Closet Envy

I love to peek into celebrity closets-- as much for the organization as the fashion!  There's just something about a well-organized closet that just helps one breathe a little easier.  Elledecor.com is featuring several celebrity closets that will make you green with envy, including Nate Berkus, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, J Crew's Jenna Lyons, and fashion designer Nanette Lepore.  But that's not all!  You can get your own closet organized for free.  Elle Decor is teaming up with The Container Store (one of my favorite stops!) and giving away a $1500 elfa closet makeover! The contest runs through October 18, 2010.  Click HERE to enter and though no purchase is necessary, I bet you'll find something at containerstore.com that you just have to have. :)

Happiness Is... my Elle Decor newsletter in my inbox

Elle Decor has one of the best e-newsletters around... and lord knows, I get plenty in my inbox.  They just seem to pick the most lucious, enticing photographs and stories highlighting chic decor around the world, design and redesign tips, favorite new decorative accessories, even home and garden ideas.  For the creative spirit, it is pure happiness to open it up each week.

This week's bliss? Dennis Basso's Hamptons escape.  Can't you just see yourself entertaining in this fabulous outdoor living space?  I would not only entertain endlessly, but waste away many hours poolside as well.  How about you?

Photographs by Eric Piasecki

Valli's Bella Pied-a-Terre

I can't resist all things Italian...the scenery, the architecture, the fashion, the art, the history.  Elle Decor showcases a fabulous Rome apartment belonging to the designer Giambattista Valli and I am in heaven.  Valli put his creative vision to work in reworking his new place, knocking out walls to open and simplify the space, but keeping the original wood beam ceilings.  The juxtaposition is gorgeous.  His eclectic collection of furnishings was assembled from years of travel-- to China, Indonesia, India and, of course, the US.  Here's some of my favorite views, but be sure to check out the entire collection over at elledecor.com.

Love the Japanese touches paired with Italian marble.

Guest room really showcases the original wood beam ceilings... the bedspread is Turkish.

Love Andy Warhol contrasted with the African and Indonesion stools and drum collection.

And this minimalist fireplace with the Texas horn chair!

The master headboard is 19th century Indonesion doors!

All photos by Henry Bourne for Elle Decor.

Beach House Bliss

Since we're rolling into another hot, hot, HOT weekend, I thought I'd send some cool images your way to contemplate.  View the entire selection at Elle Decor! 

photos by William Waldron, Roger Davies, and Karen Radkai

Mix It Up

One of my favorite websites, Elle Decor, is partnering with Olympia Paints for a great giveaway.  Win two free gallons of paint -- you pick from over 1200 colors, though I'm mad about the blue pictured here!  Entering is a snap:  click here and fill out the information.  It's that simple.

Which room in your home will you repaint with your freebies?

A-Tisket, A-Tasket

There is nothing better, in my opinion, for home organization than baskets.  Since home is where YOUR heart is, sterile bins and boxes just won't cut it.  Keep your home looking "homey" with baskets of all sizes, colors, even shapes.  Buy them in sets, or pick out your individual favorites-- you can find them anywhere: Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Target, you name it. 

Handled baskets make great carry-alls or informal totes.  Use them around the house or to transport anything and everything.  Here are two gorgeous options from Ballard Designs.

Round or oval baskets are great for storing oddly shaped items or items of several different sizes.  They work brilliantly for rolled towels in the bathroom, children's shoes by the back door, or remote controls on the coffee table. Don't forget a tall one for gift wrap and a coordinating smaller one for spools of ribbon. Love this one from Pottery Barn.

In the home office, look for square or rectangular baskets that can organize files, books, or paperwork.  The square shapes fit most easily on bookshelves or can be stacked on top of one another to save space.  These Havanna beauties are from Pottery Barn also, but less expensive versions are readily available at Target and WalMart.

Want a little personalization or labels?  Elle Decor has a sweet and simple project for your basic baskets to help tie everything together.  Their DIY section has step by step instructions on how to create these little gems.

If you're like me you've probably accumulated quite a few baskets over the years.  They probably vary in size, shape, and even color.  When my teenage daughter recently decided to "redecorate" her room on a budget, we collected several odd-ball baskets and she spray painted them all black, the accent color in her new room.

For a variety of unusual baskets, check out House Beautiful's collection.  Happy organizing!

Cool Shades

As the summer heats up, I find myself conjuring up images of cool ocean waters... and the beautiful blues and greens that soothe the soul.  What if we brought those hues indoors?  Blue is the one of the hot new trends in color this season, I'm finding.  Not only can blue make a warm space feel cooler, but it also has a calming effect that is universal.  Since the most inexpensive way to change a room is a gallon of paint, get your paintbrushes and drop cloths ready.  Benjamin Moore's Caribbean Breeze and Dolphin's Cove are two of my favorites-- check them out on BM's Virtual Fandeck.  But you will also be inspired by these beautiful blue rooms, from Coastal Living, Elle Decor (be sure to check into the LookBook at ElleDecor.com), and House Beautiful.

Coastal Living, photo by J Savage Gibson

This cool green brings a little key lime pie to mind!  Coastal Living, photo by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Aerin Lauder's kitchen--paint is not just for walls!  Elle Decor, photo by Simon Upton

Georgia beach cottage, designed by Jim Howard in House Beautiful.  Paint color is Benjamin Moore's Shenandoah.

Candace Bushnell in Elle Decor...just for fun!

Ok, Friends, you MUST check out these divine digs!  The light, the mirrors, the cool and serene decor.  Ahhhhh...not to mention the fact that she's a talented writer.  Enjoy!
At Home with Candace Bushnell Photo - Home Decorating Photos-Page 11

Decorating Ideas: Latest Shopping Must-Haves from the Design World

Decorating Ideas: Latest Shopping Must-Haves from the Design World  is a must-see at elledecor.com.  While you're there, sign up for their weekly e-newsletter that's loaded with great design ideas, budget-friendly features, plus one of my favorites: sneak peeks into beautiful homes!  One of the fun things about lists like these is seeing what I may already have that's similar, dusting them off, and giving them new life.  Or hitting my own favorite haunts or catalogs to see what else is available along those lines.  You don't have to have designer pieces to be current!

One fresh trend I have noticed in all of my perusals of design sites, magazines, and catalogs is BLUE.  All shades of blue, often intermingled, mixed and matched within an inch of its life.  Not only is it beautiful and soothing, releasing calming chemicals in our bodies, but studies have shown that we are more productive in blue rooms.  Who'd have thought!  Maybe I need to repaint my office.
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