As long as we’re “Sharing the Luv,” let me share one of my favorite blogs, Alkemie. San Francisco-based Karen Olivia started blogging on a whim, and chose design to focus on.
Karen's profession is very technical in nature, so the blogging world lets her experience her creative outlet which includes; travel, books, dance, fashion, movies, photography, shopping, language, culture, and of course, design.
{Karen's living room}Karen is not afraid of color. One of Karen’s favorite colors is purple, which is beautifully displayed on her blog. Her living room is painted purple and her sofa is upholstered in lilac. “Purple is the color of royalty. It is majestic and has a sense of mystery at the same time.”
Fun Facts: Karen speaks 4 languages and can play at least 6 musical instruments (more but there are some that are rusty). She can speed read, and has been to about 35 countries. Pretty impressive!
Wild for purple!
Some of my favorite posts of Karen's are of the hotels she explores. From small boutique hotels to the grandiose, she covers many of them, their designers, and includes beautiful photos for the best “eye-candy."
(above) The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City...
...and the Haymarket Hotel in London (above).Karen loves taking old pieces of furniture and having them reupholstered or redone in a new way. Her blog features a gallery of repurposed furniture. If you have a chair or piece of furniture that would like to show off, send Karen photos with information and she will post them!
BEFORE: Fellow blogger, Katiedid, found this faux bamboo table on the street and took it home to give it some TLC.
AFTER: The end result after lacquering the table white with an aqua top. Beautiful!
BEFORE: A tired pair of vintage caned chairs that Karen picked up...
...and AFTER: Redone in a faux leather-like material with a black lacquer finish for a modern twist! Beautiful job Karen!
There are so many wonderful posts on Karen's blog, so grab a comfy seat and enjoy perusing the fabulous Alkemie!
Photos courtesy of Alkemie
