Room Envy: Revenge

So I fell down the stairs a few days ago and fractured my toe while in the midst of exams, which means that even though exams have just ended, I'm pretty much cooped up at home hoping to recover as soon as possible. Hopefully before Chinese New Year so I can actually wear shoes. #luckof2014

Being cooped up at home means entertainment is limited to books, watching Sundae sleep, or the internet. It also means continuing to watch shows that I had to put on hold during exams! My recent obsession has been Revenge. These days, it's so difficult to find shows that encompass both great style/decor and a good plot.

Charlotte Grayson is the rich girl who has everything a girly girl could want. Her bedroom is a mix of elegance and romance judging by the pink hues and cream-colored decor pieces. There're hints of floral patterns everywhere from the lampshade to her sheets. It does not look messy as accent pieces of dark furniture such as her headboard, desk, and couch provide a neutral color base. The entire room has a very Anthropologie feel which I love.

After scrolling through the photos, did you realize that her room seems to have changed quite a bit?! The color of the walls, headboard, desk, and wall decor made a complete change in the later half of the series! Wow this is such a revelation. Wondering if it has anything to do with the change happening within her family, forcing her to grow up... Okay shall not get too literary about a TV series.

Next is Emily Thorne's room which has a shabby chic and beachy touch to it. The main color scheme is white and mint/turquoise which always looks great when paired together as it creates a clean and soothing atmosphere, which is something I'm currently trying to achieve in my own room. I love the contrast of modern lamps and vases on vintage-looking furniture as it keeps the room from looking boring or outdated.

If you've noticed, warm lighting is a must in creating many different types of atmosphere. I am a personal believer in using warm lighting especially at home because it makes the place look so cozy and inviting, just like in a resort or a spa. Light a few candles and voila, your own personal sanctuary.

Besides the decor in Revenge, I love Victoria Grayson's and Emily's style. Was thinking if I should write up another entry on that but there're so many other websites that find the exact clothing piece they were wearing. Maybe I'll come up with a guide to channeling Victoria Grayson or Emily's style if I'm patient enough to go through the series again in order to take screenshots.

Thursday is almost over and it'll be Friday soon. We made it!

Room Envy: Pretty Little Liars (Part II)

Hanna Marin is a diva and she isn't afraid to let people know it. Despite how dark the show is becoming, her comebacks never fail to make me snort. Wish I had the guts to say half the things she says to people.

Her room reflects her tres chic wardrobe. She never fails to inject just the right amount of glitz and glamor to her outfits, for e.g. a plaid shirt with a chunky bedazzled necklace paired with skinnies and sky-high booties. Unfortunately, the photos captured below don't show any of that so maybe her room will do the talking.

The main color scheme of her room seems to lean towards the lighter side of the purple color spectrum, namely lilac. The pop of color seen throughout is yellow, which I wasn't sure about but it sure works for her room.

In the couple photos above, you can see pillow mountains both on her daybed and her bed. This is something which I'm gradually learning about. Pillows don't have to be the same shape, color, and design in order for it to work in a pillow mountain. The key is to identify the main theme of the room, and use pillows as accents. For e.g. Hanna's pillows are mostly silky-looking, which adds that glamorous touch, and they stick to the purple color theme except in different shades which keeps it interesting.

Her dressing table looks like an organized mess. It works because the main pieces of decor like the tall jewelry holder, tiny jars, and table lamp are all white or glass which always makes decor look so effortless. What I love is the filigree mirror, in lilac of course, and the vase with purple, white, and yellow flowers. I'm a sucker for things that match okay.

By the way, there's so much purple going on in the photo below lol.

The next couple of photos show Allison's room but I'm not going to analyze it. Just wanted to say that I OWNED THAT TABLE LAMP WHICH WE BOUGHT IN AMERICA (Target I believe) BUT MY MOM HAS BEEN CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE AND SHE THREW IT OUT BECAUSE IT WAS DUSTY! The fangirl in me wants to scream I HAVE THAT TOO but alas that's not going to happen.

Goodbye pretty lamp. It was glamorous while it lasted.

Room Envy: Pretty Little Liars

Does anyone here watch Pretty Little Liars and suffer from room envy? I'm not even going to talk about the styling because I'd kill for Spencer and Hanna's wardrobe and so would millions of girls out there. In terms of room decor, I think I'm more of a Spencer + Aria. Every time I see their rooms, I get some form of inspiration of how to tweak mine to have the same effect be it adding or subtracting stuff. If only Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters were easily available in Singapore. It also helps that my parents are crazy about decor so they'd just buy me stuff omg where art thou Anthropologie and UO?!

Aria's room is so cozy and bohemian chic. Her room reminds me of mine because of the amount of woodwork in it. Besides my bed with a mixture of steel and wooden frames, everything else is pure wood. The color scheme of her room seems to be mostly warm colors like different shades of purple, brown, cream, etc. The different shades of warm colors used contributes to the perception of depth of her room so it's not too monotonous and dark. The only thing I dislike about her room is probably the small closet. Realistically, I don't think the amount of clothes Aria has can fit in there but we all know this is just a show.

Spencer sometimes reminds me of myself. The OCD, the bossiness, the perfectionist, and of course her style. Her room has more of a preppy glamorous theme with the four-post bed, mirrored furniture, closet with french doors, and the numerous floral prints everywhere from the walls to the sheets. I'd love to have these elements in my room but sadly, my room isn't big enough and my parents are more into wooden furniture. If my house had a termite infestation, the entire thing would be gone. That's how much wood there is.

The color scheme of her room is very light and incorporates colors like shades of pink, white, and the occasional injection of red and black to tie everything together. There's a mish mash of prints in her room but somehow everything seems to go together because they either match in terms of prints or color, for e.g. her bed.

The color and decor elements of Spencer's room is something I'm trying to achieve. It's possible to add elegance and glamor to a room just by maybe adding some photographs with black or white frames to the wall, stacking coffee table books on the bookshelf as decor, and adding a lot of white to the room in general. I have done that by using only acrylic Muji drawers on my dresser to store makeup, standardizing my storage system by mostly using Muji's linen boxes which are cream colored, and storage boxes from Ikea in pink or red. I feel that standardization is key to achieving a Spencer-esque room. It's more visually-appealing too.

Love her outfit so so much!

As I go through the series, I hope I'll be able to capture more screen shots of their rooms. The last photo is so lame because it's so dark but it's a study desk so I thought I'll get away with not mentioning that since not everyone has a study desk i.e. me!

Hopefully this post has been of some help because I had fun breaking it down for you. Have a lovely day!

Style: Elementary, my dear Watson

I've been catching up on some new crime series, one of them being Elementary starring Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. Can never forget her level of hotness in Charlie's Angels, especially the scene when they zoomed in on her posterior in a leather skirt that squeaked as she strutted! Anyway, Elementary is set in NYC so I feel that the same kind of city chic style her character has can be applied in Singapore. It isn't as avant-garde as Gossip Girl (a good thing for us commoners) which means that the outfits are actually functional. Read: attainable.

They're centered around basics like tank tops or tee shirts in solid colors or subtle prints, but made chic and different with the art of layering. I've managed to screenshot some images from the show because I realized there're a few outerwear staples she has worth mentioning. Versatility is key for a poor student who doesn't have enough closet space.

1. Cardigans in neutral hues

The addition of a simple gray slouchy cardigan to the two different outfits above make such a difference. Coincidentally enough, I realized the two outfits are so contrasting: light and dark. If I were feeling happy and carefree, I'd choose the first outfit but if I wanted a little grunge and darkness to my look on a bad day (lol), I'd wear the second outfit.

Wearing just a tee or tank top can look pretty boring so adding either a neutral/bright colored cardigan will help pull the look together. I have three stacks of cardigans in my own wardrobe so that says a lot about my love for the item.

2.  A white shirt

The piece she's wearing is not exactly a shirt but more so an outerwear. We can always use a soft white cotton/linen shirt as a substitute since it'll look pretty much the same. It makes the outfit look so clean and crisp, as well as add the right touch of effortless to the entire look. The best part is that it'll also work for warmer weather because it's lightweight so no excuses for not putting in any effort to dress up on a hot, hot day!

Lazy outfit = tank + denim shorts + white shirt + sandals + piled on jewelry + shades

3. Military green parka

If you know me well enough, you'll know that I love the second outfit to bits. Every single aspect of it from the shades to the silky cream dress and the simple accessories. The parka has been around forever, i.e. those on zookeepers, but it has recently become such a huge hit amongst youngsters in Singapore probably because of KPop influence? Do not quote me on that. Anyway, the standard uniform outfit would be throwing a parka over a tank top and high-waisted denim shorts completed with slippers and calling it a day. Never have I seen anyone wear a parka anyway else. I will now set that right so join my army. Oh so punny!

4. Dark colored jackets

If I lived somewhere with a cooler climate, I'd be using that as an excuse to hoard tons of jackets. Not that I'm not already doing that but you get what I mean. Jackets have the same effect as cardigans, just that jackets add more structure and that extra oomph if you want to look more presentable for an occasion. For example, if you're wearing a maxi dress at a beach but want to head someplace nice like a restaurant for brunch, throw on a denim/leather jacket and you're good to go!

5. Oxford blazers

I went through a tough period in my life when I could not stop buying blazers. It was an obsession. Can't put my finger on it but there's something about a blazer that puts order and intelligence into an outfit and if there's one thing I love, it's order. If you noticed, the tops she's wearing under the blazers are simple tees in stripes, solids, and subtle patterns respectively. The Oxford blazer is such a smart complement (so punny again) to an otherwise plain outfit. Definitely a must-have for the prepster in me.

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There're so many other elements to Joan Watson's style that add dimension to her looks. For example, her knack of pairing the right amount, size, and style of accessories. Her face or outfit is never overpowered by accessories even though they are usually layered, mixed metals and all.

Another thing I noticed is the kind of colors she wears. I'm not sure if I have mentioned here but I believe in a skill called color analysis whereby you identify what family of colors would look best with your skin tone/hair color and brighten up your overall look. I have seen which category Lucy Liu falls under so the kind of colors she wears, like jewel tones, is what is recommended for her skin tone.

As much as I love certain outfits, I will always be aware of what my body type can/cannot carry off. I can never stress enough how important it is to alter style inspiration according to your personality and body type. Something that looks good on someone else might not look the same on you. It is possible to look for alternatives that will give you the same kind of look that works for your body type.

Style should be individually tailored for everyone to always look their best, and not just another failed copycat.