As you delve into Labor Day weekend, you should not feel daunted by the role of entertainer.  Set up a relaxed tablescape outdoors and make one fabulous dish.  Enjoy conversation with friends and cherish the beginning of a season filled with cooler evenings. A few bottles of wine and you’re good to go! I found this delish recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, what katie ate.

photos: food, outdoor.

Lucite is a chameleon in the world of interior design. Lucite furniture and accents are all about form, shape, silhouette. And total transparency.

Lucite design took a bad turn in the 80′s (the disco decade fashion should forget), but kudos to the brilliant Philippe Starck. He reinvented Lucite for a new century. The Philippe Starck Ghost Chair for Kartell is one of my favorite pieces. Classic silhouette. Modern material. It’s like nothing. It has everything.

A little Lucite goes a long way and here at LSI, we’ve been mixing Lucite pieces in design plans for years.  I love the simplicity of the waterfall cocktail tables. A simple Lucite magazine rack is a detail that makes a difference. And, I have the Lucite bubble chair in one of my own homes – a wonderful bauble that disappears into the oversized window.

Looking for a Lucite fix? Here at LSI, we have a handful of select and often one-of-a-kind Lucite pieces we’ve snared in our shopping excursions. Look for them on our Facebook and the Mixology page on our website. They’re all available for sale.

We could not help but regress back into summer mode for just a moment to tell you about one of our classic loves.  The iconic Martinique Wallpaper, which has been featured in the Beverly Hills Hotel since 1942, is the perfect solution to whisk you away into the land of luxe.  This over-scaled banana leaf motif is most appropriate, we believe, in your teensy powder room or on just about any accent wall.

Photos Clockwise: Hotel, Pink Palace, Greenbrier, Martinique.

One of the most important aspects of curating a magnificent design for a client is finding their perfect color story.  Here are some of the finalists in the running for one of our current clients. Design-Seeds has recently provided the perfect tool for us to weigh our options, drawing their color inspiration from real-life scenarios. Whats your story?

One of our latest obsessions, these vintage Moroccan beauts from Nazmiyal Antique Rugs.

Once again, fashion and interieurs collide.  We are starting to think Fall now, and are

seeking out inspiration in the unexpected.

 photos top to bottom: pillows, shawl, tote, pendant, coat, market pic, sweater, rug.

Experience Billy here.

Here at LSI, we are mistresses of transition. While we are presently sun-drenched and summer-minded, inevitably thoughts turn, turn, turn to fall. Shall we ease into it together? Lavish in warm days and slightly cooler nights. Don a favorite sweater at sundown. Soon thoughts will turn to interieurs. We are smitten with summer, but what comes next is wonderful as well.

photo via.

Summer is no day at the beach. It’s days and weeks at the beach. And, one of the many reasons we are infatuated with summer at LSI. Alas, fall is beginning to creep into our consciousness. September magazines are all about autumn, the still-sunny days are ever so slightly shorter, a shrug or a shawl is a good idea after sunset, and back-to school is all the buzz. Our response? We’re with you, sister.

Ode to the fabulous photographer, Jill Greenburg.

Summer is just delectible. Tangy, fresh fabric selections are a way to capture the essence of summer year round. Actually, some of the great fabric selections on our idea board now remind us of a favorite childhood summertime drink. Yes, this was well before we graduated to martinis and high balls.  Before water (thankfully) became most kids’ preferred summery drink there was Goofy Grape, Rootin’ Tootin’ Raspberry, Choo Choo Cherry, Loud Mouth Lime, Jolly Olly Orange and Freckled Face Stawberry. Tart and tasty! And, textile-wise, so in vogue today.

Fabrics from top to bottom: Duralee, Duralee, Thibaut, Madeline Weinrib, Madeline Weinrib, Duralee,

John Robshaw, Madeline Weinrib.