Inspirational

Stylefinds:

Portofino, The Sartorialist

A perfect excuse for channeling the nautical trend, to have a memorable get-away, to be the proud owner of this boat... argh I heart this

Photograph by Mallinkowa, My inspirations

Spectacular sunset, "Views from my parent's flat. They are living on the 11th floor."
... You will definitely fall in love with Poland:)

Pretty Dress, A CUP OF JO

Ms Zooey Deschanel looks like she stepped out of a fairy tale. One of my favorite style musings, A CUP OF JO by Ms. Joanna Goddard.

Sorapot, decorology

The sorapot from industrial designer Joey Roth. Heart this new blog.

Little crushes

Outdoor
Quirky cooler for the fun kid in you

Citypix
Achieve simple sophistication

Above: livingetc, desiretoinspire,

...and from RedEnvelope:

Chalkboard candle

Deliver your message by candlelight. This ceramic candleholder acts as a chalkboard, and can be written on, doodled, or decorated according to the occasion. Holds a scented 100 percent soy wax candle, and arrives with a set of three colored chalks.

Spinning Frames

Put a fresh spin on the classic desk frame with a flick of a finger. These spinning frames are a convenient and good-looking way to display multiple photos of loved ones without cluttering up the desktop.

Loop Candlesticks

English designers Black+Blum have won numerous awards for their innovative, visually compelling designs, and these candleholders exemplify their artistry. Their polished loops add height and fluid beauty to any table, and may stand alone or be placed together into an intricately beautiful twist. Each individual candlestick holds two candles at slightly different heights.

Be Inspired

Showcasing a favorite artist of mine, Jennifer Ramos who's the designer behind the ultra chic label "MadeByGirl"

"I love my job and creativity is everything to me. Hopefully, I can inspire & and encourage others to follow their dreams of becoming a business owner. In the meantime, I hope each of you will embrace the idea of going green as much as possible and motivate others to do the same. Global warming has become such a threat, and we need to change this. I believe we're all environmentalist, we all love beautiful sunny days and clean beaches, so we all have to be part of the solution. All my cards will be printed on recycled or post consumer paper, with the hopes of creating a positive change in others. The cards & posters I design are fun and colorful, because I LOVE color! It is the most personal and emotional element of design."
Jennifer Ramos

ABC love, $ 2.95

From The Love Pack, $ 21.00
It really is a fun and colorful collection of 8 cards, 1 of each design for different occasions
to give to your sweetheart.

Love Defined, $ 2.95

Besides the designer cards, MadeByGirl also sells digital prints, reprising some of the same amazing designs. Do you just not picture a piece of love in your home! I can imagine that the most interesting conversations develop around this enticingly vivid& bold art ...and yes, I am curious as to how people emotionally react to it.

Find out more about the world of MadeByGirl through her blog space.

Chatou by h2o

Chatou by Paris-based h20 architectes is a garden pavilion where the furniture forms the entire interior. Made from silver birch plywood, the furniture allows for sleeping, living, studying and washing. Arranged on four split levels, the 12m² building is intended for a teenager to live within the garden of the family home. Now no comments on THAT one

I love how the post included the evolution of the design. h2o looks like this modern tree house with its comfortable amenities implanted in a small shack and somehow, the rendition of it being cool, cooler than most urban studios in Paris.

(Photographs by Stephane Chalmeau)

A word on Chatou from the designer team

"This little building, located in the owner’s backyard, was neglected for years. The aim of the project was to provide a private space for a teenager looking for his independence. Therefore, the program includes elements necessary for an autonomous life including sleeping, living, studying and washing. It had been decided between the parents and teenager that meals would still be a shared time in the family home. Due to the very limited floor space (12m²) we tested different options assembling the programs into a kind of “inhabitable furniture”. Multiple spaces are connected in a unique volume in a series of four split-levels with dedicated areas for each of the programmatic functions."
posted on Dezeen by Rose Etherington

It's that day again...monday

A Getaway for the mind(only) and an excuse to skip the caffeine. As wake up call today, visualization of my very own ilot de fraicheur, the perfect escape fantasy-zen space.

Charade

Perfect for farniente

Casa

Crozatier

Jardiland

Sifas

(Source: aufeminin.com)

Parisian Flair

Frenchman Robert Gervais is a talented interior decorator with a keen eye for harmonious mis-en-scene. He revamped this small 1970 apartment, in Paris, and the result is a stunning mix of 1950's design, art and family heirlooms. Edgy, Strong, Grand are the words that come to my mind when I first saw the pictures on aufeminin.com. It is quite surreal to think that people actually live in there, and this is not a mere magazine spread. Not especially my style, but the clever design that is clearly behind this beauty is appealing. What can I say, I cannooot resist fantastic pieces of work. I am sorry, sorry I didn't translate into english(lazy me), but hey the pictures by Aymeric Warme-Janville speak more than words.. right?

Pour ajouter une touche "design scandinave" à cette partie de la pièce, Robert Gervais a chiné et arpenté les antiquaires, dénichant ces fauteuils d’une école de design italienne, et les terres anciennes accrochées au-dessus, afin de faire un rappel avec le style ancien de la pièce.

Ici aussi, Robert Gervais a créé des niches dans le couloir, optimisant ainsi tous les recoins. Cette alcôve, creusée dans le mur aux dimensions précises du meuble, offre une respiration dans l’espace exigu menant à la seconde partie de l’appartement, en attente des services de l’architecte. Sans perdre un centimètre d'espace !

Robert Gervais a eu l'idée d'insérer le coin lavabo destiné aux invités, jouxtant la salle de bain, dans une alcôve. On y retrouve encore l’élément central du centre de table recyclé en miroir luxueux. La vasque du lavabo quant à elle fait le raccord entre le caractère presque muséal des alcôves de l’appartement et la fonctionnalité optimisée par l’architecte. Tout est pensé pour être beau, mais surtout pratique.

Lorsqu’il l’évoque, Robert Gervais semble très fier de ce petit espace situé dans la chambre d’amis. Contraint de conserver ce meuble de famille au bois massif et très travaillé, aux airs de sacristain, il est parvenu à lui créer une espace propre dans une alcôve, dans laquelle il conserve son identité d’art populaire sans être imposant.

La propriétaire a choisi des textiles bruts qui se mêlent avec les teintes naturelles des abat-jour signés Andrée Putman, chinés chez des antiquaires parisiens.


Il a choisi d’offrir un écrin propre à chacun de ces meubles, pour qu’ils puissent cohabiter : caissons en pierres brunes pour les chaises Jabobsen, caisson crème pour la commode ancienne.
On remarque sur cette dernière de vieux récipients à huile de noix chinés, "le genre de pièces très recherchées par les Américains", précise Robert Gervais, et une lampe signée Andrée Putmann.

Dans le fond, on aperçoit la porte de la salle de bain réservée aux invités, qui a été chinée aux Puces par Robert Gervais : une véritable porte haussmannienne, dont la couleur crée un contraste avec le noir des murs du couloir.

Very Hip n Chic

(Source: Instyle Wedding Summer 2008)

In or Out?

A beautifully designed indoor/outdoor. Modern, crisp, clean lined spaces are the trademark of the Australian born, London based architect and his young team.


Designer Profile:(Do check out his Portfolio!!)

"Our work is characterised by a sense of order and calm, finely composed spaces, generous open relationships between rooms and between inside and out, and the capture of as much natural light as possible."
Alan Higgs

Bric-a-Brac

Urban Garderner Greenhouse

(Marie-Claire's lifestyle buy of the day)

Having a little personal patch of outside space is hard to come by if you live in a big city, so if you've got the green fingers twitch this summer but don't have anywhere to exercise it, this Fairtrade Urban Gardener Greenhouse is ideal to start things growing. Useful for having on hand fresh aromatic herbs!! ..doesn't hurt that the greenhouse comes in a flashy hot pink shade too..plus, the windowsill version of the mini-garden is delectable too.

French Flare(Hot finds from InStyle)

Featuring MR Architecture+ Decor, NY.
(Image Courtesy to desiretoinspire)

"What is it about a well designed modern space that is so appealing? Elegant, “lean”, almost zen like at times these homes are not cold and hard. They’re inviting in their minimalism" (Kim)

(Image Courtesy to CafeMode)

StyleStalking: Casa 11 Mujeres

Although am not particularly hearting the external facades and the "piled boxes" feel that emanates from the frontal view, I am fond of the terraces, can you believe the views? Mr photographer perfectly captured the magic of the scenic environment. Just imagine the kind of grand family reunions and anniversaries, pool parties.. I can picture the house being used in a hollywood film:P There you go, a feast for the eyes:

“ELEVEN WOMAN” house is a vacation home at Beranda. It stands on a site sloping down to Cachagua beach on the Pacific, 140 kilometers north of Santiago, Chile. A cliff-top house by architect Mathias Klotz. Designed as a holiday home to accommodate a family with eleven daughters, the house is built on a 45 degree slope.

The brief was to provide a second home laid out on three levels for a couple with eleven daughters whose ages range from four to twenty, and to provide all services, a master bedroom, and spaces for entertaining and guests.

The site is on terrain with a steep slope (about 45 degrees), which offers a splendid view of the beach. The three stories are laid out as follows: the plinth is used for the shared spaced and includes a games room and TV room; the intermediate level contains the bedrooms of the eleven daughters, as well as two living rooms for different age groups; the upper level contains the services, the master bedroom, living room, and the family dining room.

Planned in bare concrete with travertine floors, “ELEVEN WOMAN” house adapts to the contours of its site by its extremely compact layout so as to offer splendid views from
every room.

The terraces are spacious and protect the user from the strong southern winds, while a system of hinged shutters solves the problem of the glare on the west side.

Photographer Cristobal Palma

Posted by Rose Etherington, Dezeen Architecture&Design Magazine