Tom And Rita Love Gray, Too!

Imagine my surprise when I finally got to catching up on my NY Times blog reading—not just one, but two posts on the magic of gray paint from former Domino contributing editor and now NYT contributor, Rita Konig. If there ever was a moment of I-so-nailed-this-color, this was it! In any event, Rita transforms her West Village apartment with a rather subtle shade of gray—much like one of the Pratt & Lambert paints Liz loves. Check out Rita's before and after:

The difference is ever so slight—sort of like when a friend gets a trim and you look at them, not able to pinpoint what exactly has changed, but knowing that whatever it is, it's a great thing. And while Rita went with a soft gray on her walls, her former Domino colleague, interior designer, Tom Delavan, chose a bit more urban-feeling shade in his kitchen renovation. But, it wasn't an easy shade to find, especially because he planned to pair it with lots of soft-shaded wood: "I think wood works with gray," Tom explained. "I wanted something that was between gray and brown: too gray and it goes battleship; too brown and it goes too early-'90s. I took two days of looking at colors to find the right one, but when you do, it changes everything." Does it ever, Tom! Check out his teeny (but oh-so-chic) kitchen:

Tom's preferred gray? Pratt & Lambert's Woodwitch. Fab, right?

The DOG DAYS OF SUMMER....

As the end of August approaches, most here in the city would agree that we are well into the hot and sultry "Dog Days of Summer." This pup mimics my reaction every time I step out onto the steamy streets of New York City, where it seems there is no escaping the heat this time of year!

Despite the wearing summer heat, there is still an abundance of dogs and their owners strolling the sidewalks at a moment's glance. Dogs are not only true and constant companions, and but are also consistently a design inspiration to many of their owners.

Here's to man's best friend and the dog days of summer!

Doesn't this little pup look nice and cool in front of his stylish Osborne & Little adorned dog house?

Osborne & Little wallpaper also featured in vignette by Elizabeth Bauer Design - Housing Works Design on a Dime 2009

LOVE!

"Jeff Koons at Versailles" 2008 - this image is behind me on our inspiration board in the store right now!

Don't have the time for a pet? Who says you can't have one of your own anyways...

Ceramic Delphi Greyhound by Vellum - available at Elizabeth Bauer Design

Pair of playful greyhound figures by Jonathan Adler

Leather Terrier by Jonathan Adler

The bulldog and bird dog inspired wallpapers are my personal favorites - any of you who know me know why...

"Wallpapers Featuring Man's Best Friend"

House Beautiful

My bird dog and southern companion and inspiration, Sadie Belle

These classic needlepoint pillows from Chelsea Textiles are fabulous!

Wouldn't this be sweet in a little girls room?

Designer Eric Cohler shares his design influences in the book Inspired Styles - available at Elizabeth Bauer Design

The dogs in Cohler's designs add a traditional flair to his modern style

Isn't this little guy cute? Vintage pastel from the 1940's - available at Elizabeth Bauer Design

And last, but definitely not least... our store mascot, and Liz's new constant companion, Lilly!

Many (Many) Shades Of Gray

This past weekend I had grand plans to paint my bedroom...again, for the third time in as many months. Truth be told, I've become a bit of a paintaholic and tend to run into "issues" when choosing a shade or color. I don't necessarily think about the "after" phase of painting, the part when you actually have to live with whatever color you slap on the walls. Which is why this past weekend was a little different—I planned on playing it a bit safer for once, my walls were going to be a very pretty and calming gray. (A little background: The last color I choose was this completely sadistic sea foam green that made the walls glow much like kroptonite. Each morning, when I looked in the mirror, my complexion took on this sickly, greenish tint. Needless to say, it wasn't the place to go when I wanted to feel at all pretty or ready-to-conquer-the-world confident about myself.)

So, in need of a little gray direction, I asked Elizabeth for her shade-opinions—she is the pro at this after all! The colors she loved? Farrow & Ball's Cornforth White, or if I was looking for a shade with a bit more depth, their Pavillion Gray. Both beyond gorgeous, and both a tiny bit too light—sure, I was going to play it safe, but not too safe. In search of a slightly deeper gray, but not so gunmetal that I felt I was locked-up in some state prison each night, I got to searching design blogs for paint advice. The shade I came up with? Benjamin Moore's Silver Half Dollar—all thanks to Michelle Adams, the designer behind the eco-friendly textile line, Rubie Green. Michelle painted her adorable apartment this exact shade and it looked just my style:

Completely chic, right? I opted for the Benjamin Moore "Aura" line, it's paint with primer already built in and has a low VOC reading so I was being an eco-friendly DIY interior designer. Here's how the color looked on my walls (excuse the amateur photography skills and nosy dog):

Not bad, right? What are your favorite gray paints?

Sneak A Peak At Anna Sui's Eclectic Home!

We've all seen Anna Sui's vibrant collections and intense makeup line, so it comes as no huge surprise that her home is a bold mix of dramatic textiles, colors and wall treatments. Timid, she is not. Now, new style website, Fashionair, the brainchild of "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller and former Net-a-Porter big-wig Sojin Lee, has a not-to-be-missed home tour with Anna—and it's a true feast for the eyes! Exhibit A., her high-contrast black and white bathroom:

Could you just imagine brushing your teeth each morning amid all the black lacquered furniture pieces and gleaming white subway tiling? So fab. 

To log on for a sneak video peak (the official Fashionair launch date isn't until September), go here and enter your email as well as the password "FLIPFLOP" when prompted. Oh, and attention all Thakoon Panichgul fans: You can get a looksee at his much more subdued (though no less fascinating) abode, too. [Fashionair via So Haute!]