I have a dilemma at the COCOCOZY Design House that I am renovating. The living room is extremely long and I couldn’t find the right placement for things because the layout makes furniture arrangement difficult.

That is until I recently found this long living room designed by Amanda Barnes Interiors and shot by Alyssa Rosenheck. This design works out the space just fine. Love the two long dueling pale pink velvet sofas mirroring each other at one end and the seating group at the other with leather and brass chairs and a fiddle leaf fig.

This design makes great use of the space in a long living room. Light and airy, this is definitely an inspiration for my reno project decor.  Thank you Amanda and Alyssa!

Work on the COCOCOZY Design House continues.  

Next step — lighting! This has been THE single most difficult design decision for this house by far. Lucky for me, Lamps Plus came on board to help me solve the dilemma. As one of our fabulous anchor partners in the COCOCOZY Design House project, Lamps Plus offered to give me lighting for all areas. Wait, what? All rooms and outdoor! Again, what?! All lighting! Yes.  

Lamps Plus does have some brands they make themselves like Possini, Franklin Ironworks, 360 Lighting, John Timberland, and a few more… but in addition to those, they carry tens and tens of thousands of lights from other brands. I whittled down my selection after several visits to two different Lamps Plus stores here in Los Angeles. This was a real exercise in decision making!

Taking a quick break from the COCOCOZY Design House craziness for a Laurel Canyon home tour!

I lived just east of Laurel Canyon for such a long time, so this one hits home for me. I love the rustic nature of living in the hills above Los Angeles. One of my favorite things is finding a really refined spaced in the midst of the windy roads. This grand 1925 Mediterranean-style mansion belonging to interior designer Brigette Romanek and her husband Mark is quite fantastic. It is a 2800-square-metre untraditional family home (previously owned by legendary music producer Rick Rubin) that has true California refinement and obvious musical history.  

Let’s take a peek (below)!

Time for another micro makeover!

I found these iron chairs at the Long Beach flea market years and years ago. I can’t remember exactly, but let’s say they were $100 for the pair. They were purple and pretty beaten up, but had great lines.

With a little love and inspiration from my favorite Casamidy, I was able to get these chair living room ready!

Take a look at the transformation (below).

Who says decorating stops at the ceiling?

If you ask me, the ceiling is the fifth wall in a room… and it should not, nay will not stand for being ignored anymore!

Statement ceilings are a huge trend in 2018, so I’ve rounded up some of my favorites — like the one (above) from Rue Magazine — for inspiration for simple but detailed, unique designs!

Check out 21 incredible ceilings (below)!

Trend alert: pink sofas!

I am not typically a “pink” girl, but I am crushing on all these fun sofas I’m spotting everywhere! It seems as though people are shifting from the popular white sofa to a pink one… could this be the next staple piece?

My bestie AM will be thrilled with this trend as she LOVES pink, but I can’t help but wonder what men think about incorporating the typically-girly shade. Then again… who cares? I think it provides a surprising color focal point and adds to the visual texture of a space without being too bold. I think I am liking the lighter pink more than the bold…but the bold works, too.  Who knew.

Check out some of my favorite finds (below)!

It truly is the little things that make life happy.

Every morning when I wake up, walk down the stairs and see this morning light in my living room, I am filled with such great joy! It’s easy to start the day with a positive mind when greeted with such a cheerful and bright glow.

The past few years have been a roller coaster for me (to say the least) — and I’m feeling extremely grateful to have found this Spanish style Beverly Hills house after making the difficult decision to sell my tiny little cottage in the Hollywood Hills. 

The radiance in this special spot of my “home for now” reminds me to embrace all the newness that comes with this next chapter!