KATE SPADE: Evolved

The bold colors that Kate Spade works with in her designs always appear feminine and engaging. Her site and stores are full of design inspiration and she has come a long way from her classic nylon handbag.

Check out her amazing time line here and you'll find her story as well as snapshots of the always enjoyable print campaigns. Usually a simple story of a woman living life - the colors and art direction really are a true reflection of Kate's style.

Enjoy!

ANDY SPADE: Clever

Andy Spade, husband of Kate, is also established in the world of design. His store, Jack Spade, is full of products that men turn to for reliability, style and design. I was really interested to check out Andy's clever art exhibition he held a few years ago at the French boutique, Colette. His idea of "looking at books instead of reading them" was eye-catching and resourceful as art. Again, using the walls as a defined space, create your own gallery to showcase color and depth. Frames work great too!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler, of KWID, is a design inspiration. She has creatively concepted homes, hotels, penned multiple design books and created a line of fabrics. Plus you can find the Kelly Wearstler collection at the ever iconic Bergdorff's. Her books are a fabulous resource for design ideas. But if you can, check out the hotels she has touched - bold, glamorous, brilliant yet accessible and comfortable. Pull from her themes as you work with your own small space design.

(pictured top : bottom)
Viceroy Santa Monica, Viceroy Palm Springs, Avalon Hotel.

Enjoy!

WINDOW MAKEOVER: Glass window film

Emma Jeff's surface material designs are so gorgeous and practical. In lieu of bulky curtains or shades, try using one of these beautifully designed glass pane treatments aka stylish window interiors. I especially like the Bespoke line. Digitally enhanced window film that is adapted to your own glass dimensions and offered in multiple colors and styles.

Enjoy!

FURNITURE FIND: Overstock.com

Overstock.com has definitely evolved into quite the shopping resource with offerings that rival any boutique store but for a fraction of the cost. I especially love the home furnishings section. I spotted a great set of chairs - the Scarlett Twill Club / Accent Chair (pictured above). Plus the format of the site allows you to view up to 100 items per page. Seeing all those items at once is very inspiring! Oh, and with the $2.95 shipping you can afford to check out the jewelery section too!

Enjoy!

USING YOUR WALLS: Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves

As I have mentioned, walls in a small space are a great resource. For example, consider using floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to showcase your books or art pieces. Check out Apartment Therapy's SF House Tour: Philip and Tania's Noe Valley Contemporary Victorian. Their main living space (above pic) features a white bookcase against a white wall - tons of storage and a cool clean floating vibe. Color tip - group your items on the shelves in matching colors or in a specific color scheme to make you shelves feel like art.

USING YOUR WALLS: Hanging or leaning wine rack

If you need to reconsider space in your small space, why not consider going vertical? I love this wooden wall mounted wine rack. Rustic, resourceful and even a neat way to display your wine as art. I also find this leaning Riddling rack interesting and pretty.

Enjoy!

TINY THINGS FOR TINY SPACES

I absolutely believe that you can use big design pieces in a small space. Yet sometimes you need compact accessories too. In that case, head over to tinyliving.com. Neat options across the board from accessories to furniture to lighting to kitchen needs.

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE: Tiny Houses

Check out these really small spaces at tinyhouse.net. A fun site that features real small living at it's best!

A FAVE SITE: Weego Home

Weego Home was created a few years ago as an antidote to the uber-chic, minimalist modern furniture stores and was an instant hit! Featuring a vibrant range of colors on all of their furniture and accents, Weego Home is always a shopping stop when I am in Venice. Check out the store or the site for amazing design inspiration!

Enjoy!

APARTMENT IN A BOX

Check out Casulo, the brilliant modular setup designed by Marcel Krings & Sebastian Mühlhäuser, that hides furnishings enough for an entire room! Pictured above are a before and after or click on Casulo to check out the video. You have to love to live small if you live inside this box.

Enjoy!

SMALL GEM IN THE KITCHEN: Flavored Sea Salt

When I came across Jaden's Steamy Kitchen blog featuring make-your-own flavored sea salt, I knew that I had found a true gem. Plus her site is full of wonderful asian-inspired cooking tips so definitely go check it out.

Her make-you-own flavored salt flavors include (pictured top : bottom) Szechuan peppercorn salt, Citrus salt and Matcha salt, which is green tea infused salt. My oh my!

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Orla Kiely

Orla Kiely is a fantastic designer. She offers clothes and home decor, including pretty textiles and fun dishware. Great sense of style and color, check out her site to find some neat ideas and great pieces for your own home.

Enjoy!

ULTRA SMALL SPACE FROM DWR

Pre-fab homes and spaces are being used more and more by eco-friendly and smaller space dwellers. Design Within Reach has introduced the ultra small space - the 9 x 13 Kithaus. This neat little pre-fab can be placed inside another space or stand alone. It's fully insulated and pre-wired plus you can customize it with additional fun things - like a sweet little deck. Love that!

Enjoy!

SMALL SPACE ACCENTS: Shell planters

Shells have been popping up in home decor lately, offering more then just a "day at the beach" feel. With the feel of nature, shells have beautiful shape and texture and typically come in neutral colors.

I spent last weekend in Encinitas, CA, a sleepy beach town a few miles north of San Diego. I was able to visit one of my favorite gems - Gardenology. An inspirational store that fuses interior design and outdoor living in perfect harmony. Quite a lovely store with tons of amazing pieces for outdoor living at it's best! I came across these plaster shell planters in a various sizes and immediately snapped up a baby one for my kitchen window - love it!

Enjoy!

FAVE ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIAL: Cork

Cork is such a fabulous material and has certainly been gaining popularity in mainstream design. Popping up all over the place, cork has a large sustainability of production and is easy to recycle. It's super eco-friendly and easy on the eyes. Awesome texture and a neutral color, cork is where it's at.

(pictured top to bottom)
My oh my do I love these cork candles from Pottery Barn. They can be monogrammed to suit to be a special gift or lovely display in your small space, these are truly wonderful. My friend turned me onto this neat cork ottoman found at West Elm - showing that cork is really starting to be introduced into real furniture design. Of course a cork floor is a great alternative to tile or even wood. Check out these cork planters from IKEA. Pretty and simple, they're affordable and create a great accent piece. Finally, I love these cork lamp bases - super cool and gorgeous. (also hard to find, it seems).

Try some cork in your space and enjoy!

SMALL SPACE, BIG STYLE (HGTV)

One of my favorite shows is Small Space, Big Style on HGTV.

L-O-V-E it!

Showcasing living spaces 1000 sq ft and under, SSBS is a fantastic resource when designing and decorating your own small space. Plus they discuss design issues and how to solve them.

I particularly loved a recent episode that featured Krista's Santa Monica cottage. Her taste is great - a colorful eclectic yet classic vibe (living room pictured above). She also discusses a common problem that occurs in a small space.

• Problem: What is the focal point in the main room? She has a large rectangular space for her main room that she wanted to divide into 2 spaces - living and dining. She also had an off-center fireplace that she did not want to focus on.

• Solution: Krista decided to hang a series of framed artwork to create an anchor. She was able to really define the living room space aside from the placement of the fireplace. She could then create a sitting space for her couch and 2 pink chairs. All if this gave the dining room definition to feel like it's own room.

Definitely check out this great show - DVR it ASAP!

Enjoy!

IKEA CHIC: The bedside table makeover

***LLS's bedside table makeover is now featured on Ikea Hacker! Check it out here!***

IKEA. The mecca of affordable/make-your-own furniture and accessories. Love it!

I made a special trip out to the Carson, CA store for a special D.I.Y. project I had in mind. We were looking for simple mirrored bedside tables to create more depth but didn't want to spend too much $. After reading a fun blog, IKEA Hacker, I was inspired to do my own hacking.

The FORNBRO table ($14) is probably one of the best deals in town! This awesome little table can be spiced up to be anything or any color you want. A little paint and a little imagination goes a long way. Or just keep it as is - nice and simple. I brought my newly purchased FORNBRO tables to a local mirror & glass shop and, 3 days later, I had custom-made mirrored side tables (just an additional $15/mirror).

Love IKEA and love IKEA chic!

Enjoy!

NATURE + STLYE: Try a flower box or two

While reading one of my favorite design blogs, Design*Sponge, I came across quite a lovely new site, ink & peat home + floral, a lifestyle store. ink & peat offers fresh custom floral designs and plants as well organic, vintage, even modern accessories for your home.

The site's inspiring pictures make you want to plant your own flower garden - even if you do live in small apartment in the middle of a big city like LA. One fun way to make your own city garden is the good 'ole flower box. Affordable and adorable, flower boxes come in a range of sizes and allow you to colorfully display flowers and plants. Pick your accent colors and have fun!

Enjoy!

IT TAKES JUST ONE THING TO GET YOU GOING

I have been a loyal fan of Domino Magazine ever since their first issue premiered. When I spotted these flirty, fun pillows sold at Wingard Home in a 2003 issue, I called up and bought them right away. I even ripped out the magazine page and kept it in my Inspiration Notebook.

These 2 little pillows inspired me to learn more about design, home style and functionality and I haven't stopped since! I believe that it takes just one little thing to get you going! Whatever your style is, take heart and embrace it!

Enjoy!

A SMALL SPOT OF TEA

Lately I have been trading in my grande drip in for a spot of tea. With a wide range of flavors available, tea shops and tea accessories are becoming increasingly popular. Also, tea sets make for a wonderful addition to a small space. Display your teapot/set as an accent to your kitchen.

My absolute favorite tea shop is Le Palais Des The's, located in Beverly Hills. My oh my, this gorgeous tea shop has the most amazing smells, huge selection of teas and accessories plus they offer tea classe and ceremonies. (small tip - ask for a free sample of your favorite tea).

I also found some cool tea pots and sets (clockwise). At the English Tea Store, check out simple tea pots in simple vibrant colors. (and a simple price). I also love the Float Tea Lantern set - modern and pretty. This tea set found at Velocity is sure to be the subjet of conversation. The Fluted Tea Set, designed by Judy Jackson and found at Zanisa, is a simple twist on the classic white pot and brews loose tea perfectly. Any tea looks as sweet as can be in Keith + Lottie’s Sweetheart Teacups. Joey Roth's beautifully designed Sorapot is one hot item. Currently sold out, this tea pot is unique and functional.

Enjoy!