Holiday with Matthew Mead

Posted on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 by KiM

Christmas is right around the corner and I have been desperately trying to get as much of my Christmas shopping done as early as possible, and online because I really hate fighting the mall crowds. (Etsy, how I love you). And speaking of Christmas and online shopping, if you haven’t already ordered Matthew Mead’s Holiday book-azine WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? Mine arrived in the mail a couple days ago and it’s SO gorgeous! I’m going to have this out on my coffee table every Christmas season as part of my decor. Not only is it full of fabulous photos of spaces all dolled up for the holidays, but it’s got decorating projects and recipes and a feature I mentioned way back in April about a select number of bloggers (including Jo and I!) and their holiday projects. Here is a sneak peek of what’s inside…

A stunning kitchen by Errez Design

Posted on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 by KiM

I absolutely freaking LOVE this kitchen transformation that Ruben of Errez Design sent us (which Jo eluded to in a post she did of some of his projects back in September). In Ruben’s words: “I wanted to share with you some images of a kitchen renovation we just completed in a 1925 Coral Gables cottage. This project is a blast of color and pattern used in a fresh modern way. We used a patchwork of vintage hand made Cuban cement tiles in a variety of patterns and colors. There is also a wall of floor to ceiling chalk board cabinets. Our goal was to both accentuate the charm of the old house and to reflect the young owners’ personality.” There is nothing I don’t love about this transformation. The chalkboard cabinets are a great contrast to the rest of the all-white kitchen, the lack of upper cabinets is brilliant, and the seating area is SO FUN, bright and cheerful. I am so happy Ruben sent along some before photos as well. AMAZING!

Reader’s home in Oslo

Posted on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 by KiM

Anne-Lise, an avid reader of our little blog, emailed us the following: “I have been meaning to send in pictures of my own apartment in Oslo for a while now. It is in a building from 1901 in a cosy neighbourhood. Crown moldings and hardwood floors are original and in great shape. The style is somewhat mixed of Scandinavian with some old finds from grandparents etc, and some things are things that I have either made myself, like the large lamp in the living room. I created that along with my father by using seven lamps from Ikea. The dining table and chairs were in a sad condition when my sister gave them to me, but with lots of love, sanding and oil they all came back to life. It is sad to me that I have to say goodbye to the place, but alas I cannot take it with me to Paris, France where I have just bought a new place.” What better way to say goodbye than to have a little DTI feature on a Friday! I can see why you’ll be sad to see this place go Anne-Lise, but moving to Paris is so exciting! Hope you’ll share photos of your new home with us once you’re settled. 🙂

Reader request – pendant light

Posted on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 by KiM

Today’s reader request comes from Sandy: “Now I have the following “problem”: I’m about to move into my first own flat and am searching desperately for an (affordable) ceiling but modern lamp. The furniture is at the moment made from pine in the natural color but I will eventually glaze it white and add some stylish accessories so that it will turn into french style with some modern pieces (side table, chairs, lamps). So the lamps should be modern (60ies), unfortunately I have only found verner panton to be likable and out of production or affordability. Do you have some pics or ideas of studio flats with ceiling lights, which are modern, that you could share?” Sandy’s request is a tad specific, so I searched through my photo stash and found some photos of some pendants that I think look fantastic, and many of which could either be DIY projects or purchased fairly inexpensively, and aren’t necessarily 60s era (why limit yourself?). I really do think if there is a really tight budget that this is a PERFECT opportunity for a DIY. For example, check Ikea as they always have the best lighting – but maybe think outside the box a bit in that case so your choice is not the same as a zillion other people with the same light fixture. Tomorrow I will be posting a reader’s home where she created a pendant light out of several Ikea fixtures wired together. Or perhaps check out your local thrift store for a lampshade, where you can rip off the fabric and just have the “cage” hanging. (I have done that recently to a lampshade I bought for a few bucks at Habitat for Humanity, and plan to hang it on one side of my sofa). Or there is this gorgeous DIY light project that Grace blogged yesterday:

I’d also suggest checking out Etsy because I am always on the hunt for funky lighting and they have TONS of handmade light fixtures at great prices. But first, some inspiration for you Sandy, that I think will give you lots of ideas for your dilemma.

Hus & Hem Rachael Smith
design*sponge design*sponge
Susanna Zacke Simon Brown
design*sponge Hus & Hem
Mad og Bolig Schappacher White
Bolig Magasinet Hus & Hem

Light Locations
Alvhem
Happy Homes
Otthon
Gunkelmans
Jordi Canosa
Living Etc.