Displaying posts from August, 2011

I’ve got another London location home beauty for you today, thanks to the folks at Shoot Factory. This one is called Old Villa, and old it certainly is. A little rough around the edges (is that a hole in the bathroom floor?) and a bit more traditional than we typically post but I love it for those qualities. My only beef is that gorgeous porcelain kitchen sink stuck in a corner, mounted on a rickety looking table. ODD. And how annoying if you’ve got a pile of dishes to do.

Finely crafted details. A rich vernacular. Houses that sit firmly but still lightly in their surrounds. Buildings that cut a fine figure, figure of wood that is. It’s Crafted Modernism with custom fittings and furniture. Genius loci, spirit of place, sustainable principles and a richness that speaks of forest and lake, stone and rain, sun, shadow and permanence. Seattle based FINNE Architects.

I am STILL on the hunt for hardwood for my house additions/renovations (see this post) and OMG it’s tough when you’re as picky as I am. I was just going through some of my photo stash and came across these photos…dear gawd if this flooring could be mine….

(photos by Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer)

Back in ’07 Jo blogged about photographer William Waldron a couple of times. I thought it was time for a long overdue update of his work as I find his photos completely captivating and almost mysterious, as if there were people enjoying these spaces moments before they were captured on camera.

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 cat Greta from Spain. She is in our chair (her chair) looking for reading some book of the shelves.
– Virginia

Since I have no animals of my own (currently living a gypsy-student-life), I thought I’d submit a photo of this wonderfully colorful cat I found outside a shop in Lillehammer, Norway.
– Silje

Our pug enjoying a little bit of Seattle sun!
– Heather and Greg

In picture is my 3,5 months old frenchie Bella chillin’ on my bed.
– Sandra (Zagreb, Croatia)

When my dog-girl, Pumpkin, jumped up on the table this morning (free-pile find with a sheet aluminum top with hand-crimped edges!) I couldn’t resist taking the photos and sending them to you. (My husband made two of the adirondack chairs by copying the third one.)
– Melissa (El Cajon, CA)

Please find my two kitties, they are siblings and 18 weeks old now. The one on the lucite chair is Aslan The Kuching (‘Kuching’ means ‘cat’ in Malay language) and the one on the coffee table is Suri. They practically do not walk on the floor or rugs, they chase each other, hop and fly from one couch to another, to side table to my breakfast nook chair and table and to the kitchen stool. Quite a handful, they are my babies.
– J.

In the wardrobe, the black cat is Petit Coeur (little heart in French). On the bench, Miss and on the by the kitchen sink, Lipton her son.
– Maria and Co (Switzerland)

Below is a picture of Pony on the couch at home in beautiful City Heights, San Diego.
– John

Here is a photo of our dog Polly sitting on a vintage leather chair with a Madeline Weinrib pillow and purple cashmere blanket. 
– Melissa (Los Angeles, CA)

This is “Rosie” Biscuit…she loves to sneak onto the sofa!! Rosie lives in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada with her loyal family…The McCormacks
– Lynne

Attached is a picture of our rabbit, Otis. He is sitting on our family room chair, wanting to be part of things, as the rest of the family sat on the couch.
– Catherine (Warrenton, Virginia)

This is my college apartment bedroom. There’s actually 2 kittens in the photo, Beau and Lola, both just 4 months old!
– Alysia (San Jose, CA)

When I weary of telling my dog Walker that, no, it’s not necessary to alert me whenever someone walks by, I pile the couch pillows on the chair by the window where he likes to perch while “on duty.” Yesterday I walked in and he had burrowed into the pillows, and I was so charmed I couldn’t even yell at him. Dang!
– Kathleen

Coco and Daisy on an antique French lyre-back chair in the living room
– Sharon (San Francisco)

A few weeks ago Nancy Chwiecko (interior design professor) contacted me about a book she wrote with Amy Fernandez, noted dog expert and author. It’s called There’s a Dog in the House, and focuses on designing homes with dogs in mind, which I think is a very important topic as I always think of my 7 cats when I make design choices for my home. Many of you who have made it this far into this post have a dog and appreciate decor, and know it’s sometimes difficult to blend the two worlds. This book provides practical advice to design solutions to make life with your dog more harmonious. There are tips like choosing plastic chair (I’d suggest a Panton S chair) for dogs who enjoy a little nibble on a wooden chair leg, what type of flooring is dog-friendliest, how to design a dog shower, and there is a huge resource list at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to have peace in their home with their 4 legged children. 🙂 (The book can be purchased HERE and Nancy also has a website).