An Ode to Oscar de la Renta: Room Inspiration From Some of His Most Inspiring Looks

Sadly, the legendary fashion designer Oscar de le Renta (July 22, 1932- October 20, 2014) passed away last week at the age of 82. He became most famous after dressing Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s, and was sought after by famous celebrities for red carpet events and weddings. All over the world, the most revered style icons, dignitaries, celebrities, and fashionistas dropped his name with the utmost respect and awe.  

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and every major news and fashion outlet posted pictures in remembrance of the late icon, some of which were of his legendary gowns that were worn by A-List celebs over the past four decades. As I looked through these photos, I was in awe of how beautifully he crafted the most elegant fabrics to fit and accentuate the silhouette of a woman. His designs are mesmerizing, gorgeous, and timeless. 

I was so inspired, that I decided to take his designs and create my own variation of decor. Here are my three favorite Oscar de la Renta gowns, and my own room design based on each look. 

Nicole Kidman, Omega Gala 'La Nuit Enchantee', 2013. 

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Bedroom

Romantic, gothic, French, shabby chic.

The Inspiration

1. Vanity- Stein World credenza 

2. Worthen sheepskin ottoman. (horchow.com)

3. Heritage Landing faux silk-lined drapes. (overstock.com)

4. Ralph Lauren stag chandelier. (horchow.com)

5. "Devonna" tufted headboard. (horchow.com)

6. Anastasia bedding from The Isabella Collection by Kathy Fielder. (horchow.com)

7. Accent Pillows- Crocodile pattern and faux fur pillows- The Isabella Collection by Kathy Fielder, and Harlow bedding, Isabella Collection by Kathy Fielder. (horchow.com)

Amy Adams, Vanity Fair Oscar Party, 2013. 

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Living Room

Old Hollywood glamour, chic.

The Inspiration

a. Large Gilt Framed Octoganal mirror (charish.com)

b. Distressed Damask scrolol, Georgetown Designs, York Wallcovering (totalwallcovering.com)

c. Veronica chair (houzz.com)

d. Bakairi Armchair

e. Chandelier Cattelan Italia, Venezia Collection

f. Emperor Solid Piano Black Strandwoven Silkwood Bamboo (floorchoice.co.uk)

g. Cowhide metallic silver grey (houzz.com)

h. Powell Mirrored console (overstock.com)

i. Moro Hollywood Regency grey silver metallic hide steel bench (houzz.com)

j. Abigail Coffee Table, aged bronze. (onekingslane.com)

k. silver pleated pillow (onekingslane.com) and Brilliante Antiqued pillow (houzz.com)

l. McCartney Hollywood Regency Tufted charcoal grey velvet sofa (houzz.com)

Carrie Underwood, Music Billboard Awards, 2012. 

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Formal Sitting Room

Hollywood Regency, modern, sleek and chic. 

The Inspiration

a. Room Divider: Architectural wire mesh in S-32 (bankwire.com)
b. Bubble Hanging Chair with polished chrome (houzz.com)
c. Black Maarten Baas Smoke Chair (houzz.com)
d. Modern Crystal chandelier Lighting Light Fixture (houzz.com)
e. Twisted mesh metal table (houzz.com)
f. Tibetan/ Mongolian Lamb Fur Pelt/ Rug (houzz.com)
g. White Hover Modern Reception chair (houzz.com)
h. Moro Modern Steel and Cowhide Nesting Tables (houzz.com)
i. Accent wall covering in Tulip Damask by Virtuoso (totalwallcovering.com)
j. Paint for walls in Lilac Muse 7004-3 by Valspar (valsparpaint.com)
k. Black paneling for wall wainscot and crown moulding (kaneva.com)
l. Wood flooring in Grano Wood WP311 (karndean.com)
m. Gotham U Antique Silver Mirror in Uttermost 06048 P (houzz.com)
n. Blu Dot Dang console in Risk Averse Grey (houzz.com)
o. Rug Nourison Graphic Illusions Area Rug Collection NOUR-13077 (houzz.com)

My Modern Mid Century Obsession

Check out those legs! Legs on anything else; animals, humans, well, except for chunky baby legs and those of Cameron Diaz, of course, none get me as enthusiastic and annoyingly excited as those that are strategically placed on the bottoms of furniture. I am a big believer in the furniture leg. Why? Well, just as the leg elongates the otherwise stumpy human/animal body, furniture legs do the same thing. Now I understand that there are a lot of different types of legs, but man, I love the mid century style with the modern twist. 

The leg that tapers every so slightly at the end, sometimes adorned with a brass or copper metal ferrule/caster feet and are installed either straight or at an angle are the epitome of the Midcentury leg. Ok, enough of the boring details. Lets just take a look. 

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Modern Midcentury style sitting area

I love this seating area. Notice how the space is not cluttered by massive clumps of furnishings stuck to the floor? Rather, the eye sweeps easily over the pieces because the legs add space beneath the chairs and make the furnishings appear lighter, while added elements like the thin-rail floor lamp and floating wall-mounted buffet do the same to create more floor space. 

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The Chairs

More stylish chairs to tickle your fancy. The characteristics of the mid century style was influenced by the  Bauhaus movement with its clean lines, geometric shapes, and vivid colors. These chairs are so elegantly designed, using clean lines, and solid and bold colors to create a very sleek and simple look. 

You Can Get The Look

How can you incorporate some of these looks without having to break the bank by redecorating every square inch of your abode? Here are some great examples of how to incorporate Mid Century style pieces into your home today!

                     

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Add a couple of mid century style pieces. Here, designer Emily Henderson added a modern mid century style chair and sofa to their living area. Emily said her clients were looking for a space that was "bright, airy, calm, grown up, unique, inspiring, and happy." 

The funky pattern of the chair and bright mint used on the sofa give these mid century style pieces a more modern look, complementing the eclectic design of the space. The smooth texture of the metal finished side tables unify the contrasting patterns and textures in the room. This is a perfect example of how you can fit mid century style pieces into your modern space without looking like your living room is a flashback to the Jetsons! 

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I am totally in love with the Eames Eiffel chair! It just looks so modern, decorative, strong in structure and yet sleek. The dining table and copper pendent light fixtures are contemporary and modern, which contrast well with the brick wall and exposed wood beams. The eiffel chairs add a freshness to tie the look together. Their criss-cross black bars beneath the crisp white molding of the chair add texture and color and tie the fresh, industrial, and modern look of the room together. 

Front-door Follies: 10 ideas to help you design an organized entryway

Today, I wanted to share some amazing ideas for dressing up an apartment entryway. We just moved into a small two-bedroom apartment and received our first order of staple furnishing pieces. But it's one of those situations that as you settle in and unpack the 100 boxes and suitcases you still cannot believe you have, you realize that there are still little things missing. For example, I realized that I have nowhere to properly put away my purse the moment that I began screaming at my husband as he thoughtlessly, although not intentionally, set my leather designer bag on the floor. NOOOOO! I also realized that he has nowhere to place his pocket change, keys, wallet, (and other man pocket things that I think should be going into a man-purse (or, ahem, European shoulder bag) because it's just weird that someone can carry all that stuff in their pockets without wearing the 90s JNCO Jeans which held large textbooks in those kangaroo pouches- remember those jeans?). His solution, bless his heart, was to clear off an entire shelf of our bookshelf and place his things there like they are on display. Um, no.

So I know we are in dire need of an entryway table or storage unit that allows us to place these types of things as we come and go each day. Since we are in an apartment, we do not have a foyer, nor a grandiose-chandelier lit entryway. Instead, we have a door. A door that walks you right into the living area. Like so many apartment renters, we have to get a bit creative and a lot organized to properly house our migratory items while we retire at our place for the evening hours.

Ideally, a perfectly functioning entryway would have the following:

• a great light source that is easy to access when you are coming home in the dark.
• a place to sit while you put on or take off your shoes.
• a place to stow away your shoes.
• a place to hang jackets, coats, scarves, keys, small bags, etc.
• a place for your purse, backpack, or computer bag.
• a place to put keys, pocket change, and other small items. 
• a place to put mail. 
• a place to stow umbrellas or other necessities.
• a mirror to take one last look before flying out the door. 

Taking all of these things into consideration, I found some great ideas and designs that I love.

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I love the functional simplicity here. The baskets beneath the beautiful rustic hairpin legged bench stows away shoes, while purses and bags can rest on top of the bench. Simple wall pegs allow for jackets, hats, keys, and smaller bags to hang, while a large mirror not only serves its purpose, but adds depth to the narrow space.

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First of all, this table is just show stopping, and paired with that peacock feather-esque mirror??? I die!! I absolutely love everything about the table and mirror combo. Here are a few examples of alternative lamps that would also look great with this table and mirror duet. 

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This apartment is architecturally gorgeous with its wood floors, crisp white walls with moulding, and moulded ceiling soffit over the entryway. I love how the elements in the entryway are both artistic and functional. Even the overhead lighting itself is a piece of art. 

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This is such a simple idea, but the use of the peekaboo clear table overlapping the large art piece is genius. The chandelier and lamp give the area plenty of light, the stool allows a place to sit or to rest a purse or bag. The displays personal photos is a nice touch.

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This is a sophisticated design that looks nothing short of glamourous. It is functional, but also showcases a ton of style.

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Again, this is a functional space, but the overall design is center stage. The monochrome chairs paired with the large mirror and simple table perfectly compliment the contrast of the dark wood floors and white walls with the pop of color in the ceiling. The ceiling light fixture perfectly illuminates the space.

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This has to be one of my favorite entryways. I think it's because it has an old Hollywood glamour feel to it, with the fur shrug and art-deco style bench, table, and stained glass design. It is functional and has most of what an entryway needs, including an umbrella stand.

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I have always loved minimalist spaces, and wish that I could have one one day by purging a lot of junk I insist that I need (mostly heels, makeup, and hair products). This is a beautiful entryway space that has all the necessary elements. 

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This is a nice use of hallway space upon entering. It is a perfectly functional space for a family to keep the necessary things near the entryway; hook, shelving, bench, baskets, and overhead lighting.

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I love the table bench in this entryway. Neither is too large for this narrow space, and both add not only function, but a warm welcome to those who enter. The rug adds warmth and coziness to the space, tying it all together perfectly. 

Let the Light Shine In

My husband and I have recently moved again. This is the third big move we've had in the past three years, and we have been hotel hopping and living out of a suitcase for three months as we holiday and wait for our apartment to be ready for move-in.

It began with our first big move from New Mexico to the United Arab Emirates in 2011. Both of us were working as teachers at a private international school in a fairly large city; one with nice shopping malls, plenty of restaurants, cinemas, and things to do. Two pre-furnished apartments and three years later, my husband took a job in the Western Region (AKA The Empty Quarter) of the United Arab Emirates. It is here that we are living in a tiny town with what seems like nothing more than sand dunes and camels. They weren't kidding when they referred to it as empty. One of the perks of the job is the generous furniture allowance which allows us to chose our own furnishings for the first time ever as a couple.

We are furnishing our small two-bedroom apartment, and all has gone relatively well considering that we have never done this together before. I should say that it's going well except that we have an ongoing fight about whether or not a monstrous, marshmallow-looking Lazy Boy recliner chair should set its enormous, eye-sore, retirement-home-looking self in our living area (clearly, I am wholeheartedly against this, and sadly, I think I am losing the fight). While we await our first furniture order to arrive from none other than IKEA, we are staying comfortably at our hotel accommodation that is a little oasis in the desert. (You can read more about my experience at my blog titled Thirsty in the Desert.)

Choosing a sofa, arm chairs, dining table and chairs, bedroom tables, wardrobes, and all the other storage pieces is a delight. Playing with each room and gathering ideas from Pinterest and Houzz and all the wonderfully inspiring blogs I follow is so much fun. But for some reason, choosing window treatments gives me anxiety! There are so many choices, so many looks, so many things to consider like space surrounding the window, measurements, and of course, aesthetic.

I have always thought that window treatments can either make or break a space. And while their aesthetic is important, they also serve a function, and the whole light/privacy thing becomes a topic for discussion. Curtain fabrics can make a space look more luxurious and cozy, or it can cause it to loose space or look frumpy or outdated. Blinds can let in the perfect amount of light while allowing the space to maintain its modern or contemporary look, or they can cause a space to look cheapened.

Here are some fresh amazing looks that I found.

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Curtains and roller blinds. 

The look: classic, sophisticated, chic. 

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Roman shades and sheer ripple fold drapery.
The look: modern, chic, stylish.

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Roman shade.
The look: heavier fabric adds more texture and comfort. The color blends with the wall, allowing more focus to be on the beautiful wood paneled wall.

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Privacy roller shades.

The look: chic, modern.

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Sheer drapery.

The look: modern, contemporary. Sheers allow for privacy while still allowing both a view and natural light. 

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Heavy drapery.

The look: timeless, romantic, sophisticated. The way in which the curtains drape on the floor adds more romance and texture to this space. 

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Panel tracks.

The look: Modern, contemporary. 

I know this isn't a window covering in the image, but panel tracks are hot right now. They can be used as window coverings, room dividers as seen here, or even as closet doors. The variety of styles are vast and can fit virtually any room. 

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Panel track system. 

The look: Modern, contemporary. 

Another example of a panel track used as a privacy screen for a sliding glass door.