Sofa Picks

I think I may have found my perfect sofa....

Let me introduce you to the English Roll Arm Upholstered Sofa from Restoration Hardware. It's classic style & proportions will never go out of style and it's just the right shade of griege. While it's not cheap, it's much less than the iconic George Sherlock sofas that I'm sure were the inspiration behind the design:

I am constantly searching for the "perfect" sofa style to replace my less than ideal existing furniture that is too dark and a bit outdated. Up until now, my top pick has been the Seabury from Pottery Barn but I believe it's just moved down to the #2 spot.

In the #3 spot is the Stockholm sofa from Ikea. It has nice lines, but the quality isn't quite as nice as the above two. Priced at $1,299 it is the most budget friendly, but I'm not sure it's worth that much. Has anyone else noticed that Ikea seems to be getting more expensive??

Which style to you prefer? Sadly, all of them are currently out of my furniture budget, which at the moment is $0. But a girl can dream, right?

Stalker Alert- Jenna Lyons

When I grow up, I want to be Jenna Lyons, the super stylish creative director at J. Crew. In my opinion, her taste is impeccable in both clothing & interiors. I've been a little obsessed with the NY Brownstone that she shares with her husband and adorable little boy since I first saw it in the Nov '08 Domino issue, and I was elated to see a more detailed glimpse of it in the September '09 issue of Living Etc. She has a knack for combining classic traditional pieces with unexpected twists (hello, yellow sofa) to create an elegant, yet totally livable style.

From the Domino issue:

The zebra rug totally pulls this room together (I'm hoping it's faux)

Aww...

This is probably one of my all time favorite nurseries, love the striped ceiling!

Love this photo of the stylish couple...and the centered door knobs!

From Living Etc:

I don't love the console in the entry, but I'll let her get away with it for being awesome everywhere else.

Chalkboard paint on the master bedroom walls, dramatic & perfect for the space.

Notice that little Beckett graduated to a big boy bed.

There's even a beautiful backyard, if you can stand looking at any more gorgeousness.

Her closet, of course, is to die for. Although I do like the first photo from Domino better, the latter is probably more functional.

Even more photos from her architect's website:

It's even perfect from the outside, I LOVE white houses with black accents.

These shots really help get a sense of how the spaces flow together.

Isn't her home fabulous? I love seeing how the space has evolved from the Domino spread to the new one in Living Etc, and seeing how the new photos fill in some of the gaps to give a more complete look at her home. And now I feel like a stalker for posting so many pictures of her, but I'm sure you understand after seeing all of this fab eye candy.

Black + White + Green

Oh, my sweet black & white, will I ever tire of you?  I think not. Especially when you're paired with green.  So clean, so crisp, so perfect.  The living room below really spoke to me today, I love its imperfect symmetry, the eclectic traditional vibe, and of course that black & white rug!  I wasn't surprised to find I had many other photos with the black + white + green combo saved in my favorite files.  What colors are speaking to you in lately?

It's probably no surprise that I like this combo, considering my blog header:)

Stripes

How cool is this bath tub?

And just look at that view!  Gorgeous!

{apartment therapy}

For Fall

Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year, I love it when the air starts feeling cooler at nights and I can FINALLY start wearing my boots & sweaters again.  There's nothing more beautiful than the leaves changing color in Michigan, where I'm from, and that's something that I really miss now that I live in Arizona.   While I love seeing these colors outside, the red, burgundy, orange, and gold tones just don't do it for me inside.  In fact, I've always had a natural aversion to the color red, it's been that way pretty much all my life.  To this day I don't own a single red piece of clothing and I crinkle my nose when my husband wants to buy a red shirt (how dare he!).  Granted, red has its place, but to me it's best used sparingly or as an unexpected pop of color.  I digress.  Since I do like to change my decor up a bit with the new seasons, I prefer to go with more subtle shades of gray, purple, olive, or black for fall.  These images are making me excited for the coming season (too bad it's still 105 degrees here)...

this is about as much red as I can handle

And in my mind, J. Crew can do no wrong.  I want one of everything from their fall collection.

(this is a bit more realistic for my current temps)

Come on, fall!  Get your bad self to Phoenix, I need you now!

{photos:1-3 Canadian House & Home, 4 La Dolce Vita, 5 Elle Decor}

Pillow Addiction

Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm a pillow-holic.  I know it's a problem, but I just can't stop.  If I could change the throw pillows on my sofa every week, I would.  In fact, I think I have.  There's just something about a new pillow that can totally change your mood and the mood of your room.  It's a quick fix, and (usually) inexpensive, so why not?  

These pillows are from UK designer Megan Park.  I'm loving the fallish colors and the anthro-vibe they've got going on...

From her previous collection...

I have no intentions of quitting any time soon.

What's cooking

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I love the fresh design of this cookbook...

Not only would it look fabulous sitting on my kitchen counter, but I'm sure it has some really great recipes in it, too.  Vefa's Kitchen has been called "the first comprehensive bible of Greek food" and contains over 700 recipes of traditional mediterranean cuisine.  I like the simplicity of the mediterranean diet, they stick to basic ingredients such as olive oil, legumes, fruits & vegetables, nuts, cheeses, and more fish than meat in most of their dishes.  That's my kind of food!

Trend Spotting- Herringbone Floors

I've been noticing a trend in some of my favorite photos lately...natural toned herringbone wood floors.  They can look modern or rustic, but always chic.  I SO want them in my next house...

decor8

desire to inspire

desire to inspire

desire to inspire

cote de texas

desire to inspire

desire to inspire

emma's designblogg

domino

sfgirlbybay

I had to throw this last one in for the adorable pup lounging on the floor.  Isn't he precious?