Thanks to everyone who has been posting their Design Public goodies in action around their own homes. I love these so much more than retail product shots; it shows how talented you all are and I’m nosy; I love getting a peek into your homes and lives this way. Here are a few ways you all are using Inhabit’s Wall Flats that caught my eye this week:

These Inhabit Wall Flats were posted by Lisa Choules, and because she posted this picture, I am suffering from an acute case of kitchen envy! So clean and white, full of style, and punched with color and mid-mod style in all the right ways. On the far left wall you can see the Drift Wall Flats adding just the right amount of texture, the perfect backdrop for her Nelson Pendant Lamp and Eames Eiffel Base Shell Chairs. Bravo!

Next we have this super hip and energetic nursery posted by Lori, who has used Seesaw Wall Flats to add dimension to the white wall in the room. I love the way she’s balanced white, hardwood floors and that brilliant green, and the birch trees are the perfect finishing touch. Isn’t it amazing how far nursery design has come in the past decade? Babies are growing up hipper than ever!

Want to explore all of the cool Wall Flats designs? Check them out here. Check out all of the Hot Design in Action here.  Want to share your own hot design in action? We don’t ask this without offering up a little enticement: Email us a photo of design in your home and get $10 off your next order. If your photo includes you or a friend in the shot you’ll be entered to win a monthly drawing for a $200 gift certificate!

I realized I have been neglecting my friend Flickr lately, which actually made it really fun to go back and catch up on all of the great photographs you all have been sharing in our Fresh New Spaces Group! Here is a small sample of the many that caught my eye.

This one was posted by Claudia of Twiggs Photography and it’s titled “stories from lisbon: landeau chocolate. I love the way this room has combined patinaed metals and woods against the white painted brick and those enviable industrial windows. It’s industrial yet warm, and the photography is stunning. In fact, at first I didn’t realize this was two pictures side by side at first glance; I thought it was all one room.

This photo was posted by tiffanycsteinke and it’s called “back porch furniture.” I love it’s retro grooviness and the way her photography has created all that white space nd light in the background. It gives her furniture an almost surreal quality. Check out her blog here.

The photo above comes to us via Rita (the busy woman and the stripy cat). There’s something so wonderful about her bookshelf arrangement; it’s organized yet casual and not too-too styled. This looks like a room that invites pulling a book off he shelf, putting an album on the turntable and curling up on that comfy slipcovered sofa.

This cheery dining room shot is titled “the sun was shining just right.” Yes it was, and I love the way Flickr member Loup-Loup captured it, and I especially love the way she used a Mexican serape as a colorful table runner, and that she has gold bentwood chairs.

Finally, this charming tablescape is called “Blue Vintage Lamp 4: Love at first…light.” was posted by Flickr member mihameeha. It’s really cool; she has this lamp posted with all sorts of different backgrounds as part of different vignettes.

Have some shots of your home you’d like to share? Please add them to the Fresh New Spaces Group!

Last week four of my girlfriends and I hit the Mediterranean Sea and stayed in Collioure, France. This is an absolutely stunning coastal village with a history that dates back to the Phonecians. It is also the place that inspired the Fauvists, after Henri Matisse and André Derain spent a summer collaborating and painting there. The views, people, architecture and colors continue to inspire today. While Collioure has it’s own unique style, culture and spirit, I have picked a doorway that shows off one of the most well-known French color combinations. It’s a beautiful warm yellow and bold blue, outlined in white stucco, with a few accents provided by terracotta tile and some gorgeous greenery:

To find this very French blue and yellow combination, I recommend Pantone 18-4148 TPX Victoria Blue and Pantone TCX 14-0756 Empire Yellow.

With these colors in mind, I decided to plan my dream contemporary, French-inspired dining room. I did go a little more powdery with the blues I chose.

Based atop a cherry yellow and white striped rug from DwellStudio, added a simple maple table from STAACH, added a few Misewell chairs that combine metal and wood, added a few accessories including a limited edition Parvez Taj canvas that reminded me of all the fishermen I saw catching dinner along the sea, a pop of green provided by a Chilewich three-tiered tray and a super-cool pendant light from Joug. While the light fixture is made of plastic, it’s unique texture and glow remind me of the light hitting the stucco walls of the buildings in Collioure. For purchase information, click on the links next to the thumbnails below.

Bag by Po Campo

Did you know that May is National Bike Month? To find out more information about how to celebrate your wheels, check out The League of American Bicyclists for events in your area. In the meantime, why not get ready by celebrating the 2-wheeler around you house? Here are a few of my personal favorites. Why not pick up an upper playground Dora Drimalas Bike Love Tee and spread the bicycle love? Or spread the love to your walls at home with a Limited Edition Print from Hybrid Home:

Or take it to the couch with this Thomas Paul Luddite Cotton Owl/Bike Pillow:

Perhaps you can spruce up your bicycling experience with a bag that knows how to work hard on your ride while looking totally cute, the Po Campo Streeterville Clutch attaches to the front of your bike like a modern day basket:

Po Campo has a great selection of awesome, functional and durable bags in a bunch of different prints, plain colors, and sizes, for the front or the back of your bike.

What are you doing for Bike Month? Will you brave the streets to bike to work? Take a family outing? Simply fill up those tires on the bicycle that’s been hanging from the garage ceiling for years and take it out for a spin? if you ridden one in years, I promise it will make you feel like a kid again! Please share your plans/bike love with us in the comments section.

All images from here, DesignPublic.com

I don’t know about you, but I’m loving the weather this spring; while I dread the hot and sticky and brutal Atlanta summers, I do look forward to watching my herbs sprout from seeds and eating farm-fresh veggies. One now-classic favorite of mine is Edible Estates, which will have you looking at your yard with loads of new ideas.

I also look forward to fleeing north and hitting the New England coast as an escape. Even if you don’t have a dreamy beach house to decorate, it’s time to switch out that dark heavy quilt and throw pillows for some lighter textures and colors. Take some California seaside inspiration from Interior designer Tim Clarke’s recent release, Coastal Modern, is one of my favorite new books on the market. He presents a spare and uncluttered aesthetic that’s still warm and inviting.

Going across to the opposite coast, one of my new favorite coffee table books is Yankee Modern: The Houses of Estes/Twombly. These architects have such a great way of capturing the spirit of the vernacular architecture in a contemporary way when they are designing these beautiful homes.

Well, Sal may have been unjustly fired from Sterling Cooper (I wish he’d some back!), but the actor who played him, Bryan Batt, is not only running his chic New Orleans home boutique, but also wrote this fabulous book, Big Easy Style. It’s full of great style and wit, as Batt has a discerning eye and a killer sense of humor.

What’s on your coffee table at the moment? Please share your favorite design tomes in the comments section.