Monday Blues

The NY Giants and the New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl.  For the next few days, I’ll be waking up and thinking blue.

 

Photograph: Gordon Beall
 

I’m thinking of beautiful kitchens.  Entertaining on Super Bowl Sunday is easy with an open floor layout.

Kelley Proxmire, via Traditional Home.  Photographs by Gordon Beall
 

Smaller in size, but not in style, good floor planning and attention to details make up for what this kitchen lacks in square footage.  A television in the kitchen is perfect to watch the NY Giants score in the game. They even added a touch of red.  Are you a NY Giants or New England Patriots fan?

 Decorated in blue and white, this living room is bright and chic.  They must also love the NY Giants.

 Let’s talk wing, and I don’t mean chicken wings.  The perfect chair is essential if you want to be comfortable while watching the NY Giants and New England Patriots Super Bowl.  The wing chair is big and comfy.  It’s a great chair to sit and relax.  It looks stunning in blue leather.

Photos via Traditional Home  
 

                   Make it a great Monday.

                                                           Leave a comment or contact me at info@ivydeleon.com

 

 

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HOMEGOODS PICK OF THE WEEK

HomeGoods has a great selection of furniture and accessories right now.  I couldn’t  leave without taking a few of the items and showing you that with the right combination you could easily decorate a complete room.  I hope you find these small groupings inspirational for your next project. 

CHIC AND GLAM

  

This rug is amazing.   I love the dresser.  It would look great in a living room, bedroom, or entryway. 

 

CONTEMPORARY

Add a side table, or a desk to this group and your sitting area or office is almost complete.

 WORLDLY

 

CLASSIC

I so much want everything in this group. 

Do you like the selections I put together?  Tell me which is your favorite.  Leave a comment below, or tweet me @idhomedecor.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

 

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Decorating Via Email

After years of  answering decorating questions via phone, I’m embracing E-Design.   I prefer person-to-person communication; however, times are changing.  E-Design is a great way to customize your home decor.  E-Design is the process of communicating through email to style and decorate your space.  Do you like to take your time before making a decision, or want your room completed in a short time?   E-Design is the perfect solution for busy moms and executives on the go.  You save time by using my resources to stores and the design community.   Here is an E-Design combining furniture and accessories without compromising comfort and quality–all with the client’s style and budget in mind.

        
 
 
Need to update your room?  Contact me: info@ivydeleon.com
 
 
 
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Year of the Dragon

It’s the Year of the Dragon, the greatest of the Zodiac, according to the Chinese calendar.   In Chinese culture, the dragon is highly respected since it is seen as a symbol of  power and luck.   The dragon comes along every twelve years, bringing believers good luck, good fortune, and good health.  People born under the Dragon zodiac are uninhibited.  They tend to have lots of energy and have extreme ambition, thus successful.  No matter your style, get inspired with these red rooms and dragon designs.  Happy Chinese New Year.

 Walls  Benjamin Moore‘s “Moroccan Red” #1309

Designer Inson Wood           Photo credit: Alexa Hoyer for PMc,  via Holiday House NYC 
 

Red symbolizes luck and prosperity.   
 
 

Dessert (with dragon)

Blue Dragon 5-piece setting, Mottahedeh  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Willey’s Long Dragon pillow in red wine

 

 wallpaper_dragon_orange

Dragon Flower wallpaper by Designer Sheila Bridges

 

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Checkered Floors

A checkered pattern floor can add dimension and visual interest to any room. The flooring is usually made from durable tile or laminate, making it easy to clean.  I have a checkered pattern floor in the mudroom.  It’s very practical for muddy, winter shoes.  Place the tiles on a diagonal for added interest.  You’ll find the pattern is strong, but neutral.  They are not only for country kitchens…

 Lili Abir Regen, Designer          Photo credit: Pieter Estersohn  
 
 

White table on b/w check floor

Via BHG
 
 

find them in the gym,

 
Designer,  Steven Gambrel 

 

and fabulous-designer-foyers.

 

 Via House Beautiful        Photo credit: Christopher Baker
 
 
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HomeGoods Pick of the Week

Happy Friday!   I have an amazing find.  A beautiful Drexel Heritage computer desk.  It was love at first sight.  It has pullout extensions on the side for extra space, an electric cord, to plug in your printer, and a key to close your draw for privacy.  If I could fit it in my house, it would be mine.  So what are you waiting for?   Call the HomeGoods in Princeton, New Jersey.  It won’t last long.

I love the gold detail!

While at HomeGoods you’ll find all the personal accessories to make it chic and fabulous. 

Designer:  Martyn Lawrence-Bullard    Photocredit: Simon Upton
 
 Need to find something special for your home?  Leave a comment. 
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Convex Mirrors

One of my favorite mirrors is the convex mirror.  I like the way it forms a virtual image of the space.  An early application of using the convex mirror is Jan van Eyck’s 1434 painting,  Arnolfini Marriage, showing the convex mirror placed on the wall behind the couple.  Today,  interiors designers are displaying the convex mirror in more ways, instead of the usual one, two, or three application.  These beautiful spaces use the convex mirror in a grouping of five or more.

 

 nuevo-estilo.es
 

Tommy Smythe’s Victorian makeover features convex mirrors in the stairwell, rather than the expected family photos.   I like the collection of vintage gold frames to create an eclectic display.

 
 
 via Canadian House and Home, Photographer: Angus Fergusson
 

The popular sunburst convex mirror would look great in a traditional or contemporary application.

 via 1stdibs
 
Glenwood
 Tobi Fairley, Designer                                                                 Via Tobi Fairley Portfolio
 

 

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Thrifting

Thrifting has always been a part of  my growing up in New York City.  I recall when I enjoyed exploring the East Village at night and bought vintage clothing, records, and Ray’s Pizza.  Those days were great.  Finding one-of-a-kind pieces, mixing and matching, repurposing and saving money are a few of the reasons I still enjoy thrifting.

There is a little thrift shop not far from home,  I recently visited.  I’ve passed the store many times, but never had time to go in.   It is a little out of the way from my usual errand route, about 25 mintues.   With my bag in hand, I like to bring my own, I entered and started my search.  

 

 

 

 

 

All it took was 50 mintues to find a few little treasures.  What’s in the bag?  Here is what I found:  soup bowls, salad and bread plates, brass candle holders, vintage crystal.   The price tag,  $1/each.  My big find was a pair of Ystad Swedish candle sticks $15.   The pheasant feathers were complimentary.

  

 The store keeper was very gracious and kind.   I had a great day.    Here are a few tips.  Combine one-of-a-kind items, together with what you have at home.  Look at magazines and find inspiring ideas.  Go for a hunt in your local thrift stores.  Revisit regularly, because merchandise changes.  Are you a thrifter?  What was your best find?

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Fireplace Style

On a cold night, we like to snuggle and get comfortable at home.  Nothing compares with the coziness and smell of a real wood fire.  Andirons hold up the firewood so that a draft of air can pass around it, allowing proper burning.  Fireplaces are a focal point in a living room.   Bring style to your fireplace using stylish andirons.  These little details make a room special.   

 

Chatelet andirons by La Forge Française; laforgefrancaise.com.
Photographer: Geoffrey Sokol
 
 

  

 By John Lyle Design
 

 

 R-Deco andirons by Wm. H. Jackson Co. Photographer: Geoffrey Sokol

 

 
Fleming andirons by Ironware International
Photographer: Geoffrey Sokol

 Want to view more, visit Elle Decor.

 
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Gardening Inspiration

I love, love,  gardening.  When January comes around with cold weather and long winter days, I search for refuge by attending  indoor garden exhibitions.

 

Beautiful terra cotta planters via Seibert Rice. Chinoiserie inspired terracotta planter by Charlotte Moss.  Hand Thrown Cloche Vase by Bunny Williams

Chanteloup Planter by Charlotte Moss, garden shotHand Thrown Cloche Vase by Bunny Williams, garden shot

 

Photo: Chris Gorman

Charlotte Moss’s new textile collection for Fabricut is rich with nature-inspired prints and petal-hued combinations.   The collection has over 100 new items, including prints, wovens and trimmings. 

 For your pleasure:

Plant-O-Rama, Horticultural Trade Show & Symposium
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
9:00am – 4:00pm
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Palm House
Brooklyn, NY

 

The New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458-5126

The Holiday Train Show, through January 16, 2012 

A Forest in the City: Centuries of Sylvan Beauty.  Explores the history and significance of the Botanical Garden’s 50-acre Thain Family Forest.  Through January 16, 2012

The Beauty of the Caribbean: A Photographic Tour,  January 21–February 26, 2012

 

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