California Modern

We just bought a new book called Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965 — the accompaniment to the exhibition at the LA County Museum of Art (which closes June 3). For those of us who can't make it to southern California within the next 2 days, this is the next best thing.

The book presents a comprehensive study of mid-century modern California design -- furniture, architecture, textiles, graphic design, and more. The book states that "the California modern look was one of studied informality, sophisticated simplicity, and carefully considered casualness."

Quincy Jones house, 1955, photo by Julius Shulman

There are many pictures showing the indoor-outdoor living idea that was popular in the 1950s. We love this house -- the red beams, red Eames chairs, and the sliding glass doors. The book also explores product design and graphic design of those times.

Greta Magnusson Grossman for Glenn of California screen, 1952

This screen looks fresh even 60 years after its creation. We'd love to have this in our homes!

These book jackets designed in 1944-1945 by Alvin Lustig showcase his belief that "well-designed objects would function as art in everyday life." We couldn't agree more, and if we could get our hands on these they would be framed and hung on our walls!

Check out Living in a Modern Way for a great dose of mid-century design, in all its fabulous facets.


All photos from Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965, edited by Wendy Kaplan, published by The MIT press

Quick Tips for Styling Shelves

Sometimes it can be overwhelming to look at empty shelves or a bare mantel. How do you arrange your books, vases, and other stuff without making it look like a thrift store?

Well, fret no more. Here are some secrets to styling that will make your shelves look ready for a magazine shoot!

Play with shapes and scale. In this vignette, we mixed round objects (the vase, the bowl and the lemons) with square (the mirror and the books).

Use different textures. This vignette uses finished and raw wood, grass, and textured ceramics. What makes it work so well? The three vertical pieces on the left are different materials but similar shapes, and are offset by the small stack of books next to them. We also incorporated the artwork on the wall as part of the overall styling.

Pay attention to scale. Don't use all big, or all small, pieces. Here we used a bold round vase with tall branches on the left, and a lower composition of books and basket on the right. The horizontal artwork acts as a "bridge" that joins the two.

Put your books in different directions. Vertical, horizontal, spines in, spines out. Just make sure the books in the stacks are similar sizes. And leave "white space" between and around the books -- don't pack the shelves completely full.

Here are a few more tried-and-true styling rules to remember:
- In general, pieces look best grouped in odd numbers (one or three) vs. even numbers (two or four).
- Avoid "matching" the two sides of a mantel. For example, don't put one green vase on the left corner and a matching green vase on the right corner. It will look better if you switch out one of the vases for a live plant or a similar-scale basket.
- Less is more. Just because you have more room for books or accessories doesn't mean you should add them! Leave some breathing room for your objects so your eye has somewhere to rest when taking it all in.

POP goes the neon!

Have you noticed all the neon colors in fashion and home design these days? We love it -- but it must be tempered by beautiful neutrals, like gray or white -- as seen in these lovely color palettes from the remarkable site Design Seeds.

We love the way neon has been incorporated into these home designs . . . 

(via pinterest, via digsdigs)

(via pinterest, via hannasroom)

(via pinterest)

And in fashion . . . as seen in the recent Anthropologie magazine . . .

And what about this coat?

(via pinterest, via Vogue)

We're excited to work some neon into our summer palettes!

Style to Sell Success!

We just completed a Style to Sell project and we love the way it turned out. This was a full staging, meaning we brought in everything -- furniture, rugs, accessories, etc. Our goal was to make this cute little bungalow fresh and colorful.

We'll start with the "after" photos . . .

And here's how the house looked when we first saw it . . .

Of course, we can't take all the credit for the transformation . . . the homeowner and real estate agent put in a lot of work cleaning, painting and fixing things up.

Inspiring, isn't it? Of course, no one's real house is going to look as perfect as a staged home, because everyday living means everyday messes, stacks of paper, etc. But you can refresh your own house -- without putting it on the market -- by taking these three steps:
1) Declutter! Pretend you are moving, and challenge yourself to keep only those things you would take to a new home. Box the rest up and donate or recycle it.
2) Paint! Lighter neutral colors always look fresh.
3) Use colorful accents! Notice the pops of color in the pillows and artwork we chose.

Just try this 3-step refresh strategy in one room -- you'll be amazed at the difference.

Tips for Great Outdoor Spaces

May is here! It's time to think about outdoor dining and entertaining. Creating an inviting and comfortable outdoor space doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. You just need some basic furniture (and there are many options), plus a few finishing details. Here are some examples . . .

We created this outdoor room in Mill Valley -- notice the mix of potted plants, pillows and other accessories.

On a more modest scale, this lovely yet simple set-up is from the backyard of our most recent Style to Sell house. It features Appalaro outdoor furniture from Ikea ($139 for the drop-leaf table, $34.99 for the folding chair, and $89.99 for the bench). It's a nice set, but what really makes it feel like a "room" are three important details:

The rug -- A rug grounds the ensemble, just as it does in your indoor living room. Be sure to buy one made specifically for outdoors. We love the rugs from MadMats, but there are many other options available online and at your local hardware store.

Pillows -- They add personality and comfort. Choose some fun contrasting colors as we've done here. A good source for outdoor pillows is Home Decorators Collection.

A centerpiece -- Fill the middle of your table with a vase of flowers, a tray holding a pitcher of margaritas, or outdoor lanterns. Sometimes candles can melt if they're left in the sun, so here we substituted with some cute little cactus. (Cactus and lanterns also from Ikea!)

Of course, it's fun to fantasize about luxurious outdoor rooms too. Here are some spaces we've been admiring lately on Pinterest:

(via Apartment Therapy)

(via wish!, via From Paris to London) 

(via houseOMG!)

Luckily for most of us (who don't have properties like these), you can enjoy whatever space you have -- your backyard, patio, or even your tiny terrace. Just set out a chair, grab a cold drink and feel the sun on your face.

One Love: Pillows!

It's no secret that every decorator considers a great pillow to be their "secret weapon" -- something you can add to the mix to make a big impact for a small cost. We go crazy for pillows, and our inventory probably numbers over 100 of them.

Pillows play a major role in our new "Room Refresh" service (only $395 to update a room). Here are two projects we recently completed -- just try to imagine them without the pillows, or even with just solid pillows alone. The effect wouldn't be as fresh or colorful.

At many retailers, you can buy just the pillow covers without the insert, so you can easily switch out your pillows for less.

Here are two great new options at Ikea right now -- grab them while you can!

For more pillow inspiration, follow our Pillows pinboard on Pinterest. We're adding new stuff all the time!

Repurpose, Reuse -- Redesign!

Happy Earth Day! In honor of the efforts many of us are making to recycle materials in new and creative ways, we are sharing some pretty brilliant ideas that you can re-create in your own home.

First off, create a modern rustic headboard from some old wood planks and add your own sentiment . . .

 We love it! (from kirsty)

And we can always look to our local Anthropologie store for the most clever display ideas.

Got an empty plastic soda bottle? Got some bungie cord? Make a hanging planter!

Speaking of hanging, what about creating some original coat hooks?

I love how each hanger gives you two different hook options. From Better Homes & Gardens.

Another smart idea for using hangers in a fresh way . . .

From Creature Comforts, originally from Ohhh . . . Mhhh

And what about turning an old segmented window into a chalkboard calendar? Just paint the glass with chalkboard paint.

From loft & cottage, originally from Cookie mag.

What great ideas can you come up with? How can you repurpose everyday items or old stuff you find in your garage? Let us know in the comments below.

Candy Colors to Savor

In reviewing our latest pins on Pinterest, we notice a lot of bold, bright color. Maybe it's because we've had a rainy week here in Berkeley, or maybe it's just because we love color -- anytime, all the time. Here's some eye candy to inspire you:

(pinned via Jessica, via Marvelous Kiddo, via solidfrog, original source unknown)

(pinned via Jessica, via smallshopstudio, via rebecca june)

(pinned via Jessica, via Petite Alma, original painting by Cocoa and Hearts)

(pinned via elisangel, via flickr)

(pinned via Jessica, via interiors-porn.tumbler)

(pinned via Jodi McKee)

Happy weekend, and we hope you always color outside the lines!

Fabulous Flowers at Birch in SF

One of the best places in San Francisco to discover cool home decor is Hayes Street, where you'll find a little treasure shop called Birch. Birch offers two of our favorite things, flowers and magazines, in a beautifully designed space.

The matte black walls showcase the white ceramics and bright flowers, and you can find letterpress cards and design books tucked in between floral displays.

A wall of shelves house a great selection of design and art periodicals, including the international editions of Elle Decor and Anthology.

There's even some cool jewelry hanging from manzanita branches, and a well-curated selection of candles, journals, and other goodies on the shelves.

The next time your eyes need a special treat, stop by Birch, take in the loveliness, and take home some Spring blooms.