Fab Finds in an Unexpected Place

It's been a while since I last checked in here, but after browsing through the World Market site, I felt compelled to stop in.

Is it me or is World Market having a moment right now??  Have you been??  I'm dying to check out some of their stuff - furniture, lighting, and especially kitchen supplies.  I'm not getting paid in any way by them to post this - I just am very VERY impressed right now.

Case in point??  This chair.

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I feel like it belongs in Mad Men.  A far cry from those papasan chairs that my sister and I used to roll around in when we were kids. 

We're looking for a comfortable side chair for the living room right now, and if this is comfy, it could be a real contender!  I am dying to go check this out in person!!  Gorgeous!

Another favorite find?  This pendant.

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And such a good price too!

I've been keeping my eye peeled for a different overhead lighting options for our dining room, entry, and bedroom, to replace the boob lights that are everywhere in our place.  Don't know what a boob light is?  Google image it... there are thousands of examples.

Don't get me started on these nesting tables...

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The top is beautiful with the hexagonal wood inlay.  They look so much more expensive than they are!

There are some really cook kitchen finds as well... I LOVE the marble lazy susan, although a part of me wishes it was just a cheese board.

This Utensil Canister is also really lovely, and I've been looking for a replacement for our sad little one I've had since my college days.

I love the look of this "dipped" salad bowl - super organic and simple.

And speaking of simple, organic stuff... I'm loving the grain-sack napkins and tea towels that look like they came straight out of a small shop in Provence.

And how cute is this cutting board???

Finally, for a little glam... this tray is really lovely.  Looks like something you'd find from Horchow...

What do you think?  

Have you found any inspiring pieces in unexpected places recently?

Splurge or Save: Louis XIV Side Chair

Louis XIV... the other week we were talking all about his taste in mirrors... this week it's the chairs.  I swear I'm not obsessed with Marie Antoinette or anything... it just worked out this way!

I happen to be a huge fan of Louis XIV Chairs.  They have classic clean lines, feminine curves, but when done simply like the above, they don't look fussy or girly AT ALL.

Eclectic Bedroom by Brooklyn Media & Bloggers Lauren Gries

Dining Room by Jamestown Furniture & Accessories Barbara Schaver @ Furnitureland South

Rustic Dining Room by Phoenix Interior Designers & Decorators Palm Design Group

Traditional Dining Room by Chicago Interior Designers & Decorators kim scodro interiors

Contemporary Dining Room by Newburyport Furniture & Accessories Urban Elements Home and Gift

Traditional Dining Room by Hoboken Furniture & Accessories Zin Home

I love them when they are upholstered...

I love them with their caned backs...

I love them painted...

But I also love them with their natural wood...

And one day, I would REALLY love to see a set of them in my house!  If you're looking to make that happen sooner than later, I rounded up a few for comparison sake... the "splurge" and the "save".

Were you able to guess which was which??

I'm not going to lie... Kathy Kuo knows her stuff... check out her site if you're looking for some (pricey) inspiration.  She has AMAZING things, but for those of you looking to save a few (thousand) dollars, check out World Market.

Now I realize that the "save" price might still seem a bit steep.  These aren't impulse purchase chairs, but for two chairs, $400 is a fair deal when we're talking those turned legs, the aged finish on the solid wood frame, and the linen upholstery.  I've also seen World Market sell them separately, so if you just needed one for a lonely corner, or as a desk chair it's not bad.  Also, considering they are running a special for 25% off furniture right now, it's actually $300 for both chairs.

Even without the 25% off, you could still buy 6 chairs for your dining room, for the price of the Kathy Kuo stunners (although that cane backing is so drool worthy)...  If you're looking to buy, links are below:
Save a few bucks: World Market Linen Louis XIV Chair
Play Diddy for a day: Kathy Kuo Home Louis XIV Chair

What do you think??  Is it worth the splurge or would you rather save??

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Neither World Market nor Kathy Kuo has paid me to post their products - all opinions are my own

The Tale of the Quatrefoil Mirror

Photo courtesy of jpmdesign
This is a long story so grab a cup of coffee... it will may be a while.

It starts with my love of this room, that mirror, and Target (pronounced Tar-shay... it's french). This store continues to amaze me... its huge - the frozen food is a few aisles over from shoes which is a few aisles over from makeup which is a few aisles over from toilet cleaner which is a few aisles over from home home decor... it's awesome.  Each time I come out with a new bikini, a plunger, candle sticks, and a bag of Doritos (for the ride home, obviously), or some combination eerily similar to that.

And can we give props to their inventory department? Everything is continually updated, which on one hand is great because there is always something new, exciting, and fun.  Unfortunately, things sell fast, so if you don't snap something up while you are there, someone else will.  This is where my story of the quatrefoil mirror starts...

A few weeks back, while browsing the home goods department for fun, I spotted a fabulous quatrefoil mirror hanging among the picture frames.  "Twenty bucks?" I thought... "Great deal!"  But alas, Kris has me on a "budget" and so, in an attempt to be good, I thought, "This will still be here a few weeks from now.  I'll sleep on it, and I'm still wanting it, I'll go back for it."  TERRIBLE IDEA!  Damn budget!

Who knew this mirror was in such high demand?!  Over the weekend, I headed back to Target to pick up three of the quatrefoil mirrors to hang above our bed.  What did I find? Empty shelves.  Some sneaky bargain hunters had beat me out!  "Deep Breaths" I thought... "I'll find it online."  And what did I find?  A whole lot of nothing.  I turned to eBay, Amazon, random Google searches and what did I find??  Super expensive mirrors identical to the one I passed up at Target!  Dah!

$150 on Ebay
$60 from Lowes
$229 Ballard Designs
$385 Amazon
$329 Shades of Light

NOOOOOOOOOO!

I am a resilient girl... I picked myself off the floor after 2 good hours of crying, and picked up the phone.  I called Target headquarters.  A very pleasant woman with a southern accent picked up, and I calmly described the mirror.  She said "Oh honey, we have a lot of mirrors that look like that across our stores... can you be more specific?"  Um... it was around twenty dollars?

Apparently that tidbit of detail helped, because 30 seconds later, we had a sku number, and she was listing off stores that showed availability.  Each store showed that they had one left.  Oh man, my work was cut out for me.  Sneaking out of work a bit early last night, I headed to the first Target.  None.  Next Target... they had one - SCORE!  Next target SCORE - they had one too!  Next Target?  Bust. It was 9:00 at night, I had already been to four Target stores, I was hungry and annoyed, but I just needed one more and I was home-free. I think someone in the heavens was rooting for me, because at my fifth store, I won.

Game over, mirrors acquired.

Along with the mirror I left with two blue and white chevron pillows, a sweet little scroll pattern breakfast tray, a new bikini, the DVD box set of Mad Men, and some girl scout cookies... just to show Kris what he can do with his "budget".