Right before Christmas I blogged this dreamy modern home belonging to Anne and her husband Sam. I fell in love with it immediately and I really should show some photos of it to my architect. Anyway, back in August there was a photo shoot at their home and published last month in the magazine Design Bureau (check out the story here). It was photographed by Alan Foreman and his photos are GORG. I think there is something to be learned with the following photos…if you’re not really keen on how you’ve decorated, a half naked model sprawled around your house can help as a distraction! (This wasn’t Anne’s case though – her house was FAB before the model showed up). Thanks Anne!

We recently heard from Neslihan, a student who says she’s lucky to have managed to move to a studio this year and decorated it in a very short time. Here’s some info she provided: I’m a Turkish girl studying masters in architecture in Netherlands. I live in Delft and my apartment is in the center of the city. The building is an old bakery warehouse dated circa 1900. It’s renovated last year by MBW Architecten based in the Hague/Netherlands. Wooden and steel beams and steel columns are original. Also window frames are original details from the old construction. The open space of the apartment is around 25 m2. Together with the entrance and bathroom it’s a total of 30 m2. Her apartment is  cozy, the openness of the space is fabulous, and I am digging her furniture placement. She’s not a bad photographer either! So without further ado, let me introduce you to Neslihan’s home.

This morning I’d like to take a moment to introduce a new advertiser. This is another one I got pretty excited about. FarFetchers is a bit like 1stdibs, but perhaps a bit more affordable. Below is a bit of info on this shop that I would likely pass out in if I got to visit it in person. And frankly, once someone mentions the words JIELDE and TOLIX, I’m pretty much SOLD.

FarFetchers was formed in 2010 to help interior designers, architects, and home owners find the right elements for their designs. We operate as a sourcing service to the trade and the serious home owner/decorator. We also have a listing service for products of select dealers all over the world. The two services work hand in hand. We list products and display the showrooms of dealers carrying European industrial products, rustic country antiques, French Art Deco, Mid-Century classics,  you name it we can often find it. Whether you need a Belle Epoque Carousel horse by Gustave Bayol, a Jules Leleu wardrobe, a Jielde factory lamp, or a set of marble bistro tables and vintage Tolix come to us and let us help.

One fun thing about our site is the showroom browser. We try to capture the excitement of antiquing in Europe, poking around the back corners for those discoveries that make the experience irresistible. Some examples of showrooms that we’ve captured are European industrial, Antiques of Sport, Classical antiques and Asian pieces, French Art Deco, and French country and rustic.

I spent some time perusing their online shop and came across the following awesome pieces…

Audrey Carden and Eleanora Cunietti are the creative brains behind London based firm Carden Cunietti. They started out with a shop in London’s Notting Hill in 1996 and became renowned for their dramatic, eclectic accessories and interiors fittings from around the world. Their focus is now on their thriving interior design practice in central London, and their work has been featured in magazines such as House and Garden, Vogue, and Elle Decoration. Their use of dramatic, luxurious textures and furnishings is totally on point. (How about that dressing room in the 4th photo? *SIGH*)

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 me closeups of your pet!)

My cats, Izzie (aka The Biz) and Mr. Mischief Monkey Man Poopstinks (aka Monkey, The Poop, or Mischief P. Stinks) taking over the couch. 
– Kerriann (Norman, OK)

– Hanna (Tallinn, Estonia)

1. While shooting Emily Schuman’s incredible home, I was lucky enough to snap this shot of Luna… she is a sweet but shy kitty

2. This dynamic duo belong to crafty modern quilter Alissa Haight-Carlton, and they are not afraid to show you how cute they are.
– Bethany

This is Felix, my daughter’s cat. She would be so happy seeing it in your blog.
– João (Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil)

This is my little brother Bailey modeling the “new” mid-century chairs that my mom and grandma found on Craigslist, bartered down to an offensively wonderful price, refinished, reupholstered, and are shipping to me next week. Thanks Mom and Grandma Tiny! (I’ve included a “before” picture of the chairs.)
– Erika

These are my two dogs Charlie and Stella napping together on my Grandmothers leather wing chair that has been with our family for over 60 years! The chair has even lived in three countries (US, UK, Canada)!
– Alexandra Pagar (Cambridge, MA)

While I’m on the subject of pets, I have a couple of things to mention before I end this post. The first being Elfriede’s cat Gretchen that desperately needs a home.

I blogged the story of this adorable cat last Sunday (here). So far no one has expressed interest in being able to adopt her so I thought I’d give it another shot, because Elfriede and I are trying to avoid having this poor cat end up at the Humane Society. If anyone in the Ottawa area is able to give Gretchen a home, please email me @ desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com. Or if you have any suggestions of where Elfriede can take Gretchen to be fostered or whatever please email me or leave a comment.

I received a really sweet email from Michelle the other day, who has been in the design business for over twenty years, and happens to be a fantastic artist of pet portraits (and an animal lover). Check out her blog, Ispirato Design, where you’ll find her design work as well as pet portaits. Here are a few I found that are sooooo cute: