Ugh. I’m old enough to know I’m never going to stick to any hard and fast resolutions, like losing weight or giving up vices, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you how to clean your closet or reorganize your shoes. However, one thing that keeps me inspired to complete some projects around the house is an ant infestation.

Another thing is looking at beautiful pictures of other peoples’ much more clean and organized homes. So here are a few from Flickr. Thanks to everyone who continues to add their pictures to our Fresh New Spaces Group. Whenever I want a nice little escape from whatever I’m working on, I head over there to get my creative juices flowing.

Love this clean white kitchen from Flickr member aindizain. My kitchen island has NEVER looked so good, but maybe after admiring this picture I will make it look like this.

As for the bedroom, it is NOT that hard to make up your bed everyday. If you find that it is, consider sleeping European-style, with only a bottom sheet and duvet with cover. Rooms like this make me want to get out that weird vacuum cleaner attachment and get those bunnies underneath the bed. Image from Flickr member Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting Inc.

Of course, an entryway is the spot where your interior will make it’s first impression, so I like to look at this one with the cool map for inspiration. Posted by Flickr member photo.OP.

Finally, thank you to Danielle over at The Style Files for continuing to collect some of the most beautiful images out there! This living room will help you resolve to have more fun with your décor this year.

If you make one rezzie this year, resolve to stay inspired. When you feel that inspiration waning, seek some out.

Yesterday the premiere issue of Anthology landed in my mailbox and it made me so happy to hold a new glossy in my hands! Meg Mateo Ilasco and Anh-Minh Le are the two wonderwomen behind this new addition to the magazine racks. While some might find the $12 price tag steep, think of it this way: with so few home decor magazines on the scene today, I for one have turned to foreign glossies for inspiration, and their price tags are a lot steeper than this one. It’s the kind of magazine that will not make it to the recycling bin; for me it’s more of a big design book with a soft cover.  I love that these talented and prolific ladies have put together so much great content independent of some huge publishing conglomerate, one that keeps shuttering some of our favorite titles. I highly recommend picking up a copy. For more information on how to order or where to find it, visit anthologymag.com.

Anthology cover image illustrated by Kris Atomic.

You’ve got to admit you are slightly intrigued by the Heather Lins Home 3-D Eye Chart pillow. Or maybe you are thinking, is that really the form of human anatomy sewn on to a pillow in the Science Project Collection? Yes it is. Now meet the mastermind behind these highly creative and rather quirky Heather Lins Home pieces, Heather Lins. Enjoy!

Tell us a bit about your background. How did you get started in the design industry and how you got to where you are today.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an interior designer. In college, I got interested in graphic design because I had always enjoyed art and writing and it seemed like an area where I could blend the two. However, I kept having ideas for designs that were outside the traditional client/designer relationship. (3-D Eye Chart Pillow anyone?) In 2008, I entered a competition for up and coming designers held by the New York International Gift Fair, the A+: Young Designers Platform. To my surprise, I won one of three exhibit spaces and debuted my home textile collection at the nation’s largest gift fair.

Did you have good or bad experiences at the doctor (i.e. what provoked the eye chart and anatomy pillows)?

No. My husband accuses me of being a hypochondriac so maybe I’m working out some issues.

How would you describe your design style?

A writer once called my work “very literate.” I like that. I often start brainstorming by free associating words and then sketching. I strive to make my designs modern, accessible, witty and beautiful.

Love your sketches for your Numbered Edition (among your many other drawings!). Where do you do most of your doodling?

Just about anywhere and everywhere.

We have to talk about the Science Project Collection. Brings me back to elementary school when I was almost a finalist with my science fair project (think cotton swabs of dog saliva and testing antibacterial creams…aka thanks for doing my project, Dad!). What inspired you to dive into such a theme?

I have always found science diagrams very interesting and beautiful. I find I am more able to see their beauty if I take them out of their usual context (science class) and put them someplace unexpected — like on pillows! I love designs that are beautiful and quirky.

I saw your pillows on the cover of the most recent ReadyMade Magazine. How exciting! Do you have Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been cleaning my office like crazy this week (it seems like I say that every week) but it’s true. I cannot put this killer 1966 issue of House Beautiful’s Home Decorating away until I get my favorite pictures scanned. Here are a few fun ones to liven up your day!

I think I truly mourned when G.F. McGregor’s in Rockland Maine closed. You know how you find that very small handful of shops in your life that truly inspire you? They are curated and merchandised to perfection, and you just want to move in? That was how I felt about G.F. McGregor’s, but yesterday, I found a shop to fill the void.

My aunt bought some gorgeous Thomas Paul pillows for our family place in Maine (much to my chagrin, as I could have ordered them at DP), but when I asked her where she’d found them, she sent me to fourTwelve Home in Rockland. Formerly just the clothing and accessories boutique, the shop acquired the space next door and opened up a home store.

Home Goodies to the left, Clothing to the right…hey, there’s my Mom!

This shop combines just the right combination of historical preservation and regency glamor. The original wooden floors are painted light gray with a tiny hint of green/blue in it. The original exposed brick walls are painted white. The ceilings are covered in white tin tiles, and the exposed pipes are painted white. That’s where the the old patina shows through; everything else is shiny and fresh. It is a perfect balance. There are fabulous light fixtures hanging in a line down both halves of the store, there is oversized floral wallpaper in the dressing rooms along with benches, there are gorgeous mirrors and mirrored furniture, there is a large velvet ottoman in the boutique (it looks like it came straight from Nanette Lepore’s closet), and there are little peacocks peeking out at you here and there from the tops of shelves.

Included in the home items were John Derian decoupage, Jonathan Adler vases, Thomas Paul pillows, Bob’s My Uncle sea life plates, emu furniture, funny books, gorgeous soaps and bath items, those cool Caspari long match matchbooks, and a fun array of letterpress cards. It’s a perfect stop for accessorizing one’s own home or for picking up a great gift for just about anyone for any occassion at any price point.

By the way, among all the great articles of clothing they had in there, I kept pulling out the cutest pieces and they were all by Beth Bowley, whom I hadn’t heard of before. It turns out she is the owner, a Parsons grad, and she launched her clothing line in 1998.

Overall, the decor reminded me of the jewelry available in the store. The newer lines are very delicate, and handcrafted from silver and gold. In addition, they have a wide array of vintage pieces that are unique with some hints of funk and a few well-earned signs of age. It’s a new inspiration I know I’ll keep in the back of my mind whenever I am decorating.