I am a "Z" Gal!

What I am lovin at Z-gallerie now?!! Hows about an inspiration board?!!

Miles Sectional
Pascual Coffee Table
Golden Koi 1 and 2
Romolo Panels
Alger Sconce and Pillar Holders
Apple Green Liana Pillow
Taza Pillow

You Are My Sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey! Love this from the July/August issue of High Gloss. Please don't take my sunshine away!

I am just blown away by this vignette from the lovely portfolio of Massucco Warner Miller. This team's designs are impeccable!

Hor-Cha-Chew

Whoo! Bless me! I guess I have an allergic reaction to those Horchow prices! But can't a girl wish?!!

1-2-3

Loved this combo in the latest catalog. This is sexy!!! Red velvet upholstered head board, navy blue and white updated wing chair, chocolate snakeskin look shade on a chrome base is just too good together!

Style Stories

I wanted to share with you what I have been loosing sleep over for the past couple of weeks for my J-O-B! If you do not know by now I am a Visual Merchandiser for a furniture company. I really love that I get to utilize my design degree in my profession as much as I do. This project was especially fun.

So, I have been challenged to influence the accessory buying and create a new buying program for support items to the larger main products. For example, the matching lamps, tables, and rugs to a sofa collection or linens and art to a bedroom collection.

My idea is to create these lifestyles that evoke emotion through personal aesthetic or what you personally are attracted to when it comes to design. I started with 15 style stories that across 5 different styles (Traditional, Transitional, Casual, Casual Contemporary and Contemporary) that I created 15 Inspiration Boards for. Now these styles may not be industry standards, but its what I created base on what we sell, which honestly is not the purrrtiest stuff, more price driven than anything.

Based on my research I found that we sell more Casual Contemporary then we do any other style once I assigned a style to every LR and BR collection. So I rationed the 15 style stories based on the popularity of each style we sell. Without boring you with any other details here are the numbers:

If I have 15 Style Stories:

• 2 TRAD - Traditional
• 3 TRNS - Transitional (A mix between TRAD and CASL)
• 3 CASL - Casual
• 5 CC - Casual Contemporary (A mix between CASL and CTEM)
• 2 CTEM - Contemporary

This TRAD board is inspired by a Gentlemen's Library! Very  Ralph Lauren! As designer,  I would love for these style stories to be designer, but  I  also have to keep them commercial because they have to appeal to a broad audience. The idea is for the accessory buyer to buy all support items within the style of the inspiration board. I also included a color palette for guidance.

This TRAD board is inspired by European influences like, Old World, Tuscan, Spanish Colonial, and Mediterranean. This is probably one of the most popular traditional design styles.

This TRNS board is the more updated light and airy side traditional style. I was thinking "Father of the Bride" with this one! Happy and whimsical yet cultivated in tradition. The dining chair is the signature piece for this one. Its a fresh gingham check pattern with a tufted rounded back and nail heads. This can go into any traditional or casual room.

I was definitely going for updated vintage with this one. I wanted to capture a collected look over time that is constantly a work in progress with updating and reinventing. This TRNS board, I am still not convinced on which one to go with. The first one would work with most of our sofa covers because of the colors. The second one would work with way fewer.

This TRNS board was made to appeal to be romantic, relaxing, and charming. I was thinking English Country. This is where you curl up in coziness in front of a warm fireplace. I mixed some rustic with some sparkle. The color palette is very soothing and pleasant. My favorite par of this are the backcloth curtains because of they are practical yet stylish.

This CASL board is for the primitive yet spunky cowgirls and boys. I went for inspired by nature with the color of autumn! Although not my personal style, I had fun with this one. I just imagined myself on a weekend vacation in a private fishing lodge and riding horses through shallow creeks.

This CASL board is a typical beach house. Once again natural and soothing color palette. I thought of a spa like environment or a warm outdoor shower.

This CASL board is exactly what it says, good old simple American living. This one was another fun one. It started out one way and ended up another, but I love what its came to be. I think this one will hit a home run.

This CC board is for the "Modern Hippie!" I am partial to this one because it was the first one I did. I thought  of waking up every morning, knowing that everyday is fresh start to a new beginning. I think of  a kumbaya moment with and acoustic guitar where you meditate on love! 

This CC board is for the well traveled adventurer. Someone who likes to discover new things and the world. This person also appreciates diversity and different cultural traditions. I also thought this person is a keepsake souvenir person where there is a story or journey behind every item.

This is my favorite CC board. My inspiration behind this was a uptown material girl with an edge for fashion. She is a busy fashionista where her life is hectic by day, but she comes home to a comfortable yet stylish abode where she kicks off her heels, turn on some soothing tunes, and relaxes to a glass of wine. Its a soothing palette where she plays off of sculptured textures and shiny material finishes.

This CC board is bold Hollywood edge glamour. I am thinking of black and white plus bold colors like red, yellow or green. I through in gold accents to get the glam factor!

This CC board is a play off rich jewel tones. This is made for the color enthusiast! I just thought of rich happy colors like PURPLE and ORANGE!

For this CTEM board I thought of a juxtaposition of hard and industrial vs soft and textured. Its kind of like an innovative science project.


So I have a presentation to prepare for over the next couple of weeks, and I posted this because I am looking for feedback. Its my own little test. I want to see which ones are the most appealing. Let me know because I want to be able to give this data in my presentation.

Just a disclosure: due to the uncanny amount of images there is no way I could link these all back. So thank you to the world wide web I was able to create a collage of images that are meant to inspire a certain design style. I give credit to all resources I used in this post in this one statement !

Little House Big Style

I love before and afters! You know the saying that, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," but I can bet you it took a special person to see the beauty behind the first impressions of this little gem! You have got to see the before pictures of this cute little home.

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A first time home-owner tackled this little cutie, so I gotta give some major props! This is liek the perfect little project when you think about it. It has good bones to start, not so many, but still good sized rooms, tall ceilings and I just love the symmetry of it all.

I am on a personal mission to find this Moroccan patterned rug, holla is anyone knows! This room is so eclectically charming. The styling of this room is cleverly done! I have a thing for sculptures right now!

There are so many inspiring things to pull from in here, like the two end tables that double as a coffee table. I like the monochromatic color scheme and the contrasting yet settle white seen throughout. The walls are consistently done in a pale grey.

This kitchen is adorable ans sophisticated. Cleverly used open wall shelves as storage. I even like the unexpected antique mirror in the kitchen, but you know this always makes a room fell bigger. I love the eclectic mix of chairs around the table too!

Still int he kitchen, these dramatic drapes on the beautiful tall window help to make this room feel more expansive and very stylish.  Gooo-llee I am loving these chairs! Loving the white painted floors too!

What is not to love about this bedroom? Grey and yellow?!!! There is a color combo for you! Look at the sweet picture gallery above the dresser. And any room topped off with a gorgeous crystal chandelier will make my day any day!

 I love the Swedish style bench in front if this bed. Although eclectic, this the perfect finishing piece for this room. go on over to BHG and check out the before and afters of this stylish little pearl!

Should I...Get the look?

One of my rules is that I do not buy anything unless I know for sure that I am going to use it! Well, this would fall under that category of "I know for sure I am going to use this," especially for $40, a couple coats of white paint and some beautiful ring pull hardware. Can you see it?

Before: 

$40 Craigslist Find

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After: 

Priceless Girls Room Dresser Inspiration

This would run me roughly $100 bucks!

I also found those beautiful venetian mirrors from the girls room inspiration above. Its called the Melina Venetian Wall Mirror that I found for as low as $355. TOO MUCH, but still lovely!

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 So I though about this...

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Option 1: 

$60 Target Option

I like this mirror because it give me that dainty venetian mirror feel at a fraction of the cost. The only draw back is that it is only 20" in diameter, which could look like a postage stamp. Target mirror for $60 and Option 2 is a 30" Lowe's mirror for $65. 

Option 2: 

$65 Lowe's Option

This mirror I really like because I have a couple different options. I can paint he frame white, or-or-or I can take the frame off completely to get that simplified flush look of the Venetian mirror. That's like playing with fire, but its worth try. Its also 30" in diameter.

I think Lowe's is the better deal because its 10" bigger and only $5 more the the smaller Target mirror!Of course I would do a set of two, just like the inspiration.

A New Reality Show Fix

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 Has anyone seen this show yet? Well, I have not yet, but I did catch a couple of scenes from the last episode. Oh-Em-Geez, the characters are hil-ar-i-ous!  I just laugh out loud at how FAKE it all is. The money spent is ridiculous, but once again is a train wreck that you just can not turn away from.

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This guy is toooooo funny! You have got to watch the chocolate scene. I just luv his accent. I guess that what they pay for.

What in thee HELL am I thinking...I can not even believe I wasted a post on this! I could scream. I just want to know what you guys think! I am going to make myself sit and watch a full blown episode tonight! TV can kill you, I know its a fact. Some of these reality shows should be against the law, but its so dang-one entertaining!

Another Girls Room Inspiration

How many ways does this girls room inspire you?

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 Its so fresh and light yet girly and glamorous! I bet the daylight that floods in this room is amazing.

I just appreciate all the little details and the thoughtful restraint that had to go into it to bring it all together in the end.

This dresser with the double venetian  mirrors above is just genius. Although created for a little girl any woman would go for this room any day. This is smart design at its best because this room will grow with this lucky little girl for life.

Rihanna Fine In Feathers

I thinks its safe to say that the always lovely and talented Rihanna has a thing for feathers, and I myself, share that same obsession! She looks like she can just take flight out of one these photos.

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 Grey and silvered out in Zac Posen feathers at a fashion shoot in 2007!

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Performing in a gold feather number by Zac Posen at the 2008 Grammy's

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This sexy take on a little black dress which I have exhausted my self over trying to find who made this black, sequin and feather work of art!

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 June 2008 she wore this Elizabeth and James Blazer with PVC leggings when she performed on "The Early Show" in New York.

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During her rendition of Madonna's "Vogue"at Fashion Rocks in 2008, she is drowning in feathers!

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 Vogue Italia September 2009...uuummm NO WORDS...just stunning!

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October 2009 She was  WUR-KING-IT in three inches of black feathers on top of her pretty little head! Check out these studded pumps!

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She made a guest appearance on Norwegian TV show 'Skavlan' in January 21, 2010 in this Paule Ka strapless dress with a feathered skirt, paired with an embellished Elie Saab Couture shrug.

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Featured on the cover of Marie Clarie UK for December 2010, she wore this dramatic blush pink feather dress by Sonia Rykiei, with legs for days'

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  Rihanna in this Lemarié feather embroidered tulle dress. From the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection by CHANEL!

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 At the Grammy Awards in 2010 she is like a exquisite white bouquet in this Elie Saab Couture gown.

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 And in February 2011 she dropped her new fragrance called Reb’l Fleur. The commercial was banned in 11 countries. You can view it here. I personally think its the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time, but you can judge for yourself.