I saw this home belonging to Greek collector Alketas Pazis on Yatzer and HAD to share. If I was fortunate enough to set foot in this home you’d very likely have to pick me up off the floor because I would have passed out from SHEER JOY AND BLISS. And then a couple of hours later after I had examined every single inch of this space you’d have to drag me out kicking and screaming. FAB U LOUS. 

I am with you all the way on this – the combination between rustic and modern, smooth and textured, coloured and neutral is perfection.
This kitchen is stunning but it also really feels like it is a kitchen that people can use and feels like it is a warm home kitchen.
Great post Jo, thanks!

… this gorgeous kitchen by Brisbane stylist Kara Rosenlund. I’d be smiling too if I could cook in a vintage dream like this. More of Kara’s work on her website and for those readers in the Brisbane area Kara and her Travelling Wares caravan shop (otherwise know as Frankie) can be found at the Jan Power Farmers Markets this Saturday 11th February at the Powerhouse, New Farm .

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We received the following sweet email the other day from Neil: I wanted to share some new design work with you that my mom and I collaborated on. Mom and I started doing interiors together a few years ago after causally helping one of my friends with her new apartment in Manhattan. We received some word of mouth referrals since then and have been doing projects ever since. I have a full-time job in advertising, but the design business with mom is my true outlet for creativity. And I love that design has had the power to bring my mom and I together as adults. The partnership challenges each of our aesthetics and allows us both to grow and evolve creatively. It’s been an amazing, unexpected journey. Now how cute is that?! Totally made my day. Here are some spaces designed by this mother/son duo as Broder Frauenglass Interiors, including Neil’s own apartment (the first 4). 

So I thought I would share a personal project…”personal” meaning my own small Living Room.  We had a kitchen fire in September (everyone was fine) and have started the process of replacing or repairing the things that were damaged.  Our white slipcovered sofa and green silk chair were trashed from water and smoke damage.

This is our old apartment but shows the “BEFORE” of the sofa…

***SOFA BEFORE***

***SOFA AFTER***

My sofa had to basically be re-built (notice the new arms) and I made the switch from slipcover to a neutral upholstery in a linen/cotton blend.  The green chair was skirted and I added a gray cotton velvet.  I’ve been wanting to de-colorify our place for a while now, and all it needs is a punch of hot pink peonies! (side note our coffee table is usually more “styled” but alas, the box o’ accessories is most likely in my husband’s car trunk left over from the frantic hustle pre-Sadie Bday party).

***CHAIR BEFORE***

***CHAIR BEFORE***

The green silk chair was never my favorite piece in the world (really used as a desk chair in our bedroom but in our new place the scale was better for our LR).  Silk was obviously not my first choice and not practical for dog & baby.

And chair after….

***AFTER***

Skirted in a gray cotton velvet that changes color as the day goes on.

Here’s another “AFTER” of the same chair.  My Mom also had a pair, so we had them re-done in a punchy coral and added a box-pleat skirt.  These are the head chairs at their Dining Room Table.  Just waiting for the go-ahead on aqua/chartreuse wallpaper and silk turquoise drapes!

I hoped you enjoyed this FF.  It is always extremely nerve racking for me to share personal projects but I love it when others do, so why not??

The Hotel Bel Air (located here in Los Angeles) recently reopened after undergoing an extensive two year renovation. Interior Designer Alexandra Champalimaud was hired to recreate  a new reception and boutique, new lobby lounge, all the guestrooms, suites, & twelve hillside villas along with the spa and guest lofts. Rockwell Group was commissioned to design the dining venues, for which chef Wolfgang Puck oversees all the food and beverage operations for the hotel.  Throughout the process, insightful feedback from past guests was taken into consideration when implementing many of the hotel’s design changes. It was important to bring the hotel up to date, while retaining much of the character of the original hotel and the glamour of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

The exterior facade and signage, which retains the hotel’s original buildings.

The famous round pool of the legendary Hotel Bel Air.

Outdoor dining at the newly designed Hotel Bel Air restaurant.

A hotel room suite living room (Bel-Air Suite Living Room).

A hotel room suite bedroom (Bel-Air Suite Bedroom).

A deluxe room with private patio.

For more info, visit Hotel Bel Air.

Wow, things have really changed since I had my children.  Take a look at these pictures from Beyonce’s maternity suite.  It looks more like a luxury hotel than a hospital room.  The diva gave birth to baby Blue Ivy (as I’m sure you know because this news has been everywhere) at Lennox Hill Hospital in NYC, and clearly no expenses were spared.

Ok, ok…I guess this isn’t the norm.  But if this is the precedent Beyonce has set, expectant moms might be asking for the diva hospital treatment too! What do you expectant Mom’s think of these digs??? Pretty posh,no?

Photos courtesy of TMZ.

Your house is never fully complete until you have a dining room (casual or formal) where you, your friends and family can sit down and enjoy good food and good company.  It’s the one place in your home that brings everyone together so why not make it the one place that everyone enjoys and wants to spend time in.  Take the time to think about the style and design of the space.  Should it be cozy and comfortable, bold and colorful, a mixture of old and new?  Whatever look you’re trying to accomplish, make sure it’s well lit and there’s plenty of space for everyone to gather around.

This is a great blend of old and new

Perfect contrast between the table and chairs

A beautiful airy room in Malibu

A modern square is the perfect table to include everyone in the same conversation

Light and bright by the sea

Traditional with a twist of modern

A smaller, city friendly scene

It has been absolutely nuts ever since we got back from holiday break. We have started a bunch of new projects and have been going full steam ahead ever since Jan 3rd so the fact that this month is almost over just blows my mind!  It feels like just yesterday that I was in California with my family for Christmas. It was my first visit to the golden state, and I must say that I loved it!  The laid back attitude of Californians, the amazing weather and gorgeous views, made it very tempting to move EJ Interiors across country and set up shop there.

We covered Newport, Laguna, LA and San Diego in a short amount of time.  It was an adventure to say the least!  Of course, it couldn’t all be about sand, waves and water.  I had to incorporate some aspect of design on my trip to keep it interesting and to slowly but surely educate my husband (which he loves of course!)

We stayed at Pelican Hill in Newport for a few days and the views around this place were breathtaking- Paloma wasn’t kidding!

It was a little bit more traditional than the hotels Ben and I normally stay at, but it was really beautiful and super cozy nonetheless!

During the days, we ventured out to Balboa Island (where I met Jill!) and Laguna Beach. There was the most adorable home shop in Laguna called Tuvalu.  It had lots of items with familiar names such as Currey, Arteriors and Palecek.

We then took a day trip to LA with my entire family (we should have known nine people in a limo bus on an all day tour was a recipe for disaster) but hey, that’s how the Johnstons roll. It’s not a family vacation if at least three people don’t get Hangry (angry because they’re hungry) or in trouble with my dad for running late.

Luckily, a beautiful drive up the coast and an amazing church made it all better.  Who wouldn’t want to get married here in California’s perfect weather?

I then had one (and only one) request of the bus driver…and that was to take me to see the infamous and mysterious Chateau.  I’ve read too many issues of Us Weekly, not to go there.  This castle on a hill is legendary in my mind and although I only saw it from the bus (because I’m not a B or C list celeb), you get this amazing slanted I phone photo…

OK, I did have one more request on the trip to LA….to see the iconic Martinique wallpaper that was made famous by the Beverly Hills Hotel and then later used by Paris Hilton and Brian Atwood/Nate Berkus.  We’ve blogged about this leafy paper before HERE. I had to beg the guy at the hotel to let me take a photo of it and luckily he obliged!  What I didn’t get a photo of were the tiny Olson twins eating next to us at the Polo Lounge five minutes prior. I don’t know what got me more excited- seeing Martinique or Michelle Tanner!

The next stop got a big roll of the eyes from the husband (well, a few stops did) but this one was the most memorable- The Beverly Wilshire hotel.  We just had to see the Pretty Woman elevator! I told Ben it’s on the list of things I have to see before I die, so that helped convince him.  As we walked up to the hotel, I heard my twenty two year old brother mutter- “What’s Pretty Woman?”

Oh geez- the adventure continues!

“Well color me happy, there’s a sofa in here for two!”

So now that Ben is almost convinced this is a complete girls’s trip…I reassure him of this by heading over to the Viceroy Santa Monica to stay the night and gawk over KW’s design.

The colorful California Viceroy was a complete departure from Wearstler’s more neutral design in Anguilla.  With bold kelly green and graphic black and white accents, this hotel was definitely more bold and vivacious.  It’s no surprise that Saturday night here by the pool is “bumpin” (per Trip Advisor).

We then headed to our next hotel stay in San Diego at the historic US Grant Hotel.   I ended up really liking this hotel.  It had the most comfortable bed (which counts a lot in my book!) I also liked how they mixed the elegance from the 1910’s with an updated more modern feel.

I had to take a photo of the TV cabinet in our hotel room too.  What an inspiring and attractive design for a custom casegood!

The day after we arrived in San Diego, we went to one of the largest and most progressive zoos in the world. I can’t help but notice design and pattern no matter where I am- even on the fur of this leopard!  Such a gorgeous gorgeous animal…

After many recommendations from friends, we took a visit to”the Del”, a 120 year old hotel in Coronado.  The Hotel del Coronado is known for its Victorian design, reported ghost sightings, movie set background and celebrity visits.

The last stop on the journey (and the whole purpose of our San Diego trip) was the UT bowl game.  As a Sooner, I felt like a traitor wearing burnt orange, but it got me a new sweater from Banana!

All in all, such a fun trip and I can’t wait to start planning my next California trip- to San Francisco!

(Sorry for the strange spaces between the photos- blog issues!)