Brights please. Enough with the Greige already!

The end of January is upon us and that means we are rounding the final curve of winter, hopefully. February is the pause that we all need before full blown spring begins. A time for spring cleaning, projects for the home are buzzing through your head and it's also the best time to make any changes to your interiors. May I suggest something outside your comfort zone?

Bright colors are proven to make us happier. Period. If you're not so bold as to paint your dining room ceiling chartreuse then maybe just a fuchsia pillow on your sofa (for starters) will get you closer to the outer perimeter of your comfort zone. Experiment a little, see what you can tolerate in your own home. Aren't you sick of the beiges, greiges and sands?

Rugs are a wonderful way to throw down a block of graphic color. Quick, easy sometimes inexpensive and it's instant gratification! One of my personal favs.

Gorgeous built-ins pop right off the wall. It dictates the feel of the room without being too pushy or obnoxious.

Dining rooms are a great room for color because it is a room where minimal time is spent, maybe an evening meal seven nights a week, if you're lucky. Or if you're like most of us, it's a room that is primarily a pass through and a spot for Sunday dinners and the occasional party. Might be a good place for the timid to begin.

Offices (top pic) are always benefited by brights. Inspirational, motivational and energizing. Those are words I always need in my work space.

Powder rooms are the BEST choice for the jolt of color. It's small and minimal time is spent in there and you can shut the door, now your guests will be really ~pleasantly~ surprised upon entering. This particular vanity is a cheapie, coated with a fab paint color and adorned with high drama door-knockers instead of typical knobs. Genius! Easy to do and easy on that tight budget.

Paint (obviously) is always the quickest, easiest and the biggest no brainer for adding color. One wall or even the inside of a bookcase (or a built in) has an enormous effect. Crank it up a notch or two by adding moldings and you are on your way to a new you. Baby steps my friend...

Finally, here is the cover I would have if I had an I-Phone (just not a fan). I love the bright Ikat design and it certainly would stand out in the crowd.

Time to butch it up!

I am tired of girlie. I've never been overly feminine with my designs but I can appreciate the soft lines, subtle colours and curvy silhouettes. What woman doesn't love flowers and little bird statues on her coffee table?

I'm just not in the mood right now. I am in desperate need of a man...room. How about a little inspiration?

I think Lenny would enjoy this room, very earthy and a little crunchy while still maintaining the hip factor: just like him.

A world traveler, spy and conqueror of women on a global scale needs a room to keep up with him.

Gorgeous, structured, masculine and well thought through...I'm talking about the room but I'm really referring to the beautiful creature known as Rob.

Mysterious, a little creepy and dangerous. (Just how I like 'em!) Reminds me of The Leaky Cauldron.

Chris (Kurt!) would approve of this beautiful and open game room. Let's turn the garage into a gorgeous game room. Can someone please make me another Cosmo?

Architectural, clean cut, stylish as hell and inspires one to work all night. Again, I'm talking about the room. Oh JT.....

Andre (3000) is intelligent, fashionable, worldly and sexy just like this room. It has (my beloved) taxidermey, leather and is peppered with found objects from all over.

This room feels a little scholastic, super stylish and has a British sensibility. James is all of those and he's smoking hot on top of all that.

Enough of the beautiful boys, they're distracting.

~~~To see more insanely beautiful men, check out my Hot & Bothered board at Pinterest.com~~

Christmas smack

Since we are nine days away from Christmas Day, I'm going to try to cram in as much Christmas as possible these next few days because after December 26th, I am over it, so over it. And since the retailers of America feel the need to shove the holiday down our throats earlier and earlier every year, it is at this point in December that I'm sick of the traditional colors, lights, sights and sounds. I didn't want to freak everyone out with a creepy and disturbing parade of images so we'll just do a little off kilter and off the beaten path Christmas inspiration. If I didn't ADORE this amazing time of year so much, I wouldn't be able to talk smack about it.

Again, I saved the best for last. I have wanted to do the inverted Christmas tree for years and I never break with tradition. Next year! Go spread some Christmas cheer...

Babypalooza

Since my children are now smug thirteen year olds, I get sentimental for the days when they were babies. Their nursery was a neutral shade of beige and their cribs were a sleigh bed style in a dark mahogany finish. I did not go over board in their room for a few reasons, I was having twins and was a little freaked out, (did I mention they're my first?) we didn't have a lot of money and I had recently stopped working so I was trying to get the rest of the house up to our new baby standards...because unbeknownst to me, babies don't come out of the womb walking, putting small objects in their mouths and choking and shoving forks into unprotected electrical outlets.

So I wanted to fantasize for a few minutes about the nursery they never had. If you have children, dream along with me. Unless you're one of those overachieving moms that had the nursery professionally done with every onesie on a silk padded hangar and a thousand dollar area rug that may look fantastic now but wait till someone pukes on it at three in the morning one day very soon, then it won't seem so fantastic.

Bright, cheery and crisp!

Hell yes you need a sofa in the nursery! Most of us spent many a night in a crappy rocker nest to the crib, a late night vigil with our feverish baby.

Love the wallpaper, colors and that fab light fixture.

Love the SHEEP!

New tradition for the baby.

I don't know what I like more, the striped walls or the faux zebra rug?

Love the color palette, fun and sophisticated.

Gorgeous!

Adore the orange and more faux zebra.

MMMMM...flokati.

Love the Tiffany blue and the Sputnik light fixture.

LOVE the colors here and notice the TWO cribs, great space for the girls. One of my favorite rooms.

The chandelier does it for me.

My absolute favorite nursery. Not super babyish but just look at that fantastic wallpaper on the CEILING!

Cute and butch color combo and I love the wallpapered ceiling again!

The blue chair really pops against the charcoal wall, nice and graphic.