So where do i like to shop for art you ask? LIke I said in Art on my Walls Part I, art has been and will always be such an important part of any room design for me. Whenever I hang a piece during an installation, I always feel this "aahhhhh" sense as the piece tends to just pull the whole space together. 

There are so many great affordable options for art these days. Of course I love shopping galleries and checking out beautiful pieces that are great investment items and its something that I always tell my clients- if you are going to spend a lot of money on anything it should be the art and the upholstery. Those are generally pieces that you have for a long time and will move with you into new spaces. I know I personally have art that I have had for over 15 years that has travelled with me back and forth across the country and made their homes in a lot of different rooms. So here we go top places that I look for art. 

Tappan Collective is by far my favorite spot to source art. They do the work for you searching up and coming and established artists and bringing it all together with beautiful limited edition pieces in multiple sizes and price points. I absolutely love the aesthetic they curate, moody, sexy, unique, painting, photography, collage. It runs the gamut and always changing. I sourced beautiful art pieces from Tappan for both Erin Heimstra's guest bedroom as well as the Chicago project and in both the oversize dreamy landscapes were on point to create a mood for the room. 

One Kings Lane continues to be a favorite destination of mine for art. They do a great job curating pieces from my favorite artists and again the selections change constantly so if you see something you like you better grab it before its gone! The price points are varied which is nice so you can get great pieces for reasonable prices.

Society 6 is a super inexpensive source that I am constantly scouring. I am such an art freak that I generally dont have enough wall space for all the art that I fall for so I am constantly buying unframed prints and changing them out. Designer Tip: Inexpensive and gives a whole new look! Society 6 is great for this- you can buy prints framed as well, but the unframed are a great buy. I have found that artists i have sourced elsewhere are sold for less here. 

Minted. Of course the go -to source for great art! I love Minted- especially for good quality. large scale, framed pieces. I have found so many wonderful artists through Minted, and we used their palm print in Audrina Patridge's living room. Great selection here! 

Urban Outfitters has saved me multiple times when I was in a bind during an install and needed cool art fast - let me tell you this is very difficult to come by in a pinch! Their selection of art has grown exponentially recently and really bringing cool artists and photographers to the forefront which I love seeing. You can again buy pieces framed or unframed. 

Bay Home Consignment in Berkeley and Stuff in San Francisco are 2 local spots I hit up on the regular to peruse their inventory. And let me say I have gotten some gems in both places. Vintage wall weavings and 70's abstracts are some of my prized purchases! Ok so thats my list of "secret" designer sources when I am on the hunt for great art on my (or your) walls! Check out my art pinterest board if you are looking for more inspiration- I am always adding there! xx

Images: Jonas Ingerstedt Photography / House of Hipsters for Decorist / Nell Waters Bernegger / Leah Flores / Audrina Patridge Living Room / Jamie Chung Living Room / Nicole Cohen

WKNDLA Wall hangings. I fell upon the amazing wall hangings from LA based artist Cindy Zell via Vuela Boutique when I was working on the living room design for Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenburg.  So happy I found them both, because they are sources I go back to over and over for inspiration, fashion and home pieces. 

The wall art at WKNDLA continues to inspire me- I am always looking for the unexpected to add to a client's design and Cindy's work runs the gamut from small pieces to layer on a tabletop to the unexpected fiber art for that empty spot on your wall calling for some love! 

I am currently really loving her dip dye tassels- I love them layered on a stack of books on a bookshelf or they are also perfect to add a little bit of a beauty to a door knob. 

I am always joking that my favorite clothes  are things that look like they could be easily translated into a pillow cover or sofa upholstery so the fact that Cindy has created some amazing necklaces inspired by her tassel wall art- well that is just perfect for me! Love that I can wear it out and then come home and hang it on the wall to enjoy! Multi purpose at its best! Is it too early to say great gift ideas?! 

Images: Jamie Chung Living Room with Decorist / Indigo Rope Tassel / Dip Dye Tassel / Compass Necklace 

So excited to reveal this one! Recently I completed the design for the guest bedroom of the talented Erin Heimstra from Apartment 34. I have been so lucky lately working with so many talented ladies with a great eye for style- it really makes the collaboration process that much more fun. And it always ups the challenge to create a fashionable, stylish space when the client is so fashionable and stylish herself! 

before

Erin recently completed the remodel of an old Victorian here in San Francisco and let me just say this house is AMAZING! I am happy to say the guest room/ home office is the first room in Erin's "Old Victorian" to be completed and I am pretty happy with the results! 

Erin loves white and clean-  her inspiration was a little Scandinavian, a little Parisian loft. She really wanted the space to have an easy feel and I played off of that to create  a room that was not too feminine and not too masculine. 

Leaning pictures, an industrial sconce and clean white bedding all play into the look creating a luxurious respite for guests and also a great place for Erin to spend her days working. You can read ore about the design on Architectural Digest and read more about the project! 

By far, nature is one of the the biggest sources of inspiration in my design work. I am so lucky to live in a place where I am surrounded by amazing scenery- trees, mountains, water.  All of these elements endlessly inspire my creative process, and I constantly recognize elements in my design work that are a direct result of nature- the colors in a sunset, or the blue of the ocean always seem to find a way into my interiors.

That being said its no wonder plants play such an important role in my design work- I love the drama of an unexpected tree or the perfect tropical plant to add a freshness to a space. So of course you have to think about the perfect planters to use for all this beautiful leafy-ness! 

I love a planter in an unexpected texture or color, something that is simple and clean so that your plant can be the star of the show! I've rounded up a few of my recent favorites and I have to say I am pretty much loving that new matte rose planter from West Elm! Going to have to find a spot for her in my house! Want some more inspo? Check out my interior jungle board on pinterest- lots more goodies there! 

Images: mid century / adelphi / wire planter / bette/ adia/ clay stripe bowl / Haarkon / Poetry of Material Things / Wock Wocka Wocka

Art is such an important aspect to any design project. Art can set the tone of a space- it can completely transform the vibe of a room based on the subject, the color and the way you display it. Its always amazing to me the way adding a simple art piece to the wall or combining things together in a gallery wall can totally change the direction of a design. There are so many great artists out there, and discovering new artists is never ending- so I figured I would break up this subject into 2 blog posts, how to display and my favorite sources (I have a lot!). 

Gallery walls will never go out of style. I promise! Its a great way to combine multiple styles and sizes to create an impactful focal statement in a space. I created the gallery wall above in the Decorist office and it was such an inexpensive and one of kind option. I went on a little buying trip to one my favorite local vintage shops and sourced some cool abstract art pieces and displayed them above a vintage credenza. Instant gallery wall! 

For me gallery walls are great because I have a knack for collecting odd and mismatched pieces for the wall- tassels, horns, convex mirrors are some of my latest finds, so creating unique gallery walls mixed with my latest favorite artists is a great way to keep the space fresh and rotate my ever growing art collection. I created this fun gallery wall for San Francisco advertising agency Partners in Crime because my client also loved art and wanted a way to display his amazing walking sticks from the Mill Valley Walking Stick Company that he creates (more on my favorite art sources coming up!) 

So besides gallery walls how else do you display art? Don't restrict yourself just to displaying art on the walls. I love the idea of over-laying art on bookshelves or on other built in architectural elements. It immediately adds depth and unexpected interest in a room. 

Leaning art is another favorite of mine. Its feels so casual and sophisticated and has an easy Parisian flair to it. Best part is no nails in the wall so if you are a crazy art collector like me. you can easily change out without feeling like its too permanent.

So thats the skinny on how I like to display my art, stay tuned for some of my favorite (current) art resources! 

credits: Hollywood Hills/  Decorist/ Union Street / Prospect Street 

You can never really go wrong with monochromatic styling. It always feels fresh and modern and its a great way to keep a design gender neutral in an interior. Same goes for apparel, I love the look of all one color top to bottom. One of my clients that I am currently working with loves working in single tones and her spaces are so sophisticated and clean. 

Even though you are building on just a few tones keep it interesting by: 

+ invite texture- select fabrics and materials that add depth to the design even in one tone. Bring in leathers, knits, velvets. Even all in black each of these materials will look utterly different in the space. 

+ pattern play- think about what patterns you can bring in that will compliment the design while keeping in tune with the colors that you are using 

+ material mash up- adding acrylic, glass, silver, gold will do wonders to add dimension to your monochromatic look. All of these materials play well with the tone on tone look and dont take away from the clean look you are after. 

Ok off to go put my glass heeled booties on (sigh) and put up some of that amazing Kelly Wearstler wallpaper (double sigh)....

images via: Le Fashion   The Design Chaser Totokaelo Kelly Wearstler Ferreol Babin 

My Jord Wood Watch! I have always been a  watch freak- I have a thing with bracelets and unique watches, I guess its because I'm such a visual person that I love to look down and see something cool on my wrist! I am also all about function and am constantly on the go- running to meetings, catching flights, getting here and there that I am always in need of the time, so a watch is a must for my daily routine. 

I was introduced to Jord and immediately fell in love with the look and the construction of the watches. I am a lover of natural materials and the idea of a wood watch really appealed to me and my aesthetic. Its minimal and lightweight, but has an easy to read face and goes with everything! I have been sporting the Koa and Ash Frankie Watch lately and I love it layered with a funky beaded mala bracelet or any of my go to vintage silver cuffs. Easy and chic! 

Check out all the great styles here and best news yet-  Jord was kind enough to offer my readers a cool giveaway! Enter here to win e $75 e-voucher toward the purchase of a watch and guess what anyone who enters (excluding the winner) gets a $20 e-gift card. So everybody wins! Check them out and hopefully it keeps you from running late like me! 

This post was sponsored by Jord Wood Watches, all opinions are my own

Traveling anywhere is a big source of inspiration for me. Whether its discovering a new coffee shop in my neighborhood or flying across the world- I love seeing what is popular, what design trends people are gravitating toward and what is different and what is similar in different parts of the country and world. Getting outside of my everyday routine inevitably triggers something creative and inspired in me.  Recently I spent a few days in Des Moines, Iowa for a photo shoot and on my down time I was able to get out and explore the city. We are just going to ignore the fact that it took me 16 hrs (lightning storms!) to get there! Adventures in travel! 

Des Moines, turns out is a great walkable city, I was able to get out in the morning and run along the river and check out the architecture and the skyline. The downtown is full of cool industrial style brick buildings with a thriving nightlife and great vintage fashion scene. Luckily I was pointed in the right direction by some of the locals I was working with and checked out Preservation. Mecca! Chock full of vintage levis, handmade shibori bags and delicate jewelry I knew I was in the right spot. The fact that the interior consisted of cool black and white rock and roll prints, rustic wood benches covered in sheepskin and layered jute and dhurrie rugs- well me and Preservation were pretty much kindred spirits. 

After a quick chai in a local cafe with a cool industrial, vintage vibe: concrete floors, buttery leather sofas and misc glass displays I grabbed my tea and took a walk over to the Des Moines Botanical Gardens. Ok we all know what a plant-a -holic I am, so this place was heavenly. An enormous dome overflowing with luscious greens, palms, banana leafs, pretty much any tropical green you can imagine and I was set. After taking this all in, I found myself along the river again coffee in hand, breathing in the thick humid air. 

Although it was a quick jaunt through, it was a great trip! I met so many creative people it was amazing- everyone was talking about their home improvement projects, what they were working on, what they were making. It was inspiring to be around so much positive creativity and it was an energy that was really tangible in the air. It was an electricity you could feel - or maybe it was just the humidity!