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Sweeten up your space with a bit ‘o honeycomb

Have you used honeycomb in design? Chances are, if you look around, you may just find there’s an octagon or two already floating about your space. It’s long been used in interior design and architecture, and has been particularly popular with tiling (mosaics, anyone?). Considered, “nature’s perfect shape,” it’s no wonder we love it! In the past few years, it seems the perfection of the hexagon has been popping up more frequently in “honeycomb” designs used in everything from lamps and bookshelves to rugs and wallpaper. What I love about this geometric shape is that it is simple, yet striking. It’s structured enough to integrate into a more modern decor, and flexible enough to be comfortable in a traditional space. Whatever your preferred style, honeycomb is the perfect fit. As a bonus, perhaps, adding a bit o’ honeycomb is an affordable way to add a striking pop of style to your home – because even a small amount of this shape can make a big, bold statement. Here are some wonderful examples of how to bring honeycomb into your home.

This traditional living room offers a big statement with the golden touch of honeycomb underfoot (House Beautiful).

Featured in Coastal Living’s Design House, this honeycomb tile shows how easy it is to add this pattern to any seaside-inspired space (photo from My Norfolk Nest).

And, how I love these DIY honeycomb shelves! What a wonderful way to make a statement in any home. (Photos and dyi instructions from Arrow & Apple.)

And, what about your very own hand-crafted honeycomb mirror? (photo from Carloscao1)

Speaking of DIY, if it’s not your thing then this gorgeous black lacquer (bone inlaid) honeycomb chest by SylvanSF will have you reeling. (Photo: House Beautiful) Of course, you could try duplicating the look with paint and dress up a trash-to-treasure find. How sweet would that be?

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Feeling putrid? Don’t blame Chartreuse…

Oh, Chartreuse…. it doesn’t have to be this way. Remember that sickly green color that flushes over someone’s face right before they get sick? That’s chartreuse. Perhaps, that’s why a Pantone Consumer Color Preference Study revealed chartreuse to be the color people most disliked. According to Pantone, “the yellow-green shades such as chartreuse (610U) evoke the most negative of emotions.”  It’s true. This unique blend of yellow and green is a bit offensive, controversial and, well, intriguing.

Frankly, that’s why design folks keep trying to boost it’s popularity – finding creative ways to make the rest of us love it (or at the very least stop us from running from it). In the summer, it’s much easier to incorporate chartreuse among the more likable greens. But, I think the holiday season (from November right through to December) is the perfect time to introduce a touch of chartreuse into your home.  This was recently reinforced while shopping at a get-ready-for-the-holidays  event, where vendors showcased giant towers of spiraling wisteria painted in, you guessed it, chartreuse. And, mossy wreaths were dotted with shades of chartreuse.  Proving how easy it is to bring in the bold statement of chartreuse. Here are a few more (bold) ways to showcase this special color into your home.

A key piece of furniture in chartreuse makes a bold statement. (HGTV)

Be fearless with entire wall in chartreuse, dotted with bright accessories. (Apartment Therapy)

Could Chartreuse curb your appetite or fuel it? (Better Homes & Gardens)

Naturally, chartreuse compliments the beachy hues of aqua and teal. (Canadian House& Home)

Chartreuse WOW! ’nuff said. (House Beautiful)

Tell us how you feel about chartreuse. Have you used it in your decor?

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Cozying Up with Big Sur Lanterns

Big Sur Lanterns from Velocity

As summer begins to fade, we find ourselves attracted to different hues and textures. Usually, this is the time we bring out the accessories that are more reminiscent of the cool, late summer temperatures that will most certainly give way to fall. And while we love candlelight year-round,  late summer is ripe for adding a few more candles to your collection.

We found these hand-woven lanterns offer the exact warmth and glow that we crave this time of year. The Big Sur Lanterns are made from sliced vines that are intricately woven into a globe with a glass hurricane inside the globe to hold your favorite candles. We love that these little gems are inspired (and named after) the Big Sur area – offering a rustic look that is perfect for any beach bungalow, or a home that wants to bring in that casual beachy feel.

Velocity offers the Roost Big Sur Lantern in three sizes from 12″ to 19″ in diameter. They range in price from $60 to $105 each (the best prices we’ve found yet for these). These lovely lanterns are sure to become a seasonal favorite.

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Do You Sea Blue?

Relaxing a Cape Cod Beach House (photo: House Beautiful), by Fred Albert; Designer, Annie Selke

Hello friends! Time has just flown by as of late. Hard to believe it’s mid-July – and it has already been one long, HOT, eventful summer! Sadly, our busy summer meant we at 365Beach.com also had to be away for a while taking care of business (as they say). No two ways about it – between the oil spill in our beloved Gulf Coast and our time we’ve had to be away from our blogging friends, it has left us feeling a little blue!

Not to worry. True-blue beach lovers like us don’t stay down for long – even if our “happy place” is covered in oil!  Matter of fact, even though we were on a bit of a blogging hiatus from The Daily Wave, we spent every possible moment scavenging for interesting new bits of coastal inspiration, from beachy home decor to engaging nautical personalities. Over the rest of the summer we’ll be sharing these terrific finds and inspiring stories with you.

Classic Blue (from Coastal Living) Photographer J. Savage Gibson

To get things started and help us lift our spirits, we decided to immerse ourselves (and you!) in a sea of blue… we put together a collection of pics showcasing wonderful seaworthy rooms that make us happy to be blue! Enjoy!

Happily Blue "Fresh Air Retreat" (Coastal Living) Photographer J. Savage Gibson

While we love the outdoor escape, like the one above, we are just as happy to soak up the blues in this classic beach bathroom (below)!

Beachy Bathroom (Elle Decor) Photographer: Dominique Vorillon

 Blue can be striking in any shade. We love the punch of bold blue in this Nantucket entryway, designed by T. Keller Donovan. The nautical touches make this a classic that never goes out of style. (Confession: we’re not crazy about the plaid tablecloth – forgive us TKD!)

Nantucket Blue-over (House Beautiful) Photographer: John Gould Bessler

 Do you have a favorite beachy blue room? Let us know! We’ll keep looking, too, of course.

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It’s National Flip Flop Day!

Celebrate National Flip Flop Day with flip flop lights from Amazon.com (photo courtesy Amazon.com)

If you ask us, as soon as spring has sprung, and the air becomes warmer and the days get longer…well, that means that every day is suitable for Flip Flop Day! However, one smoothie chain has officially declared Friday, June 18 as the day to “free your feet” and revel in National Flip Flop Day.

This is the fourth annual “holiday” for the Tropical Smoothie Café. To mark the celebration, should you happen to throw on a pair of your favorite flip flops and walk into any Tropical Smoothie Café, they will reward you with a FREE 24 oz. Jetty Punch smoothie. Not bad!

We should mention that they also use this opportunity to raise money and awareness for their philanthropic cause, Camp Sunshine. This very special camp is designed as a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. We love that you can enjoy a free treat in your favorite flip flops and then give a little something to others!  

Better get going though… the free smoothies are limited to the first 500 flip-flop-wearing customers that stroll into each store. (And, by the way, if you need – or want – a new pair of flip flops for the summer, then National Flip Flop Day seems like the perfect excuse to do a little shopping and indulge your fetish for this casual footwear icon!) We’d love to see or hear about your favorite pair of flip flops so be sure to drop us a comment and share. Enjoy!

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Taking the Rug (Bag) to the Beach

Summer "Rug" Bags at Yvonne-Estelles

 If this doesn’t say “summer” then what does?

Whether you’re scouting fresh vegetables at the local farmers’ market or collecting souvenirs during vacation. We think this “rug” bag from Dash and Albert is the quintessential summer beach bag ($58).

Look for it at specialty retailers, such as Yvonne-Estelles or order directly from Dash and Albert. Made in India, these bags are use woven construction and are hand-loomed, just like the popular and festive rugs – thus their moniker “rug bag.” 

"Tangerine Dream" from Dash and Albert

There are plenty of styles to choose from, including the “Nantucket” and the “Tangerine Dream” (one of our personal favorites!). The bags have plenty of style and, lots of room (19″ x 16″ x 3″) and are topped with soft leather handles – making this an ideal carry-all for any excursion! 

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Relax with this Twist on Water Skis!

Relax with a WaterSki Chair!

 

Ready to get out your water skis for the summer? Maybe it’s time to put a new spin on things! The folks at WaterSkiChairs.com cleverly use vintage wooden water skis to create this adirondack-style chair.  

We fell for this retro look the first time we saw it a couple of years ago and are happy to report that it’s a look still going strong. In fact, the surge in eco-friendly items has probably helped make this concept more popular than ever. Starting around $1,200 per chair, it’s not exactly inexpensive, but we love it, anyway. If your budget isn’t up for it, you can opt for a water-ski table for $549.   

Every table and chair is custom-made, which mean no two are exactly alike. The craftmanship is pristine – so this “ski” should be around for a long while. 

  

 

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Weekend Getaways at Hangout Beach Music Fest and MayFest

Beach Festivals in the South!

Love the beach? Love music? Then you are in for a treat this weekend. Pack your bags and head for a mini-vacation by the shore at a beach music festival near you!

We know the Gulf Coast beaches from Louisiana to Florida have gotten a lot of attention lately because of the oil spill, but this weekend Alabama’s Gulf Coast is the place to be for fun, music, art, food – and of course gorgeous, sandy-white beaches. All reports show that the water and beaches remain clear, and the weather isn’t bad, either! You couldn’t ask for more perfect conditions for the area’s first annual Hangout Beach Music Festival. It kicks off tonight with a pre-party and officially gets underway Friday (May 14). This festival is on the beach in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama and for a first time festival, it has been able to attract over 60 amazing bands and musical artists.  

Among those lined up are the Zac Brown Band, Black Crowes, Allison Krausse, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Gov’t Mule, John Legend, and The Flaming Lips. Truly, this is a small sampling and we can assure you there is something for everyone at this festival. The festival runs through Sunday (May 16) with a three-day weekend pass for $159 and day passes for $82. We’ll also have folks on the beach all weekend covering the festival for us at 365Beach, so check in with us frequently to get updates and catch interviews with some of the artists.

If you happen to be on the east coast this weekend, Myrtle Beach is also throwing quite a shin-dig! Saturday, May 15 kicks off the month-long MayFest and the grand re-opening of the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. This mile-long oceanfront boardwalk has been highly anticipated, so much so that they are celebrating its re-opening with the area’s first Beach Music Festival. They have a celebrity-packed weekend planned with everyone from TLC’s The Cake Boss to the legendary, Ben E. King. Also performing are coastal favorites, The Embers and Jim Quick & Coastline. You can even catch a sneak preview of things on Friday morning’s broadcast of the CBS Early Show – they’ll be live on the Boardwalk to kick things off.

If you’re not going to make it to South Caroline or Florida in time for one of these festivals, don’t despair. From now until early fall, there are hot and happening beach music festivals planned from coast to coast. We list four fabulous festivals on 365Beach, but there are plenty more. If you have a favorite festival (music or otherwise, drop us a line (at info@365Beach.com) and let us know about it so we can add it to our events calendar!)

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Classic Seaside Accessories from The Brimfield Fair

Sail away at Brimfield Fair

One of our favorite things to do is peruse thrift stores, vintage shops and antique shows for coveted treasures from (or inspired by) the sea. And we have quite a collection growing! However, there’s always room for more. That’s why our second favorite thing to do is to shop finds put up for sale by other savvy scavengers. And it just so happens we heard from a new friend yesterday who found some adorable belt buckles from the Brimfield Fair.

Designer and boutique owner of The Pink Pineapple, Stacie Hall was fortunate to find these buckles –  one spells out “SAIL” and the other is a Whale buckle that says “Save the Whales”  ($38 each, buckle only). She is making them available in her store but tells us there is a limited supply – only about a dozen of each.  These will be available online today, but you better hurry!

"Save the Whales" Photo courtesy Stacie Hall

We can’t wait to hear what other treasures folks find at this May’s  Brimfield Fair. For those of you not familiar. The Brimfield Fair is a very popular antiques fair held a few times a year in Massachussetts. It is thought to be “one of the top three flea markets” in the U.S., according to Frommers. A tradition since 1959, more than 700 exhibitors offer their wares. The Brimfield Fair opens to the public this weekend, starting at 8am Friday ($5 admission fee) and continues Saturday (free admission).  If you can’t make it this weekend, no worries, you can try again in July and September. In the meantime, thanks to Stacie Hall for giving the rest of us an opportunity to scoop up one of her great finds!

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Beaded Bangles for the Beach

Beaded Bracelets for the Beach

We’re in the mood for a little sophisticated fun! And these striking beaded bangles from the Pink Pineapple are set to cure our itch.   

Can’t you just imagine yourself heading to dinner by the shore dressed in a bright, casual-style tunic accentuated by one of  these colorful bracelets ($38) dripping off your arm? Heads will definitely turn as you walk into the room!  

We love that these accessories include some of the hottest colors of the season – especially the teal.  If you need a little something extra to go with the bracelet (say, the rest of the outfit!), be sure to visit the Pink Pineapple. The Rhode Island-based shop includes an entire line of boutique items designed by Stacie Hall. We love it all, and know you will, too!

Style Update! Well, we just heard directly from the designer, Stacie Hall,  and got the most-up-to-date scoop on what’s hot right now. She tells us the icon hoodie ($128) is a must-have and we can see why with its preppy colors and casual feel. Of course, our money is also on this exquisite hand-stiched shirt ($76) with its soft cotton/silk fabric and hand whipstitching cascading down the bodice. Tell us your favorite pick!