BRICK WALLS - PAINT OR LEAVE EXPOSED - THIS OR THAT

Charming exposed brick wall in a Los Angeles living room (above)

My friend A.Ro. sent me some photos awhile back of the adorable NYC apartment she moved into. The apartment is perfect and what makes it even better is that it has great exposed brick walls.  I love the look of exposed brick - charming, so full of character.

Found these photos of painted brick walls as well...got me thinking...to paint or not to paint exposed brick?  That is the question.  If you had a brick wall in your place...would you leave it exposed or paint it?

Black brick wall in a small loft apartment (above)

A large loft apartment is made to look sleek and modern with a white brick wall. (above)

I think I like a white brick wall or the classic exposed brick the best.  You?

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

P.S. COCOCOZY Flash Sale - Our Chain cotton pillow below is 35% off on our new COCOCOZY Flash Sale page today.  Only a few of these pillows available at a super reduced price with free shipping.  If you didn't hear the Valentine's Day announcement about our Flash Sale page...every week I'll choose a pillow style (limited number) or items from the COCOCOZY Collection and put them on super duper sale.  This is new.  Trying it out for a bit.  So make sure to check in to see what is on sale!

P.P.S.  Spent a fantastic long weekend in Ojai with my lovely guy TE.  He took me there for a spa getaway.  Follow along on COCOCOZY Instagram to see more of those personal photos from our trip!  I also share a few of my favorite Ojai spots later in the week here on the blog.

Photos: Nickey Kehoe; Jason Busch, The Names Agency

THE ANKLE STRAP - FALL FASHION SPLURGE PART 2

Saint Laurent 

Okay.  I have to get organized for fall as far as wardrobe goes.  Here's a must have for day and night.  Cute sexy ankle strap heels.  Shoe shopping time!  Love the more substantial St. Laurent pump above...the cheaper strappy sandal version from Tibi below are just as cute.  Like.  What do you think?

Tibi

Shop:

Saint Laurent - Paris Suede Patent Ankle Pump

Tibi Amber Heel

Which do you prefer? Do you think these are a must have for this season?  If not, what shoe would you pick?

Happy Wednesday!

xo
Coco

THE VALENTINO CLUTCH - FALL FASHION SPLURGE PART 1

The beginning of a fashion series this week on a few must have s for fall!  Stay tuned every day for my latest picks this week and next. Going back to work or school, getting ready to travel the world, or simply every day chic. Some high and low fashion finds for fall this week.

Starts with this leather studded cutie!  The perfect little clutch purse for day or night.  An eye catching fashion statement.

Valentino Rockstud Clutch

Fall splurge #1

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

NEUTRAL ZONE - COLOR WATCH

Love this modern home in Finland in neutral colors...grays, tans, whites and blacks.  Works.  Doesn't feel like it needs any more color than this.  Great textures too...cement floors, black painted wood ceilings, gray cabinets and feature walls and black, white and tan furniture and accessories.  Very nice.  Soothing.  Minimalistic decor...no frills but feels very well appointed.

What do you think?  Do you like this design approach?  Would you want more color in your home or would this be enough?  Comment below please...would love to hear your take on this home.

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

Photos: Scandinavian Deko

TILE FILE - ORANGE & BLACK KITCHEN

What a darling small kitchen I think.  Shiny square Hermes orange ceramic wall tiles, black cabinetry with gold pulls and knobs.  Love the white farmhouse sink and gold faucet.  It all works.

Using orange tiles on the walls all the way to the ceiling and as a backsplash sounds like bold and risky combination in a kitchen but actually comes of quite well.

Love the architecture of the whole space with the high pitched ceilings, oval skylight and french doors.  A very bright and cheerful way to start off the week.

What do you think of these of orange tiles in the space?  Is this a design "risk" you would ever take? Please let me know in the comments below!

Happy Monday!

xo
Coco

Photos: J. Ingerstedt

DOORMAT PICKS FOR MY BLACK FRONT DOOR!

Option #1 - Bienvenue coir doormat (above)

This is my front door at my little tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills.  It is a black shiny front door with frosted glass widow panes.

My front door decor is simple, the black door, white trim, brushed silver knob and lock, a square silver outdoor sconce for lighting and finally the door is flanked by potted boxwood topiaries. My front door was yellow at one point and then it was brown.  Now this is it.  A glossy shiny black front door.

This past weekend I was thinking a lot about door design for a guest post I am doing for another website.   I wanted share a photo of my front door but realized I needed a new doormat.  So off I went on Memorial Day...in search of the perfect doormat.

I, of course, can never make a descision so I bought three different doormats.

Option #1 (above) - A coir front doormat with black frame and Bienvenue written on it
Option #2 (below) - A coir doormat with black and white ticking stripes
Option #3 (below) - A simple wire lattice mat

Now I need your help! Vote on which doormat you think works for my front door decor?

Take a look...

Option #2 - Ticking stripe coir doormat - $54 (above) 

Option #3 - Wire doormat - $48 (above) 

My mom, sis DS and TE all weighed in...they all picked Option #3 (the wire doormat).  I can't decided whether Option #1 with Bienvenue ("welcome" in French) is cheesy because of the words...I have never had a doormat with writing on it.  I like Option #2 a lot too.  Each day this week, I have put a different doormat out to figure out which I like best.  Help!

There is also the option of no doormat...but then I worry about my new wood floors...

Please weigh in by commenting below.  Which doormat would you choose?  What might you add to my front door decor?

Happy Wednesday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Thank you for all of the nice comments and emails about the COCOCOZY feature on the Architectural Digest website.  You are all too sweet!

Photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY

THIS OR THAT: MONOCHROMATIC FLOORS & DOMAINE HOME!

Got these images from Domaine Home...a new online interiors magazine website created by the founders of Who What Wear!



Domaine Home launched yesterday and it is just fantastic. This shelter website features lots of really beautiful images and ways to "Shop the Look". Can't wait to find a minute to sit down and browse through.

Found these two images there of solid color floors...one in an office and one a home. I like. The black painted wood floor above is so dramatic...while the turquoise floor (can't tell if it is wood) below is bright, cheerful and playful.

If you were going for color on your floors...which would you chose?

I think I might chose the black! I would pair it with lots of white clean line furniture and light blue and gray accents. Would look so cool!  Which would you pick?

Congrats to the Katherine, Hillary, Mika, Matt and Estee on the launch of Domaine Home! It looks awesome.

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

THIS OR THAT: SPOT ON CHAIR VIGNETTES!

Same animal print spotted wallpaper two very different chairs and looks.  Which do you prefer.

One chair vignette is a bright turquoise blue faux bamboo fretwork chair loaded up with fab fashion books and a stack of magazines in the home of interior designer Tiffany Richey.

The other scene is in interior designer Meredith Heron's design office and features a black leather Louis XVI side chair, black bookshelf complete with a carved stone bust.

Does one of these vignettes appeal to you more?  Which might you prefer in your home?

Thibaut - Tanzania Wallpaper - $72 per roll  (black and off white spots. Animal print wall covering)(above)

Oh...by the way...I am LOVING this Thibaut wallpaper.  So wonderful.  Am totally not an animal print or animal spots girl...but I LOVE this wallpaper.  Can you tell I am obsessing over wallpaper lately?  Might have to branch into that next for COCOCOZY!

Let me know in the comments below...which chair picture is perfect for you? I would love to hear your thoughts. I'm leaning towards the bright turquoise chair against the spotted wall but am not sure.

Happy Wednesday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  UH OH - After 3.5 months out of my house due to construction for water damage...I was supposed to move back in this weekend!  Woohooo!  Right?  Wrong.  We of course had a little snafu.  A big snafu really!  The wood floor stain on the brand new wood floors is not at all right. I wanted a light gray floor but instead I got a weird putty color with yellowing varnish showing.  Needless to say...I wasn't happy...so today...the floor guy is back at the house...re-sanding the floors and will try at it again.  Here's a look at the floors in my bedroom that now need to be redone AGAIN.  Oy vey.  Look, I recognize, there could be a lot worse things that happen to me so I am taking this all in stride.  We are doing several samples.  Last time the guy only showed me sample with one coat of varnish...he put 3 coats on and I think a lot of the yellow from the white oak came through.  My neighbor JH came over yesterday during our "floor meeting" with the contractor and the floor guy...she is an expert in decorative finishes...so that helped.  We'll see!  They said it would take 4 or 5 days extra.  Keeping fingers crossed!

This is my bedroom in my tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills - the floors are not quite the right color - back to the drawing board (above)

P.P.S. To leave on a positive note...had a great conference call with JP, AR and AR today discussing the marketing and p.r. for my partnership with them...they are the people we made the 500 pillows for...a major fashion brand that we are collaborating with this summer.  It all is very exciting.  Will tell you more soon.  They are really nice and we had a fun conversation.


Photo: MASH by Tiffany; Meredith Heron blog

TILE FILE: A HOUSE FULL OF TILES!

Love these tiles on the floor of this home is in Greece.  Cement tiles I think.  In black, red and gray.  They look Moroccan to me.  So lovely.  Who said tile makes a room cold?  I didn't.  I like this!

I love the way the same tiles are used in both indoor and outdoor spaces.  Nice.  Very nice.

Happy Thursday (again)!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Tomorrow, am doing an art giveaway on the blog from an up and coming designer/artist.  Please tune in tomorrow for your chance to enter.

P.P.S.  I was at Wholefoods last night and an older man walked up to me.  He was holding a jug of apple juice.  He said to me..."What is in this apple juice...is it just apples...I cannot tell".  I read the front and it said "Organic apple juice".  On the back, listing the ingredients it only said: "Ingredients: Apple Juice".  I said, "I guess this apple juice is made out of apple juice?"  The older man said, "This drives me crazy every time.  How can a jug of apple juice say the ingredients are "apple juice""...I shrugged my shoulders.  Baffling.  He was right.  It is like saying the ingredient in a frozen pizza is frozen pizza OR the ingredient in butter is butter.  While the man seemed a little loopy, he was spot on in his observation.  As I left the store, I could hear him asking someone else "What is in this apple juice...is it just apples...I cannot tell.".  LOL!

FASHION FORWARD: PINK, BLACK & WHITE - NEW AUTUMN!

Isabel Marant Fall 2012 Ready To Wear - Pink cropped pants with white vest. (above)

So was browsing through fall collections and noticed quite a bit of soft light pastel pink or rose and lots of stark white for fall.  Colors that traditionally remind us of spring now are year round it seems in fashion and in  home decor!  Here's today's FASHION FORWARD!

Phillip Lim Fall 2012 Ready to Wear - White cropped pants and a black and white sweater is on trend with the black and white themes in living spaces. (above)

Dusty rose dress from Christian Dior Fall 2012 Ready to Wear collection (above)

Love this almost nude pink dress from Jil Sander Fall 2012 Ready to Wear collection . (above)

What do you think of this trend? Light pastel pinks and bright whites for fall. Would you use in your home...would you wear out on the streets? Do tell!

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

BLACK & WHITE OF GOOD BEDROOM DECOR!

Like everything about this space. The white walls and floor, the bed draped in simple clean bedding, the floating bookshelves filled with all things and books black and white, and the signature Artichoke pendant light to top everything off. Nice.

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco

Photo: Emmas Blog

WEEKEND PHOTO - A MOROCCAN BEDROOM!

A peaceful little bedroom...Moroccan style...complete with the signature doorway arch and some fantastic iron on the window...a nice little retreat.  Good for sleep, slumber, lounging and for taking hours to wake up in the morning.

Happy Saturday!

xo
Coco

Photo: Casa Haus