Sometimes we wonder if we post too much fashion on our blog. After all, we are not fashion designers- we’re interior designers. BUT. There are so many ways in which we are inspired by something from a fashion spread- from colors to textures to composition, we believe inspiration comes from everywhere & anywhere. After running across this tumblr last week, we’ve amassed quite a collection of new inspiration. So we thought maybe you’d like to see how we dissect & reapply all of this visual stimuli. For example:

Any of these references could get worked into an interior. Our eyes are always open for that new idea or a reminder to think in unexpected ways.

We’ve noticed something.

Are you seeing it?

There’s this color story that’s so prevalent right now. Maybe it’s Summer approaching, but everything is white walls with lots of blue, red, greens & a little bit of yellow. We’re not criticizing. It’s this global/rattan/beach/suzani/ginger jar/fiddle leaf fig thing. Ok, so we’re a little tired of the figs (yes, we have one in the studio). And we have that Ralph Lauren woven coffee table, too. So see, it’s not that we don’t like the look. Let’s look at Sig’s place again- what’s not to love? The styling of that gate leg table alone is worth a good study.

There’s nothing wrong with blue & white. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again- it’s classic. But right now we’re fixated on pastels. Maybe it was this home that sparked the change. Or maybe it was this Paris apartment, designed by Baroness Bruno de Pampelonne, seen in Vogue Living Australia:

Lavender, citron, icy blues, black & mousey neutrals… these colors suggest a different kind of glamour, a different “feel” for a space.

We are also digging this more accessible palette in the recent Serena & Lily catalogue. Sherbet style tones meet khaki, camel, linen & “off-metallics” (ie, not silver & gold). Their new rugs are really cute, too.

Another color on our radar? Opal-Mint-Jade. LOVE these loungey sofas from Elle Decoration:

and this Jay Jeffers room from the Elle Decor Showhouse that we snagged here:

So where are you all falling in the color spectrum these days? We’d love links to your recent favorites!

So the new May/June issue of Lonny is out, and WE’RE IN IT!  We were dying to tell you about this when we first found out it was going to happen but we had to contain ourselves. We’re just so thrilled with how all of Patrick’s photos turned out- it was kind of a dreary on the day of the shoot, and he doesn’t use any extra lighting. In the end, the home appears just as light filled and airy in the pics as it does in real life. And can we just boast about how attractive our homeowners are? Such a great photo of them!

We made sure to take plenty of behind the scenes shots (iphone, so excuse any blurriness), and our friend and homeowner Scott Vincent took plenty of great pics as well. Here’s the shoot from our point of view, with pics of Michelle (who is just magnetic, by the way) and Patrick at work:

We headed into Minneapolis on April 26th and made our way to the home of Courtney & Scott Vincent.

A shot of the exterior; we love this home- kind of rainy, the morning of the shoot:

When Michelle & Patrick arrived, they immediately started snapping away. A few from the stairs-

L to R, Lisa, Patrick, Courtney holding baby Pearl, & Michelle:

Lisa watches Patrick set up the shot of the collage wall in the living room:

The girls entertain themselves with the coloring book placemats:

This family is just so photogenic!

A little interview and a shot with Lisa:

Holden is not as shy as she’d have you believe…

Did you know that Patrick shoots film? Film. For a digitally produced magazine. It kind of surprised us.

He said he prefers the romance of film. We love a man who uses words like “romance”.

Scott & Courtney pose for their close-up:

We love this group shot of Courtney, Pearl, Lisa, Michelle & Patrick:

It was really an honor to be chosen for this issue. Again we want to thank everyone who helped to make it happen (including our amazing clients who have become friends!) and want to thank Michelle & Patrick for a laid back & fun shoot.

We’re thrilled with the outcome!

Haven’t seen it in Lonny yet? Click here.

When you can look at a design created 6 years ago and it still excites you, it’s got to be good. Grant Gibson recently reminded us of this Martha Angus interior created for the SF Showhouse in 2005. Above the chinoiserie de Gournay wallpaper, above the Warhol, it’s that stack of hot pink boxes that holds the attention.

I’d really like to ask Martha what the impetus was for that fantastic stack (Is it a piece of postmodern art that we’re not familiar with? We know Martha is often the designer of choice for collectors of major works). Martha, if you’re reading this, do tell! We want to know the story!

This room is really our Mixology philosophy at work. Martha has a new blog, so we’ll be watching the direction she takes there.

images via Grant K. Gibson and Martha Angus Inc.

As High Point Furniture Market draws to a close, we’d like to give those of you unable to attend this year a peak into another showroom we had the privilege of designing. Selamat, the San Francisco based furniture & accessories company, had some fun new finishes to show off and we had a blast coming up with fashion forward ways to showcase them . Inspired by trends off the Spring runways, We chose colors and pattern to show buyers the versatility of their collection. And here’s how it turned out:

We were so pleased with how the showroom came together, but even more than that we were so happy to have met the folks at Selamat, hear their inspiring story, and learn about their entrepreneurial path. Meeting fantastic people and forging new relationships is such a part of design, and we couldn’t have gotten luckier with this job. Make sure you check Selamat out!

Most of you aren’t privy to our privy. The internet is ridiculously voyeuristic, so what the hay? We’ve papered ours with tear sheets galore:

iphone sees it like this:

And if you’ve been reading this blog you know we love an inspirational quote. Every day we see this:

Some weeks are tougher than others, and as many a designer will tell you it’s not all glitz and glamour. Lots of hard work, and the pay-off is almost never immediate. Highs and lows, but we’re always thankful to be doing what we love. Sometimes we all need a little pep talk. So be brave, babies. Face your fears head on. Take your lumps & lessons, and keep on moving.

Big ol’ Kisses from us at LSI. Hope your weekend is bold and beautiful!

Ok, It’s time to get serious. Every year we make resolutions and promises to ourselves, and undoubtedly one of the most popular is to GET ORGANIZED. First up, “down with clutter”!

Step one, clear off every surface. Get down to basics. Some inspiration:

Consider a world free of tiny knick knacks, and invest in a few large, eye catching accessories:

These images, from here, have been doing the blog rounds. And while we love them sheerly for the chicness, we’re also impressed at the simplicity of the home, too.  Just the basics never looked so stylish. Another area of this home:

Duplicate this look with a number of shelving options from ikea. Dedicate one wall in your home to house your

“organized chaos”.

While we’re onto shelving. More options, ikea to custom:

Note: if you’re like us, you have magazines and books everywhere. What about a rotating set of display shelves? Choose your favorite books and magazines open to the most “of the moment” spreads. It’ll keep clutter to a minimum, with the added benefit of keeping a fresh eye on all things inspiring:

Another of our favorite ways to edit the things we just can’t say goodbye to- group objects of desire with reading material stacked to various heights, keeping your color palette simplified:

In the spirit of taking our own advice to heart, we’ll be posting our ideas on editing and simplifying for the New Year every Monday this month. We’d love to hear your suggestions for Editing in 2011!