Design Star

When we were house-hunting, I used to watch a lot of HGTV.  But after a while, seeing countless other people's fabulous homes gets tiring and sad: sooner or later, one has to acknowledge the fact that Vern Yip and a team of carpenters and stylists are never going to arrive at our front door to transform our IKEA crap into custom gorgeousness.

So I went back to my old standby TV diet of Food Network and "Law and Order" reruns.

Last night, however, I happened to catch the last half hour of "Design Star" and developed an immediate style crush on Emily, the winner.  She has an eclectic, restrained, and warm aesthetic that I adore.

Image source

The rustic wood ottomans . . . the Jens Chair (!) . . . the gorgeous open shelving . . . I would move into this living room she designed for the penultimate challenge.

Image source

Image source

Speaking of living rooms, check out Emily's own living room.  I love the juxtaposition of the mid-century table, chair, and sofa with the leather ottoman and the rattan or bamboo side table.  It's totally boho chic.

Image source

Image source

And you know I love her show concept, which is to use one's fashion style as home design inspiration -- outfit to room, Domino-style.

Image source

Check out Emily's blog, The Brass Petal, for more inspirations.