design inspiration / shop style
undiscovered in venice, ca










After a yummy brunch with friends a few weeks ago in Venice, we strolled along Abbott Kinney and enjoyed the day. We popped into a {new to me} shop called undiscovered and I knew immediately that I had found a new fave design inspiration. Wow - this shop is so gorgeous and so thoughtfully curated, you can tell the love and creative style that was put into picking every cool piece inside. I immediately fell for a cashmere Missoni throw and the Roost pewter leaf salt wells. There are tons of goodies in this shop - books, clothes, curiosities, a curated art gallery but I was really drawn to the art direction of the space - I felt great in there. Vaulted ceilings made way for exposed brick walls that connected the space to the cement floors. The huge floor windows let natural light flood inside. Much like creating a space you love to live in at home, it's always fantastic to enter a shop, restaurant, gallery, any space that makes you feel just as fab. Click here to check out more of the shop.


:: All images by loving. living. small. ::


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loving. eating. small.
salts infused with sweetness







The warm weather and blue skies have definitely put me in a sweet mood and I wanted to share a tray that I recently put together to enjoy with friends - strawberries, whipped cream and flavored salt with a touch of sweet.  Lemon twist sea salt, Green Tea Matcha sea salt and Lime Fresco sea salt  - oh la la. Oh and this is a healthier sweet treat when using fat free Cool Whip. I bet the chocolate kind would be delish too - yum!

So much more to come this summer with the launch of SALT GENERAL STORE

Click here to follow @SaltGenStore and stay in touch for the launch just a few months away.



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small space d.i.y.
affordable missoni artwork









A few days ago, I posted a digital snapshot of my 15 currents fave objects, places and decor inspiration, including a Missoni hand towel. I recently picked up one of these colorful chevron towels for $25. While that is a lot for a towel (at least for me), I thought I could use it for a small space d.i.y. in my home and an affordable piece of artwork.

Like my project of framing shoe dustbags, I framed the towel and placed it on a wall in my small hallway that needed a little love. I am really happy with how this came out. I actually got rid of the glass for the frame and just kept it open to allow the texture of the towel to really show. Definitely consider creating inspiration in your home that makes you feel good, makes you smile and simply inspires. There are no rules to decorating your own home - big or small. Make it what you want and enjoy - yes!

:: all photos by loving. living. small. ::

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loving. living. small. digital snapshot | no. 2
15 things that I'm currently loving...




{click the image to make it bigger}



I was e-flipping through my blog and found my digital snapshot that I created last summer of items and style that I was loving at the time. I am still loving all these things and was inspired to add another digital snapshot. Here are 15 items, things, places and happenings that are currently making me smile everyday. And click here to check out digital snapshot no. 1.


:: clockwise ::

my new ipad2 - now just need a cool case like this bamboo one, bottle of presecco, the lo-mob app, my latte in the morning, this pretty mural via living magazine, personalized placemats, embroidered footstool by jonathan adler, yellow sette at urban outfitters, missoni hand towel, pure ocean salt, tory burch white flats, saarinen tulip table, italian vase, wood chair, undisovered in venice, ca photo snapped by me



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design cycler
a fashion makeover inspires new organization style




The wardrobe design cycle begins...


As you edit your items, also make note of what you'll be adding back in.

Jennifer and Robin discuss tight, white and somehow see-through jeans. Also note Jennifer's wall adornment, a clothing basket and no art. 


Finished and tired but worth it. Jennifer takes a break on her donation bags.

After the design cycle, organized closet. 

After the design cycle, using the same hangers make a small space organized and appear bigger because of it. 

Artwork by Jennifer's grandmother, an antique chair and pillow from the living room become part of the bedroom decor. 

A pop of color against a white wall works. 

The vanity is organized. 


Favorite Jonathan Adler vases from the living room are added to the vanity to add comfort and style.



Welcome back to DESIGN CYCLE/r, a new series about (re)creating your life and style. A few weeks ago, I shared my own design cycle when I began coveting the Saarinen Tulip table. I have always loved that table and began mentally making over and edit my small space to include it in my living. 

Today I have a new design cycle to to share - the fashion makeover. After years of same old, same old - my great friend, Jennifer, decided to evolve her clothing style. She simply called it "A New, Old Me" Although she had just bought a ton of new clothes, including "a cute gray J. Crew dress", it was part of the same old thing. Yearning for a fashion change while keeping her comfort level - Jennifer needed a design cycle. 

Enter, Robin of High Heel In A Haystack. Fashion stylist, guru and  With Robin's help, out went the old and in came a new understanding of style and fab how-to tips for looking your best self. Throughout the process, another design cycle began to play out. Creating a peaceful and comfortable space. The closet soon became an organized and visually appealing space with pretty palette inside. Best closet tip - use the same hangers. I promise - you'll feel better in your closet. Be recycling items she already had like bringing her Jonathan Adler vases into her bedroom to add to her vanity and creating a design vignette by bringing in one of her vintage chairs, placing a throw pillow and hanging her grandmother's painting. Done and done and feeling better already. A successful design cycle - mind, body soul & home.

There are many cool things about this type of design cycle from beginning to end. What starts as a fashion overhaul ends with home organization - double design cycle. And design cycles are personal, big or small, there are no rules, no rhyme, no reason. It's how you feel in your best life as your best self, right? Sometimes it may be changing all the flowers in your home and other times, it may be making over your entire wardrobe or flipping the layout of your space. Best parts of this design cycle - 

*Editing things in your space that you don't need, use, want, care about anymore will literally make you feel lighter, better, stronger, more comfortable. 

*Make a list of new items to add back in to your collection.

*You have great things in your home so consider (re)using them. 

*Make time to make your space feel good by adding in personal items to your decor. 

*Seek thoughts from friends. A friendly push in the "you really never wear that or use that" direction can help with any and all design cycles. 

*Bag as you go. Donate when you are done.

*Embrace your new passion during the design cycle.


Enjoy reading about Jennifer's design cycle here and here as she embraces a fashion makeover and a bedroom lift.  


Are you a DESIGN CYCLE/r too? 

Do you want to, need to, yearn to, definitely have to change your style? 



:: all images by loving. living. small. ::

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small space d.i.y.
make your own honeycomb collective mirror


















:: My photos take you through this easy project ::


I have a great mirror small space D.I.Y. for you guys today that I did in my own home a few weeks ago. It took me under 2 hours and about $60. Mirrors are one of my best small space accents because they really open up a space. I have tons of mirrors in my home from traditional mirrors to mirrored tables to mirrored vases - all in an effort to make my small space appear larger then it really is. 

I hauled this wood palette home a few months ago and placed it on top of my mantle. I wasn't quite sure what to put on here but knew that it needed a mirror to help open up the room a bit more. I really love the honeycomb pattern but didn't really own anything with it so when I spotted these new mirrors at Ikea, I thought they'd make a very cool project. I taped some free cardboard together and then placed the mirror in the pattern that I liked (there's 10 of these guys in a box for about $15). I bought a picture hanger for $10 and nailed it into the palette and used Goop to attach it to the cardboard and hung it on up. Done and done.

I really love how it came out. The mirrors are two-toned with an amber glass and a silver glass. I like that I created my own thing, it kinda looks artsy (maybe?? :) and it was something that I wanted - honeycomb. This type of project is the most special kind since I really created a piece in my home that I love and that makes me smile when I see it. 


:: all images by loving. living. small. ::



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loving. living. small.'s 500,000th visitor
10 of my fave small space posts




*WOW WOW WOW*

I was super excited to see that my little blog has reached a big milestone - over a half a million visitors!!! I can't believe that what started as a place to virtually store my inspiration has become a place for other people to embrace inspiration as well. I seriously can't get over the amazing comments and personal emails from you guys. I absolutely appreciate it and thank you for reading and engaging in loving. living. small. Love it! 

So *cheers* to 500,000 of you! This is still my personal blog and I look forward to sharing more inspiration with you guys. In the meantime, here are ten of my fave posts since I started this little blog in 2008


*I still LOVE a striped wall. And I still own that issue of New York Mag, framed in my office here.


*I loved this idea of framing book covers - super clever. I was only 4 weeks old and this was the first post that was picked up by a big website. This time - Renest.

*I really do love this duo of mirrors and must try it in my own small space. 

*One of my many many many posts about how inspiration can be spotted *everywhere*. In this case, a pretty Vogue mural painted on a wall in Maryland

*Use your rooms for your needs not for their names. Goodbye eat-in-kitchen, hello home office

*This was my biggest traffic post to date - Apartment Therapy's post about loving. living. small. Ironically, this was just a few weeks before they sent out the call for new bloggers. I applied and I was invited to join the ATLA team in mid-July 2008.





Want a little more loving. loving. small. love?

Check out my pinterest boards here - there are over 19 of 'em.

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loving. eating. small.
fab foods to make in your small space








** See more food finds and 18 other design boards right here **

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small space color palette
spring style








Oh la la am I having spring fever! Maybe it's that I have a bunch of adventures planned or that I am preparing a colorful launch but spring style is in my head. I am not really a pink/purple/yellow/blue gal but I definitely am considering embracing this palette after seeing these gorgeous ice cubes via Living. Yes, loving. living. small. friends, you can actually *eat* these ice cubes with edible flowers! They are stunning - my oh my. Of course I wanted turn this into a small space to see how this palette would play out. I thought this kitchen was perfect! I love the color mix and the texture mix, including the kitchen rug (Yes, do this!) and the blue and purple accents. The small space tip here is the neutral cabinets in white and the warm wood from the table and the counter tops. Consider the balance in your small space - trust me - you can pull of tons of different color and texture combinations if you have balance and scale as the foundation. {Click here to read 5 design principles to follow for small spaces


:: top image via Living magazine and bottom image via Ralfefarfars Paradise :: 


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