my head space: November 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Deck the Hall: Color Themes

I am still in the process of decking our halls - with help from my little elves. I hope that by this weekend I will be ready to share with you some pictures of our Christmas decorations.

I have your more traditional "natural" tree in the Family Room because that's the tree that is next to the fireplace and where Santa puts his gifts. This tree is for my girls and is a collection of ornaments that we have collected over the years and from various trips. It's a memory tree!

In my formal spaces, however, I try to have a tree that goes with the scheme of the room. In that line of thinking, I wanted to share with you examples of trees that suite the room's decor.

I love these examples - the trees are such a beautiful extension of the room they could almost stay in there year round (though please don't do that!). :)

What do you think? I would love to hear from you.

Eclectic Family Room design by Chicago Martha Layton Smith

Contemporary Living Room design

Kids design by Little Rock Interior Designer Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Entry design by Other Metro Home Staging suzanne pignato

Traditional Living Room design by Little Rock Interior Designer Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Modern Dining Room design by Atlanta Interior Designer decordemon

Traditional Dining Room design

And by the way, if you want to get more ideas you can Like me on Facebook or Follow me on Pinterest.

Thanks for visiting My Head Space!

Copyright, Cristina Mullins Interiors, 2012

Monday, November 26, 2012

50 Shades of Grey - Kitchen Cabinets

Sorry for the reference. I was trying to make the topic of kitchen cabinetry a bit sexier. Lol...

Anyhow, I have some fantastic clients I'm working with currently. I am working with one beautiful lady and her hard-working husband right now. We've been updating many areas of their gorgeous, California-style contemporary home. I cannot wait to show you pictures of it when it's completed.

One particular decision we made recently was to go with grey for the kitchen cabinets and I can't tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that shade. It's neutral, but warmer than white and more sophisticated than maple without being too dark. You could say I'm obsessed. You can also say that you heard it here first when I tell you that grey cabinets are going to become more and more popular in homes everywhere. And when you see these kitchens you will see why.

Today's blog is dedicated to grey cabinets - in various styles of kitchens. I can't imagine you would disagree that it is GOR-GE-OUS!!!!

Modern Kitchen design by New York Architect Chelsea Atelier Architect, PC

Contemporary Kitchen design by Atlanta General Contractor Fitzgerald Construction

Contemporary Kitchen design by Other Metro Kitchen And Bath Natalie Du Bois

Modern Kitchen design by Seattle Kitchen And Bath Warmington & North

Contemporary Kitchen design by Atlanta Interior Designer New Mood Design LLC

Contemporary Kitchen design by Chicago Interior Designer jamesthomas, LLC

Contemporary Kitchen design by San Diego Interior Designer Kristin Lam Interiors

Traditional Kitchen design by San Diego Design-build Flagg Coastal Homes

Traditional Kitchen design by Denver Kitchen And Bath Fixtures Wm Ohs Inc.

Eclectic Kitchen design by Charleston Interior Designer Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

What do you think? Like the grey? I would love to hear your thoughts.

BTW, if you want to stay in touch you can Like me on Facebook or Follow me on Pinterest.

Copyright, Cristina Mullins Interiors, 2012

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Deck the Halls...Non-Tree Trees

Hi there!

We just arrived home from Hershey so we haven't started our Christmas decorating just yet, but I'm pretty sure that we will begin to take out some of our trees tomorrow. I'm so excited - and slightly obsessed - with seeing other's trees. Some I have found are amazing - and not even actual trees! How creative.

While they are definitely not everyone's cup of tea, I think we can all appreciate the ingenuity that these folks used. I think I've found my next tree creation too!

Take a look...

Just what the picture says - a vintage wooden ladder as a tree! - Electically Vintage

Merry Mirror - using all green containers and organizational tools - Michael Johansson

Book Tree! Fabulous for a book-lover like myself. Now that I have my Kindle I know what to do with my books. This also gave me the idea for using paperbacks as ornaments! - Yeah Writers Tumblr

Bottle Tree - Not recommended with households with kids or cats. However, all those bottles do make a really sparkly tree. And I like the star on the top. - Amazing Rabbit

Like I said, perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but you have to admit the creativity is pretty incredible. My favorite, in case you didn't already guess, is the book tree. But I like them all. Like Charlie Brown, at the end of the day if you put enough love into it any "tree" can be a Christmas tree.

Thoughts, comments, pictures? I would love for you to share them with me. You can also Like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Pinterest.

Deck the Halls.... Theme Trees

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. I LOVE it so much. The music, the food, the cheer, the fun, giving (and a little receiving) - all of it! In fact, when I realized that I could have more than one tree in my house I sorta started collecting them. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I currently have six trees that will be decorated in my home. All are artificial. Sorry I know that some of you will be chaffed by that, but I'm allergic to the needles, I hate the mess, and there is no way I could convince my husband to haul home one tree much less six every year.

So I have six trees and they each have their own theme. I thought I would look around the internet for some pretty pictures of trees to inspire me, and maybe you too, to get decorating. I ran across this blog that had several trees that were right up my alley. I had to share them with you. They are gorgeous and so fun!

I promise, I will also do another Deck the Halls featuring real trees and one featuring my own once they are up and ready for review.

So with no further ado here are the trees from Trendy Trees and using RAZ Christmas Decorations:

RAZ Cornucopia Centerpiece Tree

RAZ Candy Wonderland

RAZ Christmas Tree

RAZ Flocked Tree w/ Turquoise Decorations

On this website they also included some amazing Halloween trees, I just didn't include them here.

What do you think? Got you in the spirit? I would love to see some of your trees when they are decorated so I hope you share them with me.

Happy Decorating!

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Beautiful engraving of a turkey from the 1930s -
Le Petit Poulailler

May your day be full of everything that makes me grateful - love, happiness, laughter and lots of pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Lobby Love - Hotels As Destinations That Inspire

I have always loved to travel. I was lucky because growing up with immigrant parents (my father was born in Italy and my mother was born in Uruguay and both earned the citizenship in the 90s) meant I was able to travel to some wonderful places. As a child, staying in a hotel was almost as much fun as exploring the destination. If the hotel had a pool - well I was in heaven!

Traveling with my girls I can see their enthusiasm for the same things I loved as a child. However, my tastes have changed since then. My love of hotels has wained. Now it's more about aesthetic design, cleanliness, beds and pillows, free WiFi, a decent TV, and quiet.

And while not all hotels offer the same level of amenities - especially the quiet - I am still a sucker for an amazing hotel lobby. When they are beautifully designed it just makes the experience that much more delightful, and can provide wonderful inspiration for your home.

Here are some amazing hotel lobbies - some I have been fortunate to stay in and some that I would love to visit in my lifetime.

One of my favorite hotel lobbies that I have personally visited is at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, PA. The hotel is situated on the city's Avenue of the Arts where theaters, shopping, restaurants, and fine art venues abound. The hotel is located in the old Girard Bank Building, which was built in the 1830's. The lobby is a stunning marbled, three-story rotunda and is filled with modern furnishings and lighting structures that highlight, rather than compete, with the interior's original neo-Classical style.

The Gritti Palace in Venezia (Venice), Italy is truly what its name says - it's a Palace. As such every space is filled with exquisite replicas and antiques of the period. The Gritti Palace dates back to 1525 when its construction began. At first the official residence of the Gritti family, the palace was later used as the residence of the Vatican ambassadors to Venice. Later still, it was home to successive noble families, as the Pisanis and again the Grittis in 1814, when it was purchased by Camillo Gritti. Over the centuries it has had illustrious guests, as it was the habit for noble palaces. I happened to have fortune enough to be one of them in 2000 and I've never felt more like a princess.

The Gresham Palace Four Seasons Hotel in Budapest was originally built in 1906 by the Gresham Life Insurance Company, as a way to invest in a solid source of rental income during a time in which it was prohibited to invest in stocks. The palace was named after the 16th-century English financier Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Royal Exchange in London. In 1998 it was reconstructed as a hotel, retaining its original appearance of Art Nouveau architecture. Now it combines the best of it's best with the best in modern luxury. Looks amazing doesn't it. Definitely on my list!

I love New York. Yes cliche, but true. As many times as I have been there, I have never had the pleasure to be a guest at The Gansevoort Hotel in New York City. It's so cool and modern. One look at the lobby makes me think that I need to stay there during some future trip. I wonder what the rates are? Andi Pepper is the designer responsible for this incredible space. To me, the strong floors are a wonderful back drop to the strong burgundy and purple colors used. This could easily translate into a home. Isn't it so pretty? Makes me think of Valentines Day! Hmmm.... Gotta tell the hubby.

The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City was designed by Phillipe Starck. I love the juxtaposition (that's my fancy designer word) of traditional formal furnishings, with bare, stripped ceilings and walls. The beautiful colors keeps it from looking too industrial and hard. It's a gorgeous space where few well placed pieces hold a lot of impact. This is on my list of must-visits.

The Sanderson Hotel in London is at the extreme of modern design. It is so fun and whimsical. Even if ultra-modern isn't your cup of tea, the one thing you can take from this hotel lobby is that design doesn't have to be so serious. The unexpected use of color or shapes is what makes a room interesting. I had drinks there once or twice in my travels to London. Never actually stayed. I can tell you that the rest of the main areas of the hotel get more and more beautiful and interesting. Wonder if the rooms are comfy?

The Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles is just so LA cool and an example of minimalism at its best. It's very simple style speaks of the careful sophistication the designer used to exploit the space without overwhelming you. You can really see all of the architectural elements in the space because all other items are so edited. This requires a lot of very specific intent on the part of the designer and can be more difficult to do. Glamorous but reserved.

PUBLIC Chicago is so effortlessly designed. There are a lot of beautiful architectural elements in this room - archways, moldings, trims. All are painted white. All are highlighted with subtle lighting. The rest of the space is kept neutral to highlight the beauty of the room. This is a great example of updating a 100+ year old space while maintaining the integrity of the original design, bringing it gently into the present. I know where I'm staying during my next trip to Chicago.

I just realized that I did not include a single beach location. I guess I'm in a winter frame of mind. I guess I'll have to come up with another list of Beach Lobbies. Do you have a favorite hotel? What do you love about it?

You can also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.

Copyright, Cristina Mullins Interiors, 2012

Thursday, November 15, 2012

My Favorite Holiday Host Gifts

Parties, dinners, short overnight visits. Holiday time is prime time to spend with friends, peers, family, and coworkers. If you want to be invited back next year, make sure that you are a great guest. That means that you behave yourself - which is what I tell my kids! It also means that you make sure you thank them for hosting you with a lovely gift.

Wine is typically the go-to gift for this situation. However, I personally don't drink wine and don't know enough about it to give something worth giving. So I've come up with a few gift ideas that your hosts will really appreciate.

My most favorite gift to give is a beautiful coffee table book. If you know the person well, you can give them something on a topic that they might be interested in. If you don't know them well, you can pick some sort of general topic such as travel, beaches, something on the state you live in, etc. - Barnes & Noble

Something that I rarely purchase for myself, but love for any home is a something decorative with a pretty scent. There are atomizers, room sprays, potpourri, pretty hand soaps, scented candles, and room sprays. - Antica Farmasista

Cocktail/Wine Bar Tools - If your host likes to throw and party then a bar tool can be a fun gift to give. Hey, anything to get the drinks served faster, right? Williams-Sonoma

Mugs - I'm a big coffee drinker (though I like tea and hot cocoa too) so I can appreciate a cool set of mugs. I particularly love these from - Etsy.com

For the host or hostess who loves their Christmas Tree, a gift of ornaments is always fun to receive. I actually have five Christmas trees in my house. They each have their own theme. I love the idea of receiving ornaments because they remind me of the person that gave them to me every year when I pull them out. - Crate & Barrel

I might be a bit old school - actually probably more old school than not as I get older - but I still love to put pen to paper. I like having a paper calendar and I use notebooks for work and any other note taking activity. It has always helped me to think. I think journals, notebooks, calendars, diaries are beautiful gifts. Check out the beautiful, brightly colored ones available @ Papyrus

Again a bit old school - I'm definitely aging myself here - but I love playing board games with friends. I play Words with Friends on my phone (I'm not completely out of touch!) and love it so much that I'm tempted to get the board game version. But I also love Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc. Games you can play with a group of people and have some good ol' fashioned fun! Toys R' Us

These are my favorite Host Gifts to give. What are some of your favortie gifts that you've received from friends and family? What do you like to give? I would love to hear from you!

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Copyright, Cristina Mullins Interiors, 2012

Monday, November 12, 2012

In Honor of Veterans Day

In celebration of all of our military heroes - past and present - I wanted to honor them for all that they've done and continue to do to keep our country safe and try to bring peace in other parts of the world.

So today, I'm dedicating my blog to our veterans the best way I know how - by highlighting military furniture and memorabilia. If you're fortunate enough to have these items, whether they were original to you or a family member - you should be proud to display them in your home regardless of your style. By displaying them they can serve as a daily reminder of what our military does for us everyday.