JenRocksFashion Colorful Musings from the Practical Fashionista…

I’m not exactly the crafty kind. My friend Katie is a knitting whiz. Another friend Gretchen is the queen of scrapbooking, stamping, cross-stitching and more. Me? I’m a decal diva–I enjoy adhering decals to the walls of my house. Yup, that’s about it.

There’s the rock climbing panoramic piece from walls360.com that I placed in our basement above an orange sofa:

Temporary commitment: the decal is high-quality, removable and affordable.

There’s the vinyl tree from Blik that took several hours (Andrew was a trooper) to put up in our living room:

A decal was the perfect solution for adding a design element in the tight space between the floor lamp and the TV.

Close-up: we had to peel off each individual leaf and branch separately.

Then there’s the London street view that we had originally unfurled above our dining room table:

City perspective.

Well, that placement never seemed quite right. The scale was too narrow and too short for the wide expanse. No worries, though, because in reading the blog Design Milk, I stumbled upon different, better decals to use instead. (And we moved the adhesive poster of London to above our headboard in the master bedroom. Its ingenious practicality? No fear of it falling and crashing down on our heads!)

So now, our dining area features buttered toast and flatware:

These are four separate decals. Call us weird but we like their kitsch factor.

I love me a good trompe l’oeil. (And on Halloween, the neighborhood trick-or-treating kids were fascinated.)

For domestic décor, I don’t endorse placing decals everywhere. But for certain spaces, they serve as a handy, stylish and fun alternative to framed prints. I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna put linebacker Clay Mathews on display–Phillie second baseman Chase Utley, maybe.

Product sites: wallflowers, walls360, blik, fathead

P.S. I was recently shopping for holiday presents at Nordstrom when I saw these napkins by Cake Vintage. I had to have them!

Perfect pairing with our utensil decals.

I hope y’all enjoyed your Thanksgiving! While Andrew stayed back in Virginia nursing a throbbing tooth ache and downing painkillers, I went ahead and spent the holiday at my mom’s lovely home in Pennsylvania. She has a sofa in her formal living room that my DIY-loving dad reupholstered himself in fine wale corduroy almost forty years ago–and amazingly, it still looks good!

My mom’s traditional living room and “vintage” sofa.

It reminded me of some pieces we saw a few weeks ago at the National Gallery’s “Masterpieces of American Furniture from the Kaufman Collection, 1700–1830″ exhibition. On display were examples of Federal Style (1780 – 1810), a restrained Neoclassicism which is characterized by “sober mahoganies, straight tapered lines, and modest carving,” as well as French-inspired Empire Style (1805 – 1830) which featured “antiquities-inspired carving, gilt-brass furniture mounts, and decorative inlays.”

What caught my eye the most? The variety of yellow chairs:

Armchair, New York, 1795 – 1810, mahogany.

Side chair, Boston or Salem, 1790 – 1800, maple; paint.

Side chair, attributed to John Finlay and Hugh Finlay, Baltimore, 1815 – 1825, maple; paint; cane seat.

Side chair, Philadelphia, 1810 – 1820, mahogany with mahogany and rosewood veneers and ebony inlay; brass. This chair is a variation on the ancient Greek chair known as a klismos, which has a horizontal, tablet-shaped top, deeply curved back, and curved front legs.

Grecian couch, attributed to John Finlay and Hugh Finlay, Baltimore, 1810 – 1830, walnut and cherry; paint; gold leaf.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a jenrocksfashion post if I didn’t relate the yellow embroidered upholstery to a visually-similar designer look, so here it is:

Stella McCartney dress, Resort 2013 RTW Collection.

Runway images via style.com

Masterpieces of American Furniture from the Kaufman Collection, 1700–1830 is currently on view.

National Gallery of Art | 4th and Constitution Avenue, NW  Washington, DC 20565 | 202.737.4215 | nga.gov

People, it’s almost Election Day! Can you believe it? According to most polls, it’s still too close to call. How is that even possible? I won’t divulge my allegiances here but geez, I hope you can make a pretty good guess. For this post, I’m gonna dodge politics altogether in favor of featuring a gift I recently bought for my dearest friend. (Bear with me–it ties in at the end.)

You see, I’ve been obsessed with bright pink lately. No, I’m not taking a cue from the First Lady and the Wannabe who both wore fuchsia to the second presidential debate. As I laid out my case last year, the color just makes me happy. So I figured, what better color to wrap a present for a birthday party?

The gift box from Anthropologie.

Lots of pink tissue paper concealing the contents.

Unfurling the paper reveals a hint.

Ta-da! A small bowl made in Japan, perfect for ice cream, nuts, etc. I included a set of four.

A ribbon runs through it: a matching card and scented candle.

All set to party! Gift wrap from Paper Source.

Proper topper: some decorative Japanese tape and a flower attached with a dollop of clear glue.

Color-coordinated pair.

My friend loved the pink-themed presentation, which I believe gives my previous winning effort a run for its money:

Pretty pleased with my hostess gift for a garden party earlier this summer.

Which one is better? It’s really too close to call.

Product sources: anthropologie.com, papersource.com

Related posts you might like:

Ba-rack the Runway!

Pink Lady

The Art of the Gift

Lovin’ Lanvin: Part One

Precious Presents

Last Sunday brought the coolest, crispest weather to the DC area. But it was rainy too–a perfect day to hunker down at home, make comfort food, do laundry, write a little, and watch football. I also thought it was about time to spruce up the bulletin board in my home office. I mean, it’s supposed to offer inspiration, not blandness, right?

So here’s my pitiful starting point, as you can see from this photo when we first moved in seven months ago:

Scarce pinnings.

Over the summer, I had added a few more clippings but it still needed a makeover.

The Pre-Pinning Plan

I went through a stack of magazines, several pages of which I had dog-eared earlier. After reviewing what had initially caught my eye, I culled it down to these six pages and arranged them on our dining room table.

Tearsheets as eye candy.

You’ll notice a palette of teal and white (the same colors from my “The Fall Buys” post) plus bright orangey-red. Clockwise from top left: Neiman Marcus ad for a pair of devastating Charlotte Olympia velvet platform pumps with pleated ankle collars; sublime winter white dress from Valentino; Karlie Kloss wearing a swingy orange wig and Frank-Gehry-esque (as described by Vogue) Lanvin dress; ad in Dwell magazine for a design conference; Natalia Vodianova in a Stella McCartney sporty, graphic minidress along with shapes that remind me of these Anton Ginzburg stickers at the Cooper-Hewitt; ad from Interior Design for sleek Scavolini kitchens.

Pinning is the Easy Part

With my selections in hand, I headed downstairs and just dove in:

The cork is now covered!

The collage took me less than five minutes to execute. I interspersed the magazine finds with a few personal items: a birthday card from a dear friend and watercolor by her toddler son (future collector’s item); a postcard of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (I’ve never been) from my best friend; a picture of Shalom Harlow from the Gaultier exhibition; a sticker from the San Franpsycho store.

This visual feast will nurture my creative spirit through the next few weeks, or maybe months–or until another wave of motivation hits me.

In my previous post, you got an eyeful of the artwork in our main living area. Well, now, come hither into our master bedroom…

The serene ambiance and light grayish-blue walls called for something romantic.

Before: bare bedroom wall.

After: the poster of the showstopping wedding dress from the Gaultier exhibit at the De Young Museum was the perfect fit.

Closer-up: I had my frame shop cut off the text about the exhibit from the bottom margin.

The ornate frame has a Baroque-like feel.

The windows originally featured cheap aluminum mini-blinds and heavy linen drapes. We ended up removing both in favor of a more minimalist and low-maintenance treatment. (You may or may not agree with our decision.)

Before: dingy mini-blinds and dust-bunny-collecting drapes (which you can’t really tell from this photo, but trust me!).

After: honeycomb shades in “Rain Cloud.” They provide soft, diffuse light and privacy. Even though the drapes are in storage, we’re leaving the hanging rods in place for now.

A close friend did the delicate botanical drawings in colored pencil.

Parting thought: As with almost everything in life, presentation counts! I’m a big proponent of investing in quality frames and glass to protect and enhance artwork for the long haul.

There are several factors to consider when deciding how much to spend on a frame and which type of glass, among them:

• Is the artwork an irreplaceable piece?
• Where are you hanging it? In the basement? In a highly-visible area? Exposed to sunlight?
• What other artwork is in the same room?

The folks at a reputable frame shop can advise you and make inspired suggestions. I use a local place in Arlington, VA–they’re wonderfully consultative, have a wide selection, will respect your budget and give you a good deal.

The photos of our townhouse in my post back in July were sadly devoid of any artwork on the walls. Since art is deeply personal and integral to the design as well as the look-and-feel of a space, I invite you to check out our progress on the decorating front.

We spent a long time searching for the perfect piece to hang over the mantel because it’s the focal point on our main floor.

Before: an empty canvas.

After: a giclée print of Andy Warhol’s “After the Party.” The viewer can imagine what may have happened before, during, and after the festivities. Its scale and subtle perspective fit the space. (We’re still looking for sculpture or maybe cool bookends to display on the mantel.)

Close-up of the print we bought on art.com. I like the outlines in colored pencil.

While Design*Sponge recently compiled photos from their archives of the “best art above the sofa,” we’re pleased with our own choice.

Before: missing the finishing touch.

After: giclée reproduction of “East Coast by L.N.E.R.” by Tom Purvis from momastore.org. I love its colors, especially the intensely-orange beach umbrella. We had it framed in dark navy blue.

Close-up of the Purvis print. It was one in a series of ads for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) featuring seaside resorts.

More info about artist Tom Purvis is available here.

Sources: art.com and momastore.org

Coming up next: art in the the master bedroom revealed…

Last year, I wrote a series of popular “Inspired by Nature” posts which showed flora-meets-fashion visual relationships.  Well, I recently found some more examples at my mom’s house.  Think of these as summer’s last hurrah as we get ready for fall.

Floral wrap: Lucia Wild Ginger and Fresh Fig guest soap.

Rockin’ the frock: Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Decked out: flower pots in the backyard.

Intensely yellow close-up.

Floral swirl from the Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Runway images via style.com

More photos from a recent visit to my mom’s house.  This time, several eye-catching objets d’art paired with their runway equivalents from the Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collections.  Enjoy!

Ceramic souvenir from my mom’s trip to Turkey.

A patterned dress from Etro’s Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Iridescent Art Deco-ish detail on a lamp.

Sheer layered look from Etro’s Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

One of my mom’s favorite pieces: crystal chandelier in the dining room.

Embellished top coat from the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

After more than a year of blogging, I still get a thrill at finding inspiration in the unlikely and the quotidien.  I feel a small kinship with one of my favorite designers, Mary Katrantzou, who sought to “discover the beauty in the everyday” for her Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection.  For her renowned prints, she used spoons, phone dials, typewriter keys, luggage tassels and clothes hangers to mesmerizing effect.

The “Princess of Prints”: Mary Katrantzou’s digital print of a typewriter for a look from her Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Runway images via style.com

My mom may not realize it, but her house near Philly is always a treasure trove of inspiration for me.  The last time I visited, however, was over the winter holidays so I was definitely due for another trip up I-95.  Although my recent stay was only three days long, we had a lovely time (including a stroll through the new Barnes Foundation).  And sure enough, I found little vignettes in her home that sparked my creativity…like this quaint display in the powder room:

Scattered shells and penguins.

The color palette and shell shapes remind me of this necklace by J.Crew:

Delicate enamel disc necklace. Brass, enamel, gold plating.

Continuing with the aquatic theme, I love the decorative, lavender-hued platter that my late father had bought at the famous Gump’s store in San Francisco:

Heart of glass: this floating goldfish is a sentimental favorite.

It makes me dream of this extravagant bracelet by the striking designer Victoire de Castallane for Dior Joaillerie:

J’adore Dior: bracelet from the “Idylle aux Paradis” collection, 2009. White gold, diamonds, emeralds, jade, mother-of-pearl and coral.

My mom also has these candy-like fish figurines:

A sea of three: clearly colorful.

They resemble this dazzling pair of “fighting fish” earrings from Dior’s Coffret de Victoire collection.

Dior “poissons combattants” earrings, 2011.

I could get used to this type of fishy fantasy–and perhaps I’m more into jewelry than I had previously thought!

Selected images via jcrew.com and style.com

Lost amid all of my recent posts about San Francisco is the fact that the tedious saga of our sofa and coffee table finally ended a few weeks ago.  It took three months for the pieces to be delivered!  Meanwhile, the presence of our nine-year-old Ikea Pöang chairs in the main living area of our new house almost drove me insane.  (Yes, I’m fully aware that this is a first-world problem.)  But good things come to those who wait:

At last, some decent seating.

The main lesson learned?  If you’re ordering a custom made sofa, add at least two weeks to the estimated delivery time.  In our case, we ran into a delay when our original fabric selection ended up on back-order, and we scrambled to choose an alternative.

Why go with custom made?  Well, we did a lot of research and decided it was worth spending the extra money to get a high-quality, durable piece of furniture in the fabric and finish of our choice.  After all, we’ll be sitting and lounging on it nonstop for however long we live here.

I can now rest easy.

What else is good to know?  There’s a “double rub count” (ha! not a dirty joke) for upholstery fabrics.  It’s a measure of fabric strength.  3,000 double rubs equals one year’s worth of use.  A fabric categorized as “heavy duty” has a double rub count of 15,000.  What’s our sofa?  Heavy duty, duh.  (There’s no way something “light duty” or “delicate duty” would ever survive.)

Jensen “basketweave” fabric in Mineral.

Product sources:

• Sofa: Edward 79″ Sofa designed by Dwell Studio, purchased through Creative Classics.
• Throw pillows: Dwell Studio and Unison.
• Coffee table: Hepplewhite solid cherry, purchased through Creative Classics.
• Floor lamps: Pottery Barn.
• Ottoman: Crate&Barrel Stow 17.5″ leather storage in Persimmon.
• End tables: Crate&Barrel Pedestal indoor/outdoor side tables in Graphite.
• Rug: Crate&Barrel Bronson rug

P.S.  As you can see from the middle photo above, I didn’t end up buying the Manolo Campion photo to hang above the mantle.  The dimensions just weren’t quite right.  The search goes on.