AllModern.com Houseware Giveway!

BluLabel Bungalow has teamed up with AllModern.com to offer you a chance to win two fashion-forward Ben Collection Dinner Plates and two Ben Bowls by Working Class Studio! You know how much BLB loves fashion influences found in home decor products! Each melamine plate features a sketch by the late Savannah College of Art and Design professor and distinguished illustrator Ben Morris.

These plates coordinate well with the other fashionable Ben Collection products, such as the Ben Tumblers and Ben Bowls pictured below… all available at AllModern.com

***HOW TO ENTER***

1. In the comments section provide your name & topic(s) you would like to see discussed on BluLabel Bungalow
2. Increase your chances to win by becoming a fan of BluLabel Bungalow on Facebook. Your name will then be added twice ( if you are already a Facebook fan you too will be counted twice).
   

CONTEST RULES...

Please note that this giveaway is only for residents of the United States and Canada

The contest closes Wednesday, October 7th at 11:59 pm. A winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) and announced as a comment on this post and as a separate blog post on this blog, on Thursday, October 8th. After we post the winner, if you are the lucky recipient you will be expected to contact me (erika@blulabelbungalow.com) by Friday, October 9th to choose your prizes and send me your shipping info. If you have not contacted me by that date, another winner will be chosen. I suggest subscribing to receive email follow-ups so you won't forget to come back and check for the winner.

I enjoyed selecting items for this giveaway and browsing the vast selection of modern furniture and housewares on the AllModern.com site. Part of CSN Stores, AllModern.com is just one of 200+ retail sites that offer a diverse array of products from Herman Miller’s popular Aeron Chair to wall sconces by Robert Abbey.

Good Luck!

Tastemaker Tuesday: Kiva 150

Today's tastemaker post is not about a person, but an awesome loft space I visited while attending a baby shower this past weekend. The owner, Kelli Flournoy rents her space through her business' website, Kiva 150. Kiva, a Swahili word meaning "unity," offers 1300 square feet of loft space in the historic Castleberry Hill district in Atlanta, Georgia.
When Kelli purchased the space, she immediately removed the wall partitions to create this great expanse of space to be used for both public and private events.
Equipped with a fully outfitted kitchen, I immediately began thinking about hosting a private dinner party for my birthday celebration in November. Afterward we would migrate up to the space you see below!Using a loft space is also a great alternative for hosting your event and may save you a few bucks to rent this space in lieu of costly venues.

Host Kiva 150 for:

• Gallery Space
• Cooking Demonstrations
• Bridal Showers
• Engagement Parties
• Rehersal Dinners
• Corporate Training

Of course these are just a few ideas and I'm sure you can come up with tons more...just be sure to inquire about room capacity when contemplating your "lofty ideas!" Until next time, Ciao!

Lofty Ideas

"In my view, no space without natural light is worthy of human occupation. "

- John Saladino

One of my favorite characteristics of a loft space are the floor to ceiling windows. They flood the entire space with sunlight and virtually bring the outdoors indoors. My second favorite characteristic is the open floor plan. A design dilemma for many, I love an open floor plan because of it's endless possibilities...it is essentially a blank canvas!

{designed by Chelsea Atelier Architect, PC}

{designed by valerie pasquiou interiors + design, inc}

I found a great three minute video from Metropolitan Home on How to Live Well in a Loft. They offer the following design advice:

• Use lighting to divide your space. For example, a chandelier over the dining room table shows a differentiation between rooms and its usage.
• Use color to divide your communal spaces
• In a windowless room use a bold wallpaper pattern or large art piece as a focal point
• Layer rugs for texture and visual interest. Also great for dividing your space
• Use pocket doors in lieu of hinged doors
• Install floor to ceiling storage to take advantage of soaring ceiling
  

Below the video in its entirety. Enjoy, if you live in a loft space, take good notes! For more design advice on tackling loft spaces, please email me: erika@blulabelbungalow.com. Ciao!

Fashion Friday: BLB Tees off with The 19th Hole Magazine

Today's Fashion Friday spotlights The 19th Hole Magazine! Founded by Ian Lawrence, The 19th Hole Magazine is the first publication in the United States to focus exclusively on golf and high fashion, an unlikely pair, but so irresistibly fresh and new! Here is a preview of the 1st issue (also available digitally on their website, click here).

'
What you see is a unique blend of style, substance, and attitude that speaks to 21st century players both on and off the course.

The 19th Hole Playbook features stylish items for the jet setter "that cover longitudes and latitudes all over the world." The only thing above par should be your fashion game!



I had the opportunity to speak with Leah Wells, The 19th Hole Magazine's Strategic Events Manager, about their upcoming event, Golf Rocks. The event is a celebration of the fusion of golf, fashion, and music cultures. Attendees are guaranteed to experience the "life well played on the edgier side of golf." I can hardly wait to "tweet all about it."

Who: Golf Rocks (presented by The 19th Hole Magazine)
When: October 17, 2009 9:00pm - 3:00am
Where: Primal Nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia
For more information visit: www.the19thholemag.com

Hope to see you there...in the meantime, have a great weekend. Ciao!

Taking a Moment to Give Thanks!

Today I received a short note from Mr. Darryl Carter thanking me for my support. See yesterday's blog post. So, I wanted to dedicate a special post to ALL my readers for supporting me. Reader's comments are very encouraging and I am truly thankful for you taking the time to share.

Thanks also to fellow bloggers:

Jennifer Ramos @ MadebyGirl
Tricia @ Simply Sophisticated Design

TamStyles @ GetItGirl Style

Ashley @ Decorology

Joi @ Nuestra Vida Dulce

Diedra @ Noir Mommies

Sarah @ Real Estate StyleMizz Jenna @ Mi Vida Bonita
Rebecca @ White Floors

Elise @ The Royal Ballet

Last but not least, the blog mentions!!

Melisa and Pam @ Project Nursery

Andrika @ Nursery Notations

Thank you also to my Facebook Fans and Fellow Twitter Peeps! If you haven't commented before I'd love to meet you, too! Let's socialize!

Tastemaker Tuesday: Darryl Carter

"Furnishing a room is like hosting a good party. Gather interesting, different characters and let them mingle."

- Darryl Carter

Washington, D.C. based interior designer, Darryl Carter has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary designers. I first fell for his furniture line developed for Thomasville and later became enamored with his lighting collection for The Urban Electric Company. His style transcends time making his pieces the perfect heirlooms. "One of the outstanding hallmarks of our design is its longevity which is produced by honoring classical elements of the past and present, from the modern to the antique," as stated on his company's website. I found a few of my favorite Darryl Carter pieces featured in O at Home and Traditional Home magazines.

Feast your eyes on these:

This dining area is so crisp and tailored with a hint of Swedish design influence.

This kitchen is so stylized, yet unpretentious.
It appears to be small in size, but packs loads of panache!

The Lafayette Hang fixture provides a sophisticated, high end look

to this otherwise ordinary salon.

I just recently spec'd this nightstand for a client's master bedroom and she absolutely loved it.

What are your thoughts on Darryl Carter's quiet palettes and time-honored designs?

Smitten by the Haymarket Hotel - London

"There is magic...in the deep-jewel-colored room, warm and mysterious, where you discover its many beauties as you sit, seduced slowly." - Billy Baldwin

I am completely smitten by The Haymarket Hotel in London! It was love at first sight...The building is an historical landmark designed by the great John Nash (also the master architect of the Buckingham Palace) and decorated by Kit Kemp. The decor is the perfect marriage of modern and traditional style and the icing on the cake would have to be the use of bold color!

Each of the 50 bedrooms and suites have been uniquely designed and are said to be some of the larges rooms in central London.

The atmosphere is so welcoming and appears to look more like one's home
instead of a hotel room.
Find design inspiration in the fresh, contemporary color palettes. It's obvious each room was designed with such care and given much attention to detail.

With fabrics as my first love, I adore the mix of vivid colors and bold, geometric patterns.

Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be divine while dining in this room.

Haymarket Hotel

1 Suffolk Place
London SW1Y 4BP
SW1Y 4BP

Have you ever had the pleasure of being a guest at this sophisticated boutique hotel? Especially you Londoners out there...is it as beautiful as it appears in the photos? Until next time, Ciao!

Fashion Friday: The Runway Palette by Cargo Cosmetics

Today's Fashion Friday post is really geared more towards makeup and beauty. The jumping off point...The Runway Palette by Cargo Cosmetics. Talk about adorable! This limited edition palette, available exclusively at Sephora, takes the guesswork out of applying Fall 2009's hottest runway looks. How clever are the button-embossed eye shadows and the "cable knitted" bronzer and blushes? The center palette is what Cargo calls the "Essential Palette in Gray." What are the runway makeup trends for Fall 2009? Try smoky gray eyes (using the essential palette), bronzed cheeks, nude lips, and pops of jeweled toned colors on the eyes...exciting enough to make you find somewhere to go. And my favorite look for all seasons, a full well-manicured brow.

The smoky eye can be a bit tricky and requires a bit of practice. I'm planning an honest attempt at this for my event Saturday night! A wrong move and I could be donning the raccoon look or even worst look as if I lost a boxing match. I'm planning to follow the instructions below. The first is an easy-peasy tutorial straight from the Cargo Cosmetics website. The other is a video I found on the New York Magazine site. Wish me luck and HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. Ciao!
Watch the video below to learn how to recreate the smoky eye look at home.

Illuminated by Black and White

Sophisticated and timeless, black and white are a duo that never fails. When your decorating budget is slim to none, they never blow your cover. They get along beautifully with other colors and can make the novice decorator look like a bonafide pro. Here are a few lighting options in black and white (and transparent) at various price points. Which are your favorites?

{Bourgie Lamp by Kartell, Kulla Pendant Lamp - Ikea}

{Mother of Pearl Pendant Light by Jaime Young Lighting,

PS Maskros - Ikea}

The sheer black shades of this next set remind me of hosiery and the latest legging crazy that's popping up on the streets and the runways of New York. This may be one of the few wearable trends of Fall 2009. You be the judge.

{Clarita Collection Chandelier by Artcraft,
Shimmer Chandelier by Vienna Full Spectrum}

{Starburst Table Lamp and Cabaret Table Lamp, both @ Spiegel.com}

If you so choose to rock this latest trend, by all means please know the difference between tights and legging (pants)! .

An anonymous person feels so passionate about this offense that they have created a website warning against this very fashion faux pas...and it is hilarious. The site also has downloadable DIY press kit and printable flyers. I'm serious, click the image below to see for yourself.

Thoughts on Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Isn't it ironic that when Labor Day passes we take on the essence of the Fall season (especially our wardrobe) only to have Mercedes Benz Fashion Week bring our focus to Spring 2010. I find it a bit difficult to even consider warm-weather clothing when I am looking forward to stylish boots and sweaters, hats, coats and scarves. Could it be in order to afford some of these designer duds we need to save two whole seasons to purchase Spring's "it" garments? Just a silly thought...

Last night I came across an interesting article that questions the need for fashion week. The writer raises some thought provoking questions:

• We all know our economy has changed consumer attitudes and fashion week this year is not the same as three years ago. So...is fashion week still relevant in this economic landscape?

• How can a designer remain relevant in the fashion industry when most of the designs are being replicated by fast retailers and being copied worldwide before the pieces have hit the stores?
  

The author further backs her point of view with a statement made by Diane von Furstenburg during a CFDA fashion week town hall meeting,

“The consumer has been trained to buy on sale. The clothes in stores are not in season, so she is confused. Why should she go out and spend money early in the season, when in fact come September and October, when the season actually changes, the next season is there and it’s called resort? We are putting all the energy into something that the consumer isn’t really getting, because by then it’s on sale."

Ah-ha, so designers do get it after all...I thought it was just me! I hate how retailers rush into the next season in the midst of the current season!

By no means do I stand in opposition of Fashion Week, but in the state of our current economic conditions I'm waiting expectantly to see just how creative designers will be in making their creations affordable and what will become the new normal regarding what we pay for the designer look? Your thoughts?

Anyhoo, in case you are still interested in what's been going on, here's a sneak peak the Spring 2010 Collection of one of my favorite young and hip designers Christian Siriano.

{images via Mercedes Benz Fashion Week website,
Siriano photos via NY Mag}