LIGHTING IMPACTS A SMALL SPACEVisit the Taylor Gourmet in DC

Hi everyone...I am still enjoying my DC-cation with my family but wanted to check in and say hello. As I was flying eastbound, I read a neat article in Dwell magazine about a new gourmet deli in DC called Taylor Gourmet. Green standards, rustic design and great food - I had to try it. So here are a few photos from our visit. Sure enough, sweet staff, great decor (love the reclaimed wood accent that's an easy and fab DIY) and amazing sandwiches. I especially loved the grouping of single bulbs that creates a cool art installment-meets-efficient lighting. Try this idea in your own small space. And if you live in the DC area, check out Taylor Gourmet.

holiday time and a little news for you

photo inspiration via domino

hello lovely lls readers!

just a note that I am on holiday for the next few weeks and will be posting here and there. in the meantime, get out there and be inspired every day, snap photos of things that make you smile and showcase them around your home.

And, a little news, I am relaunching loving. living. small. in a few weeks with a whole new look, content, video and new url of simply lovinglivingsmall.com. I will be redirecting you through Blogger but when the time comes, I really hope you join me over at the new weblog. Details soon.

happy summer | xo, rebecca

LOVING EATING SMALL: Half of the ATLA Gang Have A Panini Party

Panini party! Love Emily and Gregory's plates!

The *before* of my contribution. Brie, raspberries and grapes. I thought these rolls would be a good alternate to pain bread. Um, yea, no. Gregory did give it a good shot but these little guys wouldn't press.
They still were tasty!

The cheese spread.

We kept eating these fab paninis. Of course Emily's generous butter prep helped!

Sweet view of Los Angeles and tasty grilled plums that were paired with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

I wanted to share these fun photos from a little ATLA soiree last week. Gregory and Emily hosted half of the gang at their comfy pad before Beth's rockin show. Laure, Abby and I headed over to Silver Lake for a bring-your-own bread, cheese and toppings evening. It was a great entertaining idea and we had a lot of fun. Small space tip - forget formal dining and sit around your coffee table. And check out the view from their pad - sweet! All photos by Gregory right here.

Blogging Design Star over at Apartment Therapy Pick up tons of design do's and don'ts for your small space.

The judges cited "scale" as a positive in one of the winning rooms - the living room.

My Monday posts over at Apartment Therapy will recap and chat about the Sunday episodes of Design Star | HGTV. I am looking forward to checking out what design elements and style each contestant has to offer. So click here to check out my Monday post. And although the rules have a changed and the judges ultimately vote the winner this season, there is still a chance for you to vote your fave contestant right into their own online show! Click here to learn how. Loving new media! I wonder if they will do a small space challenge??? And what did you think of the 1st episode??

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Paperweights

1. MoMA 2. iomoi 3. A + R 4. anthropologie 5. chiasso

In the days of electronic mail, blogging, IMing, twittering, you name it, writing letters is easy to overlook as a form of correspondence. For me, I am going old school. I recently bought some new stationary and wanted to place it out on my desk with a little accent - a paperweight. I have always wanted an personalized one so I think I may get one from iomoi. Personal accents, like a paperweight, can add an extra little impact in your small space. and you can't really place personal objects like this on your computer. :)

SMALL SPACE SOLUTION: One Less Desk

How fun and resourceful is this desk by One Less Desk via Josh Spear? Super compact in design that extends to more space when you need it. No folding, just rolling. Especially enjoy the thoughtful desing in the back of the desk to control those cords. Love this for any small space!

USING YOUR WALLS: Molding

Yes, molding. Super easy and affordable. Use molding to create a small space accent in your home that adds style and texture. I am loving the look of this space via lovehome. Have you tried a little molding in your small space?

COLOR PALETTES SPARK SMALL SPACE DESIGN IDEAS

SMALL SPACE + CLUTTER = A SUCCESS! House Beautiful's Spread of Joe Nye's Stylish & Small Apartment

[Joe has integrated tons of great small space ideas and solutions in his gorgeous home.]

I have been a fan of Joe Nye's classic with a colorful twist design aesthetic for a long time. I *love* his fabulous spread featured in House Beautiful this month showing how small space and clutter can work. YES!!

Sure, small space tips often talked about are editing and clutter-free zones but life is full and this designer prefers to show off his possessions and gems. The comfortable and rich home is sophisticated yet comfortable and full of some serious design inspiration. Joe has used many small space solutions and ideas from layering furniture to mixing and matching texture to stacking magazines to going vertical by using large plants to add color and draw the eye up.

[images via House Beautiful magazine 8/09]

Furniture For Small Spaces. Try Open Shelves.

[A line of Pottery Barn's studio shelves work in a small space.]

If you read loving. living. small. then you know that I often talk about using your walls as a small space solution. Going vertical is a way to really use your small space and there are many ways to use this space. One idea - open shelves. Line an entire wall with your every own wall-to-wall shelves to create a cohesive and balances vibe in your small space while creating a visual impact and giving your small space tons of storage opportunities. Also, open shelves won't weigh the room down and will allow for an your accent wall color or texture to be part of the room palette.

SMALL SPACE DIY: Make Your Own Banqutte Seating

Oh la la - I love the look of a couch, sofa or bench accompanying a dining table. Casual yet elegant and very accessible. Consider creating a banquette seating design in your small space by multi-tasking your furniture. A lot of small space dwellers use rooms for different purposes and a dining or kitchen table is often placed in the "living room". If so, check out small space sofas like Ikea's Ektrop or Pottery Barn's and slide it up to your table when you hare having guests over to create this look. Check out the photos I snapped at Calypso Home for a little inspiration.

SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK: 5 Small Space Solutions In One Room

I really love this serene bedroom featured over at Elle Decor. I've spotted 5 small space solutions that you lovely readers can easily interpret in your own small space.

1 | The frames are placed higher on the wall, drawing the eye up. This is a nice use of wall space.

2 | The symmetry of the matching lamps creates a nice weight in the space, providing balance.

3 | The matching ottomans at the end of the bed have many uses - extra seating, place for storage, anchor in the space.

4 | The tall headboard and the frames feel like an accent wall while the other walls are clear and simple.

5 | These tiered side tables work better then a single drawer option and provide tons of extra storage for book and knick knacks.

See the entire *gorgeous* apartment right here. Personally, I am loving this design style and use of space. I'm immediately stashing this look in my DREAM HOUSE FILE.

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Anisette

Yes, the food and wine is fab at Anisette but I love the elegant and classic decor at this french spot in Santa Monica. Candlelight bounces off of the mirrors and gilded accents showcasing the dark wood textures and tone. I wanted to turn this restaurant into a small seating area that was casual yet sophisticated to show how inspiration for your home can be found everywhere.

4 New Webisodes - Blog Out Loud TV

4 new episodes from the Blog Out Loud event can be found right here.

Find out the inspiration behind Blog Out Loud, the importance of crediting content and meet some of the panel and why they got into blogging in the first place.

USING YOUR WALLS: Single Shelf Horizontal Wall Gallery

Hi lovely lls readers, head over to Apartment Therapy to enjoy quite a lovely (and large) house tour that I had the pleasure of posting. The neat thing about homes - big or small - is the inspiration that can be found in every corner and can be interpreted in any size space. Loving this lounge space in the couple's home and how intimate and cozy it feels with a small space tip thrown in - using the wall to draw the eye up and make this smaller room open wide. The single shelf placed high with the other pictures adoring the wall make a great visual impact.

HARD ROCK'S SMALL & STYLISH CABANAAnd An Evening With The Roots Poolside

I am getting my funk on tonight at a poolside concert at the Hard Rock Hotel in h-o-t Las Vegas! The Roots are one of my fave old school bands and this should be a great show. Also loving - the sweet and stylish cabanas that line the landscape design of the pool. Neutral tones and a small L-shaped couch that can seat many make this small poolside space work! Have a great weekend!

SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK: Use Dark Paint To Create A Big Impact

One of my fave designers, Kelly Van Patter, has such a gorgeous home in Silverlake. I love how rustic yet elegant yet accessible her design aesthetic is - lovely! I especially love her dining room and how she incorporated a very neat design element that would work in a small space. Instead of keeping the molding dark and everything else white, she painted the main wall a dark color and kept the border white. Since the ceiling is also white, this allows for the space to really open up and keep your eye moving towards the ceiling. Fab! Check out a full tour of Kelly's home over at Apartment Therapy.

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Zodiac Pillows

Pillows are a great way to add color and texture to your small space. Loving these pretty zodiac pillows that I spotted at Calypso Home. The neutral fabric provide a sweet background to the pretty and sparkly zodiac accent. Fun!

SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK: Customize Your Furniture To Suit Your Small Space

one of the best small space tips is to edit your space. really be thoughtful about the furniture and decor you keep so you can use it in the best way possible. an extension of this idea is to create or even customize furniture so it really fits in your small home. there are fab ways to achieve this without breaking the bank.

one example is a palette bed I spotted over at Design*. I love how rustic and visual this twin bed is - small but makes a big impact. by picking up a few palettes (just head over to a chain home store like Home Depot and you can grab some in the back for free) and casters (also at Home Depot for about $10/each), this small space DIY is accessible and resourceful.

Check out more pages from the SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK.

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Row Houses

Georgetown

Amsterdam

Boston

San Francisco

Soho

I have always wanted to live in a row house and can easily say my love of small spaces could be inspired by them. I grew up in MD and often visited DC and Georgetown and my love of these pretty vertical buildings was sealed early on. The architecture, lines and texture of the facades are gorgeous and their vertical size is super appealing. I can see why I've always felt comfy in big vertical cities like New York and San Francisco. Small space ideas are aplenty inside these gems - now I just gotta get myself one! Have a great weekend and enjoy the holiday!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Old Magazines

I often talk about my stacks of inspiration notebooks where I keep years of old magazine pages, imagery, you name it! I often flip through them to gather inspiration for loving. living. small., apartment therapy and other projects I am working on. In fact, these little books are what encouraged me to start a blog. Since they are hidden away in books, I started blogging some of images I keep in here and it not only keeps them fresh and relevant but provides a new place to house them. I am a big believer in keeping old mags - love flipping through them and stacking them and all that good stuff. Consider starting your own inspiration book and enjoy!