you may have seen katy skelton’s modern homeware designs on the blog before, she’s a furniture designer based in Savannah, Georgia that designs and sells beautiful american-made homeware products with social responsibility in mind — products that come from socially sustainable and responsible sources. and now katy skelton has a beautiful brand new lighting collection to share, and to celebrate we’re giving away one winner’s choice of lighting — the winner can choose from (1) Jones Double Sconce; (2) Jones Single Sconces; or (2) Linear Lights in the size & color of their choice!
Linear Lights — a sleek and modern sconce that does not need to be hardwired.
to enter to win your choice of (1) Jones Double Sconce, (2) Jones Single Sconces or (2) Linear Lights in the size of your choosing, simply:
• comment here on the blog confirming you followed instagram by wednesday, october 26th at midnight pst.
• yay! this giveaway is worldwide so anyone can enter to win one of the lighting preferences above of your choice.
• as always, please be sure to leave a way to contact you via twitter, facebook, your blog or email.
• we’ll announce the randomly selected winner the week of october 31st on katy skelton’s facebook account and also my twitter, so be sure to follow along.
from the duo that brought us horse thief bbq at the grand central market comes highland park’s newest hot spot, cafe birdie. designed by etc.etera, the same folks that enhanced hotel covell, the marble and copper tabletops and modern tiles make for one of the most instagram-able spots I’ve seen in a while. but the goodness doesn’t stop at your eyes. founders wade mcelroy and russell malixi offer dinner and weekend brunch menus that will make you drool, with unique craft cocktails for each that might be reason enough to stop by. plus, four equally enjoyable settings to choose from : the main restaurant and bar, an outdoor patio, an outdoor lounge area and a second speak-easy inspired bar in the back.
this is not my beautiful home, but if it were, i think i might have difficulty deciding just where to sit. do i recline dramatically on that dreamy divan, or perch myself properly in one of those lovely leather chairs? every inch of this nineteenth-floor apartment in paris is just stunning, but not in a super fussy way. in fact, it looks most inviting to me with its eclectic mix of cultures from Moroccan to distinctly Parisian aplumb. recently featured on nuevo estilo, this is one unexpected palette of layered textures and color and clearly, the owners not only know how to collect unique antiquities, they also know how to throw them together for one very wonderfully cosmopolitan look.
wowza! have you opened your mailbox to find west elm’s new catalog tucked inside? it’s really something special. it’s not just the incredible looking location (those tall ceilings, crown moldings, and marble mantel — sigh) it’s the colorful new collection with a vintage-modern vibe. i really love the juxtaposition of the classic architecture paired with the unexpected mid-century furniture pieces and colorful, playful palette. major kudos go to west elm’s creative director, johanna uurasjarvi and the styling team behind west elm’s fresh look. a visit to Scandinavia, the birthplace of mid-century design, inspired the new direction for west elm, and i can’t wait for more — well done! if you didn’t get one in your mail, visit the stunning new catalog online.
growing up in suburban los angeles mod-century modern house, i always dreamed of a two-story house. not so much for the second level, per se, but for the staircase itself. there’s something so romantic about a staircase, yes? how many movies have depicted a love scene location? plenty, i reckon. i have an outside staircase to my home, but it’s rustic wood and shouldn’t be painted. so i’ll just have to fantasize about these pretty steps. i’ve noticed a trend stepping it up a bit — jet black staircases, making them even a bit more dramatic. swoon worthy and scene-stealing for certain.
this is one of those posts i get really extra excited to share. not just because her space is charming, inviting, and ultra inspiring but because the person behind it is one of my friends and personal heroes — jihan zencirli, founder and chief balloon trooper — the mad visual genius behind geronimo balloons. you may have seen our house tour with jihan, and you’ve probably seen jihan’s insanely cool balloon installations floating about the world — and i literally mean the world — but if you haven’t you might like to tune in on instagram to keep up to date with her latest inflations. jihan’s been making the world a more beautiful and better place with her geronimo balloons since 2011, each year expanding on her visions and pushing creative bounds — literally blowing up her business and in turn, our happiness with everything she creates. sfgirlbybay contributing photographer lily glass dropped into jihan’s echo park studio for a sneak peek and some words of wisdom about creating and motivating from the balloon trooper. thanks, jihan — i couldn’t be more thrilled to have you here with us today!
were you working elsewhere before leaving to start your business?
You. will. never. guess. I designed yo-yo’s!
I worked as the creative director for a children’s character education company where we used tools like yo-yo’s to encourage and inspire kids to never give up, help others, try their best, etc. It was such an important time for me because I was also living with my great grandmother and taking care of her. Trying not to give up, help others and do my best. My work became my support in many ways. My boss would let me work half the day at home, so I could be with my great grandmother in what would be the last year of her life.
As a side distraction and creative outlet, I began giving balloons as gifts to friends. It was a bit of a theatrical, performance art as it was really enjoyable for me to arrive at a restaurant with a three-foot balloon and watch people deal with this orb floating above them, causing attention to be thrust onto them. I like being in strongly emotional situations — and I sometimes have no preference which way it’s leaning — trepidation or delight, etc.
was your new path motivated by a particular creative need or personal goal?
It’s taken me the entire six years of owning Geronimo Balloons, to realize some of the most basic motivations that fuel what I do. I create because it reminds me that I’m living. I create because I care. I’ve been studying internet and Instagram memes for the past 18 months, and I think the same reason they speak to me, emotionally and intellectually, is that they expose very real and mundane emotions that generally aren’t recalled, since they’re the little feelings that are right before or after or in-between the memorable details of moments that we hold onto. There’s this feeling of awakening to this, that allows me to feel connected to others as well as legitimizes and proves that I am also here, in this world, experiencing these things. Memory is such a strong power to evoke, and balloons exploit this immediately in others. Everyone has a moment they remember with balloons, whether they remember the actual balloons, or not. It’s the time that my cousin was leaning into her birthday cake, and her hair caught on fire on candles– the balloons floating behind her, that I think of our childhood fights and breathing into a paper bag because I would get so mad at her, I think her life now and the funny misspelled tattoo on her neck. All of this thought is inspired, and memories revisited when I see balloons. This gateway to memory is what I think I am most proud of, most humbled to offer. Remembrance for me is like being on the best drug– and I feel like I’m chasing the study of it in my work– both the work you see in my balloons and the work I haven’t shown you yet.
There’s the actual physical representation of what I’m building as my art– which you get to see as a bunch of balloons on the side of a building. The draw to which, I imagine, is for some people the remembrance that I was describing, as well as an aesthetic. But pretty things happen all around me, so I feel like my work has a draw that’s deeper than an aesthetic. It’s the energy, it’s the spirit, it’s the intention. It’s the reason why I am successful: it’s genuine.
did you receive any particular advice that stood out when starting your own business?
Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!, who actually sold me my first balloons from her etsy store, was living in Paris with her family when I was just beginning to play around with selling the balloons. I remember vividly, the Sunday that we were talking over the internet in different time zones and our connection was going in and out and I couldn’t hear really anything she was saying, but right before we were disconnected I heard her say loudly, “YOU JUST HAVE TO TRIPLE YOUR PRICES IF YOU WANT ANYONE TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND IF YOU HAVE ANY HOPE TO MAKE MONEY”. It’s so hard to value your time with “hand crafts” since people don’t view them as fine art much of the time. But the fact is, I spent all my money innovating, designing, refining what would be become my livelihood. Had I valued it too low, I wouldn’t have been introducing it with the pride or honor it deserved.
where do you gain fuel that inspires your creative endeavors?
l am my happiest when i’m exploring things with people. i’m obsessed with people, and with relationships. i get to work this puzzle out with my collaborations, with my team who works with me, and its critical to each project.
what kind of vibe did you have in mind while designing your studio space?
have you been to one of those float centers? you are shown to a private water vault, and you float in shallow water the same temperature as your body for an hour in darkness and silence. it’s the sort of place i thought that you’re supposed to meet hookers in the 80s, but there’s this feeling when you’re in this floating capsule, which is the expanse of space. it’s an illusion, but it makes me feel limitless. working in a white box is the same feeling, without getting wet or naked.
what are some of your work tools that you can’t live without?
celeb gossip sites, VERY loud music, background internet tv playing just to hear voices, a velvet office chair, bright natural lighting, forwarding IG memes to my best friend Alessandro Rumie. I can’t stay focused for very long on one thing, so I have lots of meetings throughout the day, that help to break things up for me and keep me stimulated. I always try to have a 3:00 pm plan, because that’s when I lose motivation and energy and feel bummed out. Today I’m meeting with Steph Rager, just to chat and talk about our personal and creative projects, and who knows what inspiration might come from it, but there will certainly be something!
what are the top three things someone should consider before changing careers or starting their own business?
i feel reluctant giving anyone advice. you know how when people get married and they say, “i just knew”. well, i don’t know about that for me, since i was married and divorced by 23 (forehead slap) in a previous life, but i think when i was about to start my business, everything fell into place. i just knew what to do, not because i had this business acumen or skill, but because it was an intuition that i couldn’t be taught or offered by any other person or handbook. for me, listening to what feels right even when it might be different from other people’s trajectory or style or path, is the only thing i know how to do.
what do you currently have playing on the studio’s turntable?
right now, i’m listening to mozart in the jungle, an amazon series that is musical and beautiful as background noise. i played the violin for many years, and the show inspired me to buy a violin at a pawn shop in north hollywood and play in secret.
the eclectic decor in this apartment in paris, recently featured on socialite family, is the beautiful result of the creative coupling of Pierre Le Ny and Émilie Urbansky. the couple explains their approach to decorating their home as a perfect partnership: he shows her things, and she makes him discover others.
Pierre is a both a gallerist and artists’ manager at Modernist and Émilie works as the manger of image for sony music entertainment. And while their home is a stylish mix of both of their interests and personal tastes, Pierre admits he chose all of the furniture, inspired mostly by his love of 20th century French design, and Émilie selected all of the decorative objects, such as the photos, plants, etc. the cheerful blue wall color in the living room, however, was a mutual decision.
if the playful yet sophisticated home they created together is any indication, it seems as though these two perfectly complete each other. and it’s safe to say, we’re in love!
for the talented couple behind Hawkins New York, Nick Blaine and Paul Denoly, reviving this 18th-century farm house in upstate new york presented yet another opportunity to blend their unique styles—a process they’re quite accustomed to as the co-founders of their home-goods store, known for its balance of modernity and warmth.
i love the subtle pink palette they selected for the newly restored but centuries-old property, recently featured on domino. i also adore the couple’s many rustic meets modern textural updates, like the paneling Blaine designed for the living room walls, the chair rail they created in the kitchen using copper electrical tape, and the gorgeous vaulted ceilings upstairs. i think if i lived here, i’d split the majority of my time between the vintage daybed turned banquette in the breakfast room and that cozy-looking reading nook! what’s your favorite aspect of this expertly curated home?
back to paris we go again with another wear this there — i mean if not physically, at least via the internet. this week we head to maison lautrec — a quaint bistro located in pigalle that is home to some seriously dreamy dishes and pinterest-worthy surroundings. founded by four friends, and remodeled a little here and there from its classic bistro look, it is now a draw to chic parisians alike. try to blend in with those anna karina-esque gals with this week’s look — it’s all about layering: slip dress over sweater, thigh high boots beneath, and a bright cheery scarf to keep you warm. after all, it’s not spring in paris yet! and lest we forget you must always have your french girl beauty staple on you — nuxe lip balm. this week’s read this there is dedicated to gloria steinem’s latest novel my life on the road which we are briskly charging through.
wear this there:shop vérité delta of venus slip dress;pixie market green ballon sleeve sweater; zara soft knit yellow scarf; georgette crimson little black bag; prism i love acid patch; nuxe rave de miel ultra-nourishing lip balm; and ego kyla long patterned boot in black.
ever wondered what a 12th-century castle would look like with modern renovations? well, look no further! vt wonen recently featured the fascinating story of this french chateau located in Dirac, France and the family who lives there, which includes Isabelle and Hubert Site, owners of les petites emplettes, and their three daughters.
according to Isabelle, the family first visited the castle back in 2013, and it was love at first sight. after a two-year long renovation, the family brought the crumbling castle back to life, but left behind hints of the castle’s rustic past, such as the bits of wallpaper and peeling paint in order to give the home a bohemian, eclectic vibe. this home also happens to feature a few bold bold pops of pantone‘s 2017 color of the year: greenery. for more photos of this truly whimsical space, check out vt wonen no. 12.
I first met Sophie at a creatives meet-up in DTLA almost two years ago and have loved following her clean aesthetic and excellent taste on instagram ever since. After drooling over the images she’s shared of her bungalow in east los angeles i reached out in hopes of photographing her home (and picking up a decorating tip or two). a production accountant for television, sophie and her musician husband, isaac, have turned this charming renovation into a calm and light-filled oasis just outside the hustle and bustle of the city with a wonderful mix of vintage and modern, simple and bold. enjoy!
this très chic apartment located in the heart of Le Marais is home to Photographer Matthew Brookes. it has that cozy modern vibe i’m loving lately, created in part by those amazing high ceilings with wood beams, and the way Matthew cleverly mixed in a few modern pieces with antiques and vintage finds. and Matthew’s gorgeous work, displayed in all its black and white glory on the living room wall, is a beautiful focal point in an otherwise white-washed space. talk about gallery wall goals! the apartment is a visual smorgasbord of textures and styles, from the old Mercury mirrors and metal chairs to the French linen on the sofa and vintage chandelier. enjoy!
i used to have a dark blackish blue accent wall in my old bedroom, and i adored it (benjamin moore’s gravel gray). and i still love this look. jenna lyons may have made dark sleeping quarters into a trend with her fabulous bedroom featured many moons again in domino — and i’m sure others may have come before her, but that’s the one that i am always inspired by — unexpected lighting paired with that marble fireplace and those amazing black walls. bold and definitely beautiful. the look is pretty timeless — who knows, maybe darkness will prevail and i’ll go to the dark side once again. these rooms certainly tempt me.
artist isabelle tuchband’s atrium art studio via the selby.
even though i really like working from home, i love having the luxury of the studio space i share in downtown L.A. — it’s just such a creative escape from the norm, and can often inspire me just seeing what the other creatives there are up to. these spaces are something special, and i hope they inspire you a little. if you’d like more studio space inspiration, check out sites like freunde von freuden, in the make, and the studio work. you might also view our past studio tours, and check out my pinboards working girl and studio spaces. enjoy the tour!
designer Lotta Nieminen’s downtown brooklyn studio via designsponge.
i was most inspired by this feature on lonny editor in chief michelle adam’s feminine but bold bedroom. i mean, you’re taking chances when you pair rose chintz and leopard and a polkadot print, am i right? but this works quite beautifully and screams style. she used schumacher’s pyne hollyhock chitnz print to create a gorgeous canopy over her bed, cleverly hung from her ceiling using west elm’s industrial pipe curtain rods (i did this to hide my unsightly washer & dryer in my guest bedroom – works like a charm!). i love this floral print, and noticed etsy shops have loads of it — from the fabric itself to pre-made pillows for those into DDIY (don’t do it yourself). i loved michelle’s bedroom before, too (just below) — prior to the curtains. she still had a lot of prints going on, and her bedroom gallery looked glam, too. i went on the hunt for other black & white inspiration, like anthropologie’s smoky rose wallpaper, the dot tanzania wallpaper from Thibaut design and rifle paper co.’s city toile, which i’d love to find a spot for somewhere in my house. anyway, i guess i’m reevaluating the power of the print these days — for more check out last week’s funky print post.
clockwise, l to r: stylist Pippa Holt’s pink chair paired with a great print; orla kiely’s climbing daisy print; add a dash of pink via domino; gabi burger handpainted this polka dot wall, via the glitter guide; how about a bit of gay paris with anthroplogie’s C’est Magnifique Wallpaper?; you might want to go with blush walls and black accents, like this queen anne blush wallpaper by rifle paper co. from hygge & west; of course, now you’re looking good, via brookebrooke on vsco.
i need a vacation. badly! i can usually tell it’s time for a holiday when i’m immediately drawn to all things beachy on pinterest. i’ve been dreaming of heading back to tulum and realized i’ve been pinning all these images that have that sophisticated beach vibe — and for some reason lately, anytime i see ‘fringe’ — i think beach. i think it must have something to do with those palm frond beach umbrellas lined up along the shoreline in tulum. it was about a year ago that i was there, and i think it may be time to look into trip part two! in the meantime, let’s create our own beach pad, shall we? bring on the fringe and everything else that gets my brain back to the beach.
there’s a new destination gracing hudson, new york — and it’s the hip-countryside-goers dream come true. wm. farmer & sons is not only a spot to grab a delicious bite but also a mercantile, bar, and boardinghouse. the boutique style space designed by shappacherwhite architecture is full of masculine touches like deep jewel toned paint, open brick, and raw wood floors. that however, does not mean you can’t bring the eclectic femme to this dining experience with satin clog shoes, a botanical embroidered trench, and pom pom earrings — it’s all about balance right? make a res for a gaggle of good friends, or slide into a seat at the communal table with our latest read shrill by lindy west.
wear this there:zara embroidered trench coat; zara high heel satin clogs; ban.do tuleste pom pom earring in forest green; Clare V. Florist Striped Pouch at anthropologie; nars Pop Goes the Easel Sheer Pop Multiple; credo beauty french girl sea spray; read this there shrill by lindy west; bagatiba vintage d3c necklace; and need supply achro navy slip dress.
without sounding too much like a brat, i’m really becoming disenchanted with a lot of the cookie-cutter looks out there right now. i think decor needs a little more eclectic oomph added, if you will — maybe mix things up a little bit with some unexpected pieces, especially vintage paired with new. one of the things i was most inspired by on my trip to europe was the distinct lack of anything expected. quirky, unusual collections are the norm over there, in an effortless pulled-together way. that’s one of the reasons i love the socialite family blog — it’s always inspiring to peek into the european interiors it shares. for instance, this one in Le Vésinet, just a few kilometers away from Paris belonging to interior designer and flea market expert extraordinaire Marine Garnier, who brings her eye to one of france’s auction houses, Paisa where she curates American furniture designers from the ’50s to the ’70s. for the full tour of her amazing family home, visit the socialite family.
domino is crushing it again this week, with a stunning tour of interior designer & stylist elizabeth damrich’s historic 1830’s charleston, north carolina home. nothing gets my pulse racing more than sky-high ceilings and killer mouldings paired with classic modern furnishings, and elizabeth has that going on in spades. for the full beautifully curated home tour, sources and more about elizabeth, visit domino.
as you may have seen on my instagram stories last week, i’m transforming my former home office into a guestroom. i mean, who really needs an office when you’ve got a trusty laptop? so, anyway — i’m going for a kind of funky beach shack meets vintage vibes. it’s hard to explain the method to my madness, but suffice it to say that if coqui coqui imploded with cape cod you end up somewhere in the direction i’m headed.
i’ve got a few of the main pieces nailed down — a land of nod jenny lind bed in black and a bunch of mismatched bed linens from serena & lily. i’ve got an old vintage tallboy dresser in there i’ve painted black and a few vintage portrait paintings i found on everything but the house. so i’m on the hunt for some fun lighting — i wanted something bamboo like this lamp i found on etsy and i think i’ll go with a simple sisal rug. i wanted to have some fun with the window treatment so i am battling between making draperies from schumacher’s Pyne Hollyhock in charcoal and this much more colorful vintage fabric panel bringing in some pinks and greens. anyway, this is where i’m currently at and i’ll share the complete makeover soon!
