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My Go-To Hues
As a decorator, one thing I’m always getting asked is “What color is that?”. I hate to disappoint but I am not a walking paint fan (although that would be pretty snazzy!), and I don’t always have my Benjamin Moore sku numbers memorized to spew off at the drop of a straw hat.
Like any good decorator, however, I DO have a list of go-to paint colors in my back pocket handy at all times. These hues have survived me through many client projects, and I’ve even used them when it comes to designing products. Well today is your lucky day because I’ve decided to share my little secret colorful weapons with the world! I’ve limited my selections to my dear Benjamin Moore and of course the legendary Farrow & Ball (for when things get a little fancy) since, simply put, they are masters of their craft.
Tried and true, I present to you my fav paint colors!
“Hale Navy” by Benjamin Moore – This deep grayed out navy hue is a go-to pick when re-painting vintage furniture pieces scoured from flea markets. It’s subtle and a great substitute for black when you want something a little more unexpected.
“Newburg Green” by Benjamin Moore – Similar to “Hale Navy” this color reads more greenish-teal. I love it painted on a kitchen island to contrast with surrounding white cabinets.
“Blue Bonnet” by Benjamin Moore – We painted our entire office in this color and absolutely love it! People say it always looks bright and happy when they walk in so we must have done something right. It’s fresh and inviting and also a great option for a kid’s room.
“Calypso Blue” by Benjamin Moore – Remember this powder room I designed for Marlien Rentmeester? Say hello to the paint that made it all possible!
“Swiss Coffee” by Benjamin Moore – A beautiful warm white that gives you that “blank canvas” without being too stark. This is also a great color for ceilings.
“Chantilly Lace” by Benjamin Moore – This white reads slightly more gray and just a bit brighter. I love this for a beach house or for a room with a blue and turquoise color palette.
“Cornforth White” by Farrow & Ball – A huge favorite among designers, this is just a great staple “white” that adds instant elegance.
“Middleton Pink” by Farrow & Ball – Pink walls can be a fickle friend. There’s nothing worse than walking into a room that looks like a bottle of Pepto Bismal. Farrow & Ball nailed it with this sophisticated coral-toned pink. (Benjamin Moore makes one similar called “Sunlit Coral”.)
“Down Pipe” by Farrow & Ball – There is something so velvety and luxurious about this deep gray. I recently painted a powder room, floor to ceiling, in this and it’s a knock-out!
“Elephant’s Breath” by Farrow & Ball – If I were a relationship therapist my first piece of advice to any couple would be to repaint their bedroom in this! This sexy lavender-gray has the perfect balance of coziness and femininity.
“Arsenic” by Farrow & Ball – Don’t let the name mislead you, I think this would make a super chic front door color. I could see myself having fun with this one…
Xo Hillary
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“Laundry By Design” Pinterest Contest!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that doing laundry is probably not on your list of favorite things to do. Between the unsightly stains on your kids’ clothes, the toxic smell of bleach, and the constant debate of “hot” or “cold”, laundry can be a such a drag. And HELLO!!! Can we discuss the hideous mess that is most likely your laundry room…old tile floor that you’ve never bothered to replace, dust and lint gathering in every corner, and piles of clothes begging to be folded?
Are you chic? Are your clothes chic? (I’m just going to assume you answered “yes”…) Then your laundry room should be chic too! And we’re here to help. Enter our “Laundry By Design” Pinterest contest! The winner gets a laundry room makeover “in a box” from yours truly and a collection of luxury, eco-friendly laundry products from The Good Home Co. – a Grand Prize worth over $3,000!
How to Enter:
1. Follow @GoodHomeCo and @htdesigns on Pinterest.
2. Create a board called “#LaundryByDesign“. Each board must be based on one of the following Good Home fragrances: Beach Days, Pure Grass, Lavender, Line Dried or Summer House.
3. Start pinning your laundry room inspiration. These can be re-pins, images from websites or anything that inspires you – get creative!
4. Once you create your board, submit it here: http://ow.ly/moUIw
The most creative board will be selected by domestic diva & lifestyle blogger Mrs. Lilien and announced on The Good Home Co. and Hillary Thomas Facebook pages.
And just to get the wheels in your spin cycle turning, here are some stylish laundry spaces to inspire! (all images via Pinterest)
We’re also throwing in 20% OFF on all laundry products from The Good Home Co. (www.goodhomestore.com) AND 20% OFF on all products from Hillary Thomas (http://shop.hillarythomas.com) (hello GORGEOUS lamp finials!) with code PEACH20 (valid through 7/9/2013).
Xo Hillary
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C’est La Vivian Ducas!
Vivian Ducas’ cheery watercolor patterns first caught our attention while perusing Spoonflower, a terribly addicting website which sells unique printed fabrics from hundreds of different artists. The colors, the patterns, the “imperfect perfection” of all her work was right up our alley!
We quickly ordered dozens of swatches for our library and decided to reach out to the artist herself to discuss a possible collaboration. We were THRILLED to discover she offers her dazzling patterns in art prints at an even more dazzling price. We thought, ‘What a fabulous and easy way to add some color to your house for summer!’ and quickly curated a selection of our favorites to offer on our site.
Each gallery quality giclee print is comes on 7″ x 10″ archival paper (image 5″ x 8″). Just add a matted white frame and you’ve got yourself a fun and witty piece of artwork sure to add POP to any gallery wall!
Beach Ball Stripes – Pink Sunset
Beach Ball Stripes – Orange Sunrise
And we just HAD to share Vivian’s story…so inspiring!
“While riding a bumpy bus touring around France, Vivian hand-painted watercolor postcards for her friends filled with colorful visual puns of cheese field fields…When the paint spilled and splatted she thought ‘oh well, such is life and such am I’…then signed her cards with a twist on a french phrase ~ ‘C’est la viv’.”
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Design Crush: Steven Sclaroff
New York architect and interior designer, Steven Sclaroff, has been on our radar for a while but we just can’t seem to shake his effortless layered aesthetic from our brains lately. A true genius at mixing and matching, Sclaroff worked with Kate and Andy Spade (match made in heaven) to convert a former art school into a luscious Southhampton home.
His attention to detail is spot on and his use of color and pattern in unexpected combinations is a must see. Each room is a sensory overload in the best way possible. Here’s a round-up of our favorite snaps…enjoy!
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You Don’t Have to Watch Dynasty to Have an Attitude
Introducing our newest “Dynasty” collection! If these finials don’t bring the drama to your lamp, we don’t know what will…
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Set the Table: Spring Soiree
Spring has finally sprung! The weather in LA has been breezy and sunny making us crave outdoor dinner parties and laid-back entertaining with friends, so this holiday weekend couldn’t come at a better time.
We’re excitedly gearing up for Easter Sunday and getting inspired by crisp color palettes of blue, green, pink, and yellow and lush spring blooms. It’s all about layers of pattern, vibrant colors, and lush greenery for us this season. We’ve gathered our fav tablescapes and a few tips for entertaining to help you host an unforgettable Spring soiree!
Love this combo of fine china and D. Porthault linens mixed with the rustic look of the potted herbs.
It doesn’t get any better than this sweet and colorful tablescape by Tory Burch.
Fill an oversize bowl with a grouping of bright pink and yellow tulips for a splash of color.
Mix cute patterns like stripes, fretwork, and polka dots for a playful look.
Repurpose cloth napkins by printing your menu on them…so cute & clever!
Host an outdoor gathering in the garden surrounded by lush greenery and spring blooms (if the weather permits!)
A perfect bubbly bar set-up for your Easter brunch.
Decorating eggs this weekend? Check out this fun DIY for Decoupage Eggs from Honestly YUM!
all images via Pinterest
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Introducing: Julie Chang Photography
We are SO excited to announce the newest addition to our Art category in the shop…introducing photography by Julie Chang! While designing Julie’s apartment we were elated to find that not only is she a knock-out TV personality (she’s the new entertainment news anchor for Good Day LA, and a recent transplant from NYC where she held the same title at Good Day NY) – but a seriously talented photographer! We immediately jumped on her collection of photos to decorate her apartment, and considering our budget restraints they were a dream come true.
Julie’s travels serve as the subject and inspiration of her gorgeous photographs. We love how they are saturated with vibrant colors making them POP right off your walls. The wheels started turning when Julie mentioned it had always been her dream to sell her work. And so the very first Julie Chang collection ever came to be, available exclusively at Hillary Thomas . Beginning with her “Desert Series” you’re sure to love each one of her beautifully exotic snaps all taken in Jordan.
Even better is 15% of all proceeds go to help thousands of Syrian refugees living in Jordan. Prints start at $30 and are offered in an array of sizes. Bon voyage!
“Smiling Eyes” (our favorite!)
A gallery wall of Julie’s photos (frames from Ikea) in her apartment.
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Napa Weekend Retreat
Here at Hillary Thomas we like to work hard, play hard. So at the beginning of the month we closed up shop for a long weekend getaway up in Napa, or as we preferred to call it “a company off-site retreat.” Napa (St. Helena specifically) seemed like the perfect location as we’ve gathered that our most creative ideas come whenever a good bottle of vino is involved.
Between company brainstorming, a few design-related meetings, and a trip to Swanson Vineyards – the weekend was filled with gorgeous weather, lots of girl talk, delicious Brussels sprouts, and an abundance of red wine. Let the juices flow!
Starting the weekend out right!
Paradise.
Bodhi stood in as man of the house for the weekend…
Getting some work done!
Pretty kantha quilts at Baksheesh, a fair trade shop in St. Helena.
Of course we have the cutest beach cruisers…
Stopped by Erin Martin Showroom to check out some funky chic accessories!
Dean & Deluca
The Tasting Room at Swanson Vineyards is beyond. Thank you Alexis Traina for such a special experience! You are the master of chic and whimsy!
Remember this blog post we did a while back on the Salon? So fun to finally see it in person!
A fabulous pink chair in the restroom.
Ira Yeager, where have you been all my life? Your paintings are incredible!
Words of wisdom.
This stuff is addicting. You’ve been warned.
The Dream Team.
Bodhi spreading the love at Oakville Grocery.
Cheers!
Xx Lexi
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Viva Las Vegas Market!
Lately at Hillary Thomas HQ, among fun new design clients and the launching of our new website, we’ve also been reeling from the slew of January gift shows. A couple weeks ago while Hillary, Clara, and Kristan were braving the cold in the Big Apple for the NY International Gift Fair, I ventured out to to Las Vegas to represent our finials on the West Side. Held at the World Market Center this event was HUGE. Three different buildings filled with the latest in furniture, accessories, lighting, and more.
I managed to visit a handful of showrooms and thought I would share some highlights. First being the new Kim Salmela showroom at Codarus which blew me away with gorgeously upholstered furniture and pillows in lots of fun patterns.
Another favorite was the ever-fabulous Waylande Gregory ceramics and his new collection of blue and brass bowls and trays.
This Barbara Cosgrove Peacock Lamp is everything.
Fun and colorful stripes from Dash & Albert!
Arteriors showed off some brass beauties including this chic desk lamp that looks like it was plucked off a Mad Men set.
Gorgeous mirrors and accent furniture (as always) from Madegoods!
Fell in love with this simple and modern chandelier at Selamat Designs.
Fabulous fretwork rugs in an array of colors at Surya!
One of our favorite bloggers Meg Biram stopped by to check out our new finial collection, Dynasty, and even took this fun VineApp video. Thanks Meg!
And a special thanks to Codarus for being such great hosts – we’re so excited to be a part of your gorgeous new showroom in Vegas! Can’t wait for the next show!
Xx Lexi
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Chic for Cheap: Julie Chang’s Dressing & Sun Room
I have to say one of the most fun parts about this project was designing Julie’s super feminine dressing room. Maybe it’s the girly girl in me but I was so excited to give Julie a space that every little girl dreams about.
Julie wakes up every morning at 3 am for her job as an entertainment anchor so she can be at the station by 4am to get camera ready. She gets her hair and makeup done, picks out one of her many cute outfits, and reports the latest breaking news to the entire city of Los Angeles – all before I even have my chai tea latte! So, instead of giving her a boring guest room that will hardly be used, we decided to give her the closet of her dreams. Complete with pink and white striped walls, shelves to display her shoes, a big round tufted ottoman, and a clothes rack to display all her flirty frocks. And just in case she has guests, we gave her a pullout sofa to accommodate them. Talk about style and function!
tufted ottoman: Cisco Brothers / sofa bed: Ikea / flokati rug: HomeDecorators.com / mirrors: Target / drapes: West Elm w/ Custom Trim / clothes rack: Ikea / paint: “Powder Pink” by Benjamin Moore
chandelier: PB Teen (you heard me!)
bookshelves: Ikea / chairs: Hillary Thomas / frames: Ikea
Designer Tip: Buy a pair of inexpensive white drapes and have your seamstress or dry cleaner add a fun ribbon trim!
Julie also had a lovely sun room which connected her living room and 2nd bedroom. It had big open windows looking out to the harbor but was a very awkward narrow space. We decided to give her a little breakfast nook at one end, and at the other a place to read and relax on a nice comfy chaise.
pedestal table: West Elm / chairs: Overstock.com / pillows: vintage / vase: Hillary Thomas
woven shades: The Woven Company / runner: West Elm
chaise: Ikea / garden stool: World Market / pillow: Etsy / floor lamp: vintage / lamp finial: “Careless Whisper” by Hillary Thomas