Blog Page 286

A most pretty little space

I’ve yet to loose my sense of wonder at beautiful interiors, but even more so when the space is small! As some of you know, I work from home, and live small, so I’m always on the look out for great small spaces that serve as both live and work space. I think this apartment, owned by a jewelry designer who works as well as lives in it, is just one such example


I think the light colors used consistently lends an openness to the space

Collections are kept in neat groupings

Her desk/workspace is behind the couch in the living room


Lovely desk details…

Jess’s Tips for working from home:

1. Make the space work for you:
Jess says her kitchen was begging for an island, so she placed a large table there that doubles as a jewelry assembly station by day and a dining room and kitchen prep table after hours.

2. Dress for work:
Jess puts on a nice outfit with shoes when she’s working. As for her space, she uses overhead lights during business hours, while pharmacy lamps atop cabinets and bookcases create a homey glow in the evenings. (I like this idea, however, living on a farm with muddy dogs means I only dress nicely for meetings or going out)

3. Separate storage:
To avoid seeing a stack of business receipts when she’s looking for a recipe, Jess keeps her office supplies completely separate from her personal items. Each day her assistant wheels out a cart with the jewelry supplies and it’s tucked away at night. (I think this is really important, to have all of your work supplies put away at the end of the day – however, I think I would rent a separate office space or get a bigger apartment before hiring an assistant – but that’s me..)

via Rue Magazine

Rooms for sweet slumber

For some reason I have not been sleeping well lately. I wake up feeling anxious but I’m not sure why; so needless to say I’m a bit groggy. Maybe if my bedroom looked a little more like these I’d sleep easier…

Love the quiet, clean design of this bedroom
via Home Sweet Home

Great morning light…
via Country Living

Neutrals can’t help but create a peaceful feel
via Ballard Designs

So simple and clean… and coffee brought to me in bed is my idea of heaven!
via Pinterest

clean, no-fuss design

gorgeous!
2 above via Apartment Therapy

Love the raw linen bedspread and other natural textures
via Adore Home ma

A fabulous house tour with modern and vintage twists…

This is the home of Jess Loraas, a photographer and competitive show jumper, based in Calgary.

I love the clean, simple lines to everything – but it doesn’t lack “prettiness” which I also like.

One day I must have a home office as efficient and beautiful as this one. Believe it or not, it’s in her guest room…

SO pretty! Crisp, stark bedding keeps focus on the Paris wallpaper, which she had custom printed.


I love seeing oriental rugs with the mid-century modern furniture

*adore* I’m all about large mirrors just leaning against the wall- it creates a posh feeling while still being laid back…

via Design*Sponge

Modern interiors in ancient homes

I LOVE old, historic homes. The character, the charm, the history, and the quality of craftsmanship far surpass the cookie cutter houses most of us have to settle for. What I also love is to see how people of today integrate modern technologies and furnishings into houses built long before those technologies were ever dreamed up.

PS – click on each image for a larger version

A home in Sri Lanka – I like that so many of the original architectural elements haven’t been tampered with.



Love this bathroom and bedroom – check out the nooks above the desk

the 3 images above are from another Sri Lanka home.


2 images above from a farmhouse in Santiago, Chile

This kitchen is one of my favorites. I love exposed beams, and these have been painted yellow to brighten up the place.

2 images above from a home in Provence, France


2 above from a home in Mantova, Italy

LOVE the stone with a modern take on a classic chair. Gorgeous. From another Provence home.

What do you think? Do you live in an old home? What do you love about it? If you don’t, would you like to live in one?

all images © Richard Powers.

A super easy DIY that makes a great Mother’s Day gift

The new home networking site – Link My Home, was awesome enough to publish my post today on turning a Mason jar into a soap pump. Link My Home connects home owners globally to chat, share inspiration, and buy/sell – check it out.

Below is my post and DIY

Decorology DIY: Turn a Mason jar into a charming soap pump – A great Mother’s Day gift too!

via Country Living

I’m far from the first one to present this idea, but it’s really great and perhaps some of you out there have yet to discover it. All you need is a soap dispenser pump (reuse one from your last soap bottle or purchase one from a supplier like onedreamdesign.com), a mason jar, and the jar’s lid. It is also helpful to have a drill, as you will need to create a hole about half and inch wide to accommodate the soap pump. Other supplies you may want to have on hand include scissors, a marker to mark where you will drill the hole, and some 2 part epoxy to seal the cap of the soap pump to the jar of the lid.


(via Apartment Therapy)

Directions:

1. Use marker to measure and mark a circle in the lid of the mason jar the width of you soap dispenser pump
2. Drill hole where you marked in lid of mason jar
3. Mix epoxy and apply to the lower rim of the soap dispenser pump
4. Insert the pump dispenser through the jar lid (if the tube is too long for the jar, just snip it to size with some scissors)

5. Let the epoxy dry according to the instructions
7. Fill with your favorite liquid soap – and enjoy!

Here are some examples of what you can create:

(via Apartment Therapy)

If you don’t have a Mason jar they are pretty easy to find at thrift stores.

via Décor Chick

So cute right? I think I’ll be making a couple for my mom for Mother’s Day!

O M G – Best house tour ever!

I don’t know how to make your Monday better, because if this house tour doesn’t leave you high off the beauty I don’t know what will. It is simply gorgeous.

The house is registered for film and photo shoots – so no one actually lives here. Still, it’s beautifully done. Seriously, I would consider giving my left hand for this house. And I’m left handed.

ps – you can see a larger view by clicking on the image

















Well ? What do you think?
via 1st Option

Like reclaimed wood furniture? Than you’ll love this…

HauteLook, one of my fav. designer discount sites, sometimes has really great sales on home stuff. Today they opened a sale for some really lovely reclaimed wood pieces. The sales never last long so get it while you can…

To shop the HauteLook sales you have to be a member. Click on my link for a free and fast membership.






LOVE this cart
and this console…




To shop the HauteLook sales you have to be a member. Click on my link for a free and fast membership.

My Summer in Europe: Pictures from lovely Florence, Italy

Florence is a must-see if you’re going to Italy. It’s just so beautiful. I went there for a day in the winter after I graduated college, and wished I had had more time. This summer we stayed for two days so I got to see more of this charming city. While the weather was much nicer in the summer, in the winter it was a treat because there were very few tourists about. If you can somehow manage to go in the Fall or early Spring that would probably be your best bet.



The famous Ponte Vecchio. The bridge is pedestrian and lined with jewelers.

The architecture in Florence is stunning and an interesting mix…

Piazza della Signoria

From my winter trip

There is an popular open-air sculpture garden in the famous
Piazza della Signoria

Inside the Palazzo Vecchio – the most prominent building in Piazza della Signoria

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is unforgettable

The Baptistery of St. John boasts the famous bronze doors Michelangelo dubbed “The Gates of Paradise”


The beautiful Santa Maria Novella…

Anyone here been to Florence? What did you think?

Here’s that list again of all my posts from our travels that I’ve posted –

Spain

•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
Galicia – Baiona and Isle de Cies
Galicia – the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
Stunning mountains – Picos de Europa
Bilbao and San Sebastian
Beautiful Barcelona
The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy

Not to miss – the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy’s Cinque Terre
More from my summer traveling Europe – amazing Rome
From my summer in Europe – amazing Pompeii
Turquoise ocean and vineyards on cliffs – the amazingly stunning Amalfi coast

Spring interiors: bliss indoors and out

Spring Interiors

The weather has been so wishy-washy. Teasing us with a 70 degree day, and then bringing us back down by dropping to 50 overnight! But, the leaves are finally on the trees, and the days are longer – so it’s safe to say Spring is here.

I love the longer days…so beautiful
via KML Design

Domino Mag

…and fresh flowers. The first image is flowers in tea tins. I do this, but my tea tins aren’t water tight so I put a juice glass with water inside the tea tin and just put the flowers in the glass. The second image is a cute idea: use some glass bottles (they don’t have to match), wrap some jute or hemp around them – and you get a lovely handpicked, country centerpiece.
via Country Living

….weekends in the country….
via NiKreations

Love the lanterns hanging from the trees!
via Scandinavian Chic

Meals outside..
When I was a kid, we out outside every evening in the summer. We didn’t have a patio, so we just set up chairs and a table right out in the yard

2 images above via Rue Magazine

The ultimate—poolside…
via Design Interior

How do you enjoy spring?

2 lovely but different homes: a photographer’s loft, and a couple’s ode to their travels

First, a photographers bright and breezy loft, filled with things she’s collected and uses for photo props…

awww…. and I love the old radio (I think that’s what that is) as a side table

The large chalkboard actually hides some unsightly electrical panels

This table is like a little personal collection of curiosities
I’m still into the clear console tables – does anyone have one? How’s it holding up?
Next, the home of a couple who are world travelers, yet proclaim themselves also to be homebodies. I can relate to this because I love traveling, but I also love coming back home.
Under the classic alarm clock is one of the funniest books ever, “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris. If you haven’t read it – do so…

These panels from Indonesia were too big to get back home, so they bought similar ones they found imported to the states. I deal with this all the time. When I travel, I often just have a book bag, and sometimes shipping an item back home is more expensive from buying something similar already imported to the states…

The painting is a child’s work from Cambodia. They sell their art on the streets to pay for tuition.
This gold Buddha is from Chiang Mai, Thailand

This silver elephant is from Cambodia