Is champagne gold the new brass?

I love my iPhone - probably too much (especially according to some people who shall remain nameless).  I have the ancient iPhone 4, and considering I use it almost constantly every single day, it has held up pretty well.  But the home button is going, the memory is full, and my contract with Bell is up.  Lucky for me, it is just in time for the launch of the new iPhone 5c and 5s!  I haven't decided which one I am going to get (any advice?), but I can't help but admire the new champagne gold colour Apple has introduced.

Brass has been everywhere the last couple of years, and although I admit it took me a bit to get over my 80's brass associations, I have embraced it wholeheartedly. I love a warm, patinaed brass - it gives a sense of history, a connection to things past.  Lately, the trend seems to be turning to more of a shiny gold, and I keep seeing rose gold accessories everywhere.

I think the champagne gold chosen by Apple is going to be popular, because it is almost the perfect halfway point between gold and silver.  It has the sleek sheen of stainless, the warmth of gold and brass, and the novelty of copper.  In googling 'champagne gold', it seems that the wedding industry still has an almost complete monopoly of the colour (shudder), but I managed to find a few items that would be perfect pieces to add that subtle shine of this very neutral metal to any room.

1. Silver leafed boxes from Studio A  

2. Faceted paperweight from Living by Christiane Lemieux  

3. Gorgeous metallic foil cushions from Caitlin Wilson  

4. Morrocan-inspired side table from Zinc Door 

 5. Hollywood Regency drum table from Kathy Kuo Home  

6.  Mercury glass table lamp from Kathy Kuo Home  

7.  Serving bowl from Pier 1  

8.  Champagne chevron rug from Ralph Lauren Home

Of course I had to do a style board as well, cause... why not?

1. Champagne long puffa coat from Dorothy Perkins 
2. Bookclub glasses in Champagne from Madewell  
3. Parker Blue eternity scarf from Barneys New York
4. Champagne gold metallic leather wallet from Gift Shop Brooklyn 
5. Vegan sequined smoking slipper from Arisa 
6. Classic Metro watch from Kate Spade

I still love me my brass, but there is something very fresh and clean about this shade of gold.  I think it could be great as a statement colour, like in the kitchen, or just as an added bit of sparkle in the accessories.  Here are a few inspiration rooms that incorporate this colour:

Jean-Louis Deiot's kitchen as featured in Elle Decor.  Photo by Simon Upton.

Suzanne Kastler's Atlanta Home featured in Architectural Digest April 2012

Vancouver kitchen designed by Natalie Culter featured on Marion House Blog.  Photography by Janis Nicolay.

Staircase by Based Upon.

Bestlight wall sconce as featured by Studio Number 19 Blog

Contemporary Dining Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators MuseInteriors

Contemporary Bedroom by Dublin Architects & Designers Optimise Design

Bathroom design by Greg Stewart as featured in Interiors Magazine.

I think I like it as long as it steers clear of the pinker version... so basically, I like light brass or gold.  As soon as it heads silver or pink, it gets a little 'ruffles, bedskirts, and tiaras' - which is fine, but just isn't for me.  What do you think?  Will we be seeing more of Champagne Gold?

And what iPhone should I get??

Foxy Stuff

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My Pinterest feed is overflowing with foxes!  They are the latest woodland animal to capture everyone's imagination, and will look great beside all the owl stuff you bought over the last couple of years...and the bird things before that.  Any bets on the next trendy animal?  I want hedgehog, but I don't think it is hipster enough - too obviously cute.  Wolf is too close to fox, maybe opossum? :)  Woodpecker?  Honey Badger? :p

Maslo Jewellery

I love this Mixed Metals jewellery line from Nicole Malsowski of Maslo Jewelry - it is full of big pieces that manage to still feel dainty and feminine.  And I am so drawn to gold jewellery now, even though I have always considered myself a silver girl.  Goes to show how susceptible I am to trends!  What do you think, is this stuff trendy or timeless?

Check me out on Style at Home!

Wow, somehow I was included among 12 amazing design bloggers in an article on Style at Home's website about our favourite fall trends. The funniest thing for me after all this moving of furniture is to look at the photo of my house from a couple of years ago - it's so different.  Oh yeah, and OMG my name is on Styleathome.com.  Among some pretty amazing design bloggers!  Wowzers.

So go see!  And thanks Style at home!

War on trends

I am gonna guess that you guys are less addicted to design-blog-land than I (my addiction is unhealthy so I am hoping you lead a more balanced life) but maybe you are in the same rehab-worthy boat.  Either way you may have seen several "trends-we-hate" posts out there.  I always read them and partly agree, partly disagree.  I think in the blog age great rooms spark trends faster than you can say DIY, and then the resulting photos are circulated so quickly, and so often, that we get tired of them much faster than we would normally.  And, like fashion, some trends just plain don't work with your space(/ass), while other trends are perfect for you, and will be when they are no longer trendy.  So a trend and its application is often a matter of personal choice and style.

That all being said, I just came across this Trend-Hate post on My Favourite and My Best, and had to laugh my head off.  The trends are all there - chalkboard paint, DIY, chevrons, greek keys, hipster moustaches at weddings - but her take on them is so vehement it had to make me laugh.  I don't know if I love her or am afraid of her.  I don't think I have seen the f-word so many times on one blog.  Awesome.

She has another subsequent post which is also worth reading, as are many of the comments.  So, what is your take on design trend hate?  And/or liberal swearing in blog posts?  :)