As soon as I write a post about what a dry winter we're having, voila! Rain. 
While it's not my favorite weather, it's good for the environment and will help us have a better spring and summer. So, to embrace these rainy days and all of their shades of gray, here are some fabulous ways to use gray in your interior decor:

If you're feeling hesitant, try adding lighter shades in smaller places like a hallway, bathroom, or bedspread...

... but if you're willing to give it a gutsy go...

Use gray on your walls, ceiling, upholstered furniture, accents... everything!

Gray can be bold and vibrant when complemented with bright pops of color like yellow...

Purple...

Or pink!

It also looks great when used in graphic patterns like this amazing wall treatment

Whether you use a little or a lot, gray is anything but dull! 
Where will you try a dash of gray this rainy day?

Right now the Bay Area is experiencing an unseasonably warm, dry winter. Some of us are suffering from spring fever, but we’ve still got a ways to go. Now is the perfect time to dream, plan, and set goals for the changes you want to make to your garden this year.

The crisp and sunny days keep making me think of arid landscapes and desert plants, and this months issue of Garden Design just happened to feature one of the most enchanting botanical gardens I’ve ever seen, the Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca in Mexico. 

Organ pipe cactus make the most fabulous border, and their mirrored reflection in the water is breathtaking!

I love the contrast of clean, geometric Hechtia against the rustic beauty of the Santo Domingo monastery. Hopefully someday I can visit it. For a more practical application, the following photos are from an older Garden Design issue featuring a serene cactus garden in Los Angeles...

Love it! Even if arid desert isn't your thing, the simple, sculptural beauty and contrasting shapes and colors can certainly be applied to other garden styles. 

What kind of garden are you dreaming of this winter?

To continue with this weeks theme, here is some more white decor that I love, covet, and find amusing...

1. Maskros Pendant Lamp, Ikea
2. Tie Dye Rug, CB2
3. Georgina Bedding, White, Anthropologie
4. Whale Serving Platter, Jonathan Adler
5. Small Lattice Rose Bowl, Juliska
6. Q White 20" Pillow, CB2
7. Crochet Chair, Marcel Wanders
8. Squirrel Match Strike, Jonathan Adler
9. "Perfect Bum" Dining Chair, Room Service Los Angeles

Many of us consider the New Year to be a time of retrospect and introspection, a mark of time passing and an opportunity to look back on the year and consider what we’ve been through. The New Year also gives us pause as we look forward, having examined our accomplishments or our shortcomings, we can plan for the future and take a step closer to goals, dreams, and desires. 

German artist Regine Ramseier hung 2,000 real dandelions from her ceiling... think of all those wishes!

What better design candy to celebrate the New Year and continuing winter season than some all white décor? White can be a blank slate, the star of the show, or a supporting role. In design I always find white refreshing, clean, and quietly beautiful, a lot like the crisp days of winter. 

There are so many different shades of white and they can be accented in so many ways. Warm it up with some wood tones...

... or make a bold statement with graphic contrasts.

This sunny corner became a pretty little hideaway with vintage white fabrics and distressed silver accents.

White also makes the perfect backdrop for interesting furniture, artwork, or collections.

Whatever your New Year’s resolution may be (or not be), consider your home over the past year. Did you change anything? Acquire new furniture or accessories? Paint any walls, or remodel any rooms? If you did, how did changing your home affect the quality of your life? If you didn’t, how do you want to improve your home in the year to come? When planning for your personal goals or wishes, consider that the changes you make to your living space can help you actualize them.
 
Wishing all of you plenty of...

...for the coming year!