I have six folders on a shelf in my kitchen desk, busting at the seams with magazine clippings ranging in design integrity from Elle Decor to Lowe's weekly circular. Each clipping has been ear-marked, circled, folded, or ripped to highlight the reason that inspired me to tear it from its source in the first place.
Some are images, others are articles, and still others are samples (wallpaper, fabric, paint) that I have collected over the past 10 (?!) years or so. They are not color-coordinated, or arranged by source or season. They are not even divided by their intended rooms. They. Are. A. Mess. But I love them, and I will not part with them. I will, however, cut down on adding to them.
Are you on Pinterest? Or Tumblr? Or Houzz? None of them? All of them? I am a frequenter (read: cannot stop) on Houzz.com, and a newbie to (read: newly obsessed with) Pinterest. I'm just starting to explore Tumblr, and while I am enjoying what I'm finding, I've held off on giving myself to it completely.
There are only so many hours in the day, after all, and I still have to finish Fifty Shades of Grey AND take care of my babies. Oh, and sleep. But I digress... for those of you who are not (yet) on any of these sites, here's the skinny: they are basically a dedicated space for you to collect your favorite images from all around the web.
In the case of Houzz, the images are home design-related (they have over 400,000 high quality interior and exterior photos for you to peruse and add to your Ideabooks), but Pinterest and Tumblr are a veritable melange of images ranging from hairstyles to inspirational quotes and stills from movie scenes. These are extremely valuable resources for the homeowner starting a remodel. Whereas we were previously limited to Google Image searches to find examples of the perfect wall paneling, light fixture for a low ceiling, or blue stone for a patio to show our contractors, we can now share an Ideabook (Houzz) or Board (Pinterest) and give the professionals a clear image of what we want.
Genius, right? We (the professionals) like it, too. It has done wonders for kickstarting a design project.
So last week, I was Tumbling through Pinterest (I think you'll find that Tumblr and Pinterest are sufficiently intertwined. There is a lot of sharing, reblogging, and repinning from one to the other) and happened across this image of the most striking fabric I have seen in a long time. If you don't feel like clicking, it's the image I've attached here in this post.
This is a Suzanne Kasler for Lee Jofa fabric (available at , by the way). Her name is Costes. (Yes, I sometimes assign gender to inanimate objects. Especially ones I lust after. Ridiculously impractical Alexander Wang shoes I spied on Barneys.com = female. Hot dress for the upcoming wedding I'm attending = female. Ruggedly distressed leather sofas I'm waiting to surface at the Restoration Hardware outlet = decidedly male.) Let me introduce you...
I'm not saying it's the "most amazing fabric I have ever seen." I'm also not saying I need it "everywhere and anywhere." I'm just saying, it's striking. Don't you think? It's traditional enough to fit into most Westfield Colonials (it is paisley, after all), yet contemporary enough to be new and interesting in an "I shop compulsively on Etsy, swoon over every Anthropologie catalog, but rely mostly on J. Crew for my button downs and ballet flats" kind of way. I guess it's transitional to a T. I'd love to see it in my breakfast nook, as a cushion on my banquette. Or maybe as an accent chair in our great room when we get . So many options, where should she go?
So I ask you, what finds have you unearthed using these electronic magazine clippings? Have you found inspiration using these sites? Or do you just find yourself bouncing around from Boards to Books to Tumblogs, enjoying the scenery?
PS- If you find that your tastes are in line with what you see of mine, follow me on these sites! You just may find something that you think is worth Pinning/Adding/Tumbling(?) too.
Ellie Mroz is the C.A.O. and Design Specialist for , a Westfield-based Design/Build General Contractor. http://www.MichaelRobertConstruction.com
She can be reached at Ellie@MichaelRobertConstruction.com.
