HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

My tip for your fabulous New Years Eve Party? Run out to the dollar store and get some disco balls and strings of beads, then bling out your chandelier like the picture above. It adds instant glamor and sparkle!

And of course, look fabulous yourself. End 2011 by looking and feeling your best, no matter what you're doing.

This is the dress that my boyfriend got me for Christmas, and I know he can't wait to see me wear it! New Years Eve offers up the perrrrfect opportunity to get a little dolled up.  I'm pairing it with the necklace he got for me, and some black alligator pumps (a la Breakfast at Tiffany's: "Be a Darling and look under the bed for a pair of alligator shoes"-Holly Golightly). I'll post some pictures tomorrow!

What are your NYE party decorating tips and what are YOU wearing?
I'd love to know!
-Tiffany Leigh

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Goals + A Fav.

GOALS, RESOLUTIONS, AMBITIONS, whatever you'd like to call them, I have a few I really want to focus on in 2012. I find if the list is too lengthy, not enough is accomplished. I have a top three list and then the little ideas that I'll chip away at. (look for those on Monday/Tuesday)

1. Is to continue to grow my business and blog. I am putting the finishing touches on some amazing projects, and have two photo shoots and some other exciting events on the horizon. To continue to Grow and develop all facets of SHELTER is numero uno. (Actually being the best Mommy in the world is #1 but again that sort of goes without saying) 

2.  Settle my damn divorce - Who knew this process would take so long? I just need to wrap it up and move on. When that affair (no pun on words) is settled I can accomplish my next task.

3. BUY and RENOVATE a quaint fixer upper. I'll be moving my digs this year, scary but also very exciting. Please stay posted for the change. If I do move, I will of course document any renovation and re-hab I take on.

So you ask? Why the photos of Lee Kleinhelter's work? Well, she's an inspiration. Like Lee, I enjoy keeping my designs graphic, exciting and timeless. She always gets it right and I adore her style and her shop. Her designs always WOW! I'm a sucker for the "wow" factor. My aim is to do the same for my clients.  I usually have to push them out of their comfort zones a bit, but when they take risks, I'm the first to know that they are so glad they did!!

I've always been an admirer of Lee Kleinhelter's work. She and her husband have created a dynamic team. Lee is the designer and Kevin, the builder. Lee also owns an amazing shop in Atlanta (Buckhead), GA. aptly named Pieces. (to own a tiny store front will be a future goal in say: 2015, or so)  Here's a peek at their office space.  It's clear which is hers and his..

I actually just used this paper on a project!! I never tire of a David Hicks graphic.

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Happy New Years Eve!

One of my favorite views...  

Wishing you a wonderful evening filled with fun, family and friends!  

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Happy New Year All

Christmas day was a lovely day with my family and I hope your day was special too.
Our gorgeous summer weather has been temporaily suspended with a rather large dose of rain - however, I am looking forward to 2012 and to seeing the hot summer sunshine back very soon.
Charlotte Minty Interior Design wishes you a Happy New Year and have a great evening. Roll on 2012!
Enjoy this summery hallway from an Italian apartment found in Sibella Court's new book, Nomad.
Photograph via Remodelista.

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Happy New Yizzle

I wanted to stop in to wish you a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Sexy New Year.

I have missed you all!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe I have taken off this much time from Blogging and Working, it's been a bit surreal, but very much needed.

I will be back posting as regular on the 3rd...I expect to see all you lovers here! 

I can't wait to tell you all about my time off and how little I actually got done 

HAHA

I have some HUGE announcements for 2012..(huge to me at least!)

Amber Interiors is expanding and will be embarking on some cool new ventures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll have to check back here for updates.

Again I want to thank you all for sticking with me my first year at blogging. 

You have all been stellar and I look forward to bringing more crazy content and wild antics for ya in the New Year.

2012 

Babies!!!!!

BTW: in case your like me and are obsessed with instagram...my user name is "amberinteriors"

go stalk!

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What I learned in 2011.

hmm where to begin? This post is sort of a continuation to my 2010 "what I've learned" post, which was a moment for me to reflect on the life changing "craziness" going on at the time. 2011 was a year of adjustment and growth for me. So here are the major thoughts that currently come to mind and what I've learned:

- I've learned that life can change in an instant and you just have to hold on tight; when it sucks, embrace the good and let yourself grieve through the sad.

- I've learned you need to face adversity head on. It can be unpleasant as hell but in the end you'll be stronger, smarter and all the better because of it. Not everything, but some things, do happen for a reason.

- I've learned to remain positive, trust me it helps!!

- I've learned change is good! Always take risks even if they scare you to death.

- I've learned everything will be okay, in fact everything may be better if you hang in there!

- I've learned it's important to be independent in every way possible, have your own friends, hobbies and resources to earn your own income!

- I've learned that a run does help to clear your head. I'm not a marathoner trust me, but two miles can work wonders!

- I've learned that you truly don't need much in life to be happy. Surround your self with good people, great food, a stash of prosecco, a warm, comfortable home (the size doesn't matter!), an outfit that makes you feel fabulous, and great music.  (good health - goes without saying). Seriously, think back on the best times over the past year, I bet they don't involve much more then I've listed! 

This excerpt from Chicken Fried by Zac Brown pretty much sums it up for me:

"It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most, not where you live or what you drive or the price tag on your clothes, there's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know."

- I've learned that there is always room for improvement and growth on my outlook and attitude!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, MY WONDERFUL READERS. YOUR COMMENTS, THOUGHTS AND EMAILS MAKE MY DAY! CHEERS!

XX,

JULIE

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Thank you for a wonderful year!

I cannot thank you all enough for a wonderful year here on the blog.  There are so many of you that have reached out to me via email and through the blog and I appriciate it all very very much!  I am looking foward to another wonderful year with high hopes and big dreams as always.

I hope you can join me as more adventure awaits- I am hoping to travel more this year and share my work with you more also.  

Wishing you the best!

image by me- from a wonderful little place in Paris that I have yet to blog about!

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Favourite Furniture Fridays: Eames Lounge Chair

EAMES LOUNGE

To kick off my very first Favourite Furniture Fridays I wanted to pick a piece that reshaped the history of the furniture world. I had to pick the classic Eames Lounge 670 and Ottoman 671. I recently saw the handcrafted process of making this lounge chair on HGTV’s ‘Design DNA’ and learnt that the construction hasn’t changed much since it first hit the market in 1956. This iconic beauty was designed for the Herman Miller furniture company by Charles and Ray Eames (a married couple) who were inspired by a baseball glove. The design took years of planning, trial and error. In the end, the final design was a keeper, and hasn’t been messed with for over 60 years! The only major changes are switching from rosewood veneer to a more environmentally friendly plywood, and from five layers of wood fused together to seven. In fact, it is part of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) PERMANANTLY, making it not only an ingenious piece of design, but a work of art in itself. What an honour! Just looking at it you can see why. 

Its molded plywood shell is what makes it truly beautiful, and keeps each chair unique. The cushions are made to maximize comfort, and rubber shock mounts allow the chair to flex slightly for a discrete rocking motion. It also swivels 360 degrees. The leather is cinched for a worn look. The classic black leather is a popular choice (and my personal favourite), but Herman Miller now offers the Eames Lounge in a variety of colours and finishes. It makes my favourite list because I love its masculine, industrial and yet comfortable look and feel. It is an iconic piece instantly recognizable in any space.

Warning:
Before you fall completely head over heels in love with this furniture piece (maybe I should have cautioned earlier), I should warn you that it is pricey! In 1956, it retailed at a bit over 300 dollars. Now, a newly constructed Eames Lounge will run you about $4500 before tax in the United States, with some classics selling in auction for close to the $7000 mark! Even high quality and convincing replicas approach two grand. The European Vitra version is even more expensive. But hey, we can dream right? If you’re ever blessed enough to purchase one of these beauties, however, the attention to detail and high quality, hand crafted construction will last decades making it an heirloom to be passed on from generation to generation.

This chair made its TV debut in 1956 on NBC’s broadcast of Arlene Francis’s ‘Home’. You can watch the videos of this vintage appearance on Youtube. Part one here and part two here for those interested. 

This chair is often quoted for its prominent appearance in the hit show Frasier (reportedly seen in all episodes but one!). I'm not the hugest Frasier fan, however, so my favourite guest appearance of the chair is on Gossip Girl, where it was recovered in a gorgeous Missoni fabric. 

I hope you enjoyed reading all about this iconic and historical piece of furniture as much as I enjoyed researching it! Stay tuned every Friday for an edition of Favourite Furniture Fridays.

Love always, Tiffany Leigh

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Get the Look for Less

One of my favourite stores right now is Dynamite. It's so affordable and offers trendy and popular looks for much less. Here a couple of celebrity inspired pieces that I own that I LOVE.

At the Friends with Benefits movie premiere in July 2011, the always fashionable Olivia Palermo donned this ultra sheer white blouse with a maxi printed skirt. The sheer blouse has become a major trend for many celebrities.

Dynamite offered the look for less with this sheer white blouse for under $30. When I bought mine, they only had a size Small when I usually wear an Extra Small, but the loose look works! (It looks less sheer when it's on)

Anybody out there a fan of Gossip Girl? I am, and I loved the character Charlie Rhodes in this gold, sparkly sweater. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of the budget. Alice + Olivia Crewneck Rhinestone Sweater for $330

Although not an exact match, this sequined sweater from Dynamite achieves the same look and vibe for only $18! It was the perfect sweater for the holidays, but isn't too festive so it can be worn year round. Money well spent.

Hope you enjoyed, now go out and shop! You don't have to have the income of a celebrity to look like one.
Love always, Tiffany Leigh

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New Years Resolution

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to New Years Resolutions. For the first few days, everyone approaches their resolutions with gusto and eagerness, but before long, real life resumes post-holidays and those good intentions fade into 'maybe next years'. 2012, however, is going to be a BIG, huge, lifechanging year for me.
1) I'm moving out of my parents' house
2) I'm starting a new educational path
3) I will be going to school with future designers in Toronto

These things all lead me to think that something has got to change in order to accommodate all of these grown up changes. My resolution: Look the part.

Something you should all know about me, I LOVE sweatpants, more than I probably should. This is not to say that I wear them all of the time, but I am definitely one of those students who rolls out of bed, throws on some sweats and shows up in class looking lazy (I should note that I am NOT actually lazy at school, just averaged a 91% this semester eeee). As an undergrad at a predominantly 'farming' university and having to drive forty five minutes just to arrive on campus, however, I've felt somewhat entitled to take advantage of the sweat pant luxury while I still can.

By the way, If you happen to be in the market for an amazing pair of sweatpants, I pretty much live in my Roots Original Pocket Sweats in Salt and Pepper. Cute, comfy and excellent quality. Available at http://canada.roots.com

BUT, I know that in Toronto, sweats everyday just won't cut it. Especially considering I will be attending a SMALL school where everyone I run into may play a potential role in my future career. Gotta represent myself right. Besides, I've got a lot of nice clothes that don't get worn nearly enough.

Thus, its time to start dressing more professionally, more often. Start putting my best foot forward to make those good first impressions, and look the part of a successful interior designer. It's never too early to start!
 

What's YOUR resolution? I'd love to hear :) 

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My Winter Table

This year we have had the chance to have a few gatherings around our table and I cannot wait to have more in the coming years.  I fell for a picture that I found of a table done in white and linen.  This is my loose imitation with my favorite thick linen napkins and some vintage pieces that we picked up this year.  I hope you are looking forward to the new year as much as I am!  

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Bluffton, SC

My dad and I have a tradition of going to Savannah, Georgia around Christmas to do some shopping and to eat lunch. But this year we decided to go to Bluffton, South Carolina instead since neither of us had ever been. My mom came with us and acted as our tour guide because she had been a time or two while on  business. It is a cute lil' town filled with artsy stuff like galleries, pottery shops, antique and home stores and old school markets. 

We ate lunch at Cahill's Market. A combo restaurant, farm and fresh market.

They had these cool sliding barn doors...

Pardon the iPhone pics from the moving car...

I bought this gem at Eggs 'n Tricities, a quirky shop that has personality (that's putting it mildly), I can't wait till you see what I'm gonna do with it!!!

They were gearing up for a fish fry and I was bummed we had to go back to Beaufort! This Tavern was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen and I imagine it has colorful characters that frequent it. 

I feel in love with this church we stumbled upon by the river, The Church of the Cross. Take a look at how beautiful it is! I understand it dates back to 1857.

They were decorating for Christmas when we drove by...

And did I mention it is on the river and has incredible views?

I wonder if you can come by boat? Now, that's my kind of religion!

If anyone has any info on Bluffton or knows anywhere else I need to go on my next trip, please leave a comment! 

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a little time outside..

 

I hope you have been enjoying the holidays and a little time to relax after everything!  We are having the most beautiful weather here so I have been trying to spend time outside in the sunshine doing a little reading and relaxing.  

I guess I need to stop all of that and get back to work... 

but for now it is books and plans for the new year!

image via

 

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style me pretty - mantels

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I'm off on a mini-shopping spree today. I have a pretty large install tomorrow and my assistants and I are also going to style my client's home. I'm styling a home next week too. I've gathered some great objects but today I'm focusing on the mantel designs. Wish me luck, I'm not sure what I'm doing yet but I've gathered some inspirational images and wanted to share them with you!

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