Displaying posts from October, 2013

Stop it! Stop it! I really must stop stalking on the Domus Nova site. Just two more to share and then I’ll walk away from the computer. The first house has such fabulous bones. I’d be happy living there with just a box to sit on. That’s a lie but you know what I mean. The second is perfect for the stylish book lover. Stealing the bookcase at the end of the bathtub idea.

One must keep one’s composure when one is stalking upper crust, tasty morsels in Blighty. A five bedroom house in Notting Hill, London with beautiful communal gardens and floors one just wants to stroke. Oh those old stone. Stiff upper lip old chap because it has sold. Bright side is that one did not have the readies with which to make the purchase. From the wonderfully exclusive Domus Nova.

As much as I am dying for a new house, I keep trying to keep myself from going crazy while stuck here by continuing to do small projects and picking up little things here and there I totally don’t need or have room for (LOL). Here are the latest bits and bobs that I’ve worked on or purchased. 

First up – I got a little tired and bored with the centrepiece on my dining table. Because my house is so small and my dining space is in the middle of the kitchen, it means the dining table is prime real estate for displays. (You can see photos of what has been hanging out on my table for the past several months here). I went to Value Village Friday and found a wooden tray for $3.99, then went around the house collecting pieces I thought would work for a fall theme. I have a red and orange batik table runner I may put down too (but the cats tend to lay on the table where there’s fabric on it).

While rearranging the dining table decor, I decided to switch things up a bit on the display shelving in the kitchen (this is what it looked like). It’s the same colour scheme as before and alot of the same pieces but I was dying to get my Catherine Holm enamel pot out of storage. 

I unearthed a few things from the basement that I was anxious to put to use again, like a couple of vintage floral frogs. One of them is now on the kitchen counter with some ceramic branches (actually oil diffuser reeds) next to Larry, my Chive gnome. 

I don’t recall sharing my vintage radio here on the blog so I snapped some photos yesterday. My husband and brother-in-law have a little side business called Daff Design where they gut old radios and refit them with modern components (like speakers and bluetooth). This one is on the opposite wall of my desk so I play music via my Mac through it while I’m working. Handy, and looks cool to boot! 

When I was perusing the aisles of Value Village Friday I came across a large storage container. I thought it was pretty sweet, but saw the $60 price tag and moved on. Saturday morning I remembered it and showed my husband a quick photo I had snapped of it on Instagram. He liked it too so I hopped in the car and went back to the store to grab it (the cashier told me he didn’t think anyone would pay $60 – sucker that I am). It is made of fibreglass and was used in the military (it has a sticker on it that says National Defense and Petawawa). It is 20″ wide and about 2.5 ft tall. I’m thinking of using it in the upstairs bathroom instead of the 2 ceramic stools I have in there that I hate, to store extra pillows and linens in it. It needs a good cleaning first. 

I picked up yet another wooden crate last month (a beautiful one found at High Jinx) and thought it could be put to good use to store some of my favourite wool blankets I wouldn’t dare actually use in a house full of cat fur. Fed up with them being stashed out of sight, they now reside in the living room where I can admire them often.

With the cold weather making it’s way here, I started pulling out rugs and sheepskins from storage to keep things a little cozier in this drafty house. This season I decided on some wool Flor carpet tiles I had received to review on the blog a while back as the living room rug. LOVE these – I am a huge fan of the versatility of carpet tiles (esoecially when cats seem to aim barf at carpets). 

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, if the photo is too dark or unfocused 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!

Piper has claimed this chair as her own!
– Amy (Haddonfield,NJ)

This is one of my girl Lola sitting on my vintage bench/coffee table. She’s usually in my lap along with her sisters.
– Aracely (Philadelphia)

This is Mr. Banks. He is usually the centerpiece of my glass table but in the Fall he has to share with the little pumpkin.
– Tatiana

Our 4-year old pigeon-toed rescue, Geiger, loves to interfere with our mini photo-shoots and fully ‘inspect’ our new creations. Our home-based business makes rustic furniture like this maple syrup-colored salvaged red pine cupboard, which is pictured here, ready for delivery. He 
‘looks’ innocent but completely dominates our poor 80 lb dog as well as everyone else who lives here -as most cats do!
– Star 

This photo is of our lounge room with sweet LuLu the rescue pup on the sofa. 🙂 Just noticed that our other rescue pup, Max is on the sofa too. Can you find him?
– Anita (Boynton Beach, FL)

The attached photo is of my two French Bulldogs, Olive and Truffle, on the newly acquired vintage couch. They have 3 dog beds in the living room, but insist on the couch 🙂 
– Sandi (Alexandria, VA)

This is our two year old border collie, Jersey. He recently discovered that a cowhide rug provides the perfect camouflage. We are constantly in danger of stepping on him! 
– Jessica (Michigan)

Ben (my king Charles cavalier) is a San Francisco native who enjoys long walks in golden gate park, collecting pine cones, and cheese! 
– Lyuba

Libby is a Portuguese Water Dog and loves to nap as much as she loves the water. She’s 6 months old. 
– Donna

A new kitchen and a staircase to the next floor. A simple design request with a fabulous outcome. Melbourne based Venn Architects believe space is what you make it. Their clever use of the transition up the staircase as a library is elegant and functional with a wonderful sense of space and light. No longer a kitchen diner. Perhaps a kitchen library?