Whew! we had a busy week installing a project we’ve been working on for almost a year! Stay tuned for more on this but for now, a sneak peak at some beautiful pieces and beautiful clients.

One of the hottest colors for spring is gray. Mousy grays begone! Gray in all its nuances is really the chameleon of colors. And, to its credit, gray plays very well with other hues. It’s got star power, but is  equally happy in a supporting role. Some tips for managing the gray….

Go Monochromatic – Work the color range in a broad gray palette, layering different tones and textures.

Be Cool – Think ice, shimmer, diamonds and bling. Cool grays bump into silver to for clarity and drama.

Be Warm – Gray plays precariously close to our beloved taupes and khakis. Don’t be afraid to heat it up a bit.

Pair It with a Primary – Gray is a happy bedfellow along side solar yellow, emerald green, cerulean blue and so on.

True confession. We have been harboring a crush from afar. The object of our affection? A cadre of smart, always-surprising and quirky design wizards called Binth (rhymes with absolutely nothing) out of Chicago. Wanderlust took LSI north to the Windy City recently and one of our first stops was Binth’s new retail store in Forest Park – an old and leafy established suburb on the near Westside.

LSI believes in serendipity! Binth is the brainchild of Suzanna Bierwirth and she was at the shop in person for our unannounced visit. We were treated to a guided tour. Come with us now…

Located on Madison Avenue in Forest Park, a fun Chicago suburb. Lots of other cool shopping nearby.

What luck! Binth co-founder Suzanna Bierwirth just happened to be manning the store like it was meant to be!

We love Binth’s leathery spin on red, white and blue. (Hail Brittania!)

Check out the coolest baby book – ever!

More kid’s stuff. Binth poster exclusive (Suzanna modeling her design). Available only at Binth and Land of Nod.

We love type treatments. This poster may appear in the LSI studio sometime soon!

Thanks for the tour, Suzanna. See you nest time LSI heads north!

Discover Binth for yourself virtually here or in person at the Binth Studio + Store, 7507 W. Madison Avenue, Forest Park, IL.

For those of us who think sunbathing is a bore and prefer more rollicking beach activity, may we suggest the quintessential Beach Racquets.  How Divine!  How have we summered without these?  Retro 1950′s fun sur la plaque in the form of two perfectly crafted paddles.  It’s the ultimate hostess gift for that weekend in the Hamptons.  (Oh, and bring the sunblock.)

Abstinence is not working. We’ve gone without Mad Men for over a year, but our interest is not dulled. We’re pining for Sunday night’s two-hour premier. And in best Mad Men style, today we are pondering the art of the cocktail and the role of the bar in an interior design plan.

We love Paris.  We love New York.  We love juxtapositions.  So, how can we not love Vahram Muratyan and his graphic face-off between our two favorite world capitals:  Paris VS New York, it’s “a tally of two cities.” Let’s look at some faves.

We have poodles on the brain this Friday. One of our studio friends loves all things poodle and is (supposedly) in the process of adopting a poodle pup. Color-wise the studio debate usually circles black, brown, apricot or white, Mint green is a new twist! Alas, the poor canine looks slightly mortified.

Perhaps he’s stressing over what Westminster will think if this St. Paddy’s day indiscretion goes viral.

image via

True confessions. One of our design compatriots has admitted to purposely failing a first-grade eye test to get what she viewed as the perfect fashion accessory: eye glasses. (P.S. She was found out and had to face the world without glasses for many years to come.) In any case, we get it! Glasses can be the ultimate game changer and face changer. They help you see the world and hide out from it. Nerd Chic (you heard it here first) is LSI’s favorite new eyewear trend. So serious, but with a piquant dash of sex that makes all the difference.

The glasses say “You, in the striped shirt, follow me.” Iconic Wayfarer inspired from Mezzmer.

Super has some truly modern takes on classic styles. We love the mixed materials on the first shot, the saturated color on number two, and the seamless black matte feel on number three. Perfectly envisioned.

What’s not to love about oversized aviators? Plus, get a little, give a little.  Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses for every pair purchased.

We love the reality of everyday life. Yet, we crave vacations. So when impatience and wanderlust start tugging at our coattail – often in the super market checkout line – one of our little tricks to satisfy the craving is (drum roll) … a smart phone fantasy. Won’t you join us for a virtual trip down the rabbit hole and meander through our latest find – a Brazilian getaway called Casa Lola? We are in the business of turning ideas into fabulous reality, so we may be booking passage soon. See you there?

A short walk from the quadrado or village square in Trancoso, Casa Lola is our idea of perfection. The perfect backdrop for our next stack of vacation photos and memories.

We love the juxtaposition of raw materials and modern lines and the blurred boundaries between interior and exterior. It creates a seamless living space.

A little off-the-shoulder, asymmetrical perfection for your viewing pleasure on Friday from LSI fashion-favorite Malene Birger. Live large and unstructured this weekend.