Magazine Backlog

My plan this weekend is to lay by the pool and catch up on some reading. Besides diving into Starter for Ten, the new David Nicholls book I immediately downloaded after finishing One Day, I need to plow through my pile of magazines. I subscribe to a few old school paper versions and also read some digital mags, and those are the hardest ones for me to keep up with because sitting at the computer any more than I already do is typically not appealing. Nevertheless, there are tons of inspiring tidbits and photos so I'm making a point of going through Lonny, Rue, TradHome (even though it came out a while back), and House Beautiful
 (I read it on my iPad via Zinio).

I'll usually do a quick flip through when each issue first comes out, but I need to circle back and take a deeper look now. On my first run at the latest issue of Lonny, I LOVED this shot of a New Orleans home they featured, mainly because of the fabulous painting by Aaron Collier...

Via Lonny Magazine, photography by Patrick Cline

Via Lonny Magazine, photography by Patrick Cline

On my first pass at Rue, I liked the color palette running throughout this Mindy Weiss spread...

From May/June issue of Rue Magazine, photography by Elizabeth Messina

From May/June issue of Rue Magazine, photography by Elizabeth Messina

From May/June issue of Rue Magazine, photography by Elizabeth Messina

From video by Floataway Studios

I flipped through House Beautiful on my iPad while working out this week and I loved this kitchen from the latest issue...

Design by Ken Fulk, Via House Beautiful, photography by Francesco Lagnese

Which mags do you read? Any on your agenda for the long weekend?

Hope you all have a wonderful, safe Memorial Weekend!

Ode to Windsor

I have a major design crush on Windsor Smith. I love that she applies a classic, feminine sensibility to her projects, yet always manages to keep the spaces fresh and modern. As you look through some of the shots from her portfolio below, each room looks pretty traditional at first glance, but when you start honing in on the elements that make up the space, you'll find a few exciting twists. Once you pick up on those nuances, it becomes obvious that each project is incredibly unique and that she doesn't take interior design (or herself) too seriously...which is the key to creating livable, enjoyable homes.

The fact that Windsor is ready and willing to create comfortable, usable rooms is evidenced by her own LA home (as seen in House Beautiful). She accommodated a music room (of the electric guitar variety) and opted to transform a formal living room into a game room. Of course, it's no stuffy, antique-backgammon-table type of game room; it's a fun, real-life room where her teenage sons can hang out and play ping pong on a bright blue table.

I just love her work and think she seems like a really cool person too. Until I have a chance to report on the latter part of that sentence, please enjoy the following selections from her portfolio and the Inspiration Gallery found on the Windsor Smith Room in a Box site:

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith as seen in House Beautiful

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith

Via Windsor Smith

Via Rue Magazine

I totally adore this chair from the Windsor Smith Home Collection...as you might have noticed, it is featured in the two photos above.

Audrey Slipper Chair - Windsor Smith Home Collection

Via Windsor Smith

Via Rue Magazine

She is such a talent. Besides creating comfortable and elegant spaces, perhaps her knack for mixing styles and colors so beautifully is her greatest talent. The combination of the two is certainly what makes her one of the best in the business!

Any favorite rooms in the bunch? If you like what you've seen here, take a look at her exquisite furniture line and fabric collection. As you might have noticed from previous posts (like my Chair Hall of Fame), I'm a huge fan of nearly every piece of furniture!