Feeling Yellow

I can't believe the surge in popularity of canary Yellow this past year; in fashion, interiors and even graphic design. My personal preference is a more intense, lemon yellow over subtle buttery yellows--(remember this?) 

Whether you "like" the color or not, you'd have to be a total curmudgeon to not feel uplifted by a yellow room .

The ubiquitous combo right now is YELLOW + GREY. We are actually working on, not one, but three yellow and grey spaces. I'm currently finishing up a  buttery yellow and gray project for a happy family in Beverly Hills. They wanted a soft yellow with very light, soothing greys.  Here's our sketch and board with some of our initial finds. I'll be sure to share some of the afters photos and our sources, many of which will be available from the shop.

Next up is a 70's citrusy yellow room with great bright yellow wallpaper and deep charcoals. I'm taking inspiration from her vintage yellow cloisonné ginger jar. I know you'll love it!

Hope you have a sunny weekend!


Sources: Collage, Dilly Dallas; Living Room, Mary MacDonald; bathroom, unknown; Bedroom, Jaime Drake; all others here

Black Nurseries?

Definitely.

Lauren Leiss Interiors, Jenna Lyons in Domino, Ohdeedoh.com

Sunny with Patches of Blue Sky

This happy room, published by Martha Stewart Magazine, has me falling for yellow all over again. The muted coral throughout the space is the perfect shade to prevent a sunny palette from going too high key. The whole feeling is also kept cool with lots of white and splashes of blue, black and green.  I love the easy eclecticism; like the Louis XV chair beside white lacquered nesting tables. Notice all the cheap chic details. Those are IKEA bookcases! She added radiator grills to the insides of the glass doors. (Home Depot and IKEA--doesn't get any cheaper than that!) Clever girl. 

The wainscotting is actually balustrade. The lampshade detail--an easy DIY project.

The graphic orange trays, sitting on folding cots, are another DYI. Check it out here.

Here are few things I found to get you in a Sunkist mood for Spring!

Coat ($99! Seriously!, J. Crew); bag, Marc Jacobs, (Matches); shoes, Christian Louboutin ($732, Blue Fly); dress, Max Mara (Matches); 

umbrella, Manolo Blahnik for Liberty UK

Sources: Martha Stewart, Posted by the Fab Camila at Effortless Style

Yellow, black and white...I just love it!

I just read a post on my favorite blog of all time, Chinoiserie Chic, about inheriting our parents' design aesthetic. Do we or don't we? It got me thinking about the bold yet traditional approaches my mother's taken over the years, especially about one approach by which I will forever be awed and impressed: her little ode to yellow, black and white. The year was 1972. I know, I look so young, right? It was our first home in a small, uninspiring new development in Northern California. But Bonnie was not daunted by the banality of this neighborhood. She decorated with gusto; and I will say, she knocked it out of the park. There were peacocks and Eames chairs in the living room, cork walls in the dining area... but it was the kitchen/family area that will forever be branded on my brain. She papered the entire kitchen and adjacent family room in a shiny black vinyl that was covered in a white bamboo trellis. Very similar to the one pictured below... But scattered about every 10-12" over my mother's trellis patterned paper were giant, bold yellow poppies. Tailored white drapes hung in the family room with bright yellow tape at lead edge and along the valance. And over what I'd like to think was a white Saarinen table, was a yellow faux bamboo light fixture. While I can't remember the exact sofa, I know it was black leather with buttons that would catch on my shorts. The whole thing had a very Jonathan Adleresque crispness, along with his sense of humor and fun. Not long ago, after buying Kelly Wearstler's Modern Glamour, I showed these pictures to my mom. She laughed, "Oh my God, it's so 1970's..." We fondly remembered that bright, happy space and in unison we both exclaimed, "I just loved it!"

 

I just found a woman who really loves this color combo! It's her whole blog.

Images: Kelly Wearstler, blackwhiteyellow.