Inspiration Archives -

Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life

Quote from The Simply Luxurious Life. Background fabric is Cuthbertson – Radish from Fabricut

In my search for design and lifestyle podcasts, I discovered The Simple Sophisticate in iTunes.

I like to listen to something uplifting and inspiring while driving or on my daily walks. The Simple Sophisticate weekly podcast faithfully shows up in the downloads on my iPhone early Monday mornings. It’s presented by Shannon Ables who is a self professed Francophile and English teacher in Oregon. She offers 20-30 minutes of insights of “pairing intelligent living with signature style”.

She shares my philosophy of enhancing your life with the simple things to create a fulfilling life. Her blog, The Simply Luxurious Life, features “refined living on an everyday income”.

First the blog then a podcast could only mean a book would be next. Her new book arrived early December. Shannon’s book was included in the recent sneak peak of my inner sanctuary. I bought mine on Amazon.

Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life

A Modern Women’s Guide

By Shannon Ables

Background fabric is Danda – Saffron by Suburban Home Fabrics

Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life is a delightful mix of advice for your signature style, creating a sanctuary, radiating beauty, maintaining healthy relationships, entertaining stylishly, traveling the world and elevating the simple pleasures in life to an art form. Shannon Ables teaches how to live simple luxuriously!

How do you live a fulfilling life?

For me, it’s all about the balance of life and work, which if you know me, you’ve heard me say “I don’t work, I play”. I’ve been blessed to convert my passion, which I found at a very young age, into a business that I love. Fortunately, my studio is in my home so I get to enjoy all of the luxuries of a beautiful home while I work on creating beautiful homes for my clients. How simply luxurious is that?

What simple luxuries do you treat yourself to?

My favorite luxuries are morning coffee in my reading chair, a bubbly tub, fresh flowers on the kitchen table, blending a fruit and vegetable smoothie, burning a scented candle, making a new recipe for dinner and snuggling in my favorite blanket while watching tv.

xoxo

Marie

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decision to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring a professional, saves you time, frustration and money.

You, your family, your house and office deserve it!

Please share this post

February 9, 2015/by Marie Mouradian

Fabulous Finds

I Brought You Some Springtime From China

I was off on another exotic trip last week. 55 of us from the Wachusett Area Chamber of Commerce, where I am a board member, traveled to China for a luscious taste of the Chinese culture. It is a beautiful country, what I saw of it at least.

One of the best surprises for this cold, winter-worn soul was it was already springtime there! Temperatures were in the low 70’s most of the time. during Springtime in China

The beautiful scenery and pleasant weather sparked an interest in how to make this feeling last.

Springtime in China

One of our first stops was the Emperors Summer Palace and Longevity Hill in Beijing, China. A pagoda sits on a hill across Kumming Lake, pink and white apple or cherry trees blossom in the foreground.

This Robert Allen upholstery fabric has the same pagoda style with the floral branches. The blue and white pattern or Toile would be great for dining room chairs or an upholstered cornice.

Many of the trees that lined Kumming Lake at the Summer Palace were in bloom during Springtime in China.

This blossom fabric appears to be made from the photo above. Who wouldn’t want the fresh feeling of springtime blooms all year round? Without the allergies too!

It comes in pink too. Can’t you just smell the sweetness?

The jewel-like pagoda bridge on West Lake in Hangzhou, China was a popular scene for groups of young artists along the shore.

Toile de Trees fabric from Carole is as serene as the lake itself. I would love to use this as pleated draperies hung from a bamboo pole.

A pagoda in the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, China is the perfect location to meditate or practice Tai Chi. The Chinese people have a great connection with the outdoors.

My design friend and roommate at Design Bloggers Conference, Jackie Von Tobel, features the pagoda in this pillow cover. Please click here to see the complete fabric collection she has designed. She is an uber-talented artist with a keen eye for fresh color combinations and design.

Bringing some of the Chinese designs into your decor makes your home into an everlasting vacation oasis.

What do you have in your home to remind you of your travels?

Please tell me in the comments below, maybe it will be my next trip!

XOXO

Marie

Need help decorating? Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

April 1, 2014/by Marie Mouradian

Fabulous Finds

Design Inspiration At The Beach On Cape Cod

Interior Design Inspiration At The Beach

I am passionate about window treatments, as if you didn’t already know that. I love this business so much, even after 30 years, that I manage to find inspiration for my unique designs in the most unusual places.

Most of the time the weekend does not mean I leave my projects behind. My mind is constantly going through the Rolodex of current, perspective and past custom window treatment projects.

Designing window treatments brings me lots of JOY

We’ve escaped to Cape Cod for one last weekend before our daughter heads back to college. As many of you know it has been a very eventful summer for our family. Our son moved into his first house and our daughter had major surgery. She is feeling far better than any of us imagined. Check out Amy’s Back.

Sitting at the beach is total relaxation for me. My mind is free to wander. It is in this nothingness that everything I look at inspires a design for a window treatment. There is endless interior design inspiration at the beach, especially on Cape Cod. Designing is more like child’s-play than work.

Sketch in the sand of a window treatment valance. Interior Design inspiration at the beach for a Cape Cod home. See more at www.windowdesignsetc.com by Marie Mouradian

Hard sand at low tide makes a great drawing board

Tiny clam shell in Cape Cod sand. Interior Design inspiration at the beach for a Cape Cod home. See more at www.windowdesignsetc.com by Marie Mouradian

The tiniest of pure white seashells stand out among the grains of sand.

A sprig, if that’s what it’s called, of seaweed dances and sways with the incoming waves.

Window treatment drawing in the sand with seaweed and shells. Interior Design inspiration at the beach for a Cape Cod home. See more at www.windowdesignsetc.com by Marie Mouradian

Adding in the motifs of the fabric to the window treatment sketch in the sand.

Dock line coiled on a dock. Interior Design inspiration at the beach for a Cape Cod home. See more at www.windowdesignsetc.com by Marie Mouradian

Boat/dock lines inspired the decorative trim along a valance.

Blue, beige and white ocean, sea, and beach themed fabric for a window treatment for a Cape Cod beach house. Stripe of seafoam and sand. Interior Design inspiration at the beach for a Cape Cod home. See more at www.windowdesignsetc.com by Marie Mouradian

Ocean blue and sandy beige beach themed fabrics will be used to create a beach themed window treatment.

See the design in the studio for this project.

Check back in a few days to see the completed design in my Cape Cod clients beach house.

I’m heading back to dip my toes in Cape Cod Bay

Happy Weekend!

XOXO

What do you think about when it’s time for rest and relaxation? Where do you get your inspiration from? I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Having a hard time being inspired by anything when it comes to decorating your house? I can help you uncover the simple hidden treasures to make your house into the home you love to live in. Contact me today.

August 19, 2012/by Marie Mouradian

The Etc. Of Interior Design

Window Fashion VISION Arrives!

Window Fashion VISION

Window Fashion VISION arrived in the mail! Coffee break is defiantly going to be longer than usual. Delving through the latest trends, design, details, fashion and inspiration may take the entire afternoon. There will be no regular blog post today.

Do you have a VISION for your windows? Contact me today to begin transforming your house into the home you love to live in.

November 15, 2011/by Marie Mouradian

Design Project Stories

Inspiration Board

Where do you look when you need a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing?

Interior Design Inspiration Board

An interior design inspiration board of magazine clippings, fabrics, positive comments and anything that makes my heart sing. This is the place I look when I need to spark creativity for the finishing details of a one of a kind window treatment.

What is your favorite thing that you see on here?

Do YOU have an inspiration notebook or board?

I would love to hear what sparks your creativity and makes your heart sing.

Happy Monday

Are you ready to get creative and make your house into a home? Contact me to get started.

March 28, 2011/by Marie Mouradian

Posts

Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life