Hello Blue Moon

I have joined up with Supal again this month for another round of Art to Inspiration!  :-)  Art to Inspiration is a movement that Supal has created where each month she chooses an artist's work, sends out a newsletter with the piece's information, and we are to let it inspire us and write a post about it!  We can do whatever we want -- form a recipe, find pretty pictures, take our own pictures...really, the sky's the limit.  :-)  It's really fun, and I love opening that e-mail once a month and getting to see a new piece of art that is just so beautiful.

September Art to Inspiration

Title: Hello Blue Moon

Artist: Lani Trock

When I first saw this piece, I was instantly drawn to the moody black and blue color palette.  I remember the days when I thought that black and blue could not appear together -- in fact, it was one of those things where it looked like one had put them together on accident, even in a purposeful case -- but now, I find it completely lovely.  :-)  I decided to find some interiors that use this color palette to make a room sing!

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Pretty, yes?  :-)  If you would like to join in on the Art to Inspiration fun, head over here to sign up!  And be sure to check out Supal's Facebook Fan Page later this week to see what all of the other bloggers came up with!

What do you think of this color palette?  Are you a fan?  Not-so-much?

love,

maria

Back to Nature: Neutral Color Palettes

The end of summer is nearing, and I predict that I will again retreat back to a love affair with warmer-colored interiors -- my tastes seem to change with the seasons.  So, we'll take a look at some neutral-hued rooms today and celebrate the last week in August -- Fall is right around the corner, people!  And I cannot wait!  :-)

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What is your favorite neutral color?

love,

maria

For the Love of Books: Home Libraries

Hello hello!  Happy Monday to you!  :-)  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I spent mine relaxing -- something that is difficult for me to do completely guilt-free, but I was able to overcome that feeling and try to enjoy it.  What did you do this weekend?

Today, we're going to take a look at some inspiration pictures of home libraries.  The concept and idea of having a place for all of my books (with room to grow!) is amazing, and I do hope that my hubby and I are able to implement my dream in a home someday.  We shall see!  Until then, I will cozy up on my sofa and look at pictures of spaces that I die over.  ;-)  Are we ready?

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If you had your own library, what would be the first book that you would put on the shelves?

love,

maria

House Tour: Keri Russell

I haven't seen much of Keri Russell in my movie- or television-watching career, but I do admire her lovely laid-back sense of style and beautiful curly hair.  :-)  When I found photos of her home on Elle Decor, I just knew that I had to feature it on All Things Luxurious.  It is beautiful and simple -- not pretentious or over-stated; my favorite type of design.  The sort of house you feel instantly at home and welcome in.  That's what I love -- instant comfort, but immediate recognition of the fact that you are in a beautiful space.

Here she is with her her family in her Brooklyn, New York home.  How amazing is that piano?  I have played since I was eight or so -- I would love to sit down with that beauty!

Here is the master bedroom.

I love that rustic natural wood side table and that glorious oversized bunch of branches.  The cool colors of the room are accented by the organic materials -- love that!

This is the dressing room.

Totally cozy -- a room with literally no intimidation factor -- natural textures and a soft color palette.  I think it's perfect.

The bathroom.

Seriously -- don't you just want to hop into that tub and never get out?  I love the chair next to it, too -- facilitating intimate bath-time discussions and company.  Very sweet.  :-)

This is a dining room that I migrate back to over and over again.

I think the chairs are my favorite part, or perhaps that the color palette is rather dark, but because the space is so filled with natural light, it appears peppy and full of life.

And the touch of whimsy with the chandelier -- beautiful.

A kitchen, filled with dark woods, gleaming white countertops, and stainless steel -- yes!  And how sweet is that little nook where Keri's cookbooks reside?

Finally, the living room.

All luxurious furniture in here, people -- nothing but upholstered, cushion-y goodness.

And the touches of nature brought indoors are, again, quite possibly my favorite thing in this room.

Okay -- time for the what's-your-favorite-part game!  I think mine would definitely have to be that dining room.  I just can't get enough!

love,

maria

All images from here.

PIECES

Hey, there!  :-)

I just wanted to thank you all so much for the encouraging Tweets and comments I received yesterday on my first day back to school.  It was such an amazing experience for me, going back to finish up my education; and I am so happy to say that it was a wonderful day.  I have two different classes today, which I am a little bit nervous about -- but I'm feeling a lot better than I was yesterday before I left my home to drive to the school for the first time in so many years.  I loved reading your messages and each one made me smile and feel so cared for.  You guys are the best!

I was contacted last week by a really nice woman named Allie who works for a store called Pieces in Atlanta, Georgia.  Pieces is a high-end boutique that carries both vintage and new furniture and was started by owner and designer Lee Kleinhelter in 2004.  I asked Allie if I could showcase some of my favorite pieces on the blog today, and she said I could.  :-)  This is not a sponsored post.  I just really think these items are beautiful and am happy to share them with you!  

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Seriously...how gorgeous are these items?  I encourage you to head on over to the boutique's website and take a mini-break reveling in the amazing finds in this shop!

What's your favorite piece from this post?

love,

maria

Interesting Handles

I love awesome handles, both on cabinets or furniture.  I always like to pay attention to what pieces are adorned with -- and I find that so much personality can be brought into a space with such a tiny detail.  I have several pieces of furniture in our apartment that I would love to give a makeover (paint and handles), but in the meantime, I am loving the window shopping and inspiration-seeking process.  Anthropologie has some amazing handles, but they are pretty steep on price considering the number amount that I need; however, I'm including some of my favorites into this post because a girl can dream, right?  ;-)

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Which is your favorite?  (Mine is definitely the first -- and it's Anthro!)

love,

maria