Yet another one of my pinning patterns… I’ve noticed so many interiors with oversized task-style floor lamps. I love when design isn’t perfect and something is ill-proportioned or off kilter. That’s when things get interesting…

via Desire to Inspire

This space above is just all-around cool… The architecture, black radiator, furnishings, white floors. Yes, please!

via Uncovet, For My Future Home, Vosges Paris

Let’s take this just one little step further (literally) and throw the floor lamp up, off the floor. Love it.

via Just the Design

Not sure there’s a space with more texture and personality, while still maintaining a modern aesthetic. This home is really cool.

Switching up my Haute Home series a little and having fun with a loft studio. One day, maybe this will be the space I’m styling for myself. The funny thing is, I probably wouldn’t ever have a studio space this “fancy” and curated, but it was fun to style nonetheless.

UPSTAIRS

Chandelier via 1st Dibs

Conference Chair via Plummers

File via Ikea

Conference Table via DDC

DOWNSTAIRS

Desk Lamp via Euro Style Lighting

Desk via West Elm

Desk Chair via Blueprint

Wall Clock via Finnish Design Shop

Flat File via Blick

Lounge Sofa via House of Fraser

Lounge Chair via Zinc Door

Side Table via Mitchell + Gold

Warning: This is one of those rambling posts. But interesting if you stick with it.

I didn’t blog last week, partly because well I don’t have to. But, mainly because I just wasn’t feelin’ it. I’m a believer in blogging when I have something to say or share.

Design by Nicole Martinez

So, the reason I wasn’t feeling up to blogging isn’t because I’m tired of blogging. I love documenting beautiful and inspiring work from around the design world or curating stylish items for the home and closet. I enjoy curating, I’m just tired of ONLY doing that. I keep feeling like I can’t take the next step in Graphic Design because I got started too late and I should just be happy where I’ve landed, which is somewhere between Interior Design and Graphic Design.

But recently I watched a lecture by Jessica Hische. If you don’t know her you should, she’s a brilliantly talented letterer and illustrator. During her talk she emphasized doing anything that makes you happy and taking on consistent side projects, even if it means procrastinating the things you should be doing. The “procrastiwork” (her term) is probably what you should be trying to do with your life anyways. But more importantly, she pointed out that fear of the internet (or technology) should not stop you. This hit home for me A LOT.

I’ve taught myself how to edit code when I want to make some quick changes on my blog, but I don’t really know coding. I want to. I love that kind of stuff. I took a class in high school as a random elective and loved it. I got an A in the class. Did I ever consider pursuing a creative career?… Not for one second. So horrible!

So, here’s the breakdown so far…. I enjoy coding but I’m scared to really learn it. I never work in Illustrator, it’s too scary. I love Photoshop. We might be getting somewhere so stay with me….

I see work that other designers have done (like Miss Martinez above) and I’m in awe, but never think I can do that sort of thing myself. My excuses are usually about how he or she knew what they wanted to do when they were young. It’s too late for me to learn all that tech’y computer stuff.

Woah! Step back Cori! So wait, I would LOVE a career where I sat behind a computer and created stuff all day… Not just curated stuff, but created stuff… And I’m not doing that WHY?

So, on Saturday I approached the Illustrator pen tool like it was my bitch and finally tried to learn it. Before I sat down at the computer I sketched out my idea (I forgot how much I enjoyed sketching). Then, I headed to the computer. As I was working, and TOTALLY enjoying myself, I decided to start a self-initiated project for practice and hopefully I’ll slowly get better. Maybe some of it can even end up in a portfolio one day…

Over the holiday weekend Lamont and I enjoyed an afternoon at LACMA. I like museums. They’re calm, inspiring and always changing. But admittedly, I love the architecture most. Here’s some iPhone snapshots from our Saturday jaunt.

I discovered Lucy Chadwick’s style from The Selby Film for Zara a couple years ago and fell in love. She has a great sense of style that is effortless with tons of personality. She also has a super cool loft, a renovated barn in the country and a cool career running an art gallery in NY.

Leather Jacket via Witchery

Glasses via Shopbop

Jeans via Net-a-Porter

Blouse via ModCloth

Sneakers via Lady Foot Locker

Tote via Bloomingdale’s

Top Image via Street Peeper

One of the things I love most about Pinterest is finding patterns in what I pin. I’ve noticed lately that I’m a little obsessed with light colored floors.

Alvhem

I have even (almost) convinced Lamont to love them too! He makes a good argument though, wouldn’t they dirty and scuff easily? I would imagine it depends on the material and the finish used. No doubt, it’s worth looking into.

Light Locations, SF Girl By Bay, Moody’s Home, Apartment Therapy

If you’re a fan of all-white interiors with hints of warm wood finishes, pops of color or black accents then light colored floors might be the way to go. They make everything stand out. They also make a space look larger so they would be great for smaller spaces.

Alvhem

I think what I love most is the simplicity. The calmness that I feel looking at this spaces. They seem so uncomplicated and welcoming.

Alvhem

Objects and furniture seem to play a more critical role in the design of a space. It’s like you see everything better. I can’t ignore that the owner of the office space above has great taste in editorials. And I love how they stand out along with the colorful runner.

The Design Files, SF Girl by Bay, Alvhem, Cherry Blossom Blog, Cherry Blossom Blog

Rooms that might look cluttered, don’t. And window views that might take a back seat to the interior design, become front and center.

Alvhem

The Style Files, Archilovers, SF Girl by Bay, Pure Green Magazine, Poema Bat Soilik

This is how I spent my Sunday morning… in bed with my iPad. It was perfect.

I had heard about Creative Mornings, started by Swiss Miss blogger Tina Roth Eisenberg, but had never really seen any of the lectures. Until Sunday, when I watched Ben Chestnut, co-founder of Mail Chimp talk about his journey. He’s smart, witty and inspiring. He reminded everyone to make sure they love what they do rather than do what they love or you’ll no longer love it. If you’re loving everything you do, it will lead to something big.

I watched my second Creative Mornings yesterday and listened to Graphic Designer Chris Doyle talk about creativity and what he thinks defines it. He emphasizes the importance in meaning rather than aesthetic. “We spend an incredible amount of time figuring out what our work looks like, and not enough thinking about what it says.”

I highly suggest watching some of these talks given by really smart, creative people. They didn’t just happen upon their creativity and their success so it’s interesting to hear about their journey.

See more of this lecture series here.