Displaying posts from November, 2012

Milly de Cabol is an Italian interior designer currently living in New York City (and that’s her living room above). I admire her eclectic, somewhat classic style of decorating that produces chic, understated yet elegant environments. The refreshing blends of textures and colours add alot of depth and keeps her spaces from being too serious. 

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 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 my rescued kitty Hermes testing out a new chair, also rescued, from the curb. both were great finds! i think the chair passed the snooze test.
– Dana

my dogs name is Azul. he just loves to sleep in mamas bed
– Laura (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

1 – This photo is from a fun project I am just starting which is made up of double exposed portraits of Ben (my rescued Standard Poodle) around the house. He loved taking this one because there were a million treats involved since we had to keep everything in the room perfectly in place for a few shots.  
2 – During Hurricane Sandy my boyfriend and I decided to make a roast chicken which Ben was very interested in (of course). The next day we were going to begin our lunch with the leftovers and because of his well mannered curiosity, we decided to let him sit at the table. I think he really wants to be one of us – I grabbed the camera and snapped away! 
– Dawn (Washington, DC)

Molly, all snuggled in for a long autumn’s nap…pillows ARE for heads, aren’t they? The headboard was upholstered by my husband and me – I found it was surprisingly difficult to get all the nailheads to line up in a straight line, even with the straight lines of a plaid to follow!
– Jess (New Hampshire)

4 year old tabby, Napoleon, is always releasing excess hair onto my down comforter. He’s a snuggler.
– Kat (Milwaukee, Wisconson)

This is my adopted cat- Darth Kittie (my 8 yr old named her) She found us about 2 years ago.. and lived in my yard sleeping in a chair on my porch…..but she decided to come in out of the elements 3 months ago. We took her to the Vet, got her shots and spayed (sadly, she has had many many litters of kitties before she came to us) and she went from a skinny scared bit of a cat to a large and in charge kind of gal! She loves this desk  so much so that we built her a bed underneath it.
– Lori Jo

This is our “potcake” rescue from the Turks and Caicos, enjoying the morning sun in his favorite spot.
– Cynthia

This is Fletcher our cattle dog mix rescue on my husbands new Poang chair from Ikea. He usually won’t get on our furniture but for some reason he loves this chair.
– Samantha (California)

A few weeks ago I blogged about a plea for volunteer help for the St. Francis Hospice for Cats in the UK. As much as I would have loved to volunteer, Canada is a tad far so I opted to purchase an item from the organization’s Amazon Wish List. I had to show you this adorable photo they took of one of the residents, Solomon, enjoying the cat scratcher/bed tree thing I selected. It was worth every penny. And on that note, if each of you had a few dollars to spare, how about donating to a local animal rescue organization. They sure could use the help. 

I’m breaking my rules by including this photo since not much furniture is visible but I can’t help it. Because the cold weather has set in my herd ‘o 7 has taken to snuggling up in bed with us all the time (several prefer under the covers). Ok, not all 7 end up in bed at the same time but 5 at once isn’t uncommon. And this is why we need to get a king sized bed. Here is what I like to call a cat sandwich (consisting of Phoebe, Felix and Edgar). 

Natural light. That lovely filtered light that wakes you through the filmy curtains. The strong shaft of bright light that moves across your kitchen table as the day ages. It’s warm and sweet, soft and welcoming. I love to see rooms captured in natural light. Like a beautiful face without makeup. Real and lovely. No artifice, loads of personality. I’m really liking photographer Simon Griffith‘s photographs. The rooms are welcoming and gentle. No special effects. Just beautiful spaces captured beautifully.

I love when emails from SAOTA pop into my inbox. Exciting new designs from South Africa. I always think of them as “houses for when you have arrived”.  There is a softening of materials in this new house. Natural materials and a limited palette but still the contemporay luxury that SAOTA is known for. Here’s how the designers describe their latest project Silverhurst at Constantia, Cape Town.

VIVID Architects prepared the initial concept design for this home, a contemporary reboot of the more classical architectural styles. SAOTA – Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects and ANTONI ASSOCIATES were then appointed to refine & develop the design and oversee the project to completion.  The facade is Georgian inspired but the modern aspect of the look is driven by a dynamic of recessed and projecting panels and cubes that create courtyards and terraces that articulate and add interest to what is a highly organised shell. The interiors, by ANTONI ASSOCIATES, are equally sculpted.

Entering the house, a large light-filled entrance hall divides the two ground-floor wings which consist of a series of living spaces that open out to a private courtyard and the very edgy Franchesca Watson landscaped garden beyond.  For the design ethic within the house, ultra-slick finishes and a futuristic home-tech edge were chosen. Stripped back ceilings with recessed details cleverly hide curtain tracks and act as a mechanism through which wooden feature walls can disappear out of sight, lending each room a clean crisp finish. Clusters of directional spotlights were selected to add ambience and subtly highlight architectural nuances, such as the floating stairs.

Natural materials were used to add warmth and texture throughout. Jerusalem stone flooring extends from the main entrance through most of the internal and external spaces giving way to fumed oak floors in the living and dining areas, as well as American cedar for the doors and pergolas and Ipe for the pool decking.  This natural but uncluttered linear language was carried through to the decor by Mark Rielly of ANTONI ASSOCIATES who opted for solid timber pieces. Leather and suede were chosen for the upholstery. Feature lights are also strategically placed to add drama and definition to different spaces. The symbiosis between the decor and architecture is such that the overall impression is that of a clean but carefully considered scheme that soothes with its high-end modern appeal.

I found this this one-bedroom Moscow apartment on The Village and fell in love. The owners are clearly designers/decorators as it is SO well executed. This is a perfect example of how to use dark colours and large-scale items in a small space for high impact but without making it feel cramped. Several pieces are from Ikea (including the pendants over the dining table with a personal touch of copper leaf on the underside) and many from the couple’s travels. I adore everything – especially the large paned mirrors on either side of the mantel, the massive table lamps that delineate the living from dining spaces, the gorgeous blue bedroom walls, and the Venetian mirror mounted on old fence boards. 

{Today, on Remembrance Day, we Canadians honour our veterans. Lest we forget.}