We're in a New York State of Mind

Fresh off the plane from New York, we're bursting with ideas and energy in a way that only the Empire State can inspire. We ♥ NY! Here are the top trends we saw while exploring the city, visiting our favorite shops, checking out the latest restaurants, and people watching on the street.

BLUE Cornflower, Cobalt, Ultramarine, Teal...deep, rich shades of blue were everywhere
INDIAN INFLUENCE The colorful hues of saris and spices, luxurious jewel-toned rugs and pillows
THE NEW NEUTRALS Saddle, oatmeal, eggshell...reclaimed wood, rich leather, flaxen linen
OVALS Two words: Lady Gaga. 'Nuf said, eggs are In.
CITRUS Lime, chartreuse, neon...green is springing up all over

ABC Carpets :: Bergdorf Goodman

ABC Carpets

Bergdorf Goodman

Design Within Reach :: unknown...!

*Credits: Allie McCoy - Photography, Jill McCoy - Photography

One Love: The Mid-Century Dining Chair

Dining Chairs - Klassik Living

This classic mid-century dining chair was designed by Kai Kristiansen, a Danish furniture designer. We discovered these colorful originals the other day at Klassik Living (the relocated and reincarnated Klassik by Lynne), and loved the bright, eye-candy fabrics, the simple, clean lines, and the rich, warm tone of the wood frames. Can't you just imagine an entire dining set in fabulous mix-and-match colors? How delicious!!!

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

Berkeley Eclectic

House Beautiful, Architectural Digest

The hottest new kids on the block are a design collective in LA called "Commune". Their style is equal parts mid-century vintage, bohemian artist, and minimalist zen. We took one look at their spread in House Beautiful, and thought, "that looks an awful lot like the eclectic style we see all over town...". It reminded me of my best friend's hippie parents Berkeley house circa 1978, complete with layered kilims, potted ferns, burlwood tables, and Eames chairs. Commune may be new, but Berkeley's been cultivating this look for years! So here's a little inspiration/interpretation of Visual Jill doing "Berkeley Eclectic", a la Commune.

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

One Love: The First Signs of Spring

Spring is in the air. The last few weeks of unseasonably warm, glorious weather convinced the bravest little buds and blossoms to shed their winter coats, and seemingly overnight the landscape became dotted with soft puffs of trees bursting in pink and white. It's so beautiful. And even though this week the rains have returned, it's a spring rain, softly soaking the dark earth, intensifying the vibrant greens of new growth, and sending tissue-paper petals swirling into the wind.

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

All You Need Is Love

Happy V-Day!

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

Not Just Black + White

Home & Garden, February 2011

How amazing is this shoot? The graphic black and white with bold color highlights are so striking and powerful; we were completely blown away. We love the quirky, artistic touches, from the very obvious integrated dining table and floor to the more subtle details like the hand-painted stripes in the "striped" room that keep it all from feeling too controlled. And the most amazing part: it's actually somebody's home.

Black + White + Color seems to be showing up a lot lately. Here are some examples that we found this week while studying the latest issues of some of our favorite home and fashion mags:

House & Garden

House & Garden :: House Beautiful

House & Garden

Urban Outfitters :: Prada in Vogue :: Balenciaga in Vogue

One Love: The Revamped Lamp

What's a lamp without a shade? An opportunity, of course. We found this fantastic lamp base at the Alameda Antique Fair, and despite the missing shade we knew it was a keeper. A trip to the local lamp store yielded a simple, white linen shade, and suddenly we're seeing things in a whole new light!

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

Color Fever: Spearmint

Fan deck - Benjamin Moore :: Matisse painting - Inspiration by Tricia Guild :: Scarf, necklace - Matta, from Erica Tanov :: interior images - Think Color by Tricia Guild

Spearmint, wintergreen, seafoam, verdigris...we've been noticing a strong trend of this patina-ed hue lately, and we're pleased as peas to see so many fabulous shades of such an interesting, directional color.

Elle Decoration :: House & Garden

In the magazine's we've seen it mixed with purple, mauve, pink, camel, even acid yellow. For such a unusual shade, it comes out looking surprisingly classic.

RoomService

Imagine our delight when we found these fantastic pieces during a quick field trip to Hayes Valley! Room Service is a new shop in the neighborhood, and it's a modern color-lover's dream: bright yellows, reds, and oranges; sharp blues and greens; hot pinks and purples. Be sure to check them out!

One Love: The Striped Tee

Striped Tee - Slash Denim

Consider the striped tee. Everyone who is anyone has worn one, from Brigitte Bardot to James Dean to Picasso and Audrey Hepburn. The question is: do you have one? Our current faves are made by Robert P. Miller and come in a bijillion different colorways. The boat-neck and 3/4-length sleeves allude to strolling along the Seine, while the daring color combinations give off a subtle rocker vibe. So get on out and earn your stripes! Bay Area folk can buy one in every color at Slash in Berkeley.

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - photography