Perk Up With Pillows!

It seems as those most of us have a case of the winter blahs right now. The snow was pretty at first, but now it's a pretty big mess of dirt and fallen branches all over Northern Virginia. Often times, our interiors get a case of the blah's as well. While we can't always fix that with a total transformation, an easy way to inject a little energy, color and life into an otherwise tired room is with pillows. No matter what look you're going for . . .serious, fussy, clean or whimsical, there are patterns and colors to suit every style.

We received a shipment of pillows from Lacefield Designs last week and are expecting two additional shipments this month from Studio 773 Pillows (an offshoot of Eastern Accents . . .their site is down as of posting time . . .perhaps the Chicago snow has caused a problem so check back - it's worth visiting!) and Peking Handicraft. We also saw a few more lines at the Atlanta market that we plan to sit down and look through in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more.

Take a look at the fun options that arrived, some examples of how we've used pillows to add color at home and even better, enjoy 15% off all in stock and special order pillows during the month of February. Just print out this blog posting or our email newsletter if you're a subscriber and the savings are yours.

Purple & gray - what a match . . .classy and crisp (also reminiscent of my favorite polo over polo combination from the early 80's . .. which often included the same color sock over sock . . .yikes).

A traditional leopard print updated using purples. It easily incorporates with taupe so if you've got a simple taupe and white color palette at home, purple is a really fresh accent color. Mix that with glossy white vases, frames or lamp bases it instantly becomes very current.

This would be lovely in a bedroom or even putting two in a a dining room on your end chairs. It could add a little glamour if that's what your room needs or soften up a room with a little romance.

A fabulous collection of patterns and the "night owl" pillow is really a hoot. ;)

Like many of their pillows, Lacefield Designs offers patterns in multiple colorways. This butterfly pillow is also available in orange, yellow and more. See below for a picture of the orange in my home office.

The snail and the bordered pillow behind it are also available in many colors. If your seating arrangement can take more than one pillow, it's nice to start with something more solid and layer a smaller pillow with a fun pattern in front.

We love this frog and especially the colors used . . .this could be incorporated into just the right spot with so many different palettes (browns, reds, yellows, dark greens). How could your room not be perked up with this little guy?

Here's a little corner of my home office/living room (this morning it also served as my 5 year old's monster truck jam arena). The orange version of the butterfly pillow helps pull in some color (the rest of the room is gold, taupe, brown and a sort of deep coral). The size makes it a perfect little lower back rest.

Another pop of color in the family room. It certainly adds something to an otherwise average beige/gold sectional and it picks up colors in our rug (a brighter green pattern) as well as the beautiful fabric on the Jamie Young lamp and framed floral by Kolene Spicher.

Enjoy and hopefully you'll be able to banish the blah's as well!

Snowy Days, Spring Displays!

It may be snowing outside (and it truly is a beautiful snow today . . .the lightly falling snow looks like a backdrop in a movie) but inside The Nest Egg we have brought in a bit of Spring. Take a peek at some of our lovely spring displays featuring new florals, lighting, pillows, accessories and art.

The pairing of this small rose and ranunculus arrangement ($20) is just the thing to pull in a pop of color to coordinate with the handpainted orange and black monarch pillow (new from Studio 773). The green in the arrangement ties in the candlesticks and coffee table book. A little arrangement is an easy way to brighten up an otherwise monotone color palette or brown and gold.

Hydrangea arrangements are terrific because a) they never go out of style b) it's not easy to tell if they're artifical or real c) they can be incorporated into a variety of decorating styles . . .traditional, transitional, country, cottage, beach and more. Granted we think anything would look good atop this chest from Lort's!

An alternative to artificial flowers are our stunning preserved arrangements from Bougainvillea. Created by two of the nicest and most talented men in the South, Bougainvillea arrangements can be customized by color, flower and container to create the perfect piece. They can be used as a focal point in any room and are lovely year round. We also love mixing whimsy with serious like using this applique and embroidered snail shade lamp to create a little lightness and humor in your environment.

We're combining a lot of yellow and green with mercury glass and silver accessories. It's a great update to traditional styles and brings in a little glamour.

Click here to see our full slideshow of What's New In Our Nest for January. We hope to see you soon! Oh -- and a fabulous shipment of pillows from Lacefield Designs just arrived . . .keep posted for some shots of those next!