Sister Act

My sister's new place is looking fabulous! And I wanted to share some pics of how it all turned out!

She let me be a part of all the fun--hunting for furniture, accessories, backsplash and paint. Special thanks to Pottery Barn, IKEA and Target.

Congrats on a job well done, sis!

It's back!

Watch out, folks!! Our friend Domino is back. Changed, but that's OK, we'll take it!

There's a new online version called Lonny Magazine, which gives us the gorgeous layouts and fun trends we came to love from Domino, but without the posterity of a glossy mag.

I won't lie. I'll miss being able to rip out and savor my favorite ideas. But I'm not complaining! The void left by Domino could only be filled by the editors of the mag themselves. Thanks to a coworker at my new job at Henson Consulting, I'm up to speed on this!

CB2 in blogosphere

I just learned that CB2, one of my fave stores for affordable modern furniture, has a nifty little blog! They recently posted holiday hosting ideas. Here are a few:

* Keep a carafe on the nightstand table--shows your guests you're looking out for them

* Invest in a convertible sofa for your spare room

* Wrap their bathroom towels and soaps in a ribbon, like a package for their stay

For more, visit blog.cb2.com.

Rental? Coulda fooled me!

Take a look at decorator Jamie Drake's temporary 32nd floor NYC apartment. It's no wonder Madonna is among his clients, right?

Penelope Green of The New York Times did a lovely feature on it. Check it here! And be sure to click through the slideshow!

Beaumotro on Twitter!

OK, I'm in!

My new coworkers at Henson Consulting, a great Chicagoland PR boutique, have me excited about Twitter. I realize I'm behind the ball on this, but I'm learning how great it will be for quickly spreading the word about cool interior decorating finds and ideas, especially around the holidays!

Follow me at http://twitter.com/beaumotro

See you there!

Fall's final hurrah

As soon as the trees in my neighborhood started taking on the brilliant shades of fall, I intended to gather some of them up for an indoor arrangement or two. Noticing this weekend that these trees are getting pretty bare, I decided I'd better get after it! Here's what I collected:

The red bud vases are filled with the gold ginko leaves.

The cylinder is wrapped in red maple leaves, which I placed on tape before binding with ribbon.

Mondrain underfoot

Today I visited the modern wing of The Art Institute of Chicago and enjoyed the painting above by Piet Mondrain.

It reminded me of a few rugs I've seen this season, which seem to have been inspired by the work of the Dutch painter.

The steal: CB2 Blox Rug ($299)

The splurge: Design Within Reach Stolzl Plate 106 ($4,998)