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February Favorites: Top 10 Accessories

Janet Ramin - One of the questions I get frequently asked – how can I perk up a room without spending too much money? My answer? Accessorize! Find something you really love and see if you can work it into your room. 

Now, this doesn’t mean you should bring home that life-size taxidermy trophy of your favorite wild animal or the blinding multicolor needlepoint wall hanging that doesn’t go with anything. You should take a snapshot of your room first with your digital camera before you head out to the stores and find that special accessory. This will prevent any buyers’ remorse later on. 

Here are my top 10 accessories – I picked a favorite in each category. 

1. Afghan Pillow from Wunderley - The pattern on the pillow is from an old Afghan pattern, but it's been modernized with a bright pink pop of color - great for brightening up an old tired sofa or bed.

(Afghan Pillow from Wunderley)

2. Glass Vases from The End of History - If you have anxieties about committing to a color, try just buying colored glassware. When you group glassware of different heights with similar color, you bring instant elegance and dramatic color to any room. The soft purple bottles are designed by Carlo Moretti and the teal vases by Empoli - all from the store The End of History.

(Glassware from End of History)

3. Moroccan accent lights from VivaTerra - While lighting isn't really an accessory, it becomes one when it's just an accent light.  Accent lights don't provide enough functional light but they do set the mood to the space and provide spots of light for added visual interest.  These Moroccan lanterns are pierced and will provide wonderful patterns of light on your walls and floor.

(Moroccan lights - Viva Terra)

4. Prisca Mirror from Hayneedle - These antiqued mirrors have a distressed silver finish and a baroque shape, lending a contemporary room a whisper of age and sumptuousness.

(Prisca Mirror from Hayneedle)

5. Baskets from Crate and Barrel - Baskets are very multi-functional. They can hold a bouquet of flowers, bringing nature into the room, or they can organize loose items such as your magazines. These rattan baskets, the Galang and Hiriwa, are available from Crate and Barrel.

(Baskets from Crate and Barrel)

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Design Book Favorites

Janet Ramin - Being a designer, my wish list for design books is VERY long, so I’d like to share some of the books that inspire me and maybe they will end up on your wish list for the New Year, too! These books come from all industries – I don’t limit myself just to my field of interior design. You never know where inspiration may come from, so keep yourself open and attuned to all trends in other fields. 

From Design Magazines:

Abitare, an Italian design magazine launched in 1961, informed the world of the latest trends in the design world, from interiors to accessories to graphic design, bringing it all under one cover. This compilation reproduces the best articles of the magazine in Italian and English.

 From Photography:

The Museum of the City of New York is currently hosting a retrospective of Photographer Cecil Beaton’s works – a beautiful reminder of the work that’s he done including photographs of the beautiful and famous as well as illustrations of costume designs for the opera. Beaton photographed icons such as Greta Garbo, Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn, and Andy Warhol.

"We all get dressed for Bill," says Vogue editor Anna Wintour of Bill Cunningham, New York Times Photographer. His column, On the Street, for the Style section is a must-see for the fashionistas as well as for those who aspire to be street photographers. 

From Fashion Design:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently hosted a blockbuster retrospective on the recently deceased fashion designer Alexander McQueen. The exhibit was jam-packed with his breathtaking creations and equally jam-packed with viewers! If you weren't lucky enough to see the exhibit, then this book will give you a taste of his genius. 

This book is covered in fabric using one of Pucci’s fabulous patterns (you have several choices) and quite hefty, hence very expensive. But the author spans Pucci's fashion creations throughout his career – great snapshots of la dolce vita - molto bella!

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