Archive | bookshelves RSS feed for this section

Friday Finds :: New from McGuire Furniture

For over sixty years, McGuire Furniture has been synonymous with classic style, natural materials and quality craftsmanship. Their timeless furnishings hold their value and are cherished for generations.

Recently, McGuire released a new collection featuring two statement pieces by renowned designer Steven Volpe and 18 new designs from McGuire’s in-house designers. These introductions thoughtfully balance classic McGuire style with contemporary design sensibilities. My favorite aspect of the collection is the various materials incorporated including rattan, rawhide, weaving and blackened steel. The mix creates a soft yet contemporary feel that is as inviting as it is functional. I’ve selected a sampling from the collection to share with you today, but to see the whole collection visit McGuire.

McGuire Furniture // Latest Collection 2016

product links: 1 // 2 // 3 // 6 // 5 // 6

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Read full story By on January 15, 2016 in bookshelves, chairs, contemporary decor, Features, friday find, Friday Finds, furniture

Vintage Chic Home Office Design

disclosure: This post contains an affiliate links, which means Simplified Bee receives commission if you make a purchase using these links.

vintage brass table lamp

image source

As a designer I’m always seeking out chic vintage furnishings and home decor. My go to destinations include flea markets, estate sales and craigslist. However, the process of scouring through items can be time consuming, hit or miss and downright frustrating (is it the real deal? is the seller trustworthy?).  And of course this is simply the buying side, not the selling side of vintage furnishings! But fortunately there is now Chairish, an online marketplace where design lovers can exchange gently used, pre-owned furniture and decor directly with one another. They make the whole buying, selling and shipping process a breeze. In addition, the experts at Chairish hand-select and curate the collections of items on the site, so you know you’re getting quality vintage and designer decor that is accurately represented. Love!

The folks at Chairish asked me to select a favorite rug from various styles that were provided and then create a styleboard designed around that pattern and color scheme using furnishings from their site. I selected a beautiful grass green Turkish rug as the starting point for a vintage chic home office design. The process of sourcing and searching for items on Chairish was fast and easy. I could even keep track of my favorites along the way! The result is fresh, airy and of course chic.

vintage chic home office design // www.simplifiedbee.com

 product links:

1. brass pendant // 2. custom made campaign desk // 3. gold faux bamboo & cane chair

4. vera scarf pillow // 5. brass pineapple // 6. pair of bamboo étagères

7. “flying man” by michelle armas // 8. bamboo-style cachepot

9. mid-century lamb’s wool ottoman // 10. grass green turkish rug

happy decorating,

cristin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Read full story By on January 7, 2015 in bookshelves, furniture, home accessories, interior design, Interiors, office/study, rugs, simplified bee portfolio, Uncategorized, vintage

Book Review :: Decorating The Way I See It by Markham Roberts

Book Review // Decorating The Way I See It // Markham Roberts #design #book #interiors

New York-based interior designer, Markham Roberts is bringing a fresh and modern approach to traditional and contemporary styles alike. Known for his ability to work in any design vernacular, Roberts trained with legendary decorator Mark Hampton for six years before launching his own design firm in 1997. Since then his career has skyrocketed. His work has been described as “the very definition of chic” and published in Architectural Digest, Domino, House Beautiful, and House & Garden – just to name a few. Roberts was also named to the elite AD100 earlier this year. For these reasons you can imagine how eager I was to get me hands on his newly released book, Decorating: The Way I See It. Simply put, it’s extraordinary.

First, I love how the book is organized. Rather than dishing out decorating advice, Roberts takes us step-by-step as he would a design project – from the floor plan to the color and pattern scheme to the furnishings and accessories. The 250+ pages showcases his work ranging from New York City apartments to sprawling country homes. The diversity, sophistication and exceptional personable touch he delivers project after project is truly outstanding. With over 300 stunning images, selecting ones to share with you was the hardest part of of this review, however here are a few of my favorites:

velvet turquoise walls // formal living room // markham robertsdecorating advice // Markham Roberts #designblue bedroom // designed by markham roberts #designblue formal living room // designed by markham roberts #blueformal dining room // markham roberts #interiors #dining

Markham, with his unflinching ease, his assured eye, his natural understanding of how a house should function, and his total lack of pretense, creates rooms that age well and are timeless. – Senga Mortimer – Editor at Large at House Beautiful

family room in earth tones // beams and wood plank wallsgreen velvet sofa // library // markham robertsgreen velvet settee // great room // markham roberts #design #greendaybed reading nook // home office // design by markham roberts

 

This last image with cozy daybed in a rich velvet is perhaps my favorite. Roberts designed the colorful office for a mom with four children, three dogs and a husband that works from home. The inviting niche sits is directly across from her desk and provides a quiet place of her own. I long for such a space!

I know you will adore this book and fall in love with Roberts’ work like I have. It’s an absolute must have for any design library. Don’t pass on this one!

happy decorating,

cristin

*photo credit: Nelson Hancock and courtesy of Vendome Press

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Read full story By on September 30, 2014 in Bedroom, bedrooms, book, book review, bookshelves, color, dining rooms, interior design, Interiors, Living Room, living rooms, patio furniture, upholstery, wallpaper, window treatments

San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2014 :: The Library

Although the San Francisco Decorator Showcase has closed it’s doors, I still wanted to share The Library by Geoffrey De Sousa. The San Francisco-based interior designer created a serene retreat bathed in rich neutral tones that doesn’t detract from the breathtaking views of the bay. The soothing monotone palette was inspired by the room’s Classical Revival mantelpiece. As a backdrop, hundreds of books painted in a creamy white line the dark traditional bookshelves. The faceless books add a wonderful texture to the room and are indeed thought provoking. They made me reflect on the future of printed books and how the digital age is transforming how we read books, magazines and news. Will a home’s library be a place of the past? I hope not. We all need a cozy place for quietude, intimate conversation and of course reading. Something similar to what De Sousa so beautifully created here. 

San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2014 - The LibraryLibrary - SF Decorator Showcase 2014library fireplace - San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2014

*photo credits: first image via Geoffrey De Sousa and second and third via Houzz

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Read full story By on June 5, 2014 in bookshelves, contemporary decor, interior design, Interiors, lighting, office/study