I’m so smitten by the Paris apartment of Jean-Christophe Aumas that has been in numerous decorating magazines over the past few years – I spotted it in Maire Claire Maison first where these images are from below. This home is totally Palm Springs mid century meets Paris, right!? HOW FUN.

The decorating idea that I’m taking away from these photos is the painted firewood shown above. Brilliant. I really, really love it. I’d like to try it in 80′s neon hues. Fab!

You have a bit of pink, black, grey, red, teal and eye-catching acid green. If you don’t know Jean-Christophe, he is a talented art director who has worked for such high end labels as Chloé, Diptyque, and John Galliano. He obviously has an amazing eye and the bones of his flat are splendid. His collection of art and furniture is impressive. When can I move in?

(images: marie claire maison)

I’ve been chatting for several weeks with Designer Fluff and finally have a moment to breath to post about these gorgeous pillows that are modern, bold and pattern delicious! They sent in some gorgeous in-situ product shots that really show off the beauty of their cushions. I love seeing them live in a space, makes me want to own some even more. Founder and creative director Audra Canfield is FIT educated and a New York-based Interior Designer. From chevrons to ethnic prints, Designer Fluff has a little something for everyone.

Pillows on a bookcase!

All pillows shown are offered in a multitude of patterns and each is available in 5 sizes making them perfect for any project. Each pillow is handmade with an attention to detail and fine craftsmanship and made in America.

Stunning pillows and gorgeous spaces. I especially like the room with the built-in window seating…

(images: emily gilbert)

Hello everyone! I’ve had such a fun day so far so I have to share it with you! This morning a film team came from Berlin to shoot a video in my work studio and in one of my favorite Hannover shops, Raumformplan, owned by lovely Janin. The film is for the Myself magazine (a Conde Nast publication) Liebling Awards in which I was nominated – it’s a very exciting honor and next week I’ll fly to Munich to attend their red carpet event and awards ceremony to see who will win. I’m so excited about it!

(From left – Producer – Lutz Winde, Makeup artist – Miriam Spiegel, me, Camera – Sebastian Woithe.)

The film was for them to share at the show – very fun! In the shop I had to pretend I was interested in some Ferm Living pillows and in my work studio I was pretending to be writing and blogging — oh and of course working on a mood board on my table! It was lovely to work with producer Lutz Winde, camera man Sebastian Woithe and makeup artist Miriam Spiegel.

Yes I have two desks in my work room and huge, long white conference table in the middle of the room. It’s a great space to teach, lay out projects and have a guest come work for the day.

I loved every minute of working with these lovely people today – we got through everything quickly and laughed a lot. I also gained three new friends from it – which made me even happier because I love making new friends in Germany – makes living here that much sweeter. Above are some outtakes of me at my desk in my hot pink tights and grey dress from kew159 in London. The other photo is of me and the crew in my work studio. I had such a great time, it felt good to be famous for minute. :)

Thank you Janin at Raumforplan for letting us use your shop and thanks to Miriam, Lutz and Sebastian for such a great time!

(images: portraits of me – thorsten becker + room views – holly becker)

Did I tell you that I was able to see the highly regarded collection of designer Louise Body after my lecture at Decorex last month? Oh I did… And it was simply fantastic to be a part of it all. Here are some photos so you can see what her recent work looks like. I’ve been a fan for a long time and love seeing how she evolves. The shots of pink and yellow in these cushions below make me smile. It all looks very English, doesn’t it?

What about you? Spot anything you like?

When I blog of these beautiful things designed by talented people I think of how I could have the most interesting interiors shop if I ever decided to open one with the bevy of contacts that I have. I truly love design and it would warm my heart to see my favorite things living together in one shared space – a decor8 shop! I’m returning to a dream I had for many years… to become a shop owner. I saw a few vacant places recently in my neighborhood and felt a chill of excitement as I peeked inside. I thought of the potential, my ideas, the events I could host… I once held the dream of shop ownership so closely to my chest but then decided to write a book and the dream was tucked into my back pocket. Though I plan to write more books, I’m reconsidering this idea of being a shop girl and well… perhaps in a few years… We shall see.

(images: louise body)

If you like birds then one of these lamps will surely light you up today! As mentioned in the previous post, I attended 100% Design in London last month as a speaker and was able to briefly walk around grabbing vendors materials who caught my eye as I went. One company, Atelier Areti, had some fabulous lighting on display. This interdisciplinary design practice is based in both London and France with partner studios in Sweden and Germany.

I love their Acorn and Alouette lights but for a more sophisticated pendant, the Gris shown directly above is sexy and gorgeous. I would love the Alouette lamp in black or white for my desk – the desk lamp with the bird on top – it’s the best isn’t it?!?

(images: atelier areti)

I recently spoke at 100% Design in London and while there, I walked around to check out the latest and greatest in the world of design and it was with pleasure that I met Katie Bourne of Katie Bourne Interiors. This charming illustrator was there to launch her exclusive children’s wallpapers based on her own childhood memories of growing up in rural Staffordshire, England. These wallcoverings are made and printed in England using traditional techniques on high quality, sustainable forest paper in gorgeous classic colorways that are soothing and lovely.

About the small collection Katie says, “I thought about my friends and what they like when I was designing the range. My collection is created for parents who are design conscious and want the nursery to be an extension of their home’s design concept, whilst being something that their children can love growing up with too” Katie explains.

Katie’s inspiration came from traditional children’s books and her own childhood, “This collection really feels like an extension of me. The characters and scenes have been taken from scenes of my childhood; from the farm I grew up on, and fields I used to play in, to birthday celebrations and outings with my family and friends; they all stemmed from personal experiences,” Katie explained. Her goal in designing this range was to infuse it with not only her own past and personality but to feed children’s imaginations so that they may be able to create their own stories while looking upon it, or that parents could have a jumping off point and do some storytelling of their own.

To learn more or place an order, please visit Katie’s website.

(images: katie bourne)

Hello and happy Monday to you! As you are aware, I have two regular contributors on decor8 who post once monthly in addition to my own daily musings, Leslie Shewring with her Color Me Pretty column and Anna-Malin Lindgren who pulls together the always inspiring Handmade Home. Today I’d like to spotlight decor8 contributor Anna-Malin who lives in Sweden and how beautifully she has captured Autumn because it inspired me so much as I read her blog this morning. I don’t think she even set out to carry an Autumn theme on her blog for the past several weeks but she did it by simply photographing corners of her home and life and together, they composed a gorgeous visual Autumn story.

Autumn is my favorite season and I have lots of very close friends born in October – a random discovery that I only recently made when a friend brought it to my attention. There is something about the season that brings remarkable comfort from the color palette to lighting, food and drink.

Autumn means family, love, candlelight, messy “hat hair”, comfort food, cuddling, baking, cozy clothes, warm blankets, the smell of a fireplace, hiking in the mountains, walking over crispy leaves, raking the yard then jumping into the gigantic pile of leaves that smells so very Autumn-y, reflecting on what matters most, hot apple cider, pretty scarves, reading with a warm kitty on your lap, a favorite coat, spiked hot cocoa, inviting friends over for a feast. Autumn is a very sincere, honest, no-frills season, isn’t it? It’s all about reflection, too. As the year starts to come to a close, it’s hard not to pause and honestly take a look at our life and the direction in which it is going.

There is no bling or bam with Fall — it’s just this turning over period from Summer to Winter that is graceful, touching, beautiful and authentic. It’s flickering candles on the windowsill and fresh baked cookies from the oven – there’s a realness to the season that draws me in. Autumn, in my opinion, is like no other – it’s both high and low – melancholy yet full of hope – with gray weather and shortened days combined with the feeling of unconditional love and acceptance around the family dinner table.

Why do you love Autumn? What does it represent to you? I think for my Swedish friend Anna-Malin, it represents family and comfort just like it does for me. She did such a lovely job capturing the spirit of the season in these photos, wouldn’t you agree?

To see more of Anna-Malin’s photography, including gorgeous images of the season, please visit her beautiful and inspiring blog Helt Enkelt.

(photos: anna-malin lindgren)

I’m about to wrap up my week but first, I’ve been dying to share a visit that I had with Jennifer Davis and Amy Rice with you! When I was in Minnesota last month and I simply had to visit the opening night party for Jennifer and Amy’s art exhibit because hello, I had too… I mean, I have about 7 of Jennifer’s paintings (I’m a massive fan) and so when I heard she’d be showing her work the same week that I was going to be in St. Paul for my book tour, I made it an absolute priority to meet her. After five years of following her work, it was due time to meet the lady who has so much of her work in my home!

From her color palettes (love her shots of black and neon pink!) to her quirky characters who display a range of emotions from melancholy to fear, timidness to hopeful, I find her work touching, engaging, meaningful and altogether mesmerizing. Amy Rice is another amazing talent, also based in MN, so to have a chance to meet them both in one evening was a total moment for me. Here they are, such a lovely duo.

Amy Rice (L) and Jennifer Davis (R)

I was in la la land surrounded by these gorgeous paintings. There were many more that I didn’t have time to photograph, but at least you can see a few of my personal favorite groupings. I’m more motivated than ever to purchase another piece for my collection so I may contact Jennifer to see what’s available from the show. I wanted so badly to buy something in person but I was in a rush to my book signing cocktail party at The Creative Connection so I was in and out in a flash. I wish I had spent more time chatting with lovely Jennifer and Amy – I really do.

And in case you wonder… Amy and Jennifer were both even nicer than I imagined. Jennifer made me feel so welcome, she’s very warm and sweet, and now that I met her the work on my walls means so much more to me. I often wondered if I met her if I’d feel the same, better or worse? Do you know what I mean? Sometimes we have this perception of what someone is like that we’ve only met online and then you meet them and it’s slightly different. To own a lot of someone’s original paintings is nothing you do everyday, you really have to love and connect with the work, and I have formed quite a bond with all of Jennifer’s pieces that make me smile whenever I pass by them. That’s why it felt a bit scary to meet her in person – had she been completely different, rude even (hey, it happens!), I would never look at the work the same and I’d have to live with those paintings, and that sour memory, for years. Meeting Jennifer made me HAPPY. I want to buy more of her paintings now that I have connected with her warmth, graciousness, kindness and sincerity. The paintings in my home are suddenly very much alive and more meaningful than ever because Jennifer has a heart of gold.

Jennifer, I know I’ve made you blush but really, from my heart — thank you for being so awesome!!!

Perhaps we shall meet again… I’d love to curate an art show and invite these two very special ladies to be part of it, so perhaps someday very soon.

(images: holly becker)