Clockworks

A big, bold, vintage style clock can add quite the statement in any room of your home. My clock is from Ballard Designs and now finds it's home in my family room. These clocks are perfect on their own or group with photos or other wall accents. Try grouping three clocks together and setting to different times around the world...New York, London, Rome. Use vinyl letters to write the cities above them! If you have a clock you love let me know by posting a comment or sharing a photo.

Typography

How have I not talked about one of my favorite topics yet? Typography is a favorite decorating tool of mine. Here is the definition of typography:  "Is the art and technique of arranging type. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups of letters (tracking) and adjusting the space between pairs of letters (kerning). Type design is a closely related craft, which some consider distinct and others a part of typography. Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists, graffiti artists, clerical workers, and anyone else who arranges type for a product. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.

Above, is a poster I had made for my friend's wedding that shows a number of different fonts. I love the way the whole look comes together to create a piece of art! I also love to collect different sized letters made from wood or metal and create a statement with them. If you look at my post about bedside tables, you'll see my massive letter M sitting on my table. Over my tv, that is hung about my fireplace, I have the word home, in uppercase bold letters. I also use the art of typography in some wall quotes in my mud room and kitchen.
If you google typography, you'll see an array  of ideas and inspiration!

Using old corbels in new ways!

I love taking pieces, like corbels, that were used for a specific design aesthetic and come up with different ways of using them! I love old, distressed pieces of wood and corbels are no exception. Corbels were traditionally used on Victorian homes to add a flourish to their porches. They were sometimes used as a decorative support under windows as well.
Being that they were mostly used outside, I first wanted to find use for them inside! The above photo shows them being used for open shelving in a kitchen. I love the idea from my picture of the day, to incorporate them into a doorway. Restoration Hardware is now showing a corbel desk. I have also used them as bookends. They make great ledges to put a pillar candle on or simple use them as a decorative piece on an accent table...the possibilities are endless.

Collections

Have a collection and want to displat it in a really unique way? Maybe you have bits of different things and need ideas for diplaying them. I found a great website, http://pinterest.com/ that will provide you with tons of inspiration for collecting the things you love and displaying them to give you that "wow" factor!

I've joined the site and enjoy creating my own "pin board" of things I love from all over the internet.

Warning: It can become highly addictive!

Taking A Breather



I'm taking a breather...check back next week for more design inspiration and trends!

Antlers are a big design trend right now!

Looking to add a unique design element to your room? I'm sure you have seen them in design magazines and it's true, decorating with antlers is very in. I found a small pair at an antique show and have been moving them around my house deciding where to put them. Then I had a great idea, maybe they should be moved around from time to time. I can start a new game with my nephews called find the antlers!

If you have some, try putting them over a mirror or mantel. You can also group them together, like in the photo above!

Industrial Storage



From lockers to wire baskets, industrial style storage is not only timeless but highly functional. I love all my wire baskets...some I use for display, but the others are for storing things, like the ones I have sitting above my coat rack. I have some big ones in the bottom of my coat closet for shoes and dog towels and instead of traditional baskets on bookcases I use wire or metal ones. The possibilities are endless with industrial pieces. Check out http://stores.homestead.com/hudsongoods/StoreFront.bok for more ideas!

Paper Goods (and we're not talking plates and napkins)

 

Above: Return address label from http://www.felixdoolittle.com/ 

Use paper products that have style! I love my mouse pad that also functions as scribble paper...it is pink a cream strip with a teal anchor on it designed by Alexa Pulitzer (http://www.alexapulitzer.com/).
My paper-pressed desk calendar is from http://www.paper-source.com/ and each month has a lovely design.
My favorite green and blue striped notebook is from Target and some of my favorite stickers are from Cavallini & Co. Another paper product I love are my return address labels from Felix Doolittle...they are little pieces of art. Sticky notes by Galison NY (http://www.galison.com/) are fun to mark off pages with and grocery lists on Kate Spade note pads make the task of writing that list, well less mundane.

Where to begin when decorating a room!



One friend asked me to blog about how to decorate a room. Decorating a room is like dressing yourself...you dress in your own style right? Decorating is the same...use what you like and what inspires you.
I have a book I keep full of paint chip samples I like, fabrics I gravitate towards, pictures from magazines, cut outs of products I like, you name it. By doing this I am able to look through my book and see what type of style I gravitate towards. Mine is a mix of a couple of styles...french country meets industrial chic.
A great example of my style is my family room...my french country pops out in distressed pieces I have and creamy tones I use. A literal french piece I have is a print of the bottom of the Eiffel tower. My old type writer reminds me of a find in a french flea market (they are some of the best flea markets in the world). My love for industrial pieces can been seen in my old factory cart coffee table and my big piece of old tin ceiling hanging on the wall. I would really like to replace my bookcases next to my fireplace with industrial type storage...we'll see!
When it comes to a room use one thing as a jump of point. It may be a rug, paint color, piece of furniture etc. Work from there, slowly...it's a process of adding, taking away, trying things out, moving furniture around and adding (or not adding) accents to your room.
A jumping off point for my family room was my sofa and chairs I saw on display in crate and barrel. From there I used pops of the blue in my chair in my curtains and some art on the wall to tie things together. My dark sea blue chairs reminded me of the ocean, so from there I tied the room together with seaside accents. I didn't want people to walk into the room and say, "wow this room has a sea theme!". That's where taking literal and inspirational ques are important to keep your room from transforming into the dreaded theme room.
I've mix some sea themed prints that are on plates made my Kass Glassworks above an old distressed pieces of wood. A couple of other pieces of art and accents have a subtle feel of the sea and together it all works to create a comfortable room where my husband and I love to hang out!
Now go decorate in confidence!

One Kings Lane

OneKingsLane.com is a great place to find amazing treasures at a huge discount. There sales range from high end art, rugs, lighting to more affordable vintage finds, paper goods and so much more!