I was so excited to see one of my friend Josh Greene’s design projects recently featured in Hamptons Cottages & Gardens! The 675 square foot cottage he designed for a Manhattan couple might be a bit small, but what it lacks in space it makes up for it with major style! The weekend retreat was designed for comfort and blends classic Americana with a bit of Hamptons prep…think sisal carpets, beadboard paneling, ticking stripes and a color palette of calming blues mixed with neutral hues. Here are the photos and to read the full story click here to read it on the Hamptons Cottages & Gardens site. Congrats Josh!

_{Interior design by Gregory Bissonnette. Photo: ElleDecor.com}

An item on my current lust list is a traditional Beni Ouarian rug. I so want to toss the cowhide in my living room and replace it with one of these eclectic beauties! They have such a timeless look and are a great way to add an ethnic touch to your decor. You’ve seen them in your favorite shelter magazines and above is a perfect example from Elle Decor. These authentic tribal rugs are hand woven by people of the Beni Ouarian tribe and other neighboring Berber tribes that reside in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. They’re made of wool and typically feature a black diamond pattern woven into a cream foreground which is often accompanied by other tribal patterns. Because they’re hand woven, no two are alike! Originally these were used as blankets for protection from the cold but they’ve found a place as a totally chic decorative flooring accent. Be warned though…authentic Beni Ouarain carpets can be quite expensive. Below are a few resources for bringing this look into your own home including an affordable, look-alike find from Anthropologie. Check it out!

1. Beni Ouarain Tribal Antique Rug: $2200 at Pavilion Antiques via 1st Dibs | 2. Beni Ourarain Pile Carpet: $6000 at Calvin-Morris Gallery via 1st Dibs | 3. GET THE LOOK FOR LESS! Flokati Diamond Rug: From $598 at Anthropologie

A few other great sources for these beautiful Moroccan rugs are eBay, Mosaik in LA and The Moroccan Room. And below are a few more inspiration photos to show how you can bring this eclectic look into your own home!

Tom Delavan – Photo: Patrick Cline/Trad Home

Roman & Williams

Photo: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles/via Sketch 42

Jenna Lyons – Photo: Living Etc

Jonathan Adler

Michael S. Smith – Photo via Elle Decor

Palmer Weiss

It’s always a good idea to hang on to leftover paint from a project in case you need to do touch-ups in the future. But have you ever stored your paint in its original can only to find it completely dried out when you need it? Once you pry open a paint can, it’s no longer sealed so you’re inevitably letting air in which will cause your paint to dry out quickly.  A simple and stylish storage solution is to store your paint in airtight food storage jars! Above is some leftover paint I had lying around the house and below is what it looks like now. I used these jars from the Container Store which have an airtight seal in the lid to keep food fresh but it works just as well for keeping paint fresh too! They also have a pretty pattern embossed onto the glass so they’re both functional and good looking. They’re also a steal with the largest size costing just $3.99. You can also work with old metal lid food jars you already have at home, so long as you’re sure the seal is still in tact. Jelly jars work quite nicely. Be sure to label your jars so you can keep track of your colors.

I usually don’t like to re-blog content from other sites but I nearly died when I saw these photos of fashion designer Erin Fetherston’s NYC apartment! Her stunning Tribeca loft was beautifully captured by photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank for Vogue.com and I instantly fell in love with the space. Those high ceilings…the perfectly weathered floors…those gorgeous doors and those enormous windows…it’s all beyond perfection! I remember being equally impressed when I saw Fetherston’s former Paris apartment featured in Domino a few years back. Some of her beloved antiques from the Paris flea made it across the Atlantic into her NYC apartment, where she has lived since ’07, and were mixed with finds from ABC carpet, Holly Hunt and other sentimental treasures. I especially love the way in which the space was captured…the lighting gives this home such an airy, celestial quality and Erin looks graceful and angelic. The space is heavenly! To see more of Erin Fetherston’s apartment, including her jaw-dropping closet and enviable view of the Hudson River, click here for the full feature on Vogue.com!

Photos by Claiborne Swanson Frank for Vogue.com

It’s been a while since I’ve shared one of my home decorating projects so I thought I’d give you a before and after look at my dining room chair makeover.  I’ve been holding on to these photos for ages! I picked up these Duncan Phyfe style mahogany harp back chairs on from a friendly Craigslist seller in New Jersey about a year and a half ago. I paid $80 for all 4 chairs…an awesome deal! They were nicked, dinged, and the upholstery…let’s not even talk about it. Beyond awful. These definitely needed some TLC.

I knew I wanted to paint them because I felt the mahogany was a bit too dark and heavy. Painting them would not only lighten them up but also allow me to camouflage the imperfections in the wood.

Now, I love a good DIY project but sometimes I just don’t have the time or patience so I’d rather just pay a professional to do the work that I don’t have the time for or don’t want to risk screwing up…so for this project, I did a partial DIY and re-finished the chair frames myself while I had new cushions professionally fabricated by my upholsterer. Above are the supplies I used to tackle the chair frame: A Ryobi hand sander with various sanding pads, fine grit sand paper for smoothing, Zinsser’s 123 primer, Benjamin Moore eggshell finish paint and various paint brushes.

The first step I took was to sand off the finish and smooth out the most noticeable imperfections. It took a lot of elbow grease and energy but after about an hour and a half I had all 4 chairs all prepped and ready to go. (Note: You’ll want to do this outdoors where it’s well ventilated and you wont have to worry about dust flying everywhere.)

Next I gave each chair a good coat of primer followed by two coats of paint. The color is called Boothbay Gray which has a slight blue tone.

After the paint dried my chair frames patiently awaited their new cushions…

And finally…the finished product! I chose a striped Suzanne Rheinstein for Lee Jofa fabric called Piedmont Stripe. The leaf green color looks great against the chairs’ blue gray frame. Below are a few more shots of the

_{Photos: Top Left – Carter Smith/Elle.com. Top Right – Suzy Hoodless}

Despite the cold, rainy weather, Spring is officially here and I’ve been dreaming up rooms filled with spring greens, lovely lavender, pops of pink and feminine florals. With inspiration from model/actress Devon Aoki in a beautiful spring garden and a pretty pastel room by British designer Suzy Hoodless, here are some ideas for how you can infuse a bit of spring into your home this season!

PAINT: (L-R) Lily Lavender, Sugarplum, Vintage Taupe – Benjamin Moore Paints. FABRICS: (L-R) Simple Pleasures – Duralee,  Velvet $30/yd – Mood Fabrics,  Riviera in Flight $19.99/yd – Iman Home, Flower Field $21.59/yd – Calico Corners. ACCESSORIES: 1.  Moroccan Pouf $206.99 – Overstock.com, 2. Ceramic Lamp $159.99 – Target, 3.  Tempo Velvet Pillow $39.95 – Crate & Barrel, Caspian Plateau Rug $998 – Anthropologie, 5. Chinese Garden Stool $129 – Wisteria, 6. Tree of Life Framed Art $2000 – Anthropologie, 7. Bexley Throw $49.95 – Crate & Barrel.

_{A design by Ryan Korban for pro Skateboarder Chad Muska. Photographer: Patrick Cline. Photo via 1st Dibs}

From chic house tours and party planning tips from a top Hollywood decorator to the new crop of tween design bloggers whose names you should know, here are our favorite articles from around the web that you must read this weekend!

*LA based celebrity interior designer Nathan Turner shares his top party planning tips with Elle Decor (ElleDecor.com)

*Check out 1st Dibs for a great profile on edgy “it” designer Ryan Korban (1st Dibs)

*First there was 14-year-old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, now meet the new wave of tween design bloggers hitting the scene. (Shelterpop)

*Jen Ramos of MadebyGirl gives readers a tour of a beautiful, bright & sunny California home. (MadebyGirl)

**New York Social Diary goes inside the tailored, modern and masculine apartment of NYC based decorators Jim Aman and John Meeks. (New York Social Diary)

Have a wonderful weekend!

PS – If you haven’t heard, we’re conducting our first ever reader survey and I’d love to hear from you! My goal is to get a better understanding of who you are and the type of content you’re most interested in reading here on So Haute! Plus, by completing the survey you’ll be eligible to win a fab limited-edition Christian Chiaze print from 20×200! Click here to take the survey!

I also want to give a huge thanks to everyone who has already completed the survey! I’m so inspired by all of your feedback…both positive and constructive and I’m grateful to have the most amazing and supportive readers ever! I’m learning so much from each and every one of you and look forward to continuing to bring you fresh and inspiring content on a regular basis! xo Nicole

_{Undecorate – by Christiane Lemieux.}

DwellStudio Founder and Creative Director Christiane Lemieux has just released her first coffee table book, out today, that celebrates the art of achieving an unfussy, effortlessly chic home. It’s titled Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design and after eagerly anticipating its arrival for more than a year, I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy. As expected, the book is chock full of inspiration and I’m utterly obsessed with it! Undecorate gives us a glimpse inside 20 real homes across America to explore the concept of “undecorating” – a term Christiane coined to describe perfectly imperfect approach to decor which really boils down to achieving a comfortable, lived in home that’s designed over time and truly reflects your personal style. I think it’s worth noting that the book’s foreward was written by Deborah Needleman who now helms WSJ but was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Domino – a magazine I credit with giving this effortless decorating style its mainstream appeal.

One of the excerpts from the book that resonated with me was when Christiane talks about how the rise of the internet and design blogs have influenced her decorating decisions in recent years. Whereas she used to look to top tier decorators for design direction, she now prefers blogs and finds more inspiration from decorating amateurs with real ideas and a totally fresh approach. In fact, there are even a few blogger homes featured in Undecorate including the homes of Lisa Borgnes Giramonti from A Bloomsbury Life and Valerie Hart from Visual Vamp!

Christiane was kind enough to share some insider scoop about the book with me as well as reveal details on other exciting projects DwellStudio has in the works. Read on to hear all about it plus get a little sneak peek inside Undecorate!

What made you decide to write a book?

It’s funny – it was very organic and a natural next step. I had been noodling this idea in my head and then I had a meeting with Clarkson Potter and it all fell into place.  The part I did not take into consideration was the actual execution. Getting a book done is a lot of work…wow!

Tell us about how the project finally came together…

You know – I’m not even sure. I gave my amazing editor Doris Cooper some ideas and voila – we had a book. It was totally fluid.  I am so glad it happened because it was one of the most amazing things I’ve done.

How did you land on the title Undecorate?

It really says exactly what I am getting at in the book.  I really believe we look at interior design and decor in a more fluid way these days…we do things ourselves and the project is never really done. It’s never really decorated. We also – through blogs and social media – invite each each other in and work together and decorate together. It’s always an evolving process.

I love that you chose Melanie Acevedo to shoot your book – I’ve always been drawn to her photographs! Was working with her an obvious choice? What was it like collaborating with her?

I had another photographer lined up and then Mel came to my office with her portfolio…it was love at first sight! AND one of the dummy spreads we had created for the book for concept board had her photography – talk about a sign! We had an amazing time working together.  We went on a journey across the country and got to photograph these amazing homes and people.

Of all the amazing homes and people you photographed for Undecorate…do you have a favorite?

I fell in love with each and every person we shot – seriously.  It was like 20 amazing parties.  We did have an amazing cocktail-infused evening with Chase Booth and Gray Davis at their gorgeous place in Copeck lake.  We all cooked dinner and went swimming.  It was perfect.

Your book refers to undecorating as a movement…what do you think it is about this effortless style that resonates with people?

I think there are no barriers to entry. If you love something – you can make it work in your interior.  We shot to the most amazing place in Chicago where the owners Heidi and Art lived with their Jaguar cars…it was gorgeous.  The cars functioned like sculptures.

What do you think is the key to achieving an “undecorated” look?

I think it’s personal.  Don’t follow rules – follow your instincts.  Do the things you like and it will come together.  There are a lot of interiors out there that look the same.  Undecorating is about soul and personality.

Aside from Undecorate, what’s next for the brand?

We are launching furniture in 3 weeks at High Point. Now that was a project!  I will say that everything we designed is very influenced by my experience with the book…It’s personal, eclectic and people can truly put this collection together and make it their own.

Finally, what does home mean to you?

Home is the place I go for refuge.  The place where I get comfort….It’s family and being surrounded by the things and people I love.

Thanks Christiane!

You can order your copy of Undecorate here and to check out DwellStudio’s latest offerings visit DwellStudio.com!

_{Book photography by Melanie Acevedo. Photography of Undecorate by Nicole Gibbons}

Large scale art can be expensive but you can create an easy and affordable art installation for your home simply by stretching a few pieces of your favorite fabric onto a canvas, like San Francisco based interior design firm Massuco Warner Miller did in the cozy living room shown above.

Start by finding an inexpensive fabric that you love and purchase about 3 yards. I recommend choosing a colorful patterned fabric like the KWID Imperial Trellis linen shown in this room. You’ll also need a few easy to find supplies which include 3 canvases from your local craft store (groups of odd numbers always looks best!), a pair of sharp craft scissors and a staple gun. Next, all you need to do is attach your fabric to the canvas using a staple gun, one side at a time, stretching it as you go around so the fabric lays taut across the canvas. After you’ve finished all three they’re ready to hang! How’s that for a bright idea?! And it’s really that easy!

_{Jonathan Adler’s Colorful Abode. Photo: Jessica Antola for WSJ}

See the first photos of the recently debuted Elle Decor show house, take a tour of Jonathan Adler’s bright and brilliant home, get the deets on the latest online decor mag launch and more…here are our favorite articles around the web that you must-read this weekend!

*A full slide show with photos of the first-ever Elle Decor Show House in San Francisco have hit the web featuring rooms by Grant K. Gibson, Jay Jeffers, Kendall Wilkinson, Gary Spain, Suzanne Tucker and more. (Stylenik)

*Take a tour of Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan’s bold and colorful Greenwich Village duplex complete with a paisley wallpaper-covered ping pong table in the living room. (WSJ)

*An LA based packaging designer gives the LA Times a peek inside his home filled with clean lined furnishings, ethnic accents, abstract art and an envy inducing photography collection. (LA Times)

*La Dolce Vita’s Paloma Contreras and a talented team of design bloggers announce the launch of High Gloss – a new online shelter magazine due out in January. (La Dolce Vita)

*1st Dibs gets introspective with Ashley Stark – the young, stylish creative director at Stark Carpets with savvy instincts and a fashion-forward sensibility. (1st Dibs)

*Designer extraordinaire Kelly Wearstler puts her opulent manse on the market for $46 million. (Shelterpop)

One of the most common questions I get from people seeking decorating advice is how they can make easy updates to a space so it feels more warm, inviting and homey. Here are my top 5 tips for quick and affordable home updates that will transform a lackluster space into a cozy and stylish home you’ll love coming home to every day.

_{A fresh and vibrant coral colored living room by Jay Jeffers.}

1. Paint! It’s the cheapest way to spruce up your space and will instantly make your home feel more “decorated.” If you’re a renter, most buildings will allow you to paint as long as you either paint the walls back to the original color or cover the cost of repainting when you move out. Do it. It’s totally worth it.

_{A Nate Berkus Designed space as featured in Elle Decor. Photo: William Waldron.}

2. Dress your walls. There’s nothing more boring than bare walls so buys some inexpensive artwork whether it be a painting, photographs or any other art that suits your taste. You can find inexpensive art on the street, in flea markets and even at big box stores like Ikea. There are also great online resources like 20×200 and Zatista which I highly recommend.

_{Jenna Lyons’ colorful Olatz bedding instantly brightens up her room. Photo: Melanie Acevedo}

3. Buy nice bedding. Beautiful bedding will instantly make your bedroom feel more “dressed up.” I’m a fan of crisp white bedding which is what you always find in luxury hotels. And white bedding doesn’t have to be boring either. Take a cue from Jenna Lyons and choose an option with bright punch of color.

_{Designer Vicente Wolf uses a large mirror to maximize the space in his Montauk Living room. Photo: Patrick Cline for Lonny}

4. Maximize with Mirrors. If you have a small space, incorporating large mirrors into your decor will create the illusion of a larger room and will also reflect more light which will make your space look and feel larger. It’s a tried and true decorator’s trick!

_{A vignette in LA designer Windsor Smith’s home features an array of collected treasures. Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna}

5. Surround yourself with things you love. Whether it be your favorite color, family photos, a stack of your favorite books or souvenirs from your travels, surrounding your self with things that have personal meaning that you love will instantly make your house feel more like home.

I’m always delighted to hear that my blog is a constant source of inspiration for others. Recently, New York based fashion stylist Genevieve Yraola emailed over photos of a fabulous DIY skirted sink she completed in her bathroom after seeing my post on skirted tables. Take a look:

After reading your blog on skirted tables, it inspired me to give my bathroom a quick DIY makeover. I wanted to hide the ugly plumbing under my pedestal sink as well as give extra storage. I made my skirt using fabric and velcro purchased from Mood Fabrics and grosgrain ribbon from M&J Trimming. First I measured the height and width of each side of the sink and just added a couple of extra inches for seam allowances on all sides to each panel. I hot glued a velcro strip under the sink as well as the coordinating strip to the top of each panel. I used permanent fabric glue to create my hems and to attach the grosgrain ribbon trim. For a clean finish, I cut each tip of the ribbon at a diagonal. I attached the front panel first, followed by the side panels. The entire project took me 3 hours and $25 to complete!

If you have a fabulous room, an ingenious DIY project or an amazing before and after transformation you’d like to share, email me at info {at} sohautestyle.com and your project could be featured on So Haute!

Since the full house tour of my apartment was recently revealed on Apartment Therapy I thought you might like to see some before and afters of my space. I’ll start with the bedroom and show you how I transformed it from a boxy, soul-less space into an inviting and elegant retreat.

This is what the bedroom looked like when I moved in three years ago. It had zero character and was also quite small at approximately 11 1/2′ x 12′ with just one modestly sized closet. Aside from creating an elegant sleeping room, I also needed to design a layout with plenty of functional storage…a must in any small space.

Here’s the floor plan I came up with. My bed is the focal point and is centered against a wall opposite two windows. I incorporated a pair of chests on either side plus an armoire for additional clothes storage.

This was my inspiration board that illustrates my initial creative direction for the space. My goal was to create a beautiful bedroom that exudes comfort and sophistication. The key elements are the Chonioiserie floral pattern (inspired by the walls in the Miles Redd designed bedroom shown on the top left) a soothing blue color scheme, bright pops of turquoise, an upholstered headboard in a graceful shape and just a touch of ikat.

Here’s the result of my bedroom transformation. My headboard is custom, upholstered in a pattern called Sestina from Kravet. My Baker campaign chests which I found on eBay are vintage from the 1950s and have deep drawers for storing clothes. The turquoise egg shaped lamps are by Haeger Potteries from Lamps Plus and provide a much needed pop of color that adds a touch of whimsy and makes the space feel youthful. To me one of the things that makes a bedroom feel polished and pulled together is beautiful bedding and I’m particularly a fan of crisp white bed linens. My duvet set is from Pottery Barn and the monogrammed shams elevate the level of sophistication. The ikat pillow was fabricated with a pattern from Kravet that I had my upholsterer use on the reverse. The white bedding combined with loads of down filled pillows really makes the bed look inviting!

My rug is Madeline Weinrib’s Mimm print wool rug which I scored at the ABC Carpet & Home outlet in the Bronx. I have several favorite pieces in my bedroom but by far the most special and most personal are the reverse glass Chinese emperor and empress paintings shown on either side of my bed which I inherited from my grandmother. I believe strongly in surrounding yourself with things you love that have deep, personal meaning like family photos, souvenirs from your travels or items inherited from loved ones. Those are the things that will give your space a sense of your own personality and history…and will make your house feel like home.

My Chinese antique armoire seen here was another eBay find and provides plenty of extra space to store clothing & accessories. I keep my collection of blue & white porcelain as well as all of my clear glass vases on top. The Japanese  scenic painting to the left of the armoire was an auction score that I got for just $25! My chandelier is from eBay and the soft bronze color and delicate vine and leaf motif really compliments the space.  It was fun pulling this room together but, of course, a decorator’s work is never done! I plan to re-paint my walls at some point, most likely a soothing blue-gray, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new bedding. Stay tuned!

_{L-R: Nate Berkus, Laura Kirar, Nicole Gibbons (Moi!), Steven Gambrel and Jesse Carrier. Photo:  Marion Curtis}

Tonight was a big night for So Haute! This evening myself, along with co-hosts Pierre Frey and Josh Greene hosted an exciting cocktail party and panel discussion with interior designers Nate Berkus, Steven Gambrel, Laura Kirar and Jesse Carrier of Carrier & Company! We were so thrilled and honored to have such an esteemed group of featured speakers! The designers spoke about building a brand, the state of the industry and what’s “right now in design.” It was a really amazing and inspiring evening. For now I’m exhausted but I’ll be back tomorrow with a full recap and plenty of photos to share.  I also shot the first episode of So Haute TV tonight so I’ll soon have a fun video with an inside look at the event to share with you too! Off to bed now but check back tomorrow for all the details! xo

If you haven’t already, you must check out Freunde von Freunden, a German based website that taps into our voyeuristic curiosity by giving an inside look into the stylish homes of cool creative types in and around Berlin (a la The Selby). The site is the brainchild of creative agency No More Sleep and features beautiful photography, inspiring spaces and intriguing interviews. (I just wish they were in English!) Below is a peek at what you’ll find on the site. You can see more here.

All Photos: Freunde von Freunden