RANDOM STUFF I'M LIKING RIGHT NOW 5-22-13

Silver Wire Bowls - $170 for set of two (above)

No rhyme, no reason, no theme, no scheme, no purpose...just some random furniture, fashion accessories and more that I'm liking right now. A little this or that for the mansion, ranch, home, house, apartment, loft, condo, cottage or shack and anything in between...and a little something for making you look good too!

Windham Silver Leaf Iron Lamp - $688

Natalie Tall Bookcase-$605 (above)

Zig Zag Cuff Bracelet - $288 (above)

Any of these random things I'm liking work for you?

Happy Wednesday!

Xo

Coco

A FASHIONABLE DANISH FLAT!

I like this apartment that belongs to Copenhagen based fashion designer Naja Munthe. Naja's design aesthetic for designing clothing and at her own home are spot on.

Love the use of the encasement iron framed doors and windows inside this 2500 square foot apartment.

This is my type of apartment.  Also notice the herringbone wood floors in the living room and dining room.  Like. Like a lot.

A huge bookcase with over 500 books provides for a nice back drop in the apartment's dining room.  Eames chairs surround a vintage black dining table. (above and below)

What do you think of this Denmark flat?

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Back to my weekend in San Francisco and the experience at the 49ers football game.  Highlights of game day were: 1)  hanging out with TE; 2) walking around the huge tailgate in the parking lot which was like a huge bizarre carnival with people with painted faces wearing red who were 49ers fans and others wearing huge slices of cheese on their heads if they were Green Bay Packers fans; 3) the jets flying over the stadium after the national anthem; 4) meeting and sitting next to Brenda and Jerry who have season tickets and who had a whole "game day watching" system down where Jerry had his binoculars and earphones and Brenda somehow managed to find a place in the stadium that sold her mimosas in a plastic champagne glass and she even had 49ers red gloves with fur around the wrists to match all of her other 49ers garb; and, 5) finally watching the very exciting game itself.   There was a moment that was less than a highlight.  A guy spilled a full beer down my coat while I was by myself getting something from the concession stands...I stood in the middle of the crowd with my bottom lip poked out soaking wet in draft beer and at a total loss for words...all of the super fans just looked at me as if to say "Poor thing...oh well...glad that's not me."  One lady passed by and actually said "Move out the way sweetheart, you could get hurt."  Hmmm.  Lesson learned...make TE get all concessions in the future.  That little mishap aside.  All in all, this was only the second professional football game I had ever been to and it was quite fun. :-)

TE took this picture during the national anthem at Candlestick Park before the 49ers game last Saturday! (above)

P.P.S.  Had a great time on Sunday.  TE and I met up with dear friend JO her husband TO and their 2 daughters at Bar Jules in San Francisco for a lovely brunch.  Then TE and I window shopped a bit in Hayes Valley.  Such a cute area of SF.


Photos: Morten Kolby Photography; Mad et Bolig; TE

READER SUBMISSION: MM NEEDS YOUR HELP WITH HER SHELVES!

Have a reader's design dilemma that I want you to help solve.

Just a few weeks ago, I got an email from reader Melissa Malleck (MM).  MM and her hubby completed the build of their custom home in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.  They've been living there about 2 years and love it but MM has a decorating issue she still hasn't resolved.

Below are a few photos of MM's new great room...

Here's MM's decorating stumbling block.  Flanking the fireplace in her great room (living room) are two built in cabinets in dark wood.  MM knows that she wants to style these cabinets right but needs ideas.

Here's an excerpt from MM's email to me from a few weeks ago:

"I have these large built-in cabinets in my home (the ceiling is 11ft and the cabinets are 9' high by 4-5ft wide - each is about 14" high). I just don't know what kind of accessories to put on them... Is less more? Should i use larger pieces, but less of them? Or fill the shelves? Only light-coloured pieces against the dark wood?"

So I ask you dear readers to take a look at MM's living room shelves and please give her some ideas!

MELISSA MALLECK'S (MM) GREAT ROOM

The almost empty shelves in the great room in COCOCOZY reader  Melissa Malleck's (MM) Ontario, Canada home (above and below)

INSPIRATION

Built in shelves are painted white to blend with the adjacent fireplace.  Shelves are filled with books stacked in vertically and horizontally. (above)

The back of this shelf is painted a contrasting avocado green...shelves feature books, framed art, and small decorative items. (above)

Large pieces of matching blue and white pottery and important black framed mirror make a huge statement on this designer built in book shelf. (above)

Shelves in these two cases are filled with books, decorative accessories, keepsakes and also small  bars. (above and below)

What design ideas can you share with MM so she can style her built in bookshelves? Any decor tips you can give her? Please comment below!

Thank you MM (Melissa) for sharing your design dilemma with me and COCOCOZY readers.  Hopefully everyone comments and this helps you and a few others!

Happy Friday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  So excited...today I am getting my first samples for a new line in the COCOCOZY collection I am working on in conjunction with a new partner.  This new COCOCOZY offering will debut in January 2013!  I have to review the samples and give notes right away so we can begin production.  I am so excited.  I can't take it!  Still waiting for the package to come in!


Photos: Jarlath Mellett; Elle Decor; M Design; Anthony Cochran Design; Architectural Digest; Melanie Acevedo; House Beautiful

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

SEE THIS HOUSE: AN $8 MILLION DOLLAR SUBURBAN PARIS APARTMENT WITH A VIEW!

I wouldn't mind coming home to a view of the Eiffel Tower every day.  Would you?

In today's SEE THIS HOUSE, I bring you a 3,000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 4 bath pied-a-terre in the Paris suburb of Neuilly sur Seine - an enclave technically considered outside of Paris but that is often lumped in with the chic 16th arrondissement area of the city.  High ceilings, parquet floors, lots of windows and light, this apartment offers views of the Bois du Boulougne gardens and more importantly the Eiffel Tower.

The home is listed for sale by Sotheby's International for about $8.25 million dollars.

Now, not to be too picky as beggars cannot be choosers but I would probably prefer an apartment directly in the middle of Paris...but if someone (and I don't know who that someone might be) offered me this nice little abode, I would take it...I would make do with the hardship of living in the burbs of Paris.

My favorite room is this dining area with parquet floors, built in book shelves, a fireplace and high ceilings.  Would need a bit more furniture because the Saarinen tulip table shown is a little off in scale but that could easily be fixed! (above)

More high ceilings and tall windows in the master bedroom.  Also love the paneled walls...very elegant in my view. (above)

The view of the Eiffel Tower from the apartment window! (above)

So, what do you think of this international home?  Would you take it or leave it?  What might you change, what might you keep?

Happy Monday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Got some cute pictures last week from Kathy...owner of Soiree San Francisco -  a cute gift, paper and stationery store in San Fran.  Kathy carries COCOCOZY Lavender Sachets in her darling little shop.

COCOCOZY Lavender Sachets on display inside Soiree San Francisco! (above)

P.P.S. Had a great weekend. Among other things, had very lovely drinks at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday and also had Sunday supper at Dominick's last night with some friends. Saw some family and some friend and overall had a nice relaxing weekend. Got no work done so now I am behind. Uh oh...yikes.

P.P.P.S. Did I mention that I went completely vegetarian for about 10 days? It was kind of interesting. I thought I would be starving but I wasn't. I ate only raw fruit and vegetables and nuts. I know it sounds crazy...and I don't know why I decided to do that. I don't think it is for me...but it was an interesting experiment. Have any of you changed your eating habits like that? What do you think? I'd be curious to hear.

P.P.P.P.S. Have a great Monday. Must find cute outfit to wear to work today. I think my boss is flying in from NYC. So must look decent. :-)

P.P.P.P.P.S. Parties - This week, I have 5 million design events to go to after work each day...I think it is some sort of design week here in Los Angeles. I'm always so out of the loop whenever there is some sort of organized design gathering.  This time though I've received so many invites that I have to assume it is a design week.  So, I'll start off tomorrow night with a party at Harbinger where they are having some sort of anniversary celebration. CM, who runs operations at COCOCOZY, dropped off some of our Quatrefoil drapes to the Harbinger folks for one of their displays...I hope they end up using them! If you don't know Harbinger, you should...it is one of the most prestigious fabric and furniture showrooms (to the trade) in the country.   Harbinger is owned by fabulous designers Joe Lucas and Paris Chilcoat.  I am so honored that they carry the COCOCOZY textiles collection at Harbinger - they are my only showroom in the country that sells COCOCOZY fabric by the yard to the trade.

P.P.P.P.P.P.S.  Tah tah!  Have a great day.  Happy beginning of October!

MY FOUND BOTANICALS! (AND A SNEAK PEEK OF OUR NEW OFFICE FURNITURE)

All photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY

So...was rummaging through some closets in my tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills this past long weekend...not really cleaning anything out...really just rummaging...looking for stuff...I actually was looking for some stories I had written years ago about my Grandmother.  While rummaging, I happened upon these...

They are botanical prints  that I bought in London maybe 8 years ago.  I bought them at the Portobello Market in Notting Hill while wandering through the market with some friends.  They were about $10-$25 USD each and one of them has "circa 1870" penciled in by the merchant on the back.   If it is true, they are antiques.

I bought these botanicals, brought them back the U.S. to be framed, put them on a counter I'm sure, and then into a closet for safe keeping and then tah dah here they are...years later.

I chose this plant and flower prints for their colors. I liked the tropical plants...the palm tree is my favorite and then I loved the bright orange red color of the mums and the soft yellow of the Acacia flower.

Such a fun surprise to find these pretties...tucked away in a closet...treasure hunting at home I guess!

Which of these do you like? How would you group together on a wall? Do you like botanical prints in home decor or as art? Do tell.

I will get these framed. The question is what kind of frame to put them in? The other thing I was thinking is that I could have them pressed inside a lucite coffee table tray or something...hmmm...thinking... Help!

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco

P.S. COCOCOZY HQ Office Furniture Update - We got some more furniture yesterday at COCOCOZY HQ in Beverly Hills - 2 huge book cases and a desk were delivered yesterday afternoon! Have been waiting for 12 weeks for this furniture to arrive.  I picked out these pieces back in June or May I think...and because we wanted some customization as far as colors it took 3 months for the items to arrive.  It was a game of patience waiting for these goodies.   We also got a cool outdoor table from France a few weeks ago (it is not shown here) and that is our main conference table.  Went straight to COCOCOZY HQ after work last night to see our newest office furniture.  I immediately took these blurry pictures. Reminder...the office is small small small...the furniture just came yesterday...nothing has been put on shelves...nothing has been styled...but I think we'll be able to work with these new pieces.  I like them! Again, sorry for the blurry pictures...it was getting dark outside and the light was low.

Wood desk that arrived yesterday with custom white lacquer and one of my brass vintage Stiffel lamps. (above)

One of the super tall cases I had custom painted for the COCOCOZY HQ...just came in yesterday so we have to figure out our storage bin situation right away. (above and below)

The COCOCOZY HQ is oh so tiny...we now have to get rid of the temporary furniture we've been using -- you can see a bit of it here on the bottom right. (above)

P.P.S. We are still waiting on a few more pieces but wanted to share the latest. Most people who are smart and coy only share the before and after....I can never wait that long...so does that make me not smart and not coy?  Over Sharing Syndrome (OSS) kicking in as usual!! Wooohoooo....! Let me know what you think.



All photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY