niches

I like the idea of having niches here and there around the house... those small spaces where you can retreat to and perhaps enjoy a good book.

Lately, I've been seeing niches used in walls to keep pretty vignettes, books and especially bathroom supplies.

Here are some of my favourite bathroom niches for you to enjoy.

via Greige

Wall niches are usually found in beautiful bathrooms, due to their streamlined look and simplicity. I love the one in the photo above. It looks so elegant.

Check out the unique shape of the niche below. Beautiful!

traditional bathroom design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

White tiled niche. Pretty.

via Furniture Fashion

This little niche is oh so cute.

BHG

Does your bathroom wall have extra space for a niche?

Have a great Monday!

beautiful interiors

I've been a little uninspired lately - could be due to things happening at home. Our son was hospitalised for a few days due to an ongoing fever. But all is fine now. We were rather worried it was dengue, but thank goodness it was not.

So I thought I would roam the world wide web to look for beautiful interiors to update here on this blog. Today's post will be photos from Kelly Harmon Interiors & Design.

Her work is simply gorgeous - see for yourself.

I love how everything is so simple and somewhat 'unfinished'. Like it was unintentionally beautiful.

I love that dramatic bed. Again simple and beautiful - plaster walls, a frameless door, unfinished wood floor, the patina on the plaster frame of the french door, and a touch of elegance of the chaise lounge.

More beamed and vaulted ceilings. I adore the built-in bookcase with the blue walls. An elegant contrast to the other neutral hues of the room.

A touch of detail in the glass chandelier in this bathroom and everything else is left simple and basic. I love the limestone bath and the distressed window.

White and blues used in this clean and uncluttered children's room.

Kelly mentions that her colour palette is 'no-colour' - being inspired from natural sunlight and the outdoors. I love that concept.

The grey stripe matches the grey shutters of the window. I'm in love with all the patina.

A beautiful light and airy guest room.

For more photos, visit Kelly Harmon Designs .

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday.

backsplash ideas

I've not decided on the backsplash design that we'll be using for our kitchen.

My first request was for my contractor to quote on white 4x4 inch tiles where this was my inspiration.

Pinterest

So when my contractor gave me the quotation, she instead quoted 2x2 inch tiles where it would look something like this (thanks, Google images - you're a lifesaver).

Susan Jablan

Which doesn't look bad at all, but not the look that I was going for.

Which also made me wonder, would my kitchen end up looking like a bathroom with all the tiles placed neatly side by side?

Unknown source

Maybe that's why the Americans love their signature subway tiles in their kitchens - tiles are stacked in a neat brick-like pattern instead.

BHG

But I was certain that I didn't want to go subway style because (dare I say), its too homey and traditional for me. And plus, I saw beautiful tiles in a Belgian kitchen before that was not subway.

Belgian Pearls

So my contractor explained to me that 2x2 inch tiles would cost less for installation as they come pre-installed as a mosaic of a bigger tile, stuck together with some mesh. Does that make sense to you? Well, it does in my head. But anyway, it's kind of like lots of tiles bound together to make one tile.

4x4 inch tiles would cost more as they would quote based on installation per tile - which I presume is smaller than the mosaic tile made of 2x2 tiles.

I'm not trying to give you all a high school math quiz, but in the end, I have to contemplate which one was worth the money.

So, I started googling up images of mosaic tiles so that I could convince myself to go for this option.

Here are some beautiful mosaic tiles used for kitchen backsplashes.

Decorpad

 Isn't it beautiful? The kitchen backsplash in the photo above uses mosaic linear glass tiles. It looks modern and sophisticated.

Decorpad

A mixture of grey and white mosaic tiles used here.

Decorpad

The use of glass linear mosaic tiles here is gorgeous as they are of different sizes.

Decorpad

This is the same kitchen from one of the photos above, but I love the whole kitchen, so I thought I'd just show it to you.

Eclectic Revisted

I've shown this photo on my blog before. But I just noticed that the bright ocean blue backsplash is actually mosaic. So pretty.

Houzz

Mosaic tiles can actually bring depth to a rustic-industrial inspired kitchen!

So, after this, I'm going to get my contractor to quote on linear glass mosaic tiles and will decide after that!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

a look into seaside decor

I’ve never really been a fan of beach / seaside décor, but after collating photos on Pinterest, I find myself drawn to the qualities of how beach homes are decorated – casual, laid-back and elegant. Nautical has never been my thing, nor knick-knacks made of seashells and corrals, so I think this style, sans these two elements would be more appealing to me.

This is pretty though. Source

One thing in particular that I am drawn to is the palette of greens, blue, sandy whites and driftwood greys. 

Source

I have always loved rooms that look casual and effortlessly pretty with nothing too precious to touch. 

Via Decor de Provence

You don't need to worry about the kids ruining your furniture. 

Pinterest

Slipcovers are also useful - just whip them off to the laundry whenever they get dirty. 

Eclectic Revisited

I love the use of linens, seagrass rugs, the wooden driftwood table and coral as decoration. The palette of natural neutral hues is beautiful. 

Velvet & Linen

Of course, I couldn't resist putting up this picture again. The perfect palette with a casual, beachy feel to it! 

Eclectic Revisited

This breakfast nook is gorgeous too. The painting of the ocean is reflecting the view from the window across, I would guess. 

Eclectic Revisited

The adjacent kitchen with the ocean blue backsplash tiles is gorgeous. I love the stone floors too. 

via Kitchen Design Photos

This kitchen is beautiful too.


Lets see what a beach-themed bathroom would look like.

via By the Sea

via Delight by Design

And finally, a beach-themed bedroom to retreat to. 

via SW Design

Do you like the beach look? I love the elements of casual and elegance that it brings!

dreamy white bathrooms

This post is going to be about something that I know I can never have - white bathrooms.

So let's just enjoy these photos and pretend that we could own these beauties one day....

Design*Sponge

I love the details from those white beadboards, the stack of folded clean white towels, white framed medicine cabinet - all grounded by the texture of those floors. I also like the fact that the sinks are of a generous size - I love big sinks, they're so practical.

Image via The Enchanted Home

Now isn't the bathroom above just dreamy? The clawfoot tub, the chandelier (they must have chandeliers in every room as the bathroom would be my last choice of putting up an expensive chandelier), the folded white towels on the chair next to the tub, the bleached wood floors and the upholstered chair for those days where you need some peace and quiet in the bathroom.

I really do like the idea of decorating a bathroom as you would any other room. May not be something practical for me - but I still like that idea. 

Image from Flickr

I'm also in love with this bathroom. I love the clean lines of the sink cabinet, the white marble tops and that lovely lantern for the extra touch of luxury. Beautiful!

Image via Purple Area

I love those cabinets - isn't it rare to see built in cabinets in the bathroom? It's still gorgeous. I love those white boxes and their handles. I could imagine it filled with lovely white towels.

Inspired Home and Design

A luxurious shower made of white marble tiles. That's probably the size of my current bathroom (which would include shower, sink and toilet). I love how the purple flowers bring that pop of colour in this room.

Image via Splendid Sass

Somebody please take me here. Like, right now. I love that seat beside the window. I love the sheer curtains. And they have TWO chandeliers. How luxurious. The floor tiles are also gorgeous.

Image via Beach Cottage Love

I love those baskets lined with white fabric. And pretty blue and white towels rolled up and stacked neatly.

Image via Simplified Bee

White marble countertops and subway tiles. The framed picture, mirror and tray bring in extra details in this simple and clean bathroom.

Decorpad

The bathtub takes centre stage in this bathroom. The bathroom is kept simple to accentuate the architectural details of the ceiling and windows. Lovely.

Decorpad

A cozy corner of the bathroom with a comfy seat by the window. For those mornings you wake up early to enjoy the morning sunlight.

Do you also dream of a white bathroom? Hope you enjoyed my dreamy choice of dreamy white bathrooms!

Have a great Wednesday!

Crazy for linen curtains

I am a fan of linen curtains - I love the fact that linen is a natural material, and the no-frills look it brings is a charm. Paired with a single and thin black rod, it is perfect.

These are some of the photos of beautiful linen curtains I found.

Source here

I love this room - it's actually a master bathroom. I love that it's directly connected to an attractive garden (from this view, at least).

Source here

Designer Susan Ferrier used sheer curtains for the right side of the room and linen drapes of the same colour for the window wall on the left. I love how the light filters through the sheer curtains.

Linen sheers. Source here

Linen curtains look oh-so casual and beautiful. They're great as they are less susceptible to holding dirt and dust - making them longer lasting.

Elle Decor

Lovely linen curtains with linen slip-covered sofa! I adore the lines in this room.

Atlanta Homes Mag

This room is absolutely beautiful - the natural wood beam ceilings, the sisal rug, the linen slipcovers and linen curtains. Gorgeous!

Here's another photo of the same house:

I love the idea of using natural, strong materials to decorate your home such as linen, cotton, sisal and sea grass rugs. These elements bring a sense of calm as - as if you're going back to nature.