We received the following email from a reader named Franca: I’m one of your Dutch fans, and I would like to show my (little) home…I live in a very small apartment (only 60m2) with an amazing view. On both sides you can see the forest, which gives me so much energy and inspiration. I love to make the most out my space. To keep it a great space to live in with my husband and two sons (8 and 6). Franca and I seem to have a few things in common – an interest in neutral spaces, use of objects from nature like branches, and a desire to change up our spaces often. Lovely apartment!

As I mentioned in previous posts, my house addition plans have gone awry (putting it mildly) and my husband and I have got to get our asses in gear and start all over again. We’re thinking a tall, 3 storey structure now with the top floor being a media room/office – hopefully with exposed beams. I came across the photo below in my stash and immediately thought how cool it would be to have a hanging chair in a corner up there. Fun!!

via Hus & Hem

Here is another project by James, the talent behind the design firm Bricks Amsterdam. This apartment, also on the canals of Amsterdam, was completely renovated and furnished and is in keeping with James’ eclectic style. 

Last week I received an adorable pet photo from James van der Velden, and his email included a link to his design firm called Bricks Amsterdam. I nearly fell off my chair when I took a peek at his portfolio. His style ROCKS. James calls it “timeless eclecticism”. I love every bit of it – the neutral colour palette of black, brown, white and tan, the overscale furnishings and accessories, the industrial elements and use of linen. That right there is the recipe for great decor (IMHO). James kindly sent me tons of photos from 3 of his projects which I’ll be sharing here today and tomorrow. This one is my favourite, and I believe it is James’ own home – a penthouse apartment on the canals of Amsterdam. *SWOON*

If you’d like to send us photos to include in next week’s “pets on furniture” post, please ensure your photos follow our 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. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to  desiretoinspirekim[@]hotmail[.]com and PLEASE don’t send closeups of your pet!)

*** A huge thanks to all of you who answered my request for more pet entries for today. If some of you are wondering why your photos aren’t included, I received so many I had to save some for next week.  

My new handmade walnut bed from a wonderful Etsy artisan, against a chocolate wall (my first foray into bold color) and Minnie – my 19 year old geriatric kitty – in her Queen of the Hill mode. The old and the new, merging beautifully.
– Diane (San Diego)

…my dog in my rocket chair.
– Ana

Riley on the purple chair that he is usually not allowed to be on
– Katie (San Francisco, CA)

Here is our giant Siberian cat Lucas on his favorite chair, where you can find him most of the time. He loves to relax.
– Naomi (Seattle, WA)

This is Billy the Kit.
– Emily

Long time ago I send you a picture of my cat Rodolfo acting as a gargoyle…. Now here you have few pictures of his brothers, Catalino, the siamese, and Nicolas, the white deaf baby we found 8 months ago. Frequently they appear in my blog using all the furniture of our house, of course.
– Tami
  

Here are my “borrow-cats”. The tired one is Tess and the other is her mother Sotis. They live with me for some weeks now and then.
– Barbro (Sweden)

These are my two beagles Sadie and Daisy sitting in the kitchen on an antique Crewel work chair.
– L

There should be a keyboard instead of that creature. But it’s his very favorite place, so…
– una x