Bed and Breakfast in an old church..

I find converted buildings so interesting.  All of the interesting spaces make things... well interesting.  This hidden little bed is just perfect with the accent of color inside. 

images via inside home page

Patricia Stewart Design Australia

This bedroom is amazing! The sconces on the upholstered wall, the linen draperies and bedding and the vintage door.  A perfect way to relax and unwind from a long day.


image via Patricia Stewart Design

Greige in the bedroom

Love this...

image from veranda

Friday Find: Annette Tatum Bedding Collection and Book Giveaway

Based in Santa Monica, California, Annette Tatum is an accomplished textile, interior designer and book author. Her gorgeous nursery designs for Hollywood's Minnie Driver and Marcia Cross {above} have been showcased on many blogs including her own.

Recently, Tatum released her latest bedding collection for home, child and nursery. The collection is exquisite. Here's a peek into her catalogs...

Project Nursery also released exciting news that Tatum will be a regular contributor starting in February 2010. To celebrate, Project Nursery is giving away Tatum's book, The Well Dressed Home. To enter, go here and good luck!

Have a fabulous Friday and wonderful weekend!

The Twins have it!

Don't you just love twins! I so do! They remind me of summer and sisters and spending the moments before bed whispering...

images via house beautiful, veranda and traditional home

Friday Find: New Serena & Lily Bedding and Home Decor

Serena & Lily have done it again. Their new bedding collections and home furnishings are exquisite. And there is a little something for everyone - adults, children and babies too. Take a look. You're going to like what you see.

Clean and crisp! Serena & Lily's Catalina Duvet and Euro Shams feature a bold medallion scarf print in blue and white - a timeless look. The bedding is beautifully paired with simple Navy Color Band Shams.

The vibrant Pimento French Ring Sheet Set provides a wonderful contrast against the calming blue and white Catalina bedding.

The new Freida Collection for girls is full of color and life. The white duvet with green, pink and orange floral design has a modern feel that balances the room's ethnic touches. This delightful bedding looks stunning paired with the red headboard and pink painted flooring.

The Chai Nesting Tables at $369 are my favorite. These vibrant hand-painted tables look great in the little girl's room above, but would add a bit of whimsy to any room.

The new Marlo Nursery bedding is part of Serena & Lily's exquisite Heirloom Collection. Inspired by traditional Mexican folk art, the silky embroidery and nature motif would be delightful for a baby girl or boy. The flat-style bumper is embroidered on both sides with white ties and a zippered slipcover that removes easily for washing. Simply gorgeous!

The Mini Haitian Drum Lamp is handmade from recycled materials by artisans in Haiti and sells for $329. This beautifully tactile papier-mâché lamp has a hollow core {keeping it nice and light}, a white linen shade and rustic blown-glass finial. I could see this versatile lamp in almost every room of the house!

Be sure to check out what else is new at Serena & Lily. Do you have a favorite?

Sweet Blue & Lavender Girl's Bedroom by Margot Austin

Canada's most talented Margot Austin wears many hats. She is a stylist, decorator and senior design editor for Style at Home, a magazine read by 1.6 million people per month.

This darling girl's room was designed by Austin. She combines blues, lavender and white to create a cool, yet inviting color palette. The crystal chandelier, floral throw pillow and painted floral motif above the bed {wall decals from Ikea} gives the space a feminine feel.

A pair of three-drawer sidetables in turquoise flank the bed and are a brilliant addition. The key here is to have the table's color be a few shades darker than the wall {Benjamin Moore's Bird's Egg} so that there is some contrast. The silver table lamp coordinates beautifully with the bedframe.

Here Austin maximizes the room's vertical space by using two tall cabinets that provide additional storage. The desk is beautifully positioned in between to balance the look. The desk chair is slipcovered in a darling floral print that is repeated in the bed and chair pillows.

The small bright yellow sidetable is delightful between the two white slipcovered armchairs. What a fun place to read a book or chat with girlfriends.

*photos by Donna Griffith and images courtesy of Margot Austin

Designer Bedrooms: Four Poster and Canopy Beds

I just can't seem to get the image out of my head. Designer Charlotte Moss showcased a gorgeous four poster canopy bed in her Aspen home that made quite a dramatic statement.

According to Wikipedia, a four poster bed is a bed with four vertical columns, one in each corner, that support a tester, or upper (usually rectangular) panel. A canopy bed is similar to a four poster bed but with ornate or decorative fabric that is often draped across the upper space between the posts and a solid swath of cloth may create a canopy directly over the bed. Here are some of my favorite designer bedrooms featuring four poster and canopy beds.

This guest room in an Ojai Valley, California estate was designed and briefly owned by interior designer Kathryn M. Ireland. Actress Reese Witherspoon now owns 6+ acre ranch style compound designed by Wallace Neff. While in residence, Ireland used her own colorful suzani inspired fabrics to cover the chunky four poster bed. The stunning long pillow is made of antique suzani fabric.

Designer Nancy Price created a formal, yet tranquil retreat in her master bedroom. The dark wooden Planter's Bed by Hickory Chair contrasts beautifully with the soft, white bed linens.

In this nautical bedroom, designer Tom Stringer placed a traditional four poster bed between two matching 3-drawer sidetables. The sunny yellow sidetables coordinate beautifully with the bed's headboard in Ralph Lauren's Coastal Stripe. Keeping the room simple and serene, Stringer paints the walls, ceiling and antique chandelier white.

The antique barley-twist four poster bed makes quite a statement in this traditional master bedroom by designer Meg Braff. The room's red, white and lime green color palette is beautifully balanced.

In this soft pink, white and brown bedroom designer Gary McBournie centers a Loire iron canopy bed by Niermann Weeks perfectly between two windows. The sweet bedside chest of drawers with monogram is a lovely touch.

The black anodized aluminum four poster bed by Ralph Lauren takes center stage in this modern bedroom designed by Kerry Delrose. The sleek carbon fiber CF1 chair in black leather also by Ralph Lauren gives this white, tan and black room a punch of color.

This tranquil bedroom was designed by Albert Hadley. The 18th-century folding bed in a soft shade of blue is covered in white linens to keep a simple look.

Wow. This stunning mirrored four poster canopy bed in this room designed by Jonathan Berger was based on a 1940s Serge Roche bed. I particularly like how Berger mixes the patterns - the geometric rug and stripes are brilliant together!

Are you sold on four poster canopy beds? For more information on manufacturers, interior designer Patricia Gray has compiled an excellent list of 10 Top Four Poster Canopy Beds.

*images from House Beautiful and Elle Decor

Tia Zoldan Interiors - Sophisticated Del Mar Home

Los Angeles-based interior designer, Tia Zoldan was tasked with the challenge of transforming a traditional home into a sophisticated space that remained beach-casual and kid-friendly. And, boy did she succeed. The single-story 4,000 square foot three bedroom, four bath home located in Del Mar, California had an existing semi-open floor plan. To ensure visual flow and connectivity, Zoldan used a common color scheme of gray, white and black as a base with hints of bright color throughout the home.

In the living room, Zoldan lines the room with custom sofas by Holly Hunt in a durable, brushed white velvet (she swears it's a kid-friendly fabric and even tested it by spilling coffee on it!). The symmetrical sofa arrangement forces our attention the the gorgeous limestone fireplace. Zoldan infuses vivid color by adding charcoal gray and bright pink throw pillows to the sofas and an avocado green tufted bench in front of the fireplace. The unifying hand-knotted wool and silk rug is Tibetan and is gorgeous over the dark walnut floors.

The dining room is a bit eclectic with modern, traditional and vintage elements, but Zoldan pulls it together brilliantly. I love the upholstered white chairs with with backs in a bold, textured orange fabric. The light fixture from Foscarini and the zig-zag rug by Jonathan Adler add more whimsical elements.

Natural light floods the simple, yet stunning white kitchen. The counter-high table with wooden top serves multiple purposes - it adds visual warmth, a place for family members to gather and of course, an additional food prep area. The white backless stools are from Design Within Reach.

The media room features a large, inviting sectional sofa covered in a gray vintage velvet. Again, Zoldan adds vibrant pops of color with a collection of solid and geometric throw pillows. I am curious to know what color gray paint she used on the walls and cabinets.

The sweet, yet sophisticated girl's room in purple, pearl and beige is certainly one that any age would love. The beautifully designed headboard is brilliant with the pearlescent wallpaper, mirrored chest and chenille rug by Madeline Weinrib. I should have featured this room in a previous post,
Interior Design Color Trends for 2010 - Purple.

The tranquil, airy master bedroom features beautiful windows with ocean views. Zoldan uses the perfect mix of colors throughout the room. The dark gray custom bench and tufted headboard contrast beautifully with milky bed linens.

The serene master bathroom is perfection. The beautiful floor-to-ceiling Calcutta marble tile was vertically set. The raspberry bench with lucite X legs and glass light fixture are fabulous!

I am loving Zoldan's design and the down-to-earth feeling this home communicates. How about you?

*images from Luxe Magazine

Charlotte Moss and A Flair for Living Book GIVEAWAY

Last month I had the pleasure of attending an event featuring New York-based interior design legend, Charlotte Moss at Gump's of San Francisco. In addition to designing high-end residences throughout the United States, Moss has published six books and teamed up with fine retailers such as Haylcon Days, Agraria, Brunschwig & Fils, Seibert & Rice and Pickard China. In the Fall of 2010, she will launch a new line of fabrics, wallpaper and trims with Fabricut.

Gump's is graciously giving one lucky Simplified Bee reader Charlotte Moss' book, A Flair for Living. In this delightful book, Moss tours every component of a home, exuberant entertaining and couture home accessories. The images are simply gorgeous and very inspirational.

Known for her traditional and opulent sense of style, Moss did not disappoint when designing a Tuscan inspired two bedroom unit at The Laurel, a luxury condominium in New York City's Upper East Side.

With a church terracotta roof as the home's view, Moss creates an elegant room with warm colors, rich textiles, picturesque art and hand-picked antiques. She has a brilliant way of fusing color, pattern and texture. The living room features gorgeous wallpaper by Schumacher and an antique lamp on a side table by Niermann Weeks.

The inviting living room showcases stunning oil paintings of Italy from Charlotte Moss Interior Design. The persimmon sofas, striped chair, lemon pillows and skirted table are in Schumacher fabrics.

A carved antique mirror placed above a console is perfectly centered between Vaughan lamps. A beautiful twisting urn is perched on books under the console. Loving this symmetrical look, but will have to wait until the little ones get a little older!

Moss fills shelves in the living room with gilded frames, urns and artwork depicting Italian scenes.

Here's a view into the dining room. The chandelier from Vaughan is hung above the dining table by Niermann Weeks. The brown leather chairs, china and linens are all from Charlotte Moss Interior Design. Moss differentiates the living room from the dining space by adding a sisal carpet from Stark and antique mahogany screen.

In the master suite, Moss selects a soothing color palette of blues, turquoise and beige. The opulent canopy bed by Niermann Weeks is draped in silk toile fabric from Fabricut.

The armoire with coordinating fabric by Rogers & Goffigon is stunning - my guess is it's hiding media equipment and the armoire's design prevents it from overheating. It's topped with a pair of Chinese urns and flanked by side chairs from Charlotte Moss Interior Design. The room's aqua textured wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries is simply gorgeous next to the chairs covered in velvet by Vervain.

A pair of chairs and ottoman from Charlotte Moss Interior Design are upholstered in gorgeous Fabricut fabric. The floor lamp - wow - is by Vaughan lamp.

The study is chic, urban and cozy. The walls are painted a warm Bronze by Ralph Lauren. And you know I love the glass-top desk from Williams Sonoma Home. The wingchair, cashmere throw, sisal rug and drapery panels are also from Williams-Sonoma Home. The room's paintings, desk accessories and custom marble-top coffee tables are from Charlotte Moss Interior Design.

To enter to win Charlotte Moss' beautiful book, A Flair for Living:

• Leave a comment (include email if you are not a blogger).

• Extra Entry - become a Follower of Simplified Bee (by adding yourself to the follower group on the sidebar)

• Extra Entry - mention this giveaway in a post with a link back and leave a comment letting me know you've done so.

• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.

• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Sunday, November 15, 2009 and the winner will be announced Monday, November 16, 2009.

**Note: The winner will be drawn randomly using Random.org, notified directly via email and listed back at this post using first name only.

"What makes a room wonderful is nothing you can see. It's something you feel." ~Charlotte Moss, A Flair for Living

* images from Veranda