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Decorating with Throw Pillows & Giveaway

September 1, 2010 · Comments { 44 }

Need a change? For an instant room makeover, add throw pillows. Create a layered look by combining different fabrics, shapes and sizes. Throw pillows are also a great way to add pops of color or pull together a color palette in a room. Don’t be afraid to mix florals, stripes, textures and solid colored pillows for more visual interest.

If you are craving change and need some fresh throw pillows at a great price, you are in luck! Pillows & Pillows is giving away two 16″ square pillows {your choice} to one Simplified Bee reader. Here is how to enter {open to US residents only}:

• Leave a comment with your favorite pillow from Pillows & Pillows {leave your email if I don’t have a way to contact you}.

• Extra Entry – become a new follower of Simplified Bee’s Blog, Twitter or Facebook Page.
• Extra Entry – mention this giveaway in a post or tweet, then leave a comment letting me know.
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.
• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Sunday, September 12, 2010.

Pillows & Pillows is also offering Simplified Bee readers free shipping on any orders over $75. Simply use coupon code, “free-shipping” at the checkout. 

Happy decorating and best of luck!

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Read full story By on September 1, 2010 in discounts, Giveaways, home accessories, interior design

Beautiful, Functional Kitchen Islands

August 25, 2010 · Comments { 20 }
custom island traditional kitchen
The kitchen island. It is one of the most popular design features among consumers today. Many of today’s kitchen islands have unique design styles of their own. In this traditional kitchen above, the island counter differs from the perimeter counters. Love that!

Most kitchen islands include storage, sinks {prep or main}, appliances and/or seating areas. This beautiful white kitchen features a small, but highly functional island that includes  storage, a main sink and stool seating.The industrial pendant lights provide task lighting and add some jewelry to the space.

Kitchen islands can have the same design as the main counter and cabinets or it can have a look all its own. Above, an old farm dining table makes an ideal kitchen island and adds character to this kitchen – love that it has wheels and can be moved as needed! The lantern pendant light hung above helps define the space nicely.

All of the kitchen images above are from an Ideabook created on Houzz featuring beautiful kitchen islands – go here to see it. And for more kitchen island design trends go here. Do you have a kitchen island?
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Read full story By on August 25, 2010 in interior design, kitchens, lighting

Cabbages & Roses, At Home with Country Book Giveaway Winner

August 23, 2010 · Comments { 5 }
Cabbages & Roses, a textile company specializing in historical rural printed fabrics for fashion, accessories and interiors was founded by Christina Strutt. In addition to running Cabbages & Roses, Strutt authored a fresh, dreamy and romantic book, At Home with Country {Cico Books}. The beautiful book features both US and UK residences showcasing her infused country and rustic English style. 
 
And I am happy to announce that comment #55, Elizabeth will be receiving a copy of this book. Congratulations!
 
Recently Design*Sponge published a wonderful interview with Christina on how to achieve an English country style in your own home and incorporate it into your lifestyle. Here is what Christina said when asked what influenced  her her work at Cabbages & Roses and did  her location or travel play into the designs:
“Each collection begins with panic. Rather than the romantic notion that a trip to exotic locations, or glamorous parties with fascinating people influences my designs, quite the opposite is true.
Clothing collections are the hardest, but once on a roll they tend to develop a momentum and personality of their own.
I find the fabrics much easier to work on with Amy Gibbons who is in charge of home wear at Cabbages & Roses. Our trips to antiques markets at 5am and foreign travel are our inspiration and we have a stockpile of ideas and designs, which are fed into the collections annually.
Cabbages & Roses was created in the British countryside and my home, Brook Cottage, still manages to play an integral part of the designs, the company. Its where it was born and grew up, so will always remain at the core of what we do.”
 
 
For the full Design*Sponge interview, go here and to see more beautiful images from Cabbages & Roses go here.

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Read full story By on August 23, 2010 in Giveaways, interior design

More on Designer Jamie Drake… The King of Color

August 9, 2010 · Comments { 15 }
Living Room, Upper East Side, NYC (Photo: Drake Design Assoc.)
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Jamie Drake’s high-end interior designs is his brilliant use of color.  Known as the “king of color,” Drake’s creations are world renowned for  their use of sophisticated color schemes and eclectic furnishings.  And as I mentioned in this post about Drake’s New York Upper East Side Design, he achieves visual harmony and balance in a room by using at least three colors. 
 
Living room in an East Hampton home (Photo: Minh + Wass)
Recently, a San Francisco friend,  interior designer and blogger Claudia Juestel had the pleasure of sitting down with Jamie Drake to drink tea and chat about design. Their discussion is a wonderful peek into Drake’s design philosophy. The full article is locate here at ResideSF. 
 
“Eden Rock” table lamp in Manhattan House apartment (Photo: Lucas Allen) 
In the interview Drake was asked about how he approaches using color. He said,

“I think there are two great parts. One is intuitive: I can walk into a room and sense what tonality it should be, whether it should be pale or intense, grayed out or vibrant. And then the equally important part is just what is right for the client. Very few clients will actually say I want purple and blue with a touch of aqua. But they will tell you a general range of what they like, such as pastels, or fresh colors, or jewel tones. They can usually tell you what they don’t like.”

 
Dining Room, Upper East Side, NYC (Photo: Drake Design Assoc.)
The article also features some sweet and very sophisticated design drawings Drake created as a boy. It is fascinating to see how at such a young age, he knew what he wanted to do when he grew up.
 
Bedroom in a West Chelsea apartment in NCY (Photo: Wouter Vandertol) 
Drake also reveals in the interview that if he hadn’t become an interior designer, he might have been a prosecuting attorney. Aren’t we glad he didn’t? Thank you Jamie for following your heart!
Again, be sure to drop by ResideSF to read the entire interview by Claudia Juestel.
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Read full story By on August 9, 2010 in color, interior design, living rooms
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