Five Great Yellow Couches (+ Podcast News!)

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed for a podcast: Style Matters, by Zandra Zuraw of the decor-inspiration site Little Yellow Couch. Zandra started Style Matters to explore the meaning and real-life resonance of design, and over the years she’s interviewed such style luminaries as Justina Blakeney, Eddie Ross, Rebecca Atwood, and more.  

So when she asked to the tape a ‘cast with her, of course I said yes. During our half-hour chat, Zandra and I talked business, books, and why I think decorating is about far more than just making a room look nice. At one point I frankly forgot I was being interviewed—it was just two ladies talking about everything we love about design.

Have a listen over on Little Yellow Couch, or just click the link below to jump right in:

Meanwhile, I’m also using this as a cheeky excuse to talk about yellow couches. (Or sooooofas, if you’re in the design industry. I got major side-eye the first time I went to a home-decor show and—gasp!—called a sofa a couch.)

I’m not sure I’d go mellow yellow in my own home, but boy, have I seen some great ones in great spaces. Think you could pull off a look like this?

Source: Clickon Furniture

Or maybe this is more your speed:

Credit: Geremia Design via Decorist

This sunny sofa, in the former Brooklyn home of fashion icon Jenna Lyons, may have actually started the yellow-couch fever:

Credit: Melanie Acevedo via Domino

For giggles, here’s a handful of great sofas and chaises in shades ranging from sunny saffron to deep mustard. I love them all.

1. My Chic Nest Jess Loveseat, $1606, Perigold. 2. Denver sofa in Gold Velvet, $1,998, Anthropologie. 3. Matrix sofa in Yarrow Gold velvet, $1,299, Article. 4. Martinique tufted sofa in Mustard, $920, Joss & Main. 5. Loni M. Elaine chaise in Sunny, $1,900, Wayfair.

What say you: Do you take a shine to yellow furniture? Or does it leave you sour?

Obsessed With: Polished Pet Picks

I’m traveling this week for a fun project: my collaboration on the forthcoming Real Simple Home, which you can read more about here. But naturally, my kids don’t give a crap about why Mom’s out of town or all the cool designers she’s pumped to be working alongside in New York. What’s on their mind? THAT WE’RE GETTING A PUPPY IN AUGUST!! OHMYGOSH IT’S GOING TO BE SO AWESOME MOM CAN WE PLEASE GET THE GIRL PUPPY AND CAN WE NAME HER COOKIE OR FUZZBUTT AND WILL SHE SLEEP IN OUR ROOMS?? OMG OMG OMGGGGGG

Image credit: Allie Sepanek

Yeah. They’re a little excited. Before now, the only canines in our home were two bronze whippets that previously lived my childhood home in California. My mom mailed them to me in Boston a few years ago, which must have cost her a fortune because they weigh ten thousand pounds. They even got a cameo in my book, as well as a highlight in June’s Rue Magazine feature (photo at right).

Our live pup, meanwhile, is going to be an Australian Labradoodle, owing to A) my allergies and B) our general aversion to dog-hair dust bunnies. Our neighborhood is also Doodle Central—families in our area really seem to like the breed for their size and temperament for city living, and because they’re particularly good around kids.

Our pup’s breeder is super-informative and completely dedicated to his dogs, so for the most part, I’m taking his advice on all things pet gear. There are some uber-practical items we’re going to need: a crate for training and sleeping, and something like this Porch Potty for quick let-outs when it’s freezing and we’re all still in PJs. (We have a limited patio area sans grass.) Mr. Breeder recommends leather dog leashes from Leerburg and something called a martingale collar for walking, and we’ll no doubt take his advice to buy those.

But there are also some opportunities to have some fun with the necessities we buy. Once our dog is crate-trained and walking well on a leash (i.e. not pulling), I’m totally going to accessorize—everything from pet beds to treat canisters. Because ME.

Here are a few things I’ve got my eye on.

1. Found My Animal ombre adjustable dog leash in Indigo, $62, chewy.com. 2. The Foggy Dog navy pinstripe dog poop bag, $22, Etsy. 3. Archie and Oscar herringbone dog bed, from $61, Wayfair. 4. Clair blue three-piece lidded canister set, $63, Joss & Main. 5. Waggo dipped ceramic dog bowl in Navy, from $22, Food52. 6. The Foggy Dog limited-edition Arroyo dog bandana, from $32, Etsy.

What am I missing? Any tips on maintaining sanity and style with a new pup in the home? Do dish in the comments or over on Instagram. 

Obsessed With: Lilac & Saffron

I’m not a purple girl, but lately I’ve been oddly attracted to moody shades of lilac and lavender. Maybe it’s the gray undertones I’m seeing in today’s purples; they feel dusty, moody and sort of antique.

And then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve been loving bright hits of saffron, yellow mustard, and brighter shades of ochre. One piece in a warm, sunny-afternoon hue can brighten and modernize any space.  

So why not bring them together? Here’s a sampling of lilac- and saffon-colored pieces that caught my eye in June. I’m loving what happens when the two shades mingle.  

1. Fonteyne purple and teal area rug, from $27, Joss & Main. 2. Delphine chair, $2,295, Jayson Home. 3. Wonderland Tropisk wallpaper in Yellow/Green, $1.68/square foot, Joss & Main. 4. Morphew barrel chair, $290, Joss & Main. 5. 'Taupe Floral' framed print on canvas, $150, Joss & Main. 6. Tasseled velvet pillows, $58 each, Anthropologie.

Purple and yellow in your house: Yea or nay? 

Introducing... My collection with Jill Rosenwald!

If you’re following me over on Instagram, you may have heard the news (or spotted the goods): I’ve launched my first product collaboration with the inimitable ceramics, rug, and bedding designer Jill Rosenwald!

Have a look:

I first learned about Jill when I came to Joss & Main in 2012. Happy, patterned flat-weave rugs were making a HUGE splash in home decor at the time, and her rug designs were great sellers on our site. Digging in, I soon learned that her main medium was actually ceramics, and that she had an incredible studio not far from me in Boston. There, in an airy industrial space, her small team crafts the most beautiful pottery and lamps by hand. Still, for many years, I only admired Jill’s work from afar.

Cut to late 2017. I was getting ready to publish Your Home, Your Style, and the book’s photographer, Joyelle West, invited me to speak at a local event for women in the design industry. Jill was one of the hosts, and she and I hit it off from the start. So when I began asking her about her process and how she works with outside collaborators…. Well, within a few weeks we were in  her studio drawing, painting and picking out shapes.

The three patterns Jill and I came up with were based on motifs I love from the textile world: antelope spots, indigo batik prints, and velvet ikat.  All have an elegant, glamorous quality to them, but they’re also a little wild. I love that each has a coordinating tray in the same print, and that the pieces can be used literally in any room of the house.

My favorite ways to use the wee vases, a.k.a. Jilly cups:

• For a tight bouquet of inexpensive flowers or roses
• As a makeup or toothbrush holder in the bathroom
• As a pen/pencil cup
• For tea or coffee

My favorite ways to use the curved-edge trays:

• To dress up an assortment of appetizers
• As a catchall for keys, sunglasses, and other daily essentials
• As a tray for paper clips, pushpins, and other desk supplies
• As a cuter-than-cute spoon rest by the stove

All six pieces would be amazing gifts for a special occasion. They're handmade to order and rimmed in 14K gold. You can check out the complete capsule collection here.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite piece?

Obsessed With: These Perigold Picks!

Friends! This is going to be the fastest post ever, since I'm traveling, but today I'm thrilled to share that my friends over at Perigold, a newer site from the Wayfair family of brands, invited me to curate a sale featuring my top finds! 

This sale was unbelievably fun to put together. While I've curated collections for Joss & Main, shopping the products on Perigold was next-level fun. The site features the creme de la creme of home decor brands—think Currey & Co., Jonathan Adler, Janus et Cie, Henredon, Worlds Away,  et cetera. It was fascinating to home in on what I'd buy for my own home if budget and space were no concern—but rest assured, there are some great deals in there too, especially given the lifetime-quality of this stuff. 

Below is a peek at a few of my top finds. Have a look, then head over to Perigold to check out the sale! 

1. Aviva Stanoff for Currey & Co. Forest 10-light crystal chandelier, $8,740. 2. Bungalow 5 Heaven Tower sculpture, $367. 3. Feizy Alden hand-knotted wool rug, starting at $130. 4. Interlude Gianna bone box set, $394. 5. Regina Andrew bone and brass tray, $248. 6. C.R. Laine Desi sofa, $2750. All available at Perigold.