Displaying posts from January, 2014

They cling stubbornly to sand dunes and hillsides along the Australian coast. Simple beach shacks slapped together in the 50s and 60s. Collective histories of family summer holidays, fishing, sand in bathing suits left strewn on railings after the obligatory post beach outdoor shower. A man’s castle but definitely no mansion. Passed from generation to generation. Rare. Endangered. Swallowed up by McMansions. Lost forever. Unless they are saved, renewed and once again cherished. Like this Seal Rocks shack brought back by Bourne Blue Architecture. Nothing precious but such a treasure.

Jo mentioned back in this post a few weeks ago that the lovely folks over at Arte Limited offered us some prints that they carry in their online shop. I was super excited because I love art, was craving some new pieces for my home, and the artists on their roster are REALLY talented. I picked out 3 I thought would work in my home, and I adore all 3. I went with inexpensive Ikea frames because why not. One ended up in my kitchen and it makes me smile every time I pass by it. It is a giclée by Mikel Nilsson called Couch.

The other 2 happened to feature portraits of women, so the only place that seemed to make sense for them was on my living room “chick wall”.

The print to the right of the TV is Tender is the Night, a giclée by Lina Ekstrand. 

I must add a couple of things at this point. First, my husband has some cord wrangling on his TODO list. Second, see that long black rectangle under the TV? That was one of the presents I bought my husband for Christmas. It is a sound bar, and pretty amazing I must admit – a present I am enjoying immensely as well. 🙂 Anyway, I had a small vintage Asian cabinet as the TV stand (as seen here) but that bar was too long so my husband whipped this shelving unit up one day over the holidays. I really like it! It’s alot less bulky than the last one and doesn’t stick out into the room as much – a bonus since this wall is only a small space between the front door and the stairs to the second floor (beyond annoying).

The print to the right is a giclée by Florian Meacci titled Beautiful death.

The holidays are over and now I need a holiday to recup. Actually, I just need a holiday to get out of this godforsaken cold weather. I would be more than happy to visit this wonderful home by Spanish architect Toni Gironès Saderra. It is located on a hillside in Cadaqués, Girona, Spain, and has 15 olive trees on the property. The home is simple yet stunning, and while not much going on with the decor in these photos, my brain is on overdrive thinking of the possibilities. Yes, I could spend winters here. Easily.

Sometimes it’s about respecting the site. That’s all. Sunset Rock House by Canadian MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.

A 21st century apartment in a 19th century house in Kiev, Ukraine. A sleek contemporary space pieced together carefully within a rough brick shell. Subtle changes in floor heights lead you from living room and kitchen to the dining room or up a few a few stairs to the bedroom and bath. A cool urban pad by Olga Akulov DESIGN.