Adrienne’s List

Live in Style!

Covering up Pépe February 27, 2009

Filed under: Home Fragrance — adrienneslist @ 9:36 pm
Tags: , , , ,

picture-35

 

One thing I hadn’t really considered when we decided to move from the city to the ‘burbs was wildlife. Now I can handle birds, squirrels and deer… the critters I failed to consider were skunks and let me tell you, they love our backyard. It’s like a little playground for them, which is fine except our kitchen is smelling very Pépe le Pew (as a kid watching cartoons it’s easy to forget how much Pépe really stinks) and that is just not ok. 

 

Everyone in the neighborhood has their own little remedies including setting cans of amonia around the yard (and yes I’m so desperate, I’ve tried it). But while we work on the outside problem, something needs to be done inside. I’ve tried a variety of home fragrances to mask the smell and the only ones up to the task are the diffusers from Anthousa. Not only do these smell delightful, they are strong and stay strong for months. My favorite scents so far are Vanilla & Blood Orange and Wild Gardenia (I’ll admit I haven’t smelled the pink one pictured above, I just thought the bottle was really pretty).

 

So if you’re looking to mask smells or just want your home to smell as beautiful as it looks, check out the Anthousa collection. You will not be disappointed. 

- Adrienne

 

PS Check out their retailers on the website, but if you’re in SF go to Barney’s not Neimans because they have a way better selection!

PPS If you’re dealing with a skunk and just want to soak up the smell try the Air Sponge. It doesn’t really have a scent and really soaks up whatever smells you’re trying to capture.

 

A-Listers Need to Know:

Price: $30-$90

Purchase: www.anthousa.com

 

Which Chair to Choose? February 25, 2009

Filed under: Furniture — adrienneslist @ 7:29 pm
Tags: , , , ,

picture-29

With any new space, come new challenges and our living room is no exception. The space is larger than the last room with a wall that is mainly windows (don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the upgrade, but it does present a challenge). The larger room dwarfs some of our current pieces and the windows present a problem only in that we don’t want to block them too much but we still need additional seating.

 

So, the overall solution to the room has been finding oversized pieces (i.e. the Easton Sofa) and for the window dilemma, I had to find something with a low back that wouldn’t block the view but would be large enough to provide plenty of seating for guests and comfortable enough for Joe to lounge in and watch t.v. from. The perfect piece? A chaise lounge! The next step was just a matter of finding the right one. 

 

After much searching, I narrowed the options down to the ones pictured above (Clockwise from top left: Hutton left-back sofa, Room and Board $1999; Morrow Chaise, Jonathan Adler $1800; Danner Daybed, Jonathan Adler $2800; Lampert Daybed, Jonathan Adler $2650). I was a little Adler heavy, but he does make some really good chaise lounges. All of these options are a bit pricey, but this piece is a focal point in the room and the above styles are classic pieces that can be kept forever and recovered for an updated look. 

 

So, after finding out that the Room and Board option was not in stock (even though on the website it is listed as “In Stock”- so annoying), I decided to check out the Adler options even though I thought the lead time would be too long. Much to my surprise, they are having a floor sample sale right now in S.F. with 15%-20% off (this is probably true in most stores so you should go check it out!). Sale and no lead time? Done and done. So, our Lampert Daybed is supposed to arrive today. Fingers crossed it arrives in one piece!

- Adrienne

A-Lister’s Need to Know:

Prices: Listed above

Purchase: 

www.roomandboard.com

www.jonathanadler.com

 

I’m back! February 23, 2009

Filed under: Lighting — adrienneslist @ 5:30 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

picture-23

 

I know you’ve all been missing your daily dose of home product reviews :) I’m sorry for being M.I.A., but we’ve been completing the long (sometimes painful) process of moving. Needless to say, we’re very happy with our new home and I’ll be sharing plenty of pics over the next couple weeks once we’ve unpacked! 

 

Until then, I wanted to share a bit about a recent purchase I made for the kitchen. I had to find a replacement chandelier for the eat-in area (the original fixture was very Denny’s light circa 1984, not really the look we’re going for). I didn’t want to spend a fortune because we’re renting, but something had to been done ASAP.  So like any good home renter looking for a deal, I made the brave trek over to the never-ending maze of particle board and plastic that is Ikea.

 

At first, I was a little apprehensive about the Kulla pendant lamp that I ended up purchasing (pictured above). Like most Ikea products, it’s really a hit or miss about whether or not they look too flimsy. But once installed, this fixture makes the room! The installation was surprisingly simple and only took about 15 minutes. The height of the fixture was incredibly easy to change. The fixture itself is also made of pretty sturdy material so it doesn’t appear flimsy. 

 

So if any of you are looking to upgrade your fixtures for a reasonable price, I highly recommend the Kulla pendant lamp. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the difference it makes!

- Adrienne

A-Lister’s Need to Know:

Price: $69.99

Purchase: www.ikea.com


Update: Although my opinion of the Kulla pendant hasn’t changed, just a word of warning… don’t be an idiot like me and light three large candles underneath it for many hours, the plastic diffuser will melt! While most of you are probably savvy enough to figure this out, yours truly was not! On the bright said, I now have a “custom” three circle pattern on the bottom of the light. C’est la vie!