A world of design inspiration awaits at the 9th annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Explore the latest ideas and products for the home—from furniture and lighting to kitchens and baths. Whether starting from scratch or searching
for that single object to finish a room, the Show promises to introduce you to something you simply have to bring home, no matter what your budget.

• Exhibits from nearly 300 premium brands
• Antiques and mid-century section, presented by 1stdibs.com
• Design seminars presented by The New York Times and industry associations 
• Cooking demonstrations and tastings by celebrity chefs 
• Complimentary one-on-one consultations with design professionals 
• Curated tours with members of the American Society of Interior Designers

Nothing beats illustrations or photography of original mid-century modern interiors. The grainy pictures, the comic-book quality of the drawings, it’s all quite marvelous. Not only are they entertaining to look at, they’re also inspirational. And what better way to be inspired to design your MCM home than to look at original images from the period? That being said, I’ve perused images on the internets for some examples. Here’s some juicy ones. 

To see more images like these, visit Mid Century Home Style, which has the nicest galleries of mid-century interiors I’ve found. 

The first time I was faced with a pomegranate, I was like, ‘WTF???’. Of course, this happens to a lot of people, as they are confounding fruit. So the buggers never get the best of any of us ever again, check out this entertaining little how-to, complements of emptyage, which begins like this: Find yourself a Pomegranate. Follow this link to get started.

New from Fred & Friends is the totally awesome Cakewich, which, as you can probably guess by its name is a cake that looks like a sandwich. I LOVE the PB & J look, but just imagine what some marzipan could do.  Mmmm marzipan bologna!

Tomorrow I’ll be celebrating my favorite bride-to-be in style with a tea party themed bridal shower (complete with overdone hats, of course…)
After that, we’ll all be dashing off to a 30th birthday bash for the evening!
Who really knows where the night will take us… all I know is I’m looking forward to spending it with some fabulous friends.
As for Sunday… I plan on catching up on as much sleep as possible before launching into another busy week. Enjoy every little bit and I’ll see you on Monday!

xo,
cassandra

*photography by sandra freij

Ballard Designs’ new Spool Side Table ($199) was inspired by actual spools used by French rope makers to display and sell their natural fiber manila rope. Crafted of mango wood and authentic manila rope, it’s not the bulky side table it appears to be: its top lifts off for storage. While this design is quite clever to me, with an antiquey meets nautical vibe, I think I’d rather own the real thing. If you read about my drum side table, you know how I love to turn unusual finds into furniture. How about you?

Love It or Hate It? Spool Side Table

Love it!

Hate it!

She’s Out of My League, out today starring Jay Baruchel, looks über-cute – like one of those predictable romantic comedies I can’t resist. While it may not be winning an Oscar next year, it certainly deserves applause for the set design. I would totally move right into this living room. But better yet, it doesn’t look very hard to recreate. This sort of minimalism is something I strive for, but I enjoy shopping for accessories too much to ever make it work. I love how the graphic wallpaper, cherry blossom branches, and interesting coffee table catchall bowl add a more intricate, girlish element to the streamlined, masculine furniture. With silverish gray and sandy browns, and a little bit of pink, the palette is perfect, too. Want to see some products that will help you get the look of this stylish room?

• Reverse graffiti revives grim city walls. – ReadyMade
• Go on safari in a home in the heart of Williamsburg. – AT:NY
• Drains clogged? Here are two ways to fix ‘em. – DIY Life
• Nicole shares the things that inspire her. – Making It Lovely
• Lamps with . . . hair? – ShelterPop
• A design tribute to Twin Peaks! – Shelterrific

It’s no secret that I adore most everything, OK everything, that has the Eames label attached to it. Unfortunately, I can’t afford one bit of it . . . until now. The Eames La Chaise ($9,475) has had me drooling for a while, especially the red-hot one used by Ben Affleck. But for that price, I’d rather something with doors, four wheels, and a gas tank. Alas, someone has knocked the design right off and given us not-so-flush folks the opportunity to pretend we live like royalty. To see the impressive copycat lounger, read more.
Can’t tell the difference? Neither could I. The Alphaville Design Deco Chaise is about what the taxes would be on the authentic version – $1,149! It’s still not cheap but it beats the original asking price. That is, unless you want the real deal. Which one would you buy?

If you like it then you should put a frame on it. Handkerchiefs, bonnets, doilies, and pillows are common linens that are passed down through generations. Stained or worn to bits, the heirlooms sometimes reach their expiration dates sooner than we’d like. Before it’s worn to shreds, salvage the item and the memories behind it by framing it in your home like I did with my late grandmother’s apron.

To see how I do it, just read more.

There are a number of ways to cleverly showcase a simple item. Decorative paper or soft fabrics can provide just the right oomph that a tired linen could use. I chose a soft raw silk and a washed green frame. After ironing the silk, I gently pressed the apron in the position I wanted it. I placed the glass over the ensemble, flipped it, and backed it with the rest of the frame. In an instant, a family memoir was hanging in my kitchen where my Grammy continues to inspire me from beyond.