Indoor/Outdoor Rugs

During the past few months Matthew and I have been decorating a new apartment in Troy, New York.   One of the benefits to having two apartments is that they can "share" items.   If we get tired of a pillow in one apartment or don't know what to do with the side tables, we can try them in the other location.  We bought a few indoor/outdoor rugs from our store and have been thinking about moving them to our apartment in Troy.

I've been in a bit of a rut imagining what to do with them, so I decided to get some inspiration from a few blogs I follow.  The two rugs below are the exact ones we own.  Both of these images come from the blog Everything LEB which you can check out here.

I love the combination of the strip and the ornate wallpaper in the image above.

I would have never imagined combining a dark wall with this rug, but I think it works because the credenza keeps it light and airy.

Once I started looking for inspiration, I couldn't stop.  The acrylic table in the image above really updates this look.  Also, notice how the mirrors on the wall make the room look so much larger.  Brilliant!

I found this image on Canadian House & Home and decided I HAVE to find a staircase where I can do this.  Isn't this awesome?

If you have bought rugs from us, we would love to see what you've done with them!  You can send images to nextsummer@mac.com.

Feeling Inspired

Matthew and I have been painting like crazy to get ready for the opening of our Bolton Landing store this weekend.  After painting numerous display tables white, we're feeling like we need some color.


We have a few special pieces, one old piano and a little side table, which we would like to paint bright colors.  We're thinking neon pink for the piano.

I'm feeling inspired by this mixture of old and new.  It makes me think the 

old piano needs something as bold as a neon in order to update it.

I love how the pink serves as a focal point in the two images above.

The other color we're thinking about is kelly green for the little table.  

It feels perfect for our Bolton Landing store because the color screams summer.

And to top it off, it looks like these two colors work pretty well beside each other.  

We'll keep you posted on our painting projects.  

Stop by our Bolton store this weekend to see for yourself!

This Summer's Must Haves

I love this time of year.  With new products arriving everyday and a warmer temperature on the horizon, I can't wait to break out my summer wardrobe.  We just got these new, adorable clutches in last week.  They just scream summer to me.

On another colorful note these brightly patterned melamine dishes and serving utensils are great for the summer.  They're durable and easy to pack from picnics and boat rides.

We were excited to see that the online magazine, Lonny, chose to highlight the turkish towels we carry. They are light weight and dry quickly making them practical, easy to pack beach accessories.  They also look cute tied around your neck as a scarf.  To read more from Lonny Mag's May issue click here.

Stay tuned for more new arrivals!

Executive Visit II

President Obama will be here in just a couple days, if we had the chance we'd love to sit him down to discuss the decoration of the World's most important office space - the Oval Office. 

For such a controversial office it's certainly decorated pretty conservatively. Is this the image we want to put forth as representing the country that leads the world in almost everything? 

The one part of the office we DO love is the floor that was installed back in 2005. Here's one example of where the designers nailed it, but then they made the mistake of covering it all up with that carpet. 

The design of an executive office has a lot to do with how a that executive is perceived. With people calling for greater transparency in government, we thought the office below might be a good example for Obama to follow if he were to redesign the Oval Office. We also loved the pops of orange that keep the space interesting 

We also liked the next design. This "green" office has the advantage of appeasing the environmentalists as well as the special interest on Wall Street at the same time. 

Everyone seems to be upset with government spending these days. With that in mind, perhaps a move to greater efficiency is what the White House needs. These "work pods" at Google might be just the answer. 

But let's not forget that the executive office should represent the man in the office. This Australian CEO's office does just that. Not only representing the man, but celebrating him. 

OK, while impressive, that may be a bit much. It could lead the president to be perceived as arrogant. Maybe something a little more simple is what's called for. This architectural office is the ultimate in simplicity, without being boring. We loved the clean lines with bold colors. The fact that workers are forced to sit close to each other and directly across from one another ensures some form of compromise. 

One thing we've always loved at next summer is the combination of rustic and contemporary design. We loved this office below because it looks modern, but warm. We also liked the environmentally friendly aspect of re-use. 

Finally, we found two executive desks that we think should definitely be incorporated into any executive office re-design. First, we love the combination of natural wood and chrome in the sleek desk below. 

Then we found the desk below which seems a perfect combination of the 21st century future, as well as the long history, of the executive office. 

Let us know your opinions of these office re-designs and feel free to send us your own office designs. 

Executive Visit

Well, I'm sure you've all heard, but in case you hadn't, President Obama is coming to Saratoga next week (we're sure it's because he's heard about all the new things we've gotten in at next summer, but other people seem to think he's visiting the Nanotech Campus). 


Almost everyone would love to sit down and bend the President's ear on a few things. What would you like to discuss? We, at next summer, would like to talk to him about a few important design issues. First, Air Force One, and second, the Oval Office. 


So we're all familiar with Air Force One - the President's Private 747, not the Harrison Ford movie. 

Lindsay and I even saw it taking off from Albany International Airport a few years ago. From the outside it's a pretty impressive spectacle, but have you seen it from the inside? It gets the job done, but it's really not so impressive. 

We'd like to discuss this plane with the Leader of the Free World. Like so many private planes, it looks a lot like a flying RV on the inside. Style is definitely flying coach in what should be First Class accommodations. When we began searching for some great jet interior designs that might help our president make the leap from flying Winnebago to style icon, we quickly discovered that money does not buy taste. Below are some of our favorite jet interiors. 

An interior like this might make the press crew a little less adversarial, or at the very least, help them to arrive in better shape for doing some political digging. We liked the use of light and color to make the passenger feel like he or she was in a lounge rather than an airborne sardine can. 

With meeting rooms like this the President could bring foreign dignitaries aboard for business. Who wouldn't want to sign a treaty in this atmosphere? We appreciate the warmth and comfort integrated so well with clean lines and a lack of ornament. 

While this design is merely a concept, we liked the idea of our tax dollars being used for clean restful design. 

Lastly, this shaped dining room (yes, this is in an airplane) is the perfect segue into what I'll discuss tomorrow - how we would improve on country's most famous work space - the Oval Office. 

Spring Trend: Citron

For months I have been searching for the color above: a yellow-green that's not too lime-green or too yellow.  I finally found it at Benjamin Moore.  It is called Citron (2024-30), and I love it!  I painted the lamps in my living room this color and found that it layers nicely with the other greens in the room.  It would also looks great with grey.

To paint the lamps I gave them two coats of Kilz Primer and then two coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry one day between applications.  You probably only need to wait a few hours.  I bought the paint in high gloss because I wanted some shine in the room, but I imagine it would look good in the satin as well. 

Since painting my lamps I have noticed this color everywhere, including the online home magazine adore.  

images for adore magazine

Have any before and after photos you'd like to share with us?  You can send them to nextsummer@mac.com.