If you’re lucky, every once-in-a-while you come across a design book that both inspires as well as helps you to achieve your design aspirations. From the moment I opened Paloma Contreras’ book Dream Design Live, I knew it would be special when I saw the vivid pink and purple ikat on its opening pages. That was only the start. The organization of the book is brilliant. Paloma begins by helping the reader to become aware of what resonates in their life around them, and then using this inspiration to gather inspirational images to evaluate and edit your ideas. She also points out that this is a process that never ends and eventually it will lead you to creating your own signature style. There are also the design and live sections filled with practical advice on how to accomplish your design dreams. Lighting, pillows, details for a kitchen – they are all broken down for the reader to understand and learn from. Paloma and I began our blogs around the same time. She has been a constant form of inspiration to me personally. I am happy to announce that together with Crystal Palecek, I am hosting a book signing Dream Design Live at Hudson Grace in San Francisco on Thursday, November 8th from 5 to 7 pm. Details are provided below. I hope you will join us! Where: Hudson Grace, San Francisco 3350 Sacramento Street When: Thursday, November 8th 5 to 7pm PLEASE RSVP to info@hudsongrace.com

Since becoming a mom, self care is something I sometimes forget to make a priority. Part of self care is going to the doctor, dentist and eye doctor. The later is something I’ve been avoiding for quite awhile. As my eyesight gets increasingly worse, I’ve been convincing myself it’s nothing because I haven’t wanted to find new glasses – which is usually hard to do. Does anyone else have a hard time finding eyewear that fits the following criteria? – Quality – Stylish – Affordable With busy schedules and keeping within our budget, ordering glasses is the last thing on my to-do list. It’s that task that keeps getting moved each week, which has turned into months. That is until Zenni Optical reached out to me about partnering together to order my next pair of glasses from the comfort of my own home. Zenni Optical is an online frame store where you can virtually try on all their frames. The entire process was incredibly easy. Try it – it’s so much fun! On thing to note: You have to have your prescription from an eye doctor beforehand in order to get the proper lenses. Once you decide on the frames you like (there were so many to choose from!), a few quick notes needed with your eye prescription information, shipping, pay and there you have it! The glasses were at my doorstep about a week later. I choose a more square frame with a black and white tortoiseshell look. Loved the fact that they were neutral but had a slight pattern. I highly suggest popping over to Zenni Optical to “try” on a few pairs to get a taste of what it’s like. I’m thrilled with my new pair and so are my eyes. Also love that they have my initials on them! If your on the hunt but dread going into a store – don’t! This post is a partnership with Zenni Optical. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting sponsored posts that keep Sacramento Street doors open. Photos by Claire Giffen

Just wanted to pop in to sharing what I’m a few coffee table books that I’m currently loving. I’m constantly rotating them around the house so that when I have a free moment during the day (which rarely happens) or at night once the kids go to bed I have something inspiring that I can flip through to get my head swirling with inspiration for projects. These three have been on our coffee table for awhile not so I wanted to share them before I add a new stack: Wabi-Sabi Welcomeby Julie Pointer Adams Design by Natureby Erica Tanov The Authenticsby Melanie Acevedo and Dara Caponigro Each and every one of these has brought me loads of ideas for not only my own home but clients as well. I highly recommend picking them up if your looking for a new interiors book! Photos by Dawn Heumann

October begins with a crispness in the air we aren’t used to here in San Francisco. With no Indian Summer weather this year (at least it hasn’t arrived yet…) I’ve been all about layering for the foggy morning and cool breeze. No complaining here because this is my favorite time of year. The light changes, it gets darker a little earlier and home-cooked meals in the slow cooker are my jam. As the season turns these are the things I’ve been attracted to: Bringing more wood tones and natural elements into my projects and own home. It makes everything more grounded and tied back to the earth. Added layering neutrals with different textures into my outfits. One of my go-to layers when I’m running out the door is this sweater. I’ve been thinking of adding a little leopard into the mix – loving this dress for fall. And don’t get me started on the new Ulla Johnson fall collection. This month is going to go by quickly with everything we have going on around our household. I feel like we are going to blink and it will be Halloween!

My top place to frequent for props and pieces for the client projects as well as my own home is Elsie Green. I have never left empty handed! This summer Elsie Green expanded to have a retail shop in Sebastopol in the beautiful Barlow district. The store has soaring open beamed ceiling and light that floods in. The very best in antiques from France, as well as items from Morocco and beyond fill this space. It’s such a treat to see all of these treasures come to life in a new space. It makes it even easier to find treasures to come home with me. You can also visit Elsie Green at their original warehouse in Concord. Here you will find the same items and more to fill your home: cutting boards, old transferware, silver, candlesticks, linens, and more. There is always a treasure you won’t be able to resist. Now is the time to plan a little day trip. Happy shopping!

Happy Monday! I’m excited to share with you the reveal of Samantha of Could I Have That’s new bathrooms – all three of them! I was thrilled when she asked me to help her choose tile and plumbing that would keep a cohesiveness between each of the bathrooms. I immediately knew that Samantha would love the aesthetic of Fireclay Tile, and I was excited that she felt the same way when seeing their product. After visiting the showroom, I put together choices that kept each of the bathrooms looking modern and clean. They worked beautifully with the Kohler fixtures, toilets, mirrors, and vanities. And the Schoolhouse Electric sconces finished up the clean and modern look for each of the bathrooms. MASTER BATHROOM The master bathroom is Samantha’s favorite bathroom because of the floor to ceiling stacked tile that we did on the vanity wall. The colors worked perfectly with the Kohler white oak vanity mirrors. They used the same hexagon tile in Gypsum in the shower and outside of it creating a seamless look. The overall feeling is just how we pictured it — contemporary and clean. A bench from Diani Living  was added inside the shower and brings in a natural element to the modern vibe. The very last element installed were the Ellerbe sconce by Schoolhouse — the rounded shape adds a soft touch. Sources: Fireclay Tile 2×8 in Tusk, 6″ Hexagon in Daisy; Kohler Purist Faucets, Verticyl under-mounted sinks, Jute Vanity in Linen White, Purist Drawer Pulls, Jacquard Mirror in White Oak; Schoolhouse Ellerbe Sconce in Nickel ELIN’S BATHROOM Samantha knew this is the bathroom that she wanted to have a little fun with, so we found another playful geometric design by Fireclay, the Hexite pattern in Blue Spruce — my favorite pattern to use for the floors and it complimented the stacked 2×8 tiles in Blue Spruce in the shower and bath area perfectly. This pattern works so nicely in a kids bathroom because while it’s fun it can also grow with them as the get older but they won’t grow out of it. Sources: Fireclay Tile 2×8 in Blue Spruce, Hexite in Blue Spruce; Kohler Underscore Bathtub, Purist Faucets, Jute Vanity in Linen White, Purist Drawer Pulls, Jacquard Mirror in Linen White, Schoolhouse U/2 Sconces. GUEST BATHROOM In their previous home they didn’t have a room for their guests to stay in much less a bathroom.  Because this bathroom gets the most light we went with the Kohler Jute vanity in Mohair Gray complimented with Fireclay tile (white gloss and Daisy), white vanity mirrors and U/2 sconces from Schoolhouse for a modern vibe. I absolutely love the way all of these details came together. And it work seamlessly with the way we are designing the Guest Bedroom/Samantha’s Office (which will be revealed soon!). Sources: Fireclay 2×8 in White Gloss and 6″ Hexagon in Daisy; Kohler Purist Faucets, Jute Vanity in Mohair Gray, Purist Drawer Pulls, Jacquard Mirrors in white linen; Schoolhouse U/2 Sconces, Teak bench and bowl from Diani Living Stay tuned for more reveals on this project – it’s coming together beautifully and I couldn’t have asked for a better client to work with! Photography by Jacqueline Pilar

It’s definitely true: autumn is my favorite season. Maybe I love it because the rhythm of our lives often return to a more consistent pace. The kids return to school, I think more about the meals I prepare, and most importantly, I love a fall wardrobe. On the wardrobe front, in San Francisco, a fall wardrobe works pretty much the entire year. We are never too hot and never too cold. I will say, autumn is a pleasant change here because it’s when the fog begins to clear and the blue skies come out in full force. Brisk days with sunny skies is close to heaven for me. GO-TO PAIRS FOR FALL Mocha Spot Loafer Persimmon Point Here is what I love about a fall wardrobe and I plan to have plenty of: chunky sweaters, layers, and a pop of color! I’m always attracted to a chunky sweaters and layers. It’s basically how I dress every day. What is new for me, is the idea of a pop of color. Maybe it’s all the travel I did this summer, but I am getting more and more attracted to color. What better way to bring color into your life than with a pair of shoes? I love the new line of jewel tones in the Rothy’s. With a busy life of trying to balance work and mom life, comfortable shoes are a must. I recently got two pairs of the Rothy’s and I love them. One pair is mocha spot print with a blue and red trim and the other pair are bright persimmon. I love them both! My feet are happy and that makes me happy. Next week, I’ll tell you about another thing I love about fall: cooking. I’ll share one of my new go-to recipes that has been on the rotation a lot in our home! Happy weekend everyone. This post is a partnership with Rothy’s. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting sponsored posts that keep Sacramento Street doors open. Photos by Claire Giffen

It’s the start of fall and I’m excited to be back in action. This summer I took a little hiatus from the blog because I’ve been working on some big projects. One of the largest is finishing up the book I’ve been writing, photographing and producing with my mom. The manuscript and photography is being turned in this week! I feel as though I’ve put my life and soul into this project. It’s been a dream come true, a labor of love and the pages are going to be filled with stunning homes from some inspiring individuals. With the being said, I felt like taking this summer to focus on the book was essential. I didn’t want to produce content that I wasn’t 100% behind. Also, many of you might not know this but I don’t have a team producing content – I do it all myself. I want it to be my vision and my voice. This fall I’m planning on sharing the design projects I’ve been working on, behind the scenes, before + afters, fall entertaining, brands I’m inspired by, products I’m loving, with a little style and wardrobe finds, and then sprinkle in some motherhood updates (lots of you are asking about this). Is there anything I’m missing you want to see? Thank you all for being patient and understanding during this little break. I can’t wait to kick off the fall with some beautiful content! Photo of us in Mexico City by Andreas Posadas

One thing I have realized since I had kids. No matter what I do, my tends to get dirty faster than it ever did prior to their little feet scampering around. It wasn’t long ago, that I took a look around and decided I needed to freshen up my house. If I could afford it, I would probably start all over. But reality was more of a refresh with new pillows and a few accessories. On a recent trip to visit a project for a client in Santa Barbara, I stopped by one of my favorite stores: Diani Living. The minute I would find what I needed to freshen up my home. There is such a natural vibe in the store – texture, neutral colors, and interesting items from around the world – all combine to help you finish your design needs. Caroline Diani, the owner, has an incredible eye and finds things I never see elsewhere. I got a huge woven basket for all of the toys accumulating around the house. Now there is a place for them and the texture adds so much to the room. I live in a small space but the impact of the basket is perfect. I also got three (much needed) pillows for the sofa. The gray and light blues work perfectly with my existing decor. African Mud Cloth Tribal Print Pillow | Dotted Line Pillow Dark Grey Batik & Brown Poms Pillow | Rugs You would think I would have stopped there. But there is also Diani Boutique. I found the most comfortable jumpsuit for the summer. And it looks perfect in my living room as well! Stay tuned for my second post Monday – I also got a few things to update my bedroom (and maybe a few more clothes!). If you live or are visiting the Santa Barbara area, drop by, you won’t be disappointed. If you aren’t close by, head to the great online store here. Photos by Andreas Posadas

Today I’m excited to share two brands that I’ve adored for quite some time that have joined forces to create a stunning new collection. Etkie x St. Frank have come together to create a limited-time collection that features contemporary cuffs hand-beaded by Native American artisans. St. Frank is one of my go-to shops in SF, which you all know from previous posts (here and here) but you may not know about Etkie. Etkie works with Native American artisans in New Mexico to create jewelry inspired by the landscape and culture of the southwest. St. Frank and Etkie collaborated to design this contemporary cuff based on antique Navajo rug motifs. Each piece is hand-beaded on a traditional Navajo loom. What I love about this piece is not only the finest handwork – both beaded as well as an inner part of the bracelet in hand-stitched leather – but the simplicity of the motifs that work with so much of my other jewelry and clothes. I’ve currently been wearing it everyday on my trip to Italy and France. To celebrate the launch of the Etkie x St. Frank collaboration, with a sneak peek at the new color ways launching for Spring. St. Frank’s founder, Christina Bryant, as well as Etkie founder, Sydney Alfonso, are hosting an event this week at the San Francisco shop. I wish I was in town to celebrate with them but I’ll be there in spirit wearing my very own cuff. Date: Wednesday, May 16th Time: 5:00 to 7:00pm Location: St. Frank / 3665 Sacramento Street. (Between Spruce and Locust) / San Francisco, CA 94118 Photos by Peggy Wong