Displaying posts from July, 2012

My twin sister sent me the link to the architecture and design firm of Incorporated, based in New York, and the heart palpitations began the second I started peeking through their residential portfolio. These guys are the shit. Seriously. This apartment they call bohemian, is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time. I don’t even know where to begin. Its space after space of awe and wonder.

Let’s start with the dining room, and the birch sliding screen. It’s a work of art in itself and the perfect backdrop for the rough wood table. And then to mix things up unexpectedly, a couple granny-ish wing chairs. And if that wasn’t enough to stop your heart, an Adelman fixture rounds off the space.

The owners must REALLY love their kids, because there is a playhouse in the middle of the apartment. And it’s wrapped in the infamous Cole & Sons Woods to make it look like a tree house. *insert big smile here*

*insert even bigger smile here* This is my dream room. A retro niche to sit back and enjoy a book, swathed in Orla Kiely’s multi-stem wallpaper because having such a niche wasn’t cool enough.

CHECK THIS OUT – that room at the back at first glance looks like a kitchen…turns out it’s the CRAFT ROOM! No words…

Fantastic living room with piano painted to blend in with the wall (take note everyone who has ever emailed us wondering how to decorate around their piano).

LOVE this little office niche.

LOVE this little stove niche with pop of pattern and colour for the backsplash.

Bedrooms are for relaxing, and this one does the trick. Beautiful panels as a headboard.

Freaking GENIUS idea of a graphic tile stripe as a backdrop for light/mirror/sink. I need to copy this in a bathroom ASAP.

These children’s bedrooms are so creative and fun it almost makes me want to have kids. Or go back in time 30 years.

Toronto based Taylor Smyth Architects create poetry or so they say. Buildings relate intimately to their surroundings, embracing the site, celebrating the vista. The Sunset Cabin at Lake Simco, Ontario is a simple building and simply beautiful. A one bedroom cabin, a private retreat in the woods, a bunkie, a getaway that looks to the setting sun for inspiration.

Australian interior designer Bronnie Masefau‘s work is all about the family. In fact she embraces it whole heartedly. Home as sanctuary, home as hearth, home as centre of it all. It’s about gathering at the kitchen table to share meals and life stories, leaving the outside world at the door, homework spread across desks, someone practicing musical scales in a family room. Nothing precious in her designs except those who live in them and that makes them very special.

It’s my turn for a change for a stalking post. This one is located here in Ottawa, and was submitted by Isobel (ironically enough I had come across it on MLS the day before she emailed). Isobel’s parent’s live in the Byward Market, a very desirable neighbourhood as it is smack in the middle of downtown, filled with cool shops and restaurants (and she actually grew up there and not in the ‘burbs – lucky girl!). Isobel styled the home for her folks, and she did a smashing job I have to say, especially for Ottawa standards, as no one here knows how to style or photograph a home for a sale listing. I am not kidding you – it’s so embarrassing. Isobel was really smart in styling this older home with modern furnishings as I’d guess 80% of the people looking to live in that area are young professionals who are typically into modern homes and/or decor. And I have to point out how much I love a feature wall in a home that lacks architectural detail. In this home it is a brick wall (although I think it’s wallpaper but imagine it’s real brick), or you could clad a wall in rough, reclaimed timber or some exposed concrete would be cool. Any of these give a bit of drama and intrigue because there’s only so much you can do with furniture. Think about it.

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!

Here’s our very sweet Moonshadow lounging on our IKEA Karlstad sectional, with an IKEA Hemnes Bookshelf in the background. We rescued her from a pile of leaves on a chilly November day, along with her brother, when she weighed just 12 ounces! Their mom was nowhere to be found and I couldn’t bare to watch them shiver any longer. We were NOT what you’d consider to be “cat people” by any means but she stole my heart and we’ve loved kitties ever since.
– Erin

This time I’m sending you pictures of Oswald, my 2 year old cat, chillaxin’ on the tv bench.
– Janne (Norway) FYI: Janne’s Boston terrier was featured here

This is Charlie…and around our house…he is a hero…read here…What with saving my life and all, we had to make amendments to the “no pets on the sofa” RULE (we have 3 dogs and 3 cats)  and now, we have abandoned the rule all together and just keep blankets on the sofas. I had removed the blanket from THIS sofa, to take some Blog Photos, and when I went to change my camera lens, and turned around….”CHARLIE!” but seriously…look at the face…could you tell him to get down?
– Lesli (Greenwood, VA)

Zuni & Banjo doing what they do best…
– Melissa (Bloomfield, NJ)

This is Isabela, a french bulldog of four years old, in her favourite corner on the sofa…and Isabela, in an english chair.
– Claudio (Porto Alegre, Brazil)

And because there weren’t as many entries as usual this week, I thought I’d add in one of mine I found on my phone.
This is Phoebe, curled up in a basket (where I stash plastic bags) on top of my pantry. There’s a tall scratching post structure to the left of the pantry which provides the agile cats access up there.