You can shop so many beautiful pieces from Serena and Lily’s latest arrivals and this four poster bed might be my top pick.
I’m currently in the midst of working on our bedroom redesign at the moment now that we’ve resigned our lease and investing in a king bed is at the top of the list! It’s definitely taken me way too long to decide on what we should do for the bed. I’ve wanted to go custom for quite some time but the fabric alone adds up!! By the time you purchase the fabric, order the bed and pay for white glove shipping you’re easily looking at $3,000 and up. As a result, I’m looking at a few different custom options from Serena and Lily and think this could be a great solution for us as fabric is included in the price. In addition to the four poster bed in the design below, a few of my favorite styles include this white cane bed, the Pondicherry bed, and the tall Franklin bed.
Outside of a new king bed, I recently picked up new white table lamps from Circa Lighting and invested in a new white dresser from North Carolina furniture maker, Rile & Stile. They don’t have a website but you can take a peek at their instagram right here. Last but not least, a piece of art form Mary Maguire is also at the top of my list!!
Are you working on any home projects at the moment? Would love to hear about them! Xx. Lauren
As working from continues to be the norm, today I wanted to share how to create a stylish at home office! I’m personally on a mission to enhance my own work from home space. I really need art, a desk lamp and some desk accessories at the moment!
If you’re looking to spruce up your own at home office, Pottery Barn, Serena and Lily and One Kings Lane all have stylish work from home items to help you style your space. Pottery Barn is currently offering 20% off on all work from home accessories!!
For anyone with a large at home office, Serena and Lily’s Balboa Desk is stunning in person. It’s 58″ wide so I just recommend having a space big enough where the scale works. My home office is in our bedroom so unfortunately the square footage doesn’t work for us or else I’d invest!
Last but not least, Pottery Barn & Ballard Designs both have great desk chair options where they let you customize the fabric so you can make it your own. I recommend going with a color or print such as a bold stripe so stains won’t show as easily.
Have you invested in your at home office yet? Happy Shopping!! Xo. Lauren
If there’s one thing I’m learning from staying at home in our New York City apartment during this pandemic, it’s that I would LOVE to jet off to a beach house!! Since that’s not in the cards for us, I dreamt up a little beach house decor in case you may be decorating your very own beach house.
A few of my favorite rules to follow —
1..A beach house should always incorporate stripes.
My girlfriend Allisonhas this rolling arm couch from Serena and Lilyin her house in California and I absolutely love how fresh it looks in her home! The best thing about incorporating stripes within your decor? The contrast helps hide stains or marks. Luckily Serena and Lily’s surf stripe is a performance fabric so you can have faith that it will last for a long time.
I also am a huge fan of layering stripe rugs all throughout the house — Annie Selkehas the best indoor/outdoor cotton stripe rugs that hold up really well. We have Annie’s Rugby Stripe Denim rugour dinning room!
Whether your house is located on the beach or not, natural fiber rugs are great for high trafficked ares including living rooms, kitchens, entry ways and so forth. In addition to Serena and Lily’s natural fiber rugs,Pottery Barnhas a great selection at more affordable prices.
3. A beach house should always incorporate layers upon layers of white.
From white linen drapes to chairs, lamps& cocktail tables— incorporating white accents throughout every room will help achieve that easy & relaxed beach house atmosphere. Also, it’s ok to use different shades of white — it will help prevent the room from feeling too sterile.
4. Texture — Rattan, Wicker, Bamboo, Woven Shades, etc.
Adding texture such as rattan, wicker or bamboo to your beach house will instantly infuse coastal character. I love how this rattan Cape Coffee Tablelooks against the striped sofa and this Celerie Kemble natural floor lampis just adorable.
5. Natural wood elements
Bringing the outdoors in with natural wood elements will also help achieve that refined yet comfortable beach house decor. How pretty is this Harvest Dinning Tablefrom Williams Sonoma?
Anyways, that’s it for now! Take a peek at my “Get The Look” tab on the top left for similar decorating blog posts! Happy decorating. Xo. Lauren
Annie!! To say I’m excited for the Mark D. Sikes x Annie Selke Collection is an understatement. Please give us all of the blue and white stripes forever and ever!
You know I am huge fan of yours so I am thrilled to have you take part in my new Tastemakers Series!! I know many of my readers already know and love you, but for those who are just tuning in, let’s bring them up to speed!
Tastemaker
Annie Selke
Hometown
Stockbridge, MA and now live next door in Lenox, MA
What inspired your collaboration with Mark and what can we expect to see from this collection?
We love Mark’s work and feel his attention to detail and emphasis on quality are compatible with our brand. The entire line is sophisticated but accessible. I think designers, retailers, and consumers will find it incredibly easy to love and live with.
What piece of advice would you give someone who is decorating their home and on the hunt for the perfect rug?
It’s important to take into account what will be going on in a space when deciding on what type of rug will be best suited for the job. Think about your color scheme and what your intent is for the space and find something you love that meets those needs. And definitely don’t be afraid of a little color!
Given how successful you’ve been throughout your career, are there specific people, places or things that have inspired you along the way? Have these been consistent over time or how have they evolved?
I was extremely fortunate to have found great mentors who understood my talents better than I did! They taught and pushed me to learn, experiment and take ownership: Bea Maloney at Ferragamo and Pat at Conran’s. Two lovely, smart women who had forged careers when it wasn’t as easy to do so. Big love for them recognizing something in me.
How has instagram influenced the design industry or your company specifically?
Social media has enhanced business for The Annie Selke Companies. Through social media, we are able to more easily connect with likeminded individuals who share our passion for design. On Instagram, we are able to form symbiotic, organic relationships with influencers and designers who share our vision and whose presence on social media enhances our business. We started gathering UGC 2 years ago and have found that it is an extremely effective marketing tool. It’s continued to grow over time- we receive submissions daily of truly beautiful spaces.
The best trip you’ve ever taken:
That’s a tough one… there’s “best” and “most memorable”. I am fortunate to have traveled a great deal. The trips in the memorable category that stand out are: a rustic, on the cheap safari in Kenya in 1989 when I visited Isak Dinesen’s house on the outskirts of Nairobi and slept in a tiny tent surrounded by noisy zebras and staying in a beach hut in Thailand.
Travelling to Paris as a high school exchange student and seeing this amazing city for the first time at an impressionable age created a need to revisit on a regular basis. Then there was Lake Como, Italy and a Tiger Safari in Rajasthan, India… Okay – almost all travel is life enhancing!
Favorite hotel in the world:
The Imperial – Delhi, India
The Relais Christine, Paris
The Knightsbridge, London
The Whitby, NYC
Le Sereno, St. Barth’s
Speaking of hotels, I had the pleasure of staying at 33 Main and absolutely loved the experience. From the warm chocolate chip cookies to the fluffy robe waiting for me after my shower, the inn felt like a home away from home!
What inspired you to create 33 Main and what would you like guests to take away?
I specifically refer to 33 Main as a luxury lodging experience and not a B&B because of the reputation that many B&Bs have. I wanted to add design and graciousness to the traditional B&B mix, incorporating what I have enjoyed in country house hotels in England and in luxury boutique hotels from France to Park City to Laguna Beach and Martha’s Vineyard. I wanted to create an environment where people feel relaxed, comfortable, pampered, well fed and well taken care of.
From a brand marketing stand point, I think the inn/33 Main underscores our core mission which is to bring happy home by filling our customers’ lives with beautiful, life-enhancing quality products. The inn is a way to introduce our products to our guests with a sublimely soft sell approach, bringing happy home when you are away from home, so to speak.
Go-to flea markets or antique stores:
Brimfield, Massachusetts
Round Top – Texas
The Marche aux Puces – Paris
Top 3 tried and true entertaining tips and tricks:
Cook fabulous, simple, crowd pleasing dishes – don’t get too fancy. Create a welcoming environment that makes people feel instantly at home. Make time for parties and friends! Put together small and large groups of people. Cross pollination of fiends makes for a fun and interesting party!
Favorite design or style hack.
I can’t think of a go-to hack except that I love shopping in vintage and antique shops to find pieces that add some age, depth and context to an interior. I recommend adding something unexpected and, in my case, something that brings a smile to your face every time you see it.
What’s on the horizon for Annie Selke?
We’re adding a pet line for Holiday 2019. I’m looking to expand our hospitality business into other locales. We hope to continue to grow our Annie Selke licensing collaborations and look forward to finding fun, new brand enhancing collaborations to bring to our customers. Never a dull moment.
Images via Annie Selke & Mark D. Sikes
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