Design San Francisco is this week at the SF Design Center.  This is an annual event for Design Professionals that has replaced winter market.  This year there will be three keynote presentations.  Additionally, the showrooms are hosting seminars  and workshops.

I’ll be sure to report back on my musings!

Villa Roma Misaki Clover from De Sousa Hughes

Recently, I’ve been on a hunt for a fabric for a pillow for green leather chair for a Piedmont client. She recently purchased a red area rug with green accents.   This fabric is one of the contenders for the accompanying pillow for her side chair in her living room.  I absolutely love it because it shimmers.  It is made of Viscose and Polyester. It is from the De Sousa Hughes Showroom at the San Francisco Design Center.  The vendor is Villa Nova and the fabric is called Misaki Clover (1194/12).  It is available in 12 different colourways.  I hope it all comes to fruition with this client because I have had my eye on this fabric for so long.  I can hardly wait to use it on a client project!

Elizabeth Barnes

Elizabeth Barnes is the principal designer at Leeza Designs in Piedmont, CA. In my opinion, the icing in any room are the fabrics selected for pillows. I believe the fabrics are what give your room that personal and warm touch.  It is also one of the easiest ways to give a room a fresh new look.

Pink is getting a lot of publicity in 2011.  Pantone just predicted 18-2120, Honeysuckle is THE color for 2011, which is a HOT raspberry color.  And, the The New York Times just wrote an article on the pink bathroom, referencing one of my favorite movies from my high school years, “Pretty in Pink”.   And they noted blogger Pam Keuber, who started a blog called http://savethepinkbathroom; a hilarious blog, worth checking out!  But, beware, she asks you to take a pledge to never destroy your vintage pink bathroom!

What do you think?  Will you be keeping your PINK 1970s bathroom? Or, do you have any plans to change your living room to PINK in 2011?  Let me know.

I’ve included a few pictures of the PINK work I’ve done and a few PINK photos that I find inspirational.  Enjoy!

Leeza Designs Pink Tiled Bathroom with a Pink Ceiling in Kensington, CA

Leeza Designs Pink Guest Bedroom in Kensington, CA

Leeza Designs Panels with Roman Shade in a Pink Guest Bedroom in Castro Valley, CA

Inspirational Living Room with Pink Accents

These last two fun inspirational pink photos are from Belle Maison.  You can check out Belle Maison using  the link in my blogroll.

Elizabeth Barnes

Elizabeth Barnes is the principal designer at Leeza Designs in Piedmont, CA. In my opinion, Color on walls can create a great background for your artwork or can take center stage.  The trick is selecting colors that mirror the light levels in your rooms.  And, my goal is to choose colors that you feel comfortable living in and that create a cohesive feel throughout your home.

This foil peacock wallpaper I love!  It is in my Grandma Lois’ boudoir. Grandma Lois lived in the Oakland hills and believe it or not there are wild turkey roaming her yard and here she has wallpaper matching the nature around her.  She said that they purchased it years ago down by the lake (Lake Merritt) at a place called McFees.

Vintage designed wallpaper is back and I love it!  There is a revival of velvet flocking and foil papers but the look is bold and large scale.   I recently went shopping for a client and the choices are endless. The patterns I love are trefoil and damask or with little animals hidden in the designs.  I included a few pictures that I have fallen in love with: Clarke & Clarke from Duralee, Kravet and Thibaut from Sloan Miyasato.

I’m considering a “Wallpaper Wednesday”… if everyone else is in love with wallpapers as much as I am. The styles and patterns are endless:  leather, glitter, gold leaf, faux glass beads… Let me know!

Clarke & Clarke, Kasbah Citrus Wallpaper - W0001/08

Kravet AVL183401 Wallpaper

Kravet AVL183719

Thibaut Wallpaper - Roma, Metallic on Seaglass 839-T-7653

Area rugs are jewels for your floors.  This is one of my favorites that is in the foyer at my parent’s home.  This rug also came from my Great Grandma Mildred.  It was up at ‘The Cabin’ in Strawberry.  I love the vibrant pinks and the small little animals that are throughout the rug.  A buck and deer are resting in the bottom corners and little birds flit about.  The animals are enveloped in leaves.  It’s as stunning as a diamond ring.

In all my rug shopping with clients, I’ve never come upon a rug like this.  Its very unusual with the little hidden animals and the colors.  I think is very romantic.

This elegant rug is actually called the Jewel from the Golden Age Collection of Samad.  I’ve admired this rug for years now.  I think it has the same feminine feel of Grandma’s rug, but it’s about the closest I’ve come across.  This rug is available at Floor Designs in the San Francisco Design District.

So, what about you?  What does your dream rug look like and say about you?  feminine, romantic, high glamor, earthy, unusual, relaxed, hip, artistic, well-traveled…

Please join and comment on what you want your art in your home to say about you by December 1, 2010 for a chance to enter a drawing and win this dramatic piece of artwork.

Tybee Island by Eddie O'Bryan

Everyone once in a while, I receive an item in the mail from a vendor and sometimes they are truly beautiful and must be shared! I received a piece of artwork from New Era Portfolio. It is a site for Designer’s only and they offer fine art pieces to the trade.

About the Art: It is a black and white photo and it has been printed on aluminum!  It was then floated in a black frame. The aluminum has the special affect of allowing light to go behind the image and it reflects light back at the viewer. My opinion – luminous and tres moderne. It is titled ‘Tybee Island’. Read the rest of this entry »

Antique Red Brass Crystal Chandelier

I’m launching my blog – My Jewel Box!  I am very excited!  I thought it would be most appropriate if I shared with you the inspiration for the name of my blog.

My Great Grandma Mildred was a lover of beautiful things and I am the recipient of many of her treasures, including much of her vintage jewelry.  The jewels that once adorned her home are my inspiration.

While growing up, her crystal chandelier was in my parent’s dining room and now graces my daughter, Cecilia’s bedroom.  A crystal once fell off during a pillow fight and Cecilia shared in her big four year old voice, “Great Great Grandma is watching over me.”

Today, the red chandelier to the left, another of Great Grandma’s jewels,  now adorns  my parent’s dining room. It is like nothing I have ever seen before.  It is brass with crystal dangles and a fabulous color of red.  A  little bell accents the top of the chandelier.  I think it is simply fabulous!

Also, I would love to share with you… how to get this look.  But, I haven’t had much luck!  If I see anything that might compare, I’ll be sure to share.

Elizabeth Barnes

Elizabeth Barnes is the principal designer at Leeza Designs in Piedmont, CA. In my opinion, Lighting is often the overlooked stepchild.  Clients often don’t realize what a difference a light fixture can make in their home.  My goal with lighting often is to create a beautiful focal point that makes a statement in a big way!

So, I recently helped a client organize her parent’s garage. They recently passed away… um, a year ago. And, when I share that this home has not been touched, I mean it! It has not been touched.

Her mother created truly fabulous vignettes resulting in high glamor throughout her home! There is gold, silk, mirrors and more gold and more gold. Read the rest of this entry »

So, today I went to the Claremont Spa and Resort to help set up for the Piedmont Tri-School Annual Parent Fundraiser! During set up, the room was filled with mostly mom’s that have been working on this event for months. The event, I’m sure will be fabulous with live auction, silent auction and gambling.

I helped with the set up. Organizing the tables with the various items. Tonight the event will kick off with a cocktail party in this room. Here are a few pics of the displays that I put together. Leeza Designs also made a donation for a tour and lunch at the Design Center.

Later in the evening I attended the cocktail party and in true James Bond form, there were women with guns strapped to their legs and sassy outfits. I was super impressed by how the whole thing came together!

Elizabeth Barnes is the principal designer at Leeza Designs in Piedmont, CA.  She  donates her time for auctions providing donations that include color consults or lunch and shopping at the San Francisco Design Center.