Our obsession with pillows, pillows and MORE PILLOWS continues and we are just so happy to see that Hammocks & High Tea is putting their “modern Caribbean” aesthetic into the mix this season. Their Autumn/Winter Collection includes their popular placements, napkins, tea towels, perfume boxes, cloth sachets, and drawer liners…and introduces 24-inch pillows in 100% certified organic cotton. Could we be any happier?

Take a look at our favorite patterns and colors on parade:

saree: sea blue
(available online soon)

janya: dune

ikat chevron: gold

maya: plum

ikat chevron: grey

linden: turquoise

The pillows are $160 each, and many styles come in other colorways. Check out their new 100% Certified Organic Room Sprays, too. All Hammocks & High Tea products can be found at various boutiques across the country as well as online at hammocksandhightea.com.

We’re getting an absolute kick out of Suzette Mehler’s faux pop-up art frames! She’s the founder of Faux Museum®, 3-D paper frame recreations of hard-to-find gilded antiques. Made of 1/16 inch mat board, they mimic the ornate beauty of the real-deal but they are so much more tongue-in-cheeky…which make us give them a shout out!

Suzette adores and collects gilded frames, but she was looking for a lighter, safer option for displaying art in a child’s room. Fun solution for all rooms, in our opinion…and at happy price points too! Order online at fauxmuseum.com.

Plover…we’re coming on over…to your HUGE online sample sale. For 3 days only (August 4th-6th), all non-sale items will be 50% off!! {1% of proceeds will also be donated to the National Wildlife Federation to help clean up the oil spill in the gulf}. Newbie fans…mark your calendars!

Plover Organic is known for their deeply saturated, vintage-inspired bedding (for babies, children and adults), throw pillows and table top-all of which are block printed by hand in India under Fair Labor regulations. They use low impact, fiber reactive dyes and 100% organic cotton.

Old documents, graphic typefaces, vintage photos, handwritten cursive…I have a thing for these old bits and pieces, but I hate clutter and can’t see the point of collecting things that you can’t have out and enjoy. It’s been my own personal dichotomy: an attraction to ephemera and a distaste for decorating with too much stuff!

Imagine my joy when I discovered Old Village Hall! Scott Hill, former director of Visual Merchandising for Ralph Lauren, found a creative way to turn old bits and pieces into textiles for one-of-a-kind furniture and accessories.  He is inspired by Colonial and 19th century imagery and silk screens on top of Belgian linens and toiles. His shop is in New York City’s East Village–a little too far for this San Francisco, California girl {sigh}–but fortunately he has some furnishings, antique finds, and a line of totes, duffle bags, and pillows he sells on his website!

Ghost Toile Arm Chair – traditional black and cream toile made intriguing with ghostly figures and sketches of George Washington!

Large Red “Schoolboy” Tote – Take your own Ivy Leaguers with you everywhere!

Robespierre Pillow – Fight tyranny and find freedom for your interiors!

It was another exciting year at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and I am thrilled to bring Nesting Newbies fans a few of the hottest trends and my picks coming out of the show:

Bold wall paper and tile: There we so many new bold prints and black everywhere!

My favorite wall paper was by industry icon Graham & Brown— Barbara Hulanicki-Skulls #19911 — featuring textured black on black skulls.

And from Italy, Damier Noir ceramic tile by LEA Ceramiche

Hand blown glass lighting: There were several companies worth speaking of developing lighting more like individual pieces of sculpture versus more typical or traditional lighting.

Tsunami Glassworks from Windsor, Ontario offered a great example of absolutely gorgeous pieces of art. Once again, I love the black blown glass.

Lasvit from the Czech Republic have done some major installations such as the Metro station in Dubai, and are renowned for amazing lighting design. These are statement pieces.

United Glassblowing based in Costa Mesa, CA is owned and operated by the very hip husband and wife team — Caleb Siemon and Carmen Salazar. They make gorgeous music together, creating beautiful hand blown glass pendants, sconces, lamps, and vessels. Definitely worth checking out.

Gorgeous hand crafted wood furniture: Out of Rhode Island comes a collaborative furniture design group called StudioDunn. Their pieces such as the Newport table have handmade joinery but are streamlined and modern.

Also Dexel Crafted marries contemporary design concepts through traditional woodworking techniques. Both companies will customize pieces for you.

Out of Brooklyn is City Joinery. Their work prides itself in functional designs with exquisite materials and subtle details. These are built to last.

Standout cool new company: Kremelife’s (out of Los Angeles) bold pillows and wall paper stand out as top picks. So much so, I placed my first order while still at the show!

Can’t wait to go back next year!

Editor’s Note: Pamela Hall created a chic “Knitter’s Nook” in Issue 3 of Nesting Newbies Magazine. Pamela is a style maven and principal of Core Design Interiors serving both residential and commercial clients.

Two press releases arrived in my inbox announcing new architectural woodcarving collections by Enkeboll. The Tribeca Collection, for those wanting a more modern aesthetic, features a well-edited selection of moldings, corbels, turned legs, and textured panels. The Hearst Castle Collection is adapted from the artisan details of architect Julia Morgan’s original renderings, is reminiscent of the great golden age of California yet refined for a more current functionality.

My first impression? Both collections beautiful! I began to wonder about how they could be used, and decided to ping my friend, Shelly Amoroso, an interior designer known for her “twist on tradition,” and who I can always count on to come up with great ways to add architectural detailing to a home’s interior.

“Mayan” Molding from the Enkeboll Tribeca Collection

“Florentine” Molding from the Enkeboll Hearst Collection

For the Linear moldings:

1. Frame a cork board or mirror.

2. Make a picture rail shelf. If the profile is not deep enough, attach it to wood blocking for a thicker ledge to rest pictures and trinkets.

3. Upholster the center of a bed frame.

4. Embellish plain slab furniture or kitchen cabinets. Create an inset frame. Perhaps frame favorite photos you have taken or color copy a page of hand-rendered watercolor images of bugs (or your favorite insects) from a book of zoological images. Or flora and fauna.

5. For the modern Tribeca Mayan crown molding: paint the walls first, all the way up to the ceiling line. Paint the crown molding separately. Attach to the wall. Let the wall paint color contrast with the molding paint color. The wall color will pop through the openings of the fretwork.

6. For the modern Tribeca Mayan crown molding: Paint it a hot color like a Chinoise Red, super gloss lacquer for a high glam look

7. For a unique application of Hearst Castle Florentine molding: Use a simple base board and crown molding then use the a highly decorated molding in the center of the wall as a chair rail. Paint all the moldings the same color as the wall (although use a glossier finish for the wood moldings and a matte finish for the walls) to emphasize texture over contrast.

8. Make a window valance. Create a box out of the moldings. Attach window treatment panels to hooks for a stationary look. Use a linen fabric for a soft draping that is a wonderful contrast to the hard lines of the valance box.

9. Apply to walls for instant paneling. No need to attach a recessed panel for the center of the panel. Just paint the center of the panel (sheetrock or plaster in most cases) in the same glossy paint finish as the moldings. The molding frame and center panel will read as one unit. For a bold look… paint the walls a strong contrasting color.

10. Add to ceiling to emulate molded plaster work.

“Perception” Panel from the Enkeboll Tribeca Collection

“Rosette Trumpet” from the Enkeboll Hearst Collection

For the square panels:

1. “Perception” modern square: Apply to entire wall for a sculptural feel.

2. Apply to the center of slab cabinet faces.

3. Paint 12 or so in four different colors. Attach to the walls as you would a plate collection. Display as art.

4. Create an updated Shaker look: Screw in a hook and attach three to five in a row.

5. Add a block to each corner of the four corners of a dining table or cocktail table. Top with a thick piece of glass (don’t forget the glue!). You’ll have an instant display cabinet for postcards and collectibles.

Shelly, you never cease to amaze! : )

When you’re able to purchase for something unique, hand-made, and beautiful for your home, AND it provides an economic opportunity for a village craftswoman…that’s the ultimate and most rewarding shopping experience!

Room&Board presents Makenge baskets, made from the root of the African Makenge bush and hand-crafted according to ancient Zambian tradition by only the most skilled village craftswomen. The skill is passed down from generation to generation, and the colors and patterns represent themes of marriage, beauty and family heritage.

Each basket can take up to two months to complete, and are traditionally given as wedding gifts. Hey, it is wedding season! One of these would be such a generous gesture…you’d be passing on a meaningful tradition while making a difference for a woman, her family, and community.

Each one is so different…it will be difficult to choose. Splurge on several and create an arrangement on a wall, bookshelf or table.

Available in four sizes, prices range from $79-$189. And beginning May 22, Room & Board’s Makenge baskets will be 30 percent off storewide and online at RoomandBoard.com.

Our cheeks are full of color and our pulses are racing over the new black and white Allemande wallpaper by Madeline Weinrib.  Madeline was inspired by antique French brocade and makes it au courant for our modern-selves.  It’s her first wall covering (complementing her cool carpets and textiles) and we think it gets a standing O…applause, applause!  Available mid-May.

By Erika Solis, Contributing Writer

Anthropologie- Silhouetted Zinnia Knob
$8 each
This knob caught my eye with its hand-painted glass and a golden sunburst detail–just the right amount of pizazz to warm up any drawer. Purchase one or buy them by the dozen, these pulls are a great way to add a golden charm.

Jonathan Adler- Meurice Chandelier
$750
I am hooked on Jonathan Adler. From his modern take on bamboo to the playfulness of the bulbs, this chandelier makes me swoon! Not to mention that the color and design screams, “Focal point!” The Meurice Chandelier comes in polished nickel or antique brass.

Graham & Brown’s Marcel Wanders Grace Wallpaper$75.00 a double roll bolt
Let the sunshine in by adding this beautiful wallpaper to your space. Whether it finds a home in a wonderful vignette or envelops an entire room, the mix of matte yellow and glossy gold will give your space a sunny disposition.

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Colorandscheme’s Yellow and Grey Dandelion Burst Pillow Covers
$21.50 per pillow cover
Is your room a feeling lifeless and a bit stale? Then freshen up with throw pillows! Toss these modern dandelion pillows just about anywhere to brighten up your home. I adore this Etsy seller, a mom with a passion for fabrics. She is always on the lookout for vibrant fabrics for her products so we can keep our homes full of color.

Editor’s Note: Erika is a journalism major at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. She is a senior and will be graduating next fall. Erika specializes in feature writing with a passion for home decor, the use of color and the hunt for vintage pieces.  Check out her personal blog at Practical Princess.  We asked her to regularly contribute her newbie perspective about what’s happening in the design world.

Fabric: 20960 ↑

This fabric packs a graphic punch and I’m wild about the peacock blue color.  It feels both vintage (a la Beverly Hills Hotel) and refreshingly new at the same time.

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Fabric: 20965 ↑

The nester in me couldn’t resist this happy nature print in the seaglass colorway.  It’s a perfect example of the updated antique engraving look Thomas created in this new collection.

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Fabric:20959 ↑

This fabric combines EVERYTHING I love into one great fabric: modern, graphic, geometric print, and chinoserie.  And it comes in aqua!

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A big, bold mix of the three fabrics would be so interesting–perhaps as pillows against an otherwise neutral backdrop–what do you think?

Check out the entire collection and all colorways.

–jodi