These cutout tables from Suite NY.
Made from acacia wood with a natural wax oil finish, they give provide that raw organic feel that I love, with a modern shape. The white is almost glamorous.
I’m going to have to come up with a term for this… like orGLAMic. Or maybe that sounds too much like orgasmic. Which pretty much sums up how I feel when I can find the perfect mix of these two styles… hmmmm…
Well, seems like everyone this week has posted on their favorite cuffs, so I thought I’d add to the trend with one of mine by goldsmith Melissa McClure at Jewelry Alchemy.
Gorgeous, right? Perhaps it’s my short stature, and the fact that my wrist are so tiny, that makes me wary of huge bangles and cuffs weighing down my arms. They just don’t seem to work on me. But THIS! This I could do!
I fell in love with Melissa’s work when I first saw her simple twig necklace on my friend Annie.
The way she crafts these pieces – they seem to move with you. They’re delicate and simple, but stunning, and I love the origin of her inspiration.
Her grandmother was a third generation jeweler whose legacy inspired Melissa’s first collection based on the idea of a “family tree” necklace. But Melissa’s process goes deeper than that too. She says, “Jewelry is the most intimate and durable of items we choose to place over important parts of our bodies – bracelets to pulse points, rings over the vein that is closest to our hearts, and necklaces that rest directly on our chests. It’s how we express who we are and what is important to us.” Which is why, of course, Jewelry Alchemy is the perfect name for her line.
Not only do I love Melissa’s work, but she’s such an awesome little chickadee. I love when she stops by the store because she’s got such an appreciation for beautiful things and aesthetics, which is what we all love to share with people around here, right? So, here are a few more of my favorites from her, to share with you…
Anonymous i love the earrings!
Anonymous It’s all gorgeous! I need that bracelet for the outfit I’m wearing tonight! Thanks for the inspiration, as always.
Anonymous beautiful. love nature-inspired jewelry.
Anonymous Lovely pieces!!
~Kate
Anonymous So delicate and pretty.
Anonymous i so need that twig necklace!!
Anonymous i love how delicate, yet intricate these pieces are. the ring is my fave!
Confession: I have a bit of random obsession with certain British things. Like, how much better is UK Vogue? And when a lovely Brit comes into my store, I talk to them longer just to hear their accent. I love the way they say “brilliant!” instead of “great!”, and the vocabulary is just the beginning. I love British names, like Gemma and Kinsey (yes, it’s a name!). And I love love love the Union Jack. There’s just something so strong and royal about it! But, not bring a Brit myself, I have a hard time flying the flag of another country for no good reason… that is until I saw this Union Jack created by Wary Meyers for a Brooklyn brownstone.
The subtle and natural colors of the wood make it so much more accessible as a design piece, versus the traditional red white and blue. The layers give such great depth and texture, and the custom framing using a simple moulding? Genius. Wary Meyers is one of my favorites for inspiration, actually, and here’s why…
Instead of tearing down the moulding, or replacing it with a piece made to fit the original moulding, they painted in the spots where the moulding should be! How quirky and wonderful is that? And then they add details like this…
Disguising what can be an eyesore, and giving visual continuity by extending the paint – including the white detail and two toned grey – over the radiator.
*sigh* how perfectly brilliant 
Anonymous perfectly brilliant indeed!
Anonymous What a gorgeous look. And it seems pretty easy to accomplish if you are handy with power tools.
I can’t get the rest of her site’s photos to load but Im dying to see them as well.
Anonymous genius. i love the shades of grey & i’ve always wanted a ball chair.
Anonymous I’ve thought for a while that the whole Union Jack thing was totally played out, but something like this is definitely a refreshing take.
Happy weekend!
Anonymous ahhhh, thats purdy
Anonymous thanks e, i knew you’d appreciate 
Anonymous coco – Sorry I haven’t been over for a while – these mauve lilies are divine!! oh they are gorgeous!!
I know what you mean a few posts down about not getting much interiors inspiration – I’m feeling the same way.
So I just post on other beautiful things
I’m used to giving more advice on living spaces than accessories, but I recently got an email from a reader, Hannah, who writes, “I’m graduating in May with a degree in economics and will most likely go into banking so I need something pretty conservative but not dowdy. Do you have any suggestions for VERY simple, preferably leather, briefcases/laptop bags that will not make me look like someone who wears pre-matched suit ensembles with pantyhose scrunched around my ankles?”
Well, I’m gonna say it right now. I was NOT the girl to ask about this because my first instinct was to say – why don’t you get a nice little Louis Vuitton and call it a day? My second instinct was to browse through ridiculously priced handbags like this little beauty..
because, I really really really cannot find a decent ‘briefcase’ bag out there. SO, dear readers… do you have any suggestions for poor Hannah? Mine are below – probably not the best, but not the worst. Almost all leather, and somewhat conservative…
The Fashionista Bag:
Buckles and Studs on a workbag? Love it. This is my style for sure, but I’m also in a much more creative industry than Banking, so while I know I can get away with this, I’m not sure if it’s a bit too fashionista for Hannah. This one is available at careerbags.com which carries a lot of other decent styles, including this one, which I would have to see in person to determine whether or not it’s actually cool…
For a similar ‘handbag’ style that’s a bit more simple, I also liked this one from Gina B. that also comes in a nice olive tone.
The Sexy Bag:
For me, adding something a little sexy to a work ensemble gives me an extra boost of confidence. This bag from Lodis (always a classic!) is sleek and sexy without screaming “look at me!”. While the shape is pretty straightforward, it’s the shiny high-quality leather that makes the bag.
The Brit Bag
No, I’m talking about that crazy Britney. This Brit is much more put together, and mimics that classic Burberry look that, let’s face it, never really gets old. Available at Wrapables.
The Simple Bag
Ok, so it’s grey and yellow which makes it an automatic for being in my favorites. Other great little details? The inside of the bag reads, “Crafted to love you back.” How cute is that? The handles adjust to a shoulder strap, and you can be pretty sure that nobody else is going to have this bag at work… it’s from Schambra in the UK.
Anonymous Oh wow, thank you! I completely disagree that you were the wrong person to ask; you found a good half dozen possibilities while I have come up with absolutely nothing. The buckles and studs might be a bit much for the banking world, but I absolutely LOVE the sexy Lodis bag. Does that make me super boring? Haha, once again, thanks so much for taking the time to help me out!
Anonymous well, GOOD! that makes me feel a bit better. and, guess what? i think the Lodis is my favorite too! keep it classy, but sexy. good luck hannah!
Anonymous excellent job on the bags! I of course love the fashionista!
Anonymous Why I love coco+kelley…
I find answers to questions I didnt know I had.
Anonymous i like the brit bag. it looks light. my laptop bag is leather & it’s very heavy. maybe i’ll get the brit for myself.
Anonymous Wow!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the “sexy” bag but I’m definitely more of the “simple” bag type of girl. Good work on finding something for everyone! I have one question though…do any of these bags come large enough to fit a 17″ laptop? I have the hardest time finding something stylish for my mammoth computer 
. Any help would be appreciated!!
Anonymous I think Franklin Covey might have a bag that fits the bill for around $100. I say, save the extra cash for a designer bag that isn’t just for work!
Anonymous I found lot’s of great bags at http://www.careerbags.com. They have over 200 styles of bags. I bought my daughter a bag for her new mac book from a designer called Jojo designs and I bought one designed by Gina B. Thanks for the advice.
I started this post yesterday… and realized that I couldn’t find a single room that was truly inspiring me to post. How depressing! So I’ve ended up with two rooms by Jay Jeffers (he’s always my fallback!) that I wanted to put out there…
Alright, now, class. What can you tell me about these two rooms? The first thing that I noticed was that Jeffers has a stunning talent for pattern. However… I prefer the bottom room to the top for many reasons. The top room has so many pieces that I love, but all together…? Am I the only one who feels a headache coming on at the thought of sitting in a room like this all day? And, to be completely honest, I really don’t like the psychedelic mustard yellow fabric on the chairs.
Now, the bottom room however, I love. My favorite part might be the unusual painting on the wall… it reminds me of the way sunlight crosses a room – perhaps that was the point? But let’s talk pattern. See how many layers Jeffers has put on the bed? And then there’s the drapes, the pop of color in the pillow on the chair, the pattern in the rug. And it all comes together so well, and very balanced. Perhaps its simply the color scheme that makes me more comfortable with all this visual texture and pattern, but this room I could live with.
What do you think? Which room is more your style?
Anonymous The 2nd photo is beautiful. I couldn’t agree more about the 1st photo, too much in one space for me. The bedroom is serene and pretty!
Anonymous I do love the top photo, it looks so warm and cozy and the pattern drapes are stunning! It also makes me want to play scrabble for some reason
Anonymous i love the bottom picture!!!im moving to a new house soon and this is what i had in mind for the guest room..well,not exactly but the colour scheme..the concept are very similar..and wow!!the 2 stools (or whatever is the correct name for it) are absolutely beautiful!i want the bed for my room!!this room has a ‘calming effect’..
Anonymous Both are beautiful rooms. I’d have to pick the top room only because the light pattern on the wall would drive me nuts. I need symetry
While I’m at it…
Earlier this week decor8 featured a little piece on Rian Rae. Just so happens that she’s got some yummy knit textiles that perfectly showcase the two color palettes for spring:
Navy, Orange, and White (or Taupe, or some form of a neutral). This color combo was big last spring with the Nautical look, but now it’s come mainstream and I’m seeing orange in all the catalogs (West Elm, CB2, etc).
And then theres THIS:
As you can tell from my photos in the previous post – this is more along the lines of my new favorite color scheme. A peachy terra cotta, and a muted olive green? GORGEOUS. And yet, so traditional. Want some room inspirations? You got it…
Remember all those bright or deep jewel tones we’ve seen in the last couple of years? My prediction is we’ll see them all in their ‘dustier’ form – mustards, olives, peaches, lilacs, etc. I blame it on the surge of grey we’ve seen in decor. Add a bit of grey to the brighter colors we’ve been using and what do you get? Exactly.
… More on this to come!
Anonymous i need one of those throws for my white chair!
Anonymous Lovely colors. The combination of olive and peach is stunning!
Anonymous interesting post…we will see! those colors do look great against grey!
Anonymous Navy and orange is my favorite in fashion and now I’m attempting to translate the color combo to my bedroom’s decor. Of course tempered with lots of white and brown, and no reference to the ‘nautical’. Just hope it doesn’t become too popular!
Anonymous Where did you find the cable knit throws? I NEED one!
Anonymous I love the navy and orange together- a spin on the traditional nautical. Those throws look incredibly comfortable too!
life is in the details. style accordingly.
Wow, I’ve never seen acacia wood with that sort of coloring before. Those are gorgeous.
Also? I’ve got to find a way to incorporate orGLAMic into my vocabulary
What a fresh take on the “stump”. Nice find.
I’m in LOVE. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Ugh. I want two so bad. Or 20! I’m sure it’s out of my price range, but how much debt would they put me in?