Admit it. You would just love to nose around someone else’s home and evaluate their decorative choices.

Me, too. But all too often, decorum and politeness (read: my mother’s voice in my head) prevents me from saying, “Hey, could I see the upstairs?” Once I was at a work-related party in the department head’s home. There were maybe 30 people there, the thing was catered, it was great but also was obviously a lot of work for the hosts.

I was among those staying to the bitter end, waiting for a ride from another guest. As the last people left, one guest said, “Hey, could I see the upstairs?”

“Well, it’s really a mess,” the hostess demurred.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’d love to see it.”

“Well, it really isn’t in any shape—”

“Oh, I don’t mind—” in short, Bossy got us all invited upstairs. At that point, it seemed more rude to stay downstairs. but it was very uncomfortable; I mean, this wasn’t a housewarming; the chair and his family had lived there for like eight years. There we were tromping through the kids’ rooms, and the upstairs bath…and it wasn’t interestingly decorated. You go to the home of a cutting-edge designer or a home that’s really special, like it’s a treehouse or a houseboat or something, and maybe you can hope to be invited on a tour. But this was a split-level, nice, but nothing that was going to be featured in Dwell, if you know what I’m saying.

Okay, but get a load of this. One of our favorite design blogs, by Jennifer Ramos, has photos of the Designer’s Own Home!

What I love about this is that it looks great, interesting, relfects a unique personality, and yet also looks so easy to live in. It isn’t stiff or stuffy.

You can see more of Jennifer Ramos’ work at

http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/

Okay, we know that no matter how much love and support you have from family and friends, and no matter how you simplify your planning, a wedding is going to do everything it can to stress you out.

Well, here’s an idea for de-stressing: what if you have the wedding on a weekday? For one thing, halls and religious venues will be easier to book. Bands will be much more available. Florists will have more time and attention to devote to you.

Wedding planner Claire Goodman came up with this idea. You can read more about it here:

http://www.weekdayweddingcompany.com/

Previously, I discussed about giving life to a humdrum hallway by providing unique furniture. Here’s another way to give that old hallway some pizzazz! At the Kips Bay Designer Show House interior designer extraordinaire, Larry Laslo, showed us his flair for drama.

At the penthouse suite, Mr. Laslo covered the entrance walls in a red and gold velvet animal stripe fabric – called Magnetism, part of his new fabric collection he designed for Robert Allen fabrics. Doesn’t it just mesmerize and pull you in? He then proceeded to add an oversized Jansen sunburst mirror that just radiates “look at me!” in a very elegant way. A simple bench upholstered in a jeweled striped fabric called Aquavite completes the picture.

Hanging above the foyer is a brass Sputnik chandelier. The other wall of the foyer displays a mixed-media artwork by Perez Flores called Prochromatique. A pair of shell sconces flanks the artwork and a matching plaster console table provides space to drop your keys or display your curios. Just because the hallway is the least important space in the house doesn’t mean you have to settle for boring!

If you’re looking for more inspiration, head out to the Kips Bay Designer Show House. This year’s event is held at the Manhattan Center on 200 E. 66th St. in New York City and is on display until May 22nd.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re a little bit obsessed with design. And if you’re a little bit obsessed with design, chances are you spend way too much time looking for and at photos of design.

To help support you in your addiction, we suggest you visit the design blog, Design To Inspire.

This week they’re featuring the work of design photographer Graham Atkins Hughes.

Here’s a little sample:

We love how cheerful this is, bringing us back to the good days of Mexico.

And this one, which gives a totally different look, elegant and complex. You can see more at http://desiretoinspire.blogspot.com/

Speak of something and it appears on a blog. Wedding Planner Claire Goodman has a posting up on green design for weddings. Check it out at http://charlottesvilleweddingsblog.blogspot.com

Claire has a lot of good ideas, many of them green.

Hey, weren’t we just discussing the joys of making silk purses out of sows’ ears—or making gorgeous accent pieces for the living room out of crap you can find on the street, or at yard sales? I just saw an entry on Design Sponge, (designspongeonline.com), featuring chairs found and renewed by Chairloom. They’ve got everything from faux animal print to elegant restoration, whimsical fish-patterned fabric and original kissing chairs. Take a look at chairloom.com

I love these fish!

and these side chairs, given a fresh makeover with a modernist fabric pattern:

As Molly Worth says on the homepage,

“We believe that one doesn’t need to buy something new to create a satisfying and inviting living environment. Instead we affirm the transformative power of applying a fresh, creative vision to quality antiques.”

And note: the prices are not much more, and sometimes less, than what you’d pay for a boring new chair that looks just like everyone else’s boring new chair.

I’ve recently found one solution to several problems and it fits in nicely with our recent topics of finding things on the cheap and being “green.” It’s recycleyourwedding.com!

What do you do when the wedding is over and now you’re left with the dozen or so copper colored table linens you had to buy instead of rent?

Or

You splurged on your wedding dress, so you will have to save on your escort cards?

Or

You’re left with 4 never used guest books that various family members gave you?

Buy or sell it all at Recycle Your Wedding! It’s an eBay like site, specifically geared for wedding accoutrements. With categories like Clothing, Crafts, Candles, Relaxation Services and Travel you are bound to find anything you might need at a fraction of the regular cost.

I love this idea because I find so much wedding day gear is disposed of, while not necessarily being disposable. There are several amazing dresses (some worn once, some not at all) up for sale on the site. I have no problem buying a designer gown that is outrageously priced knowing that I can sell it later. Living in NYC, storing a wedding dress indefinitely is not always practical anyway.

How do you feel about re-selling your wedding day? Would you be comfortable buying someone else’s wedding?

…And, in case you want to check out Patricia Gray’s blog, it’s here: patriciagrayinc.blogspot.com

Summer is bearing down fast upon us. Really. Here in New York City, Central Park is a riot of color, with tulips, cherry trees, and forsythia in full bloom. So it must be time to start thinking of bringing our brilliant design ideas outdoors.

Here’s something we found the blog of award-winning Canadian designer Patricia Gray that will lure all of us outdoors.

It’s a concrete pod. If it makes you think of Japanese design, that’s because it’s created by Kazuya Morita, and was shown at the Concrete Art Museum 2005 in Nagoya, Japan. It is made of extremely thin concrete, and the small size, and tented-egg shape, creates a feeling of safety and peace, condusive to meditation, while allowing the sensory experience of being outdoors.

This makes me feel peaceful just looking at it.

From the post by Alexia Rossetti on a terrific bench she found, the discussion led to a comment by a reader about chandeliers. To see how one gets to chandeliers from front hall benches, take a look at the comments.

One reader asks how to find an antique chandelier of the right proportions; another reader comments on how to find antiques and vintage furnishings.

Indeed, as nice as some stuff is from the big home furnishings stores, it can all look the same after a certain point. To find things that are both unique and affordable, it’s necessary often to go back in time, at least a bit. And sometimes to then put your own creativity to work, with painting, or stenciling, or otherwise sprucing up a piece.

The trick is taking an old piece of what could be called “junk” …

and making it gorgeous.

Anyone have suggestions on how to find and refurbish great pieces?