The Devil - and Everything Else - Is in the Details

One of my favorite websites to check when I'm looking for design inspiration (besides houzz.com, of course!) is The Selby (www.theselby.com). Photographer Todd Selby photographs people's homes, with special attention to the little details that personalize a space. Sure, that Eames chair might look amazing in the corner, but it's the book and trinkets stacked around it that make it yours.

So that's what this is all about - those little details that make a space unforgettably personal:

Kit Pollard

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I love the use of an antique armoire as a baby's closet - even better with a simple vase of flowers on top. It's pretty and sweet and definitely not generic.

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There are two things I really like about this vignette: the artwork (great color, cool design, and doesn't it remind you of a spirograph?) and the little bird bookends. Their design is minimal and cool, but also says something about the person who chose them.

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I really love this space (though I'd pair the black and white with a bright, kelly-green rug or wall). The sofa's pattern is so cool and the antique side table is perfect. But the details here? They're in the books. Books are the quickest way to personalize a space - what says more about who you are than what you like to read?

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Having a little desk for writing in the bedroom is particularly romantic. I love the detail in this one - the flowers, the lam, the delicate chair. It's not overly fussy and feminine, but it is full of romance and light.

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This home office is full of personalizing details, especially on the bookshelves. All those books, so haphazardly stacked - I love them! But my favorite part of the space is on the desk - the cool prints leaning casually against the wall. They're vibrant and fun and give immediate insight into the people who make this office their home.

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This kitchen would be cool even if the shelves simply held a bunch of white dishware. But they don't - and that's even better. In terms of personalization, that little bunny on the top shelf is worth its weight in gold.

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This room is pretty and calming - the color is great and I like the simplicity of the furniture. But two details elevate it from simply pretty to really special - the gorgeous wood table at the foot of the bed and the chandelier. Both add a touch of elegance that takes the room beyond ordinary.