A Difficult Decision

I come to you with a heavy heart today. After deep introspection and many sleepless nights, the High Gloss Magazine team has decided that our July/August 2011 issue which was released last month will be our last. So many factors have gone into this decision and it is something that we have spent a lot of time contemplating very seriously. The journey that High Gloss has taken us on over the past year has been an incredibly enriching experience. I can only speak for myself, but creating this magazine and working on it day in and day out with our amazing team taught me so much, not only about the publishing industry, but about myself and people in general. It has been a tremendous growth experience with so many memorable moments and once-in-a-lifetime experiences along the way.

We are so thankful to everyone who has helped us since High Gloss was first born— our fabulous and supportive readers who gave us the motivation to make it through 80 hour work weeks and drove us to create the best magazine that we could, our team of editors in all of its various incarnations, the designers and style-setters whose beautiful work has greatly inspired us, the fiercely talented photographers who made all-day photo shoots so fun, each of our contributors without whom we could not have created so much original content, our ad sales staff and our web guru, Tim who made so much of the magic happen behind the scenes, our fellow digital magazine editors who have been so encouraging and helpful, the design community who embraced us, our friends and family for their unwavering support, and everyone else who has helped and inspired us throughout our journey.

In the end, we feel extremely proud of the level of content we produced in our beautiful magazine, but it seems that life has other plans for us. We have had a few lifestyle changes happen within our team and we each have some very exciting things on the horizon. It seems that when one door closes, another opens.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

The Midas Touch: Lighting

{A Fabulous, Vintage Brass Sputnik Chandelier}

I have always loved beautiful lighting and find that it is truly one of the most important elements in a home. Lately, my style has been skewing a little more towards a modern aesthetic and I have been obsessed with all things gold for some time now, so while I was perusing 1st Dibs the other day, I came across a few brass lighting fixtures that I am currently loving. Each one is unique and statement making. They’re the perfect way to add a little touch a of glamour to a space!

 

{While I haven’t usually loved sputnik chandeliers, I am beyond obsessed with this brass version from Little Paris Antiques. It has 72 lights and is five feet in diameter. It is stunning!}

{1970s Brass Skyscraper Lamps from Elizabeth Pash}

 

{Modern Living Supplies 1950s Brass Domed Adjustable Desk Lamp}

{I really like the “glam meets organic” quality of these Twig Sconces}

 

I am currently dreaming about a huge office with ceilings tall enough to accommodate the enormous scale of the sputnik chandelier. I’d then add a fabulous Lucite and Burlwood desk like this one along with a fabulous console for the skyscraper lamps. A girl can dream! I don’t know of too many office spaces with five foot chandeliers. Which of these fixtures is your favorite? Have you incorporated any brass or gold lighting into your home or do you prefer silver finishes like polished nickel?

Dream Home: Design Darling

Today’s “Dream Home” is brought to us by the lovely  Mackenzie of Design Darling. Mackenzie has a fabulous sense of style. Her “preppy with a twist” aesthetic is definitely reflected in her “Dream Home”. Enjoy!

Hi there! I'm Mackenzie from Design Darling and I'm excited to share my dream home with you all today. It's actually my 22nd birthday today and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than having the honor of blogging on La Dolce Vita!

Without further ado, welcome to my dream home! Charming balconies, green grass, and a bicycle parked out front... That sounds about right.

The foyer sets the tone for the rest of the house, featuring an unfussy combination of hardwood flooring and playful textiles. High ceilings are a must!

Floral wallpaper and preppy monograms are perfect for the powder room.

The living room is easy, breezy, beautiful, don't you think?

The kitchen features classic white subway tile and stainless steel appliances. (Assume for the time being that I've learned to cook by the time I'm designing my dream home.) Aren't the aqua-hued floors to die for?

Don't ask me how we've transitioned from aqua in the kitchen to whitewashed in the dining room. This is a dream house, okay?

The family room is my very favorite. Navy blue and hot pink get me every time and the white wainscoting is the perfect accent!

My home office is filled with natural light and Quadrille fabrics. The wide desk allows me to spread out my magazines and office supplies so I can write to my heart's content.

Heading upstairs to the master bedroom, you'll see my collection of coral and vintage suitcases.

The master bath stores overflow from the master closet...

...which is as tidy as can be!

The guest bedroom is a little getaway complete with darling canopy and chic Leontine linens.

The guest bathroom features whimsical Scalamandre wallpaper and bold black and white stripes.

In the backyard we have a lovely porch that's the perfect spot to curl up with a cold drink and a good book.

But the pièce de résistance is the outdoor living space and the swimming pool. Truly the stuff dreams are made of.

xx

Mackenzie

Design Darling 

(1) Francesco Lagnese (2) Amanda Nisbet (3) Kate Simpson in Lonny (4) Steven Gambrel (5) Windsor Smith (6) Brooklyn Home Company on Design*Sponge (7) Amanda Nisbet (8) Alixe Laughlin in Matchbook (9) Michelle Adams in Lonny (11) Jill Robertson on Design*Sponge (12) Domino (13) Caroline Robert in Lonny (14) Kate Spade (15) Amanda Nisbet (16) Jarlath Mellett in Lonny

Seventies Glam with a Twist

Over the weekend, I came across these images on Pinterest. The home belongs to stylist, Sasha Seymour and was recently featured in a spread in Canadian House and Home and the sight of this incredible kitchen stopped me right in my tracks. For the love of gold, how amazing is that brass hardware? This has to be my favorite use of hardware in recent memory. On top of that, the kitchen has a beautiful, built-in fireplace, loads of subway tile and beautifully-fabricated carrera marble…take a look at those edges. As if all of that weren’t enough, the lucky homeowner and her cute pup have gorgeous chevron floors perch on. Are you ready for this? It turns out that the cabinets are from Ikea and Sasha personalized them by adding the brass pull hardware!

As I continued to pin photos, I was able to find a few more images of this amazing home. I love that there is a use of classic elements with a little bit of a 70s glam edge.

{Be still my heart! Is it normal to get this excited about hardware? Surely, some people would find me certifiably insane for this, but the heart wants what it wants. Ha ha!}

{I love the 70’s “organic elegance meets rocker glam” look that is happening in the dining room. The painting is stunning, just like the beautiful chevron floors that seem to continue throughout the home.}

{The furnishings and rich colors and textures employed in the living area create a sumptuous vibe with an inviting quality.}

If you’re craving a little more of this gorgeous home, check out this video with Canadian House and Home’s Suzanne Dimma as she takes readers on a detailed tour of Sasha’s amazing home including some rooms that we haven’t already seen in this post.

This Week’s Quote

 

I’ve shared this quote once before, some time last year. It has truly become one of my mantras. Over the past few years, I have grown to be much more confident and assertive than I ever was before. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. This entire mindset has recently been reaffirmed for me. If you know that you can do or handle whatever it is that you are asking from life…go for it.

{Image Source}