DESIGNER MARY MCDONALD CLEANSES THE COLOR PALETTE - HOUSE BEAUTIFUL EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

Designer Mary McDonald has done it again.  This time in a home in Los Angeles.

The project is featured in the September issue of House Beautiful magazine...out on newsstands next week.   I am so thrilled to have the exclusive preview of this Mary McDonald imagined home here on COCOCOZY!  Woohooo!

In this home, interior designer Mary was working for a couple in their early 30's who are both lawyers and have children.  Mary's goal with this project was to lighten and brighten the space.  She is calling the style of this re-imagined house "a clean modern California take on French country with a teeny bit of industrial sparseness".

Apparently before the remodel, the home was dreary and dark.  Mary infused light and life into the home with a soft color palette of ivory, oatmeal, beige, gray, and taupe, with hints of lavender, aqua, and celadon.

For me , the kitchen is the jewel of this home...with Carrara marble counters, white cabinetry, except for the center island which is dark charcoal and then there is the fantastic gray and white chevron pattern floor made in an engineered stone tile.  Love!

The living room is a study of grays, pale blues and taupes on the walls, wood floors and furniture. (above)

Striped drapery and chevron pattern floor add texture to the neutral color palette of gray and white in the kitchen area. (above)

The master bedroom design is an updated French boudoir and completely inspired by Napoleon's Chateau Malmaison outside of Paris. (above)

The dressing room and closet with gray and cream floral wallpaper and mirrored accents including a lovely upholstered mirrored bench. (above)

The neutral color palette even extends outside into the outdoor patio! (above)

What do you think of this Mary McDonald designed Los Angeles home...do you like this cleansed color palette?  Which room is your fave?  Comment below!  I want to hear your take.

Thank you SA and House Beautiful for giving me the sneak peek on this magazine feature.  Can't wait to pick up the magazine and see the rest next week!

Happy Wednesday!

xo
Coco

P.S. COCOCOZY Pillow Giveaway - So if you'd like to win a COCOCOZY Rive Pillow in a neutral palette cleansed mist gray and white, Caesartone's Interior Collective is giving away pillows to a few lucky winners. Click here to read my guest post on the Interior Collective blog and to find out more on how to enter the pillow giveaway!

COCOCOZY Light Rive Pillow in Mist Gray being given away on Interior Collective! (above)

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

KITCHEN WEEK: GRAY TRADITIONAL WITH A LEMON TWIST!

KITCHEN WEEK day 5 is really courtesy of Pinterest.  Pinterest is like Facebook to me.  You go on to do one thing and then you end up endlessly wandering through all kinds of photos on other peoples pages. The other day I was on Facebook leaving a comment on best of friend AM's wall wishing her a happy birthday and somehow through clicking here and there, I ended up in some random persons wedding photos!  Oy vey.

Anyhooooo...I found this kitchen while randomly browsing through Pinterest.  Somehow it led me to Willow Decor blog and to these fabulous photos taken by photographer James Salomon of a kitchen designed by Bronwyn Huffard of Huffard House Interiors.

Love this traditional kitchen in Maine....with it's backsplash featuring a Swiss flag like white and gray cross painted backsplash under the stainless hood and above the range.   Love the industrial pendant lights over the kitchen island, the white marble counters, the large windows flanking the stove and most of all, the lemon yellow pocket door leading to the pantry!  Very nice.

A classic kitchen with a twist!

Happy Friday!

xo

Coco

P.S. Have today off from regular job...am heading to my tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills to meet the closet installers and the painters. Have chosen a great gray/blue color for my little den. Some Benjamin Moore color...but I've forgotten what it is called already! Yikes.

WALNUT WOOD FLOORS & GRAY WALLS!

So early this morning at 7am, Rolando came over to take a look at my wood floors and to give me a quote on replacing them.

Rolando, a flooring contractor, seems like a very nice man. Was happy to meet him. It was raining quite hard this morning when he came over. He wiped his feet on the door mat, came in with a nice smile and proceeded to examine my floors.  Rolando got down on his hands and knees, knocked on the floors with his fist and looked at every nook and cranny.  The diagnosis was that because of the buckling and some water damage, it is indeed time that I change my wood floors.  I knew that but it was good to hear someone else say it.

Then Rolando asked me what I wanted as far as wood floors.  I immediately said "herringbone wood floors please".  He said "that is very expensive".  Uh oh.  Anyhooo...we went over some pictures of what I liked...as far s color (a brownish gray or grayish brown) and texture (slight distressed with wood texture showing) and type (I want real wood...he offered up engineered and I said no thank you).

Anyhooo....I was taking Rolando through pictures of herringbone wood floors, I came upon images of this country house in the UK. I told him I didn't like the color featured here for my house but I did like the herringbone pattern.  Rolando immediately said "that's Walnut, those are Walnut wood floors."

Walnut floors it seem can be a very rich brown in color with red undertones.   Rolando said Walnut is pretty but can't be changed to light wood if down the road I decide I want a change of color in my floors.

As I said, this color floor shown in this British home won't quite work in my little tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills (I need a little darker with a bit more gray) but I can appreciate how these floors look.

I like the Walnut floors paired with the whisper gray paint on the walls in this home in Britain.  The combo works.  Take a look.

What do you think of the Walnut herringbone wood floors and the gray walls...does this pairing work for you?  Or is it slightly off?  What color wood floors do you have in your house?  Please comment below.

Happy Friday!

xo
Coco

P.S. Rolando is coming back Sunday morning at 9am with some samples and a quote.  I can't wait to see the samples.  I am afraid to see the quote.  Wish me luck!

P.P.S.  Hope you have a great Friday and a good weekend!


Photos: Light Locations

DESIGN IDEA: PAINTED BRICK!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating getting rid of classic exposed brick walls in interior design and decor BUT...I do love this painted gray brick here around the arched doorway on the columns in the modern kitchen.

So elegant and calming I think. Lots paint exposed brick white but I'm liking this gray.

What do you think? Should we leave exposed brick alone or does this gray painted brick work for you!

Happy Friday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  One week from now, I'll be at the New York International Gift Fair setting up the COCOCOZY booth!  This is my fouth time showing the collection in NYC.  So exciting and nerve wracking at the same time!

P.P.S.  Going to dinner tonight with some fun friends...lots of couples...nice couples...need a date...any ideas...I am open for suggestions? :-)

P.P.P.S.  Follow along on COCOCOZY Pinterest please!  See my new pins!

Photos: Ty Larkins

WEEKEND PHOTO!

Subtle. Gray on gray bedroom.  Lots of light, comfy looking upholstered platform style bed, and some mid century modern accents (side table and chair).  Nice.

Hope you have a very happy and restful weekend!

xo
Coco

Photo: Marie-Christine Design