Decor Inspiration: The Cafe Chair

This classic chair actually goes by many names, the Vienna Cafe chair and the Thonet Chair are among the most popular. It is considered one of the first "Modern" furniture designs and, if my memory of second year International Design class is accurate (no one can know for sure…), it's also an example of one of the first mass-produced pieces of furniture; take that Billy Bookcase! Designed by Michael Thonet in 1859, the Thonet Chair remains in production to this day and can be found in homes, offices, restaurants, and cafés around the world. Crate & Barrel sells a nice version, but vintage shouldn't be that hard to find either. I've got my eye on the 20th century one sitting in the corner of my parent's guest room!

See below for some ideas on how to incorporate this classic chair into your home!

Editor's Note: This series of posts is a means to explore the furniture pieces we can easily envision decorating our very own homes. So don't be surprised if you are invited over and end up sitting on one of these babies!

Also dramatically featured at the Mrs Carter Tour:



If that performance doesn't convince you to buy the chair, we don't know what will.

Decor Inspiration: The IKEA PS Cabinet

Now that we are considered adults in the eyes of the law (actually have been for almost a decade), we are unsteadily straddling the line between budget and high end furniture. We care more and more about the decor of our apartments and what we used to perceive as the shit, we now think of as tack-city. Are we alone in this?

As much as we want to furnish our homes exclusively from West Elm and Crate and Barrel, we gotta be smart. So we have gathered up some inspirational images of a classic Ikea piece: the PS cabinet in white. It's easy to brush off Ikea as college era-only furniture, but we would disagree with you on that madame! Ikea has lots to offer, you just have to be discerning. We have featured Ikea products before and will continue to do so!

We have loved this "locker" style cabinet for a while and we think you will too!

Decor Inspiration: Zebras!

This is a bold trend that could easily go horrible wrong, so please use sparingly! You don't want your home to turn out looking anything like this. Regardless, we like a little zebra in the room!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Decor Inspiration: Styling Bookshelves

It's possible you will be hosting guests this party season and will surely want your home looking stylish and put together. Well, a quick and easy way to refresh your place is to rearrange your bookshelves. See below for our OFFICIAL PPBB tips and some inspiration!

Our tips on how to style bookshelves:

1. Pick books based solely on the cover and spine design. We kid. But not really, maybe you need one more aqua coloured book in order to complete your rainbow organization.

2. Add framed art and family photos. Medium and small sized frames will break up the space nicely and fills an area if you have fewer books.

3. Include decorative objects. Think funky bookends, groovy bowl, stack of pretty boxes or even a small plant. Some of the shelves below feature fashion accessories. This trend is for the bold and, of course, only high end looking fashion goods will do.

4. Mix up the book arrangement. Place books vertically and horizontally in a stack on the same shelf.

Gatsby 2013: Lavish Set Design Revealed

In customary style, we will continue to overwhelm you with any and all news of Baz Lurhmann's The Great Gatsby adaptation (i.e. OUR IMAGINARY LIVES PERSONIFIED).

Here we present the STUNNING set, complete with Polo players and candelabras. Colour us breathless.

Recommended listening for enjoying this post, scroll slowly:

Jay Gatsby’s opulent ballroom.

Gatsby’s sleek ’20s bedroom. Where all your fantasies live.

His mansion’s digitally enhanced exterior was modeled after Gold Coast estates on New York’s Long Island.

Nick Carraway’s charming cottage was conceived to project his relative wholesomeness.

The home’s Arts and Crafts–style interior.

The grounds of Daisy and Tom Buchanan’s redbrick manor, partly inspired by Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island.

The Buchanans’ sitting room.

Source: Architectural Digest. What you didn't think we read that cultural shit? We do.

Decor Inspiration: Gallery Walls

Happy Easter Web surfers!

Spring has sprung here in Toronto. This is the time of year to re-evaluate your decor and there is nothing trendier than a gallery wall! I will be redoing the one over my bed this spring so I thoughtfully gathered up these inspirational photos. I also stumbled upon Art.com where, after 45 mins of vacillation, I purchased this print that I have been enamoured with since 10th grade! Art.com is a great source for affordable prints.

What are long weekends for if not interior design planning and plotting?

Desk Accessories: Colour Confidential

Work is hard. Duh. That's why we NEED fun and cute working accessories to give us life at the office. Here are some of our favourite tools to make the day go by a little prettier.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Holiday Decorating: DIY Garland

It's always nice to decorate for the season and we could not be more excited for the holidays! But if you live in small apartments like us, holiday decorating can create clutter and where do you even store these decorations in the off-season? So we like garlands! Festive and bright and can be draped over and around anything and everything. Here are some cute and easy DIY's.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Decor Inspiration: That Black and White Striped Rug

I must admit that I've wanted this rug for decades. Yes, since I was 5 years old people! That is how much I care about interior design. Not enough to save my money and buy a $300 rug. Especially since I now have my own apartment and am not risking a reckless roommate vomiting tequila rose all over that $300 rug...but I care enough to pine hopelessly and devotedly for said $300 rug.

1 / 2 / 3

Inspiration: Pastel in the Home

As much as we love a pop of intense colour in a room, pastel tints in decor can be just as effective in creating a beautiful space. Baby blues, pinks, purples, peaches and yellows on accessories are perfect when combined with 50 shades of grey, on the wall that is.

1  /  2  /  3  /  4  /  5  /  6  /  7  /  8 /  9  /  10

Decor Inspiration: Posters

For some people, i.e. us, going to your local gallery and purchasing a beautiful, one of a kind, original piece of art, is a dream that will take years of hard work and saving to fulfil. That's why we like posters! Frame up a sarcastic, witty or pretentious poster to show your home visitors just how hilarious you really are. It's that simple.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Lamps for Everyone!

1. Modpieces The Nico Twins Table Lamp 2. Crate and Barrel Zing Green Table Lamp 3. Target Green Low Profile Gourd Table Lamp 4. Ceramic Gourd-Shape Table Lamp 5. Robert Abbey Delta Lamp 6. Jonathan Adler Capri Teardrop Table Lamp 7. IKEA Jonsbo Gryby Table Lamp 8. West Elm Glass Jug Table Lamp

Decor Inspiration: Magenta Accents

Magenta is more than just the M in CMYK! Add some splashes of magenta to any room to give it a rich and feminine look. If you feel like we are maybe a bit obsessed with colours in the pink family...you might be right.

1. Graham and Green Jamie chaise longue 2. Kitchenaid Mixer in Raspberry Ice 3. Svpply Chalkboard Skull in Sweet Magenta 4. Diptyque Candle in Tubereuse 5. Pillow 6. Tolix Marais chair 7. Tube Table Lamp in hot pink 8. Jonathan Adler throw

Inspiration: Updating your décor with a vibrant bedspread

1. Marimekko Unikko Yellow duvet cover 2. DVF Square Dot duvet cover 3. Dwell Studio Draper Stripe Poppy duvet cover 4. Urban Outfitters Floral Medallion duvet cover 5. LoftHome Java Cotton Percale duvet cover 6. Lands End Chain Link duvet cover 7. Martha Stewart Ringtrace Duvet cover 8. West Elm Organic Ironwork Duvet cover 9. DVF Zig Zag Jungle duvet cover

Inspiration: The bedside Table

Inspiration: Decorating Small Bedrooms

How To Decorate

One could not ask for a more inspirational muse.

Inspirationally yours,
Us

source: Apartment Therapy

Unattainable Workspaces

One could argue that in order to be continuously creative and productive one must surround themself in an inspiring and aesthetically pleasing environment. However, I know this not to be the case considering I produced some pretty amazing collages in university while sitting on the floor of my tiny boring dorm room while inhaling rubber cement….But it is possible those collages could have been better, nay genius, had I been cutting and pasting in 2-story airy loft.

Below I have compiled a display of what my ideal workspace would look like. Obviously these are purely representational of an overall theme and the likelihood of ever realistically achieving these looks is limited. I mean real workspaces have cords, post-its, and wastebaskets!

Studiously yours,

Caitlin