Displaying posts from January, 2011

Live/work, green, sustainable, re-use, recycle, style, substance and fun! Chicago architects Wilkinson Blender wanted to save energy and materials with clever design and scrupulous reuse of materials from the original tavern building in this remodel. They even installed wind turbines on the roof to augment photo-voltaic cells. The roof top garden is perfect for entertaining that is if you can drag your friends away from the games room or the togo sofas. It’s smart, it’s stylish, it’s green and it’s sexy.

{click on the photo to go to the original post}

First photographer for 2011. Jonas Gustavsson. Swedish born and New York based and fabulous. What do you think of Anna Sui’s wardrobe (3-7)? If I remember correctly she bought a second apartment in her building and converted it into her closet. The ultimate walk in robe and captured in all its OTTness (not a word I know!) perfectly by Gustavsson. I love the composition and angles of the photos. Somehow the rooms feel so full, bursting with inspiration. There is an intimacy. Like snooping while the owner is out. The holiday season may be finished but I still can’t get enough of Scandinavian cosy winter homes.

If you’d like to send us photos to include in next week’s “pets on furniture” post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. (Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off…and your pet happens to be sitting on it). And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it’s dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim[@]hotmail[.]com and PLEASE don’t send me closeups of your pet!)

“Wanted to submit a picture of Daisy the beagle, observing Christmas morning craziness! Daisy has been in our family for three years and is the perfect family pet!”
– Michelle (Webb City, Missouri)

“This is our cat Calista sitting in her favorite spot in the living room taking in some sun rays. Her second favorite spot in the winter: The vent on the floor 😀”
– Wendy (Alexandria, VA)

“Our Yula on her favourite chair.”
– Magda (SW Ontario, Canada)

“here is luna, our french bulldog, in brooklyn enjoying a breeze on the couch in the summer and cuddling up in the winter.”
– Liana

“This red and cream checked wing chair is accented by Pumpkin, the six month-old Cardigan Welsh Corgi. She lives in El Cajon, California with her cousin, Darby, and her humans Glenn and Melissa. And just for fun here is a cute one of BOTH of my corgis that doesn’t meet your submission criteria, but is cute anyway.”
– Melissa

“Ektorp furniture is a dime a dozen I know, but I was trying to get a shot of my ‘ minimalist’ arrangement of branches with ‘Nest'(Tamar) inspired Dream Catcher and Banshee was determined to get in the shot.”
– Tamara

“Our calico, Tak, and a chair I got off of craigslist. She stays up there most of the day.”
– Tasha

“This is my girl Lola, a Maltese/Yorshire Terrier mix relaxing on the sofa, well; on top of the sofa…”
– Carol-Anne (Oakville, ON)

“I snapped this shot of our 1 year old (female) Chihuahua Willie yesterday (Dec 29). Willie is short for Wilson; my partner has a mania for Republican presidents and named her after Ronald Wilson Reagan, however I think of Willie as short for Wilhelmina which is more ladylike. Willie is sitting on our newly upholstered Walter Knoll sofa (after 10 years in the same beige boucle we switched to an updated grey tweed). The pillows are new (just back from the upholsterer) and she knows better than to be touching them but the fuchsia velvet is oh so soft.”
– Jeff (Boston, MA)

“Our rescue dog Cullie in the big comfy chair in our bedroom – his favorite place in the house.  Unfortunately for Cullie, the old shades have been removed and we’re still waiting for the new ones, so his morning nap was interrupted by the bright sun coming in!”
– Betsy (Nashville, TN)

“Here is our cat Mary, sitting on a vintage Paul McCobb chair. The topiary was made by my daughter, Sasha.
Our cat Mabel loves to lie on our radiator. Are radiators furniture? Ours are old Victorian ones that are actually quite decorative, so I think they count.”
– Jennifer (Toronto)

“This is our little one, Hopscotch, better known as Scotch snoozing on our plycraft lounger. We live in a Baltimore Rowhome, with windows only on the front and back of the house. Scotch loves to lay anywhere where the sun hits her, but this chair has quickly become her favorite spot.”
– Marcella (Baltimore, MD)

“This is Franklin getting cozy on our couch.”
– Barbara (Chicago, IL)

Last day of my 3 day New Year’s break and I have scrubbed and painted, weeded and mowed the lawn, entertained friends and started work on Kelvin’s man cave (here). I’m exhausted in a good way and now I am racing to get this post completed before an ugly thunderstorm hits. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a small farmhouse in the country to run away to on weekends? A fireplace, a big eat in kitchen and a pool right off the back deck. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it was this house? Mr Bank Manager any chance of yet another loan? Pretty please? Link here while it lasts.