Monthly Archives: May 2012

Deep Thought of the Day

by Jessica Posted on May 31, 2012

A very different kind of hotel experience which allows you to actually interact and “stay” within the installation, which just so happens to be a hotel room. Created by eight Japanese and Dutch designers.

images from DesignBoom

Posted in art, Furniture, Inspiration, Lighting | Tagged design boom, design ideas, design inspiration, hotel design, interior decoration, interior design, Tokyo Love Hotel | Leave a comment

Dollhouse Interiors MADNESS.

by Jessica Posted on May 29, 2012

I’m still not sure I believe that these are dollhouses – look at the detail! Stunning.

all imges from Stylist.co.uk

Posted in Attention to Detail, Little Lovelies, Uncategorized | Tagged dollhouse furniture, dollhouse interiors, historic dollhouses, in decoration, interior, interior design, interior design ideas, stylist UK | 1 Comment

Survey says…

by Jessica Posted on May 27, 2012

Go play!

xx Megan and Jessica

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Shop!

by Jessica Posted on May 24, 2012

New orange bamboo tables in the shop. They’re saying, “Buy me!”

Trust me. I speak furniture.

Posted in Furniture, Shop | Tagged bamboo furniture, bamboo table, cane table, charlottes locks, end tables, Farrow and Ball, occassional tables, orange tables, pair of side tables, rattan table | Leave a comment

Lately I’m Loving….Claudia Bryant

by Megan Posted on May 23, 2012

Chances are, if you’ve opened a British interiors mag (particularly Living Etc) in the last few years, you will have come across Claudia Bryant’s interior styling genius. Her sense of whimsy, attention to detail and very fine taste means that all of her features are dog-eared and repeatedly referred back to in this Colonista’s studio. Keep your eyes peeled for her work in the future, but in the meantime, here are a few snaps from her website:

Posted in I love your vignette, Lately I'm Loving... | Tagged bedroom design ideas, Claudia Bryant, design ideas, interior decoration, interior design, interior styling, interior stylist, Living Etc | 1 Comment

Deep Thought of the Day

by Megan Posted on May 22, 2012

Posted in Deep Thought of the Day | Tagged Design Quotes, Erik Adigard, Erik Adigard quotes | Leave a comment

DIY Art … Neon

by Megan Posted on May 21, 2012

I like art. Beaucoup. I like it more when I can afford it and have it in my own home.

Better still I like it when I make it and it looks good.

I want some neon. You want some neon. Your mom wants some neon.

I’m going to tell you how to get some neon.

I’m not suggesting you take up neon crafting, but if you want to you may.

Or you can throw money at your bare wall problems and put in an order with Neon Circus.

If sconces are hats for your wall, then neon is a cheeky tattoo.

Here are some neon-spiration shots:

via

Posted in DIY | Tagged art, diy, diy art, make your own art, neon | 3 Comments

celebre-crap or the rise of the celebrity ”designer”

by Megan Posted on May 20, 2012

Yesterday we celebrated a fashion designer who has successfully applied his skills to furniture.

But most of the time we here at The Colonies are much more cynical about celebrities or fashion designers who turn their hands to industrial design.

I chatted with The Colonies’ uber-design-conscious friend, Lauren Howey. Our conversation had me rolling on the floor with laughter. Here’s how it went:

Lauren: [After referring to the Jason Wu faucet/tap.] Fashion collaboration has gone hilariously too far. Yeah, my faucet is by Jason Wu. And have you seen my Versace disposal? The piping in the wall is Tom Ford…

Me: I saw that tap – I hate that I don’t hate it. What’s next, Kate Spade ballcocks? Have you read about Justin Timberlake’s homewares line for HomeMint? *

Kate Spade’s ballcock would be pink and polka-dotted.

Lauren: Justin Timberlake and homewares. Because when I think Justin Timberlake, I think plates and vases. That’s hilarious. I don’t hate the Jason Wu faucet either. But he just took a normal faucet and turned it black. Ta-da! Though I suppose I don’t want a fashion designer to actually redesign the faucet and it’s mechanisms – what would Wu know about plumbing??

Me: You’re so right! But we are okay with Kelly Wearstler doing fashion right? RIGHT?

Lauren: Well that’s because Kelly Wearstler can. do. no. wrong. Even when she’s charging $900 for a brass star bookend, she’s the queen!

I guess celebrity interior lines is the next frontier. I mean, when Kanye West is debuting a collection at Paris fashion week, the celeb fashion line has jumped the shark and they all need something new to claim they “designed”!

My favorite though was when I was watching Fashion Police on E! (a fact I would not admit this to many people…) and one of the hosts said, “You know Brad Pitt has a background in design.” So apparently shopping at Design Within Reach means you have a background in design. Just kill me.

*I won’t be linking you to JT’s range. It is every kind of wrong.