'Drawing a Blank, Not Anymore'

Find interesting artwork at local flea markets

The same way that people might try to fill an awkward silence with words and a newspaper editor might look to fill a news hole with a story, most people cannot bear to have a cold empty wall at the home.

Don’t stare at that blank wall anymore. Here a few wall solutions to get you feeling warm and homey again:

• Comb the flea markets. Look for original artwork and showcase your finds on the wall. Don’t limit yourself to the typical prints, but scour vendors for one-of-a-kind quilts, cross-stitch pieces, oil and watercolor paintings. Mix and match the artwork on your wall for some visual panache.

• Cover your walls in cork board. Then tack on a few collage photo frames for a fun finish.

• Match your walls to your window treatments by taking a piece of complementary fabric and framing it. Within the frame, opt for some artwork or even photographs within for an unexpected twist.

Vintage posters enliven a bare wall

• Search high and low for vintage posters and calendars. My favorite still are to this day the old liquor advertisements from France or the travel posters advertising trips ito Cuba. Use poster hangars to slide it into a frame and then hang by a ribbon.

• There is nothing like a simple black-and-white exhibition of photographs that creates a classic, yet sophisticated wall space. If you do not have your own collection of black-and-white images to frame, look for black-and-white sketches of city scenes or landmarks.

Get creative when trying to mask that white wall

• Showcase your own brushwork – for those creative but artistically-challenged – by painting canvas in strips of acrylic paint color. Frame and mount on your wall in a square grid, or hang in a staggered formation.

• Get it all in one shot. Concentrate on a section of the blank wall and hang your favorite artwork, leaving little space in between. The artwork should of course tie in with the others so as to not to look like a disorderly mess.

• Have unwanted wallpaper that you don’t know what to do with? Find a new home for it on your unused wall. Except take the wallpaper and hang in a vertical strip with the help of a rod or wood dowel and some ribbon.

And say “hello” to an inviting wall that only accentuates the already great decorating found in your home.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of bhg.com

'Throw this on for good measure'

Do you own an outfit – could be that t-shirt and pair of jeans, or dress – that you can throw on and are instantly ready to go on your way? It’s a no-brainer solution to Saturday lunch with friends, or that business meeting first thing at the start of the work week.

The same one-stop solution exists for your home.

Throw blankets in new colors and prints can change the look and feel of your home in a variety of ways. Wrap yourself around these simple, blanket throw décor ideas:

Tradition way to use a faux fur throw

The first and foremost way to accent your furniture or bedding is to stylishly drape a blanket throw over bedding or a classic chair or sofa. A jaguar print faux fur throw, for example, would enhance the browns of a mahogany wood dining table and chairs. Or a faux fur print might diversify a modern living room with contemporary furnishings in a limited color palette (see above photo).

Use a blanket throw to protect your couch seats or chairs that are difficult to clean. Try out a faux thermal throw in a fun shaggy texture. The blanket is fully lined and unbelievably comfy. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly like your couch and chairs a lot more after its shaggy makeover.

A blanket is a must for outdoor picnics

Take it outside. Now is the time for fall sports games and tail gating, and camping. A textured blanket throw like a sheared mink throw will keep you nice and warm even as it starts to get chilly. Drape it on your patio furniture during those outdoor bonfires in case some of your guests feel cold.

The furry throw is far more attractive than the solid-colored fleece throws most people use outdoors, and it doesn’t pick up all the grass and dirt if you decide to lay it on the ground. The thickness of a Sherpa throw, for instance, resists the dampness of wet grass, in case you feel like laying out for a cool picnic.

Baby wrapped in a faux blanket

Perfect for an afternoon nap, these throws are all soft and plush for the babies in your family. Have your baby lie on a throw when playing on the living room floor, or line the bottom of your baby’s play pen with one. These throws have an advantage over other baby blankets in that their thickness creates a bit of padding for your active tot.

How’s that for a throw with infinite uses?

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of mattersofstyleblog.com; apartmenttherapy.com; mattclaytonphotography.blogspot.com

'New and Furry Arrivals'

Cozy up to some of the newest and furriest additions at Décor Innovation. And find out what it really means to get a good night’s sleep with the help of faux fur.

Duvet sets, each lined in microplush fabrics are now available mink, wildcat, lynx, chinchilla and more. Add texture and contrast to your bedroom with a shaggy white duvet set, enrich a monochromatic room of brown with a coyote duvet set, or make your bedroom stand out with a fun animal print.

Shaggy Duvet Set

Shaggy

Ever heard of shaggy chic? Well, my guess is that you’ve seen it. It’s been seen everywhere from knotted yarn vests at the avant-garde Maison Martin Margiela and vintage-looking coats at fast fashion giant H&M, to this shaggy duvet bed set. With no effort, shaggy chic goes from catwalk to bedding.

The styles are comfy and warm, and make for an immediate statement. Have your pick of the beige, black or brown in king and queen sizes. Best of all, the bed set comes with matching shams.

Mink Duvet Set

Mink

Wrap yourself in luxurious mink without the guilt that comes with a hefty price tag. This faux fur mink comes stitched in vertical panels from top to bottom. With a lined underside made of a thick microplush fiber, it will be difficult to get out of bed after sleeping in this faux fur set.

Although faux, this mink has a natural luster not found in typical faux fur accents. A majority of faux fur products are from inexpensive fibers, but not this set. Available in three classic colors like black, brown and white, is has the look and feel of real mink.

Lynx Duvet Set

Lynx

The missing lynx to your bedroom. Find out what you’ve been missing in this fun feline print that easily ties in any color palette in the room with its combination of white with black and brown (white with black spots and streaks of brown).

Best feature of this particular print: the soft black microfiber lining that directly contrasts with the mostly white fur. There’s no need to invest heavily in decorative bedroom accents when this duvet set – with matching sham and free inserts – does all the talking. Or should I say “purring”?

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos Courtesy of decorinnovation.com

'New York Fashion Week ReCap'

3.1 Phillip Lim SS11

And another New York Fashion Week has come and gone, but not without its own highlights:

3.1 Phillip Lim

Proving that aprons are not only for the kitchen, designer Phillip Lim sent a collection of varying top lengths on the runway that critics claimed was “one of [his] best and most refined collections to date.”

The designer experimented with garment construction, employing a mostly neutral palette with a few classic blues, black and white for some change. Lim incorporated sheers in his backless and side-less concoctions, which he paired with leather, organza and black lace.

Highlights of the Spring-Summer Collection included an organza top edged in black and decorated in black bobbing thread, worn over sage pants; a sheath dress in an abstract print with a geometric insert at the midsection; and collared tunic dresses in liquid-like transparent.

Anna Sui SS11

Anna Sui

Anna Sui channeled the 1970s on the West Coast with crochet dresses, paisley print shirts and homespun knit sweaters. Marking the 20th anniversary of the Anna Sui empire, the Spring-Summer collection was true to the print-loving, bohemian designer.

There were patch skirts and crochet tops accessorized with feathers, apron dresses edged in ruffles, denim jumpers, paisley print shifts and handkerchief hem dresses with fringe. Except unlike the artisanal wares of the seventies spun from affordable fabrics like cotton and wool, this collection was far from thrifty. Linen-lined tulle, flouncy chiffons and lace made this one collection not likely to ever wind up to a second-hand store.

Alexander Wang SS11

Alexander Wang

The fledgling designer opted to start on a clean slate for Spring-Summer, beginning his collection with all-white deconstructed looks with cargo styling and strips of gold. The collection was a deviation from Alexander Wang’s suited, Wall Street-inspired collection of Fall-Winter.

Wang emerged with cool green and silver (eventually evolving into a canary and terracotta palette), sportswear with a metallic sheen and splashy prints. The construction theme was evident in the carpenter pants in see-through whites. And to further drive the motif home, white splashes of paint accessorized the models’ hair.

The designer, who owes his success to his off-duty model street fashion, did rework in some of the Wang favorites: the motorcycle cross jackets and vests, the skinny sweat pant, and skirt with fold-over flaps.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of style.com