Interior Design Sense

Aaarrrggghhh! It’s raining. Not just today. Not just yesterday, not just last week. For as long as I can remember? It’s flooding all over the state and there are more days of incessant rain to come. I guess there is nothing to do but blog surf. Some of these I have visited forever and others are brand new to me but all will keep you entertained. Go say hello!

Thank goodness that is over! I think I ate too much. Hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends, a good nap on the sofa, didn’t eat too much like I did (ha!) and are all relaxed and ready for a reading guide. Settle in. I hear ginger tea is good for over-indulging so maybe a pot to keep you company? Enjoy! (Knitted nativity scene via Scott Weston … rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? “Knitted nativity.”)

Kim and I are so fortunate. Everyday we turn on our computers and do what we love. We share the beauty that we find out there on the web. Beautiful rooms, beautiful homes and in return we have met beautiful people. Dear readers thank you so much for visiting everyday, for your emails, your submissions and your support. To the talented designers, architects, stylists and photographers who share their work a huge thank you. We are in awe of what you create. I wish that was my Christmas tree above but it belongs to Australian architect Scott Weston. (Thanks for the shot Scott and the new work I’ll be featuring next week.)  I ran out of time this year to decorate for the holidays but I can daydream that Scott’s tree miraculously appears in my living room.

I couldn’t make up my mind which image to use for this post. Swedish stylist Mikael Beckman sent this photo of his tree. Outdoors, deep in snow and stylishly simple. I’m daydreaming of this tree too but not miraculously transported into my living room … at least not with the snow. Now if you are reading this on Christmas Day go away, eat turkey, ham or prawns, laugh with your family and nap on the sofa after too much food. I’ll be back on Boxing Day with a reading guide. Might even do one on the other days too. Maybe not. Might be snoozing on that sofa. Merry Christmas!!!

See what Santa got for me (OK I fess up it was I!) on my page. Trouble is they won’t be turning up until after the weekend. Too big to come down the chimney?

One more sleep until Christmas!! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with joy and laughter, lots of good food and granny naps. I’m not sure what Jo’s plans are for blogging (I’ve missed her on MSN the last couple of days) but I’m going to go ahead and say I likely won’t be blogging tomorrow or Sunday. So enjoy yourselves, but first, I’d love to show you this home I found on the website of French magazine Le Journal de la Maison. I LOVE this home. The owner seems to love natural materials and flea market finds, particularly with an industrial vibe (me too!!). I was drooling over each one of her funky light fixtures (hello Jielde!). See you all soon!!

Spirally into love here folks. Love the open space, the white mixed with wood and black. Rustic and modern and all tied together with one sexy black spiral staircase. Clever sliding walls define the children’s sleeping areas. The Crosstown Loft by Campos Leckie Studio based in Vancouver, Canada.

I’m still battling the chaos of the holiday season and I could use another short virtual holiday right about now. Jo blogged about Greek photographer Vangelis Paterakis last year and a reader recently reminded us of the fabulousness of his portfolio (thanks Zoe!) I love the simplicity of this home and the use of stone and concrete. It’s modern yet rustic at the same time. Love that.

One of our favourite interior designers Jason Martin (his DIY+ series for Desire to Inspire is here) is now the design director at Kristen Buckingham (see Kim’s post on Kristen here). He emailed to let us know the website has been recently updated and to share a few photos of the new showroom on La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles. Swoon! That blue! And I would never have thought to pair it with the strong presence of the black. The showroom looks perfect. I’d love to spend an afternoon taking a closer look. Now don’t forget to send us any new work Jason

A delight to the eyes. Yes like a drink of cool water. To capture the beauty of the everyday, of a family homes, of a precious object. I’m still caught up in the wonderful world of the talented photographers whose work graces the pages of our favourite shelter magazines. Johanna Ekmark has shot for the likes of Marie Claire Maison Italy and Elle Interior, Sköna Hem  and Lantliv. I love those first two photos. The light is fabulous and that kitchen is just perfect. Enjoy!

Anne had sent in a photo for a pets on furniture post (the first one here – and a gratuitous husband and dog photo at the end of this post) and I wrote back telling her how adorable her Vizsla is and how I loved the room. WELL, was I ever lucky that she wrote back with a link to a bunch of photos of her AMAZING home. She was kind enough to give me a bit of background that I could share with you all before I bombard you with photos ‘o plenty:
“we live in the south austin neighborhood of bouldin creek, a 20 min walk to downtown …we measure our proximity to everything by walkability since my husband, sam, spent 16 yrs in nyc prior to moving to austin at the end of 2008. the house is about 2350 sq’ and we both work from home so we have an office that occupies one half of the entire 2nd story. we spent 8 months building and around 5 months planning (i should also mention we finished the project two months ahead of schedule AND under budget!). the house is a three bedroom/ three bath. we worked with the incredible architects at alterstudio who took the time to filter through our ideas, carefully considering how to incorporate our wild eclectic wish list – glass floor, reclaimed wood, loads of outdoor space, lots of windows, energy efficiency, a home office and music room and of course, a pool – with our desire for practical and efficient use of space – we wanted to interact with every room every day and not waste an inch of space – and transformed these components into the perfect expression that is our home. the result is a wonderful modern structure that feels welcoming not severe, fits seamlessly into our funky South Austin neighborhood, merges the indoors with the outdoors and provides us with a home comfortable for two (plus dog). i think the best part about our house is the light. there is so much sunlight that streams into every room and we refuse to get any window coverings. the glass floor actually serves a purpose – it allows light into the downstairs hallway from the skylight and a transom window further carries that light into the downstairs bathroom. given that this is texas and the heat in these parts is serious business, the majority of the glass faces north and south, passively heating in the winter and NOT in the summer. the one room people flip out about is the 9×9 TV room, or TV cave as we refer to it. we designed the room to perfectly fit ligne roset’s togo sofa and is the only place there is TV in the house. a large sliding door closes it off from the kitchen/dining room. most people who visit think it is our pantry.” There is so much I love about Anne’s home – I HAVE to show this post to my architect. Thank you Anne! Consider me inspired!

If all the wonderful clutter of the homes for the past few days have left you for a hankering for minimalism have I got the house for you. Stalking again and in Paddington, Sydney again. Lean, clean and definitely not mean. Love the indoor/outdoor feel, the ceiling fans (boy do I hate most fans) and the desk in the office. I just wish my kitchen was so minimalist. Don’t think it ever will be though. Link is here while it lasts.