July 2011 Archives - Fresh American

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Good on Paper

Jul 29, 2011

Make a unique statement with wallpaper in sensational colors and patterns. Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard the arguments against wallpaper before: It’s time consuming to put up. It can easily be damaged by accidental furniture bumps. It’s more of a commitment than paint. To which we say: But it’s worth it. So can paint. And, sure, but it also lasts longer, and it’s a bigger, bolder, character-making statement, especially in an Everyday Exuberance setting. Taking the wallpaper plunge isn’t...

Color Our World

Jul 29, 2011

Summer-chic new sleepwear options that do double duty. Beautiful sleepwear is one of the great, small pleasures in life. Whether you prefer a breezy voile caftan, sporty cotton capris and a tank top, or a sleek racerback dress that hugs your curves, be sure to treat yourself to a variety of sleep options that make you feel fun, flirty, and—yep, we’re going there—a little bit foxy. Not to toot our own horn (okay, maybe just a quick toot), but we can’t get enough of this night shirt....

Out of Africa

Jul 29, 2011

A pair of world travelers create a Moroccan getaway fit for royalty. We nearly keeled over in a fit of design lust when we saw this house in the March 2011 issue of Elle Décor. Owned and decorated by globe-hopping couple Liza Bruce, a fashion designer, and Nicholas Alvis Vega, an artist, it celebrates big, bold colors, unusual shapes, and disparate decorative elements that somehow seem made for each other. The poolside lounging area, with its Moroccan-star motif—repeated on the daybed,...

Room Redux

Jul 29, 2011

College is about the journey, not how pretty your dorm room is. Or something. But the journey doesn’t have to be an institutional yawn, so let us be your Exuberance Sherpas in tracking down ways to make your space feel cozy and fun. You’ll be sleeping on the same bedding for months (we’ll trust you to wash it regularly), so invest in something that’s as visually appealing as it is comfortable—like a quilt and shams in a giddy floral, with a decorative pillow in the same tonal...

Charmed, I’m Sure

Jul 29, 2011

The package calls them cupcake liners. We call them food-decorating genius. We admit it: we like almost anything bright, shiny, and printed. And if that anything happens to hold tiny cakes decorated with gobs of colorful frosting and sugary sprinkles, well, sign us up. When we saw these cupcake liners by Vestli House, we couldn’t get to our laptops fast enough. Not only are they greaseproof and fully biodegradable, but they come in adorable little boxes that are perfect for giving as hostess...

Stripe Out

Jul 29, 2011

Wallpaper can be a fantastic decorating element, but it’s also a commitment. And what do you do if you can’t find the exact color palette or pattern you want? The answer is paint-it-yourself wall decor! This is our kitchen at work and we selected our colors— shades of pink and gray— to match our sassy chairs, tattersall rug, checkerboard floor, and the antique Belgian cupboard. No color was left unaccounted for! For this accent wall’s updated ticking stripe we penciled the...

Dinner Theater

Jul 8, 2011

Amp up the drama with a table full of texture, shape, and contrasting tones. We’re going au naturel right out in public—and you won’t even have to bail us out of the pokey. For this intimate table for two, we started with a collection of organic elements. For the first layer, we chose too-cool salvaged birch placemats from Motif Modern Living (yes, those are actual cross-sections of branches), and juxtaposed them with smooth, all-white ceramic plates from Crate and Barrel. Cinching our...

Sea World

Jul 8, 2011

Switch up your neutral interior with wall colors inspired by sand, surf, and sky. We like to think of ourselves as observers of the world, discerning minds who notice the unusual in the usual, who can translate the mundane into the sublime, who find home-design inspiration anywhere and everywhere. Anyhoo, no matter what you call us, when we came across this gorgeous photo of stormy skies over a retreating tide, our first thought was, Get thee to a paint store. Stat. At our local Benjamin...