Perfect Pair: White + Fretwork

Fretwork, latticework, trellis... call it what you want, but this look is HOT.  Starting centuries ago in the 'Far East,' migrating to the 'West' through Chippendale and working it's way up to modern day via Kelly Wearstler's Imperial Trellis fabric, fretwork isn't going anywhere soon.  The best way to update this motif for your contemporary home?  Pair it with some white glossy paint... and maybe a metallic accent here or there...

Words cannot describe how much I adore these cabinets!

{images via PiecesInc, 1stDibs & OneKingsLane}

Thomas Paul Fabric Bench

Seriously a Thomas Paul bench for $200!!!? Holy. Crap. Someone must buy this A.S.A.P. and send me pics when it's placed in your room.

Buy yours here.

{images via QVC}

Desk Lust Part Deux

If I was able to get one of the desks off my lust list, I would accessorize it like this:

I even bought white and gold 'Brooke Jones Design' pencils already.

Now for a gold tray, candle, and assorted accessories...

{image source unknown-- let me know if you know!!}

Desk Lust List

I'm on the lookout for the perfect white desk for my living room and while a white Parsons desk is perfect in every way (clean, timeless, functional, plays well with others, etc.) I can't help but have a roaming eye for some other beauties on the market.  I may have more than a slight crush over these pieces.  Here is my lust list of hottie-patatty desks (there no budget in my dreams!!):

5. Lilly Pulizter for Horchow

 Polish with a little glam glitz.

4. Barbara Barry for Henredon

Tradition with an Art Deco vibe.

3. Jonathan Adler's Channing Desk

Retro-chic personified in a desk.

2. Milo Baughman Vintage 1960-70s Desk

Milo Baughman. 'Nuff said.

1. Vintage 1960's Campaign Desk

The definition of high style and design.

Sigh.... one day....

{images via Horchow, Barbara Barry, Jonathan Adler & 1st Dibs}

Design Legend: Milo Baughman

While trying to research the history of my last post's vintage chrome chair I stumbled across the work of Milo Baughman.  Who is Milo Baughman you ask? As it turns out, he was one of the fathers of modern design during the second half of the twentieth century.  He designed furniture for companies including Mode Furniture, Calif-Asia, Design Institute America, Henredon and Drexel, and most famously for Thayer Coggin, Inc.  His style was 'distincly American' and became a staple for the 'California modern' movement.

Baughman's furniture used simple materials typical of the movement namely, walnut, iron, and formica. The 'X' base was a staple in his desks and stools while the 'Z' shape was introduced to chairs for a style that is purely Baughman.  His styles have been reinvented and recreated and continue to be reproduced to this day.

Mr. Baughman practiced design in California throughout the 50's and 60's. Get this-  in 1969 he was invited by Brigham Young University to start the Department of Environmental Design and taught there on and off until his death in 2003.  Who said Mormons where all traditional and had no style!!!  He could quite possibly be the coolest thing to come out of BYU (well, him and the fact my parents met there and spawned your truly, but he still might take the cake).

Have you seen this GORGEOUS desk before?  I can't remember if I've used it in a post before but it has been in my design file under 'lust list' for a few years now.  You know anything with an 'X' base gets me going, but pair it with orange lacquer and chrome??? Be still my heart!

"Good Modern has already proven to be the most enduring, timeless and classic of all design movements." 

Amen Brother Baughman. Amen.

{all items are vintage via 1st Dibs}

Vintage Chrome Chair

My  heart skipped a beat when I came across this vintage chair.  Isn't it amazing?  If only I had the extra moo-lah to pair it with a pretty white Parson's desk for my future home office...

Grrrr.... so hot.

Buy it before I do here.

{image via Pieces}

Million Dollar Decorators

Have you had a chance to watch Bravo's new show "Million Dollar Decorators"?  I was quite excited to watch when I heard Mary McDonald was part of the cast (remember this post and this post?) and I was not let down with the larger than life characters.

Does Martyn Lawrence-Bullard remind anyone else of Lord Barkis from Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride?"

Also, if Martyn is reading this, I want to let you know that this is an Eames chair:

... this is an Eames chair...

... and this is an Eames chair...

This is NOT an Eames chair:

...but is in fact Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair from 1929, about 25 or so years earlier than any Eames chair.  I don't mean to get nit-picky, but if you are going to claim you are a world renowned interior designer, at least get your design history straight.  These are modern icons we talking about here!!

I am excited to see what chinanigans pop up for the designer's to the rich and famous!

{images via MartynLawrenceBullardDesign, IMDB & HiveModern}

Sarah's Cottage HGTV US

Sarah Richardson's comin' to America!!! Well, her show Sarah's Cottage is, at least.  Here are some sneak peaks of her beautiful summer and make sure to watch this Saturday night on HGTV.

{images via Sarah Richardson Design}

High Contrast Two-Toned Furniture

Can't decide what color of casegood to add to your space? Well, you won't have to decide on just one finish with two-toned pieces!  Two-toned accents add a little retro glam and interest to a space.  If you are looking for a way out of the "matchy-matchy" coffee/end/console table rut, try throwing in one of these character pieces.

The above piece is only $119 @ Target!! Who says style has to cost a fortune?

You can even create this look with your kitchen cabinetry!

How chic is this room? (Leave it to Sarah Richardson to try this in a kitchen)

{images via Vanguard, Bungalow 5, Arteriors, DwellStudio for Target, Tonic Home, & Decor Pad}

Love Me Some Lucite

Want to know a designer trick to make any room instantly more chic?  Lucite. A little accent of Lucite will turn a ho-hum room into the room of a posh fashionista.  Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Philippe Starck's Ghost Chair

{images via All Modern, CB2, 1st Dibs, & The Paris Apartment}