New Pottery Barn Catalog

I normally throw the Pottery Barn catalog in the recycling bin before I have a chance to look through it because their cookie-cutter traditional pieces don't do it for me. The cover of the catalog I received today, however, caught my eye with it's fresh colors and interesting lines. Here are my favorite pieces:

Architect's Task Floor Lamp ($229). I love the scale!



Bridget Rug ($99 - $599 depending on size). Love the colors and the bold, graphic floral pattern!



Indigo Pillow Covers ($25 - $39 depending on size). Blue and white is a crowd favorite color combo. These pillows could be used easily anywhere in a blue and white room.



Manchester Pendant ($199 - $249). I adore polished nickel, and I think that the small scale with an industrial feel is a fun juxtaposition.



Milk Glass Lamp ($90). Fun curves in great colors!

Rug Deal

Ballard Designs has some real hits and some serious misses. Today I found one of the best pieces I've seen from them in a while - the Sahar Rug. The Sahar rug comes in three colorways (seen below) and for only $339 for an 8' x 10', it is an insane deal! (It also comes in 3' x 5', 4' x 6', 6' x 9', 8' round, and 2'6" x 10'.) We're contemplating buying the brown and white for our living room...







If you want to accent the Moroccan design of the rug in another part of the room, check out the Moorish Arches shades from Delia Shades (below).

Splurge of the Week (Nov. 12 - 18)

This week's Splurge is a favorite of mine. It is something I have loved since the first time I saw it a few years ago. I still hope to be able to buy it one day, but for now, a girl can dream...



This is the Swirl rug by Paul Smith for The Rug Company, and I love everything about it. The vibrant colors, the asymmetrical swirl pattern, the scale - everything is stunningly beautiful! Beauty comes at a price, however, and the price for this design starts at $85 per square foot, meaning that an 8' x 10' area rug costs $6,795.

rug possibility

Choosing a rug or wall to wall carpet can be a difficult task? What color to go with? Will it show stains? How much will it cost to install?

FLOR modular floor tiles have come along at the right time to help all of us out. They are easy enough to install on your own, they come in a range of colors and styles, and if one of the 19.7" squares gets a stain, all you have to do is replace it.


So here are some of my favorite FLOR options:


Shirt Stripe (the colorway shown below isn't my favorite, so check out the Rugby Stripe version)




Tapete (I also love the turquoise and gris colorways)




Twiggy (like the other colorways too)




Zooty Tooth (it looks like the only colorway they have now is a brown and camel which could be beautiful in a library or office; I would probably put all the tiles down in the same direction so as not to have such a busy, dizzying effect)




Jigs Up (love it for a playroom or kids room)




Seeing Spots (I love this swiss cheese outdoor rug! Fun, fun, fun!)




Most of these are available in a number of colorways, and the prices vary depending on the collection. Also, the pricing is done by tile, so you really can order just what you need (but please get a few extra tiles just in case!)