Gorgeous farmhouse modern in Chicago

This home is a great example of how one can do a modern interior and still keep it warm. All of the lovely, dark hardwoods keep it cozy, but the hard edges and careful editing keep it very zen.

What do you think?

Amazing window!


Love their entryway

A farmhouse table mixed with modern chairs keeps both rustic and modernity in check.

I'm a big fan of large mirrors leaning against the wall. It's luxurious but not stuffy.



via Rue Magazine

Amazing inspiration from my favorite blogs

It was other blogs that got me started blogging, so I try to set aside some time every week to peruse three blogs from my blogroll and share my findings with you. Enjoy!

The images below are from the always inspiring Herman Miller "Lifework" blog. Corporate and company blogs can often be a total snorefest, but Lifework is sensational. It really appeals to me because I am a freelance web designer and work from home, and the blog consistently features inspiring home offices from other designers. Super inspiring.

Check it out - Lifework.





The images below are from the Michelle Rago Weddings blog.

Love this wedding inspiration board. Looks like a glam Victorian theme

And this dress? I don't have anywhere to wear it but oh how I'd love it. Simple but not boring. (It's a Badgley Mischka if you're wondering)

Michelle found this amazing artist who she featured on her blog - Jim Denevan makes temporary drawings on sand, earth and ice that are eventually erased by waves and weather.

Beautiful no? See more at Michelle Rago.

And last, but definitely not least, one of my first blog friends - Linda, and her wonderful blog Lime in the Coconut.

Her gorgeous tropical home - looks so effortlessly beautiful.

Love the floors of this kitchen - love the whole thing really...

A REALLY gorgeous house tour - a mix of haute and rustic

This is American designer James Huniford's Hamptons retreat. I love it-'nough said.




This is a rare example of a stark room that still manages to be warm


Love the clipboards as a way to display art

This dining room is simply dreamy - the bench...the table...the art



What do you think?


via Elle Decor

Fun reader question - ideas appreciated!

So, Laura posed this question to me awhile ago and I've been compiling ideas for the last couple of weeks:

"We're about to get an antique brass bed from my parents, but it's been
really hard to find examples of similar being used in well-appointed
bedrooms! So I was wondering, have you seen any great examples of this
style?

(I'm also hoping to go for a Scandinavian or lightly nautical theme,
once we get it. We have wood floors and I'm painting the walls a very
light grey.)"

I thought this was a good challenge, as one often sees brass beds only in victorian, floral-type bedrooms. The photos I found either feature a brass, or similar bed, in a way that keeps things from getting to frou-frou, or is a bedroom where I feel a brass bed would fit in well without detracting from Scandinavian sensibility and nautical details.

Here's a really nice example with the gray walls, and I think that a brass bed would work, as long as you kept your bedding free of frills and lace or flowers. Maybe a solid or stripes. Instead of the starburst mirror in this room, try a fish eye, or convex mirror for a nautical touch.
via house to home

An ornate bed works in this very Scandinavian bedroom because the colors are primarily neutrals and other elements, such as lighting and artwork, is modern.
via house to home

Here's another bedroom which features pale walls, and I think that with all the modern elements in the room - like the bedding and artwork, that a brass bed would still feel chic.
via DecorPad

This bedroom is minimal, but still cozy, and I think that just a couple of nautical touches and a brass bed (keep the bedding crisp and simple) would work. Keep a couple of organic touches around too - like the branch ladder featured in the corner of this bedroom.
via DecorPad

This bedroom is already very nautical, and I think that if you kept the bedding similar, and got rid of a few of the overly "campy" objects (the flag, the wooden fish,etc.) in this room, that a brass bed could work.
via house to home


If you don't mind a slightly more feminine look, as long as it's not frilly a more modern floral could work. Switch the green stripes in the rug for blue, maybe some nautical-themed art, different curtains, and you could have the look you're going for.
via So Haute


The above two images are from Ikea, which usually has a Scandinavian look, and you can see references to nautical in the later image, which I think would be fitting for a brass bed.

So folks - any ideas for Laura?

An oh so pretty and sweet house with eclectic flair in Uruguay

I found this little gem on Elle Deco (Spanish Elle Decor). They described it well by calling it a blend of Provence and Tuscany, but in the countryside of Uruguay. I really like all of the rustic elements of the home, like the raw wood floors and the stone walls. It is kept light and airy by upholstery and furniture in paler woods, soft corners, and cheery pastels.



I love the mix of the wood and stone next to such a luxurious settee!

Check out the patchwork fireplace surround - so pretty!


Great bathtub!
So, what do you think?

Country conversions

pretty pretty pretty! It's hump day and I needed a little lift to help me over. These are mostly lofts and/or converted barns. So peaceful.

I adore this bedroom - what a gorgeous ceiling! I also never realized how pretty yellow bedding can be. Anybody have yellow bedding?

I need to find out who painted that cloudscape above the tub!
via Southern Living


such a sweet guest room!
via NY Times

This kitchen is a really successful blend of modern and country. It's warm and inviting - and still sleek and clean.
via Architectural Digest