Cali Part 2: Venice Beach

Now finally for the next stop in Venice Beach I hyped up last week!...Abbot Kinney is one of the best strips of shopping I've ever been to.  Yes, a little pricey, but absolutely worth it for the variety of different shops, all more unique than the next...clothing, shoes, home furniture & decor, jewelry and art and all an amazing mix of new and vintage!  

But before I even start talking about the amazing home shops, I have to say when you go, you have to go there hungry!  They have a great selection of restaurants and the best food trucks I've ever seen...NY and TX aint got nothing on these!  Check out this drool-worthy one...a grilled cheese truck!  Can someone please tell me why NYC doesn't have one of these yet?!!

Another of my favorites was Joe's Restaurant.  We stopped here for lunch on James' bday and had the most delcious pre-fix meal.  I highly recommend going here if you're in the area.

 Here's their beautiful dining room....

 And their rustic back porch...the empty table to the right is the exact one we ate at for James' bday!

So now that we've eaten...on to the shops! 

The first spot we hit was this super cool Altered Space Gallery.  It was a very industrial space and these two cool ladies were running it and were so welcoming.  There were so many abstract paintings, delicate jewlery pieces, beautiful carved furniture, design + art + object, just like their business card says. 

These decorative fixtures/ wall art were made by a Canadian artist whose father was a politician that worked really hard to support water conservation so it was sort of an 'ode to her dad'.  I fell in LOVE with them!  A bit pricey, but so unique!  I thought the two pictures here (on either side of the larger one) would look so amazing on either side of a super ornate mirror above a pedestal sink in a guest bath

These next two are working lamps!

This next spot was one of the best shops I've ever been to for gift buying- I really wish it was closer!  It's called Bountiful and can be recognized by the "Brown's Hardware" sign outside of the building. 

This is the front little galley before you enter the store.  So warm & inviting!

My favorite part about this store, aside being full of antiques ;), was it's merchandising.  See how everything is stacked to the brim- it is so visually appeasing and the ceilings feel endless.  It almost made you feel like you were in a scene from Alice in Wonderland with all the cake platters toppling. 

Every item felt like it was in bulk too. They had many multiples but that's what made it so appealing and made me want to buy buy buy!  One of everything for me please- check! ;)  

I am a huge fan of these decorative matchboxes.  I have seen them in other gift stores and this one had every possible theme to fit anyone's personality  They make for such a great little housewarming or hostess gift.

One of the greatest things about most of the shops on Abbott Kinney, including the next few, are that they offer design services.  As you all know, this is my future dream so I have a huge appreciation for them all. 

This next store recreates "shabby chic" on a whole nother level for its customers.  It's called Tumbleweed & Dandelion (so cute!). 

Their store's merchandising is breathtaking!  It really envelopes the customer and if you're like me and appreciate a lived-in/ layered feel, it makes you feel right at home.

This was my favorite piece of the entire trip!  It's a vintage butcher's block and I love more than anything how weathered and a little mis-shaped it is. 

Even the backyard, with a little hay on the ground and filled with even larger pastel painted & white-washed super rustic pieces (doors, trellis', giant window frames w/ transoms, table & chair sets, etc) screamed of beautiful whimsy!

This sign was in another store's window and it has now become my favorite quote to live by and share when decorating (you may have already seen it on my fb page ;).

Cali also really knows how to do chic outdoor furniture!  The below setee frame is vintage- aren't the lines great?  Obviously the cushions/ upholstery are new but it gives it a hint of modern flair now.  This is a perfect example of my favorite design look...mixing old & new together in one (piece or overall vingette/ room).  

I'm really dragging my feet on ending this post because I just loved this town so much and could go on and on but I'll wrap up by hilighting one last thing... 

Like many other small towns with a strong local business scene, they have what's called 1st Friday's, where on the 1st Friday of every month all the stores stay open late for customers to shop and mingle.  Living in NYC makes me long for these and I really hope to attend one soon- whether it's back in Cali on vacay or in PA soon with my whole fam once my mom arrives! :)

Cali Part 1: Redondo Beach

In case you hadn't heard NYC was hit with the largest snowfall in January since 1925, totaling 19 inches.  Not to mention, last week we had the most below-frigid day of 7 degrees, and now with another snow storm brewing tonight/ tomorrow I am in dire need of some very warm thoughts!   With that said, I decided to pull up my travel pics from a trip to California this past summer.  I love looking back at trip pictures, especially to see what I was most interested in and what caught my eye at the time....like the below piece, which I'll explain further in a bit.

  

For the most part after viewing all my inspiration pics, I would say 99% of the time always still like everything that I had found too.  This actually is a great test if you are a person who constantly buys trend-driven pieces...next time snap a photo of the item and sit with it for a week or two.  Let it marinate, then decide if you can really live without it.  The pictures always rejog my memory and then without fail, spike the creative juices for any project I'm currently working on.  That's why I'm loving this blog so much too, because in a way I'm composing a photo journal of inspiration.

Now finally to Redondo Beach!  To give you a little geographical perspective Redondo Beach is south of Santa Monica but north of San Diego.  It's a small little beach town right near Hermosa and Manhattan beach.  

So the first stop was called Le Garage and they were having an amazing sale when I popped in.  It doesn't look like much from the outside but sometimes those are the ones with the best stuff and in this case it was true!

They had tons of great farm tables (like the one below).  I loved the tin-like sheet metal top to it with hammered studs around the perimter.

They also had a large selection of Parisian-inspired clocks clustered together on a Wainscoting wall.  These were really good imitations of vintage clocks.  Normally I tend to stray away from reproductions and prefer to go for old and authentic but these were really tastefully done, excellent quality and all under $60!

I was hired by a friend to consult on some pieces for her new apartment so it was a lot of fun to keep her in mind when I was shopping during this trip.  She had mentioned wanting a large wall clock for the kitchen and a rustic farm table (appropriately sized for a NY apt though).  I thought I had hit the jackpot in this store.  The below table was perfect!  Very rustic but new, painted and hand sanded to look a bit worn, in a perfect washed-out grey hue.  It was on sale from $375 to $224 and then with the clock and shipping & handling for both from CA->BK it was going to cost less than $450!  I don't think my client ever pulled the trigger on these pieces and a part of me regrets not buying them myself for resale or a future project.  Times like these really make me wish I had a warehouse space so I could unleash my inner hoarder ;).

And last but definitely not least, check out the beautiful apothecary cabinet they had...you know what a sucker I am for these!  I went ga-ga for the faux finish it had in the washed-out robins egg color with rubbed out spots made to look aged and a touch rusty.  It is awesome!

The next shop shop I ventured in was called Fringe.  It was a street off the beach right in Redondo- such a prime location!

It had a very 'beachy glam' feel to it- lots of shells and sea-inspired finds from furniture & home accessories to jewelry and gift items.  They also sells sofas with custom slipcovers; prices start at $975 and rise depending on fabric and fill. The floor sample pictured here was on sale for $895. The store also had a large selction of really unique pillows as you can see below. The embroidered linen octopus one was $48 (insert included) and the larger red coral one was $58 (insert included). 

They have beautiful natural bedding but my favorite finds were the decor and accesories.

This was one of my favorite finds...a drippy glass chandelier.

I love when weathered items are re-purposed.  This is a wall candelabra that looks like it's made from an banister pole split in half- such a great statement piece!  

I can't stay away from glass base lamps with natural shades.  Lots of companies make them and I haven't found one I don't like!

Again here, this is re-purposing at it's best.  This was an old intricate iron gate that would make a stunning headboard to a bed or for a huge impact as a hi-back decorative element to a bench seat in an entryway.

I'll end on that note and hope it'll keep you wanting more :).  Be on the lookout for "Part 2: Venice Beach" in the next couple of days!

Mixing whites...

Everyone loves white in the home but it isn't always so practical.  It dirties so easily and sometimes reads way too stark...at least until now!  Here's some stylish & effective ways to incorporate white in the home...

1) Mix your neutrals!

If you are a white lover make sure to choose different shades of whites, creams, and ivorys.  You will never be able to match whites perfectly- every one is so different so be sure to layer them all.  Don't be afraid to mix your neutrals!

2) Apply Scotch Gard!

It's my #1 trick!  I have had a light cream chair for about 5 years now and have sprayed it with Scotch Gard only once or twice and I swear it's kept it practically as new as the day I bought it.  It's a dream tool... you can spray pillows, chairs, sofas, rugs, etc!  It helps prevent spills from penetrating and color and dirt on clothes from rubbing off onto the surface.  I know I sound like an infomercial right now but trust me, it's a must-have to keep on hand in your home if you have any light colored textiles.  I highly recommend getting-down with your inner-granny and purchasing a can asap! :)

3) Mix whites w/ earth tones

Mixing white with earth tones can seriously up the chic-factor.  Especially those in the grey, clay and putty families.  The earth tones help add a warm factor to the white, which can sometimes can come off with a very sterile feel, especially if there's not enough soft-scaping going on.  

4) Add a pop color with white

Adding a pop color really sets off the white.  It makes the white feel very stark, almost like a blank canvas.  This really conveys a feeling of playfulness and can up the young factor.  This is great if you love modern design or are decorating a child's room.

And here are some of my favorite white furniture & decor pieces out in the market today (*note, each is a different shade of white)...

Versailles domed burlap-back chair

Maroc embroidered duvet & shams

Chunky Tassel Throw

Biarritz mirrored console

Bubbles ceramic side table

White washed side table

Bone sunburst mirror

Terracotta table lamp

Rajani side chairs

Macau side chairs

African printed basket

Dhurrie rug

Here's to longer lasting whites and lots of mixing & matching!