Friday Favorites 1/11/2013

Erin Marvin, Associate Editor
I love the irreverent quirkiness of GiGi by Blu Dot. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the fuzzy, pixelated image (is it a face?) on this cotton pillow is a steal at just $59. Not for the staid or stuffy, the contemporary, cheeky accessory is sure to add a touch of humor to any room. Who says style has to be serious? Available through Addo Novo Boston.

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor
While looking at all the great pin boards for my post on Pinterest earlier this week, I came across the sweetest chair from Terrain on one of Katie Rosenfeld’s boards. I’m very into rattan right now and this particular chair looked like the ultimate in ease. It’s a style well-suited for more tropical climes, but in New England it could work with the perfect nubby pillow or a sheepskin throw for year-round use. I’m really fond of putting a chair like this in an unexpected place like a family room or in a home office rather than a sunroom. It makes it all the more interesting.

Maria LaPiana, Contributing Writer
Have you ever walked through the rooms in a decorators’ show house and spied something you wished you could have for yourself? Well, now you can. This is good news for visitors to the 2012 Junior League of Hartford Show House—particularly those who were taken with the peaceful blue-and-white sitting room designed by Connecticut’s Sharon McCormick. I’ve known Sharon for a long time and can attest to the fact that she has a gift for selecting and placing accessories. True to form, the designer outfitted this simple yet elegant space with great care (“I imagined it as a quiet retreat for the parents in the house, a place to read or just sit. A place with no TV,†she says).

Now she’s selling the vases, candlesticks, lamps, etc. that made the room so special—along with more than a few extras. Shopping eBay, One Kings Lane and a variety of other sources, “I bought every blue thing I could find that I thought was cool,†she says. She’s posted just a few items on her website, but is having the rest taken out of storage and photographed, so take a look now—but check back again. Everything is very reasonably priced, and shipping is included. Questions? Email her at sharon.mccormick@mindspring.com.