Drawing inspiration from animals gives you a timeless design.  Leopard print, zebra print, faux fur, cowhides might have their in and out periods, but they will really never go out of style.  The peacock has been “in” for a while, but how can a color combination so awe inspiring ever be out? That would be crazy!

I’m so excited to have created an area on the new Live Like You site called ANIMAL INSPIRED. This week we’re focusing on one of God’s wonders – The Peacock.

Image LiveLikeYou

How can you ever tire of these colors?

A direct copy of the beautiful pattern in this wool carpet. PEACOCK CARPET

Magical PEACOCK PILLOW.

Can’t you just stare at it forever?

They beauty of the peacock inspires me daily in the work I do.

My headboard designs – The LILY was inspired by the shape of a peacock.

This is a fabric I’m using in a client’s living room coming up.

And at a magazine shoot at my house yesterday, our porch was “rescued” by an amazing table cloth from Anthropologie.

Serious Table cloth crush! (with Mustard Regency pillow)

There are wallpapers I’m dying to use.

Nina Campbell  wallpaper.

Funny enough I was googling rooms with peacock colors for this post…

…only to realize….

Interior Design Marmalade Interiors.

…our own living room has been done in the colors of the peacock.

And this was unplanned!

Follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK for daily updates on work and the move!

We will still be doing updates to the style personalities and bring you new digital renderings for the next ones that are up. So stay tuned for more improvement. As a thank you grab a 15% discount code good for 15 days.

And thank you to Lily and Ernesto for working hard on this.

Photography Tanya Malott.

Thank You Tanya Malott for letting your gorgeous dog model for our new site!!

We have added a few new products and curated our previous selection of products. You will be able to find some of my favorite new finds!

We’ve got some beautiful mirrors.

Gold Peacock mirror

Nice new carpets. Greek Key Carpet.

Irresistible chandeliers. Orli chandlier.

Photography: Tanya Malott

And bedding is IN STOCK in Queen and King size in all patterns and colors.

Unusual fun lamps. Artichoke Lamp

And all kinds of inspiration from the animal kingdom.

Hope you enjoy! And please feel free to share the discount code with your friends!

Don’t forget to follow on FACEBOOK for daily updates and inspiration.

And make sure you have signed up to OUR MAILING LIST!

If you want to read more about the tradition you can do it here.

All images various Swedish blogs and sources.

All kinds of places have big bonfire celebrations. It was originally done on Easter to scare away witches, but since the 19th century it’s on the last day of April (and have nothing to do with witches! )

As you can see people are not standing around in shorts!! It’s still cold over there!

Some places still have snow on the ground.

It’s a magical evening of toasting and singing in the dark night.

Often mens choirs sing songs about how the winter is disappearing and how spring is rapidly coming.

No Swede really remembers or knows that Walburgis was a saint (I think!) all they can think of is that soon they can wear shorts! And what better way to get rid of garden trash than a big fire in the yard?

Valborgs celebration at a Swedish Ski resort.

Living in a country covered with snow for several months, the sight of the first spring flowers make people seriously giddy. It makes them feel alive again. And as my mother said this morning on the phone, it gives her tons of ideas of things she wants to do!

“Vitsippor” the first spring flower.

Appreciation for nature lives deep in the Swedish soul. I don’t think you’ll find a country where they talk more about the weather!

To all my friends back home, summer is coming, soon you can bike without mittens! Promise!

NEXT VALBORG I will be home….seriously what’s better more homework, or an unforgettable memory?

I was putting together some designs for my friend/client Patty’s boys rooms last week. Having selected grasscloth wallpaper for the walls, she was a little taken aback recalling her family room in Florida growing up.  A very seventies and not so enticing recall.  I get it, grass cloth brings to mind my father’s ham radio office filled with cigarette smoke.  Add to that bold orange curtains, screamy yellows and and browns and low slung furniture.

The fact is little did we know…. JUST HOW INSANELY COOL THEY WERE!!

It’s funny how things from the past come back with a vengeance. New and improved.

Grass cloth now comes in all kinds of amazing colors and patterns…

Pink.

Silvery green.

Coral.

Blue.

Green.

And they are showing up in super cool patterns.

This is my personal favorite by Phillip Jeffries. Chain link.

Comes in several colors.

No matter what color or pattern it engulfs a room, makes it feel warm and lived in, and adds a relaxed coolness factor.

Image via Urban Grace Interiors

It also adds an earthy eco vibe.

It feels organic to surround yourself with grass, hemp or whatever they are made of.

Patty’s youngest son Kevin wished for lime green walls.

And he actually fell for grass cloth wallpaper. He said he liked it was not just one plain color.

Smart kid.

So there you go, the second thing on my obsession list.

Beni Ourains and grass cloth happily living together.

Cherry blossoms by our entrance in full bloom!

Not sure if spring is inspiring me, but the new line of pillows, carpets and draperies I’m coming out with are all in light spring like colors.

Bedding ships out all the time!

Next Wednesday our new site launches. Thank You so much for your patience on our very SLOW site. It’s driving me crazy!

Silk wallpaper and colors for a client’s dining room.

One King’s Lane items shipping out.

Soccer game.

As items ship out, boxes are coming in from Luke’s dad’s house which was finally sold.  I’ve never unpacked and packed so much in my life. And it will go on for another couple of months!

Stylish classic client install.

New York I love you!

Eric Clapton at Madison Square Garden.

Hope you had a great week!

1. HAVE AN OFFICE THAT INSPIRES YOUR CREATIVITY

Perhaps the best way to feel creative in your work space is to not follow any of the unnecessary “design rules” you’ve heard. Have mismatched chairs & sofas, no matching finishes, lay carpets on carpets. Perhaps this is the best way to open up your thinking?

Interior design Ruthie Summers

2. USE TWO DIFFERENT FABRICS ON YOUR DINING ROOM CHAIRS

This can often be done with great effect. Sometimes it’s the perfect approach to tone down a pattern you love, or sometimes it’s just for fun.

Interior design Katie Ridder

3. ADD SLEEPING SPACES IN WEIRD NOOKS

Create a dreamy and fun sleeping wall in an odd shaped ceiling space.

4. YES IT’S OKAY, PUT THE BED UP AGAINST THE WINDOW

Sometimes there is no perfect wall to put your bed up against so don’t worry about it, just put it up against the window.  How about that natural reading light?

5. DO CLASSIC WITH A TWIST!

Just because you like classic interiors doesn’t mean there’s no room to play. Lacquer the front door in a classic hue, use a classic wallpaper in a punchy color, and mix in some animal print.

6. USE A WALLPAPER THAT TRICKS THE EYE

Life can be too serious so why not?

Interior design: Kelly Wearstler

7. PILE ON THE TEXTURES!

Sometimes the play with texture is all the character you need.

Interior Design Katie Ridder

8. DECORATE WITH EVERYTHING YOU LOVE

Dark walls- Check, patterns-Check, bright colors-Check, animal prints-Check, painted ceiling-Check, vintage suitcases-Check, shells-Check.

9. LEAVE YOUR TROUBLES AT THE FRONT DOOR!

There is no better way to come home than to something that lift your spirits. So re think “normal” and create something that shifts your mind from worrying to enjoyment the second you enter!

10. SAY NO TO BORING DESKS!

Get rid of that plain old wood desk. Live a little, write your to-do lists on an awe inspiring desk.

Have a great week!

I spend a lot of time answering questions and giving design tips to different magazines or websites. I love giving advice and I love inspiring people to go improve their homes. Spring is finally here, and if you are anything like me you are probably itching to fix things up, clear things out, or redo something that has been sitting around bothering you for a while. So I thought I would share some of these simple design tips I gave to Refinery 29 last year.

Perhaps some of you saw the article, so sorry for posting. But some of these easy tips might come in helpful or might inspire you to go do what you’ve been putting off over the colder months.

Hope some of these can be useful to you. Personally I’m going through every drawer and cabinet to start ahead time to get rid of things for our upcoming move.

My One King’s Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale goes live tomorrow morning Saturday. Perhaps you want to check it out with your morning coffee?

It might not seem like a curated collection in a particular style. It’s not. These are all pieces that I at some point in my life fell in love with.  It’s from my old fashioned English period, my French inspired era, and some of the more colorful modern and custom vintage stuff I’m doing of late.

As you continually evolve your taste and style changes and the mix of pieces you end up with tell the story of your life.

Hope you enjoy it.

Since we’re moving you’ll be able to buy some items from these rooms at super prices.

A few items in here.

Or perhaps you like something in here?

Anyway hope you have a good weekend.

Enjoy!

We finally got news that Luke got in to the schools we applied to. So the upcoming move just became so much more real. (We will share where we’re moving in our next video.) It’s making me think about what kind of “home” lifestyle I would like to have. One of my all time favorite things is a home that allows for indoor/outdoor living. Obviously in a climate that allows it!

Here are some great ways for indoor/outdoor living.

And it starts at the front door!

Charming terraces.

Design Kathryn Ireland.

Great places to hang out and relax outside.

Rooms that extend outdoors.

And go from outdoors in.

An outdoor dining area that’s used daily.

Out door fireplaces that allow you to spend time outdoors even in chillier temperatures.

Image via Bravo TV.

A home where rooms have exterior doors for fun indoor/outdoor living.

Pool houses that function as real living space.

Image House Beautiful.

Outdoors year around living rooms.

And dreamy swimming pools and pavilions.

This is the kind of stuff I dream of!

What are some of your favorite things in terms of lifestyle?

THANK YOU for your orders!  They all shipped out yesterday.

We now have plenty of stock of all KEY bedding colors. (Black, Navy, Orange, Turquoise) and all LUCKY bedding colors (Hot Pink, Emerald Green, Black) And we’re introducing a NEW Lucky bed color………GRAY! It looks awesome! It will go live on our new site in two weeks.  Until then you can simply order it by e-mailing us at contact@livelikeyou.com.

Boxes, boxes, boxes.

I never tire of this orange!

Orange Standard sham.

And introducing….

It’s a lighter charcoal gray that is my new crush!

To order before it goes live e-mail contact@livelikeyou.com.

Here it is with MARK carpet in yellow.

We also have all three MARK colors in stock and can also ship out right away.

Have a great week!