in the movie. Plus, I visited my friend, Jeni in October in Northern California. Her home is gorgeous and she and her family are the embodiment of laid-back, California elegance.
image
Image via Cote de Texas

8. NEW Personal Goal: I plan to continue to work diligently on La Dolce Vita. I hope to find the continual inspiration to write refreshing posts with quality content to keep my readers engaged on a daily basis. A part of me would like to write a novel, but we’ll see if that happens!
paris_elle_decorImage Credit: ELLE DECOR
9. 2010 Milestones: July 1st will mark our fifth wedding anniversary! We plan to celebrate with another big trip to Europe. We are currently trying to figure out where we want to go and it seems the Andalucía region of Spain is in the lead. We also plan to start trying for a baby after our anniversary!
 
 
baby legs you are my fave
10. 2010 Aspirations To be the best wife, mom to Tate (and hopefully to a baby), daughter, sister, friend, tutor, and blogger that I can be.

Thank you so much for your continued support of La Dolce Vita. 2009 was a very exciting year for the blog, as well as for me personally. La Dolce Vita has definitely grown in both readership and quality of content over the past year and I have you to thank for both inspiring and motivating me. Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see more or less of on the blog in the coming year. I hope that 2010 has great things in store for everyone!
“May the best of the past be the worst of the future.” – Irish Blessing
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Happy Holidays!


From my home to yours, wishing you all a very happy holiday!!
It has been a great gift to travel this road with you.
Thank you so much for reading, commenting and continuing to inspire me.
Wishing you peace and happiness in the New Year!
xxx-Gina
Posted by twine at 6:55 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Caravan Style









LINK
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Happy Hump Day

Oh my, it's the last hump day of the year. 2009's final hump day is brought to you by Apartment Therapy's Small Cool Contest 2009......Happy Hump Day Everyone!

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Ryan Brown’s “Flip-Out-worthy” Pad

<i>By David A. Keeps</i>
Ryan Brown’s design sensibility has appealed to me since the first season of Flipping Out. His aesthetic mixes laidback California elegance with Los Angeles Regency and Asian influences. His chic projects usually feature a mix of styles, which I love. The home Ryan shares with his partner, Dale and daughter, Chloe was featured in the Los Angeles Times a few months ago and was recently named one of their top 10 stories of the year.
The living room is furnished in a sophisticated mix of vintage and contemporary pieces: A white-lacquered Art Deco side table sits next to a minimalist Italian sofa. A wooden-topped factory stool flanks a Danish armchair covered in a bold floral. Matching high-backed chairs sit across from an embossed leather ottoman on casters. Above it is Jonathan Adler's three-tier Ventana chandelier. On the small wall to the right of the bay window, another Brown touch: wooden paddles from European bakeries hung as art.
Ryan’s living room features Kelly Wearstler Trellis drapes, Jonathan Adler’s Ventana Chandelier, and a pair of high back chairs.
The opposite view: Daughter Chloe crosses the living room, with the elevated dining area in the background. Note how the crown molding at the ceiling juts out at the window and serves as curtain valances. "Molding adds instant warmth and character to a room," says Brown, who also connected baseboards and chair rails to vertical trim pieces, creating the appearance of paneled walls. "You can get it at a hardware store and just nail it up. It doesn't need to be real wood since it's going to be painted." Although Brown splurged on high-priced designer fabrics by Lulu DK and Kelly Wearstler elsewhere in the house, when it came to larger jobs such as curtains and Roman shades, he went to the Fashion District in downtown L.A. and shopped discount stores.
Ryan often uses rich neutral colors. I love the elegant warmth in this room. Little Chloe is certainly the cutest thing in the room!
On a vintage bar cart from <a href="http://www.lawsonfenning.com"> Lawson-Fenning</a> in Los Angeles, Brown creates a display that mixes a Buddha head, a branch of coral and two oversized lacquer candlesticks from West Elm that frame what appears to be a glass mosaic tile work. It's actually a painting by <a href="http://www.thehappylion.com/index.php?artist=wills&view=list"> artist Brian Wills</a>. The walls are painted with Sherwin Williams' Gauntlet Gray.
I love these West Elm Candlesticks! The coral adds nice texture, as well.
In the dining room, Brown covered the ceiling in bead board, which makes the space feel intimate yet casual, he says. The horizontal lines also echo the wall of cabinetry, which Brown created from three matching Chinese pieces, an eye-catching alternative to a built-in unit. He designed the table, which can seat 12. It's built on a base of reclaimed Douglas fir with a distressed walnut top by Ian Ferguson of [<a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. "I always tell him to beat up table tops so I don't have to worry about them," Brown says. Though they look like antiques, the dining chairs are a cheat, Brown admits. "I was running out of budget so I got them from <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com"> Anthropologie</a> and recovered the seats."
The dining room features an amazing Sputnik chandelier and beautiful, rich cabinetry.
The Sputnik lamp hanging over the dining table was purchased at <a href="http://www.downtown20.net"> Downtown</a> in Los Angeles. "There's a bulb missing and people always notice," the designer says. "But I think that's part of its charm."
The family's chocolate Lab, Jordan, cruises through the kitchen. Brown designed a fretwork pattern for cupboard doors, giving the room the Chinese Chippendale look associated with Hollywood Regency style. The work also was done by <a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. Note the top portion of the walls, which are covered in bead board running horizontally, coordinating with the marble subway tiles above the countertop.
I must say that my favorite rooms that Ryan designs are always his kitchens! I love the open shelving and beautiful finishes. Notice the fretwork on the cabinets.
A banquette style sofa from <a href="http://www.mgandbw.com/">Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams</a> in a kid-friendly floral print anchors the space adjoining the kitchen. Monchamp says the home nicely balances formal spaces with family areas. "We couldn't do anything too precious," he says. "We are not 'No, don't touch that' people."
Brown's improvements included new hardwood floor, doors and windows, which brighten the master bedroom upstairs. And the mix of décor? "The world is an art gallery," Brown says. "You can learn something new at every turn."
The Zen-Like Master Bedroom
The master bath gets the glam spa treatment with a <a href="http://www.sunrisespecialty.com/sunskirted.html">Piedmont skirted tub</a> purchased at <a href="http://www.livingsquare.com">Living Square</a> in Los Angeles. Hexagonal Mist limestone floor tiles are from <a href="http://www.annsacks.com/home.html">Ann Sacks</a>. The chandelier, which Brown repainted white, was 60 bucks. "A lot of the lamps in the house cost under a hundred dollars at flea markets and garage sales," Brown says.
This is such a great spot for a tub!
In the stairwell, he hung the 30-bulb Meurice chandelier, a Jonathan Adler design that can be found <a href="http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/product.php?productid=17077&cat=387&page=1&initial="> online</a> for  $750.
A Fabulous Jonathan Adler Chandelier Hangs in the Stairwell
Chloe plays chef in her bright and cheery room, furnished from catalog resources such as <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/">Pottery Barn Kids</a>. Brown and Monchamp wanted a beautiful house that was still kid-friendly. The living room sofa may be B&B Italia, but that doesn’t mean Chloe and her playmates are impressed. "They'll take every cushion and pillow off and throw them on the floor, then they'll jump on them," Brown says, nonplussed.
Miss Chloe’s room is cute and sassy.
The yard was relandscaped to include a mosaic tile pool, an organic vegetable garden and a lawn with a concrete paver path from <a href="http://www.artobrick.com/index.aspx"> Arto Brick</a> in Gardena. With extensive changes inside and out, the tab for renovations came to about $700,000. "I did it as inexpensively as possible to use the materials I wanted," Brown says, adding that without his industry sources the cost would have run $1 million.
So relaxing! I wish I were hanging out in this beautiful backyard today instead of taking harbor from this cold, rainy day.
Under a wood-framed arbor, Brown created an outdoor dining area with a 13.5-foot-long table and four teak benches for seating. A zinc planter and an aged metal votive holder add a touch of French country charm.
I adore the items Ryan chose for the outdoor dining area. The long, farmhouse style table, zinc planter, and candleholder look fantastic and add a bit of French charm.

Image Credit: The Los Angeles Times
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