Guest Post: Samantha of Pretty Lovely

While I tend to look to other countries for travel and cultural inspiration, today's guest reminds me that there's so much to appreciate right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.! Samantha of Pretty Lovely is taking us on a cross-country tour of great American design! And let me tell you, she completely spoils us with eye candy and inspiration (thanks Sam!). Here she is...

I am so glad to be guest posting for Plush Palate while Crystal is away on her uber-amazing vacation. The best thing about traveling is that not only do you get the chance to take it easy and relax - enjoying the face that you are far removed from the daily grind - but, you also have the unique opportunity to be inspired. Although there are many places in the world that inspire me, both those I have visited and others that I have only dreamt of, nothing beats what you can find in your own backyard. So, from the bright lights of the big city to the peach trees found down south - this is how I am aesthetically inspired by the USA.

Palm Springs is an oasis for mid-century modern architecture and design. With the minimalism and clean lines of Richard Neutra and his epic Kaufman Desert House to the old Hollywood glamour of E. Stewart Williams' house for Frank Sinatra, I bet you would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't been inspired by this city.

In Miami it is all about bringing the heat. Best known for its spicy and colorful interiors with an excessive twist, MiMo is definitely here to stay. I also appreciate the fact that an entire neighborhood is solely dedicated to the preservation of the creative arts.

Cape Cod was easily a shoo-in for this list, mostly because an entire architectural style is dedicated to this very city. However, this Colonial town was also once home to the Kennedy Compound - and, well to me, nothing is more luxurious or elegant than Jackie O. I truly love the classic and timeless 'look' of a Cape Cod inspired home.

In New York anything goes, which is why how this city inspires me can't really be summed up into one tiny paragraph. However, whether it is the 19th century row houses of the Upper East Side with their black and white marble foyers or the seemingly white tiles found in the subway, I am always guaranteed to find something that catches my eye.

I am a southern girl. And in the South, it's all about that understated elegance - making a home feel both ritzy and comfortable so that your guests feel welcomed, yet are still left impressed. I am constantly inspired by how a historic home in Savannah can combine the best of both worlds by mixing the old with the new. There is nothing like walking into a house that can have a dining room where its original oak millwork is flanking a custom farmhouse table with Louis Ghost armchairs.

Images via Architectural Digest (1 & 3), Interior Design, Dethjunkie, The Epic Miami, Sacramento Street, Architectural Digest, Le Blog de Betty, House Beautiful (9 & 11), Like a Bird to the Sky, Life, Home Sweet Home, Door Sixteen, Decor8, Sebastian, Home Sweet Home, Fairytale Style and Inspiration, Domino, and William Eggleston