Guest Post: Cassandra LaValle shares her styling genius

For a little story called “Big Decorating Ideas” in our January/February 2013 issue, we asked super-blogger Cassandra LaValle of style blog coco+kelley to divulge a design trend that currently has her giddy—and share a home accessory that shows off the look. Here, she tells us about her trend of choice, and shares a few more ways to style the fabulous agate lamp she chose (click here to see the look we loved most). A couple of months ago the editors at Mountain Living asked if I had time for a little project, and (shockingly) I did—and I’m so glad because I had fun with this one! The assignment was to choose a home accessory that reflected a trend to watch in 2013. After much pondering, I settled upon this agate table lamp by Arteriors:

I spotted the rose gold one at Las Vegas Market this summer, and it was instant love. While I’ll first mention that yes, I do think rose gold and copper is a trend we’ll be seeing more of, the agates are the real reason I plucked this little guy out of the lineup of options. For a while now we’ve seen the return of the druzy, agate and other rocks incorporated into interior design in everything from wallpaper patterns to jewelry box toppers. The bigger idea here is to elevate Mother Nature to the next level (mother couture?). But back to my little assignment. After selecting the lamp, Mountain Living said, “Well, that’s great Cass, but how would you actually use it in a room?” (Ok, they asked nicely.) So, being one who likes options in decorating, I gave them a few ideas…

My first idea came from imagining what a Mountain Living reader might actually decorate with. And since I live in my own mountains, I turned it into an updated Pacific Northwest style. I liked the elements of earthy, handmade goods in the coasters, wool blankets, and the washed-out wood of the large side table, paired with the more glamorous lamp and glossy boxes. Bringing that pop of aqua in with the blanket and box felt like a fun accent too!

For option two, I followed a similar concept and switched up the items to create something that felt a little more masculine. The lamp and table remained the same, but I swapped out the lacquer for orange leather boxes and a chunky, casual knit throw. The coasters add a splash of humor and are some of my favorites (the characters say things like ‘White Russian’ and ‘Bloody Mary’). And option three? So glad you asked. Of course it was my favorite, and of course it’s the set of goodies that the editors picked too! To see which accessories made the final cut, check out look #3 at mountainliving.com. You’ll have to let me know if it’s your favorite too!