J Crew's Jenna Lyon's home

Okay. I'm a big fan of JCrew fashion. That's why it's no surprise to me that JCrew's own Jenna Lyon has some of the best interior design fashion I've seen in her own home! (Pictures by Melanie Avecedo for Domino Magazine.)

I like how she's taken three colors and made them work in both her living room and the nursery. Grey walls. Black furniture. Yellow accents.

It's fresh, hip and inspiring. Thank you Jenna for sharing your home with us!

Hosting an Outdoor Party

The Wall Street Journal interviews Alain Ducasse about entertaining tips for throwing an outdoor party. I like his decorating suggestions... keep it simple, use items from the garden or the market and choose flowers with no scent "so they don't spoil the smell of the food."

Hampton Designer Showhouse- Lizzie Bailey

One of the designers featured in this year's Hampton Designer Showhouse created a basement bedroom with class and charm. Lizzie Bailey's design takes into consideration the basement's lower ceilings and lack of natural light in several ways...


She uses the most with the height in the room by hanging panels of fabric at each corner of the bed, suspended from ceiling-mounted upholstery rods. She choses neutral colors so the space feels light and airy...

I like the idea of one long bolster pillow in front of the shamed pillows. The bedding is all white, so the patterned bolster pillow breaks up the monotony, yet pulls in the neutral tone from the hanging corner panels.


It's hard to remember that this is a basement bedroom when there are large pieces of art hanging and leaning against the wall. It's great to see people treat the basement like and extension of the main floor, versus hanging movie posters and leftover mismatched pictures that are not "deserving enough" for the upper floors!

One large mirror as a design statement

Love this look. It's the way that the oversized mirror leans against the wall, as if it were art, and reflects everything pretty around it. The mirror opens the space. It makes the room airy and light, despite it massive size. And the frame is white, next to a white chair which further emphasizes a crisp and easy feel to the entire room.

Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne (Miami)

I'm always impressed when I see how effortlessly outdoor areas can be transformed into comfortable living spaces. In this month's Florida Design Magazine, the Ritz-Carlton at Key Biscayne (here in Miami) is featured. It's oceanfront lounge is staged with cushioned beds, private cabanas, and several conversational groupings of island wicker furniture with plush white pillows. It's done in a West Indies Colonial style. No wonder that this hotel is Miami's only AAA five Diamond resort!