Spotted

I happen to be in Homesense last night and spotted these amazing moroccan pendants.  If you are looking to make a statement these would look amazing!

Object of Desire

I'm totally in love with this ottoman/stool (dubbed a chakki by Serena & Lily). Available in two finishes (white and a dark walnut) and 12 fabrics (including some fantastic prints), it's a truly versatile piece that would work in a bedroom, living room or den. Even better? The cushion is slip covered for easy washing; perfect if you've got small children or pets. The one downside? It's on the

My faves from West Elm

I am loving these!  What's your favourite?West Elm

Interior Trends 2011 - Re-balancing

The third aspect of interior design which will be seen this year is re-balancing – the experts believe that we, the consumers, have become tired of being constantly bombarded by marketing and are looking for products which are personal and enable us to turn our houses into homes. Within this 're-balancing' trend the emphasis is on simple structures and soft natural materials such as wool.

The keywords for spring and summer are Soften, Energize and Excite. As we saw in my last post colours are predominantly ash grey or black with vibrant injections of bright colour. These colours are being described by words such as airy, waxy and silky. The materials and fabric you choose for your soft furnishings will embrace these keywords so look for curtain materials online such as voile, silk, wool and organza. The natural materials such as wool can be used with beautifully designed floor rugs which will also help to ground your chosen colours.

When trying to re-balance the environmental issues regarding new products we'll need to consider energy consumption, disposal, waste materials and renewable fibres. Interior design is not purely about aesthetics but is about embracing the content and thinking about the style of your interior, questioning where and how products are manufactured, how you'll dispose of them and whether they'll help to lower your carbon footprint.

There's a lot to think about this year and as always interior designers are at the forefront of what's available on the market and how products and materials can be translated into our lives effectively.

Image:belle maison

10 Things to do in Palm Springs

1.  Visit Old Town La Quinta
Old Town La Quinta is beautiful! The archways, the Saltillo tiles, the flowers, the mountains, every building is lovely to look at. It is an experience, not just pulling up to some strip center on the highway. The bogenvilia was beautiful climbing up the columns.  I love Saltillo tiles, especially on star risers.

 
Old Town La Quinta Palm Springs

This is definitely my car of choice to drive in Palm Springs
  
Old Town La Quinta Saltillo tiles on stair risers

 
Carthusia Note Fiori di Capri Home fragrance left /Caldi Caldi Boutique Old Town La Quinta Palm Springs

Check-out the wonderful boutique Caldi Caldi. I was lured into this home furnishings store by the most delicious smelling scent from Capri called Note Fiori di Capri, which apparently was the home fragrance used by Jackie O when she was in Capri. Now every time I spray this scent I am transported to another world and time.

2.  Go on a Palm Springs Windmill Tour
When driving or flying into Palm Springs, one of the most striking sights you will see in the Coachella valley is the vast array of wind turbines that sprout from the desert floor. The words "wind turbine" have evolved into what the locals call windmills. My curiosity was piqued so we arranged a tour which was excellent.  Our tour guide Ken Huskey was very knowledgeable, with a lot of the facts and figures that went right over my head. But what did stick with me was how huge the windmills were close up.  To give you a perspective of the scale of these windmills (in the picture below on the left) if you look closely you can see the small figure of a maintenance person dangling from a wire.

Palm Springs Windmill Tour Coachella Valley
Palm Springs Windmill Tour at the Spa Resort & Casino.

3.  See a rainbow over the Palm Springs Desert mountains
It was unfortunate on this trip to Palm Springs that there were heavy rainfalls which resulted in flooding and the closure of many roads, but I was fortunate to see this beautiful rainbow one afternoon when the rain had stopped.

Rainbow over the Little San Bernardino Mountains Palm Springs

4.  Richard Avedon Photography Exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum

The Richard Avedon photography exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum runs through January 30, 2011 and showcases 90 black and white images of notable Avedon subjects including Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan and, of course, some of the Richard Avedon’s iconic shots of Dior’s early work.  I went to the Museum with friends not knowing what was showing. I have long admired Avedon’s photography from afar, so you can imagine my delight in being able to see his iconic photographs up close. His photography is mesmerizing and I had to be dragged out of the exhibit.  I quickly rushed into the Gift Shop and bought Avedon postcards and the Richard Avedon book Women in the Mirror, so I could continue to feast my eyes on his work.

           Richard Avedon, Self Portrait 1980 / Amazon Book: Women in the Mirror
 
Richard Avedon, Twiggy 1968, gelatin silver print
      
Richard Avedon, Dovima with elephants 1955, Evening dress by Dior

5. Look at Mid Century Modern Real Estate in Palm Springs

Mid Century Modern Real Estate Palm Springs

 
Mid Century Modern Real Estate Palm Springs

6.  Shop at the Cabazon Outlet Mall

The prices and selection are fantastic!!  Some of my favourite stores are Tod’s, Gucci, Prada, Elie Tahari, Michael Kors, Dior, Ralph Lauren. 

  
 

7.  Have supper at Jillian’s Restaurant on El Paseo Drive, Palm Desert

Jillian’s Restaurant is housed in a historic 1946 hacienda style building.  The building was originally built as Fort.  It is still intact complete with the artillery room in the rear.  At the front entrance at Jillian’s you can look at interesting pictures of it in the 40’s.  I found it amazing that when it was was built it was the middle of the desert with nothing around it.  That is hard to imagine today, as it is in the center of the busy and thriving Palm Dessert El Paseo Drive shopping area. Below is what I had for Supper at Jillian’s, which was absolutely delicious.  I think the Apple Dumpling has to be the best desert I have ever tasted!

 Jillian's Restaurant El Paseo Dive Palm Desert

Appetizer
Tower of Fresh Crab 
Fresh Dungeness crab meat layered between diced avocado,
sweet tomatoes and toasted brioche
Entree
Rack of Lamb
Rack of Colorado Lamb rolled in Dijon herb crust,
roasted and presented on a fresh Rosemary scented demi glace
Dessert
Apple Dumpling
A tart apple cored and filled with cinnamon and pecans, encased in puff pastry,
baked then drizzled with a luscious caramel sauce and served with vanilla bean ice cream

8. Visit the Salton Sea & Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

 
Salton Sea

 
Thousand Palms Oasis Coachella Valley Preserve

9. Pick an orange from the tree

Picking fresh, juicy, sweet oranges right from the tree.

10. Swim in Palm Springs Natural Hot Mineral pools
The pool I swam in had water that flows from springs 300 feet deep in the earth and comes out of the ground at 115 degrees Fahrenheit. These Palm Springs therapeutic pools claim to be beneficial for arthritis and back pain, heart and diabetes, weight loss and insomnia. What I like best is that the water is odorless and tasteless.  It is a treat to swim in water that doesn’t smell like chlorine.

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