Month: April 2018

These chic and glamorous pieces in the special deals of the week can go very well in a beautiful library.  With the exception of the carry on of course…

chic and glamorous pieces on sale chateau fabric side chair belle vivir

 

Who doesn’t love a Luis XVI-Style Chair…  This elegant chair is made of a hand-carved oak wood frame in two different finishes, natural or gray.  The upholstery is either in a Belgian flax linen or velvet.

 

 

 

chic and glamorous pieces on sale belle vivir

 

Perforated metal marble top side table.  This table would look great in a library with a dark moody atmosphere.  It looks like one of the amazing creations of Kelly Wearstler but a lot more affordable.

 

 

 chic and glamorous pieces on sale belle vivir

And this fabulous lacquered brass tray would be an ideal addition to that library.  I think brass and black is a great alternative combination for a glamorous mood.

 

 

chic and glamorous pieces on sale belle vivir

 

I love this organic stone taper candleholder, isn’t this a beauty.  Handcrafted from marble with gleaming metallic accents.

 

 

 

 

chic and glamorous pieces on sale belle vivir

 

Monogrammed hard case spinner for those long weekend getaways.

 

 

 

 

 

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Nothing says summer chic more precisely than embroidered cotton with the right perfect patterns. There is something about its ethnic elements that gives the wearer a sense of traveling and relaxation. It screams vacation ready… I love to see a boho-chic top combined with a pair of jeans and stilettos… This type of bohemian chic dressing is not for everyone but its style certainly has its own cult of aficionados. Their patterns are usually inspired by Middle Eastern architecture, interior design, and heritage tiles.  Dodo Bar Or is the most popular brand representing this type of boho-chic clothes and ever since its launch on 2014 has cultivated a strong following due the beautiful fabrics and embroidery which are designed and made especially for the brand.

“Dodo adorns the fabric with lace, studs, eyelets, and embroidery that creates a rich luxury authentic feel to the fabric and makes the pieces very unique to the language of Dodo Bar Or. This is combined with flowing feminine patterns that is draped to extenuate a women’s body. The printed silk fabric is a mix of unexpected clashing colours and patterns, the quilted patterns and colors create a new juxtaposition of prints and colours and the hidden prints in the pleats creates a whole new story.” DDO

boho-chic clothes belle vivir

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Milan is one of my favorite cities in Italy.  It’s artistic, modern and the architecture is beautiful.  No wonder it is Italy’s fashion capital.  One of my favorite places was hands down Fundazione Prada.  The architecture of the Founzione feels like an otherworldly place emanating from the past.  Everything feels pretty surreal, especially its restaurant that resembles a Wes Anderson movie.  Fashion houses are leaving their marks in more forms than just fashion, commissioning amazing architectures that represent their brands to house their foundations.  This article lists 8 Architectural Wonders of the Fashion World.  It’s inspiring to see these fashion-forward structures.

8 Architectural Wonders of the Fashion World belle vivir

Louis Vuitton Store at Place Vendome

Even when I don’t consider myself Catholic anymore ( I am more spiritual than anything else), there are certain teachings that I still live by very strongly. One of them is to not eat any animal that is considered impure. So no crickets, or snake or anything of that is “considered” not good for our bodies.  When I read this article about foods nutritionist won’t eat I felt more confident about my choices on food. I steer away from everything artificial.  Growing up I used to love coffee mate until I found out that nothing but absolutely nothing in a coffee mate is made or derived from nature. Every single ingredient is made in a laboratory.  So since I stopped consuming coffee mate with my expresso, I’ve been using almond milk instead.

steven volpe belle vivir

Steven Volpe Design

If you are remodeling your home, chances are you might have encountered one or two unscrupulous contractors.  Read here about how to find the good ones, how to choose one, what you should stipulate in the contract and if things go south, how to file a complaint. Learn more about how to avoid remodeling nightmares.

Success is liking yourself,

liking what you do,

and liking how you do it.

Maya Angelou

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When some people think of unique kitchens their first response is one of skepticism.  Unconventional kitchens are usually expected to be anything but beautiful.  In the worst cases, the excess of inventive details and mixtures of ideas become to feel so unfamiliar that it yields a feeling far from pleasant.  These unorthodox kitchens are not only unique but also beautiful.  There is a way to have it both ways when it comes to being unique in designing any room in your home.  My philosophy is that whatever it is you are designing should depart from the classics.

As in our kitchen, for example, I combined a modern classic element like stainless steel cabinets with more classic cabinets to juxtapose the sleek and the matte, the always-look-as-new feel of the stainless steel with the traditional painted cabinets in the rest of the kitchen.  Francois Catroux still has the very innovative stainless steel fireplace mantel since the late 60’s in his Paris apartment.  This latter innovation is perhaps what set him apart from the rest.  It pays to be unique and innovative but it is more important to do it in a way that makes you happy. Use in your home what you love and make you happy and go from there.  How can the world be innovative and exited if everyone designs in the same fashion or even wear the same clothes?  Below, some of the most recent unique and unconventional kitchens I’ve seen.

unique kitchens, unconventional kitchens, monique-gibson-kitchen-bellevivir

Love everything in this unique kitchen by Monique Gibson, currently featured in Architectural Digest.  This is Monique’s kitchen in New York City where she also works.  The table made by an Israeli furniture maker functions as a desk/meeting table/ kitchen table.  Now that’s clever.

unique kitchens, unconventional kitchens, ryan white kitchen belle vivir

A small kitchen that would take anyone by surprise.  It looks more like an entry to a small apartment than an actual kitchen.  In a small space or an open concept floor plan is a good idea to treat the kitchen as part of the rest of the home decor.

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The items for sale on this special deals of the week are completely unrelated to each other in the sense that they don’t represent a theme or style.  They are intended to appeal to anyone and everyone who is looking to complement their own style.  Isn’t it great when you find out that what you’ve been wanting to buy is on sale.  I love that feeling.  In this roundup, there is something to use indoor, outdoor, your office along with a fashion item that is to die for.  Those crystal-embellished shoes with 70% off are so dazzling, aren’t they?  They would spruce up any outfit.  The lavender set comes as a result of my garden plans or I should say future garden since right now it is a mere backyard.  I know for a fact that I want to plant lavender or something that looks like lavender.  Before I started learning about gardening I had very little understanding about planting hardiness zones and the limitations that entails when it comes to choosing plants.  Since the facade of our home is of stone, it reminds me of Provence and lavender would be a perfect complement.  Now I just need to find out if lavender thrives in this zone… Gardening or landscaping is a whole different world…

items for sale belle vivir blog

I love paperweights in my office.  If you choose them carefully, they can lighten up your day.  Pillows provide one of the easiest ways to change any decor.  Replace them every season with something weather-appropriate and you set your home with a different mood.  Besides, I think everyone needs some vitamin sea by now.  If you prefer a neutral decor as all the gorgeous pieces in this gift guide, a table lamp like the one below would complement such hues… And lastly, the mirror is for traditional-decor aficionados.

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