Colourful finds from the East Bay!

I guess I won't be snapped up as the next Million Dollar Decorator just yet... especially as I do like a good bargin and I enjoy mxing expensive and less expensive items together, plus it's fun to do!!!

I hadn't been over to Emeryville in ages - so last Saturday I left my gang with Daddy and headed over the Bay Bridge to Ikea!

Just look at the colourful finds.....

Nice for a sunny office.
Fun for a kids room.

Imagine six of these paired with a rustic table... I really love the lines of this chair.

Sweet for a tween bedroom, paired with chocolate brown walls for more sophiscication!

Buy six or seven of these - dotted around the garden to add a little romance!

For fresh flowers picked from aforementioned garden!

Punch of colour for a hallway!

Casual breakfast nook table.

Arne Jacobsen's egg chair

I find it hard to believe that Arne Jacobsen designed the egg chair way back in 1958 for the Radisson SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. I lived in Copenhagen for a year in the early 90s and fell in love with the City and it's talented designers! Even way back then, the City was hip and trendy with it's modern designer stores, cosy cafes and bars... London was just catching on... so it was fun to be part of it all. I had a company apartment on Gamel Danske and walked to work through the cobbled streets.... an absolute treat!So it's no surprise that I take with me the love for Danish design as I feel I lived it. Take a look at these designs and you can see how versatile and current it still is. It looks like it was just designed!

Above imagines:
http://www.housebeautiful.com/

Invitation - The Fine Art of Design

Val Fiscalini at the 2011 Decorator Showcase

IFDA Northern California Chapter &
ArtHaus Gallerists; James Bacchi and Annette Schutz

Present

THE FINE ART OF DESIGN

ArtHaus
411 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Wednesday, June 29th, 5:30pm - 8:00pm
5:30pm - 6:15pm - Networking, Appetizers and Libations
6:15pm - Gallery Tour
6:30pm - 7:30pm - Program and Q&A

IFDA Members - no charge; Non Members $10

RSVP by June 24th to dnicolson@sbcglobal.net

Special thanks to Benjamin Moore www.benjaminmoore.com

Discover the value of partnering with award-winning art gallerists for your next design projects.

During the past 15 years, Gallerists and Icons o Design James Bacchi and Annette Shutz continue to bring the Bay Area's fine art and architectural and design communities closer together. Named "Best Gallery" on the SFBAY List, two years running, ArtHaus is one of San Francisco's foremost resources for contemporary, museum quality works, diverse in subject matter, media and style.

The Wiseman Group

National Bank of Canada

Lawanna Cathleen

KAG Staging

IFDA DBD

Doyle McCullar

Dining by Design

Ashley Jenkins

Applegate Tran
Phot by Chris Stark

Tricia Guild and her team

Imagine working for Tricia Guild? I think it would be an interesting job! Just look at the fabrics they produce. As a young design student in London, I spent most of my Saturdays walking along the King's Road, it was a short walk from my Fulham Road flat and the home to two of my absolute favourite stores: Designer's Guild and Osborne & Little.

The rooms used in their photoshoots are stunning - typical London homes with Georgian detailing and the use of colour. Amazing!

A few years ago, http://www.decorati.com/ approached me and asked me to write about my adventures in London and I wrote above the King's Road and surrounding areas. If you are interested here are the links to Valerie's London:

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2009/06/valerie%E2%80%99s-london-guide-to-posh-shopping-in-kensington-chelsea/

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2009/07/valeries-london-find-the-gems-at-the-camden-lock-market/

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2009/07/valeries-london-a-stroll-down-the-lane-at-portobello-road-market/

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2009/08/valeries-london-bermondsey-market/

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2009/09/valeries-london-mayfair/

http://access.decorati.com/blog/2010/01/valeries-london-fulham/

Mirror, mirror

I always use lots of mirrors in my designs. Not only do they reflect the light, but they essentially add another window to your room. There are so many to choose from too. I particularly like Venetian mirros - I used this one a couple of years ago in a hallway and it looked amazing:

More glamerous Venetian mirrors:





Three mirrors together look wonderful and add a sculptural element:

This time the mirrors are placed down the wall - look how dramatic they look with the dark paint colour:

Round mirrors look so good above a console or a fireplace:

I placed this floor mirror in my client's living room. It made the light bounce around the room. I also placed a silver floor lamp to the left and in the evening, when the lights were dimmed, it looked very romantic:

Classic blue and white

A classic blue and white room never goes out of style. As these images show, it doesn't have to be nautical either!

I think these ginger jars are stunning:



Love the navy blue walls here:

What a beautiful window seat - look at the view:

Timeless living room:

Romantic bedroom:

Bold stripes:

All images from www.housebeautiful.com