Idea to Steal: Pleats Please

Ideas to Steal

A design trend has slowly been creeping into my consciousness of late, but the look has officially taken on must-have status. I need a pleated lampshade in my life! It is my latest Idea to Steal.

Be they pendants, floor lamps, or for the table, a light with a pleated shade is suddenly feeling rather chic. A pleated lampshade is a great way to add more interest and texture to space. While I’ve seen them in a myriad of colors, I do prefer a crisp white option with a knife pleat.

The secret to keeping the look from going too “grandma” is pairing a pleated shade with a fixture that has a modern feel. Think of a simple cord pendant, an elegant minimal floor lamp, or a modern ceramic lamp.

There are a number of gorgeous vintage pleated lamps out there. The Mads Caprani Arc Floor from the 1970s is definitely having a moment. There are also many sites that sell vintage lamps from Scandinavia. They can be from the 1940’s all the way through mid-century. One of my go-to resources for v is Counter Space in LA. I’m currently coveting the pleated table lamp by Hay design. It’s actually the primary design inspiration for the Apartment 34 studio design – but that story is still to come!

What do you think of the pleated lampshade trend? Do you have one in your house yet?

For more theft-worthy design ideas, CLICK HERE.

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images via curated spaces / the dreslyn / h&m home / 1st dibs / curated spaces / 20modern / sarah nedovic / finnish design shop

Our Top 20 Pins of the Month

Inspiration

Do you still pin like a maniac? Yeah, me too. Pinning is how I like to decompress at the end of the day or find inspiration at the start of the week. So I thought I ought to start sharing Apt34’s top 20 pins each month – because I find it rather fascinating to see what you find rather fascinating. I hope this offers you as much Monday inspiration as it did me!

A dazzling dining room. Yup, I’m totally with you on this one. And I officially need those chairs in my dining room.

Super modern bathroom vibes. I love it all except those chevron towel on the tub. Not a fan.

You’e been feeling some cool, casual summer style. Me too.

Monochromatic fireplace goals – check.

Similarly monochromatic kitchen goals. You guys are nothing if not consistent with your tastes. I throughly approve.

And even monochromatic flowers.

Creating a perfect shelfie is indeed a never-ending quest.

But this shelfie, featured in a show house I toured a couple years back, is pretty dang good.

Proof you can live in a well-designed home and not spend a fortune – those built-in bookcases are an ingenious Ikea hack!

And a similarly monochromatic way to display.

The green kitchen trend is catching fire right now.

And so is a bit more playful, saturated design.

And apparently you’re already thinking about fall. Or maybe all my Pinterest followers live in San Francisco and so are desperately trying to make sweaters feel summery.

Never under estimate the power of playing.

And take the time to create the moodboard. This one is definitely speaking to my summer vibe.

I am also always searching for the perfect way to make a modern bed. I think this one come close.

For more of my favorite Pinterest trends, CLICK HERE.

pins 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20

Color Trend: Clay is the New Gray

Decor

Gray kitchens have been having a moment, well…for much longer than a moment now. It’s about time some new kids come to town. And this is coming from someone who painted her dream kitchen gray. While black kitchens have been gaining ground and bright white kitchens remain the super safe bet, there’s a softer option for the color-phobes among us: I give you the clay kitchen.

Think of clay as gray’s softer, warmer cousin. It creates a beautiful, neutral backdrop that envelopes you like a hug of an old friend, but the hue still feels sophisticated and refined.

One of the great things about this color is its versatility. It can feel right at home in more rustic, country kitchens but also feels right at home in modern spaces. I love the look of clay lower cabinets contrasted against a lovely carrara counter and bright white walls in the kitchen above. The classic shaker style lends to a traditional feel, while the no-uppers is incredibly current. Little hits of dark in the sconce and staub pot are like drops of paint on a creamy canvas. It’s a gorgeous example of a kitchen design that will stand the test of time.

Clay looks just as gorgeous in an ultra modern setting. The tone on tone look of this kitchen is gorge. A concrete island and counters offer a cool contrast to the cabinets, warm wood floors and bar stools. A glossy white backsplash adds a little shine.

Floor to ceiling clay cabinets help the large scale of the piece blend in rather than feel overbearing.

This house carries the warm clay from the kitchen to its entry with beautiful effect. While this could look very Scandi if it were all bright white, this color offers a soothing alternative.

While I’m never going to stop loving gray kitchens, I’m certainly developing a new kitchen crush. What say you? Are you feeling the clay? I’d love to know your thoughts.

For even more kitchen design ideas, CLICK HERE.

image 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

My Top 5 Favorite Design Trends on Pinterest

Decor

If you read sites like this one, then I trust you are also a Pinterest fan. It’s still my number one source of design inspiration. And how I pass the time in basically any line in which I ever stand. I always find it interesting to learn what’s currently poppin’ on Pinterest. You can certainly spot trends before they inundate the masses. Pinterest actually just released a study of the 2o rising design trends that are currently catching fire on the platform. There are some more obvious ones like clothing racks and removable wallpaper, but there definitely some interesting ones in there too. Keep scrolling to see my list of favorites.

First up, terracotta. It’s popularity on Pinterest has grown 36% lately. Not the literal tile, but the color has been creeping into my consciousness and my feed for awhile now and I’m loving it.

Love for round bathroom mirrors has also grown over 30%, and it’s easy to see why. I put one in my guest bath too!

Hats as decor is another genius idea. It’s a perfect go-between while you’re waiting to build your art collection or simply need a place to store your hats. (note to self: become a hat person)

The love for urban jungles has been growing continually and I’ve certainly espoused adding plants to your house. But adding shower plants has grown over 300% on Pinterest! It would be fun to feel like you’re bathing in the wild.

While bar carts have been all the rage for I can’t remember how long, vertical bars are now catching fire (growing 300% on Pinterest). It’s easy to understand why. They’re space saving, they can be easy to DIY or an be made super chic like the option above. It’s making me want to get my vertical bar game on.

I’m curious. Which of these trends is your favorite? Have you seen any others popping on your Pinterest feed?

If you’re looking for some more inspiration this weekend, check out my Pinterest page right here.

Fresh Design Trend for 2015

Bathrooms

A new year means it’s the perfect time to give your place a little facelift, am I right?? With all the holiday decor put away, I’m seriously craving an infusion of something fresh. But as I started scanning for inspiration, I was truly surprised by what caught my eye! I’ve never met a beige, black or white space I didn’t like, but all of a sudden I’m loving – COLOR. Maybe brightening up my world a bit wouldn’t be so bad…

The pic above {of designer Diane Bergeron’s Melbourne home should you be interested in more}, is my inspiration. While the mix of multiple hues {red, purple, green, turquoise – oh my!} is a little too over the top and truthfully just too dang feminine for me, the room still draws me in. That’s why I really love the gorgeous apartment below. It showcases how a hit of a signature color can make a major impact. Even an obsessive neutrals devotee such as myself {more proof here!}, might benefit from stretching the color comfort zone a bit.

The secret to this apartment’s success? The foundation of this space is built on white – obviously a fabulous backdrop for color {can we say art gallery?!}. But I particularly love how all the major pieces remain neutral – a creamy white couch, a natural cane chair, gold accented tables and lamps – even black and white art keep the the rooms anchored. I’d be happy with just those details! But I’m loving the burst of energy and life provided by the deep grass green peppered throughout the space. Be it in accent pillows or a really bold shower curtain, the burst of color feels strong and modern. The other great thing? When you stick to adding color through your accessories, they’re easily interchangeable!

While I doubt I’ll be overhauling the loft in a whole new palette, I’m now thinking about what I can do in the new house to inject some unexpected bursts of color here and there. Curtains perhaps? How about painting a mirror frame. A pendent light? Or maybe I’ll get extra bold and get a big ole bright rug…I feel a new pinning spree coming on!!

But what about you? Are you a color-fan or a color-phobe? Is there a hue you’d add to your house right now? Would love some additional ideas!

image 1 via elecchic // images 2-4 via http://objekt.fastighetsbyran.se/

Trend Spotting: Surfbords as Home Decor

Decor

Beyonce and Jay Z were recently in San Francisco on their On The Run tour, but you knew that because you went. We, apparently, were the only ones in the entire city who DIDN’T go and oh, we felt the sting. While everyone was jammin’ to “Drunk in Love” we were stuck in the left over concert traffic only to be proceeded by an equally monotonous night. And to top off a serious case of Tuesday night FOMO, if the rumors are true, the power couple is headed for the dreaded “D” word and we just. can’t. handle. it.

So in honor of Queen Bey and Jay, we rounded up our favorite surfboard inspirations, or should we say surfbort inspirations? We’ve been seeing these dudes everywhere, from decor to editorials and we can only believe that it was partly Beyonce’s doing. After all, she runs the world, right? On her surfbort.

We’re in love with the idea of surfboards as decor, especially when they’re not your typical “surf’s up, bro” board. A gorgeous blond wood with a vintage-inspired shape is so cool leaning against a blank wall and the Gray Malin photography infused board is literally a work of art. Obsessed.

Speaking of art, fashion and interior designers have definitely received the surf delivered memo. We can’t decide if we’d rather break waves on Kelly Wearstler’s beautifully crafted wooden boards or Alexander Wang’s marble beauties. Probably Kelly’s, right? Marble sinks- in the literal sense of the word only!

And just in case you’re planning to ride this trend as long as we are, we present a surfbort moodbort. <– We had to!

Have you caught the surfboard wave too? Or are you ready for this trend to crash and break? Us? Oh, we’re prepared to ride this baby till the final days of summer are gone! —Bianca

image 1 via Home Adore // 2 via Fast Co. // 3 via One Kings Lane // 4 via Kelly Wearstler // 5 via Alexander Wang // moodboard images via

We’ve Got A Crush

Decor

Things are slowing down for the summer. Can you feel it? Our inbox is overflowing with away messages, wanderlust is taking on a new meaning as we watch friends frolic in exotic locations via Instagram and the sun outside is calling us away from our desk more often than not. Luckily, there is still good inspiration to be had all over the web that keeps us from completely blowing things off! Lately, we’ve got a crush on…

Minimal yet bold graphic design…

The green and golden tones of figs and honey atop homemade yogurt…

Floating book shelves, black floors and backward-styled books to show off their wonderfully monochromatic worn pages…

Matching a gold color block wall to your outfit…

And wall weavings that are far from hippy!

What’s keeping you on your working toes this week? If you need more inspiration to get you through hump day, CLICK HERE.

image 1 via Inbaloza for Le Salon // 2 via April and May photography by Phu Tang // 3 via Svenska Maklarhuset // 4 via Ordinary People // 5 via All Roads

Embracing My Inner “Festival Style”

Fashion

I was once a champion festival-goer. I spent years sweating it out in the desert, rocking in amphitheaters and getting crushed in the crowds as I pushed toward the front row. And I loved every second of it. These days though, while my love of music hasn’t withered, my stamina for festivals and “festival wear” has dimmed.

So when Old Navy challenged me to style a “festival” inspired look, I was a little hesitant. I’m a little past the days of werkin’ short shorts, bikini tops and flower crowns. However, I do believe we all have a little inner-hippie hiding in us somewhere so I looked to mine to inspire this ensemble. I think I found her!

get your shop on: Old Navy Panama Hat // Old Navy Tee // Old Navy bucket bag // One Teaspoon Jeans // Zara heels similar // Illvesteva sunnies similar

Festival inspired style lets you be a little more casual, loose and funky than you might ordinarily be in your day-to-day life. I took the excuse to embrace a few of Spring’s hot trends including super-distressed denim, message tees, bucket bags and the classic Panama hat.

We paid direct homage to festival goers’ exhibitionist side by DIYing up my Old Navy tee! We added a little additional rock n’ roll edge by cutting off the sleeves and snipping little side-baring cutouts. I was actually loving the result. My tee has offically been added to my Greece packing list.

But I also ended up loving this look overall. I would totally rock it on a girls’ day at the beach, maybe to a casual brunch at an outdoor cafe or even when I’m just feeling sassy on a day of errand-running.

We actually did this shoot at a local amplitheater in San Francisco’s John McClaren Park and as we hung out in the sunshine that warm, hippie vibe really started to take over. We even had Jerry Garcia playing on our Pandora station! I could have laid around out there all day. So maybe I do have a little festival spirit left in me after all. Now to find out if there are any tickets left to a fun show this summer!

original photography for Apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // blanket and hide c/o Neighbor // art direction and styling by Apartment 34

This post was sponsored by Old Navy.
Check out Old Navy’s latest fashion lineup in store or online at oldnavy.com. Thanks for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34’s doors open. For even more personal style inspiration click here.

4:00 PM Fashion Fix: {Surfer Sealed and Approved}

Fashion

Heidi Merrick is one of those lines that you need to know about, especially if you live in California. Her entire Ready-to-Wear Collection is designed and produced in-state, right in Los Angeles! I admire businesses that keep work local. Plus, after being raised in the surfing culture {her dad is somewhat of a legend!} she has learned to apply an effortless, casual and cool vibe to each garment, making them perfect transitional pieces for coastal weather!

I mean, what is more badass than a leather brief?! And of course, all of the loose fits are right up my alley. They’re soft and comfortable- right in line with my favorite boy meets girl style. I love the way a flowy harem pant is paired with a more structured, wet looking jacket. Also loving the vegan leather options- they look just like the real deal and bring that surfer edginess to an outfit!

However, our favorite has to be the crazy cool two-tone silk trousers. They’re part of the Fall 2013 Collection and prove in a major way that color, prints and fun are not just for summer!

You can shop Heidi Merrick’s collection here and be sure to check out more of our favorite fall trends here.

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