Category Archives: Decor + Design Trends

Tropical Trends

Header Image

I am LOVING all the tropical designs that seem to be jumping out at me at every turn.

It started with a couple great vintage fashion posts I found on Pinterest:

Fashion Collage

And people must have agreed, because they immediately re-pinned these like crazy!

It’s the trend of the summer season, and rightfully so. While you could include the bright colors of tropical fruit or flowers, it’s the various shades of green leaves and fronds that range from deep to bright to almost-blue that I am enamored with. Thinking of jungle views and palm-lined beaches is immediately calming, but there’s also an air of excitement and adventure to them. Why wouldn’t you incorporate these looks in your home decor, even subtly? Or your outdoor living space?

Would I like another Mojito? Yes, yes I would…

Lg Collage
(1 – vintageprintable.com via Pinterest; 2 – Martha Stewart via Pinterest; 3 – Wallpaper from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, via Pinterest; 4 – Set of banana leaf prints by The Aestate via Pinterest; 5 – LOST – In the Jungle, an art print by Schatzi Brown via Society6.com; 6 – Palm photo triptych via House Beautiful).

And this current obsession is also seen in graphic design as well. What a perfect design motif for a tropical destination wedding or a backdrop for a beachside eatery.

Tropical Trends in Graphic Design
(1 – Branding and print elements for Holly Burger in Spain, via Behance; 2 – Tropical Glam Wedding Invitation Suite via PaperSnaps on Etsy; 3 – Wedding invitation for Angela of Saffron Avenue via Style Me Pretty ; 4 – Beverly Hills Gold Foil Thank You Card via Olive+Jude on Etsy)

For more inspiration, see my Pinterest Board!

How do you – or will you? – incorporate these exotic tropical trends?

 

Make Mine a Double – Bar Carts

Welcome to 2014! Now that your headache has subsided and you’re back to work, let’s talk about one of my latest great loves: the bar cart. The portable party. Have you noticed it’s everywhere lately? And why not? What a great little accent piece! Perhaps it became popular again in recent years due to shows like Mad Men. Could you imagine having a stocked bar in your office?

Image via Newsweek.com

And I feel like the classic cocktail culture is coming back like CRAZY, lately…Oh, and bachelors especially take note of this design trend…

Anyway, I got my very own bar cart for Christmas – the one from Target!  And I looooovvvvee it.

I wish this was my picture, but this is via Target.com

Bar carts are just so very chic. Especially stocked with gorgeous colored bottles and long, sexy-stemmed glassware. I don’t even like gin, but you can bet my cart will have a big bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin because of that incredible blue bottle. And finally, a proper setting for my St. Germain, currently stashed in the pantry behind some Ruffles.

130310_MH_BAR-CART_016_jpg_1400x500_q85
Prop Stylist: Marcus Hay.  Image via PatBates.com

Oh, but that’s not all. People have dedicated areas to their beloved bar carts, some decking them out like a prized poodle with pom poms and lighting and such. I also love to see how people decorate an otherwise plain canvas of wall space behind them. Amazeballs, People. Really. You inspire me.

Original_Jeanine-Hays-Bar-Carts-The-New-Trad-Wooden-Bar-Cart_s3x4_lg
Image credit: Courtesy of the New Traditionalist via HGTV.com
bar-cart_20-copy
Holy DIY project!  Check this one out!  Image via DailyHaley
deborah-needleman-bar-cart-lonny
Deborah Needleman in Lonny.  Image via Habitually Chic

Rustic/refined, traditional/modern, metal/wood, delicate/massive – there are options for every home and every decor.  And teetotalers! Deck yours out with tea, artisan waters and juices…maybe some potted succulents – voilà!

Not sure how to stock a bar cart?  Here are some ideas!

http://www.redenvelope.com/blog/bar-cart-anatomy
http://www.fashionmeetsfood.com/2012/06/creating-bar-cart.html

For more great bar cart inspiration, see my Pinterest board.  I add to it often, so be sure to follow me!