Chic Sponsor: Julia B

There is nothing I love more than luxurious linens so I was very excited when Julia B came on board as a sponsor.  Julia Berger started Julia B in 2008 to provide a custom product of fresh design and exquisite quality at an accessible price.  What's great is that Julia had the education and experience to help her with this endeavor.  Her mother is Japanese and her father is American, so Julia grew up in Tokyo and San Francisco. She attended Brown University and studied textiles at the Cleveland Institute of Art in Florence. She speaks five languages, and has worked in Europe, Asia and the US. She worked for Donna Karan and Calvin Klein developing the Japanese market before starting Julia B.

 

The fabrics are sourced from the finest mills in Europe and the hand embroidery is done in Vietnam and Madagascar by women-led businesses where the French legacy produces the finest embroidery craftsmanship in the world.  In addition to the basic designs, multitude of different color threads and monogram styles, Julia B will work with clients to develop personalized designs. Celerie Kemble is just one of their many fans and says, "the collection is beautiful, the delivery time is unreal. I am so excited to have found Julia B.!"

You can order Julia B bedding and accessories online or visit them in their Stamford showroom.  They will also be exhibiting at the New York International Gift Fair and can be found at Booth #45077 at Pier 94.  I could tell just from the photos that the Julia B linens are fabulous but now I can't wait to finally feel them in person!  I am also looking forward to meeting the chic woman behind the chic collection!  See you there!

Aix

Anjou

Pierre

Perigeux

Zola

Nantes

Paris

Julia B Showroom

203-329-8248 appointment only

www.juliab.com

Photos courtesy of Julia B

Same Fabulous Bed ~ Different Room

I love this bed ~ so I was thrilled to see another interpretation of it the other day. In the photo above of room number one I like the rustic natural feel of the stone walls and aged floor. I'm also a huge fan of how they drapes a simple muslin canopy over the back!




Room number two has a slicker fell to it. The glossy floor makes it look as if the bed is floating there. The canopy seems to be an afterthought or it's just lumpy in the middle otherwise I would have liked it.

Looks as if this room was not professionally staged. Could there be more stuff on that table? Still I love the bed and the red bed cover is full of punch.

My favorite would have to be the first room though. It's just balanced to perfection.

Which one do you prefer?

Luxury Linen From Lilia Alessandra

Lavish embellishments create classic patterns on rich linen grounds made into pillows, bedding and draperies at Lilia Alessandra.










I'm in Love !!!!

New Keyboard & Colorful Fabric Combinations

Hi, I'm finally back in business!!!

I've been crippled for the past couple of months by a worn out keyboard on my laptop. Not to mention my procrastination in replacing it. My Letter N broke months ago and I managed to repair it ( thanks to advice from my buddy Joni) but it was just never the same. It either skipped completely or registered multiple N's at the same time. You would never believe how many N's there are in the average sentence!!! I had to type my text and then go back and add in the N's painstakingly by hitting the N key about a hundred times to produce one single freaking N. I took my computer into the Sony service center to have them replace the keyboard and they told me that I had to buy the replacement part online and then bring it back to be installed. HUH?????? What the heck! I cannot believe how hard it is to get anything done these days.

Anyway, of course this led to more procrastination in ordering the part, and total inaction on my part. Finally I ordered the part online convinced I was buying some weird generic keyboard that would not fit and could not be returned. To my surprise it arrived and looked like my old keyboard only white and clean unlike my old one which is now stained a nice creamy dirt color.

So, here I was last night with my shiny new keyboard and the prospect of having to schelp back down to the Sony store to have it installed for another $100 bucks and I decided to figure it out on my own ( with technical support from my husband of course) I had been assured months earlier when my N key first gave out by Joni, of Cote de Texas that I could fix it myself - so armed with that confidence I dove in. I looked up instructions given by some random guy who claimed to have the secret ( didn't get his name) on the internet and began removing the 185 screws that held the back plate in place. I swear every screw was a different shape and size and I had no idea how I would be able to put this thing back together. I tried to make a crude diagram of the back plate and tape each screw down to its approximate location so I would have a slim chance of getting them back in their appropriate location.

Half way through the screw removal surgery my husband suggested that I should probably look up an official site for instruction to which I said - I don't need to do that I know exactly what I'm doing! So when he came back two minutes later with his laptop and the official instructions that showed that I had just removed 50 extra screws that I shouldn't have he was victorious! I put back the unnecessarily removed screws as best as I could according to my non-official diagram and the removed the ones that the official instruction page told me to.

Okay, I know this is getting boring but I am just so happy to be able to type all of this effortlessly that I am running on. Anyway, I finally figured it all out and got the case open, popped out the old keyboard, put in the new one, and put the back plate back on along with the numerous screws.

Only two problems arose. I dropped a minuscule screw into a crevice while trying to put it in it's hole and it is now inside my laptop in an inappropriate place that I cannot get to and it will surely cause my laptop to catch on fire or explode in days to come. Secondly, I got all of the screws back into the back plate until the last one for which I had only 1 screw left and it does not fit? What the hell! I will hold on to it so when the screw rolling around inside ( by the way I don't know where that one is supposed to go either) breaks something that I have to be repaired by professionals, maybe they can find a home for it.

Bottom line: Yes my new laptop keyboard is working beautifully but that may end at any moment due to faulty screw application or the metal time bomb that I let fall into my computers guts. There are some things that are perhaps best left to the professionals!



Colorful Combinations Check out these fabulously upholstered beds by the UK company Belle Maison.


They use a lot of Tricia Guild fabrics and have such a great eye for matching patterns that you would never think could blend together.

These pictures make me want to paint my entire house white and throw in bright colors. Maybe once the recession is over!

I love this colorway! Delicious.


This is the tame version. Personally I like the more vibrant beds.

Thanks for sticking with me during my blogging lag. Now that my keyboard is working I hope to be posting regularly again. Stay Tuned!!!!

Bedroom of the Week

photo: sorry - can't remember

I am head over heels for this beautiful bedroom! I admire how the designer has skillfully blended toiles of different patterns and scales and mixed in just enough white to give it a light handed touch. If I knew where this room was I would have to go over there and beg them to sell me the stunning mirror they have used as a headboard. It absolutely makes the room, although the beamed ceiling and the fabulous rug make quite an impact as well. I wish I had a view of the whole room to show you - or the entire house for that matter. But we'll have to settle for this lttle gem.

It's Personal

pottery barn

Nothing makes a statement like a personal signature on your soft treatments. Monograms, flourishes, and symbols create a uniquely individual space. Now more than ever these elements are being used in fun and innovative ways by designers and homeowners who want to leave their mark.



Monogrammed draperies have been popping up lately and I love the look.

Here is a bed drapery treatment that is embellished with a flourish. It gives the look of a monogram but without the specific letter reference.

via la dolce vita

A monogrammed bed cover with an embroidered flying friend as a companion.

via cottage living

Hand printed monograms with elaborate borders are just as effective as the traditional embroidered style.

via pink wallpaper

Appliqued monograms allow the design to be beefed up for a very bold statement.

via cottage living

I love this treatment with the monogram on the back of the chair.

via cottage living

Here's another version numbering each chair - brilliantly different!!!


Even a small flourish or emblem can make a big impact.



Love this flourish at the back of this slipper chair.

via cozy cottage

The bold initial on the back of this parsons chair fits in well with the wide border and contrasting welt.

via better homes & gardens

Slipcovers are a perfect place to show off your family crest or monogram.


Headboards emblazoned with your moniker are becoming commonplace.


This bed corona shows a supersized intial as the focal point.

This fun bed is from JC Penney. I'd love to see it used in a bunk room lined up in rows with the kids names embroidered in different colors.
Another jumbo sized monogram serves as the focus of design on this upholstered bed.

I'm gonna get out my embroidery thread and go to work.

Test Your Color IQ

My husband is on a roll and sent me this fun site that tests your color IQ. It's harder than it looks! ( I posted a perfect score - Yes!!!!)

In honor of color here are a few of the more vivid illustrations from the new book. Enjoy!