Easy Home Updates for Summer

Hey everyone! It's been a full month since my last post. If I really want to stay on top of this blog thing, I really should post more, huh? Well, one of THE most amazing things has happened this month - I'm engaged! So naturally I'm pretty much non-stop thinking about what our wedding plans will be and believe me, I have a lot of ideas :) I will keep you posted on that, but in the meantime I've put together ways to update your home for summer. I love introducing more greenery, lightening up my bedding, and switching out candles for more summery scents. What are your go-to summer home updates??

1 / summer candle / white company

The White Company just opened by my job, and when I checked it out I fell in love. I LOVE their candles like this summer scent one and they also have a lavender one that is amazing.

2 / organic washed linen sheet sets / west elm

I love switching out my sheet sets to something lighter and more breathable - in the summer and winter, too. Something like a washed cotton or linen will have a lighter feel and keep you cooler at night.

3 / eva tassel + kyoto pillow covers / serena + lily

One thing is for sure - I love pillows. I think it's great to use lighter or darker neutrals for your main pillows so you have more versatility to mix in others when the seasons change.

4 / white stone terrarium / west elm

I absolutely love this terrarium collection! I have one that has the natural wood as the base. Each one is handmade and the glass is actually burned and then melted onto the wood. I would recommend going to a west elm if you can to pick yours in person like I did. 

5 / multi colored dish towels / anthropologie

Switching up your dishtowels in the kitchen is a small, fun way to get in the summer spirit.

6 / striped bath mat / target 

Changing out your bath accessories like your bath mat, towels and shower curtain is also another small, fun way to bring summer into your home.

7 / favorite fruit pot / anthropologie

I love how whimsical these planters are! Perfect for summer. 

xo,

Lauren

Lulu & Georgia Friends and Family Sale

If you have been waiting for the next sale at Lulu & Georgia it's going on now and everything is 25%! (code: BESTIES) L&G is best known for their textiles and accessories but they also have lighting, furniture, art, and so much more. Here's just a handful of some of my favorite finds from all ranges but check out there site for more! I am not sure when the sale is ending but I have a a few items in my cart like this rug for my living room :) Which one if your fave?

1 / pillows / risa pillow / $150 $112.50

idalo pillow / $36 $27

2 / moriah bench / $450 $337.50

3 / tayla mirror / $218 $163.50

4 /  bed / ismo bed / $2,005 $1,503.75

5 / orine lamp / $212 $159

6 / cactus decor - set of 2 / $34 $25.50

7 / dwell studio black faceted vases / $15-$75 $11.25 - 56.25

8 / gold dipped drum table / $198 $148.50

9 / petite trou stool / $129 $96.75

10 / declan rug 5'2"x7'6" / $145 $108.75

PS: If you missed my last post on the latest Serena & Lily sale, check it out here! Their 20% off everything sale is still happening.

Serena & Lily Weekend Sale!

Serena & Lily is one of my favorite stores, and this should come as no surprise :) I've sourced there for clients and go to their site often for inspiration. This weekend they are having a 20% off friends and family event with code MUSTHAVE. Here's a space I put together with some of their most popular pieces... but their sale is certainly not just limited to these so check out their site for more! 

sofa / spruce st 3 seater sofa / $2,895 $2,316

rug / flokati rug 8x10' / $898 $718.40

coffee table / anguilla rattan coffee table / $798 $$638.40

pouf / moroccan leather pouf / $498 $398.40

ladder / teak ladder / $348 $278.40

side table / hunter side table / $498 $398.40

table lamp / halsey table lamp /   $498 $398.40

mirror / harper mirror / $598 $478.40

pillows / barcelona pillow cover / $88 $70.40

magnolia pillow cover - bark / $88 $70.40

montecito outdoor pillow cover / $78 $62.40

PS: I'm excited to share some of my favorite vendors from the Architectural Digest Design Show in the next few days. For a sneak peek check out my Instagram @laurenmaiorana. 

xo,

Lauren

New Obsession: MotifPillows

I have to say I love a good pillow situation. What I love the most is that pillows are so versatile, and can change the look of a space entirely. I am in the middle of doing some apartment refreshing so switching up my pillows is definitely on my list. I consistently browse stores online and in person (when I can) and lately have been drawn the most to pillows on Serena & Lily and Lulu & Georgia. Every now and then I browse Etsy for some unique, handmade options. I came across Motif Pillows and I looove the color palettes and how many options they have. They also use a variety of designer fabrics and are all handmade. What's also great is that you can order swatches first before ordering which is what I did. I plan on getting new ones for our bedroom and living room. Stay tuned to see which ones I went with! Below are some of my faves - check out their Etsy shop for more!

xo,

Lauren

Apartment Revamp 2.0

I've decided to start purchasing things for our new place because there are a list of items I've been wanting to replace for quite some time. If you haven't checked out my first post about our apartment revamp..check it out here! I decided to focus on our living room first and if I see things along the way for other spaces then so be it :) For our living room I would love to swap our our rug and media console first. I would like a light gray and cream rug that has some variation in it for a monochromatic look with our sofa. Our sofa, although I would replace, is staying since it's rather new and my boyfriend loves it. We got that from Raymour & Flanigan when we needed a new sofa for when we moved in and they delivered it within a few days! It's gray and comfy so it works for now. I'd love to change our coffee table to something that is not wood since we have a lot of wood already. Currently we have a bone inlay coffee table from west elm that I love but it's too small. I think marble, although porous, will do the trick. We just have to be a bit careful with it but we already are with the one we have. For our media console, I would like something wood again and something that looks somewhat found. It has to have some open storage and long enough to fit our speaker on top. Something solid wood with a mid-century feel would work best with the rest of our apartment. As for pillows and decor, those are a quick fix and will complete the overall look. Here are my ideas so far for this space!

Box Frame Marble and Bronze Coffee Table / West Elm (currently on a great sale!)

Safavieh Restoration Vintage Rug / Target

Angelo Media Console / Lulu & Georgia

Pendant Floor Lamp / Target 

Mid Century Planter / West Elm

Throw Pillows / Serena & Lily

Kupio Handpainted Vase Set / Anthropologie

xo,

Lauren

2017 Pantone Color of the Year: Greenery

This year the Pantone color, Greenery, is celebrated in designs and decor of various styles around the world. If you're not familiar with the color of the year here is a little info. Each year The Pantone Color Institute announces a symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what is seen taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and attitude (Pantone.com). 

The Pantone Color Institute has put together a collection of palettes that incorporates Greenery in a sophisticated way that relates to what all of us around the world see in nature (can see all palettes here). I have since seen Greenery in many different designs that range from modern to eclectic to  traditional. I usually gravitate towards more of an emerald green, but I put together a mood board using Greenery as an accent below that displays a more mid-century aesthetic using one of my favorite chosen palettes by Pantone; Deep Rooted. Are you a fan of this years Pantone Color of the Year??

Medium Mid-Century Wooden Lamp / Rejuvenation

Audrey Nightstand / west elm

Mid-Century Leather Tufted Bed / west elm

Linen Edlyn Ottoman / Anthropologie

Velvet Tillie Armchair / Anthropologie

Hand loomed Shine Rug / west elm

Arabic Print Wall Art / Anthropologie

Hot Pink Abstract Wall Art / Anthropologie

Tulips in Lesterware Wall Art / Anthropologie

Grasscloth Wallpaper - Silver / Serena & Lily

Pillow Me Ikat Throw Pillow / Etsy 

Belgian Linen Flax Ikat Stripe Duvet and Shams / west elm

Warmest Throw Yarn Dyed - Poppy / west elm

xo,

Lauren

**Disclaimer: Images and information from Pantone.com used in this post**

Create the Look: Studio McGee's Office Retreat

Hi everyone! I am starting a new theme of posts every week dedicated to creating looks by some of my favorite designers. I browse social media and blogs often and get inspired continuously. It's always refreshing to check out others work and get ideas. One that I particularly love is Studio McGee. Shea McGee and her husband, Syd, started their design adventure together after realizing that design was their passion. I am constantly inspired by their work and find myself wondering where they find all of the beautiful items they include in their designs which lead me to this post. I absolutely love this office design below - it is so open and light but at the same time bold and curated. I find myself gravitating towards designs like these where you will find minimal pieces paired with natural, and organic elements and it never hurts when there is stunning art involved. Below you will find a list of items I sourced for you to create this same look! If you have any inspiration photos that you are loving and want to send them to me to create a post like this, feel free to contact me and maybe you will see it in the coming weeks! Enjoy :)

Spotlight White Desk / Crate & Barrel

Vintage French Round Fabric Chair / RH 

Lido Isle Baskets / Serena & Lily

Natural Off White Cowhide Rug / Cowhide Imports

Embossed Wood and Metal Tray / World Market

Small Rippled Cylinder Vase / Target

Samual Kane - Inky Love / Z Gallerie 

Sara Brown - Romance Story / Z Gallerie

Drawing Room Blue 253 - Farrow & Ball

Symmetry Objects / west elm

Striped Angle Marble Bookend / west elm

20th Century Library Double Sconce / RH 

XO, 

Lauren

Apartment Refresh to Come

Hello all! I hope the start to your new year has been fun and productive :) So far for me, I have looked into classes at NYSID and FIT, although NYSID has more class options for me to take they are so darn expensive so this next week I will be narrowing down my options and deciding which one's will be worth it. I would love to take classes with credits, just in case I decide I want to pursue a degree, I can put them towards it. As for learning Spanish, I have not dug too deep into that yet but I plan on using Duolingo to get started soon! As for painting more, I plan to turn my eat in kitchen area into a "studio" space which excites me. One last thing is that I plan to refresh my apartment this year in order to kill two birds with one stone - 1) we are in need of some new pieces and 2) it will be the start to my portfolio that I'd like to create this year so I think it's worth a little investment. The key to all this being...saving money! :) In the meantime, below are some items that I am hoping will make it's way into our apartment soon many of which are on sale right now!

1 /  Nea Rug - Cream / $2,149 / $1,289 / RH Teen 

This rug is a viscose, cotton and wool blend. I plan on ordering a swatch to see if this tone works in my space and isn't too light because it is mostly viscose which could stain more easily but I am loving this option! 

2 / Mira Coffee Table /  $599 / $449 / west elm

 Currently I have a bone inlay table with a metal origami base and I looove it except it is just too small. We need a larger table, with no wood because we already have a lot of wood (floating shelves behind sofa, media console, and side table) so I would love an option like below to break that up. The top is a black and grey marble which I feel would be durable (more so than white) because of it's variation and dark hue. I just love this one!

3 / Austin 62" Media Console / $999 / $899 / Crate & Barrel

Finding the right media is not easy - well, it would be if it was just up to me buttttt 

it's not :) It has to be a lot of things like 1) open shelving 2) can hide all wires and 2) the right size and ideally a solid wood. This solves all of those things and I'm loving that it's solid walnut with exposed dovetail joinery.

4 / Capitola Stripe Pillow - Fog / $98 / Serena & Lily

 Camille Diamond Medallion Pillow Cover / $78 / Serena & Lily

What I love about pillows is that they are such a simple way to change the look of a space without spending a fortune. This one especially is a natural linen and created using an ancient Japanese dyeing technique that makes each one original and authentic.

5 / Parsons Bone Inlay Floor Mirror / $549 / $411 / west elm

We have a space in our living room where I currently have a round brass geometric mirror in between two windows, but I would love to switch it out if I end up going with a coffee table with a brass frame. Our current coffee table is a bone inlay one, which I love except it is just too small. So I thought of incorporating the bone inlay that I love and do a leaner mirror instead. This one would be perfect.

In the next few months I am looking to make these changes and hopefully will have after photos for you. Stay tuned!

xo,

Lauren

Fall 2016

Happy fall! I am absolutely loving the new fall collections some of my favorite stores are introducing this year! Even though they can be very different, I feel like they all have a stylish comfort about them. There is something so simple about these pieces, yet still elevated and intriguing. I'm especially drawn to all of the natural materials, textures, and tone-on-tone color palettes. I've only posted a handful, but I would recommend checking out the full collections on the stores websites. I can't wait to start using them in my designs! Enjoy :) 

1 / leighton pillow cover + peruvian stripe pillow cover / serena + lily

2 / parks end table / room + board

3 / alexis tufted bed / rh teen 

4 / organic capiz bowl / z gallerie

5 / avec chair / cb2

6 / holden accent lamp / rh baby + child

7 / graydon shagreen media console / rh 

8 / muir coffee table / west elm collection 

xo,

Lauren 

Living Room Refresh

I've been pretty busy these last three months (actually not super busy) but I have missed posting! I've been thinking of a refresh for my own living space which inspired this post. I haven't created a mood board in some time, so I thought to create a living space that I would want to live in right now. As many times as I try to create spaces that are timeless and minimal, I can't help but to put my own eclectic twist on it - besides, this is all for fun anyway :) Some of my favorites to incorporate in spaces that I design are natural materials - like these raffia side tables and resin chandelier, pattern and texture play - pairing a larger scale patterned rug with a variety of smaller scale patterned pillows, a light and airy feel - keeping the sofa and paint colors light, and a touch of the beach - I do this with art and incorporating natural materials like this aged elm coffee table.  I've sourced pieces from many different companies, and you can find them in the links below! Enjoy !

Rug / Amira Rug / Room + Board

Sofa / Avalon Sofa / Joss + Main 

Coffee Table / 17th C. Scholars Square Coffee Table / Restoration Hardware

Side Tables / Blake Raffia Side Tables / Serena + Lily

Table Lamps / Lillian Table Lamp / Joss + Main

Chandelier / Addison Pendant / Serena + Lily

Art / Stinton Beach by Jesse Leake / Pottery Barn 

Pillows / Susan Pillow, Kara Pillow, + Luane Pillow / Lulu + Georgia

xo,

Lauren

Serena & Lily Fine Art

Whoa, it's been some time since I've posted last and not once did I post in October. So much has happened -- birthdays (including mine), a trip to Boston for the first time, the launch of RH Modern in the gallery I work in, and the list goes on. It's also been 3 full months since my boyfriend and I moved into our new place and it still isn't complete. I have so many ideas but there really is no rush. I've been browsing through websites for art to complete our kitchen space and living room and came across Serena & Lily (I actually didn't go on their website for art at all but did fall in love with their art collection, naturally). I absolutely love finding and exploring new artists, especially since I'm a painter myself. I thought I'd share some of my top picks with all of you. There's way more so it's definitely worth checking out the website. Enjoy :) 

"Faceted Gem #1" by Natasha Marie

"Underwater Plantlife #7" by Jennifer Ament

"Indigo #1" by Jenny Prinn

"Flight" by Stephanie Sherman

"Stormy Sea #2" by Jerry Schwabe

Xo, 

My Top Californian Finds

It's almost the weekend! I'm just as excited for that as I am about these pieces I'm about to introduce you to. Since moving to California a year and a half ago, I've noticed that handmade items, natural woods, and clean lines is what California is all about -- bringing the natural vibes of the outdoors in. I've rounded up some of my top Californian finds for you to drool over, too. Here are some of my faves:

1 // cedar and moss table lamp / $249 / rejuvenation /

The mid century modern feel with a touch of brass is one of my 

favorite things in this world.

2 // handpainted dusk basket / $48 / anthropologie / I love

baskets -- they are so versatile. I've been seeing many baskets used not

only for storage but as a plant holder. (possible future post I think...)

3 / no 21 / $90 / loomgoods / I love loomgoods. It may be 

a splurge but totally worth it. The mudcloth used is so original and authentic.

4 / tshaj boho pillows cover 20x20in / $50 / etsy / I 

love supporting etsy makers. Tshaj shop has SO many good 

boho pillow finds.

5 / indra rug 3'7''x5'7'' / $239 / lulu & georgia / One of my favorite stores,

ever. This rug has a coastal color scheme with a boho feel. Very Californian.

6 / john vogel bench / $499 / west elm / Another mid-century 

modern vibe with this piece. 

7 / dip dyed stools / $58-$68 / serena & lily / These

stools have always been on my radar. They're one of Serena

and Lily's staple items -- you can use as a side table, in a bathroom, under a console,

so many great uses for this one of a kind piece.

They're all so good! I love supporting local, too. Any chance I get, I love to incorporate the local talent around me. I've had my eye on these pieces for a while -- a girl can dream when she lives in an 800 sq ft apartment. One day! 

Xo,

My Dream Home: Bedroom

Seriously, there are WAY too many items I love that I would happily have in my dream home but I can't have it all. In my previous post I put together my dream dining room look with a link to all items -- one of my favorite artists of mine that I featured in that post saw it and featured me on her instagram so go check it out @rachelreinertstudio! I am going to do the same for you here but this time you will get to see my dream bedroom. I could create this look now but my boyfriend and I are currently renting so we can't do much. We're waiting for our first real place of our own where we can invest in what we really want (he actually approved about 90% of what I picked out here -- i'll take it!). Some items are on the pricey side but a girl can dream! I'm a DIYer so I'm pretty sure if I can't find it less expensive, I can do what I can to create a similar look. So for this space, I continued the design style of my other rooms -- boho, chic, modern, eclectic. I really love mixing styles and playing with patterns -- it makes it that much more you. And don't be fooled because you can totally make it work. I currently have a navy and white theme going on in my bedroom but I just don't know what it is about turquoise that just gets me every time. Oranges/reds are complimentary so I wanted to use touches of that as well with accents of black and white and antiqued brass. The side table pictured could be used as the nightstand or as a side table for the chair. If storage was needed I would add a nightstand that had a drawer or shelf. Either way it WILL have this prism brass pendant over it. Ahhh, I'm in love...

bed // alexa reclaimed wood bed // west elm
pendant // prism pendant // west elm
side table // bamileke stool // serena & lily
chair // bangala armchair // anthropologie
rug // oriental weavers sphinx revival rug // rugs usa
dresser // reclaimed wood + lacquer dresser // west elm
mirror // bunny williams fretwork mirror // clayton gray home
pouf // morrocan leather pouf - black // serena & lily
fur rug // tejn rug // ikea
chair pillow // magical thinking diamond kilim pillow // urban outfitters
back bed pillows // adalet pillow, ebony // lulu & georgia 
front bed pillow // magical thinking katia beaded pillow // urban outfitters
vases // waterscape vases // west elm
artwork // abstract waterfall painted by myself 



I have sold that waterfall painting but I'm dying to paint a huge version of it. There are many natural elements in this space -- reclaimed wood, linen, seaglass, the color scheme, etc. I wanted a piece of art that represented that and even added another natural element in itself, so choosing my waterfall piece just fit. I picture a white Belgium linen duvet cover (the one from west elm) on the bed with matching euro shams. I'm obsessed with how soft they are -- totally worth the price. Adding white linen curtains is another way of adding a natural element with a super clean feel. Oh, one more thing! This mood board does not give justice to just how beautiful the detail on this mirror is. Definitely check out the link to see the full image -- it's worth it. I'm in love with it all but which part is your favorite? Stay tuned for more of my dream home rooms! If you don't already, follow me on instagram @laurenmaiorana to check out more design, diy, art and lifestyle inspiration :) 




Xo,