Holiday House NYC: Supporting a Good Cause through the Love of Interior Design

December 19, 2013




I was so excited when my design mentor, Debbie Travin of DLT Interiors, told me about a design lecture that was being held at the Decoration & Design Building in NYC on how to start your own design business and asked me to go with her. Little did I know how amazing this day was going to be.

While attending this lecture, I was happy to learn about Holiday House NYC. As a way to bring both interior design and the prevention of breast cancer together, designer and breast cancer survivor Iris Dankner started Holiday House NYC in 2008. In the Upper East Side, Holiday House is held in a historic mansion and all the proceeds donated go to helping the end of breast cancer and those who suffer from it. 

Each room in the historic mansion is designed by top designers in the industry. Each designer chooses a special moment or holiday occasion as inspiration for their design. It was my first time attending this year and I must say I was extremely impressed. Every design has it's own story and I loved how each room set it's own mood. Each of the designers that spoke at the design lecture had designed a space in the Holiday House - J. Cohler Mason Design, J + G Design and Darrin Varden Design. 

Designer Gregory Allan Cramer was spending time in his space when I walked in and he was able to share his story behind his design - it was such a pleasure to meet him! Here are some of the pictures that I was able to take as I toured the four floors of the Holiday House (I really wish my flash worked better though)...Enjoy!





The first space you would see walking through the Holiday House - featuring furniture by Fendi Casa.


An extravagant and traditional dining space with  lots of beautiful architectural features.


I loved the velvet emerald green which has been a trendy color this past year & how the bench and table are nested together. 



I love the pop of turquoise and burnt orange in this abstract art piece.


This space above had lots of abstract art, fun pops of color & beautiful metallic wallpaper.


Above is J Cohler Mason Design - a classy and chic space with some fun pop art.


A glamorous teen girl bedroom with creative instagram wallpaper.



Above is part of the space designed by Gregory Allan Cramer - the photo wall are of photos from the Tutu Project which is set out to raise awareness for breast cancer. Here is the link to find out more information: The Tutu Project


These aren't half of the pictures that I had taken but you can see how many different design styles were portrayed in this house - all to celebrate the holidays, interior design and raising money for such a good cause. Above is a picture Gregory Allan Cramer sent me himself. I am so happy that I was able to tour this mansion before I made the move out to California! I recommend if you're in New York City to check out Holiday House this season!

Here is the link to learn more about such a great cause: Holiday House NYC


Xo,












Autumn Hues for your Home

October 26, 2013

The season is here for warm, rich and inviting colors. When I think of fall, I think of the foliage in the mountains - the beautiful, warm colors of burnt orange, deep red, autumn green and touches of amber and gold. So when I think of autumn decor, I think of working these fall colors into my home. Here are some fall pieces I've found that will make your home feel cozy and warm - from pillows and throws to table accessories. Do you have an item you take out for every fall or one that you dream about purchasing soon? I'd love to know!


























Hope this post inspired you to pick up some autumn hue items for your home :) 


Xo,





My Top Ten Favorite Pieces Less then $20!

September 8, 2013

For this post I came up with my top ten favorite accent pieces that are quite a steal at less than $20! Each item is fun and will give your home a sense of personality and an eclectic feel. For me, I especially love turquoise, ikat prints and anchors which I included in this list as well. Feel free to click on the link where I found each item to purchase one or browse more bang for your buck items!



1) Turquoise Painted Wooden Knobs, Set of 2 - A perfect way to add some personality and style to otherwise simple pieces of furniture.
$7.98





2) Short Skinny Mercury Vase - Any type of flowers would look great in this vase on your coffee or dining table or even on your entry way console - they come in all different sizes.
$12.99
Mercury Glass Cityscape Vases


3) Acid Etched Letter - Would look great in a collage among some beautiful art and photography.
$12.99



4) Mini Jeweled Lantern - A cute, eclectic looking accent for your coffee table or atop your bathroom countertop. Comes in a variety of sizes - All you need is to purchase some tealights!
$10.00




5) Serving Bowl in Turquoise - I love the look of ombre in my home, including my serving ware, too!
$1.49
SKOJA Serving bowl IKEA

6) Ikat Pillow Cover 16"x16" - This price on this trendy patterned pillow is a true steal.
Etsy.com
$5.99

SALE Soft Ikat pillow covers- Size 15" x 16" - Ikat


7) Acrylic Baby Easel - As a painter myself, I love the idea of this baby easel displaying a small piece of art or photography.
$14.95



8) Aqua Mosaic Frame - A small home decor item but will surely give an eclectic feel and personal touch to your home.
$14.95



9) Nate Berkus Indre Decorative Box - A little box perfect to throw in small items and make it appear less cluttered.
$13.98

Nate Berkus Indre Decorative Box


10) Chevron Anchor Paper Print - For a girl who loves anchors because it symbolizes growing up boating, I sure love this print - Just would need to buy the frame!
$12.00




This list could go on and on but which one is your favorite? I'd love to know!






Xo,




Luxury for Less by DLT Interiors

September 2, 2013


DLT Interiors, a Manhattan based Interior Design firm, where I am very lucky to intern for, has came up with a way to show you how to afford a high end look at a budget friendly cost. This can be especially hard to do in Manhattan, but with the help of DLT Interiors, the design firm's spread called Luxury for Less shows that at an affordable cost you can purchase items that have a high end look. 

Luxury for Less is a two page monthly spread in The Resident Magazine in Manhattan and the Hamptons in New York. Each Luxury for Less issue features a different theme such as Navy & White, Natural Materials, Color Splash and Decorative Metals. Some of these themes are right here on my blog for you to look at! (I apologize in advance for not being able to read the descriptions in each picture - on the left are the high end items and on the right are the affordable items. You can see how similar the items look at a drastically different price range!) Also, here is a link to DLT Interiors, where you can find out more about the owner, Debbie Travin, and all of her versatile design services that are available in Manhattan!Above, Navy and White is a timeless color scheme which is why these pieces are perfect to update any space in your home.
Above, natural materials such as rattan, bamboo, wood and hemp help create a relaxed and soothing atmosphere. In this Hamptons issue, a natural color palette paired with a soft splash of color and natural materials are used to create an inviting outdoor space.Above, using splashes of color is a great way to bring new life back into any neutral color scheme.Above, by using different metals in your home you can create a feeling of warmth and sophistication. Gold, silver and bronze are timeless in interior design and can coordinate with most color schemes. You can try to mix different metals for an eclectic look or stick to one metal for a clean, cohesive look throughout your home.

These are only some of the different Luxury for Less articles by DLT Interiors that have been featured in The Resident Magazine. I hope that you have been inspired in some way to create some of these looks in your own home or your future home-to-be!



Xo,



Vintage Chic Bedroom Makeover

July 10, 2013

Recently, I turned my brothers old bedroom in my parents house into a fabulous vintage chic space for when I visit or as a relaxing guest room. I love the look of dark furniture with splashes of color in this space. I chose a very relaxing, subdued shade of robins egg blue for the wall color. Remember the 60-30-10 rule where 60% of the space is the rooms wall color. In this case 30% of space is the black furniture and gray fabric within the wall treatment and bedding. 10% of the space are accent colors such as coral and turquoise. You can always play around with the rule but it is a good rule of thumb to go by.

A good way to personalize a space without making it too specific to one person is to use your own photography within a space. In this bedroom, I wanted to create a collage over the bed but didn't want to fill it with photos of friends and family - instead I framed photographs that I took from traveling and drawings of mine and cohesively created a vintage looking collage that draws your eye into the center of the space.

I chose longer curtains that fall past the end of the window because it gives the illusion of larger windows and because the curtains act as a piece of art within the space as well.


Here are some before pictures so you get an idea of how dark the walls were before which is why I chose a lighter color to open up the space especially because of such great natural light that comes through - it helps to reflect that natural light throughout the space:









After:









I really do love the way this bedroom came together by using pieces that I had and only adding a few new ones. It's amazing what only painting a room can do to a space as well. I hope you are able to take away some useful tips for your next at home makeover!


Xo,