all white, modern + chic home by Carrie Livingston

For a while now I have been keeping my eye on interior and furniture designer...Carrie Livingston.
She is based in Beverly Hills and has been featured in publications all over LA and I just can't get enough of her work.
As you can expect, I was thrilled when I opened this springs Angeleno Interiors mag and
noticed a feature on Mrs. Livingston. Here, she has updated a 1908 Hollywood house and turned it into a 'bright white with pops of color chic' home.
Extremely cozy and charming with elements of fun and playful...it's the perfect nod to today's LA style.

The artwork in the room below is perfection.
This fantastic acrylic and white patent leather chair is one of Livingston's own furniture designs.
So cozy + glamorous.
I want one.
The white dining room is modern yet oh so romantic...perfect for sunday brunch.
I love how she adds funky, whimsical pieces to her spaces. Very chic.

Images courtesy of Angeleno Interiors  
Photography by Peden + Munk 

Happy Monday! + giveaway... Thom Filicia Style

So...It was a great weekend here in Los Angeles and I have been dying to share this with you.
HD Buttercup had Thom Filicia out to showcase his new furniture line.
His work is amazing, and if you don't know him, google him...
and check out his work. It's fantastic!
So, of course I had to go and check out the new line.
It was such a blast to be there and meet his uber sweet self. love him.

There was a meet + greet and book signing and when I mentioned I have a design blog,
he was kind enough to slip me a signed copy of his book for a giveaway.
(i was totally thinking of my blogging decor-istas who live too far away to be there)

So ladies + gents....
this book could be yours!

and it's a signed copy...too cool!
This book is great.
He shares his secrets (and i do love the secrets) to decorating and I'm telling you, the man has got great style.

How to enter:
1) Become a follower of Secrets of Domestic Bliss
2) leave a comment on this post
3) for an added entry make a blog post about the giveaway.
4) follow me on twitter and tweet about it.
(+ let me know about them so i can give you another entry)

Winner will be chosen at the end of the week!
Good luck party people!!!

For now, check out some scenes from his new furniture line.
(not the best images...i so need a new camera)




His stuff is awesomeness! Trust me people, in person its waaay better!

traditional rules

Glamour + Sophistication are on top of its game in this new home designed by Kara Mann.
I follow her every move as she is one of my role models in design.
Edgy, yet classic, she pulls out all the stops on this sophisticated home and does not disappoint. 
As always...she makes me want to move to Chi-town, just so I can see her work more than they appear in the glossy mags.
How amazing is this home featured in this months Traditional Home?





loving her style: Erinn Valencich

Erinn Valencich...
most of you already know about her and have seen her work in numerous publications.
She is definitely one of my idols + person i'd die to meet.
She runs OMNIARTE design in Los Angeles, where she styles everything under the sun
including, interiors, tv, photography, events, dinner parties, etc.
She has a long list of celebrity clientele and works in many hotels.
Her work inspires me so much. I wish I was this woman!










pretty stylish, right???

Design Idol: Kara Mann

Chicago, city of so many great things, the Bears, the cubs, Michigan Ave. shopping, 
the House of Blues, Intuit Art Gallery, the Chicago Cultural Center, and it is the birthplace of my grandparents love. :)
I love visiting Chicago and maybe my favorite thing as of late to emerge from the windy city is my new design idol, Kara Mann. 
This girl is rockin'. Her taste is revered all over the design world, AND the fashion world. 
She has a hip look and with that, who wouldn't trust her design opinion.
She integrates lighter and darker hues that blend perfectly together by her addition of funky elements. She uses dark grays (so my favorite right now) and throws in earthy, edgy pieces that pull it all together. Skulls, contemporary art, tree branches and wild animal fabrics are never out of place. 
She is a girl after my own designer heart. 
I think you rock Kara Mann! 







more... from kelly wearstler

Want to decorate like Kelly? I know I always do.
I came across this article at dailymailuk.
Here are some of her best how to's that I wanted to share with you.
Hope you enjoy!





HOW TO GET MORE BUCKS FOR YOUR BUDGET

Inject some Hollywood glamour into your home with Kelly’s decorating dos…

BE PASSIONATE

Always choose a colour that you love. I am fearless when I select colour. I go into my library at the office and pull out 30 or more hues in different textures and tones and something amazing always happens – even if it feels as though it’s by accident. So go to your wardrobe and pull out ten things and just look at them. Never force style: if you love pink, then go with it. Follow your heart.  

LOVE COLOUR

If you are not jumping for joy at the colour combination in front of you then don’t go for it. Colour is an emotional experience. 

MIX IT UP

Fashion and art blend references, and you can do the same in interiors. Experiment with cool, unexpected colours and try new combinations.  

JUXTAPOSE TEXTURE

If you decide to do a whole room in blue, you need something shiny, something matt and something with a little pattern. Without these three elements the room will not have energy or soul. You need a combination of big, medium and small textures. The weave of the fabric, the plaster on the walls and the pattern in the rug are crucial in building the overall picture.    

DEVOUR IMAGES

Snap up and collect anything and everything you come across that catches your eye. And carry your camera around with you. 

ENJOY FORAGING

Avoid buying your items in one place, as the room will end up looking the same. Build your collection slowly and branch out and shop everywhere, particularly at markets, auctions and car-boot sales. 

GO MONOCHROME

I love black and white as it feels a little edgy and it works in any type of design. It’s the textures and materials that make it interesting. Black and white with a colour gives a crisp look and makes a room feel organised. 

FIND YOUR INSPIRATION

Start with something you love – a painting, a carpet or a collection of stones, for example. If you have a pink abstract painting and you want it to be the big voice in the room, hang it on a contrasting coloured wall. But if you want to be subtle, then hang the pink painting on a pink wall. One way creates drama and the other harmony.

LOOK AROUND YOU

In LA we are not rooted in traditional design. We have the film business and everyone is trying to do ‘the next big thing’. That means we live surrounded by an incredible mix of things. That can be very freeing. 

Enlarge 

Design IdoL: Abigail Ahern

Abigail Ahern is the wonderfully talented mastermind behind the book 'A girls guide to Decorating'. This woman is mind-blowingly creative and actually pretty funny too. Her style is followed by most design fanatics in the UK. She has a sort of fun and free approach to decorating. She has a book out, a textiles line, fantastic wallpapers, and some tounge-in-cheeck accessories to boot. She has accomplished so much for herself, how could she not be my idol? This woman is definitely one to watch out for, she will be world famous someday! 

great idea to add some funk to a classy home
taxidermy in the home is so NOW! 


can't wait till this book arrives at my home (ordered yesterday)
this wallpaper is genius

my muse, my aunt Susan Gutfreund

{a photo from her apartment in NYC}
"I recycle old curtains. Cotton can be a toxic material to produce, so I'll take clients' curtains out of storage — I've even bought boxes of them at auction — and re-dye them, re-hem them, re-do the pleating, change the trim. If there's water damage or staining, I just dye them a darker color." —SUSAN GUTFREUND

{Quote written by House Beautiful magazine on ways designers are going 'green'}

Book Club

Anyone who knows me well KNOWS that I love kelly wearstler. She has been my design idol ever since the first day I visited Santa Monica and saw the Viceroy hotel. At my first job in LA, I actually got to meet her and I felt like I had met the president of the United States. This woman is incredible. Her designs are FANTASTIC, too! Her latest book, HUE, doesn't come out for a bit but I am on the waiting list, to get on the pre-order list because I cant stop daydreaming about what might actually be in it. (Hopefully some images of her home) It will feed me more than you know! I can hardly contain my excitement!!!!

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!!! Fashion meets home.


Eileen Kathryn Boyd of EKB Interiors is on of my design IDOLS and her site is an amazing array of inspirational designs. She has great advice as well, I would love if she wrote a book. Now before you rush over to her blog, check out some of her design tips. Also, a link is posted below for a live video of some of her best insider tips and tricks on mixing fashion into your home! Enjoy! 

Design Tips

DO start a reference file of inspiring pieces for the room you want to decorate.

DO use jazzy fabrics on pillows and ottomans that can be easily changed out according to season.

DON'T be afraid to use a strong color on the walls. Paint is the least expensive way to totally change a room's appearance.

DO avoid using floral fabrics on sofas—unless you know you'll never tire of it. Try and keep to solids and small geometrics.

DO consider the lighting effects in the room. Will there be an influence of natural light? Will you need ceiling lighting or will lamplight be enough?

DO keep your vision clear—you can be easily seduced in other directions.

DON'T use a rug that's too small—the furniture will appear to hang off of it, making the room appear smaller.

DO beware of scale and proportion and how all the elements come into play.

DON'T forget to break some rules and most importantly to have fun with it!




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