Heather sent us the following request: I have a fantasy in which I own a cottage and of course it has one (or more) alcove beds–you know, those beds that are built right into the wall, sometimes with drawers or a trundle underneath, sometimes with a window in the nook itself? Can you put together a collection of those? I would love to see it, if only to fuel the fantasy. I LOVE the idea of sleeping/reading nooks, tucked away in corners. And sleeping arrangements at a cottage is always a dilemma because the more the merrier, and squeezing in as many potential “beds” as possible is always a must. Plus, you can get away with being an adult and sleeping in a not-so-ordinary bed, which in my mind is a total bonus. Many of the photos I found are of children’s rooms but translate so well into ideal beds at a cottage. (P.S. Check out this post I did on napping nooks, and this one on couches in alcoves).

Hus & Hem

Hus & Hem

Sunset

Folio

Sunset

Sunset

Fernau + Hartman Architects

Fernau + Hartman

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Sunset

Steven Gambrel

Per Ranung

Design*Sponge

Robert Gervais

The London Magazine

Elliston Lutz

House Beautiful

I have 2 reader requests for you guys today, and this first one comes from Kayla: I was wondering if you have any inspiration on how to combine beige and grey in one room – particularly in the bedroom. We have a custom-made beige built-in wardrobe (there when we moved in) that we can’t afford to replace. I don’t like it and so I’ve been stalling on decorating the bedroom since we moved in (over a year ago). I think I just need to work with it and so I’d like to mix in some greys to make it more contemporary. Any ideas? My first thought of course is paint it if you don’t like it. If you’re worried doing it yourself you could remove the doors and have them professionally sprayed. Otherwise, I think if it’s a soft beige I think adding alot of light grey, some beige in your bedding, and hints of black and white would work. If it’s a darker beige, I would maybe go for browns instead of grey. I found some photos that do both, including one with a black accent wall that you could consider to draw attention away from the wardrobe. The first photo is my favourite. Jewel toned accents (you could do more than a couple purple pillows) bring in that needed pop of colour. Hope this helps!

Stuart McIntyre

Nuevo Estilo

Phoebe Howard

Country Home

Jim Franco

HAND

Apartment Therapy

Dwell

Elle Decor

Rachael Smith

Salon

Susan Chalom

Light Locations

I have been a fan of Mark Zeff‘s work since I blogged about him back in ’07. His firm sent along photos of one of his latest projects and I was more than eager to share these with you all. This is the lower levels of a rather large townhouse in SoHo owned by Vikram Chatwal (of Hampshire Hotel Group). It’s unmistakably a bachelor pad (hello photography of topless chicks and what looks like a surfboard in the hallway) but I really like the equal parts funk and contemporary. It’s a cool blend, and seems like the perfect place to entertain.

There once was a boy named Tom. Tom was a naughty boy. Tom did not play nice with others. Tom would visit a certain blog and every now and again leave really mean comments. One day one of the girls from that blog told him he should shut his big mouth and show her what he’s made of. Finally, Tom did just that, and sent photos of his home to share. As much as the girl wanted to be mean right back and rip him a new one (perhaps poke fun at the tables with 2 lamps on either side of his sofa, or the tables piled with wood in his dining room), alas she could not once she saw these photos. Because she loved his home. Very very much. She forgave Tom right then and there. She found out Tom wasn’t as mean as he seemed, and Tom promised to behave from then on. THE END.

My apartment is in a historical building on Hollywood Blvd across from the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
“The Hollywood Professional Building, is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture. Completed in 1925, the building housed the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and was later home to the Screen Actor’s Guild. From its inception, these offices served industry stars, the seminal architect John Lautner and earned its listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it reigns at the center of a new Hollywood heyday, this time as modern open spaces in which to live or work (or both), only two blocks from the Metro line, in one of the coolest and most dynamic neighborhoods in LA.”

I took the photograph that is in my entry on Hollywood Blvd last year.

My living room was Ronald Reagan’s office when he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild.

You will notice a lot of the same sculptures moved around to various tables, it’s a work in progress. I mostly shop at flea markets, I’m constantly switching stuff out as I find it.

I made the hanging glass mobile out of an old chandelier and added the textured panel to the wall. The sculpture is constantly spinning.

Views from my apartment:

via Nicola Zaccarini