I had been trying to find a large piece of art for over my sofa for months and months and could not find anything that really shouted “BUY ME I’M PERFECT” or that wasn’t bank-breaking since my taste in art changes frequently. I had a photo printed on canvas as seen in this post and had no where to hang it but over my sofa in the living room (also seen here when I received a new sofa) which made me realize how badly I needed something BIG and BOLD and DARK because I am enjoying my monochromatic dark grey theme I have going in there. When I spotted this photo randomly on Instagram I fell in love. Now I generally hate art behind glass because glare makes me nutty and taking a decent photo of it can be difficult. I did some searching for options on printing photos (the photographer Amanda emailed me a high-res copy of the photo to have printed myself since she lives in Bali and I’m in Canada) and came up with printing it on photoboard (1/4″ thick, dense white material). Posterjack is based in Toronto and offered this at a really good price considering I decided to go 40″x40″. And no, this isn’t a sponsored post. I came up with this all by myself. 🙂 Because my husband is a very handy guy who is into woodworking, I asked him to fabricate a frame for the photo to make it look more weighty and less poster-y. The result is exactly what I was after. I think it is a dramatic addition to the space. It is in keeping with my dark theme, will not irritate me when I try and photograph it, the printing turned out fantastic and sharp, and the frame was exactly what I wanted. BOOM. 

(Sources for just about everything are in this post. Sadly the cats would not leave the new wool covered sectional sofa alone so it is now up in our 3rd floor storage-supposed-to-be-library space awaiting that transformation and the old sofa with 999 claw marks is back.)

I spotted this home on the website of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle magazine and had to share because cottage season has begun and this cottage (while not your average “cottage”) is about as gorgeous as they come. This 1930’s, 3,000 sq ft Nantucket style home is the cutest thing on the outside and full of contrasting goodness on the inside. Shiplap siding in white is fresh and lends to the Americana feel and looks incredible with the contrasting dark stained hardwood floors. The dining room I swear was plucked from one of my dreams I have had for the past 20 years. (Interior design: homeowner Meg Harrington of Huff Harrington Home. Architect: Linda MacArthur Architect. Photos: Erica George Dines)

Bright, summery, energetic, refreshing and with enduring appeal. These spaces by Brisbane, Australia interior designer Claire Stevens are all of those things and so much more. I am dying over this first kitchen that was created as part of Claire’s firm’s studio. Gorgeous and light, and the addition of pink is fun and so easy to change out. (Photos: Toby Scott, Daniel Maddock)

I found this 5 bedroom West London terrace home on Shoot Factory and was instantly intrigued. The house has recently been extended to include a super sleek concrete inspired kitchen and dining space. A truly unique space – the floor, kitchen island, dining table, and seating is all constructed from almost seamless concrete. Finished with grey elm joinery, the kitchen-come-living space is beautifully simplistic and light. The exterior of the extension is made up of large expanse of glass and clad in rusted corten steel. The front sitting room provides a more traditional feel with bay window, herringbone flooring, original cornicing and ceiling rose, and beautiful marble fireplace. I feel like the concrete in the kitchen is a bit overkill….maybe if it didn’t run partially up the walls too and the bench at the built-in table was made of wood instead. Regardless the cabinets are gorgeous and I love the subtle tile backsplash. I have also fallen head over heels for that grey subway tile in the bathroom and may try and find something similar for my bathroom reno (likely cheaper than the marble subway tile I was thinking of using).

Can you imagine having this as your outdoor space? The landscaping and funiture are enough to blog me away, but throw in the most incredible views of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and I’m having heart palpitations. By architect Charles Zana.