Friday, April 29, 2011

Mixed Emotion...

Today we celebrated the royal wedding of Kate and William....


We all long for the fairy tale and today Kate and William gave us all hope. 
It was a fairy tale indeed!  William and kate were giddy.  
Pippa was beautiful, James spoke eloquently, even the mother 
of the bride was a vision. It was a lovely day.  . .. 
May you alway walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.


However, while the fairy tale was commencing....
There were those faced with reality of devastation....


May God be with our brothers and sisters who braved the storm and have lost everything .
Our hearts and prayers go out to you. 


Thursday, April 28, 2011

What Are Your Favorite Colors To Use In Decorating?


Color plays such an important part in my world. 
 I find that my favorite colors continue to be my favorite colors no matter my mood!
I like blues, greens and pops of a bright like pink, yellow, or orange. 
I vary the shade of the colors depending on where I am using them.
I tend to like bright colors in my living spaces and soft colors in my bedrooms.

Miles Redd in House Beautiful
Love the Vesuvius fabric by Clarence House on the sofa and the
custom Moroccan rug by Metropolitan Carpet


  
 Do you follow the trends or stick to your tried and true favorites?  
Are you a vanilla girl, who keeps thing neutral or a Dior girl
who likes a lot of color? 




Courtesy of Apartment Therapy
Clean, crisp, lovely neutral interior with beautiful plant chandelier!  
Do you prefer an absence of color?



Susan Sargent
The vibrance of color as shown in this Susan Sargent dining room!
Are you like me and prefer lots of color?

 Could be you are somewhere in between? Do you know?
 Have you ever really searched yourself to identify what your
 "true" color favorites are or do you let 
"Frank at the paint store" decide your colors
for fear you would choose wrongly? 


 Sometimes we find that trying new colors can give
us a new prospective on life. Trade those beige walls for a soft color!
As Nike says, "Just do it"!




  I often laugh at the predictions of the color forecasters.  
Exactly who rushes out and buys "honeysuckle" because it is "the color of 2011"?
I might buy a pillow or an accessory in that color but never a paint unless 
I was already considering the color for a specific space.
  



 My beach house is decorated in the vibrate caribbean 
colors of lime, aqua, hot pink and yellow.  It is a "happy house",
 one part Dr. Suess and three parts caribbean vibe. 
 When I was decorating that house and would show people 
my paints and fabrics, I always got the same reaction,
 "Wow, that's bright"! 
(It was a nice way if saying, lady you are making a big mistake!) 
I stayed true to what I wanted and the outcome was good!
 Funny how it all came together on a shoestring budget!  
Friends who visit my little "beach hut" always comment on how "fun"
 they think the colors are.  Most people wouldn't consider using
 those colors in their main residence.  Guess that is where the
 designer in me comes out...  I consider nothing  permanent and find that 
change is good for the soul! After all, a good designer can correct any mistakes, right?


When I leave my beach house every August,
 and come screeching into Charlotte the day before school starts,
 I immediately miss my the color.   I have decided when I redecorate my 
Charlotte house I am going to change it up a bit.  
I love color on the walls at the beach, but I think in Charlotte, I will
keep the walls neutral and bring the color in the accessories.
 Here are some things I found in the Global Views showroom that I L.O.V.E.D.!!!......
 Lately, I have become slightly obsessed with the combination of 
turquoise, chartreuse and orange..
If I vary the choice of colors but still maintain a vibrant color palate, I might be 
able to bring a little of the beach home with me....

Global Views
 Spotted this great pillow when I entered the  showroom. 
 Love the colors and the peacocks!  You know the old saying...
 "Birds of a feather flock together" which is actually the name of my beach house!



Global Views
Another awesomely regal peacock! Love the moss
covered stones in the glass canisters behind the peacock.
Again, I am loving the mix of the chartreuse and aqua!  Works for me!


Global Views
 Notice how the aqua, turquoise and chartreuse rug 
is designed to mimic a peacock's feather. 
Would be perfect in my dining room or breakfast room!

Global Views
 The aqua, turquoise and green ceramic plates, bowls and vases add
 just the right amount of color on this woven wooden console.  
Don't you love the lamps?  Those tall shades are great looking!
Look around your house, that boring dark wood console can come alive
just by adding some colored ceramic pieces.  It doesn't have to cost a fortune,
run over to Homegoods, Z Gallerie or Marshalls and pick up a few!



Global Views
The great thing about the Global Views collection is they will do their designs in several color ways.  It just happened to be my lucky day, as the other colors were orange and green with a dash of pink!  I think my love of orange began when my son went to Auburn!  Orange just started popping up all over our house his freshman year!  It also appeared in my wardrobe, 
  which brings me to another interesting point....Do you wear the colors you choose for your home?  I remember reading once that the glamourous movie stars of the 50's dressed to match their homes because they wanted to look good in their surroundings, they even had pink bulbs in all their lamps so their skin would glow....

.
Global Views
Here is another great look!
 This is a bold choice but one I adore! These orange leather chairs on 
the orange and cream rug are dynamo! So bright and cheery you 
don't even need flowers!  I am digging that awesome chandelier 
over the table and the incredible lamp on the buffet!
So much eye candy in this space!



Global Views
 How great would she be at the end of a hallway, over a buffet or in a bath? 
Just a bit of soft color!  Don't you love the ring sconce?  
The sconce rings look
like bubbles rising around her.  




Can't wait for summer and my "Happy House"!

My beach house
Many fun times are shared with family and friends! 
Wish I had fluffed my pillows!  
The walls are Ben Moore 2050-50 Waterfall 
All the art is from trade resources except the portrait of my down, Oliver,
Which is a Mark Durham.  The watercolor on the far right was an
anniversary gift from my husband done by a local artist. The piece
below that was done by Deborah Cavanaugh from Wilmington,NC

My beach house!
The Ralph Lauren chairs that everyone fight over....
These walls were a custom mix but started with
 SW6716 Dancing green and worked from there.
The art here is all pieces from local artists.  
The chair fabric was from a local fabric store for $6.00 a yard.
The big pillows were found at  Marshalls and the small ones at TJ Maxx.
The lamp is an old army water canteen and the shade is custom made.
It is all a labor of love!

Let me hear from you...What colors make your heart sing?



Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Great Idea I wanted to share...

Courtesy of Shelter Blog
How awesome is this idea?  Saw this on Shelter Framing shopping bags from high end
boutiques!  Love it!  I think it would be especially great in a dressing
room or a closet!  This looks like a little dressing room that they have
created by emptying a closet and removing the door...
Very Creative...

I have been collecting old movie star photos for years, one day I plan
to wallpaper a powder room or my closet with them.  I have some goodies!
I am going to do some how to's soon to give you some ideas that you
can use with things like this..

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Upholstered Headboards/beds..

When I was shopping for a new bed recently, I decided to go for the 
ultimate in comfort and choose an upholstered headboard.  Upholstered beds
which were popular in the 50's and 60's bow to an era of glamour.  They
are as popular now as ever.  No wonder...
Great for reading in bed!  Fabric beds add another layer of softness and
 fabric to the room.  Here are some interesting styles I found at market.  
Most upholstery shops can make one  from a picture.  It is easy to 
get dimensions  from a furniture manufacturer's website.  
Shop around, sometimes it is  cheaper to just order from the company. 
 Make sure to ask to  see finished pieces if you choose to have one custom made.
The nice part of having something custom made it you can have
 the dimensions made perfectly for your room.  If you are the creative type, you may
prefer to tackle the project on your own.  There are many online resources for
creating one yourself.  Grace Bonney from Design Sponge even made a you tube video.
So What do you think....love um or leave em?


Emerson et Cie
 Love the dramatic shape of this one.  The nailheads define the shape and
 add a finished look to this bed.  Note that this is an entire bed not
 just a headboard.  The curvy footboard is so pretty you 
don't want to cover it with a bedskirt. 



Emerson et Cie
 Forgive my lack of photography skills but this bed was so handsome 
with the headboard and footboard upholstered.  Made me want to climb in for a nap!



Sally Wheat in HIgh Gloss Magazine
Another great tufted headboard.




Emerson et Cie
This fabric sleigh bed was the ultimate!  It was like a bed I saw 
years ago in Domain in Washington.  Loved it then and still love it now
 but it takes a big room to pull this off.





Vanguard Furniture
Another great option from Vanguard.




Oly  Studios
This bed has an upholstered headboard but a handmade metal frame. The
velvet makes the iron frame seem cozier.



Vanguard
 Love this tufted headboard with nailheads and contoured wings. 
Almost like a big chair!


Amanda Nisbet

Love the trim on this headboard.  Making the bedskirt out of the same
fabric makes it look like an entire bed instead of just a headboard.


Again sorry for the photography!
This is my bed!  It is a French blue grey wooden frame with
a mocha velvet inset.  I love this bed all the way down to my
tempurpedic mattress.  

I don't care what anyone says...You can tell a bed by it's frame...


Look online, there are several you tube videos on how to make your
own upholstered headboard if you are feeling creative!

Monday, April 25, 2011

House of Fifty is Finally Here!

I wanted to share the new, fabulous
 "House of Fifty"  with all of you! 
 One of my favorite bloggers, 
Janell from Isabelle & Max, 
has created this fabulous e-zine!  
 You simply don't want to miss this!  
My fabulous blog designer, Shari Miller from 
"Little Blue Deer" blog, 
not only designed the website,
 but is also serving as 
"House of Fifty's" 
artistic director.......



Welcome "House of Fifty"!!!!

Compliments of Janell Beal of Isabella & Max

Click here to see the e-zine , "House of Fifty"
And also to read about Janell's journey!
Kuddos to Janell, Shari and all the fab people
 who made this new e-zine possible.  Love it!
I find "House of Fifty" rather nifty!

Readers, let me know what you think?

Did you subscribe?

Friday, April 22, 2011

Here's Where I've Been....


Sorry I have been MIA for the last few days. 
 I went to Memphis on Monday and Tuesday for the National Launch of bamboopink! 
 It was an incredible trip!  Meeting Jude Steele, Frances Gadbois and Deb Millar, 
the owners of bamboopink, was quite a treat!  I guess you are 
asking yourself, why an interior designer, would want to sell jewelry?  
Well....I am on a mission...since losing my son, Walker, almost two years ago,
 I have wanted to do something to give back to others.  I have decided to 
start a charity called "Reside with Respect"!  RWR will help low income families, 
specifically single moms with children, furnish their first home once they 
get on their feet, get a job and get that first home for their family!  
I am really excited about my cause!  bamboopink is going to help me
 get it started!  I shared my vision with Jude and Frances and
 they were very supportive. They each have charities of their own
 that they are contributing to with bamboopink as well. 
Here are pictures of my trip to Memphis...

Laura Trevey(my sponsor), Frances Gadbois, Jude Steele(owners of bamboopink)
 and Me when we ran into each other in hotel lobby




This is the signature "Love Knott" of the bamboopink line!
Kim Davis, our team leader,  had an artist make these for
our Launch Party, isn't this one great?




The display table at the party stretched all the way across the room.
 This is a snapshot of the center table.
See the little boxes.....




Here is a close up!  They each held a love knott ring that Jude, Frances
and Debbie gave everyone who was part of the launch.



Here are pictures of some of the great jewelry........
The turq leather bracelet is my favorite of all...also comes in tan.

I'm eyeing the ones with turquoise..
Can you tell I have a turquoise obsession?


Photo courtesy of Krebs Photography
 Of course you need the turquoise cocktail ring to go with the bracelet and earrings...



Photo courtesy of Krebs Photography
 Here are the greek charms, also a Mother's charm which would be great for Mother's Day!
Also, love the key charms and the awesome chains that can be layered!


Here is my team!  Laura Trevey of Bright, Bold and Beautiful Blog is my
sponsor in bamboopink. I was fortunate to have two
of my downline, Barbara Herring Tew,
 and Debbie Daughtry to come!

!
Here's a close up of Barb and me!  She is my Aunt but she seems
 more like a sister given she is only 4 years older than me.  

Here's a pic of Laura and me!  She is precious!  We laughed so hard!

Here I am with Debbie Millar, Kim Davis, Jude and Frances
Kim is the leader of my team and the other three ladies own bamboopink!
What an awesome group of women!   Jude had on a killer pair of
Prada sandals that I am still coveting...


If you want to check out bamboopink
go to www.bamboopink.net/LisaMende
It's absolutely FREE and you have 30 days to decide if
you want to join me on the ground floor of this
exciting opportunity.


Monday, April 18, 2011

Create Your Art Like the Showroom Designers....

I want to share with you some creative and inexpensive ways, showroom designers design art to unite the fabrics and furniture in a room.  These are photos I took while in the Lily Pulitzer showroom at market in High Point.  It was a such a beautiful showroom with all the bright colors and fabrics!  I left there longing for summer!!!  I have some more great pics of this showroom I will share with you later....

Lily Pulitzer Showroom in High Point
Mix of vintage photos matted to repeat the color of the sofa and framed in simple frames. Love all the different sized and shaped frames used.  The addition of the two gold frames kept the collection from looking too contrived.

Lily Pulitzer showroom
This piece of art is just a repetition of curvy lines.  
Buy a canvas from Michael's and go wild!

Lily Pulitzer Showroom
Here they used a pair of canvases and repeated the colors in stripes.  
Notice how they are not exactly the same. The random thickness of the stripes
 create an energy between the canvases.


Lily Pulitzer
Love the curly graffiti on this wall.  This treatment could be used in a child's room,
a bathroom, or anywhere you want a little whimsey!


Lily Pulitzer Showroom
How simple and cool is this?  Solid backgrounds with circles!
 Looks like they used a stencil to create the circles.
It would be easy to cut out of mylar or poster board.
 I like how the edges look a little ragged.


Don't continue to live with blank walls!  If you cannot afford fine art,
 make your own!   All you need is a couple of canvases and a few supplies.  
You can create art that will give your room a finished look just
 like the pieces above!  There is no right or wrong way to create art!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Do You Know the Dapper Guy In the Photo?


Why It is None other than the Infamous Julian Chichester! 
There he is, arms folded, deep in thought, pondering his next move
When suddenly he sees me with my camera, aimed and focused......

Julian Chichester
He tried to quickly move out of the way but I was too fast...Haha!!!  Got him!

Caught red handed in his showroom  Mr. Brown by Julian Chichester
He is one of my all time favorite designers!!!  
Even though I knew he really didn't want to be photographed,
 I couldn't resist taking this photo. "What was he doing", you asked?
Why rearranging like any good designer is continually doing...
  



Mr Brown by Julian Chichester

This photo was after he fled the scene!  Although he wasn't wild about
being photographed, he did stop to chat a bit.  Very friendly chap!
He asked me what I liked about his line so I asked him the same. 

 He said "the strong bold, interesting shapes".....very designeresque answer....
Did I tell you he is british?  Did you guessed by my writing....





Here are some Chichester pieces I have in my own home......

The Library Sofa












This is the two seater Library Sofa In my living room.
Do you love the chocolate and fushia Osborne & Little
fabric with the
silver leaf frame?
The Ricky Chair
photograph by Julian Chichester







How handsome is this guy?  He has a girlfriend on the other 
side of the silver chest...




Photograph by Julian Chichester
The Hobbs Mirror
This was the first piece of Julian Chichester I purchased for myself.
I looked forever for the right star burst mirror before I found this one.
 It has hand carved sunrays and antiqued silver leaf.
The mirror is made to look like aged mirror





Here is the Hobbs Mirror in my living room.  If you look closely,
 the photographer is wearing a pink robe? 





The Twig Table




The twig table in my family room. 
The base has a very sculptural feel.







Silver Chest
All photographs by Lisa Mende unless noted
This chest is no longer in the line.  I love the bun feet and the curved front.
The silver leafing is really pretty up close.  .





Trying to decide what I'll purchase next.......
Will it be for me or for a client....


May be......


The Anna Lantern?



or....



The Dakota Glass Top Table



also another great option...


Anna Media Center
This would be great in a family room or playroom...


Decisions, decisions...Which piece do you like?

Find out more about the line at www.julianchichester.com
Typically sold only through the trade, it can also
be purchased at Mecox Gardens, NY (212) 249-5301
or if you are in High Point, they have a Chichester Closet downtown