Sacramento Street

Living With Great Style

a leisurely day in napa . . .

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 / Comments (8)

This Thursday I’ll be taking the day off to enjoy a little time relaxing up in Napa for my birthday. Spending quality time with good friends, eating a perfectly put together picnic and enjoying a bit of sunshine is exactly what I’m in need of this year . And I think that a day in the wine country calls for lots of color, which I’m trying desperately to add into my daily ensembles. Now, if only Thursday would come even quicker.


Are there any colorful tops or clothes you’ve been coveting lately? Would love to know because I’m on the hunt to brighten up my wardrobe.

*Products: Equipment Signature Shirt from Net-A-Porter / Clare Vivier Overnighter / Kate Spade Gumdrop Stud Earrings in clear / Solid String Bikini from Madewell / Rail Straight White Jeans from Madewell
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Exclusive: A Look Inside Elle Decor’s Modern Life Concept House

Monday, May 23, 2011 / Comments (21)
Friends since our Design Club High School days, before the word blog existed, it is a treat to be asked by Caitlin to be her New York City contributor for Sacramento Street. As an Interior Designer in New York City, Sacramento Street is my go to Lifestyle Blog for design for a West Coast perspective. It is truly an honor to be apart of such an inspiring blog.

To kick it off I had a chance to work with the talented photographer Jamie Beck, from the blog From Me To You, to cover the Elle Decor Modern Life Concept House in New York’s Chelsea gallery district. The ten Interior Designers selected by Elle Decor were each assigned a room and paired with vendors to create their vision in two, two bedroom apartments. After a quick sweep through both, I was drawn to the east apartment 10C featuring designers Beth Martin, Sara Story, Grant K. Gibson and Aurelien Gallet.

Beth Martin, one of Elle Decor’s A- List Designers to Watch in 2011, was selected to do the Living Room with Calligaris. New York City ‘alumni’ and now San Franciscan, Martin says the best thing about leaving New York after ten years was putting away her high heels! “New York has a masculine energy,” says Martin “I wanted this space to have the same energy, yet sexy with feminine elements through lyrical feminine forms in the artwork and walking female figure sculpture.”

The juxtaposition carried through out from the cement and metal base coffee table that sat on the soft white alpaca rug, layered with books, a large wicker tray and rock crystal paperweight, to the textured columns that were covered in a slightly metallic cork wallcovering takes the Living Room from cold modern to organic industrial chic.

One of my favorite pieces in the Living Room was the bark covered ‘Giacometti esque’ arm chair – a piece of art rather than a place to sit. Placed next to it, in perfect contrast, was a sculptural steel floor lamp with a single exposed filament bulb from, a new favorite source of mine, Battersea. Check out the rest of their inventory from vintage trunks to Moroccan pottery on 1st Dibs.

Martin’s design flows seamlessly into fellow San Franciscan and A-List Designer to watch in 2010, Grant K. Gibson’s Kitchen and eat in Dining Room with Bosch. Known for his “well edited, classic spaces that are not only beautiful but functional”, Gibson’s design is clean, simple and clever! My favorite part had to be the use of take out menu pages as the Kitchen backsplash – how genius and something anyone can do on their own. What would you use – newspaper? wrapping paper? pages from your favorite book?

The Concept House is open to the public now for three weekends until June 5th. If your in New York, make sure to put it on you weekend to do list and don’t forget to grab a copy of the June Elle Decor to see who else made the A-List!

Until next month,
Lauren

*Photo: All images taken by the talented Jamie Beck exclusively for Sacramento Street
Posted in: beth martin, decor, design, Elle Decor, grant gibson, interior design, jamie beck, lauren larson Read Full Story Comments (21)

please welcome lauren larson!

Sunday, May 22, 2011 / Comments (5)

Sacramento Street is going bi-coastal! I’ve been thinking long and hard about something new to bring to my readers – there were lots of brainstorming sessions and finally it became clear. I’m incredibly excited to announce that we’ll now have a New York contributor, Lauren Larson. Lauren and I have known each other since third grade. As we’ve grown from girls with pig-tails, into career women, we’ve grown extremely close because we both have an incredible passion for Interior Design.

Lauren has been living and working as an Interior Designer and Blogger in New York City for seven years. Her Interiors have been featured in the New York Times and on NBC’s Open House New York “Tips of the Trade.” She recently founded her blog MATERIAL LUST with her partner, Product Designer, Christian Lopez Swafford.

Curating together, they describe themselves as artists masquerading as designers. The Material Lust blog strives to ‘design a conversation’ around their admittedly ominous aesthetic. The blog was initially created as a mood board for the Material Lust brand and their line of products, but quickly turned into its own full time project driving Lauren to feverishly seek out new types of work, artists and designers. Any given weekend you can find Lauren digging through flea markets to find old, discarded fashion and architectural magazines. They are currently collaborating on one of a kind products, including, but not limited to, home goods that are set to launch later this year.

Once a month Lauren will be writing a post here on Sacramento Street centered around events, design and even fashion. Tomorrow will mark Lauren’s first post that I can hardly wait to have live. We’ve been collaborating and scheming up this piece with an amazingly talented photographer. Please welcome Lauren with open arms and look out tomorrow morning for her first AMAZING post!

*Photo: by Jamie Beck

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ahhhh, friday!

Friday, May 20, 2011 / Comments (10)
This week came and went like a blink of an eye – it was busy, busy, and it’s going to be that way all the way through the weekend. Sometimes I wish life could be in slow motion because lately it has felt like I’m on fast forward . . . guess that means life is going good, right?

Over the next few days I’ll be prepping the house for a photo shoot on Sunday – early morning trips to the flower market, putting my cleaning hat on, and putting the finishing touches on styling the outfits and our apartment. I’m excited to see how it all turns out. Don’t worry, you’ll definitely be getting an update when it is published.

Hope each and every one of you have a lovely weekend!

xx,
Caitlin

ps. On Monday I’ll be publishing a post I’ve had in the works for awhile now – I’m giddy with excitement. Here’s a hint: it includes my New York contributor and an amazing photographer. I can’t wait for it to go live!

Images: 1. anna selezneva by mariano vivanco for vogue russia, june 2011 via this is glamorous 2. black*eiffel 3. wit + delight

Posted in: decor, design, fashion, interior design, weekend Read Full Story Comments (10)

a pop of color: black

Thursday, May 19, 2011 / Comments (27)

Black walls have been popping up in homes for years now. When I first started noticing them becoming popular was after Jenna Lyons was featured in Domino Magazine in 2008. I’ve always been tempted to paint a room black but have never had the full courage to do so. I think if it is done right it can be amazing, I think I’m just waiting for the right space.


Have you pulled the trigger and painted a room in your home black? Or would you ever paint a room all black? Would love to hear your thoughts on this!
Images: 1. Lonny 2. design*sponge 3. Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles 4. Tiny Water for Rue (sfgirlbybay‘s home) 5. Domino
Posted in: A Pop of Color, black, decor, decorate, design, interior design Read Full Story Comments (27)