Inspired by all of those “best of” lists that undoubtedly come out this time of year, I thought I’d propose one of my own. Won’t you share YOUR top picks, your favorites, for the questions below? {Since I know you all have the most impeccable taste!} Just type them into the ‘comments’ section. I’ll then share highlights from your answers and some of mine…
What’s your favorite design trend? Shopping city? Affordable luxury? Style icon?Wall color? Way to relax? Restaurant? Flowers? Hotel? Drink/cocktail?
Thanks everyone!! xx
{image from here}
15 Comments
way to relax? a nap a day, you know this about me already! I think its my daily indulgence too.
fav drink- champagne
restaurant/bar- spruce, makes me feel fancy and like i am in NY!
design trend- loving plaid shirts with high heels and a faux fur jckt! ohh and tons of necklaces!
flowers- any bulb…paperwhites, ranunculas, hyacinths..
affordable luxury- a case of kombucha..changed my life, and i crave it.
style icon- this is hard..Peggy lipton, and can’t really get enough of kate hudson
was i supposed to post all this here?! ohh well!
YES! That is perfect Catherine!! {and love your picks!!}
Ooooo, I like this game:
Fave way to relax – a day at Indian Springs. If that’s not in the cards, then a crossword puzzle.
Drink – sparkling wine in general. A Negroni for when I need a kick. And diet coke, natch.
Restaurant – I prefer to think in terms of great meals, so for Breakfast I choose Brenda’s Soul Food, for Lunch its shrimp tacos at La Pesca in Playa del Carmen, and for Dinner I want sushi from Sushi Bistro. Tomorrow it would be a whole different list!
Bar – any dive with a good jukebox. When going upscale, any good and elegant hotel bar (but NOT a W or The Clift, if you know what I mean). For after-work, either Quince or Globe.
Design trend – I am not really into any of them but I do like opaque tights with open-toed shoes as long as they are the SAME COLOR. And the shoes must be killer. And I like booties.
Affordable luxury is my favorite category of all time and my #1 is probably mani/pedi. But I also count little things like fancy condiments (mustard, fancy jelly, etc) and a glass of champers at the .
Flowers – tulips and hydrangea
Wall Color – Hazelnut Creme, at Kelly Moore. Best tan ever; not too yellow and not too pink.
fun!
Favorite design trend? Big necklaces with plain, solid-color T-shirts and jeans. Classic and beautiful!
Shopping city? Charleston, South Carolina
Affordable luxury? Chanel nail polish and Marc Jacobs Daisy (black bottle) perfume
Style icon? Jenna Lyons, Kate Hudson too!!
Wall color? Right now navy! I’m digging dark walls with hotly hued furniture. But I also love the idea of tiling an entire wall with cool Moroccan style tiles instead of painting it.
Way to relax? MASSAGES!
Restaurant? Rue de Jean, Charleston, SC (I used to live there!)
Flowers? garden roses and hydrangeas! my wedding flowers!
Hotel? Mira Vida Soho, Buenos Aires, Argentina for central location and awesome staff; Posada del Virrey, Colonia, Uruguay for the view and because Uruguay is my favorite place in the world!
Drink/cocktail? Jack D and Diet Coke or Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and ginger ale (What can I say? Can take the girl outta the country…)
What’s your favorite design trend? rustic elements mixed with rich surroundings (i.e. wood and iron coffee table on antique persian rug)
Shopping city? florence, italy
Affordable luxury? manicures/pedicures
Style icon? miroslava duma
Wall color? charcoal grey
Way to relax? glass of wine with friends or bubble bath
Restaurant? bottega louie, downtown la
Flowers? peonies
Hotel? the greenwich hotel, ny
Drink/cocktail? mojito
What’s your favorite design trend? Skinny jeans & killer booties.
Shopping city? NYC
Affordable luxury? Luxe candles like Diptyque; Chanel lip gloss; J. Crew super 120’s suiting; killer highlights and perfectly groomed hair; Diorshow mascara; buying designer fabric on sale and recovering a vintage piece of furniture.
Style icon? Jackie O. She did everything right, not just clothing!
Wall color? My walls right now are white, as am in a rented home, but I like a nice taupe (not too much orange or pink in it) or a light grey for all over the house. Smaller rooms like a bathroom or hallway I like to do in bright colors, even a nice wallpaper. I still love Imperial Trellis in bright green by Kelly Wearstler.
Way to relax? Dinner with friends; or lounging by the fireplace, drinking wine, then having a romantic “evening” with my boyfriend!
Restaurant? Babbo in NYC, hands down!
Flowers? Roses and Peonies for inside. Hydrangea bushes, Knockout Roses, Provence Lavendar and Camellia bushes for outside in the yard. I have never had much luck with growing Peonies … maybe someday!
Hotel? So many to choose from…great hotels are a weakness and a hobby of mine….the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO; the Carlyle in NYC; the Mandarin Oriental in NYC (killer bar up on the 40-something story overlooking Central Park); Stone Hill Inn in Stowe, VT, Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC
Drink/cocktail? In the winter, I love a good, bold, spicy, delicious red wine. In the summer, I make an awesome white wine sangria for parties that I found in a Lily Pulitzer book on entertaining. I also love a little glass of chilled lemoncello after dinner like the Italians do it!
Oh, and my favorite bar would either be Bemelman’s in the Carlyle, NYC (I love the music, ambiance, and the awesome bar snacks!), or the bar at Harry’s Bar in Venice drinking the original bellini’s!
What a great idea Melissa! So great to read all of the responses.
What’s your favorite design trend? Juxtaposition. Super modern mixed with antiques, vintage and personal momentos from travel
Shopping city? Tokyo – the Aoyama and Omotesando districts. The store architecture is as compelling as the merchandise inside.
Affordable luxury? An afternoon nap
Style icon? Marisa Berenson, Doris Duke, Talitha Getty, Peter Beard, Gianni Agnelli (in the 80s, in an “M” magazine photo with his watch over his shirt cuff, no socks, dress shoes, running a board meeting)
Wall color? One wall in fuschia (or some other color bright enough to ensure that you wake up from your afternoon nap)
Way to relax? Watching a non-redeeming movie that makes the twelve year old boy inside of me laugh out loud.
Restaurant? Serpentine, SF for their savory bread pudding
Flowers? Pikake
Hotel? The newly reopened la Mamounia
Drink/cocktail? Diet coke with frozen black cherries on a hot summer day.
Fave design trend? Tailored vintage with pops of vibrant colors and bold patterns.
Shopping city? New York!
Affordable luxury? Trader Joe’s apple blossoms. They fill my apartment with the scent of freshly baked apple pie, taste just like the real thing, and are the perfect size.
Style icon? Zooey Deschanel.
Wall color? I painted my bedroom walls a pale grey/blue. It has a calming effect and changes slightly when the sun sets and rises.
Way to relax: I have a favorite trail at the foot of a Redwoods park close to my house. The views are breath taking and the only thing you can hear is the sound of birds chirping and the leaves and twigs under your feet.
Restaurant? I love small plates of really good comfort food. One of my favorite meals is Tamarindo’s shrimp tacos, elote (corn with crumbled cheese and lime), guacamole, and a margarita. Yum!
Flowers? Multi-colored ranunculus, white peonies, yellow roses and peach dahlias (to be exact).
Hotel? I like the vibe of the Ace Hotel in Portland.
Drink/cocktail? I do enjoy a glass or two of good bubbly, but I’m also a sucker for cocktails with St. Germain. Flora, a restaurant in Oakland, makes a Monarch cocktail (gin, St. Germain, mint, and lemon I think) that I order every time I’m there.
Oooo, what fun!
Here’s me:
~design trends: still loving wallpaper! especially anything ornately patterned or floral
~shopping city: NYC, then I can go to Oak, Bird, Gargyle, Saipua, Jumelle, the list goes on and on…
~affordable luxury: B.T. McElrath chocolate bars in their Salty Dog variety (dark chocolate with toffee and sea salt)
~wall color: Tiffany blue or light purple
~way to relax: blogging + going through my google reader
~restaurant: anything with a mean dessert. seriously.
~flowers: lilacs
~hotel: Ace or Hotel Home in Buenos Aires
~drink/cocktail: tapioca drinks in yummy flavors like strawberry or watermelon
What’s your favorite design trend? Anything designed by Stephen Gambrel
Shopping city? NYC
Affordable luxury? Fleur de Sel Caramels by Recchiuti at the Ferry Building plus they come in a lavender colored box topped with a white ribbon–it’s like buying yourself a little present
Style icon? Audrey Hepburn, Edie Sedgwick, Kate Hudson, oh there are so many…
Wall color? Sherwin Williams Intellectual Gray
Way to relax? yoga and if I’m really relaxing-a bath
Restaurant? Love the live music and social vibe at Bossa Nova in S.F.
Flowers? Star Gazers and Peonies
Hotel? La Ventana in Big Sur is luxurious & has beautiful views without being too overdone. Too bad it’s not in the “affordable luxury” category”
Drink/cocktail: Hendrick’s Gin with a splash of St. Germaine, a squeeze of lemon and some soda water
When it comes to design trends… I love colorful stripes. I love shopping in Sydney, Australia. They have the best outdoor markets where you can buy anything and everything. I purchased a great necklace and a brown leather book bag for under 60$. Affordable luxury? Fromage and Wine… my favorite cheese would be Gruyere paired with apples and a fresh baguette!! Style icon? Audrey Hepburn and Michelle Williams.. I love casually chic attire. Wall color? For an accent wall where I display all my photographs… tangerine. Way to relax? Going on a long hike on Mt. Tam or reading a good book in a coffee shop. I also love taking afternoon walks with my husband in our neighborhood. Restaurant? Picante or Chez Panisse Flowers? Dahlias.. from my favorite farmer’s market in Los Gatos. Hotel? I love Petite Soleil in San Luis Obispo… it offers french country charm and is adorable. Drink/cocktail? Mint Julep or Strawberry Fields from the Typsy Pig in San Francisco.
+ Design trend: long-sleeved mini dresses (perfect for parties!) and mixing prints (I admire those who can pull off this tricky trend, I know I can’t!)
+ Shopping city: Paris (mainly for the people-watching you can do WHILE you shop)
+ Affordable luxury: elegant home-made meals (fresh ingredients and pretty plates and glasses go a long way)
+ Way to relax: playing the piano when no one’s home (so I know I’m not bothering anybody!)
+ Hotel: just went to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont in SF, the kitschiest tiki bar complete with fake rain and lightning
What’s your favorite design trend? Vintage (reproduction or original) bathrooms & fixtures
Shopping city? Brussels, Belgium for vintage home furnishings and artfully curated shops
Affordable luxury? Live lobster from the Chinese seafood market, Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick (the packaging!), and French sugar-cubes from the supermarket
Style icon? Daphne Guinness, Hitchcock’s blondes
Wall color? Persimmon or a light+warm taupe
Way to relax? Core Cat Pilates in Oakland
Restaurant? Yume sushi in Alameda
Flowers? rusty-orange roses
Hotel? Anything mid-century in Palm Springs
Drink/cocktail: Lillet on the rocks, or a St. Germain Champagne cocktail!
Cheers!
What a fun poll!
What’s your favorite design trend? Muted, vintage colors and simply stated invitations
Shopping city? New York!
Affordable luxury? Mint Candy Apple Essie Nail Color
Style icon? Zooey Deschanel
Wall color? Martha Stewart’s Cake Stand Blue
Way to relax? With a David Grey CD and a glass of wine
Restaurant? Ketchup in LA
Flowers? Anemones
Drink/cocktail? Sofia Coppola Blanc de Blanc