Showing posts with label Pretty things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pretty things. Show all posts

Monday, 18 June 2012

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!

Derby Hill Farm Lyme NH traditional bathroom

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!








Monday, 23 April 2012

beautiful basket

Thought I'd just share with you this photo. I love baskets. If there was one thing I had to choose to collect, it would be pretty baskets like these. It looks great anywhere, and you can use it to keep just about anything - kid's toys, laundry, blueprints (like in this photo), umbrellas, onions (smaller baskets of course), spare bed linen... and the list goes on.

Source unknown
 
On a side note... my to-do list is growing. I have so many things to do, yet not enough time to get them done! I haven't even done my taxes yet, but here I am, making an update on my blog.

Hopefully I can get moving on doing the makeover of the room that I mentioned in the end of the post I wrote way back in Dec '11 - I have finally been given the green light by the owner to continue with it. So I have a picture of how I want to decorate it in my head. Can't wait to start on it and get it finished!


At the same time, I'm still working on revising the quotation and discussing about the renovation of our new house with our contractor. Yes, I am a fussy client - but I will not proceed with renovation until I am fully satisfied with every little detail of the project!

Anyway, have a great Monday. Hope I'll be able to write again soon!

Thursday, 12 April 2012

barn sink

Our new house does not have the luxury of a kitchen sink under a window.

So I can only dream of this for now...


Just the other day I was telling my husband that we should get a dishwasher for our new house. Dishwashing every morning has been taking up a lot of my time. But if I had sink like this, I wouldn't mind doing the dishes every morning! Love the large windows overlooking the green hill, the cement sink and the linen skirt below. It even has a totally cute glass chandelier hanging above.

This is not actually a kitchen sink - it belongs to a conservatory. Here's what it looks like from the outside.


Isn't that just adorable?

Pictures from here.

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

wednesday

Is it only just Wednesday? The middle of the week is usually the busiest day of the week, so let's just enjoy this morning with some beautiful photos of dreamy bedrooms with vaulted, wood-beamed ceilings. Enjoy! 




I love the vibrant colours of the wood, contrasting with blue sheets and grey linens on the sofa. 

A neutral and feminine bedroom with bleached wood beams. Lovely.


Plaster walls, lovely view and blues and chalky greys. Swoon.
Rustic beamed ceilings and plaster walls. Its all about being simple and beautiful. 
I don't really see the point of that hanging frame above the bed - but whatever works. White and greys make a beautiful and serene bedroom. Look at all the lovely textures from the throw, the stool at the dresser, the linen sheets. Love.
Isn't the blue quilt adorable? I love this room. Note the white ceiling gives a great contrast to the wooden beams. Beautiful.
All photos are taken from El Mueble.


Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

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.

Monday, 9 April 2012

things i love in 1 photo...

The other day I wrote about backsplash tiles and how I've been contemplating on mosaic tiles over 4x4 inch tiles (as they are cheaper).

Then I saw this photo.

Skonahem
I am in love. The white tiles, the white and creamware, the open shelves, the thin wood countertops, the white cabinetry, the white washed ceilings. Casual, simple and elegant.

I'll be showing my contractor this photo, for sure.




Monday, 2 April 2012

lived-in look - sets of The Vow

Last Saturday, I went out with a few of my gorgeous girlfriends to enjoy the ultimate chick flick recently released in cinemas - The Vow. I was excited, as the last movie I watched was Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 2... yes, it has been that long.

Just before the accident which caused Paige's memory loss. See that lorry coming their way?
Not going to spoil this movie for you all, but let me just say I enjoyed the movie despite it being chock-full of cliches and (I know, I know!) it didn't fare well with the critics. As always, I cry in soppy love stories (which amazes myself and my husband as I'm not the soppy type. We're at a loss as to how soppy movies manage to push my waterworks button).

Anyway, as always, I like to look at the home sets they use on shows I watch, and I was delightfully impressed with the kitchen of the industrial loft of where the commercially good-looking couple, Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) live in.


Firstly, I noticed they used pretty aqua-blue backsplash tiles which looks great with the white cabinets and wood countertops. I also noticed they used open shelves for the upper cabinets, and a stainless steel little portable island. The little plants on the windowsill above the sink also makes the home look lived-in, showing a bit of Paige's nature-loving character.

So, it turns out that the production designer of this movie is Kalina Ivanov, who happens to have won an Emmy for her work on HBO movie, Grey Gardens. No wonder.

Here are some more photos from the set of The Vow taken from Apartment Therapy. You can read the article and view more photos of the sets in this movie there. Enjoy!


A view of the rest of the loft from the kitchen. Like the green industrial lamps above the island and the open brick wall.


Paige tries to do a timeline of her photos on the dining table. Kind of like the Facebook Timeline which is being forced upon us all. Love the huge lamp shades.


The bedroom. I've always loved the idea of having built-in bookshelves around the bed. Ain't that pretty. Cool artwork above the bed.

Paige's studio
Paige and Leo in her studio
Which reminds me (pun not intended) - Paige lost her memory of the last five years, and she seemed bewildered with the fact that (spoiler alert) she dropped out of law school and became an artist. I mean, in reality, wouldn't she be amazed upon finding this out because a passion doesn't come out of no where? If I were Paige, after losing my memory and finding out from my incredibly good-looking and sensitive stranger/husband that I was a talented artist, I would be like, "Whoa! I'm an artist?! I've always loved art! Good on me!" and do a funny but endearing little dance.

So Paige has super-rich and estranged parents, but she lost her memory so she can't wrap her head around why in the world she would not have spoken to them in the last five years. So she goes back to her parents' home and leaves poor Leo mourning alone in their stylish loft.

Here's the parents' rich and sophisticated, formal home - looking all classy but cold. I think the formal family portrait brought in that feeling.

The tastefully-decorated formal living room with dark walls and furniture and a serious-looking family portrait of Paige and her family.

More dark furniture in the dining room. Nice wallpaper there.
Finally, Paige sort of comes to her senses and moves in to a city apartment all by herself.

Paige's loft, decorated with sculpture pieces, looking similar to the loft she shared with Leo.
Have you watched The Vow yet? After watching this, I feel like going on a Rachel McAdams'-romantic-movies-marathon. Starting with...The Notebook!

Hope you enjoyed these photos. See more of the set here.

Have a great Monday!

Thursday, 22 March 2012

A study in natural materials

Remember when I wrote that post that one day I would have an awesome study that was kinda industrial and masculine-looking?

Now I think I wouldn't mind having a girly study area like this one, too.

via Roses and Rust
I absolutely love that burlap-covered board leaning against that wall! So natural and effortlessly pretty. I'm in love with the curves of the unfinished wood desk and chair, too. Oh, and the grooves on that wooden lamp. And those thick linen curtains and matchstick blinds.

I love the use of natural materials in decorating - its so authentic and naturally makes you feel at home.

Friday, 9 March 2012

thank goodness it's Friday!

Don't you love that today is Friday?

The sky is bluer, the sun is shinier (is there such a thing?), the grass is greener, and the house is cleaner. It isn't really, but just because its Friday, it feels that way.

Wouldn't it be great to wake up every morning feeling that way?

Having a room to wake in looking something like this wouldn't be too bad, too.

Charles Spade from New England Home
I love the windows and their sheer half-shades. Beautiful rug faded over time. A charming chair by the window. Gorgeous!

Have a wonderful Friday, all!


Tuesday, 6 March 2012

lovely botanicals

Do you run out of ideas on what kind of artwork to dress up your walls?

I find that I love pictures of botanicals! 

You can have a collection along your stairway wall...
Pinterest
Or have them framed with a background that matches the colour of your walls...

Liz Williams Interiors
Group them together at the dining table...

Providence Ltd
Or above your bed...

New England Home


I found this awesome idea by The Painted Hive to print photos from the NYPL Digital Gallery.

So I downloaded some of my own for my future reference and use to dress up my own house later. You can click on the source link or directly save them to your computer to edit and print for your own homes...

NYPL Digital Gallery
NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery
Aren't they lovely? 

I like ferns, too...

NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery
NYPL Digital Gallery
If you like DIY (and have the time for it - I love DIY, but don't have the patience nor the time), I also found a cool idea to make your own pressed botanical prints in my Design*Sponge at Home book. It's also featured in their website here

In the making. Design*Sponge
Tadaa! Ain't that pretty? Design*Sponge
Hope you've been inspired this Tuesday morning! Have a great day! 


Monday, 13 February 2012

topiary love

Today I'm going to be talking about topiary as I think they are charming little pieces of art that brings character in any room.

Image source

I would totally consider having topiary flanking my front doors like this to greet guests:

atlantahomesmag.com
The fresh pop of green enhances the clean white walls and black door.

decorfortheoutdoors.com


They also look lovely in simple kitchens against a window:

Houzz

And this one:



San Jose Res 2 traditional
traditional spaces design by san francisco interior designer Fiorella Design


You can have them greet you every time you enter your house: 
 
decorpad.com
Aren't these just lovely? Topiary of different shapes and sizes in terracotta pots against shutter windows:

Image source
Bigger topiary in your garden to enjoy before your evening nap outdoors...

Image source
Topiary of different colours, shapes and sizes laid out symmetrically, flanking the stone sculpture looks gorgeous in this picture below.

flickr
You can even consider having them for the centrepiece of your wedding dinner tables. Beautiful.
Traditional Home
One thing I've gathered from collating these photos is that topiary looks wonderful against a neutral backdrop - just like any green plant would. But the uniqueness of it's shape helps to give the character that a room lacking texture needs. 

Hope you enjoyed this post!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...