a small chat Monelle Totah | VP of Design, Williams-Sonoma

Elle Decor features Monelle's home :: Gorgeous!

A Williams-Sonoma Home pretty floor display

One-of-a-kind accents at the Williams-Sonoma Home shop in Palo Alto, CA

Simple and elegant details on Williams-Sonoma napkins

I am very excited to share loving. living. small.'s newest A SMALL CHAT interview with the lovely and talented Monelle Totah, VP of Design for iconic brand, Williams-Sonoma. I blogged about Monelle's chic, elegant yet completely comfortable San Francisco home in Elle Decor last summer. Simply put - I loved it. The design, the style and the presence of Monelle's space went straight into my inspiration notebook. Flash to earlier this year and I had the pleasure of writing a bit for the Designer Marketplace, the Williams-Sonoma Inc brand site. Through my work, I had the pleasure of meeting Monelle. She's been with the company for many years and has had a major hand in creating and styling the look and tone of Williams-Sonoma as we know it today. I recently asked to interview her for A SMALL CHAT to share with you all.

You are the VP of Design for Williams-Sonoma. What a fantastic and creative position! Share a bit about your role with the company and how you got initially started in design. (As I say on loving. living. small. it takes one thing to get you going)


I’VE ALWAYS LOVED INTERIORS – COLOR, TEXTILES, FURNITURE – I STARTED AT WILLIAMS-SONOMA AND HAD THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE COMPANY’S FOUNDER, CHUCK WILLIAMS, STARTING CHAMBERS CATALOG – TRAVELING TO FIND THE MOST WONDERFUL ARTISANS OUT THERE, SEARCHING FOR THE BEST OF THE BEST. THIS WAS REALLY THE START OF MY RETAIL CAREER. THE DESIGN PORTION BEGAN WHEN WE STARTED SEEING ANTIQUES THAT INSPIRED US AND WE WANTED TO PRODUCE PRODUCTS THAT HAD THE SAME AFFECT ON OUR CUSTOMERS -- IT WAS AN EVOLUTION FOR SURE – BUT ONE THAT STILL REQUIRES A PASSION FOR PRODUCT!! I ALSO LOVE TO ENTERTAIN SO GETTING INVOLVED IN WILLIAMS-SONOMA TABLETOP DESIGN HAS BEEN GREAT FUN...I LOVE TO SET A TABLE AND HAVE A DINNER PARTY!




Many small space dwellers need to be thoughtful and edit their accents to create a harmonious home. This can often be a struggle since there are so many amazing furniture and decor pieces in the marketplace. What are your best tips for editing a space and what are your suggestions for when you "have to have that new item" in an already full space?


I AM THE QUEEN OF “HAVE TO HAVE’ AND TRUST ME, MY HOME IS NOT HUGE...MY FAVORITE TIPS TO CHANGE THINGS UP WHEN A NEW COLOR OR TREND INSPIRES YOU : COLLECTIONS – SMALL COLLECTIONS GIVE A ROOM THAT FEELING OF INSPIRATION AND SURPRISE – SILVER MATCH STRIKERS, BOXES...BOOKS: I LOVE A GREAT DESIGN BOOK, AND AM OFTEN INSPIRED BY A GREAT COVER OR BINDING, A STACK IN A COLOR CAN ADD POP TO A ROOM ..PILLOWS: WHETHER THE TREND IS CORAL, EQUESTRIAN OR A POP COLOR, A COUPLE OF NEW PILLOWS TAKE UP NO SPACE AND GIVE YOUR ROOOM A WHOLE NEW FEEL. 
ARTWORK – COLLECTING GREAT PIECES OVER TIME, NOT NECESSARILY EXPENSIVE BUT PIECES THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE – FLEA MARKETS ARE GREAT FOR SKETCHES THAT YOU CAN FRAME IN DIFFERENT FRAMES – AND IF YOU HAVE ANY INKLING FOR PAINT AND GREAT WHITE CANVAS, MAKE YOUR OWN JACKSON POLLACK.



You've had a long and exciting career with Williams-Sonoma that often including product design and style. Color and texture play an integral role in creating dimension in a small space. Can you share your thoughts on using color and texture, how to mix and match and what colors work best for small space living, if there is one?


SMALLER SPACES REQUIRE A “CLEAN CANVAS” TO START – I WOULD START WITH NEUTRAL UPHOLSTERED PIECES AND THEN PILE ON THE COLORS AND TEXTURES. I AM A FAN OF LINEN OR A BRUSHED CANVAS – THERE ARE GREAT NEUTRAL TEXTURES OUT RIGHT NOW. DETAILS LIKE NAIL HEADS CAN ADD FLAIR...MIXING AN OLDER ANTIQUES ADDS A TEXTURE ...AND THEN USING YOUR ART, ACCESSORIES AND TEXTILES TO BRING COLOR TO YOUR ROOM – A STRIPED RUG, A TEXTURED PILLOW OR STACK OF BOOKS CAN ADD COLOR WITHOUT TAKING UP TOO MUCH SPACE. 




Your home in San Francisco was featured in Elle Decor last year and I personally fell in love with your space, design aesthetic and elegant yet comfortable vibe. Your house feels very much like a home, one of the main themes I talk about on loving. living. small. How did you create the design for your space and what personal touches have you included in your home that makes you feel great after a long day?


DON’T FOLLOW RULES – EVERYONE SAYS YOU CAN’T HAVE WHITE SOFAS MUCH LESS WITH A BLACK DOG – NOT ONLY DO I, BUT I SERVE RED WINE TOO! A ROOM HAS TO BE LIVED IN...MIXING OLD AND NEW, MODERN W. TRADITIONAL...DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT. 
COLLECTIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ME - THEY ADD SUCH A PERSONAL TOUCH - I TRAVEL A LOT AND LOVE TO BRING HOME “A TREASURE” - OR WHEN GOING TO FLEA MARKETS I DISCOVER 1 SUGAR SHAKER, THEN ANOTHER AND BEFORE I KNOW IT I AM COLLECTING SUGAR SHAKERS. 
SMALL SPACES –I HAVE A LITTLE ROOM THAT I RETREAT TO, THERE'S A SMALL TV (YES, I WATCH PROJECT RUNWAY) MY MAGAZINES STACK UP TEMPTING ME TO CURL UP AND READ THEM...SMALL PRIVATE SPACES ARE THE BEST RETREAT – AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE, MAKE ONE – A CORNER IN A ROOM – A COMFORTABLE CHAISE OR CHAIR AND OTTOMAN.

Thank you, Monelle!

Enjoy more of A SMALL CHAT interviews >>

• Sixx Design
• Peter Walsh
• Ish and Chi
• The Brick House

:: Top images via Elle Decor and all other images by me ::


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textured lighting :: yes

since light can really balance out a small space, consider investing a chandelier that works it's magic and makes you smile when you see it, like these insanely gorgeous beaded pieces by designer Marjorie Skouras. I love the textured vibe from the design - stunning. I. want. one. of. these. now. 

happy weekend! :)


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remember those small details in your small space

I sure do love super small details in small spaces - like this set of pencils in my office that are inspired by the burroughs of New York City, one of our donated gifts by Paper Pastries from the June at BOL 6 | NYC and the flat glass vase I picked up for $2. Oh la la.

By the way, I am prepping the next Blog Out Loud in Los Angeles in September. The panel to date is insane - all LA based creative people looking for social media inspiration must attend. Check back here next week for all the details.

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small space dwellers bright colors work in small spaces

:: Bright Colors Work ::

oh wow do I love this small space located in the beautifully designed home of Williams-Sonoma Home creative director Monelle Totah. (seen in Elle Decor 8/09) I actually had blogged Monelle's bedroom last summer {kind of my prelude to the small space dwellers series itself.} I also had the pleasure of meeting and working with her earlier this year. I also might have told her I would move in to her home if she didn't mind because it's so pretty! :) I wanted to share her room in the small space dwellers series because there are some fantastic and easy small space ideas and solutions going on that anyone can use. Let's take a look at some of them below. 

1 :: Bright colors

Forget the idea of using only a neutral palette in a small space for fear that it will feel "too much". The opposite is true - using bright colors actually makes a small space shine and open. By layering tons of great colors, your space will feel dimensional and stylin. Monelle used colorful and large-scale artwork and pop of colored accents to create this look and it works. 

2 :: Large-scale pieces work in small spaces

I often point out that if you create balance and harmony in your small space then it works - and this is true for large-scale furniture and decor. In this corner, Monelle went big with her artwork and dresser, even the chair is on the large side but it feels cohesive and balanced. Yes!

3 :: Colorize your decor

I personally love this look and, once again, it creates balance and harmony. By simply stacking accents - in this case the stack of blue books on the dresser - is great small space tip.

4 :: Design your lighting

I love that Monelle chose to hang a gorgeous chandelier in this small space. Don't be afraid to create and design your own lighting - in fact - less light often makes small spaces appear smaller. 

5 :: Furniture with legs

Yep, another great small space solution. Use furniture with legs so the eye can continue to move through to the wall. This definitely opens up a room and everything feels bigger and brighter.

Check out more rooms in the SMALL SPACE DWELLERS series right here.

:: Image - and shots of her entire apartment - via Elle Decor  ::

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a small move make your own super affordable custom headboard. a small space d.i.y.

FINDING A PIECE OF PLYWOOD AT HOME DEPOT

THE NICE GUY AT HOME DEPOT HELPED ME CUT THE WOOD TO SIZE & TO FIT IN MY CAR

LOVE THE IKEA FABRIC TO WRAP THE BOARD

AND IT WAS ONLY $4/YARD

DRAWING THE SHAPE & USED A STRING TO MAKE THE ROUND SECTIONS PERFECT

LOVED THE HOUSE OF FOAM

THE SWEET OWNER OF 40+ YEARS HELPED ME CUT THE FOAM TO SHAPE

WHEN I GOT HOME, I MADE THE HEADBOARD THE FULL SIZE

IT WAS A GREAT TIP TO CUT IT SMALLER INITIALLY TO FIT IT IN MY CAR

THE BRACKETS WERE SIMPLE TO PLACE

GETTING READY TO WRAP THE BOARD

AND FINALLY IT'S UP IN MY BEDROOM

IT'S COMFY TO LEAN AGAINST

ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT PERFECTLY WRAPPED OR EVEN {I COULD USE A "WRAPPING ROUND SECTIONS" TUTORIAL}, I REALLY LIKE MY HEADBOARD

AND MY ENTIRE COMFY BEDROOM

GOOD NIGHT :)

so I've been living in my new small space for a few weeks and am finally feeling settled in, getting into my routine, enjoying visits from friends, getting ready for dinner parties and all that good stuff. Although I am loving my dining room-turned-office and my main room, I really love my bedroom. It's really comfy - steadily cool temp, cozy vibe and, finally, my new custom-made headboard.

I've always loved Grace of Design*Sponge's headboard. I had downloaded the template and kept it in my inspiration notebook for years until I had time and space. When I recently moved, I knew that my new apartment was the perfect opportunity to make my own version. I wanted to share my d.i.y. with all you lovely small space dwellers because it really is easy to do, surprisingly affordable, I could fit all the project pieces in my small car by myself and it's a great piece for your bedroom that feels and looks good.

I did this project when I was in Northern California spending time with my brother, sister-in-law and nephews and my bro helped me with some of this. I headed over to Home Depot to buy a $12 8 x 4 ft piece of plywood. The Home Depot guy cut the wood lengthwise to size for me for free. I also knew that the piece wouldn't fit in my car so he cut it in half lengthwise again to transport it. I bought 2 x $0.89 brackets that I would use to put the full board back together later.

Once home, I began to draw the form of the headboard on the wood. My brother suggested using a string tied to the marker to get a perfect round shape. (great tip - it worked for the round top of the headboard and the other dips in the board) Once the shape was drawn out, my brother helped me cut the wood with a jigsaw. I sanded down the edges and hopped in my car with the newly cut headboard shape (still in 2 pieces so it would fit in my car) and headed out to get some foam.

I had done some research and - wow - is foam pricey! I was able to find a local shop in Palo Alto called House of Foam (love the name!) that had a large enough piece for under $100. The owner was so helpful and very nice. He cut the shape of the headboard for me for free - also with a jigsaw. I loaded everything back into my car and headed back to my brothers. I set up a table outside, loaded up the staple gun (boys have tools) and got ready for the next steps.

I was ready to put the full board back together and used the brackets to fasten the two pieces back together. I then glued down the foam and wrapped the entire board/foam with $6 batting that I had picked up at Joann Fabrics. I ironed my Ikea fabric that I picked up for $12 ($4/yard) and placed the board, foam/batting side down, onto the fabric. I was now ready to staple gun the fabric. Ok, this is the deal, it is actually not easy to round those edges. I did a bit of tucking and stapling but as I got to the last section, the fabric wouldn't really pull. Let's say that this headboard could have been wrapped a bit (ok a lot) better. But it worked out and I liked the end result. I fastened a hook on the back and, when I got down to Los Angeles, I was finally able to hang my brand new, king-sized headboard up and love it! I definitely recommend this project for all design lovers. With a little help, research and a day, you can have your very own headboard for your small space - love it! And a little love for design inspiration, tear out and save anything and everything that inspires you so when you are ready, you can create your very own style.

Check out more of my moving adventures in my little series - a small move.

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best small space accent carpet tiles by FLOR

ok small space dwellers, this is a goodie. Since space is spare and custom anything is expensive, I am definitely loving these carpet tiles from FLOR and think they are definitely a best small space accent. how cool are these? You can pick up as many as you need to fit right into whatever size space needs a little floor covering. 

When I moved into my new small space, the lovely people at FLOR shared these Shiny Happy striped tiles (love the name!) to help me make my bedroom work. I. love. them. I was able to create the size that I needed in my space and work around the way the room was layed out - which is exactly what I needed. Oh and FLOR is 100% thoughtful about their eco-footprint - click here to read more about their design philosophy.

A super big thank you to FLOR and I still can't get over how many colors + patterns are available. Click here to check 'em all out and for some good mixing and matching ideas  and click here to check out the new FLOR blog with tons of lifestyle inspiration.

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designs that inspiretypography illustrations

I am all about setting up your home so you can {literally} feel good right inside. One way to actually see good vibes - artwork. I pulled a few illustrations from sweet marketplace, Etsy, that would make anyone feel good in their space while getting your creative juices flowing. Check 'em out and support 'em. All links to the sources below.

:: Image credits :: print 1 :: print 2 :: print 3 :: print 4 :: print 5 :: print 6 :: print 7

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let's turn these pink flats into a pink room

pink?! yep, love this color because there is such a range here. Yes there's the girly component, but beyond that, a pink hue offers sweet sophistication and a bit of an unexpected style. I was e-flipping through J.Crew's new catalog and bookmarked their new ballet flats - my fave style of shoe. I thought the pink themed color palette was pretty, modern and fresh. I uncovered some pretty rooms and lifestyle love that fit the same bill. What do you think of pink?

:: All interiors found via Desire to Inspire ::


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design inspiration $5 flowers and 5 min

I popped into my local Trader Joe's this afternoon and picked up a pretty peach bunch of bud roses. After unpacking my last few boxes from my small move, I uncovered a bunch of my vases so I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my purchase. My very very non-expert floral arranging seen above has made my small space look and feel sweet. For $5 and a few minutes of your time, you can add details to your space that work across the board - color pop and makes you smile. In my book, money well spent. 

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