Riviera View

For the west-side/south bay design junkie, here are a few fun places for browsing. From North to South. Shabby Chic Still standing in Santa Monica - the industry standard Inner Living in Santa Monica - great lighting, upholstery, accessories - you name it Tumbleweed and Dandelion in Venice - lots of whimsy and charm Bountiful in Venice Big ticket salvage pieces, lovely textiles, and one of a kind's Waterleaf in Manhattan Beach East Coast Cape Cod meets California fusion Quatrine High style in Manhattan Beach Gum Tree Beautiful home accessories and jewelry in Hermosa Beach

Great work from Cedric Smith . Born in Philly. Living in Atlanta. Maybe someday L.A.? Carrot Cake, 48 x 36" Evaporated Milk, 36 x 36" Butter Bean, 48 x 36" Daily Chores, 48 x 72" State Fair, 48 x 36" Check out his blog too.

If you're on a budget but still a fashionista at heart, here's a happy compromise. "Just 19, Jessica Dooley opened a boutique in Burbank last month called the Sewing Lounge. "I want to create a community of crafters who encourage one another," she said from her sunny space. A recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's marketing program, Dooley hosts daily "open sewing" hours when customers can drop in and use the machines. She also leads classes. Subjects include refashioning thrift-store finds, making alterations, sewing simple curtains and, yes, learning how to operate the sewing machine you own but don't know how to use. Classes are designed for three or four people, but private sessions also are available, and she plans to add lessons for kids next month. Prices for most group classes run $50 to $75 for two to six hours of instruction, and private lessons are $35 an hour; "open sewing" is $9 an hour.&q

I was wearing one of those peasant-type tops at work today, when a customer asked me... if I was pregnant . That was a first. While it's true I have developed a small Buddha -belly this past year I didn't think it was noticeable to anyone but me and my bathroom mirror. But it got me thinking. With summer on the way, I'd like to get bathing-suit-ready doing laps in this pool at La Bastide de Marie. la bastide de marie

Loving these George Smith upholstery pieces dressed in Raoul Textiles designed by Sally McQuillan . George Smith Medium Short Scroll Arm Chair in Zoo Dance Cocoa ----------------- Raoul Gilberte swatch - Coral George Smith Dahl Chair with seat cushion in Gilberte - Coral ----------------- Raoul Stella - Cardamon swatch Dahl Chair in Stella - Cardamon ----------------- Raoul Tie Dye - Olivine George Smith Georgian Chair with Seat Cushion in Tie Dye - Olivine ----------------- Raoul Dominic - Olivine George Smith Standard Stool 36" * 48" in Dominic - Olivine ----------------- Raoul Jimpy's Papaya - Cardamon George Smith Jules Sofa with Seat Cushion in Jimpy's Papaya - Cardamon I'm a bit of sofa junkie and absolutely love the Jules sofa shown here. Tight back, bench cushion, English arm, turned legs with a modern fabric - doesn't get much better than that for me. ----------------- Raoul Congo - Cardamon Georgian Sofa with Fixed Seat in Congo - Cardamo

Thursday night is always a good time for industry parties in the L.A. and this past Thursday was no exception. To start the evening off Brooke and Steve Giannetti hosted an exhibit for Linda Broadfoot's botanical and insect specimen photography at their store Giannetti Home . Below are some photos of the evening. I'm not exactly a photographer so hopefully you can still appreciate this inspiring home store. A window display as you approach on San Vicente Boulevard . The store's concept is really unique. The front of the store, or 'house' as they say in retail, is a shop open to the public for shopping and browsing. It houses all of Brooke and Steve's fantastic finds and designs. The back of the house, separated by floor to ceiling linen sheers, is actually the design studio where the architects and designers work their magic. Interior store view . Linda Broadfoot's photos atop a lyrical x-base coffee table . A-ma-zing- sofas. Fanciful bird cages displ

From the L.A. Times Home and Garden section. By Alexandria Abramian-Mott April 25, 2009 Here at Upward Bound House, extreme makeovers are happening every month -- just without Ty Pennington, the cameras or the network TV budget. The Santa Monica nonprofit, which provides housing for homeless families with children, offers an unusual volunteer opportunity: a chance to play interior decorator. Called Adopt-an-Apartment, the program grew out of a natural need, says David Snow, executive director of Upward Bound House. Volunteers redesign apartments for each new family. "Families come to us with very few possessions," he says. "Some of them only have their cars. And when they leave, we encourage them to take everything they possibly can, so we're left with empty units." Volunteers raise money, shop for furnishings, then decorate the apartment. They can sign up for an individual phase, but most take on all three, seeing a project from inception -- when they receive i