Nina V. Freudenberger is the founder and principal of Haus Interior LLC, and TheCultivatedHome.com. After attending Rhode Island School of Design and graduating with her Bachelors of Architecture, she worked as senior designer at Kondylis Design for four years. With a prestigious client list of over 25 projects, Nina opened her own firm to continue the vision of elegant and sophisticated design while retaining the experimental energy of the contemporary world.

1. Make your own wall art. We bought pre-cut cubes of wood from Home Depot  (about $1 each) and painted them 5 different shades of green of Benjamin Moore paint to create our installation piece. And no need to be obsessive over the painting!  The key is in the hanging which just takes an hour at home and a ruler. Go for bright colors such as corals and yellows.

2. Instead of the expense of wallpapering an entire room, why not cut down the cost and keep it focused? Buy fewer rolls and just paper a focal wall, behind your bead, your ceiling, as a faux headboard or even just in the back of your bookshelves. You will get your daily “glimpse” which will make you feel stylish and chic without paying thousands.

3. Paint your walls with horizontal or vertical stripes! Depending on the space and your patience, this is a simple way to make your space look larger or your ceiling height taller. This is a simple afternoon activity which I have done myself, and all you need is the paint color of your choice, some blue painting tape, a ruler and a level.  Tape out the increments of your desired stripe, and smooth it to the wall by applying pressure so that paint cannot seep underneath. And the rest is just layering on that paint! Get creative with your paint color choices, I love bold colors, so try green or a deep purple.

4. Extra space? Why not add a splash of color with buying books by the yard from your local bookstore or thrift shop (books which are either used or not in demand) and cover them with Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks so much to Casey over at David Stark’s office for sending me some shots of David’s table at DIFFA Dining By Design last weekend.

Paint can pendants; you can try this at home!

Even without the fumes, dining in this paint can would certainly make me high. I love the way he has deconstructed the dinner settings.  The whole oversized paint brush thing paired with the checkerboard table certainly has a down the rabbit hole vibe!

Check out the rest of David Stark Design and Production here. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but right now I’m swooning over the Metropolitan Opera’s 125th Anniversery Gala. All the graphics came from the Met’s archives. Bravo! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…):

DIFFA photos by Gustavo Campos. Met image by Susie Montagna.

I’ve got a few favorite pieces of furniture and household items around my apartment and I thought it’d be fun to share them with you dear reader. Yes, a disclaimer is needed: some are Design Public items (gasp) but other are simple items that I’ve grown to love for either their sentimental value, ease of use or iconic simplicity. C’mon inside, let’s check em out! You can leave the shoes on.

First up are a pair of Danish inspired lounge chairs my grandparents passed on to me about 15 years ago when they moved from Connecticut to Florida. I imagine they date back to the 50′s.

Every time we visited Grandma and Grampa the chairs made an impression on me as they were upholstered with the NASTIEST orange plaid fabric. Now 6 year old kids usually don’t pay much attention to upholstery, but I assure you, this fabric was so ugly, it’d give any American youth nightmares for weeks. It must have been added in the 70′s when everything was orange.

Anyway, I was delighted when it was revealed that the 70′s era upholstering was removable and underneath revealed a super swank, silvery-tan fabric in absolutely perfect condition.  Very 50′s modernist. VERY jet setter. I can just imagine my grandparents entertaining back in the day, listening to Dean Martin and having a martini or two. Now they are situated in my living room.

If there was fire, I’d definitely grab these on the way out.

As you can see I’ve adored one of them with the obligatory fake sheep skin throw in effort to get the “Domino Magazine look”. All the women in my life seem to approve.

Moving on.

Here’s what I wake up to everyday -  a single beautiful flower. OK it’s fake flower but still, I think it’s very Zen of me. Also pictured are a Pablo Tube Top lamp, a Numbers Clock by Jonas Damon and of course a relic from my former life as a underpaid rock star: My Tom Anderson Classic Drop-Top strat.

Someone returned a Lights Up! Weegee lamp for whatever reason so guess what? I adopted it and it’s in my dining room now. I love this lamp, it DOMINATES. (Three drunken party goers could easily do the “head in a lamp” shade routine with this bad Larry!)

OK on a serious note. Here’s an item I cherish and use almost daily. A simple leather money clip my Dad gave me years ago. I’ve used it forever and I before it became mine my Dad used it forever. It’s got his initials on it. How slick is that?

This is a MAN’S money clip. It looks cool when you snag a few dead presidents out of it. Every time I use it I think of my Dad. Sometimes it’s the little things…

You probably can’t tell from the rest of the pictures, but I really like COLOR. Also, despite the one fake flower on my night table, I enjoy having and living things around me. Plants, some fresh flowers and yes, even a classic fruit bowl can have a positive affect on your daily frame of mind. Here’s a beautiful bowl from Desu Design that I picked up to frame some lemons. It’s called a “hug” bowl. I guess it hugs the lemons. I kinda need a hug right now…but I digress.

While we’re on the subject of citrus, I’d like to make a health announcement. Add a little lemon juice to your H20 everyday – it helps correct the PH levels in your body and detoxifies your liver or something. I saw it on the internets so I know it’s true. It also tastes really good.

OK Guitar #2. It doesn’t get more CLASSIC than this! This is the “Eames Lounge” of the guitar world: A three-tone sunburst 1962 Fender Stratocaster!

Alright I’ll admit it, mine’s a Reissue so it’s not “the real thing” but it’s pretty darn close. (The real thing would set you back several grand.) Anyway, the reissues are made EXACTLY the way the originals were. They even use crappy magnets and soldering techniques as they did in 60′s to make it even *more* authentic. When you use the whammy bar the B string goes out of tune every time (just like the real thing). I think that’s awesome.

Anyway I love this guitar. It’s built like tank. It there’s ever earthquake I’ll hoist this guitar overhead to deflect falling debris. (Then of course, if the house then catches fire I’ll proceed to the living room to rescue Grandma’s lounge chairs.)

Finally we have an item from my morning ritual: espresso. Although I’ve recently discovered the joys of sipping tea throughout the day, without a doubt, my day ALWAYS begins with an espresso. No lemon. No sugar. No cream. Apparently my great grandfather “Floriano” used to drink his with a shot of grappa but that’s a tradition I’ve yet to embrace.

I like this stove top espresso maker for its simplicity and ease of use. It takes about ten minutes from the time I start the burner to the time I have to jump up and to save it from boiling over. During this time I’m forced to sit, contemplate my day and enjoy the silence of the early morning.

I’ve also got an electric espresso machine that’s not worth mentioning here. (It’s a Krups – gross) I’ve got my eye on upgrading to this beauty: Rancilio Silvia. Perhaps the folks at WholeLatteLove.com will send me one to review? (PLEASE find me via Google blog search.)

OK that’s all for now. To be honest I’m tired and it’s time to iron my socks, floss, and go to bed. I’ll leave you with one final picture of a another simple classic: My beat-to-hell Converse All Star slip-ons. As you can see, I may need a new pair.

*Feel free to share your favorite designs in the comments below…