Displaying posts from June, 2012

A tiny rundown 550 sqft shoebox flat in Singapore has undergone a remarkable transformation. The owner and her mother needed a stylish and modern home. It was time for a complete rejuvenation by Stanley Tham and Kusnin Tan from KNQ Associates. “While she is not exactly living alone, we wanted to create a chic and functional ‘semi-bachelorette pad’ which would reflect her personal style as much as possible. We wanted to transform the once ho-hum dwelling into a serene and cozy retreat that she could escape to at the end of a busy day. One which will also not be too feminine.” The transformation from before to after is amazing. I particularly like the conversion of a utility room at the back of the kitchen into a private play-and-work room for the owner with built-in seating for lounging and watching TV as well as guest sleep overs. You can read more about the renovation on Home Rejuvenation.

Like a bower bird, a cabinet of curiosities, dark light and light and bright. Layers and meanings, beauty and quirkiness, memories and stories. Rough and luxe, ordinary and natural and found but always inspirational. The work of stylist Hans Blomquist.

If you’d like to send me photos to include in next week’s “pets on furniture” post, please ensure your photos follow my 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. Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.comand PLEASE don’t send closeups of your pet! Thanks!

This is Daisy, she has been lounging in a room designed by Dallas designer Julio Quinones.
– Danny

This is my adopted Persian cat Omar.  He is about 13 years old.  His last hair-cut is growing out and it was a very hot day, so he decided it would be cooler to hang out on my vintage 1960’s Bassett pivot coffee table (Craig’s List), which is in front of my vintage 1970’s sofa (Craig’s List) and on top of my antique Kilim rug (hand-me-down).
– Annalisa (New Haven, CT)

This is my 8 year old Labrador “Jet” kicking back in our Papa-san chair on the veranda of our Queenslander.
– Heidi (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)

This is Adhara on our couch next to her favourite cushions, which she always look for when getting ready for a nap. You can also see a part of our “Collection Wall” in the background.
– Petya

This is “Link” our Chinchilla. He loves to run around and explore on the bed, chairs, bar and shelves, so it can be tough to catch him.
– Sydnee (Colorado Springs, CO) 

I own a vintage furniture shop in Toronto called Hawk Eyes. I have two little Brussels Griffons 5 years and 1 year old (Talulah & Oscar Ozzy Wee Man). They are well known on the Roncesvalles strip as they spend a lot of time in the shop and on furniture!
– Rachelle

This is Beau, my 4 year old pit mix, chillaxin on my bed. He doesn’t seem to mind a bit ghat his paws are dusty from our hike, and my duvet is white…
– Dina (Washington)

This is Hammie stretching out on my newly-reupholstered club chair (my first upholstery project!). Glad she seems to love it just as much as i do.
– Kim

This is Sam, who is a holy terror, but he’s looking very serene in this pic, sitting on one of his favorite sleeping spots.
– Martha

My husband and I met while working in Saudi Arabia. He brought home several beautiful (Persian? Turkish?) carpets that are now favourite lounging spots for our beloved kitty, Joey. Joey was adopted from the foster home he was born in, and he was originally named ‘Lil Joe’. Ironic, considering he now weighs over 20 pounds!
– SueE (Athens, Georgia)

I got my hands on a couple new books this past week that I wanted to share with you all today. This first one I LOVE. L O V E. It’s written by a mother/daughter team – Suzanne McGrath is a former Style Editor and Producer at Martha Stewart Living Television and her daughter Lauren worked in the fashion features department at Teen Vogue magazine. Good Bones, Great Pieces is their first book. In this book Suzanna and Lauren discuss how they believe that every home should have a core group of seven pieces that can live in almost any setting and will always be in style: the demilune, the dresser, the side table, the love seat, the bench, the slipper chair and the occasional chair. And with lots of fantastic photos by one of my all-time favourite photographers Lucas Allen, they provide awesome examples of different uses for these pieces. It really made me think about what furniture pieces I should be investing in. You can pick up this must-have book here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indigo, Powell’s

{{{ the demilune }}}

{{{ the dresser }}}

{{{ the side table }}}

{{{ the  love seat }}}

{{{ the bench }}}

{{{ the slipper chair }}}

{{{ the occasional chair }}}

{{{ i just loved this photo from the intro section 🙂 }}}

This next book is a great idea for those who love hosting dinner parties. It’s called Make it Beautiful: Designs and Ideas for Entertaining at Home by Monica Pedersen. This wonderful coffee-table book is filled with smart, savvy advice and how-tos for entertaining at home on a range of budgets. Monica is a designer and host for HGTV, and her passion for DIY home design and entertaining is sure to inspire your readers. In ten beautifully photographed chapters, Monica walks readers through the steps of planning and executing a party, using inspiration drawn from their own surroundings and the materials and items they already have on hand. There’s even a famous Italian cutie-patootie chef featured in it. 🙂 You can purchase this book here via Agate Midway Publishing.

my latest finds… Indian wood blocks

Time to settle in. Time to surf the net. Time to share “new to me” blogs. Yes it’s time for a DTI reading guide. There is so much to explore. I hope you have the time 🙂