Little Lovelies

Feast your eyes on these lovely, little pieces that I am obsessing over.

This chair is perfection. Look at that nailhead detail!

ummm...hello beautiful! I can't stop thinking about this cabinet ever since I saw it.

ok seriously...how pretty is this little chest! I would use this as a nightstand with an upholstered and nailhead headboard, upholstered in the kravet fabric below from my previous post

...all white, goose down bedding.

Lovely!

Asian Inspiration

Asian inspired design is everywhere right now! The simple, clean lines of the East are reflected in accessories, fabrics and furniture all over the design world. You will find dragons, Buddhas, Imperial horses and more specifically Foo dogs, everywhere you shop. This specific style is by no means new...in fact it is just resurfacing. Many of these Asian inspired pieces that you are seeing today have roots that can be traced back to the Han dynasty and can be found in Chinese art as early as 208 BC. Classic design like this will always be around, which is why these pieces, in my opinion, used in small doses (you don't want your house to look like a Hibachi restaurant) are mainstays. Look at some of these pieces I've come across recently...

This little accent table by Hickory Chair would be perfect as a side table or used as a nightstand. The fretwork on the frame gives this piece an unmistakable Asian flair. This lamp is just gorgeous and portrays the auspicious dragon...the lucite base keeps it fresh.

Love these Foo dog lamps! The small porcelain Foo dogs would be great in a bookshelf. Many people mistake the Foo dog for a lion...it is in fact a dog. I used to study Feng Shui quite a bit and these interesting little creatures are a symbol of energy and value. You place them in pairs and they will nourish the chi that enters your home and bring in happy blessings. Many people place pennies at their feet to bring prosperity and wealth but not necessarily in the form of money. We could all use a little more of that, right?

The Imperial horse is beautiful and stately. I have one of these in solid jade that my lovely sister-in-law brought back from China for my husband and I. I adore it and it is displayed prominently in a bookshelf in one of my favorite rooms.
Check out these yummy fabrics! These geometric patterns are hot right now and are so fresh when mixed with other traditional elements.

This bamboo trellis is by Thomas Paul for Duralee.

Hello gorgeous! The pattern in this fabric, by Kravet, mimics fretwork. Just adding this little touch to a room would make it crisp.

I loooove this! This one is also by Kravet and I don't think that I need to tell you why this fabric is cool!

Simple, balanced and beautiful.

Spring is in the air

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day in Dallas. What is it about this weather that makes me want to do this to my closets?

I am not an organized person naturally but I always have a craving to do it, especially when it is beautiful outside. It makes me want to clean out all of the clutter and old in my life and start fresh, like spring I guess.

Here are some more closet organizing tips from the home-making queen herself.

A furniture classic

I love to use secretary desks. They are perfect in unusual niches, front entries, bedrooms...you name it. It is a functional little piece of furniture that can be so fun and beautiful. These historical and traditional pieces have come a long way, and there are even some cool styles for the clean-line lovers. Pull up a pretty, little statement chair and the corner that generally gets forgotten will suddenly be a place that you would like to sit. It may even encourage you to hand write letters or thank you notes, which is a lovely tradition that has almost completely disappeared in the age of e-mail.
But, I digress...take a peek at some of these styles.

I absolutely love this one by Hickory Chair, love the stain on the inside contrasting with the smooth cream painted exterior...yum!

Isn't this one so charming? Look at the chocolate paint detail on the inside! So lovely.

And this little guy... too cute and perfect for smaller spaces.

This is perfect for you modern folks. Macassar ebony = delicious. This piece is crafted in the Ruhlmann style.

I am absolutely loving this Swedish antique, circa 1770. Picture this in a space with all white furniture and a seagrass rug. I would pull a sweet little Louis XVI side chair up to this with a white distressed finish and upholstered in something like raffia or burlap...so perfect!

Hmmm....now where can I put a secretary in my house?....

I wish I was here...

right now... listening to my i-tunes, watching the waves crash on the rocks, dozing in and out of a nap because I'm tired from being at the beach all day, whilst my personal chef steams fresh crab legs in the kitchen. *sigh* a girl can dream right?

This week I am swamped and yearning for a vacay!!!

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

I ate a bowl of fresh cherries with my breakfast and they were divine!

Cherries are in season right now...so go get you some!

Before & After

I absolutely love to look at before & after photos in design magazines. I love to see a space at it's very worst and then it's very best. I added a special section tab on my website dedicated to this very concept and it has definitely gotten the most positive feedback, so I don't think that I am alone on this one. So...for my very special blog readers :-) here is a before & after design that I did for the kitchen nook in the gorgeous home of one of my very favorite clients. Enjoy!

and drum roll please...

If you want to see more of my before & after designs,

check out my website here M. E. Beck Design, Inc.