Pompom Phenomenon

A few days ago, Stephanie at super awesome radicool blog even*cleveland posted on all kinds of crafty pompoms, those fuzzy wuzzy balls of good cheer. I've been lusting after a pompom bedspread since summer, so I feel compelled to post an intrablog follow up to show you some more... balls. This time in interiors. Soon, you'll want to sew pompoms onto everything, but control thyself! Balls are very powerful, and require a judicious measure of restraint. So without further ado, here's the pair that first inspired my desire:

I'm not a big fan of the peppermint patty headboard in this Tom Scheerer bedroom, but I love the dreamy quality the pompom fringe brings to the edge of the bed. My dear sweet mother sewed fringe onto EVERYTHING (Couch: check. Every pillow on the couch: check. Curtains: why not?), so I certainly have a nostalgic appreciation for those little dingle berries, as well as a healthy fear for the havoc they can wreak.

But, hark! Here is the very same bedspread featured in Domino (apparently available only through ABC Home and Carpet. Grrr! Why don't I live in New York?), and does it not captivate? The soft texture it adds to rough surfaces and hard lines balance this simple room out beautifully. Please ignore the bleed through from the back page... Miles Redd and his striped rooms are also very powerful stuff.

If you want just a splash of texture, a colorful throw like the one in this lovely apartment featured on Decor8 might do the trick. Oh, and I will also take everything else in this room, please. Thank you.

For a dose of color in an all white room, consider sewing a colorful ball fringe on a white blanket, and hey presto! You have a sexy little number to keep you warm at night. Photo via the Style Files.

An old school chenille bedspread packed with pompoms adds bohemian charm and texture to this bedroom. Plus it makes me want to jump up and down on the bed and scream, "Wheeeeeeeee! I love balls!" Photo via Elle Decor.

Perhaps you'd like to keep your ball lovin' on the down low. Discreet pompoms sewn onto these coverlets are cheeky without resorting to kitsch appeal. Photo via Domino.

Then there's this hot little throw, strewn oh so casually across the bed, that gives me a warm feeling inside. It's tres elegant -- looks very high class and expensive -- but you'll want to spend all night long with it. Photo via Elle Decor.

Speaking of throws, this is -- all kidding aside -- the MOST amazing throw, ever. It comes courtesy of Etsy seller Modern Fiber Lab, and it is worth every penny of its asking price. Felted by hand of wool and mohair using traditional techniques, it's simply the most weirdly elegant pompom pelt in the universe. Period. You know what I want for Christmas next year, so start saving up.

Although I obviously have a crush on pompom bedspreads and throws, you can feel free to spread the balls far and wide throughout your home. Case in point: this crazy rug beckons for your sweet, sweet love down by the fire. Courtesy of Sew Very Prairie.

Karly has a killer pompom pillow that makes her couch look like a million bucks. Be like Karly and bring a little squishy love into your life with these fringe elements. Clockwise from top left: Pillow via Country Home Living, Red or Brown Pillow at World Market on sale for $7.48, Minimal Pompom Pillow Cover at West Elm on sale for $6.99 (indigo only), Handmade Retro Red Pillow at Weezi for $24.98.

If you're crafty, you could sew a line of pompom fringe onto just about anything, like this window cornice. Photo via Domino.

More ballsy craft ideas... or just feel free to buy from the source. Sheer curtains with tiny pompoms available at PB Teen (!), Crazy pompom fringe parrot lamp at Whatiszot Design, Ball fringe blanket at Calypso.

No jokes here, only a gorgeous image that combines a lot of pretty pretty elements all framed by an amazing vintage crocheted curtain dripping with delicate pompoms. Me likey. Picture courtesy of Bohemian Hellhole, a great blog with a great name.

So, don't be afraid cheer for the return of the pompom, because it's time to get ballsy with decor. If these two strapping young bucks could go down out on the fringe, so can you.

Girl, You Trippin

When it comes to home decor, I have 2 basic rules: 1. Form should follow function and 2. Everything looks better with a couple coats of gold spray paint. I generally shy away from pieces that are quirky for quirky's sake and stick to the basics, items like gold panther cocktail tables (see rule #2). However, every once in a while a clever design crosses my radar that is perfectly simple in it's design yet evokes an element of the surreal that screams please take me home and love me forever.

Pike Bergmans' voluminous bulb would make a perfect reading light for Salvador Dali while Thelermont Hupton's Blown Up lamps are geared up to send any hippy into an acid trip nightmare.  I really wish he'd called them Dog and Lamb On a Stick, though.  

A-hoy hoy, Andre Breton calling!  Le Telephon from Sunday land makes me want to give 1920 a call alerting them that, almost 90 years later, their predominate art movement is still alive and well.  Perhaps I could even award the surrealist forefathers with this Best In Show Mirror by Phil Cuttance?  Or maybe I could extend my ridiculously long list of things to do by adding knock this sucker off somewhere near the top.  Wouldn't it look divine in my new bedroom?

While I do not condone trompe l'oil Tuscan frescos (never, ever!) I would be delighted to spend an evening with friends around Vanessa Su's table.  If we could figure out how it works.

After dining we could retire to the lounge for cocktails and all fight over the Today and Tomorrow sofa by Lila Jang:

I believe Erin showed you this before, but who doesn't want to see it again?  

Twists and turns seem to be all the rage in the surrealist furniture trend:

I love how Pablo Reinoso's Aluminum bench is typical on both sides with a seamlessly woven center creating just enough interest to remain thoughtful without being overwhelming.  On the less practical side is his Melting Thornet chair, which, admittedly, would rock on my porch.

If your littlest family member expresses interest in a drug and art induced lifestyle at an early age, you may want to jump start the revolution with this (ahem, $5,600) Accordian Dresser

Always the purveyors of trippy home furnishings, the ladies of Front Design have a dresser built to satisfy even the most ADD among us

The (cleverly named) Changing Cupboard rotates it's facade at regular intervals to constantly reflect a different pixel pattern.  Don't believe me?  Watch the first ever video posted on Design Crisis:

If your concerned that the cupboard may throw you into convulsions, you can still bring the drama while remaining static:

The Anne table by Gareth Neal cleverly hides a queen anne table inside a basic square structure, perfect for the (am I about to say this?) transitional home.

And now that I've used the term transitional home, I think it's best for me to quit for the day.

That Seventies Series: Paint the Trim Fantastic

So, I have this secret interior decorating weapon called Living Spaces. I bought the book for a buck at a Goodwill a while ago, and was amazed to find that its 1978 goodness is perfectly aligned with current interior trends, and maybe even a few upcoming trends that I will attempt to predict a la Miss Cleo. This bad boy was produced by the Whitney Library of Design, so you know it's good. Anyhoodles, I'm starting a series based on inspiring images from the book, so let's see if I can get this sweet puppy to fly.

Clean lines, natural surfaces, neutral backdrops -- this ain't your momma's carpet infested house. Actually it's a fat villa in Florence, and what I'm really digging is the colored trim against the pale background (please ignore the hideous table setting... yikes!). So I've done my very bestest to find some contemporary examples of trim that are not painted white or blended into the wall color. Why should all the other surfaces have all the fun, anyway?

Sorry, not sure where this picture came from, but let me just say that it takes some pretty powerful trim to distract me from the vintage card catalog in all its sexified glory.

If you're really brave, you can dispense with the white altogether and bathe the entire room in saturated hues, like this pic from Domino. (By the way, has anyone received their January copy via mail yet? Anyone? Anyone?)

Sad story: this is NOT the picture I wanted to include. Months ago, I saw this gorgeous image of a very spare room with pale walls and maybe pale concrete floors, and the only color in the room came from the citron yellow window trim. I cannot for the life of me find the picture... I swear, I went all Captain Insano and searched for HOURS for it, and I'm really tired now. OCD sucks. If you know which picture I'm talking about, please send me the link and I'll swap pics. Until one of you superfantastic readers can bail me out, you'll have to make do with this pic from Apartment Therapy.

So maybe you like the idea of having non-white trim, but are looking for a little less contrast in value:

Even if you choose color for your walls, you don't have to paint the trim white. Thoughts on this color scheme? Photo courtesy of Marie Claire Maison.

A more subdued palette of butter yellow and a pale purplish blue, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

This twist on traditional features dark gray walls with medium gray molding, which reads as understated and sophisticated rather than cartoonish. Photo by Richard Powers.

Or perhaps you'd like to keep your Sanders-approved color on the walls, but still want to funk up the trim? Once you go black, you'll never go back. Like, seriously -- it would be a pain in the ass to paint over.

But, no pain, no gain, right?

Elle Decor UK reminds us to "Go With the Flow." With gorgeously framed windows like those, (and a disco ball!) I'm feeling a lot more fluid.

This quirky room from Apartment Therapy might be enough to make me take the plunge. I love the Roy Lichtenstein look:

Color is fun, but there's certainly nothing wrong with classic, clean and simple:

In these images from Bo Bedre, straight black trim sets off the crispness of the architecture and decor choices.

I love the simple black trimmed windows in this otherwise light and bright space. Image via the awesome decor blog, Roseland Greene.

Finally, I've been crushing over this gorgeous room since the always fabulous Door Sixteen first posted it. It's the perfect mix of drama and breathing space, and the stunning architecture doesn't hurt. I loooove the way the black draws attention to the windows, framing them like pictures.

White trim, eat your pale, listless heart out (but don't worry, I still love you).