Field Trip-Driskill Hotel, Austin, TX

03/31/2012

 
A few weeks ago I went to Austin with my sister for SXSW and had an absolutely great time.  One of my favorite spots was the Driskill Hotel on Sixth Street.  I loved the combination of grandeur and Southern Charm.
Picture
Here's a shot of the lobby, which features bold columns, stained glass panels and lush palms.  There's lots of little seating areas which came in handy during SXSW for extended networking.  If you're headed to Austin, it's definitely worth a visit!  Check out a few more shots below.
 

A little shimmer

03/28/2012

 
Another trend I spotted at the AD Show was furniture (and pillows, as seen above from the Design Lush booth) with some shimmer.  Opalescent leather, especially when used with other items in the same tone, adds a real wow factor.
 

Strap In

03/26/2012

 
Picture
The New Traditionalists chair
One of the trends I spotted while checking out the AD Home Show was leather straps and buckles used on furniture.  Take note of the chair here.  It's a very simple design but the color (surprisingly one of the few bits of the 2012 color I saw) and "belt" detail set it apart. 
 

Tray-riffic

03/22/2012

1 Comment

 
I am a big fan of trays.  They are great at corraling your stuff and giving at least the appearance of organization.  Plus, it's an easy, low commitment way to dip your toe into a certain style.  The group above are all from West Elm and are all very reasonably priced.  Great variety, right?  The goldfish one is actually made of glass and would be adorable as a soap dish.
ps-Are you proud of me for not calling this post "tray chic"?  I thought about it, but decided you deserved a little better from me.
1 Comment
 

Guess the source

03/19/2012

 
As a consumer, it's very easy to get locked in to certain stores as "the" place where you buy a particular item.  Some people only buy their groceries at Whole Foods or only buy their clothes in Macy's.  That brand has earned your business, which is great, but it probably means you're missing out on some interesting alternatives by not shopping around a little.  Take the board below, which features items from an unusal source to create a Jonathan Adler inspired "happy chic" look.  I found everything at Pottery Barn Teen and almost all of it was on sale.     
 

Touch of spring

03/16/2012

 
Picture
Yesterday I picked up a few bouquets of daffodils at Trader Joe's.  At only $1.49 a bunch (I used 4), it's a really inexpensive way to add a touch of spring to my little apartment.  Daffodils are much less expensive than tulips or hyacinth, but still shout "it's springtime".