T to the G to the I F

Hello, blogland! Has it really been a week since my last post?? It just doesn't seem possible. I'm afraid posting is going to get a wee bit sparse over the next couple months with holiday card season gearing up. I'm going to try and post at least once a week, even if it's just a snapshot of the whirlwind that is the studio this time of year. Or you may get lucky and it'll be completely random. You just never know!

Speaking of random, I came across the site of photographer Hallie Burton this week, and it is beautiful. You should definitely check out her portfolio over the weekend. I was totally inspired by this living room:



See those portraits by the fireplace? Yes. Please.

I'll be back next week, announcing new holiday designs and some other nifty things going on around here! Have a great weekend!

Wall to Wall to Ceiling

These two rooms from the latest edition of Lonny caught my eye:





Could you do it? Commit to one wallpaper to cover all the walls? And possibly even the ceiling? It definitely makes a statement! I gotta say that I'm digging the mix of romantic floral with modern lighting and furniture.

So do you love the look or not so much?

Purple

I've never really considered myself a purple kind of person, but this room [from Angie Hranowsky] has me thinking otherwise:


And the art situation going on in here?


It's perfection.

And that's just the living room! Have you noticed that a lot of sleek and modern kitchens look cold and frightening? Frightening because I'd be afraid that if me or one of my kids dare set even a pinky toe on the floor, it's steely zen vibe would be shattered. It would sense that it was only be a matter of time before fruit smoothies were dripping down it's custom cabinets and Peanut Butter was smeared on it's pristine countertops. But that's not the case with this one; this one is both parts sleek and inviting, a perfect combo:



And the kids' rooms, well...they can speak for themselves:



[Check out the entire portfolio for more inspiration]

And there's still time to enter for a chance to win the $150 Minted gift certificate!

Stacks

You know what I find amazing? When I see ordered stacks of books and magazines like these:



[How great is the artwork in this one, too?]

or these:



and these:



How in the world do they keep them stacked up so nicely?! If M [or H + S for that matter] were anywhere in striking distance those stacks would be swiped, leveled and scattered. And that sweet little plant in the second picture would be toast, too.

For now, we have to keep books either on bookshelves or above 3 feet high. When we were moving books onto our shelves, my sister said sweetly "You know, I like it when books are at the front of the shelf." I know, me too. But if I did that it would only be a matter of minutes before they were pushed to the back anyway! And our coffee table?



Vogue Living gets my apologies everyday for the abuse it suffers. I tell it not to worry, that it's building up character.

[First Image: Per Gunnarsson; Second Image: Freunde von Freunden Olaf Hajek; Third Image: Lonny Magazine]

Happiness + Lonny

Happy One Year to Lonny! I'm so happy that Lonny decided to come along. She brings me the same kind of happiness that Domino did. The only thing that keeps Lonny from surpassing the Domino happiness is that I can't hold her. And I want to. Maybe one day when this old economy is happily humming along again, I will find her sitting in my mailbox with all her delectable goodness. Do you think it will happen?





Since my Cappuccino cup has been empty for a while, I think it's time for a trip to J.K. Place:



Oh, that bathroom. Yeh, I can see myself there.

And these next two are pretty sweet children's rooms:



[Love how the side safety rail on the top bunk is covered in fabric]



[Orange + Pink + Rad pictures = Girl Room Perfection. Beautifully done.]

These are my favorites from the anniversary issue, but if you haven't already, go check out the whole issue!

The Polaroid Portrait

These Polaroid portraits by Jen Altman are ethereally beautiful.



Her home was recently featured on Design Sponge. My two favorite parts? Her dining room and the "wall of love."



[that back wall is stunning. so are the chairs. and the light fixture. and the table.]



[jen made this for her daughters for when they start missing their friends and family. such a great idea!]

Check out the full gallery here...

Sweet Little Things // Part 2

Next up on my inspiration list, children's rooms!



[First Option, Hawkes House]



I've got tons of images from both Domino [above left image] and Cookie [above & bottom right images] in my files and every time I see them I feel that little pang of sadness.



Oh the things I could put in those built-ins! They'd make a great home for the blocks in the right image;) [I cannot find the credit for the left image -- has anyone seen it before?]



[bunk room spotted on little lovely]



[left image from emmas designblogg; right image from ohdeedoh]

We've got the side by side twin bed set up right now, which I love. I'm not quite ready to abandon that for bunk beds yet, even though we've got a set sitting in our garage that I used when I was young and that my dad also used as a young lad. They need a paint job, and I haven't found the time or energy to tackle them you -- on the list! When I inherited them, they were a dark stain, and my mom had them painted in pastels for me, which I thought was fabulous. I'm thinking red for the boys.

I'm off -- happy Thursday!

Scandinavian Delights

I'm doing a little research over here to get ready for Copenhagen, and thought I'd share some beautiful images of Scandinavian homes from the fantastically lovely emmas designblogg.

Glam Diaper Duty

Who knew that diaper changing could be glamorous? Here's proof that, yes, it can! The delicious, white and metal console, sisal rug, textured wallpaper, and is that light fixture woven? -- it's stunning. Really, truly, I wish I could transport it all straight into my house.

[Image from the delicious-in-it's-entirety Lonny]

In Their Places

I'm sure you've heard about the Selby website, and now there's a book called The Selby is in Your Place [available on Amazon], which is a collection of spaces photographed by Todd Selby. It includes peeps like Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler, and shows homes from NYC to Tokyo to London and more.





To me, one of the things that makes The Selby so fascinating is the quirkiness of the images -- most really do look like you just stumbled upon [ie: the shower scene, above] these chic bohemians livin' it up in a wonderfully peculiar flat somewhere. Plus, could a table of contents [below] get much better?





[All images from the sneak peaks of the book on theselby.com]

Out in the Open

Open shelving. Scares. Me. But I love it when it isn't in my kitchen! And I love seeing how other people manage to pull it off so well. Do you have open shelves in your kitchen? If not, could you?

[Images: 1st Option; Re-Nest; Emily Gilbert; Martha; Tine K Home; Emmas Blogg; Country Living; Living Etc.; Richard Powers; I don't know??; Lonny]

From the Netherlands

I recently stumbled onto the site of Hotze Eisma, and got lost -- beautiful photography of character-filled spaces. Did you catch the photo plates in set 5? Molto bella. Check out the entire portfolio when you've got some time to wander!

[All images Hotze Eisma]

Ned's Room

How lovely is this room? I love the simplicity of it, yet it still has so much personality -- in my opinion that isn't always an easy thing to accomplish. Plus, it's Ned's -- how cute is that name?!

[image found on emmas designblogg]