When a good friend from Cairo visited recently, she brought me these cute coasters featuring retro pop art Egyptian movie posters. They were so fabulous, they inspired me to create a Middle Eastern-inspired sitting area for our fireplace.

The first step was to create comfortable floor seating: piles of floor cushions covered with patchwork quilts from Pakistan. The floor seating is anchored by silver Moroccan lanterns atop cylindrical latticework side tables. Then I layered different textured and colored rugs with a low brass tray table.

For a little variation in seating, there's a sleek chaise lounge in the corner that I adore - it's the perfect way to curl up in front of the fireplace and read a book!

There are also a few modern elements to the room - including halogen track lighting and sleek silver floor vases - to balance the ethnic theme and keep the look fresh.

Do YOU have an item that's inspired you to create a special look, whether an outfit or a room?