sfgirlbybay » gray

THINKING PINK.

victoria — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:30:16 +0000

i’ve been trying to figure out what the heck to do with my dining room for a while now. i hung the patrick townsend white orbit chandelier, but since i painted over the black walls, it’s been just looking terribly drab in there – lacking drama! so last night, i got this idea — what if i went pale, pale pink and added some kind of statement piece, as those in the know like to call it (clench your teeth and say it all fancy-like: staaatemeent peeece). so here’s what i’m doing. wish me luck!

i’ve painted the walls benjamin moore’s ‘wispy pink’ – it’s real pretty and adds a light glow to the room. then, i ordered anthropologie’s etched arcadia mural, which i’m going to hang on the wall loosely – like a tapestry. at least in theory, that’s what i want to do — i like the idea of it feeling a bit 3-dimensional. then, i ordered west elm’s grommeted iron velvet drapery panels for the window, and their Industrial Pipe curtain Rod in rubbed iron — it’s got a loft-curtain feeling that i really like, and kind of tones down the idea of velvet, if that makes any sense — perhaps more edgy.

i’m also adding west elm’s souk rug. i’ve been hankering for it since they brought it for the catalog shoot, and had to have one. this will all live with my dining room set, and then, i think i’ll hang rico suave above the buffet — that will be on the alternate wall, across from the mural wall. and the faux white fireplace mantel will live at the end wall. voilá! i hope this works as well as it does in my head!

i spy: hibernation.

victoria — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:30:53 +0000

it’s chilly and gray here today, and the thanksgiving holiday is winding down, so i guess i’m really beginning to feel that wintery, homey hibernation coming on. it’s time to find good books to read, some crafty indoor projects, and really layer up with cozy sheepskins and warm fuzzy throws. so today, i spy some homey hibernation!

winter frost via trine thorsen; a russian souvenir trinket, via the locals; and Clay Antler Mobile inspired by the Black Forest from artisane europe.

one very cozy bedroom via lily; and a very wintery living room via matt albiani.

clockwise, l to r: a lovely mobile-like collection from eldrids; comfy sheepskin throw from black sheep white light; black & white wintery prints and a branch as headboard from eldrids; gray and white bedroom via photographer trine thorsen; and a wonderful chalkboard recipe board via photographer john cullen.

i’d like to lounge about in this bedroom reading all day long (above), and then invite friends over for a home-cooked meal in this dining room (below), via trine thorsen (via the style files).

christmas display via tine k blog; eat drink & enjoy via lily; and another cozy spot to curl up via vtwonen.

• top image via riazzoli.

n.e.e.t. finds for your nest.

n.e.e.t. magazine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Stephanie from N.E.E.T. here! A limited color palette can work just as well as a vibrant mix of hues, as seen here in today’s N.E.E.T. Finds for Your Nest Lookbook - featuring the studio of Cara Livermore. An artist, vegan food blogger and purveyor of vintage cameras, Cara’s workspace is pared down, with the only pop of color from a baby pink typewriter – and you can get the look for $100!

From top: Erasers $2.75 Kaufmann Mercantile; Notebook $2 Kate’s Paperie; Vintage Card Files $47 AMradio; Eco friendly Brush $2 Stubby Pencil Studio; Vintage Desk Lamp $25 Camelotia; Eco friendly Wood Journal $16 Night Owl Paper Goods; Jars $14 Terrain.

where on earth?

victoria — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:45:04 +0000

i just love these very clever typographical maps from tüt. these prints are hand-screened on recycled paper in the United Kingdom, in two very handsome colors – a slate blue, and a pale eggshell blue. makes geography oh so much more fun! choose from the us of a, and the british isles!

i spy: grey gardens.

victoria — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:00:57 +0000

oooh, just in time for halloween, i thought i’d bring you a little gloom. the gloominess that is grey gardens. i love this documentary film about big and little edie beale, sharing their decrepit house with feral animals, and called grey gardens because of the color of the dunes, the cement garden walls, and the sea mist of the hamptons. so today i thought i’d spy my interpretation of grey gardens.

like a butterfly in your house.

etsy treasury: gray days.

victoria — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:00:47 +0000

i’ve been shopping and selling on etsy for years now, but up until this weekend, i’d never created my own etsy treasury. it’s quite easy, and yes, quite addictive, too! i love curating — i think it’s one of my favorite pastimes, and kind of what i do here on the blog a good portion of the time. bringing together eclectic pieces to create a cohesive and well-blended look is challenging and fun!

clockwise, left to right: pony and poppy; lucky little dot; kiki and polly; and tastes orangey.

want to create your own etsy treasury? you need to register for etsy (if you’re not familiar, etsy is free to join, of course), and from there, it’s a snap! follow the instructions here, and you never know, your treasury could end up on the etsy homepage! i call this one gray days.

clockwise, left to right: hindsvik; trampoline; studio cybele; and little byrd vintage.

and while i’m on the subject of etsy, i think all of these sellers share a common thread, besides being favorite items of mine — they all photograph their inventory in a way that’s pleasing to the eye, and easy to share. i really think good photography is a key point to selling well on etsy, being featured in etsy treasuries and helping bloggers to post about your shop!

clockwise, left to right: modify/d; umbu; the moon craft; and elizabeth bauman.

clockwise, left to right: pica pica found; be still; isabelle abramson; and meet the in-laws.

i spy: gray days.

victoria — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:10:13 +0000

oliver.

it all started with this darn car. it’s freakin’ beautiful, is it not? it got me thinking about sophisticated gray. stunning, sharp, classic charcoal like the button down vest of a pinstripe suit — lovely, charming gray. so today, yes indeed, you guessed it. i spy gray.

i spy: pistachio ice cream.

victoria — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:30:33 +0000

{rummage}

don’t ask me why exactly, but i felt very drawn to these colors recently, and found myself pinning a whole array of images on my pinterest boards all somehow reflecting this pastel palette of minty green, gray, and soft peachy-pink and orange tones. i was quite surprised to see the commonality in colors, and thought they’d make a pretty post, if for nothing else but a bit of inspiration. and, because for some reason they make me imagine pistachio ice cream.

black is the new…ummm, black.

victoria — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:20:01 +0000

via marie-ll.

it’s a new year, and time for new beginnings! i’ve been thinking i need a change from all my white on white, so which direction do i head? to black — exactly the opposite! i love these rich, black and charcoal gray walls, and am just trying to get up the guts to go for it! i’ve been taking a peek at what colors benjamin moore’s got (like Baby Seal Black), and i think painting some dark charcoal gray-almost black walls might look dramatic and quite stylish in my living room with the copper fireplace, and the contrast of all my white furnishings. here’s some yummy examples! shall i go for it?

via 6.5st.

via james merrell photography.

via heidill.

via emma’s design blog.

via domino deco files, sfgirlbybay, james merrell photography, and again, the sorely missed domino deco files.

via Lolalina.

via door sixteen.

via amber filkins, door sixteen, ddomino deco files, and what about a beautiful black floor, via souvenirs du passé récent.

via domino deco files.

chalkboard paint might be a good idea, too!

via lauren sh, [ j a m i e ], simply grove, and again lauren sh.

monday’s mosaic mood: black & white & gray all over.

victoria — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:30 +0000

one of the things i love about flickr, or photography in general, is that a single image can inspire all kinds of interior decor ideas. when i saw this flickr image from reflect / refract (center), it made me feel all wintery and think of beautiful warm rooms decorated in shades of grays, black and white, so i put together a sort of inspiration or mood board, in the form of a mosaic.

i found many of these images from members of the h ♥ m e and sfgirlbybay pools on flickr, as well as my old domino deco files. as i’ve mentioned before, that’s why i feature a lot of photography on the blog — to hopefully jump start your creativity and promote a new way for you to look at the world. any simple image can inspire a whole new look, or color scheme.

this is another mosaic i created inspired by karina’s beautiful black & white image (center). i found some of these photos from anna at door sixteen, who always has a wonderful source of collected black & white decor images in her flickr photostream, as well as kirsten from SimplyGrove, souvenirs du passé récent and ivy style33, who also have some lovely images added to the h ♥ m e and sfgirlbybay pools. to make your own inspirational mosaic boards, visit big huge labs.