Inhabit Design

You had me at hello...

2011-09-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

I spied this delicious and juicy little number while flipping through Elle Decor this month. It is an amazing fixture - the "Opera" chandelier from Bourgeois Boheme and is inspired by the Palais Royal Metro Station in Paris, pictured below

paris.com

I'm loving that these look like delicious glass candies. But what I love even more is the color scheme of the piece. Let the inspiration begin.

Louboutin boots, Urban Outfitters rug, Anthropologie coat

Christopher Guy

House of Harlow

Anthropologie wallcovering

Global Views

J Crew

1st Dibs

Houzz.com

Gucci, Fall 2011

1st dibs

Martyn Lawrence Bullard F Schumacher fabric, pinterest

Miles Redd

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

2011-09-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of buzz about a fantastic new restaurant opening near us in the past few weeks, so H and I had to check it out.

It's called The Barrymore and it's inside the Royal House Resort. This is a hotel that you've probably driven by a million times, near the convention center. Next time, you've got to stop and have a cocktail. It has a super fun lobby, great bartenders and quirky design accents aplenty. And now it has The Barrymore.

Well, once we were inside we were so excited like the little design dorks that we are. We were practically jumping up and down in awe of all of the beautiful finishes and design elements that were packed into this quaint space. Lookie here...

all photos courtesy of bizbash.com

Yes, those are film reels attached to the ceiling. But in such a chic way, not in a model home/fake media room kind of way

We're not sure who designed this, and Google wasn't much help, but we would love to give a shout out to the designer - the details are the BEST! We didn't have time to stay, but can't wait to get back there and try the S'mores Profiteroles and Lobster Deviled Eggs and the Crispy Pork Belly and the Fisherman Stew and, and, and....well, you get the point. We know where we are having our next "business" meeting.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior

Yes, I've been black, but when I come back...

2011-09-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

We're going to try to make you go to +Rehab, Inhabit Design style, that is. We've spent the past few months rescuing these poor, dilapidated souls. We have renewed them, given them a fresh, new take on life and they are ready for their close ups!

What started out as this, is now a pair.

The Lindsey's

This scary beast has lost the wooden posts and olive green velvet

And has turned into this, the Mary Tyler

Grandma's old wingback chairs have found new life

As Whitney and Bobby

We've turned these Plain Jane benches

Into darling little pieces, Winona and Kirsten

This lovely leather Hancock & Moore chair was cleaned up, painted and renewed with Tiger's Eye nailheads

The Rush

Each piece was lovingly named after its celebrity-inspired rehab patient.
All of these babies are at the Inhabit Design Studios, just waiting for you to pick them up. For more information on purchasing, check out our website.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Quite a dish

2011-08-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

From myparadissi.com

Hello strangers! We are back from our summer break and ready for fall to begin. Which is really just wishful thinking, because we have at least 2 more months of summer and 90+ degree days. But let's pretend that we will start having cool nights and dinner parties on the patio. We were so inspired when we saw the newest dinnerware from Lulu dk. All of her designs are hand drawn and watercolored.

Diane von Furstenberg also has a new line of dinnerware that has it all - flatware, glassware, dishware and placemats

Diane offers this tablescape advice:

Everyone is talking about the new Missoni collection that is debuting at Target on September 13th. This collection is fabulous and have the signature Missoni zigzag pattern. These are my favorites and I can justify purchasing all of the pieces in the collection because it's from Tar-jay baby!

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Nice Knockers

2011-07-07T02:33:00.000-07:00

Today I came across a folder of photos from my fall trip to Europe and started reminiscing about the beauty I saw just walking down the street.

Living in a such a young city really makes you appreciate the little details that are prevalent in other cities.

Now I know that everyone travels to Europe and takes pictures of doors and I really wasn't going to do it. But once we started walking the streets, I just couldn't help myself.

And now I can't wait to use these designs for inspiration in our future projects.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine - tingling interior.

Delish

2011-06-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

One of our most fabulous clients is looking for some new artwork for her home and says she really digs an artist that she saw a while back on Gossip Girl

I don't watch the show so I had to do a little research and was so pleasantly surprised. Look at these images - LOVE

(yes, I know I'm like 2 1/2 years behind the curve here, but it doesn't make the pieces any less fantastic, right?)

These pieces remind me of my oldest sister and all of the cool records and magazines she used to have in her room when she was in high school. The room that I was banned from and the things I was NEVER allowed to touch. No wonder I love these, right? It's Psych 101.

Oh, and they are also totally delicious.

This is a piece done for a collaboration with MAC Cosmetics

The famous Gossip Girl painting.

Richard Phillips is the mastermind behind these gorgeous paintings. He lives and works in New York and studied at both the Massachusetts School of Art and Yale University School of Art. He exhibits at Gagosian galleries.

image courtesy of Papermag

all images courtesy of Gagosian

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Home Sweet Home

2011-06-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

It's been just about one year since we moved into our Downtown digs and we are loving our space even more than the day we signed the lease.

Needless to say, it's taken us about a year to finally get the interiors of our own space shot by a photographer. We called on our downtown neighbor, Ryan Reason of Studio West Photography, to help us with this. Take a look...

And I must say, we had some serious vision. Here's what it looked like before:

And, after...

Stop by anytime you like. The bar is always open.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

2011-05-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the Kitchen & Bath show,or KBIS as it's known in the biz. While it was a bit, well, meh-inducing, there were a few things that we saw that we would like to share. Kick back and take a look:

Toto had some new cool items - faucets and an LED sink

Artistic Tile always has amazing product, and we don't get to see it often because we don't have a showroom in Las Vegas

Many hardware companies were showing super glossy and chic white hardware like these pieces from Atlas

Enkeboll definitely won, in our eyes, for the most fabulous booth. And they make the most gorgeous architectural wood pieces. Here was the outside of it:

And the inside:

And, the grand finale HAS to be Kohler's new insane toilet, the Numi

It is lit in the back, so it can act as a soft nighlight in your bathroom. It has a seat warmer, a foot warmer, and a bidet function with warm water and air. The seat automatically raises once or twice, depending on where your feet are placed when you approach the toilet. Most hilariously, (is that a word?) it has a place to hook up your Ipod.

And here is the handheld control for it. No kidding. I can't wait to see what they come out with next year to beat this.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

More Cowbell!!!!!

2011-04-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I've got a fever, and the only prescription is LESS WORK! Instead of what I'm supposed to be doing, here's what I wish I was doing:

Chillin in this tropical locale

here

or swimming

here

Riding a bike, kinda

Going to a wine tasting in Napa

Baking Easter goodies:

Better yet, eating Macarons

here

Picking flowers

here

What do you wish you were doing?

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

I DIE

2011-04-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Restoration Hardware's reinterpretation of the classic Egg chair is making me crazy. I need it - though I have nowhere to put it. For now, I can only dream of buying it for a client.

They are calling it the Copenhagen chair, I'm sure, in a nod to the original designer of this classic chair - Arne Jacobsen.

He designed this chair in 1958 for the Radisson SAS hotel in Copenhagen. He was a design and architecture genius and a major contributor to the Danish Modern style.

Of course, the hair on hide option on the back of the chair is a MUST

WHAT???? It comes in a kid size as well

There are many more interpretations of this chair that are fun, but not as much fun as hair on hide on the back of the chair, right?

from Apartment Therapy

via style files

the modern home

A timeless piece of furniture is always a MUST for your interiors. Get yourself an Egg. And call me and tell me all about it.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

At the Copa

2011-04-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm trying to brag, but we have had some amazing weather these past few weeks and I'm starting to look forward to summer. Not Vegas 150 degree summer with 30 mph winds. Vegas pre-summer, when it's 85 degrees and be-yoo-tiful. Like right now.

So when I got the new Pottery Barn catalog, I started drooling over these cabana drapes. Check em out:

And now I'm ready for my own cabana drapery. Let's get some inspiration:

here

Pottery Barn, again

here

Exterior drapery adds so much drama and turn your backyard into a mini resort. Isn't it crazy what a little fabric can do?

Even Ms. Fabulous Kelly Wearstler put this sassy drapery at the Viceroy in Palm Springs

Practically every pool in Vegas has cabana drapery

Red Rock

Tao at the Venetian

Encore

I think my cabana drapery will help me embrace the Las Vegas summer. Let's hope.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

We Gone Country

2011-03-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

courtesy of Country Home

Well, we all haven't gone country around here, but I'm jonesing for my country house right now - especially after researching Dutch Doors for a client that is requesting one.

apartment therapy

The original purpose of these doors was to keep the farm animals out of the house, while letting a little light in

For example:

design sponge

Can't you just imagine yourself leaning out the door, gazing at the rolling meadows and your cute little piggies and Sicilian Donkeys while having a cup of joe in the morning?

My future baby donkey

Kathryn Ireland, via Veranda Magazine

White and Gold Design

Modern Home Interior Design

HomeAway

Hooked on Houses

They even have cool ones for the kiddies:

ababy.com

Shut the front door, these are so cute. I could look at them all day!

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

All that AND...well, you know

2011-02-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Cosmopolitan

We had been hearing all of the hype weeks before it opened. But we had heard it before and were trying not to get our hopes up.

Well too bad, people, because it is ALL THAT AND MORE!

The lighting is amazing, all of the finishes are sparkly and fresh and even the valet area is beautiful

Up in da club, Marquee

In the shopping area, rows and rows of antique sewing machines.

Rooms, lobbies and more deliciousness

I mean, even the inside of the closets are GORG

Let's meet for cocktails, shall we?

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

600 Years of Fabulousness

2011-01-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip overseas, my husband and I got our own personal tour of a glass factory in Murano and I wanted to share what we got to see.

It all started when Pierpaolo, one of the owners of Seguso, came to our office with rep extraordinnaire Mary Rose.

(that's PierPaolo, on the left)

He came to educate us about his company and everything that they can do. Seguso is the real deal.
These are some of our pictures, the pretty pictures are at the end.

And it's not just lighting. It's beautiful sculptural pieces, vases and furniture

Anyway, Pierpaolo offhandedly mentioned to us that if we were ever in Venice, we should stop by and say hello and get a one on one look at the process and where the magic happens.

"What????" I screeched - "I will be there in 2 months."

And that's how it happened.

We got a personalized tour and a demonstration on how each piece is made.

Look at the amount of individual pieces that will have to be assembled by hand.

This is a diagram that is hand drawn to help the installers assemble the piece.

This is one of my favorite light fixtures of theirs:

It was a wonderful, personalized tour and Anthony and I are so grateful that we got to experience it. So I was SO excited when I picked up Traditional Home magazine yesterday and saw a huge spread on Seguso!

You need to pick this issue up, the article is beautifully written and describes in much more detail the 600 year history of this company; it also has many gorgeous photos of their pieces.

Here are some pretty pics from their website:

Yes, glass legs. I DIE

We *heart* Seguso. Thank you again to Mary Rose, PierPaolo and everyone else in Venice that made the magic happen for us.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Sick and Awesome...and Completely Random

2011-01-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

I've got a ton of posts to share with you guys, but today I've had to do some research for a couple of projects and I'm really suffering from design ADD. So I want to share the random fabulous things I've found instead of posting the other blogs I've been working on. Enjoy AND you're welcome!

Everytime I'm looking for a chandelier for a client, I come across this baby. I know it's not really anything new, but I have an affinity for bugs and snakes and this looks like lots of coiled, crystal snakes and it's BEAUTIFUL to me. But the $5,000 is not so beautiful for me. Not so much. It's here, if you want ~~to send it to me~~ it.

I'm obsessed with the Fabulous Beekman Boys. Have you seen this show on Discovery Green? If you like light farming, gays and Martha Stewart, then this is the show for you! I'm sure it has to do with my recent obsession with having my own mini-farm, but these boys are charming and make me laugh out loud. Even without lots of wine.

They also have an adorable goat farmer, make cheese and soap from the goat's milk on their farm and have lots of perfectionist antics. Trust me, it's hilarious.

What about this pic that ended up in my inbox today?

And this?

This is Zarb Champagne, courtesy of Trendland - a new website (well, new to me) that I discovered via BleachBlack - the most cutting edge fashion blog around. Have you seen these girls?

Anyway, Zarb Champagne has a great, interactive website and you must go there now. Plus, you know how we love champagne.

Some new blogs:

And one of my favorites:

Have fun!

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

A Big Kiss for the New Year

2010-12-31T01:40:00.000-08:00


photo courtesy of www.mimifroufrou.com

The ladies from Inhabit want to wish all of our friends, family, clients and loyal followers a peaceful and prosperous new year. We are nothing without you and wish you all of the champagne bubbles you can handle. Stay tuned in 2011 for exciting design project photos, projects, offerings and a brand spankin' new look to our blog.
Cheers!
Heather & Michelle

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Sick and Awesome

2010-11-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

While looking for wallcovering for a client today, I ran across this amazing product from F. Schumacher and had to share. I'm in love with feathers and this is wallcovering with REAL feathers on it. It is so beautiful and breathtaking, and the price reflects all of that. But look:

THESE ARE REAL FEATHERS PEOPLE!! And of course, they have been "humanely gathered and arranged by hand"

So who is going to be the first to order this from us? Come on, you know that you really need this.

Something else that I recently discovered and filed under "sick and awesome":

My new dream house. You can see more pictures here.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

New and Fabulous

2010-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Robert Allen fabrics has teamed up with the fabulous Christiane Lemieux at Dwell Studio and has introduced this crazy-cute new line.

Don't you love them?

Of course they are all things wonderful and hip, just look at the Founder and Creative Director of Dwell Home:

I just ordered one of these charming fabrics for my family room sofa pillows and thought I would share. It is adorable and I can't wait, it should be coming tomorrow. While my husband is at work, I might add. Perfect!

Isn't it fabulous?

The price point is great, they are super versatile (kids rooms, my family room, bedrooms, etc.) and can be used in both contemporary and traditional settings.

All images courtesy of RobertAllenDesign.com and DwellStudio.com

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Haute Halloween

2010-10-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Inhabit loves Halloween!

Check out these amazing and inspiring photos to get you in the spirit.

Tea set designed by Antonio Murado Salome

Chic and Fun decor

Costume titled "Life meets Death"

This one is for Gigi.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Patience, young grasshoppa

2010-09-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Heather sent me a link to this fabulous artist and I had to share. Have you seen this guy's sculpture?

In-credible

image courtesy of impactlab.net

donutproject.com

both images from Dalton Ghetti

Aren't they unbelievable? The artist's name is Dalton Ghetti. Due to the size of the pieces and the fact that he does not use a magnifying glass, he only works on them about an hour and a half a day. This means that some of the pieces can take months to a few years to complete.

oddstuffmagazine.com

It's Elvis!

You can see more here.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

yo yo yo

2010-09-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

I practically cross myself every time I get to the office in the morning and see that our building has not been tagged. That being said, I'm a huge fan of REAL graffiti.

So I thought I would share what's new in our hood. It's actually pretty spectacular.

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Please, please, please let me get what I want

2010-09-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

image via justanotherprblog

This is what I look like when it rains!

All day long I've read tweets from so many of our friends back east saying that is raining LIKE CRAZY right now. And while I get that it seriously puts a damper on fashion week activities, I am insanely jealous. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain about the beautiful weather here in sunny Las Vegas. (blech - it's 100 degrees today)

But I'm craving fall and wanting cooler temps and to order a Pumpkin Spice Latte every morning. Does this sound whiny? Well, I'm not apologizing. I'm just going to brew some coffee, turn the AC down to 65 and look at these gorgeous photos and pretend. Oh, and get some work done as well. (don't roll your eyes at me)

Image via clevernettle.com

burberry.com

sofeminine

burberry.com

I need to wear chunky sweaters, furry coats and giant scarves

I need to sit by the fire and read books in my library

image via the glam lamb

Lonny via desiretoinspire

Bill Kingston

and I need to eat chocolatey gooey desserts, roast marshmallows and drink lots of

pumpkin-y goodness

Who's with me?

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

I'd like to give a shout out...

2010-09-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm here to tell you about our favorite and most fabulous design bloggers

First off is Chapman Interiors. Aside from being beautiful AND hilarious and so much fun, Julie

is a super talented blogger. Her blog is always informative, never boring and has a beautiful layout with an insane use of interior images. Aside from all of that, she just happens to be one of Heather's homies from design school.

Based out of Portland, Oregon with a flair for contemporary design - you MUST read her blog

and check out her website.

Beach Bungalow 8 is another one of our favs

She blogs about such a variety of things - fashion, wallcovering, photography, design - it's endless! And usually we haven't heard of half of the things she blogs about, so now we're basically experts on everything as a result of reading her blog. From mix tapes to her Friday "peace out" series, her blog needs to be on your list. Immediately.

Tobi Fairley is an amazing interior designer. We first learned of her when we attended the Business of Design Conference 2 years ago at the Wynn. She hails from Arkansas and has a great design aesthetic. But my just telling you about her does not do her design work justice. Go to her website and be prepared to be wowed.

Her blog has a brand new look and we LOVE it. Tobi has a degree in Interior Design, as well as an MBA and has been published in numerous national magazines. So don't just take it from us, but from her thousands of fans that follow her as well - she's an uber-talented designer with a head for business and a wonderfully pleasant personality. Trust me when I tell you - that's a rare combination in our business.

A nursery done by Shelter Interior Design

Shelter is a blog that is sent to my email everyday and I open it as soon as I see it. When weeding through 80-100 emails a day, I so look forward to the delicious photos and design ideas on this blog. Short and sweet - the best kind of blog there is.

Shelter is also an interior design firm in the Boston area. Look at the website and make sure to keep a towel close by because it is drool-worthy.

And last, but certainly not least, a blog that is not design related, but is amazing nonetheless:
Bakerella

Her blog is described as "sweet inspiration & fun baking ideas". If you have never seen it, you must go now! Her blog is where I discovered Cake Pops, and if you don't know what that is, you're in for a GREAT surprise.

Her photography of her delectable creations is top notch and every single recipe of hers that I have tried is de-lish! She is adorable and really seems like such a sweetie. No pun intended. (wow, that was horrible but I can't bring myself to remove it.)
She also has a book that just came out about Cake Pops and you can pick it up here.

Cheers to a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Organizational Porn

2010-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. Some of us are sick in the head and DIE for organization. So our treat to you today is a little organizational porn. I shrieked with delight when I opened this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine. Really. That's what a dork I am. But seriously - look at this!

Since we're on the subject of organizational porn AND Martha, I thought it would be fun to look at some more of her photos. You can thank me later.

All photos courtesy of marthastewart.com

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Warm Industrial

2010-08-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

People often ask us "What's YOUR favorite type of design?", Heather and I, of course, describe two totally different things. Me, I love a "warm industrial" look - Edison bulbs & metal furniture pieces interspersed with thick luxurious fabrics and animal print rugs.

Imagine how excited I was when we met with one of our fabulous lighting reps and she showed us the work of a lighting designer that uses a combination of crystal and pipe:

Michael McHale

Michael has an interesting story - he worked as in-house counsel for various television and distribution companies. He also has degrees from Vassar and Oxford and also writes book reviews for the New York Times

You've got to check out his website, as well as his Facebook page to see more of these amazing creations. There's nothing else out there that looks like this right now

According to the website, Michael McHale Designs sets out to redefine the look of the traditional chandelier. I think he's accomplished that, and more - don't you?

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

A Rendezvous With Anja...I wish!

2010-08-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

You may have seen this picture hanging in our office.

It's done by one of our favorite new artists - well, a new discovery for us

Anja Van Herle

Her portfolio is amazing and we really want to buy every single piece of hers that we see.

How lucky are we that we are going to one of her shows on Sunday?

Please come, and now peruse:

According to her website, Anja "combines a European sense of high

fashion in her artwork with an American sense of wonder"

Look at how cute she is, in a pic from her Facebook page:

Join us at the Venetian, this Sunday at Jack Gallery. The paintings are so much more alluring in person.

All photos from Anja's website: http://www.anjav.com/

Inhabit Design is a Las Vegas Interior Design firm specializing in high end residential and commercial interiors. Contact us for your own spine tingling interior.

Sick and Awesome

2010-08-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

We here at Inhabit Design are in love with animal skins and animal prints. Our favorite vendor with the most unbelievable interior animal products is Kyle Bunting.

We were first introduced to his rugs and now he offers more - upholstery, wallcoverings and even furniture. Have you heard of him? Please, brace yourself and put a bib on because you are going to start drooling.

Yes, that is fur on the front of the bar. WHAT????

I could just keep on posting these delicious photos, or you can go here and explore the fabulousness yourself!

All images courtesy of http://kylebunting.com

Exciting and New...

2010-08-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

There's an adorable new place in town that Heather and I checked out a few weeks ago and we wanted to share.

RUMOR

It's an adorable addition to the Las Vegas hotel scene, has a great outdoor area for parties and events. Look at the pictures of their rooms - so cute! It's the former St. Tropez suites across from the Hard Rock Hotel and next to Alexis Park.

The bar has the most wonderful cocktails - Heather had one with purple sage in it. We're suckers for unusual libations and daring interiors, especially together!

Maybe we'll see you there!

A lil sum sum

2010-08-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

A while back, we told you about a project we were working on in Laughlin. Last month we finally got to install the bulk of the furniture and we would love to share some of our non-professional photos with you. We are waiting for the last few items to come in and then will send for our amazing photographer extraordinaire to do this space right.

Let's start with the guest bedroom. We made the headboard out of a luminous champagne colored faux leather and added large pieces of quartz rocks instead of tufting it with buttons

Here's a closeup:

The feathered drapery in the guest bedroom

This is the husband's project room. He has numerous hobbies and needed tons of storage and workspace. All of the cabinetry is white lacquer. The display cabinets are for the diecast cars that he paints.

Next up is the Family Room/Game Room/Media area. The entertainment center is in the process of being built - check back for those pictures

The drapery in the Game Room is so textural - it has hundreds of pieces of postage stamp sized fabric hand sewn onto it

We did a divided, sort of reverse coffered ceiling in the Game Room - each of the individual squares is covered with metallic wallcovering

The wetbar area in the Game Room. I LOVE the backsplash tile and this new faucet from Kohler is to die for!

The missus got an amazing chandelier in her office

And even more amazing Maya Romanoff wallcovering, also in her office

We got to use our favorite Louis Ghost chairs for the video game console

I've saved the best for last. This is my favorite spot - the delicious powder room. You can't tell from the picture,but on the walls next to the back mosaic wall there is a gorgeous wallcovering made of tiny glass beads.

The flooring is a combination of grey marble interspersed with glass mosaic tiles. This is definitely SO much better in person, but you get the gist of it, right?

This is the hallway that leads to the main house. One of the husband's hobbies is photography, so we used the hallway as a display area for his photos. The light fixture on the ceiling has adjustable track heads that can change as he changes out his photos

We will be sure to post the rest as we get it, keep checking back!

Where, oh where has my favorite blog gone....

2010-08-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

I know that we have been conspicuously absent from the blog world, but we have finally moved into our new design studio and let me tell you – that was no small feat. I’m sure I have permanent brain damage due to lack of sleep and planning a party for 250 people.

I wanted to share our before and after pictures because I am in love with the transformation that took place in our little 1,000 square foot space. We were lucky enough to start with a pretty blank slate – a square box with great natural light and a brick wall. The not so lucky things were the pole that sits in the middle of the room and the ugly industrial carpet in the space. For a while Heather and I went back and forth – “Embrace the pole? Don’t embrace the pole?….” We decided to just let the pole be and address it in the future. We are thinking of maybe wrapping it in leather or some delicious Maya Romanoff wallcovering. Stay tuned for that.

This was the blank space. We laid all of the furniture out in blue tape, just to be sure.

We had a turquoise brick wall, which is GREAT, but our color scheme is white, gold, grey and silver so it didn't really work. So we painted it charcoal. Here's the in between picture of that same space:

And almost after:

Our bathroom - wasn't bad, actually. But we decided to paint it a light grey, put in a new chandelier and cover the walls with chandelier pics. It's our logo, so.....well, it was the best way to cover up the crazy walls in there.

Before:

After:

And this weird cutout:

Became this:

Of course Gigi helped out with all aspects of the remodel

Eventually we will have our space photographed professionally by our fabulous celebrity photographer.

In the meantime, here are some of her images around the office from our Grand Opening shindig:

Check out our Facebook page for more photos of the party, or par-tay, as Heather calls it. We were even joined by our lovely mayor and had a fabulous time!

You must come and visit us at the new place -we would love to have you! Cheers!

It's a relocation situation

2010-05-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come and tomorrrow we are moving. We are so excited, we cannot contain ourselves. Even packing was fun. We're moving to the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas and will be surrounded by artists, musicians, vagrants, gritty urban scenes and overall delicious beauty. Stay tuned for info on the grand opening bash.

Our color scheme is a combination of charcoal gray and white with accents of gold and chrome.

Here's a sneak preview of some of the things we've ordered for our fabulous new office:

Floor lamps from Arteriors, flanking a console similar to this from Christopher Guy, in white lacquer (our favorite!):

Print This Product View">

We're thinking of hanging this mirror, from Z Gallerie, over the console:

Our fabulous receptionist/intern will be sitting in this white leather chair from West Elm:

We're using these beautiful storage boxes, in charcoal, also from West Elm:

We have 2 chandeliers hanging over our conference table, from Cyan Design. They kinda look like this:

Check our their website, they have FABULOUS stuff.

The ladies from LMS are hooking us up with a conference table top in Zebra wood, like this. We love them!!!

We found some a-mazing chrome based conference chairs on Craig's list that we're having recovered.

We also found a funky 70's style banquet bar. We're having it reupholstered in shiny gold faux-leather, smoke gray rhinestone nailheads and antique mirror on top. Sick.

Here are the barstools from CB2 :

These are our desk chairs from Zuo:

That's all I'm gonna show you for now. We'll be back with more pics, tidbits and anecdotes from our new home DOWNTOWN lil mama's!!!!!

It's all in the flava

2010-05-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

One of Flavor Paper's mascots, Penelope

Right now Heather and I are in full speed ahead mode, doing the last minute ordering of items to furnish our new office. While looking for wallcovering, one of our reps showed us two HUGE notebooks filled with Flavor Paper. And though none of the colors really work for us, I wanted to share some of their papers with you. They are so cutting edge and flirty. You have to look really closely at some of the pictures - they are not what they appear from far away. AND - they even have scratch and sniff wallpaper! Just like Willy Wonka!

Jonathan Adler used Flavor Paper in some of the VIP suites at the Planet Hollywood Resort, as shown above.

My boyfriend Lenny Kravitz used it in one of his videos.

And in one of his homes.

This one is called City Park - look closely - there are fire hydrants and parking meters.

This is called Fishnet. I love it for a men's restroom in a club.

Love this - Nouveau Riche, for those of us with gold-chain-loving husbands

And of course, Tutti Frutti, one of the scratch and sniff papers

Do you need us to add some flava to your life? Give us a call.

So number one on my list today, is...

2010-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

I am OB-sessed with lists. Anyone that knows me knows this, and most of my family members have made fun of me for this at one time or another. The favorite part of my day is when I get out a fresh sheet of paper and rewrite my list from the day before. And I know that this isn't weird because my Auntie JoJo does the same thing too! And my brother has lists, tons of lists! And my mother and, well, it may be a genetic defect, but I could think of so many other horrible things that I could be obsessed with, right?

Here are the lists that I'm currently working on:

Daily To Do List
Things to Accomplish This Year
House To Do List - separated by room
To Buy List
Classic Books to Read - I posted this on my bulletin board 2 years ago and I think I've read 3. Out of 75.
Work To Do List
New Office To Buy/Do List

Looking at the list of my lists really makes me feel like a nutjob, but lists are my crack and I'm not ready to put down the pipe.

What about you guys? Do you have systems for your lists? Did you know that there are TONS of websites devoted to lists? I'm also always looking for ways to improve my lists. I'd love to hear your tips. Really. Please, send them.

For fun, check out these fabulous list websites:

http://listverse.com/

http://tadalist.com/

http://www.solutionwatch.com/450/25-to-do-lists-to-stay-productive/

Phew - now I can finally take "write a new blog" off of my list. Until tomorrow, I guess.

Cream Colored Ponies and Crisp Apple Streudel

2010-03-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Some favorites this week:

Tempranillo

Have you tried this tasty libation? It's our new favorite wine. Well, one of them. If you like reds like Pinot Noirs, Malbecs, you'll enjoy it. Here's one that we like:

The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls

You will read this book and either be grateful for your uneventful and normal childhood or envious of falling out of a moving car or cooking hot dogs as a 3 year old wearing a tutu that catches on fire. Because those are the things that happen in this memoir. Oh, and her parents turn out to be homeless in New York City, by choice. Read it, you'll love it.

Kell on Earth

This is one of my new favorite shows on Bravo. It's Devil Wears Prada-ish and makes me feel like I should work more and sleep less.

Jonathan Adler's new stationary collection

This is the inspiration for the color palette at our new office. At least this week it is.

What are you loving this week?

Flipping Out

2010-03-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

We did it! We finally did it! Inhabit Design has gotten their own, honest-to-goodness office space.

This is something we have looked forward to ever since Inhabit Design was just a baby. And now it's a reality.

So it's not that pretty, but the owner is wonderful and we pretty much have complete creative control. We will be painting and designing our little hearts out. Let's hope we can rein our design tastes in and decide on one scheme. Or two.

The greatest thing is that we are in the Arts District.

This is exactly where we wanted to be and it's a great community filled with talented artists, galleries, unique restaurants and Inhabit Design!

If THESE walls could talk...

2010-03-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse 2009; installation designed by Amy Lau using multiple Maya Romanoff wallcoverings

As I was trying to catch up on my ginormous stack of magazines this weekend (Interior Design Oct. 09! Sheesh!), I came across an article about Maya Romanoff Wallcovering. It made me want to share. If you've followed us for a while, you know about our love of wallcovering, and this company's offerings are, to us, some of the best of the best.

We just purchased 2 vastly different selections of Maya for 2 of our clients.

For Client #1, it was Gunmetal Marquetry for a small niche just off of the foyer of her residence. This is what it looks like in more of a Maple-toned finish.

We installed Gunmetal - more of a silver/grey color. Here it is close up:

It's a very thin wood veneer in 18" x 18" blocks. There is such a variation in the way the light hits it, it's breathtaking. It has a little sparkle to it, but it looks like sand, not gaudy, Las Vegas style sparkle. Beautiful sparkle.

For Client #2 we used Bedazzled - which is more like Las Vegas style sparkle. It's tiny little beads. We had it hung in a powder room and it is DELICIOUS!

This is what it looks like from far away, but up close - check it out:

It's made of miniature beads that look like glass. Gorgeous, fabulous and super fun.

Now kick back and peruse this yummy eye candy.

Crystallized:

This is a wood veneer with a Swarovski crystal in the center.

Mother of Pearl Chevron

Yes, it really is REAL Mother of Pearl. Stunning.

This is Beadazzled Bijoux - the small glass beads arranged in a pattern. Aahhhh

The Beadazzled collection has about 10 other variations in pattern and tons of juicy colors.

This is Stitched:

The name speaks for itself.

Blanket

So soft and fuzzy

And last but not least, Anniversary Snowflake

D.I.E. Love it.

Let's Start at the Beginning...

2010-02-17T00:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who follow us on Twitter, you may have read our tweets about traveling to our project in Laughlin. We did just that last week and were SO excited about the progress that has been made. We wanted to share our before and during pictures, and you'll just have to stand by for the after pictures.

Here's what we started with:

Our adorable clients wanted to add on to their home. They wanted to add an office for him, an office for her, a media room, a fancy little powder room and a guest bedroom and bathroom. The husband is an avid hobbyist, so he also wanted to create a "spray" room for painting and a hobby room where he can work on his various projects.

The clients had very few requirements - they wanted the addition to look as if it had been built at the same time as the original home. They also wanted contemporary furnishings and are in love with unique light fixtures. It's exciting for Heather and I because we share very similar tastes with these clients. So let's get on with the photos, right?!

Here's the front - the old garage next to the new entrance:

The front door - still waiting for stain and light fixture

This is her office ceiling - it's going to have a fabulous fixture from Foscarini hanging from the center of it:

That looks like this:

This delicious wallcovering will hang on one wall of her office. Just wait for it!

This is the media room ceiling that we designed:

There is lighting inside and each of these will be wrapped with a gorgeous metallic wallcovering that looks like this:

Here is one close up:

These are the cabinets in the media room - they will have a microwave, an icemaker and a refrigerator. They have a beautiful grey finish on top of them - this picture does not do them justice.

Here is the powder room. It is going to have THE most fabulous wallcovering on the other three walls and the ceiling. Wait until you see the lighting and the plumbing fixtures. I DIE!

The mirror

The light fixtures

The back wall is made of glass mosaic tiles. The floor is a beautiful blue/gray marble with some of the glass mosaic tiles dropped in between. Again, much better in person.

We also designed a cut out in the wall that will sit behind the vanity piece to hold extra toilet paper. Since the look is ultra-contemporary, we didn't want to add any extra pieces to hold toilet paper.

The base is also the glass mosaic tile.

Here are images of the spray room:

It has a ton of storage and its own ventilation system so that he can paint (spray) and not worry about poisoning everyone else in the house. The cabinets are a great lacquered white with super cool and modern door hardware.

The hobby room has more of the same cabinetry - and for anyone who loves organization, as Heather and I do, you will drool over the amount of drawers, doors and cabinets available to this guy.

The floor will be a gloss gray epoxy and the countertop underneath the window is made of a material called Alkemi - it is made from fine flake aluminum scraps. When you look closely, you can see small metal shavings within the material.

And now - the guest bedroom. There is not much to see at this point, but we have designed a GORGEOUS headboard with citrine pieces incorporated into the tufting. Here is what it looks like right now:

The bathroom is in the very back of the photo and here are the sconces that will flank the mirror in the bathroom:

Can you see them? They are crushed glass inside a metal cage, from Ridgely Studio Works. We were giddy when we opened this package, and can you blame us?

Here's the shower:

There's so much more - furniture, fabric, window treatments, more wallcovering, flooring - and we can't wait! Seeing it all come together is the most fun for us. What do you guys think?

It's Alive

2010-01-31T22:19:00.000-08:00

I have a wall in my backyard that I have been wanting to address for years. And I've finally found the answer.

Heather and I went to a luncheon last week and listened to a presentation regarding living walls. Later on that evening, I opened up my new Sunset magazine and there it was - instructions on how to make your own living wall! "It's a sign!!!" I exclaimed, to Gigi and really, noone in particular. The picture above is my inspiration and I can't wait to show you the end result. Read the article - you may be inspired as well.

A living wall is pretty much just a vertical garden. It's amazing how powerful something can be when you change its viewing plane, isn't it? A large garden of succulents would definitely be interesting, but hang it on a wall and POW-POW, it's completely unique and striking.

I really love the outdoor succulent garden living walls - the indoor fern ones - not so much.

See what I mean? The indoor ones just seem a little 1970's - I'm expecting some macrame to pop out somewhere. But the outdoor ones - oh, be still my beating heart.

via the cutest little house in town blog

via gardeners.com

via picocool.com

via the gowanus lounge

I have just added this to my ginormous to do list. Stay tuned for the final results.

Save the Best for Last...

2010-01-27T00:45:00.001-08:00

In my haste to promote ourselves and our website, I really left out one of the most important people in the Inhabit Design world. Dave Soto, of HTMLFX.com, is our master web designer extraordinaire. In addition to being Heather's fabulous husband, he helps with all of our graphic arts needs and created and recreated our amazing website. What that really means is we have unrealistic demands with a moment's notice and he always makes it happen for us.

Dave - we love you and appreciate all you do for us - ALWAYS - and we would not be where we are today if it weren't for you. We bow to you and your immense talent.

Much love - H & M

Dave, our superhero Strongbad web designer

It's a nice day for a ......

2010-01-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

This is a custom dress made by JoanShum on Etsy.com

New things are on the horizon for Inhabit Design. We would like to introduce you to our latest and greatest offering: an interior design bridal registry. How does it work, you say? I'm glad you asked.

First step: Get engaged.

Second step: Call Inhabit Design.

Third Step: Tell all of your guests to put down that punch bowl/picnic basket/chip and dip tray, etc. and LISTEN UP! How about giving the unique gift of design instead?

We have three basic packages, or we can customize a package depending on your needs. We are experts at combining two households and can even help you with your registry! Your guests can find you on our website and can help you put together the home of your dreams. For both of you.

New and Improved

2010-01-25T21:15:00.000-08:00

This post is entirely devoted to self promotion, so continue reading at your own risk. We have recently updated our website with some photos of projects that we completed in the last six months. All of the gorgeous photography is courtesy of my uber-talented sister, Kelley Simpson of Kelley Simpson Photography. Please look at her gorgeous portfolio - I may be biased, but I know good art when I see it!

So, please peruse the new additions to our portfolio and then hire us! Or, just tell us how much you love us. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Love, Exciting and New...

2010-01-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

When it comes to design, that is. At least on HGTV and I, for one, am relieved. Because HGTV really pisses me off. The things that happen on the shows on HGTV are not realistic and they give people the impression that designers can do it all for under $500 and in 24 hours. I mean, Inhabit Design is GOOD, but we are not miracle workers for Pete's sake. But I digress. This is not about me, this is about Antonio.

Antonio Ballatore is the designer that won last season on HGTV's Design Star. I was impressed that someone with originality and a fresh point of view actually won on a show like this. That never happens. Here are some pictures of his spaces on the show:

images courtesy of hgtv.com

Here is an image from the makeover he did on his own home:

There aren't many photos of his work to show, but he has a new show called the Antonio Project. The videos on the link show some of his work and the best part - his personality. It's such a refreshing change from the normal drudgery on that channel. As always, check it out!

Let There Be Light

2009-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

This week I am helping my oldest sister out in Portland, OR. She had surgery so I get to be her nurse for a week and I am having a great time. Really. She has started calling me Baby Jane, though I have no idea why. I have only abused her and ignored her minimally. Oh, and used her prescription medication money for lotsa snacks at Target. What is so wrong about that?

The cage that I keep her in is much fancier than this.

Instead of getting my sister more flowers to help with her recovery, I found a really cheesy fiber optic Christmas tree at Target that was PERFECT!

My sister fell in LOVE with this stupid little tree. I mean, it was 5 bucks and has fiber optic branches. She wouldn't stop telling everyone who called her about this great tree I had given her. I was making fun of her, telling her that she had taken one too many Percocets, but she explained that the light changing color was very soothing. Later that night, we turned off all of the lights so she could prove to me how soothing it was. And once I started watching it, I realized that she was right! So in this roundabout way, I wanted to discuss Chromatherapy with you.

Chromatherapy is generally defined as using light to promote relaxation. For designers, we have the opportunity to introduce this relatively unknown concept to our clients - especially in the bathroom. Kohler has some amazing products that utilize this concept. Check it out:

image courtesy of Kohler.com

image courtesy of kohler.com

It is said that Chromatherapy can be used to treat sleeping disorders, can reduce stress and promote relaxation.

You can even get sinks that employ the Chromatherapy theory

image courtesy of www.trendir.com

For an easy dose of chromatherapy in your home, you can always get the $5 Target fiber optic tree, or what about this faucet? It's only $19 and a great party trick:

Or, at Gizmodo.com, you can get a stick-on bath light - kind of similar to a pool light - and have a $20 version of the Kohler bathtub in your own home. Look!

This must be why everyone loves fireworks and Christmas lights so much - it's therapy!

OOOOhhhhhh

AAAAAAAhhhhhh

You're welcome for all of that free therapy. Now I've got to get back to torturing my sister and shove prunes down her throat. Yippee!!!!!!

Mwah mwah mwah......

Oh no you di-in't!!!

2009-11-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

So let's have a little chat about bathroom mats. These are NOT o.k. It's time to let them go. I understand wanting to feel something soft underfoot, but what about when strangers come into your home? And step on them with their dirty shoes? What about when...well, ahem..when a male uses the facilities and has aiming problems? These little mats are outdated and harbor germs and just gotta go.

The only thing that is o.k. is a white bath mat. Hang it over the tub (white, so that it blends in) and throw it down before you are ready to step on it. It's much cleaner, tidier and a more modern approach to traditional bathroom rugs.

Just say no to the fuzzy carpeted ones. Try these:

These lovely little ladies are from Restoration Hardware

West Elm has some lovely WHITE ones, don't be tempted by that baby blue

This one, from Vita Futura works as well

Please, for me, don't do this:

or this:

And this is never ok:

My eyes are burning right now from these hideous pictures. Take this info and run with it, don't be offended, just get updated! Trust me, people have wanted to tell you this before, but didn't want to offend you.

The Beauty is in the Details

2009-11-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend I finally got around to doing one or two things that have been on my to do list for what seems like FOREVER. One of those things was ordering a new bedskirt for my bed. I previously had a cheapo version from Target that I dyed a custom color to match some of the fabrics in our bedroom. I definitely got what I paid for and once I ripped the carpet out of our bedroom, the bedskirt really looked like a bad pair of flood pants!

Cut to today when I put the new and improved version of my bedskirt on the bed, with the help of my husband. As soon as he saw it, he remarked that I was definitely going to like the old one better. "WHAT?" I yelled incredulously, "THAT PIECE OF CRAP?" while the mattress was precariously balanced on my head as I draped the new bedskirt onto the box spring. He then made some comment about a dark brown bedskirt with blonde dog and cat hairs all over it. And at that moment, the mattress dropped, the new skirt was on and beautiful and...ALREADY COVERED IN BLONDE ANIMAL HAIR!!!!!

Why does my husband have to tell me these things? I am an INTERIOR DESIGNER, for Pete's sake! I should know all and above everything else, I should definitely think of these things for myself, (the perfect client) right? Wrong. It's like everything else, the shoemaker's children with no shoes, blah blah blah.

So the point of this blog is this: The details are EVERYTHING. Many of you don't have an interior designer, but you have me to tell you; think about these things before you make your home interior purchases.

Do you have pets with black hair? You might want to re-think that white rug/carpet/light colored wood flooring.

Does your baby like to spit up or drool on every available surface? Then make all of those surfaces easy to clean. Crypton, Ultra-Suede and Scotchgard are your friends, my friend.

Do you love those gorgeous mirrored furniture pieces that are everywhere these days?

Think twice or even three times, before purchasing these pieces. The fingerprints are irritating and everywhere. If you do choose one of these pieces, make it something that is more of a decorative piece and out of the way. Not your cocktail table. Unless you have someone cleaning for you - then you can have 25 mirrored pieces! Who cares!?!

Do you love dark brown furniture and wood finishes? Las Vegas is a very dusty area. I bought ebony stained furniture for my master bedroom and between the pet hair and Las Vegas dust and construction residue, I have to dust 3-4 times PER WEEK! Perhaps more of a walnut toned furniture piece will work a bit better for you.

Modern chrome faucets are amazing

but if people are actually using them and touching them all the time, the fingerprint issue is out of control. Sorry, I know I'm totally Debbie Downer at this point, but you will thank me in the long run.

We don't want to be slaves to our interiors. Our homes need to be a place where we are comforted and can relax. Not where we look around and are irritated or dismayed by the wear and tear of everything around us. Do yourself a favor and be somewhat practical when making your interior purchases.

"From Crate...to Great"

2009-10-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

Gigi, all grown up courtesy of Kelley Lynne Photography

So we are back again with another animal related post. I think I am starting to turn into one of those weird people that doesn't have any kids and talks about their pets as if they are children. I also think the stories about my pets are hilarious and I'm usually met with a sigh and a blank stare from Heather at this point. And that makes me love telling her THAT much more. Bahahahaha....

I was going through my ginormous stack of magazines and catalogs tonight and came across In the Company of Dogs. Have you seen this catalog, my dear readers? Pet accessories have come a long way; I was so impressed that I had to share.

Look at these crates:

Seriously? The crate that I have is basically a dog jail. This is beautiful!

What about these fancy gates:

How about these fabulous bowls?

Or for our more traditional clients:

And we cannot forget our clients who love modernism and clean lines:

What? Topiaries? O.K., now maybe they've gone too far

I could go on and on forever, but even I realize I'm beginning to cross the line. You have to admit, pet accessories have come a LONG way from the cardboard box in the garage. And I promise the next blog will have nothing pet related. Did I tell you what Gigi did last night.....???

Happy Haute Haunting

2009-10-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in our last post, Halloween is one of our favorite times of year.

Sadly, we are swamped this year so we're not able to do the full-on Halloween decorating that we usually love to do. This year it's going to be some pumpkins and a wreath on the door. Sounds boring? Check these images out:

image courtesy of Country Living magazine

I love to decorate with pumpkins, gourds and basically any type of squash. The shapes and colors are so perfectly imperfect.

image courtesy of http://goodhousekeeping.com

image courtesy of countryliving.com

image courtesy of designmom.net

My favorite: Cinderella pumpkins

Wreaths are a great way to show that you are in the spirit of the season, with minimal effort.

halloween-online.com

www.zedomax.com

hgtv.com

martha stewart

The queen of all things Halloween, Martha Stewart, has a great website that has pumpkin and wreath projects galore. Country Living Magazine also has a wonderful website with some interesting projects.

If you're swamped like us, but still love the idea of decorating your home for Halloween, hire us! We will come out, provide the decor and will even come back to clean it up.

We can't contain ourselves!

2009-10-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

Our favorite time of year is just around the corner...

Check out this image and more here

We're baaaack!!!

2009-09-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

So we're finally back from our long blog holiday. We decided to take the months of August and September off, just as they do in Europe. We needed to get back to basics, to refresh, and really - well, to catch up on all of our work. And actually, I think they only take the month of August off in Europe, but it sounded like I knew what I was talking about, right? Anyway....back to blogging.

The beautiful Madison skyline

Some of you have heard us talking about our wonderful trip to Madison, WI in August. We were invited by the lovely ladies at Ferguson Kitchen and Bath and we cannot thank them enough. We have to admit, traveling to Wisconsin in the middle of August to learn about refrigeration and ovens did not sound too sexy. Our workload was getting to be pretty demanding and we started with the "what were we thinking, we don't have time," blah blah blah.

Look at what we saw on our morning walk around the lake!

WOW were we wrong. We were treated to first-class accommodations, met numerous lovely designers from all over the southwest and partied like rock stars in downtown Madison.

Heather pointing out the capitol building - just prior to partying like rock stars.

The best part really was the 2 days where we learned about Sub Zero and Wolf. And I am not brown nosing here - I am FOR REAL! The Jim Bakke Center was where we were headquartered for most of the time that we were there. This place was designed with gorgeous finishes and by fabulous designers. What a treat for us! So here are the pictures and the proof.

Look at this beautiful wall - just when Heather and I were just about to write a blog about our hatred for Venetian plaster - we were treated to this. What a great, modern use of Venetian plaster. The Venetian plaster you see in Vegas never looks like this. It just looks Tuscan. In the desert. Blech.

The artwork was A-MAZING! Do you recognize anything in this painting?

The Jim Bakke Center, basically the educational and entertaining headquarters for SubZero/Wolf, has areas designed by Jamie Drake - as pictured above. Stay tuned for another blog on him in the future. There are a few demonstration kitchens, a large amphitheater and a couple of dining areas/bars. The people at the center were wonderful - really everyone we came into contact with was great. They fed us fabulous food, carted us around town and gave us super-fancy factory tours. They even gave us a souvenir picture book of the center to take with us.

Flowers that we can only dream of growing in Vegas - just sitting around outside the Bakke Center. JEALOUS.

Chihuly EVERYWHERE!

Seriously, I told you it was everywhere. Apparently, Chihuly first learned to blow glass in Madison. Crazy, right?

Again, we can't say enough about our wonderful trip and we are so lucky to be able to take trips like this - and it's our job! If you are in the market for a kitchen redesign, SubZero/Wolf really are the Mercedes of kitchen appliances. Beautiful. Superbly designed. Long lasting. Did I say gorgeous? And most of all, supremely functional. That's it for my non-paid endorsement. But now we are believers.

I'd like to give a chout out...

2009-08-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of Velvet and Linen

Just a couple of quick notes tonight, we'll be posting more this week on our recent trip to the Sub-Zero and Wolf factories. Sounds like a yawn? You'll be surprised, so tune in later this week.

Our new favorite blog that you must check out: Velvet and Linen. The photos are sumptuous and the designs are well-executed, luxurious and timeless. You'll love it!

While in Madison, we were in a building with some incredible artwork. Like I said, we'll be sharing more about this place later in the week but I want to post this piece because I thought it was SO amazing.

This painting is called "Bus Stop" and you MUST go to the artist's website to see it in full scale - this picture is way too small and too pixelated to be appreciated. His name is Paul Giovanopoulos and he has some wonderful pieces. According to the handout we were given regarding this canvas, "Bus Stop" is an acrylic on canvas painting of artists, people painted in the style of famous artists or geographical influences in art history. How many artists can you identify? This piece was chosen by Jamie Drake, a super fabulous and super famous interior designer. You can see his work here. Enjoy!

We love you, we really love you

2009-07-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

image courtesy of the mogg blogg

Today while I was looking through my Google reader, trying to get some inspiration, I caught up on one of my favorite blogs and wanted to share. Please go here immediately and laugh out loud like we do. xoxo, Inhabit.

Domo Arigato

2009-07-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

One of our most recent challenges was to design a Japanes- themed room for one of our client's teenage daughters. Their house is Spanish influenced and Mom and Dad do NOT like anything remotely Asian influenced. They had come to the conclusion that this was not a stage that their daughter was going through; it was something she expressed interest in for the last five years. Mom and Dad finally gave in and decided to give her the room that she wanted, but with some strict parameters for us. They asked for a subtle Japanese look and we told them we could definitely deliver. Easy for us to say.

After hitting a few design stumbling blocks, this is what we came up with:

We had her desk chair custom embroidered with her name in Japanese on the back

This is the view across from her desk - we designed an art installation above

the bed composed of parasols of different colors and arranged at different depths. It truly is striking in person and makes the room come to life. It accomplished the Japanese-light look we were trying to create.

Here are some of the pieces that we used in the room:

A platinum-finished etagere from Arteriors

A white lacquered jewelry box from West Elm

Some nightstands from Pottery Barn. These are very versatile and can work with so many different design styles

These lamps are from one of our favorite sources - Worlds Away.

We chose this mirror as her floor-length dressing mirror, also from Arteriors

Mom, Dad and teenager were all extremely happy with the end result. Look for more professional pictures of the finished product on our website in the not-so-distant future!

Something Old Is New Again

2009-06-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of alkemie.blogspot.com

Today we wanted to write a quick post ~~to brag about our new chairs~~ to illustrate how dramatically you can change a piece of furniture with just a little bit of fabric and imagination. Throw in a fabulous upholsterer and you have the recipe for some fantastic "new" furniture.

This is one of two chairs that I inherited from my Grandmother when she passed away. The fabric definitely doesn't go with any of my decor, but fit perfectly in her living room, where noone was really allowed to sit unless it was a special occasion. Needless to say, the chairs were in almost perfect condition.

I wanted to do something a little bit funky and somewhat bold. I chose three different fabrics: one for the outside and sides of the chair, a varying-width stripe for the inside back and cushion, and a turquoise snakeskin for the stripe down the middle and the welt.

Here are the after pictures:

I also asked my upholsterer to paint the wood more of an espresso color

The texture of the snakeskin doesn't really translate in the photo, but trust me - it is DELICIOUS in person. Doesn't it look like a completely different chair? I'm so excited that I was actually able to reinvent these chairs - everytime I look at them I think of my darling Grandmother and how happy she would be to see that I'm actually using them.

It's a lovefest in here....

2009-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

We wanted to send a big kiss and a shout out to LMS Design Group this week and thank them for naming us their "Design Divas" for the month of June. For those of you that don't know, LMS is one of the trade-only design showrooms in Las Vegas. We love to use their showroom and they treat us like gold. We LOVE you ladies and are honored that you thought of us.

Check out their blog here:

http://lmsdesigngroup.blogspot.com/

Vegas Has Perks

2009-06-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about living in Vegas are the fantastic trade shows and award ceremonies that are held here. The CLIO Awards is one of the world’s most recognized award competitions for advertising.The Hard Rock hosted this swanky 3 day event with hip and edgy style.

Inhabit was lucky enough to win an all-access pass to the CLIOs and it was a fun break from interiors for a day. Check out some of our favorite ads.

Can you imagine the sale!?!

Campaign for Harvey Nichols Winter Sale

"When did you know?"

Campaign for Fuel brand sportsware

"Uncomfortable clothes can make a baby ugly"

Campaign for Helianthus babywear

It Takes a Certain Someone

2009-05-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

During a recent search for a fabulous cocktail table we came upon some...uh... unique designs that literally made us laugh out loud!

So, for a short comedy break check out these beauties!

Now how did this dolphin manage to get stuck in a giant wisdom tooth?

Anyone feeling patriotic?

Is this for a mature child or an adult that never grew out of children's toys?

The hunchback of bad designland... and you thought Chuckie was scary.

This is never OK, even if it is smaller in a side table option. never.

Dial M for...Magnificent!

2009-03-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Heather and I do our best to check out all of the latest and greatest projects in town. While our list for field trips is actually quite long right now, we were able to make it out to the new M Resort while meeting with a new client who lives in the area.

One of the greatest things about this casino/hotel is that it is transparent in so many ways. When you drive past the building at night, you can see through it. When you're walking through the casino, you can see through everything, into all of the restaurants, down to the pool and even out to views of the strip. It feels so open, light and airy. We are in love with the new trend in casino design. Gone are the low popcorn ceilings, smoky poker rooms and artificial lighting everywhere.

The craps tables. Love the giant light fixture.

And speaking of the pool....

There's a great spot at the north end of the pool - it's a huge stage for outdoor concerts. I can't wait to see who is going to be there this summer!

It's such a sexy little hotel

There are some pretty cool restaurants and we have only heard great things about every single one of them.

This is the Hostile Grape. Since we were visiting in the middle of the day and most of the restaurants don't open until 5:00, we weren't able to go inside. This is probably a good thing since it is a wine cellar/bar/tasting room. There are about 160 wines that can be sampled by using pre-paid tasting cards. It's just unfortunate that this place is 43 miles from our office. We're hoping to go back once we find a driver. Volunteers, anyone?

This is the restaurant at the top of the hotel, Veloce Cibo. The word on this place is that the food is DELICIOUS and super reasonable. Check out the menu here.

A view of the rooms

Another cool light fixture in one of the bars in the casino

Heather and I visited on a Tuesday at about 1:30 and the three restaurants that were open all had about a 30 minute wait time and there were a ton of people inside the casino. Economy schmenonomy - this place has already had to hire more people since its opening. They've definitely figured out the formula for success. Here are some other interesting facts about the resort:

It has its own car wash and gas station. You can redeem your players points to pay for services
There is an on-site pharmacy that also accepts players points as payment
There is a demonstration kitchen that hosts TV and radio shows
The buffet price includes beer and/or wine

So that's the end of our free promo for the M Resort. It's just exciting to see something innovative and architecturally beautiful, especially right now when Chicken Little is ranting and raving about the sky falling all around us.

I'm a Barbie girl....

2009-03-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Heather and I are just finishing up a large residential design project and one of the girl's rooms that we worked on was designed around these vintage Barbie prints.

We hung six of them over her headboard on top of an 11 foot wall of fabric. I can't wait to share the photos!

With our client's input, we decided on a chocolate brown and pink color scheme. It was like working on every girl's dream bedroom. Barbies, rhinestones, and lots of pink!

This fabric shows the sophisticated look we were going for and the color scheme. We didn't use this exact fabric, but we'll show you pics in the future with the fabrics we did use.

These are her nightstands

Nightstand lamps

Her desk

Desk chair

This is a large display cabinet where she can store her vintage Barbie collection

Some fun accessories

We'll post pictures of the finished room in the next few days. Stay tuned!

Drumroll please....

2009-03-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the photos of the Barbie room that we promised. Please excuse the quality of the photos, we are adding some finishing touches before we have the rooms professionally shot.

We love the finish on the lamps - it is called chocolate chrome and is gorgeous in person. It is much more glamorous than a flat brown lamp and we didn't want to add another pink element. The back wall of the bedroom is shirred fabric from floor to ceiling. The ceilings are 12 feet high, so the result is very dramatic.

The pillows were super fun to design - we don't always have an opportunity to use rhinestones.

We did an extra full and puddled bedskirt to add to the luxurious feel of the room

This is the fabric on her large reading chair. It's a chenille so it is very comfortable and durable enough for the kids and/or dogs to jump all over it.

This is the ottoman for the reading chair. Again, we were able to use fabric with rhinestones sewn into it. Fantastic!

The drapery tieback

Some finishing touches

As I mentioned in the last post, Heather and I had so much fun designing this room. One of the benefits of being a designer is that we can live vicariously through our clients and give ourselves the dream rooms we never had.

We've got some more exciting photos from this project, keep watching for more photos in the coming weeks.

I heart wallpaper

2009-02-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Image of grasscloth courtesy of www.sourcesandesign.com, room designed by Jeffrey Elliot

One of Inhabit's favorite materials of choice is wallcovering - better known as wallpaper. In the biz we call it wallcovering but yes, it is the same thing. There are so many things that one can accomplish with wallcovering - it can add texture, warmth and of course, fabulousness.

www.orangebeautiful.com

Thibaut wallcovering

Alessandra Branca dining room

We do have to talk some of our clients into the concept of using wallcovering. Usually these are the clients that were around when wallcovering meant gold foil and terrible florals, such as:

Just put that image out of your mind. Move on to these beauties:

Gorgeous dining room, courtesy of material girls blog

Wallcovering can also be a bit masculine

Even if you are leery of using wallcovering, try it in a small powder room. The powder room is a great place to get crazy or to do something daring. It's such a small room that you can make a big impact with small costs.

One of our favorite wallcovering companies is Phillip Jeffries. They have great grasscloths, lacquer and all-around blingy wallcoverings. See for yourself:

This one is actually a grasscloth with a cute, contemporary pattern on top

Black Lacquer. Isn't it sexy?

So since we're now officially in the "over the top" category, look at the papers below. They come from a company called Flavor Paper. They make THE most fantastic, wild and funky wallcoverings around right now.

Tutti Frutti. Would you believe this paper is scratch and sniff? WHAT?????????????

Look closely, the wallcovering below has large scale gold chains all over it. This paper may be my darling Italian husband's dream come true. An homage to his giant gold chain!

What we've shown you today is just a teeny tiny piece of what's out there in the world of wallcovering. Whether you are working on a commercial interior design project, a residential interior design project or even just looking at sprucing up your powder room - we say

GO FOR IT!