Displaying posts from August, 2011

Reader request – black kitchens

Posted on Wed, 3 Aug 2011 by KiM

Today’s reader request comes from Beverly: I am considering painting my kitchen cabinets black, at least the lowers. Most likely will do the uppers, which are doorless, in white to keep the room from being too dark. There is no natural light. Do you have any inspirations? I sure do!! I LOVE kitchens with black, whether it be just an island, or a wall, or cabinets. Now without natural light maybe painting the uppers white is a good idea but if you have a reasonable amount of wall space and you paint that white, then you likely could get away with painting all the cabinets black. Plus whatever you are displaying in the door-less uppers will show so nicely against the black. I couldn’t find many photos with black lowers and white uppers but you’ll see in many of these photos that white uppers maybe aren’t necessary.


Canadian House & Home

Amok

Sunset

McGill Design Group

Apartment Therapy

Bricault

Sköna hem

Coburn Architecture

Elle Decor

Folio

Lagerlings

Melanie Acevedo

Nuevo Estilo

Rue Magazine

Søren Rose Studio

Piet Boon

Kelly Hoppen

Country Home

Freunde von Freunden

Stuart McIntyre

Bauladen

Inner Gardens

Posted on Wed, 3 Aug 2011 by midcenturyjo

Aaaaah the great outdoors! Rather the great outdoors just outside the back door. Whether a simple chair in a quiet and secluded spot or a pool party worthy aquatic hangout, Los Angeles landscape design firm and nursery Inner Gardens plants the seed for the perfect garden. Formal and overflowing or modern and restrained Stephen Block and his team give root to your wildest dreams or even your modest but stylish wishes. You’ll find me sunning myself with a book in that Adirondack chair bobbing my foot up and down in the ornamental grass. Care to join me?

Tamzin Greenhill

Posted on Tue, 2 Aug 2011 by KiM

Tamzin Greenhill is an interior designer based in New York and special projects editor for Elle Décor magazine. I am a fan of her designs – timeless and somewhat classic yet with a slight edge and a touch of sophistication. Spaces you could entertain in that would wow your friends. I’m a bit surprised at how smitten I am with the first photo. Such a simple kitchen yet had a subtle chic vibe…

I know how much you love a good reader’s home renovation on Desire to Inspire. So many times you ask for the before shots or more often the after photos. This post should just about satisfy both. Back in February Sonia emailed asking for some recommendations and… wait I’ll just let her explain in her latest email to us.

A few months ago you all shared some names when I was looking for stagers in the DC area so I wanted to share some pics with you all on a “remodel” (read:total gut job) my friend Connor (who happens to be an architect) and I undertook this year. We took a broken down abandoned city-owned home and breathed some new life into it. This is our first time trying our hand it this and are beaming like proud parents at the result.

I am attaching some pictures of the before and after – its been such a fun and tough ride and you all remained an inspiration throughout!
Drum roll please…. the afters! What a transformation! Sonia has just started her classic restoration firm Adams & Duke based in the DC area. The second project has begun. Can’t wait to see the next lot of befores and afters.

Monday’s pets on furniture

Posted on Mon, 1 Aug 2011 by KiM

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 closeups of your pet!)

This is our little guy Gizmo. He’s obsessed with sitting on my pillow, never on the bed, just my pillow. Cute little guy ;P
– Aaron

This is Adelaide on a white Eiffel Side Chair with walnut legs, next to a solid 20″ cubed pine end table we had cut.
Joshua (Raleigh, NC)

Here is a picture of our tomcat Sephiroth. He always enjoy the catnap on white blankets in Germany’s town Magdeburg.
– Karen & Andrew

Moka, our 18 month old Chocolate Lab, finds a comfy spot. She has a thing for leather chairs!
– Andrea

Here’s our dog Cergy on our new daybed, in our new home.
– Ameet (Prairie Village, KS)

1 – This is Chewie, the beloved Bulldog and sidekick of HGTV’s Antonio Ballatore. He was such a show-stopper it was ridiculously adorable. Photographed inside their downtown loft in LA for Apartment Therapy.
2 – These two puppies (Bernie and Henry) belong to Isabelle and Brandon. I shot them inside their amazing home in Echo Park, for Apartment Therapy
Bethany

I send you the picture of  my two “pesti” , mean something like pestiferous pets. She wear perfectly this nickname. I really love her even if she have changed house 2 days ago, with all my infinity tears.
– Roberta (Sabaudia, a small town close to Rome)

This is one of our rescue Pit Bulls, Tamala Georgette, trying to beat the heat on a well-loved chair that I inherited from my great grandmother. She’s had no trouble adjusting from her previous life on the street to her favorite chair and AC!
– Anastasia (Brooklyn, NY)

This is our cat with our newest pet, the Eames bird.
– Brecht (Belgium)

mutsi the cat and my new living room
– Pat (Sao Paulo, Brazil‏)

This is a picture of our Portuguese Water Dog, Magellan. This is a normal place of rest for him and within perfect distance from the TV- he has his favorite shows too.
– Dave and Monica (Washington DC)

This is my english spaniel cocker, Charlotte. She’s six months and two years old on the photos. Unfortunately she passed away at the age of 3 years because of a cancer. She had a short and busy life, with several careers, among them, supermodel and art historian. She used to meditate on the sofa…
– Eléna (Paris, France)

This is my Scottish Terrier Rosie.  She is always on the go, until she just stops, and she loves this spot on the couch because it’s usually where I sit.
– Barbara (Columbus, Ohio)

This is Henry James, and as you can see he is as regal as his name.
– Angela