Sweater Chairs, Sheepskin, Lamp Fur Oh My…Time To Stop Fantasizing And Buy!

Coming in from the cold as a child, meant hot chocolate, cookies and hopefully cartoons. On a day like today, when my iPhone app says 10 degrees Fahrenheit, coming in from the cold, after walking the dog off-leash in Central Park, meant salivating for a strong shot of caffeine, cleaning up the kids breakfast dishes; feeding the dog, turning on the lizards heat lamps (yup) and trying to pretend that I didn’t have one heck of a work load ahead of me-business and family focused combined…of course.

So I procrastinate.  I think about how I have not “been back” writing my design blog…and as I found myself  fantasizing about all the cool indulgent design driven items that I was yearning to have in my apartment all at once (such as a 6 pelt sheepskin!) I figured…why not share?  So here I am, back again….but in from the cold, drenched in sexy, wooly and cozy sweater styled home décor. Enjoy!

The easiest way to make a sofa or chair warm and relaxing is by throwing on a classic fur (faux would be easier to stomach) or sheepskin, which can be found at numerous sites on the internet, including Ikea.

Cowhides of ANY color can visually add warmth to your room-try a classic from IKEA or explore the variety on eCowhides.com

   My favorites…a teal Lamb Fur pillow from MOE’s plus LOVE this “what to do with…” my old boyfriend sweaters

 Adding anything next to your fireplace works too!!!  Stay cozy 😉 Suzy

Back From Running-Coloring My World Again

It’s been a year…ok, just a bit over a year that I have been scouring the web for fabulous photos and inspirational design ideas for all of us that love visual beauty for our home.

I didn’t stop because I stopped loving the design world-it was the reverse effect. I became entirely enamored with all of the beauty of design and how it integrates into our everyday lives that I found myself falling into more and more adventures…or rather projects, that kept the hours in my day on a tight and rigid schedule.

On the side-I did run. I trained for nearly a year for the NYC marathon. Sadly Hurricane Sandy hit leaving the New York that I love and its surrounding areas struggling to get back to what was normal. On that Sunday that the marathon was to have taken place, I found myself running into Staten Island to help bring supplies and worked to help organize a shelter that was bursting with amazing people doing the same. I felt I did a dent into what was truly needed. This experience reminded me how important a home is and always will be for each of us.

When I see a homeless “person” (and sadly it can be a man or woman with children…) on the street, I think of how lucky I am to have my home and to be able to provide for my family. My home that I always ponder what it needs…what I should do to “fix it up” with this or that. I trust that this desire for always “wanting” is what keeps us feeling human.

There is a middle aged man who sleeps across the street from my building every now and then, here in Manhattan. He sets up a little center stage for himself to encompass his luggage of personal items, and where he will rest his eyes for the night. He always has on a bright orange hat, which is how I know it’s him. Last week I was walking my dog, and I was passing a stretch of dark, heavy garbage bags, layered one on top of the other, about seven feet high. I could see the garbage bags, left out for pick up in the early morning, went on for about 20 feet. As I approached the center of this stench, there was a five foot black leather sofa stuffed in-between the layers of these stacks. Gingerly sitting on the middle seat cushion was the man with the orange hat. I was taken aback, partly because I was horrified for him to be sitting so relaxed in the midst of this odor of garbage, from all the people that lived luxuriously in the building above him, but mostly because I secretly felt impressed he found comfort in the attractive, worn black leather sofa that he perched himself on for the night. We began to talk. He was suddenly the host of his own party. He began to tell me how the “guys” from the building brought him the sofa, that was considered junk by its former owner,  so that he could be comfortable for his night time rendezvous with our block. He went on to show me how another kind person brought him a warm coat, fleece, shoes and socks…in orange…because they knew it was his favorite color.

Long sigh. Color never leaves our lives no matter where we are in it…dark greys to energizing greens to soul comfort oranges. Color is our home…Home is truly where the heart is.

I now know that inspiration is everywhere-I want to share it once again.

Thanks for listening-

Best

Suzy

Running Home…My Design Inspiration

soundcloud.com

I’m a runner. I like saying that actually because it took me a few years to really admit it to myself. My body knew it but my mind kept saying I’m a fake runner. What that essentially means I can’t say. I just don’t know. Maybe it was times like when I was out till 3am for my friends bachelorette party and boozing it up slightly (yes, us “moms” can have a little booze time fun) and still meeting my running partner at 8:30am. (This is after getting up at 6:45am to get my kids off to school). Running a slow nauseas pace for 6 miles should have given me the insight that I was a committed runner…yet I assumed I was a fake because I was almost certainly running with various top shelf alcohol still left in my veins. Not a role model moment. But I am runner (now) and I really, really LOVE it! Long time in the making, I took it seriously the day after the 2010 ING NYC Marathon. For years, I watched the runners of all shapes, sizes and speeds pass me by on the side lines as I cheered them on…saying to myself, one day that will be me. So last year I decided to make it me. I entered my first race December 2010 and now have completed nine, from a 5k to a half marathon. This also means, via NYRR, I qualify (plus one volunteer race) for the 2012 ING NYC Marathon. I had a goal and I worked for it. I am competitive in nature, but mostly with myself, when it comes to this sport. At my, ah-hem, age (well, I’m not 21 yr anymore…) I find myself wanting to move just a speedy as the coveted 25-29 age group. Somehow I understand I will never run a 5 minute mile, so I’m thrilled that I can push an 8 minute miler at best. Ok, it’s really an 8:06 …for those non-runners…that 6 seconds is everything.

So why am I blabbing about running…isn’t this a blog about design? Well, yes and no. Let me pose this next thought…what in our lives doesn’t have to do with design? Life is simply creative. The way we choose to dress ourselves, the work we take, the places we grasp in our minds, the people we converse and entertain with, and how we spend our minutes, all lead us to visual “something’s”. Setting the parameters for the sweet goal of getting into the marathon was no different than setting up a client’s extensive renovation project. Or thoughts about what to do in my own home? What changes can I make? What goals can I achieve in the next year? Renovate the kitchen?  I had a goal to complete and I took all the necessary steps to get there. Were there obstacles? Of course…such is life. I had exhaustion & chronic fatigue at times, dehydration on runs, and an injury 2 weeks before my half marathon. They were small bumps that needed attention and were fixed with patience. Just like a home has decorative defeats and needs a little devotion.

So with the excitement of watching the 2011 ING marathon this past Sunday, I thought about what the next year will bring with my training. I also thought about what I do consistently on my runs. And it hit me calmly. Just as a project for a client whose end sight is identical…it’s all about coming home. I love my home, although there are a million changes I’d love to make there every day, it’s still a warm place, where my kid’s childhood memories are planted. Unfortunately for many, and there are an obvious wide range of reasons, coming home is not so easy for all. So like running, when it comes to finding a place to call home that we can truly enjoy, we need to override the agony and push on. We need to find our inspiration.

What can you find in your life that inspires you to go running to any place you call home? There are so many inspirations that can lead us home. Below are just a few that inspired me after I Google’d “running home”. Random in composition, yet points out the variety of movement in our everyday life.

Enjoy!

fineartamerica.com

danzfamily.com

http://musicvsmisery.tumblr.com

pixcluas.com

jeffersonatwesttown.lincolnapts.com

superstock.com

Guess childhood running and nature are my inspiration today! Would love to hear what inspires you!

Email me at suzy@designeyez.com or post any thoughts to FACEBOOK.

All my  best,

Suzy

Antler Antics…See How They Shine

antlerchandelier.org

Want to throw a quick something out there that a client recently reminded me of…the Antler chandelier! VERY popular a few years back, I began gazing at these seemingly childhood delights aka reminds me of Santa Clause & poor Rudolph, and realized why they are still so striking.

Each appears unique…and most likely will be…and there are a great number of companies that will customize them to your liking. No need for the rustic bone color style either, there is at least one company that will make your Antler glee into any Benjamin Moore color that you desire. Think hot ruby red or even a citrus orange to brighten up any family room, entry or any other space that craves attention.

SO here are a few reminders of why & how these grand lighting fixtures can charm a room and light up your cool, brisk winters. Just please, please remember…overdoing it (or anything) is a buzz kill! Keep it simple. Also keep in mind for those of the faint hearted, you can also purchase faux styles too…they should be able to keep Santa & Rudolph in business.

Below are some inspiring & unique pieces…with some down to earth as well as earth-shattering (ok not really but liked the play on words) locations for these beauties.

damasketdentelle.com

elledecor.com

make mine eclectic

celebrate creation

kryve

decor8.com

The above is my favorite!

If one was being shipped to your home…what color would it be and where would you place it!?

Love to hear what you have to say…

You can always email me at suzy@designeyez.com or

upload your thoughts & questions to our FACEBOOK page or TWITTER!

Best,

Suzy

All You Need Is Now

 

Suzy León/ DesignEyez

All you need is now is actually Duran Duran’s 2011 album title. So I’m not even original. But I loved Duran Duran when I was a young (young) teen so there is that. Right now I would love to scour the web for new & exciting design inspirations but I’m just feeling overwhelmed with the big floating lists in my head. It’s one of those moments. Not sure if my best excuse would be that I have writers block…because I really can’t say that since I downright pen my way through this blog for fun. So next I consider that I’m having a designer moment. What would that mean anyway? That I’m staring at a blank canvas? Well, feel that’s getting closer.

Then there’s the mommy defense…but no one needs to hear me moan (about that)…we’re all doing the same juggling act in the 3 ring circus that everyone else forgot to come and watch. That may fit the bill a little closer (and what exactly does fit the bill mean!?). Here it is-my now. I’m in a moment that I want to do it all but I need too many of me. I want to be home, re-organize my shelves; design a new, cooler, thinner dish rack for when I hand wash my kids “I made it” dishes; I want my hands to stay looking young after I wash those dishes; re-arrange my furniture so I can do it again next week; look up recipes on the internet to make a mommy award meal for my kids tonight; design a new sexy dark rustic brown & snow white bathroom for my Chelsea client; tutor my kids when homework gets hard; look for gorgeous hip hospitality wallpaper for my man’s new restaurant; continue to be the good girl outside of the bedroom; kind of review the paperwork sitting on my desk in my office; shop for stunning fabric for a new project  and most likely and possibly go for a quick 3 mile run before the rain hits central park.

Ok, that’s a normal I’m overwhelmed with it all but I’m ready to just-do-it (that’s Nike…not original there either). SO for my now moment, I’m sharing this amazing hotel that I first visited two years ago…and hopefully will be going there again for an anniversary weekend soon in December (hint to a certain somebody who should be reading this blog!).The Modrian hotel in South Beach, Miami is illuminating in an amiable way. You walk into an air of modern luxury, with over scaled chandeliers and stairways that lead to nowhere particular.  It is extremely stylish and tremendously trendy. It will most likely have to be renovated sporadically over the years. Yet the details are appealing and should actually be looked at individually…not as a whole. And because of that, it is timeless.

As a whole, it can be overwhelming, as most of us feel living a very normal life. Instead, as in our own lives, I like to look at the Mondrian’s details one by one…because the design choices are each very distinct and can stand on their own. So without the need to quickly pass through the pool lounge, the lobby, the hallways & the spacious rooms…I am walking slowly and catching the little details like the Danish sailing tile that appears on the kitchen wall beyond the bright orange four person card table; as an ocean rocks below a bursting sunset. In this regard, it becomes a reminder to smell the roses (or the fresh brew of strong aromatic coffee), and take the side road to look at life’s important details because those niceties are what make us all whole.

Suzy León/ DesignEyez

Above is the lobby slash one of the bar areas slash the other side (below) is one of the dining tables of Asia de Cuba…look at those liberty bell shape lights and the glow of gold that peers out from the inside.

And this interesting all white bubble ball tree thing? Well it caught my attention.

  

Suzy León/ DesignEyez     Mondrian/ Morgans hotel

Sailing away with interesting detail on the tile in the kitchenettes that accomodate each room….

Makes you want to have breakfast in bed.

 Suzy León/ DesignEyez

   

   

   

   

Mondrian/ Morgan Hotel

SO many details…see how taking it slow sometimes can really make a difference?

Let me know if you have ever stayed at the Mondrian or any other amazing hotel that you would like to share!

Email me at suzy@designeyez.com

or upload your images on our FACEBOOK PAGE.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Best

Suzy

Sex sells…shouldn’t it be in our home & on our walls too?

Homeinteriordesignthemes.com

Long dark hallways & sexy bedrooms are not just for Hollywood homes.  Nor is the deep, rich color black subjected to Halloween costumes & spider shaped cookies.  Shouldn’t we be seduced every time we walk into our humble abode without using the idea of sweet flower patterns & heart shaped accessories?  Dark, lavish colors can often be used to balance an intimate, contemporary interior by instilling a sensual warmth.  Think of a seductive, attractive boutique hotel or a warm, candle lit champagne bubble bath (never had a champagne bath myself but I’m just imagining…& figuring I’d have a glass or 2 of vino to go with it…. and my man). Ok-my point- is sexy hotness that can easily be translated into a paint color (yup) so that you can dream of seduction every time you walk into your home. Nothing wrong with that I suppose! Here are some interiors that could fake the fact that you love living with color. It’s all about how deep you can go…with color. What’s interesting is that the secret to a heartfelt, intimate space, is not only the depth of a shadow from an ebony wall or suggestive piece of furniture, but from the use of a stark contrast that generates from a sun-bleached floor to worthy, happy lighting.

I’m prepared to stay home and feel seduced by my own vintage wine colored walls. Maybe  I’ll even try, at last, that sparkling candle lit champagne bath (try Prosecco if you are going for it-just as good and MUCH more cost effective!) with a new can of high gloss universal black by my side.

thisarchitecture.com

Dining rooms are one of the best spaces in your home to bring in some dark magic to spell out that you not only have amazing taste, but that your style is fun and flirty with sex appeal. You have to own it when you’ve got it. Notice that this is where a white ceiling does work to allocate a sharp contrast from the modern black damask wallpaper. The burst of sunlight & silver accents add to the flow. The dining spaces below are just as appealing with their own unique play on how opposites attract.

bhousedesain.com

apartment therapy

A strong coat of color makes any wall solid with sophistication.

   

freshdesign/ 123rf.com

bloggers.com

        

studioilse.com/     interiordesignpro.org

thisarchitecture.com

Luxurious homes have surrendered for years the use of a sleek ebony brown/black to spice up life in the bedroom. Even on a simple level, you can declare your inner tiger (or your safari manic zebra) in the bedroom.

alkemieblogspot

Yes…and we all know the rest of the house can count too…but bedrooms & bathrooms & even dining rooms seem more fun because they are more sensual.

…however, I LOVE this very masculine, yet feline inviting library  and the office space below.

Elle Decor

designindulgences.com

Are you willing to bring sexy into your home somewhere?

If you have a great color to share -post a photo to our FACEBOOK  page

….or email me directly suzy@designeyez.com

I’d love to see your designs!

Best

Suzy

 

 

 

 

Sit on a Sunset, Justin Bieber or even your dog?

 

Short work weeks are FANTASTIC when the focus is on hanging with friends & family. Other than that it is one big chow down, time-consuming animal. S0 squeezed into this last week of kids, soccer games, clients, meetings & meetings (& dinner and breakfast) was the Design & Decoration building in New York City’s market week. If you’re not familiar, the D&D (the only name we really call it) is a 17 floor building with showrooms of furniture, lighting & fabric on every floor. Market week becomes a herd of designer’s, catching up with friends, frenemy’s (for those competing for the same home mag cover aka not me)& the new trends that the showroom collections are exposing. Easy to talk about all the pronounced lectures, worthy food bites & a few dribbles of what showrooms had it really going on…but there’s too many. SO…narrowed it down to one cool, took-me-by-surprise, vendor: Artistic Frame.

They just moved into the building, to the top design floor. When you walk off the elevator and turn toward their showroom, there it is-smack in front, a row of please-sit-on-me chairs that have unruffled photographic fabric stretched out on these otherwise simple chairs. Artistic frame can make ANY chair that your heart desires…but it was the fabric immense in scale, loud & unspoiled that captured my eye. The textile prints are actual photographs transferred onto the fabric. It reminded me when I had cushions made for the first FADER magazine conference room (way back when) that had a hip highway scene that almost imitated a postcard. Staring at this new magnificent collection, it hit more as a truth, that good design can always be what you want it to be…and with these Artistic Frame chairs, you can put on ANY photo that you want to make your world complete. Yes, that means, your mom or mum or dog or even Justin Bieber if you are a brave enough fan. Striking sunsets, forceful flames & flamboyant flowers work just as lovely too.

If Artistic Frame is too far from home so to speak…simply use these photos as inspiration to DIY in your own way. Big, bold & beautiful!

   

myownpurpledoor

…ok-if a pic of your pet could be on your dining chair then I’m guessing a JB chair could be done for his fans (yes, I have kids)…No one’s made a chair yet…so be the first!

   

Rollingstone Maazine                          Designerzcentral.com

What would you put on your chair?

Email me at suzy@designeyez.com

Upload your pics to our FACEBOOK too!

Enjoy!

Suzy

My color hue…where does the love begin?

Splattered over our hands, face & favorite pair of jeans, we just happened to wear that day, the color of paint has arrived in our lives just as a peacock discovers the beauty of its feathers. Regardless if you’ve actually ever painted a room or piece of furniture yourself, you at least have walked into a freshly painted room that was soon to be yours. I hope.

Every color that I’ve gawked at affectionately after a finished project, I seem to fall in love with…but what instigates this love? Stressfully probing the right color for your home has many stages. In the last week I fell in love with the natural colors and real life images in Benjamin Moore’s color stories.  I put my dunce cap back on, firmly, realizing my preoccupation with the creative images via the internet is exactly where this love does originate.

If you are prepared to feel inspired-then simple start to Google your favorite pictures, or find that old photo album from childhood or any good ‘old days you want. If you discover comfort in the images you saved, then you are ready to add color to your life.

I’ve serenely pulled out a few favorite shots and searched for their interior counterpart. The result? Remembering that color and inspiration is precisely where it has always been…smack out in front of our everyday lives.

   

healingwithjuices.com/  Melissa Clark

quintinlake.com

 The Nimes, France apartment below has a quiet strength inspired by a tall strip of limestone, combined with the perfected colors and texture of the lotus flower in any garden. It makes you just want to kick back and take in the goodness.

.

style-find.com

Andrew Beebe

Yup… the kitchen sink. No need to throw it out when it comes to color-my-home creativeness. Did you think color was only for the rainbow? Look past the stainless and see the splendor of shadows in the multitude of gray tones. The glaring strike of a bright light hitting the metal inspires a balance with warm whites. The coolness of the raised console panels and gray toned walls below, say-“get outta the kitchen & come hang with me”.

interiorzine.com

quitinlake.com

Miles flow visually while gazing at an outstretch of land that shines, with the brightness of a sunset, as the canola fields do above. No better place to dare this color of kingdom as a massive, modern bathroom. The incredible smoothness of the materials below show that color shines bright on any surface. I say throw a sheep skin rug on the floor and read a book in the sunshine.

artohaus.com

andykatzphotography.com

OK-so you love the idea of color-but you just painted your walls last month? Well, turn that energizing photo onto your furniture. Afraid to commit to your indoor treasures? Use the idea on your outdoor furniture first. Try a bold color,  regardless what climate you live in year round. It will brighten up your day no matter how many clouds loom above.The colorful adirondeck chairs below give life to the mute forest green front porch.

buzzle.com

dippity.com

When peering over your grouping of fave photos…remember that you only need one teeny bit of the actual composition to inspire you. As an artist gets carried away from his subject after a euphoric emotion, let the details inspire you alongside the palette you are craving.  The solitude of a deserted orange motor boat drifting in the warm Caribbean colored sea, as above,  can be your beginning. Bring other aspects of nature in and you get a levelheaded & stylish dining space as seen below.

Elle Decor

Show us your inspirational photos!

Email me at suzy@designeyez.com or

Upload your pics to our FACEBOOK too!

Enjoy!

Suzy

Madmen, The 60’S & Other Tufted Furniture

Madmen/ AMCTV

Soaring through the skies with its premiere show, Pan Am, I sat staring in awe with curiosity at the timeless style its society, fashion & design flair exposed. Same awe-inspiring excitement hit me when watching Madmen (regardless if a piece really worked aka Betty’s “fainting couch”). The interiors of Madmen have been the love-all for many designers…maybe it’s the fascination and authenticity of seeing the 60’s come to life. Inspiring, this retro era, appears vexing to be so articulate, yet it seems just as loopy as today. What’s so endearing, to one raised in another era, about the 60’s is that it was part of many births that unknowingly pushed design to the new level we see today. Ok, I’m taking in a deep breath. Don’t want to rant on and on…just want to hit one boundless topic-the period’s historical twist on tufted upholstery; those cute little indents mainly seen on sofas & chairs. I love them all. Style today, has been tufting any which way- from leather clad buttons to deep cavernous microscopic holes; tufting is right out gorgeous. Here are a few faves that are inspiring:

When looking at these beauties…don’t you just want to say-AHHH. The Restoration Sofa below would be my take on a new “fainting sofa”…or “the party’s here” sofa…or “I really let my kids watch TV here & eat popcorn on it” sofa. This is just a multitalented, unflappable, top shelf treat!

     

Restoration Hardware

For those of us that have less of a grandeur space…ahem…like most of us…Here’s a funky way to over-do the tufting and yet make it also a go-to spot for hanging out. And who remembers “cats-n-the-cradle”? See the remarkable art piece?

Lucketts Design House

Hesitant to use a little color on the walls? How about going full blast on some furniture!

cococozy.com

sanyartspace.com

Let’s talk beds….since us humans tend to spend most of our life in and on one, why not make it the coolest thing to look forward to at the end of a long day (or night!)? Plus, still love those hotel style beds where the headboards go up-up-up.

decorpad.com

design-crisis.com

Se San Diego

Haven’t overlooked the practical….where we need these calm optical illusions of peacefulness. And what about a good place to put on our fabulous shoes-one foot at a time? Round ottomans truly rock!

decorpad.com

     

montagegalleries.com

So whether a Madmen set or a scene going through Pan Am, loving the tufted look is special treat…as long as those cute little endless buttons aren’t paired with a cute little 3 year old eating a P&J sandwich

.

Elle Decor

Have more questions? LOVE the 60’s too? LOATHE the 60″s? It’s all good!

Email me at suzy@designeyez.com

Upload your pics to our FACEBOOK too!

Enjoy!

Suzy

Metal chairs…cold, hard & very, very cool

DesignWatcher.com

It’s been a few years since the cool metal café chairs became a big hit…and everyone seemed to think a plane ticket to France was an adventurous idea to scour the fields of antiques for a handful of these fun new finds. Well, I’m sure it was. I missed the boat on an excuse to go to France or Paris for that matter…but c’est la vie (it’s all I know. Ok, I also know the words to THAT French song).

Anyway, in looking at OLY’s cool version of a metal chair, I got to thinking…What is out there? Are there many options for a metal chair? HA! What a dumb question I asked myself. There are TOO many crazy, funky & fun artsy metal chairs. I posted a few of course. BUT I was looking for something that is functional. Having metal legs ONLY doesn’t count (like my fave Saarinen chair) but yet, still posted one of those. Then, I came up with a few that snuck in the metal somewhere. Let me know if you have any of your own!

                     

Domino Magazine                                                        OLY STUDIO

These are BAMBOO METAL…cool & probably comfortable!

             

                 Revival home & garden

Fun & artsy BORIS BALLY creates these crazy cool chairs and other designs that are hand-fabricated out of re-purposed steel traffic signs

and steel hardware, some even with old champagne corks. Check out his SITE

          

Boris Bally                                                                         Boris Bally

Even Restoration Hardware got into the act recently with this cool world war 11 fighter plane inspired chair.

Good for reading or just tuning out? Looks kind of comfy either way.

Restoration Hardware

Hmpf…not for sitting…I don’t think? Not new either but pretty interesting how the metal bends so seamlessly smooth.

Ron Arad, Industry Designer

Yup-I like it but may want a cool faux leather hide as a seat cushion. Yes, I said faux.

navy-chair

Here’s LEGS only…but sexy ones they are…LOVE the newspaper influence for upholstery.

Dining Furniture Warehouse

Have more questions? Email me at suzy@designeyez.com

Upload your pics to our FACEBOOK too!

Enjoy!

Suzy