Belly's

OFFICE REVEAL AND GOOD NEWS

Phew... You must be thinking this post is fata morgana at this point, huh? So where have I been?

1. I've been finishing the office redo. Yep, there are photos below. I must say I regret having them taken (by the talented and charming Dana Israeli) at this point. I think there is a lot more to accomplish before this space is finished, but enough rambling, here it is.

BEFORE:

 

AFTER:

2. I started working with Gili Ungar. Yep, the designer I profiled here. For the last few weeks we've been working together. I'm working on content, new concepts and services, while also doing some styling and decorating. We're having a blast together (seriously, I love people who are both talented and nice!) and we even got a beautiful write-up from the lovely Danika at Gorgeous Shiny Things!

 

3. I'm writing. A lot. Over the last few months I got the opportunity to interview (among others) Casper Vissers from Moooi, Kelley l. Moore, Eddie Ross, Holly Becker, Yvonne from Yvestown and I even chatted with Dror Ben Shitrit and Raphael Navot. I promise to upload some of this goodness to the blog soon!

So how are you? What have you been up to while I was gone? I can't wait to hear it all!

DESIGN CRUSH: GILI UNGAR

Once in a while, if you're lucky enough, you fall in love with an image, a vision, a room, a design. I'm sure all of you design bloggers and lovers know what I mean. If you're lucky enough it sticks with you, inspires you, maybe even transform you in some way.

 

 Once in a while you get the chance to meet the person behind the design, and if you're lucky enough, he (or she) turns out to be a genuinely nice person. Maybe even a friend. Such is the case with Gili Ungar.

 

I stumbled upon his rooms via Facebook (thank you, Mark Zuckerberg). I have long wanted to feature more Israeli designers/decorators on the blog and had a hard time approaching them (it was before I started writing for magazines). I sent him a message and he was so amazingly gracious. We met and talked, he sent me more pictures of an office he designed. Gili studied photography in Bezalel and even interned for David LaChapelle in New York. I think you can clearly see his art background in the rooms he creates. They have this collected, curated feel. He uses a lot of vintage pieces from all over the world and (like me) is in love with textile.

 

When all details were finalized and I knew I was going to start writing for Go Style magazine I knew I HAD TO write about that office. It was so spectacularly happy and colorful and right in every way... So I did. The article will be published in the April issue, coming out next Thursday. Meanwhile, you can enjoy some of Gili's other works and visit his website and brand new blog.

ps. Gili also helped me pick out the fabrics for the office redo, I hope I can show you more progress by next week!

 

{photos: Gili Ungar}

OFFICE REDO PART DEAUX

Why hello there, people! It's been ages, hasn't it? I've been busy working on the "during" of the office I'm designing for my parents (see the "befores" here), plus meeting some writing deadlines. How have you been?

 

Source: emmas.blogg.se via Chedva on Pinterest

 

So, as promised, I'm back with the inspiration files. As you can see, we're talking light paint colors (still not decided on the specific shade of barely there grey), green seating, mod furniture and very simple storage with accents of blue, orange and gilt.

 

Source: lesueurinteriorsblog.com via Chedva on Pinterest

 

I do actually have some progress to report (and let me tell ya, being ahead of a deadline for once feels super-duper exciting). Today I had the hideous mauve carpeting removed, the cement platform stripped and the exposed walls covered in plaster so we can paint. I also had a meeting with the electrician and decided where to move/add/remove outlets, and he will do his thing on Monday. After he's finished and the new air conditioning is installed, the office will get painted... (hold on, that's the end of the boring construction talk, decorating talk comes after the next picture)

Jonathan Adler

Well, now to the fun stuff! I spent the afternoon in the Jaffa flea market with my dear friend who happens to be an uber-talented decorator and we picked up the most handsome, masculine mid-century desk that came with an adorable little storage unit. We proceeded to find a pair of the cutest modish chairs on earth (each has two tufts on their backs, which make them look like cartoon characters) for the most ridiculously cheap price. We made up for that by choosing a ridiculously expensive Canovas fabric (but still within the budget limits): light moss green for the chairs and a not-so-subtle floral for the seat cushions. We even brought them to the upholsterer already!

domino (see how only the sofa's seat cushions are upholstered in a floral?)

Don't ask me why I didn't take any pictures - I have no idea! I guess I was just too held up in the excitement of our great finds. This cute yellow chair reminds me a little of mine; not the details, but the vibe.

 

Source: homeshoppingspy.wordpress.com via Chedva on Pinterest

 

What do you think so far? Does it sound good? I hope to be back here next week with progress photos, and meanwhile I'd love to hear your opinions!

READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?

 
Who would have thought a close up on a cabbage would make such a fine piece of art? Sometimes, extreme close-ups almost have the feeling of an abstract painting. I once took a picture of my grey sweater really up close, and the result took my breath away even though I'm a mediocre photographer at best. But enough about the art, ho about this beautiful dresser? It's vintage and once belonged in a pharmacy. However, what really works in this room, designed by Orian Dubitzky and featured in Go Style magazine is the fool-proof color combo green-natural-pink. In my opinion, it enhances both the wood and natural elements and the colorful ones.

What do you think?

 

{photographer: Ben Masio for view, Go Style Magazine}

MONDAY COLOR INJECTION

A dreary weekend, along with some inspiration from LiveLikeYou (check out Jill's guest post) made me crave a colorful and bright beginning for this week. Leafing through an old Domino issue (I'm a walking cliche, I know) I found a picture of Olatz Schnabel's bed, which was all the things I craved. Isn't it amazing? Olatz is married to renowned artist Julian Schnabel, and owns an eponymous luxury bedding company ("eponymous" is such a magazine-y word, isn't it?). As you can see, her bedroom, which was recently published in House Beautiful, is the over-the-top dreamland of any gilt-loving design nerd as yours truly. I hereby present you with your monday color injection:

Have a great week, friends!

{images: house beautiful}

FINALLY, A REAL KID'S ROOM

Ugh, aren't you fed up with magazines featuring kids' rooms with no evidence that a live kid lives in them, except for a token Uglydoll or Teddy Bear propped on the bed? Oh, you are? So you can see why finding this room, designed by Hillary Thomas for Marlien Rentmeester of Lucky, made me smile.

Thomas kept the surface smooth and comfy, and reserved the glamor touches for higher up- a very practical yet pretty way to go when decorating for kids. I keep seeing grasscloth in kids' rooms everywhere (Celerie Kemble has them too, as shown in the Lonny issue before last). I have no experience with grasscloth- though I think it's gorgeous and adds just the right amount of texture to a room - so I'm wondering if that's a stylistic decision or is it really that practical? If you happen to know the answer to that, please share.

The cute table and chairs set (my kid has a similar one from Ikea) supplies a good place for painting and drawing without messing up the white floor (which seems to be easily wipeable, but maybe I'm mistaken), and the banister is a great place for propping toys without creating a too cluttered feeling (and tripping on them at night- ouch!).

I think what really makes this room is that the designer sticked to two main tones (blue and white) and kept the playfulness for the beautiful art, and the playful Canovas fabric, which reflects the colorfulness of the toys.

What did you think of this room? Would you put such high-end fabric in a kid's room? And were you happy to see a less sterilised version of a kid's room in a magazine?

studio tour: roni kantor's salon-like haven

Rothschild boulevard wouldn't be the place you'd turn to for a quick lunch-time search for a dress, or if you wanted the so-called mall experience. The Boulevard, one of Tel Aviv's oldest (it dates to 1910) is where you stroll with a dog or a partner, lounge at one of the many cafes or work at one of the law offices. Not really the obvious choice for a young emerging fashion designer like Roni Kantor.

As it turns out, this decision was a deliberate one.

"In the beginning, I held all the sales in my home, and I never had the intention to have it any other way. I liked it. Women would come, chat, try on fun dresses and accessories... But then so many people started to come - which we loved - and we had no room for all the inventory and the customers."

So you started looking for a store?

"If there's anything I wanted to avoid, it's the store feeling. I wanted the studio to feel like an extension of my home. A beloved place where you either hop to when you're in the area, or maybe come especially. You have a cup of coffee, try on a bunch of pretties and hopefully you'll walk away - minutes or hours later - with something beautiful, which will leave you wanting to visit us again."

{I fell head over heels for the celery green couches; there's another, bigger one in the other side}

I must say, the design captures the essence of what you said beautifully, who is the interior designer?

"I and my husband, Amir Ben Naftali," she says humbly.

That's impressive! And where did you find the gorgeous sofas and all the accessories and knicknacks that add so much character to the studio?

"It's all vintage, found at the curbside, thrifted or from the flea market. In this sense, it really does feel as an extension of our home, because our apartment is also decorated mostly with finds. Each piece has a special story to it, some of which we'll probably never know. For instance, my friend brought this Rothschild Blvd sign and I still hesitate to ask her where she got it..."

{the gorgeous screened porch, where Roni puts on her designer cap}

Decorating with thrifted furniture is still very unique in Israel, have you ever thought of branching out abroad?

"Of course I have, but I haven't found the perfect formula for branching out and maintaining the friend's salon feel that's so important to me. Maybe one day..."

 

In the time being you can visit Roni Kantor at her studio: 64 Rothschild Blvd. Tel Aviv, or online on Sense Of Fashion.

 

{photo credits: Dror Ben Naftali}

my style recipe

Nicole at Sketch42blog has posted her "style formula" and I thought it's such a fun idea! I've always been not-that-bright at math, so I'm going to call it my style recipe, and as always with my recipes there are no measures and no telling which flavor will prevail (but somehow it always comes out delicious- if I may say so myself):

Markham Roberts

Eddie Ross

Hillary Thomas

Angie Hranowsky

A big helping of gentleman's club, a dash of oriental (books are always my spice of choice), a pinch of world traveler meets granny, stir in some kid-proof and washable in happy colors and finish off with modern palette cleanser.

Et voila!

 

p.s. I'm participating in A Hasty Life's blog crawl, and you can too! Check out the details here.

 

 

3 teen bedrooms I would gladly move into

While most rooms of teenagers are not even anything I'd like to see a picture of (though I must say I had an awesome room as a teenager: glass shelves and desk, a headboard with hidden storage and all), here are three rooms I would gladly camp out and have sleepovers in... Are you with me? I can already hear the Spice Girls and Celine Dion in the background (don't judge.)

The first room is a room Grant K Gibson designed for Elle Decor's first ever show house. Just look at this De Gournay wallpaper! But what's even more impressive than the chinoiserie hand-painted wallpaper is the mix of high and low, function and fun that Gibson made here. I love the touches of zebra, the pouf and the celebrity poster-turned-art.

And look here! PVE drew this room... Seriously, how amazing is that?

The two next rooms were designed by Tori Mellott (of Domino fame) for the winners in a Teen Vogue contest.

Again, I love the combination of fun and practicality, and the fact that these rooms are young but not juvenile.

Yes, it's pink, but it has a certain intelligence to it - does that make sense? It's not the sort of room you look back to and say "what was I thinking?"

How mod is this room? I like that it looks like a room you can mess up but it's not to hard to clean up, and of course I love the red desk (my own red desk was one of the best purchases I did for my home.)

Which is your favorite? And what would you listen to in this room? (come on, I confessed. It's your turn now.)

 

{image sources: grant k gibson, pve, teen vogue}

design crush: the giveaway

Remember how I praised architect/interior designer David Easton last week? Remember how his design philosophy sang to my heart? Remember how I said I couldn't wait to lay my hands on his book, Timeless Elegance?

Well, if you needed further proof to what I wrote there, here it is: Mr. Easton has generously offered my readers (aka you!) one signed copy of Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton.

-How do you win it?

It's pretty simple, if I may say so myself: become a follower of the blog with Google friend connect (which you can find on top of the left sidebar) then leave a comment on this post. If you're already a follower, just leave a comment. For an extra entry, like the Belly's Button page on facebook (through the right sidebar, or click here) then leave another comment. Don't forget to comment after each step so I can include you!

-Details

Giveaway is open until Monday, November 8th at midnight EST (after which I will close the comment section). Winner will be drawn randomly on Tuesday, November 9th, and announced shortly.

What are you waiting for? Go win this book!