I've fallen in love with green, urban venue SmogShoppe in LA. But for those of you not planning on celebrating any events at the refurbished smog check center, there's still much to glean from this hidden gem. Take a cue in your own home from SmogShoppe's blend of vintage furniture and modern design with both industrial homages to the spot's past life and a smattering of desert-plant greenery. And with all its eco-friendly features, it'll have you seeing green in more ways than one. Check out my slideshow to be inspired.

When it comes to wedding decor trends, I keep seeing some recurring themes: DIY, paper, rustic, fun, nostalgic, circus- and fair-related, and preferably something that can be hung, strung as a garland, or floats. So now that we have oversized paper flowers, felt garlands, kite and hot air balloon motifs, and balloons big and small, meet the wedding and engagement session prop du jour: pinwheels! Check out 10 ways to incorporate these flyers in your big day decor!

Maybe I'm slightly biased because I'm having my wedding at a renovated smog check center, but I was so happy to read on Style Me Pretty that "brick is the new backyard." Glitz and glam ballrooms and rustic, country fields can be beautiful wedding settings, but I'm all about the less-obvious, rough-around-the-edges venues. If you're with me, I've rounded up my favorite chic industrial weddings to illustrate some tips on going a little bit gritty with your big day locale.

The thought of filling my home with run-of-the-mill wedding registry gifts leaves me less than thrilled. I'd much rather go the nontraditional route, handpicking items that fit my personality and eclectic taste. Enter, Antiquaria, a sweet new online shop full of unique, vintage glassware, china, home goods, and even "save the date" stamps for transforming antique postcards into wedding reminders! See some of my favorites, now!

If you have a balcony or other outdoor living space, Spring weather means it's time to dress it up and prep it for sunbathing and socializing. Inspired by this chic vintage love seat, I've gathered up my Etsy picks for creating an inviting outdoor nook, complete with greenery, evening ambiance, and cushy seating. Check 'em out!

I've always had a thing for mixing patterns. I especially love layering blankets and quilts handmade by my grandmother and mismatching floral, striped, and dotted accent pillows and throws. Currently the floral and stripes combo has caught my eye with its nontraditional look that can either be sweet or energetic, depending on the colors and decorating style. See how this eclectic geometric-meets-organic pairing is inspiring me!

If you're a DIY bride without enough hours in the day for time-consuming craft projects and antique store shopping, Ruffled's Recycle Your Wedding may be able to help you out! It's sort of an Etsy-meets-Craigslist site, with everything from handmade decorations to antique tableware to used wedding gowns and shoes. You can post a wanted listing if you're looking for something specific or sell your own goods — for free! For sellers, this is a cool way for you to share your big day's DIY projects and carefully collected antiques with future bride-to-bes. Check out the slideshow for my favorites! And please share in the comments if you know of other sites for sharing wedding decor.


Photo by Matthew Morgan

Anthropologie debuted its new bridal line BHLDN today, and it has me dreaming of all things lacy, eyelet-edged, butterfly-topped, and sequined. If you're not in the market for wedding gowns and accessories, fret not. I've pulled some of my favorite head-to-toe pieces from the ethereal line to show you how they can inspire your living spaces.

In last week and this week's Gossip Girl episodes, we've been following along the ups and downs of Blair's new internship at W, but I've been more distracted by the mag's office organization than the drama. If you've got a home office and are looking for some decorating and organizing tips for your work space, read on! I've gleaned some ideas for you from the show.

Happy Chinese New Year! One way to decorate for the Year of the Rabbit is to draw inspiration from its traits; another way is to take a more literal interpretation by decorating with rabbit motifs. The furry animal was in the running for our guess at trendy animal of 2011, so maybe with all the attention it's receiving of late, it will come from behind as the winner!

Earlier I gave you my architecture picks from the Design Museum's 2011 Brit Insurance Designs of the Year nominees. But now I want to share with you my favorite nominated furniture pieces! From imaginative shapes and materials to unorthodox concepts like Thomas Heatherwick Studio's Spun chair for Magis (pictured), a rotation-molded plastic chair you can actually sit and spin around in, see what furniture tickled my fancy in this slideshow!

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The Design Museum announced the shortlist for its 2011 Brit Insurance Designs of the Year awards, which includes 90 nominated projects in architecture, product, furniture, fashion, graphic, interactive, and transport categories. Perusing the nominees, I am reminded yet again how many impressive, talented designers there are! I'm positively mesmerized by the UK Pavilion, pictured, designed by Thomas Heatherwick Studio for the Shanghai 2010 Expo. The glimmering building is aptly named the Seed Cathedral and is made up of 60,000 transparent optical strands, each of which has a seed embedded within its tip. I've selected five more of my favorites from the architecture category, so keep reading to see the innovative projects. And check back for my favorite furniture picks from the nominee pool!


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In my living room, the roommates and I keep the coffee table pretty scarce and use the side tables for storing necessities such as magazines, remotes, flowers, and drink coasters. This way it's free of clutter when we need it as a foot rest, impromptu dining table, or for party snacks and drinks when we have guests over. While I like the practicality of its decor-less state, we could probably dress it up just a smidgen without losing its versatility. If you, too, are looking for inspiration and tips on how to top your coffee table, click through my slideshow.

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