Holiday Inspirations with a Twist

Christmas is very much around the corner (don't get me started on how it's only a week away), and I am so, so, so behind on Christmas shopping. I think it should be noted that I generally suck at gift-giving around the holidays in generals. Birthdays, though, that's a whole other story!

To jump on the Christmas bandwagon with a twist, I wanted to find interiors that use holiday colors in everyday ways! Take a peak and let me know what you think!

Looks I Love // Thanksgiving Decor

My favoritest of favoritest holidays is upon us - Thanksgiving. In no way, shape or form is any other holiday equal to that of Thanksgiving. It's like everything that Christmas should be, but isn't. It's about spending time with loved ones and the delicious feast that is Thanksgiving Dinner*.

Looks I Love // Things on Design-Milk

Woof. I realize it's been a bit too long -- and to think I was doing so good! I've been back in Philly and back at school for a couple weeks now, and MY OH MY are they keeping me busy! In the good news department, I'm LOVING my classes this semester! And.... drumroll.... I got a job! Nothing special, just something to help pay the bills. You know, kind of important.

Looks I Love // Vacationing in Style

I may be vacationing a la my childhood home, but I was inspired nonetheless to delve into the world of fancy, luxury hotels. It probably had something to do with this Design Milk article about Hotel Not Hotel in Amsterdam.

As I have mentioned before, I'm still not entirely decided if I'll end up going commercial or residential. If I were to go to commercial, I've been thinking bars, hotels and restaurants would be the way for me to go. I find it intriguing how a space can leave a lasting impact on someone's takeaway of the brand. 

So, after reading said article, I wanted to share a list of hotels, big and small, that I found pretty awesome: 

Life is Ironic

Well, well, well - here I am, one quarter of grad school down, nine to go. This first quarter has been… crazy. Crazy good. Crazy crazy. Crazy weird. But not crazy bad. 

Two quick prefaces before I go on: 1) I just finished reading the first fictional piece of writing ("How to be an Adult" by XYZ) I've looked at in over 10 weeks, so I apologize now if this post has a flair for the dramatic side. 2)  I'm writing this post on a plane home, and I'm a broke graduate student - so I won't be purchasing wifi and I won't be referencing any delightful interiors and/or pieces. 

I was nervous when I first moved to Philadelphia to study at Drexel. What was I doing? Was it worth giving so many things up? In some ways, I still am nervous, but I'm more confident about it being right than I ever thought that I would be. I'm still not 100% sure what I want to do with it once I'm done, but I figure I have three more years to figure that out.

Thinking about a DIY: Dresser

I'm on the hunt for a dresser - not even a new one, just A dresser. Currently, my room consists of a bed, a teeeeeny-tiny closet and boxes full of clothes. Apparently, I have a lot more clothes than I thought I did. Most of them, I'm pretty damn sure I don't wear. Whoops.

Unless I can score something super fantabulous at the thrift fair this weekend, I may be DIY-ing it. I've been scouring Craigslist, and so far, I've come up short on lust-worthy pieces as is. So, I've been googling for some inspiration :-)

1. Z Gallerie - York 6 Drawer Dresser // 2. One Kings Lane -  St. Mortiz Greek Key Chest (Aqua/Gold)// 3. Kindel Furniture Company - Pinwheel Chest // 4. Kalon Studios - Caravan Dresser

Obviously, I'm loving the white and gold look. It's clean and crisp, but I feel like the gold brings a bit of fun to the mix! Having rounded up these bad boys, I THINK I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do. Spoiler alert: It involves white and gold. Hehe.

I'm still planning on taking a peak at the thrift fair this weekend, but I'd like to get get a dresser sooner rather later. If I once again come up short this weekend, its time to get my DIY on! Stay tuned!

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What's your dream dresser look like?

-LG

That Chair That We Saw In That Place....

It's amazing what you can do with the Internet sometimes. Like, I just happen to see an Instagram post of this chair, yet the chair is not the subject of the post. I couldn't find it anywhere. The post was a repost, but the original Instagrammer didn't credit the chairs in either the posted photo or the accompanying blog. I wouldn't give up, and shortly after, I found it!

Source // Pure Home

Ladies and Gents - I give you the Acapulco Chair from Innit Designs. I. Love. This. Chair. Like, seriously, I want it in mLadies and Gents - I give you the Acapulco Chair from Innit Designs. I. Love. This. Chair. Like, seriously, I want it in my house. Right now. Preferably in teal. Or black. . Right now. Preferably in teal. Or black.

Acapulco Chair

Based on time-honored Mayan hammock weaving technology this lounger chair unifies tradition with innovation and harmonizes the function of ergonomic comfort with retro-modern aesthetic form. The Acapulco is in every way cool. Its weave perfectly cradles the body within its clean lines without suffocating and offers a character of casual sophistication to every home or institution. The flexible yet durable vinyl cord gives the chair's guest an instant siesta. 

78 cm (W) x 90 cm (D) x 90 cm (H)    |    30" (W) x 35" (D) x 35" (H)

I suppose that I'll go ahead and add it to the list of furniture pieces I so badly want but do not need. Sad panda.

Tell me, what do you think of the chair? Have you ever taken extraordinary measures to find out more about something you briefly saw online?

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-LG

Sunday Sketches // French Settee with Ikat Pattern [Omero Home]

This may or may not be the second time I am writing this (aka it is), and I'm really hoping I come off as witty as it originally thought I was. #bloggingwiththebloggerappfails

I honk it went something like this: I've been crazy busy all week and have, literally, been all over. I'm talking like, oh, six states. Pennsylvania. Illinois. Indiana. Ohio. Back to PA. Delaware. Maryland. Like woah. Not only that, but I also moved from the University City / West Philly area to Rittenhouse Square. 

Basically, won't stop - can't stop (yes, I actually said that the first go at this post). 

In keeping with tradition - aka the blogging series I started a week ago - I made it a point to get something up and ready for today. After perusing numerous sources - Google Images to Pinterest and back to G.Images - I finally settled on a modern take at a French Settee. I really love the blending of the Rococo influence with the more modern print. 

French Settee with Ikat Print // Omero Home

1930s French Settee newly refinished and upholstered in a chic Ikat-print fabric. Classic piece with an updated, modern twist.

(Too bad it's now sold out 😰)

Width: 48" Depth: 21" Height: 33.5" Seat Height: 15" 

http://www.omerohome.com/product/french-settee-w-ikat-print

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Like it? Love it? Hate it?

-LG

Sunday Sketches // Kustom Armchair [Bark Furniture]

I've decided to start up a new blog series to be called "Sunday Sketches." If the title leads you believe I'll be posting something involving Sundays and Sketches, you've got it! Not to mention, I really just like alliterations too!

Each week (psst, on Sundays), I'll be sharing a new hand rendering of an actual furniture piece I've seen online, in person or in print. With each sketch, I'll provide some additional background information on the piece as well (dimensions, designer, etc) so that we all can stay informed (and use it in the future if need be!).

"Why," you ask? Well, one of the areas that I feel I need to really grow on (mind you, I really need to grow on ALL of it - I am only five weeks in...) is my hand rendering skills. We may be well into the 21st century, but it seems to me that you can never really go wrong with a good, old-fashioned hand sketch. Because sometimes, in order to be good applying your ideas to the computer, you have to be good applying your ideas to paper too.

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself for now. At any rate, I would like to challenge myself artistically as well as broaden my mental collection of furniture pieces to possibly use in upcoming projects. Depending on timing, I may or may not color the piece (by hand or with Photoshop).

Kustom Armchair // Bark Furniture

Kustom Armchair - Lowback [Link]

The Kustom Armchair is fully upholstered with solid black walnut arms, in leather or a fabric upholstery. This club chair style would suit a reception area, hotel foyet, club or bar, as well as being a stylish addition to any home.

Width: 83cm • Depth: 90cm • Height: 74cm • Seat height: 44cm

Made in Bude, north Cornwall 

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Like it? Love it? Hate it?

-LG

Looks I Love // Cement and Concrete

Note: This is an older post that I've apparently been hoarding for a good couple months... 

I've been loving the look of cement lately. I think that it definitely can be used to create a polished look in a very raw way. My fascination, I suppose, started with this DIY I stumbled upon from A Beautiful Mess. (I. Love. It. And fully intend on making my own once I get situated post-move.) From there, everywhere I look cement details have been catching my eye!

The culprit:

DIY Lightweight Cement Side Tables // A Beautiful Mess

From there, I kept noticing concrete elements on a larger scale in interiors. From the home itself to bathrooms and stairwells to wall tiles (LOVE the wall tiles). Here's a snapshot of a few different looks that caught my eye:

1 // Fourfoursixsix uses aerated concrete for family residence on the Stockholm Archipelago [Dezeen - Link]

2 // Caso do Conto [iGNANT.de - Link]

3 // Glass, quartz, wood ... Surprise in the bathroom finishes (Translated) [Casa.com.br - Link]

4 // Plank-Form Concrete Backsplash, Apron Farmer's Sink + Built-in Draining Board [Houzz - Link]

5 // House in Kashiwa / Yamazaki Kentaro Design Workshop [ArchDaily - Link]

6 // Edgy Tiles [Link]

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What do you think - love it or hate it?!

- LG

A Tale of Four Seasons

This summer has been nothing short of intense.  I've officially finished five weeks, and two more of my summer courses (Furniture and Introductory Drawing) are un-officially over. For the first time since school started in June, I feel like I can breathe, taking the moment to relax and look back. Honestly, I can't believe that it's already been five weeks AND also that it's only been five weeks.

That being said, I'm sure the only mellow moment I'll have this week is right now as it's also the final week of my Design II: Color course.  This means, it's time to paint, paint, paint!

In preparation of our course final, we had to create four larger panels each depicting a different season. This project, as our final will also be, had fewer defined rulers that we had to adhere to and much of it was up to our own digression:

How do we think each season should be portrayed? What does it look like? What does it feel like? 

To be honest, I was very excited for this project, but I also found it very difficult, especially autumn:

I'm not entirely sure why, but I had a hard time grasping Fall. Maybe it was the colors. Maybe it was the limited motion (I feel) that particular seasons portrays. My winter panel looks about the same as when I had originally imagined it. Spring took some inspiration, but I am so so so happy with out it turned out. I love combination of the colors and the negative white space. And then there's summer. Summer looked differently in my head than it does in practice. A part of me loves it. I really do love the vividness of the colors and the splash of relief from the blues, but I think I overdid it on the splash.

Ever curious, I decided to take a peek around the WWW, and here's a little of what I found (and loved):

"Winter Sky" // Karuna Rajanayakam
(Link)

Abstract - Spring Landscape // Linda Donohue
(Link)

"Autumn Mosaic I" // Simon Fairless
(Link)

Which pieces do you prefer? Feel free to share links of pieces you love as well!

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Until next time -

LG

Design I: Black and White Design [Course Projects]

Woah - in the blink of an eye, it seems that I'm suddenly halfway through my FOURTH week of grad school. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN??!

The past few months - as noted by my lack of blogging - have been a complete whirlwind. I left Chicago, moved to Philadelphia, started at Drexel; and now, here I am with one three-week course already under my belt. Coming from a non-creative background, Drexel requires that I take three, intensive (but super shortened) design courses. The first, Black and White design, covered (wait for it) the use of BLACKs, WHITEs and the unlimited number of values in-between in varying compositions.

Here's a quick glimpse at some of the projects over the past few weeks:

Taco 'bout a Party

Seriously, TACO 'bout a party.

This past weekend, one of my best Chicago friends celebrated her birthday with taco bar crawl. Hello, tacos. Hello, margaritas. Hello, more tacos. It was seriously awesome especially because a few of us opted to rock taco shirts. Taco-themed phrases included:

Holy Shit, I <3 Tacos

Fitness? More Like Fitness Whole Taco in My Mouth

Tacos + Tequila

[Be] Designtagious

Fear. It can do one of either two things. It can hold you back or it can catapult you forward. I'm scared shitless, and I'm buckling in for a hell of ride. At least I hope I am.

Next month, I'll be taking my first courses at Drexel University as a master's student. What will I be studying, you ask? Interior Architecture and Design *insert a ridiculous number of exclamation points here* I'm finally doing it. I'm finally throwing caution to the wind and trusting, hoping, praying that I'm making the right decision. I think that I am, but just like with any major, life-changing event, there are sacrifices to be had.

In preparing to turn over this new leaf, I felt a re-vamping was due of this neglected outlet, beginning with it's name. Formerly My Cup of Color, the name just wasn't doing it for me. It never really had been. And what good is a blog, if it's not titled correctly? Answer: Not so good. So, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you my outlet for design and creativity: [Be] Designtagious.

 Because, to quote Einstein, "creativity is contagious," and good design goes hand in hand with that. So, I'm passing it on.

[Be] Designtagious

I hope to accomplish many things with this blog: 1) I hope to inspire myself to be creative, admire good art and design and enjoy life; 2) I hope to inspire others of the same; 3) I hope to share what I learn in school along the way.

This is only the beginning, my friends, only the beginning.

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Until next time, 

LG

Zen and Literature

I have obviously been busy, er, not blogging. But not for lack of interest! I will admit that blogging is harder than I thought it would be, especially as a newbie to the design industry. I honestly feel like I have nothing to say. I know there is this whole design world out there for me to learn about, and I'm not even skimming the surface yet.

That being said, I have been busy * wait for it * applying to schools!!! Well, really, applying to one school. So far. But it's my top my choice, so fingers crossed on that one.

Hunting down a copy of my resume today, I found this gem, a traditional library decorated using a complementary color scheme of red and green:

Olioboard // My Cup of Color

I had made it a while back as a homework assignment to an online intro to interior design course I took. I don't remember why, but I apparently never shared it with the world. I actually really love this fictional space. I feel the mellow greens help balance the pops of red in a way that, surprisingly, does not scream "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The grays and chrome accents also make the space feel more zen.

But then again, I made it, so maybe I'm biased. (Hehe.)

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What's your favorite complementary color scheme to use?

-LG

2015: Looking forward to the year ahead!

Whoops - it's been a while since my last post. It's been just shy of a month, and so much has happened, it seems, over the past month.

For starters, HELLLLOOOOOO 2015.

Twenty Fourteen is no 'mo, and this year is going to take some adjusting to. In some ways, I'm so very looking forward to it; in other ways, I want nothing more than to run back into 2014's arms. But life can't be spent looking backwards, and we have to hope the best has yet to come.

I want 2015 to be a year of growth for me. I want to be able to look back this coming December (which seems so far away now, but I'm sure will be here in the blink of an eye) and see that I have grown and changed (for the better).

Though I haven't sat down to compile a list of resolutions, I do have a couple things I already know I want to have happen:

• Move out my 2BR rental (living with a roomie) and in to a place of my own

• Meet with and begin building relationships with professionals in the interior design industry

• Begin ID school (or have plans to begin)
• Meanwhile, begin teaching myself CAD freeware options

• Get this blog moving! 
• Establish a consistent blogging schedule
• Follow more blogs (and hopefully get followers back)!

It's a starter list, and I'm sure over the course of the next 12 months that this list will continue to grow and change and evolve.

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So, 2015, give me all you've you got! 

-LG