MODERN DESIGNERS 101

Modern furniture studio - DESIGN WITHIN REACH - has an incredibly thorough encyclopedia of classic designers right on their site. Click here to learn about the creative architects behind popular pieces such as the Eames Lounge Chair, Saarinen table and Arco Floor lamp.

Enjoy!

YULIA HANANSEN MOSAIC STUDIO

I love seeing mosaic designs. The Wynn Las Vegas has an amazing mosaic floor throughout the hotel that is always inspiring (bottom pic). I recently discovered mosaic artist Yulia Hanansen. I love love love her peony piece (top pic)! See her work here.

Enjoy!

HARMONIE INTERIEURE

I recently discovered the French-based Harmonie Interieurie and the gorgeous vintage wall decals and decorations that are available on their online store. Pretty, chic and stylish - these art pieces would be a timeless addition to your small space.

Enjoy!

DOMINO TURNS A MOVIE INTO A ROOM

I have posted before about turning an outfit into a room. One of my resources noted was Domino Magazine as they often feature this inspiring idea. Well the May '08 issue steps it up a notch by turning a movie into a room.

Highlighted classic film- The Graduate (1967).

I love how effortlessly the design team re-creates the aesthetic and feel of the popular movie. I epecially love the black plantation shade room divider, pop of yellow from the lemon and the scale of the palm tree.

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Ruben Toledo

I'm a big fan of Ruben Toledo's pretty illustrations! His latest art fills Nina Garcia's new fashion guide, The Little Black Book of Style. He's also penned his own work, Style Dictionary. Plus he's collaborated with Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs, to name a few.

Small space tip - cut out your favorite drawings and frame them to create a gallery in your home.

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Silhouette update

Just spent a nice afternoon at The Grove in LA. I popped into Barney's CO-OP to find a whimsical and hip silhouette display. Visual displays in boutiques are a great way to get inspiration for your own space. Also, I spotted and snapped up the new fab Marc by Marc Jacobs Airline Jaquard Magazine clutch. Fun!

CURB APPEAL

We dig our neighbors tiny over-the-garage apartment. In particular the cute balcony and what looks like a stylish pad from the outside in. Take note of your favorite home or building in your neighborhood and draw inspiration from it.

Enjoy!

LOVING EATING SMALL: Father's Office via Culver City

Ok - Father's Office Culver City is not as small as the original Santa Monica location. But this popular bar & restaurant definitely serves up the same amazing burgers, sweet potato fries and 20+ beers on tap just with a bit more space. Freshly opened this week, Father's Office 2.0 (as the LA Times has dubbed it) features a large outdoor deck and is the perfect stop for a bite and a beer while checking out the great furniture shops housed in the old Helms Bakery.

Enjoy!

CALYPSO HOME via BRENTWOOD COUNTRY MART

Just as stylish and innovative as it's sister-store for clothes and accessories, Calypso Home offers home goods inspired by store owner, Chrisitane's, world-travels and appreciation of fine craftsmanship. The collection embodies her signature style through a variety of interesting textiles, furniture, and exotic objects from Africa, India, Syria, Europe, South America, and much more.

Check out my friend's gorgeous lamp she purchased there last year. Oh, and when at the Brentwood Country Mart, get a chocolate brownie at The City Bakery. Yum!

Enjoy!

AN HONOR JUST TO BE NOMINATED...

I always thought that line was silly but it is true for this year's Apartment Therapy's Small Cool 2008 contest! Although we won't be winning the contest, it was fun to be picked as a semi-finalist and to be part of the community of great little apartments on display. Check out all of the Small Cool pads here. And see our little square in the above pic - bottom row/middle.

Enjoy!

NEED HELP PICKING YOUR COLOR PALETTE?

When creating the look of your small space, pulling together a harmonious color palette may seem to be quite the challenge. How do you strike a color balance between wall, floor, fabric, furniture pieces?

Martha Stewart Living's May issue has a resourceful spread about color and how to pick a palette. Definitely click here to see all of the information about color principles.

SMALL OUTDOOR SPACE AT IT'S FINEST

This gorgeous rooftop "room" in New York City is amazing! (via Metropolitian Home magazine) A small space in it's own right (500 sq ft), this space allows the homeowner to enjoy a room that serves multiple purposes - relaxation/entertaining/enjoyment. The use of eco-friendly materials only adds to this one-of-my-favorite spaces ever! And interestingly enough, the horizontal slated wood design creates vertical space, drawing your eye up to create a feeling of depth of space.

Enjoy!

COOL EXHIBIT: Geoff McFetridge

Geoff McFetridge for Pottock wallpaper's super cool designs are featured as "art" in a current exhibit held at the tragically hip french boutique, colette. (via Josh Spear) Check out my other mention of colette in a posting about Andy Spade's Book Covers as Art exhibit.

Enjoy!

FARMER'S MARKET COLORS

There are awesome farmer's markets in Southern California. Tons of local produce and vegetable farmers set up shop and offer a huge selection of vibrant organic delights. The colors are super inspiring! Even our made-to-order omelettes were colorful! Add our nice walk on the beach and it was a lovely day :)

Hope you had a nice Sunday!

MIRRORED CLOSET DOORS TWIST

I like this twist on mirrored closet doors! The molding is interesting - it adds even more depth to the room.

Enjoy!

WINDOW MAKEOVER UPDATE

A few weeks ago, I featured Emma Jeff's pretty window surface designs that create privacy with style. I also found these neat designs via Rare Device. Designed by Strossel Designs in Sweden, this group comes in a variety of opaque patters with some including pale shades of purple or grey.

Enjoy!

CLEVER: Acrylic end tables

Love this idea of showcasing a stack of books under a clear side table! (via Apartment Therapy)

LOVING EATING SMALL: delicious in Los Angeles

I work a few blocks away from - delicious - a little cafe that's attached to the Frank Gehry building. They have a nice menu of prepared foods, sandwiches and smoothies plus a perfect deck to eat your lunch.

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE D.I.Y.: Original artwork

I love the idea of creating original artwork for your small space. It's personal, fun and rewarding to extend your creativity. I have created a few things for my home. We loved this picture of a real jazz band posing. I did a little Photoshop magic, got a few frames on sale and - voila - a colorful centerpiece for our mirrored buffet!

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Coasters

It's all in the details! Pick up some fun coasters that match your decor! Iomoi has a fun selection of customized coasters, along with other goodies like stationary, paper weights and tray.

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Andrea Cobb

I discovered Andrea Cobb's gorgeous illustrations a few years ago in an In Style magazine spread that now lives in my Inspiration Notebook. Her work in is truly amazing! Beautiful colors and design, they almost seem like abstract photography to me instead of original illustrations.

(pictured top : bottom)

In Style spread in my Inspiration Notebook, Central Park, American Beech & Breeze.

Enjoy - and get that Inspiration Notebook started!

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Penmanship magnets

These penmanship magnets designed by Pink Loves Brown are super cute and fun! Pick your favorite letter to showcase on your fridge.

A tip for small spaces - think about the little little things. Like color coordinating magnets on your fridge to compliment, say, your plateware?

Enjoy!

CLOTHES CALL

We keep our laundry hamper in our bedroom vs. our not-so-big walk-in closet. We went with a pretty wicker design but I also like this Maire Pi interpretation, made with natural wood and fabric.

Enjoy!

WE MADE IT TO THE SEMI-FINALS!!

LOVING / LIVING / SMALL's very own small space has been picked as a semi-finalist in Apartment Therapy's Small Cool Apartment 2008 contest!!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR US!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR US!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR US!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR US!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR US!

xx

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Silhouette Portraits

A solid profile in stark contrast, silhouette portraits are striking and fun! These prints seem timeless! Karl Johnson is an amazing silhouette artist and he offers his services to make your own profile into art. (via Cut Arts). Check out my portrait at the top.

Enjoy!

SUNSHINE DAY

It's nice and hot in LA today with a high of 90!

Enjoy your Saturday!

CUSTOMIZE YOUR VERY OWN FLOORPLAN

I found this neat site called Floorplanner that allows you to customize your very own floor plan - right down to the colors and textures!

Check out LOVING LIVING SMALL's very own floorplan - even down to our zebra stools/coffee tables. Actual pics of our place below - pretty accurate, huh? (p.s. since I am new to this, my measurements are all off but the layout is in tact :)

Enjoy!

PERSONALIZING YOUR SMALL SPACE

Since my boyfriend and I live in a 1 bdrm/1 bath, I like to keep the bathroom guest-ready yet still informal and comfy for us to live with 24/7.

One little tip when entertaining is to place pretty soap and a lit candle when guests come over. It makes the bathroom space inviting. I like these personalized soap sets and candles. It's a nice gesture to show you care about your guests being in your home.

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE D.I.Y.: Branch headboard

I spotted this pretty headboard a few weeks ago and thought it would be a fab D.I.Y. project. Plus it creates a great focal point in the bedroom. This really helps to anchor your small space.

• Simply buy some drywall and measure it from the floor to the top of the mattress.
• Layout your branch design and make holes in the drill wall every 4-6 inches.
• Fasten long branches to the drywall using glue.
• Weave the wire between the front & back of the dry wall to secure the branches.
• When completed, drill the dry wall behind the bed and you have a gorgeous, handmade, rustic headboard.
  

Here are some other headboard ideas.

Enjoy!

JUST A REMINDER...

Flowers are an inexpensive way to accent your small space for everyday occasions! (personal photo snapped in SF's Union Square)

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Georgetown, D.C.

I grew up in Maryland and also lived in Georgetown just 2 years ago. I l-o-v-e that city! So pretty with the rowhouses (simply gorgeous), cobblestone streets and a canal through the city. Georgetown is colorful and has stunning architecture. It's bustling with boutiques - like the hip design district Cady's Alley, tasty restaurants and historical statements - like Old Stone House (bottom pic). Built in 1765, this is the oldest home in the city and still standing on Wisconsin Avenue. And a charming small space at that!

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Wall murals

I was shooting a spot today for work and our location was a hip record store. They had a fab wall mural as their focal point and I loved it! I have always been a fan of creating 1 accent wall in your small space. In our apartment, we painted 1 wall clay red. Another way to do this is putting up a wall mural (sticks like wallpaper).

There are some wonderful companies that offer a range of styles and you can even customize. Check out the huge selection at Murals Your Way. I also love that Urban Outfitters is offering fun ideas. I love the BAR scene featured above. It reminds me of living in New York!

Enjoy!

NOT SO LAZY SUNDAY

My best friend came to visit this weekend and we took advantage of the gorgeous 70 degree LA weather today and went on an awesome hike in Runyan Canyon. While I love living in my small space, I definitely enjoy getting out and about and taking in all that Southern California has to offer. Here are some pics from our hike. They are pretty inspiring and colorful!

Enjoy your Sunday!

A LITTLE SURPRISE IN THE MAIL

I receive a few design catalogs in the mail and today I got a new one - Jayson Home & Garden. What a nice little surprise! This lovely store features fine and rare home goods plus floral and plant delivery. Check out their site today for some inspiration for your small space. I especially love the driftwood mirror! While a bit pricey from the store, this idea could be a fab DIY for you at home?!

(pictured top : bottom)
Sophie Lounge chair, Garden, Floral, Palm Leaf bowls, Driftwood mirror

Enjoy!

"PEEK" INTO TINY COOL NYC APARTMENTS

I will be posting about my "day job" throughout LOVING / LIVING / SMALL since that's where I get some of my creative inspiration. I produce tv commercials and am fortunate to work with really creative and talented directors, editors, visual efx designers, music composers, you name it!

A boutique design company located in Brooklyn, Big Spaceship, created this clever micro-site for HBO, simply titled HBO Voyeur. The site allows you to "peek" into a virtual New York city apartment building to see what the tenants are up to and how they live. Their spaces are all small and designed to suit the owner. Fun, clever and you can zoom in on what's happening while jamming to some eclectic tunes!

Enjoy!

DESIGN JUMPSTART: LOVING / LIVING / SMALL

I've been working on LOVING / LIVING / SMALL for 3 months now and it's been so much fun! The biggest reward so far is seeing and being part of this large, extended community of design bloggers, anyone and everyone interested in design and, well, people wanting to feel inspired in life! I truly believe in going after your creative passion. There is always an excuse to not do something so you have to just jump in and go for it. You really will feel a sense of reward and kindness to yourself.

Definitely check out a new series, "Roadmaps: A Guide to Creative Pursuit", for guidance and resource created by...

Erin @ Design For Mankind

Holly @ Decor8

Marisa @ Creative Thursday

Enjoy & GO FOR IT!

APPRECIATING SMALL SPACE DWELLINGS

Check out this neat company, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, that I found while reading a new fave site, RiverWired. (an awesome "green" social network site full of relevant and interesting news and stories)

Tumbleweed Houses are incredibly small and built for people that can really appreciate living in a small small space. They are eco-friendly structures and smartly built.

(picture top : bottom)

Biensi House (70 sq ft)

Weebee House (110 sq ft)