Hi, Nice to Meet You, Google must have sent you Here, And you are?

always wonder what exactly people are looking for when they come to the blog. I actually also wonder who they are. It's interesting because people do not often comment, and yet hundreds of people visit the blog every month. Now that there are these nifty tools to keep track of why people come here, it's less of a mystery, but still very interesting (well, at least I can see why you show up, not really who you are, except what general geographic area you are coming from).

Last month a lot of people were looking for one of my favorite artists, Brian Kershisnik.

one of my favorites of his paintings...

And some people seemed to want to know more about Matt's Big Breakfast. (here's a tip, I tried to go by there for breakfast today w/ my two kids...but I forgot they are closed on Monday...it was a bummer)

But lots of people type queries into google like this: "green bathroom looks good with blue tile?" or "pencil sketches on walls" or "who is Brian Christensen?" (answer: I have no idea, and I have no idea why google tried to trick you into thinking I knew the answer to that question) "dutch boy paint" (not sure why google landed you here for that either, I pretty much only use Dunn Edwards) and "surf's up" (also a bit of a google mystery, although I do talk about water quite a lot) or "inspiring images for decor and/or lighting in a brown room" and "brown rooms with black in them" and "light colored brown rooms" or "brown rooms that work" (SERIOUSLY! I am shocked at the number of people trolling the internet for brown rooms...who knew? And I am sorry that google directs you here only to find I mostly talk about colors which are not brown).

another brown room I like quite a lot...

One was "what the heck should I put on my walls/not kitschy". Well I do think you might find some ideas here for that. Here's one I've never talked about before though. Sometimes when I watch project runway I am very taken by their sketches. They are really cool! They are artistic and fun looking all on their own, completely separate from the actual designs themselves. And I was thinking - you know, those would look really cool as art work by, framed and on the wall. So here's something I think maybe you should put on your wall which is not kitschy. For heck's sake. (Dear Google: Do I say 'heck' a lot? Sincerely, bandanamom)

Enjoy:

Back in Black

appy Halloween Weekend, and as promised, some black rooms:

(I used to think I would probably never paint a room black, but I'm starting to turn around a little on this idea...I just MIGHT paint a room black soon...or part of a room. Stay tuned.)

But I digress, behold, black inspiration:


Does this not manage to be stunning, adorable, sophisticated and lovely all the same time? Pairing some pink against this bold black wall is so yummy.


I don't know if I'm a fan of the rug, or frankly, of the two chairs...I do like the footstool, but what I think works here is that black above the fireplace makes this room so much more modern and sophisticated than it would seem otherwise.


Black and white together in the same room always looks really nice. The blond wood floors are a good choice here too.


I like all the different elements going on here - the bold pop arty art work and the chairs.


This is obviously quite an expensive room, but very lovely...



I love how when black is done in a room with plenty of natural light it can be a totally different color than it is in a room with low light. I also really love this bed. The bedding is awesome.


I love how luxurious and modern this feels. This is what I'm thinking of going for in one of the rooms in my house...black walls with poppy colors to brighten it up.


So chic! I love how they've re-purposed a dresser here to act as a vanity. The sink is perfect.

Have a great Halloween!

Orange you in love with Orange?

ow, in honor of Halloween, let's celebrate orange!

Orange was a big color this year. Suddenly a color that seemed too bold or too 1978 appeared on the scene and made a big impact. I grew to really love orange this year. Here are some awesome, inspiring rooms and decor featuring orange as a prominent player:



What other things were big this year in decorating besides orange? Zebra rugs, turquoise as an accent color, and maps and globes as accessories.



I love this idea of doing the bold orange outline in a white room. Orange looks so great with white.


Is this not one of the most opulent beds you've ever seen? Sooooo great.


Yes, it's a kids room. But it's a great kids room.

I adore this. I mean, it's really bold, but it feels so cheerful!



I so much love that headboard!


Almost anything would look great re-painted in a tangerine.


I adore these colors together.


This is a more low key orange, but it's really lovely here.

I can never get enough of these SMEG fridges. Makes the whole room.

Happy Halloween! (later this week...Black)

Brown Room...I may not love them, but you apparently Do...

ove brown rooms? I've often said that it's not one of my favorite colors for a room. Beige, even less so. But looking at the stats for my blog I see that people do searches for brown rooms all the time and end up here at my one piddly little post on brown rooms. So for you people who love brown rooms, here are some that I do find inspirational:



Even I have to love this room. Using the brown as a neutral is genius here.



Are we all a little tired of the pink and brown trend? Especially in little girls rooms and clothes? I definitely am. However, this I don't mind at all, because it's such a sophisticated look and because the brown is so deep, dark and lovely.



The wall color is nearly beige. Normally you might be afraid to add animal prints and introduce black and white with beige, most people tend to stick with earthier tones when they go beige or brown, but here the black and white works to keep it interesting.




First of all, I really love the ceiling in this room. How can you not just totally adore that? Second, for some reason this room makes me feel like I'm on an amazing and restful vacation somewhere fun. And oh how I wish that were the case. So I could stare at this for hours. Third, I am in love with orange this year, and this room adds just the right amount. So I really dig this room.


Almost a little too stuffy, but I love the pairing of the light blues with the browns and whites.


This is a good room - I love the large rug/carpet as it pulls everything together, and then the genius of painting that beam blue is awesome.


So there you go, a few brown rooms I love and approve of.

Another (sorta) Mormon Artist I Love...

I first saw this artist at the Phoenix Art Museum, and I fell instantly in love. Since then, I've seen his work pop up all over the place. He's still alive and living in California. Last year some of his works auctioned for $300,000, $500,000, $1,000,000 and up to $1,700,000. It must be really gratifying to watch your art actually become so collectible while you are still alive. A lot of artists never live to see that. This is the piece I saw at the Phoenix Art Museum:

(unfortunately the image of the painting at Phoenix art Museum is strictly protected and this is the best I can do...the painting is far more impressive if you look here)

The thing I love about Thiebaud (pronounced TEE-BO), is his almost fetishistic way of painting the surface of food. Food becomes this kind of landscape, and his landscapes start to look like food. He has the eye of a graphic designer, but this sort of delicious rendering that betrays a certain glee or joyfullness that his perfect reproductions cannot be contained. You get the feeling he starts off doing a straight forward rendering of an object and part way in his desire to render perfectly gives way to his desire to play in the paint and his ability to portray anticipation. Desire in and of itself suddenly makes itself known in the midst of his styling, but he holds back, he doesn't allow himself over to it completely, so that it all walks this delicate balance which feel delicious and right on the precipice always.

I say Thiebaud is (sorta) Mormon because he was raised Mormon (born in Mesa AZ, spent his childhood in Southern Utah and Southern California) and spent most of his younger years actively Mormon, but is fairly inactive now. Though in interviews I read, as late as a few years ago, he still considered himself lucky to have been raised in the Mormon community and indicated he still had connection with the church, albeit sporadic. Somehow I think this helps his art. He indicated as much. I can see it there.

Enjoy some Thiebaud: