It's been quite a week so far filled with small, irritating events that have left me a little...crusty. So today I would like to simply feature some fantabulous photos, and lose myself in their beauty. The photographer du jour, Gilles Trillard, is based in Paris and has worked for magazines such as Elle-Décoration, Côté-Sud and Campagne Décoration. Most notably he has shot Jonathan Adler's home (you can easily spot some of the photos below).
Welcome to the lovely home of the Barcelona based design duo Australian digital artist George Angles and Spanish painter and designer Blanca Cases. Just a tantalising peek but after the jump you can take a wander through their Barcelona shop Lu Ink where Blanca says "we make the things that we love: paintings, cushions, trays, assorted things made of and on wood, textiles and lots of other cool things for the house." Perhaps if we ask really, really nicely Blanca and George will send us more photos of their house ;)
I got my hands on a new book the other day called The Happy Home Project by Jean Nayar (from Filipacchi Publishing). It just came out this month and it is along the same lines as Meghan's book that I reviewed last week (here) - it is essentially a guide to decorating your home. With chapters on style, sustainability, spirit, substance, renovation and decorating plus a helpful resource section, it is full of advice on how to achieve the spaces you are after with expert advice from architects, designers, organizing specialists and contractors. With a special emphasis on living harmoniously with nature, The Happy Home Project also explores some of the more subtle ways one can turn a house into a home. I am all about incorporating nature into my home so this book is up my alley (and I need all the guidance I can get to make it through my upcoming home renovations/additions), and has lots of photos of beautiful spaces. Some that I love are below.
Stunning architectural details, fabulous furniture, amazing art. A sense of humour, a sense of the outrageous. A fuchsia opium bed! Only in Paris. Appartement Paris 9e. Exclusive, secret places in Paris for rent for private events. Lofts, townhouses and factories, off the beaten path apartments, private clubs and artist's studios all available through Loft Connexion by Samuel Johde.
If you'd like to send us photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet!)
This is lovely, little Doris, who arrived at my house today. She is absolutely beautiful, woolen like a sheep. Very playful and cuddly.
- Janne (Tvedestrand, Norway)
This is" Homie" in our home back in UK. He used to rock the chair while he is grooming himself :)
- Tuba
I am attaching here the pictures of our cats - Tigra (female Tiger :) and Zorro.
- Belma
Zac
German Shorthaired Pointer cross?
Rescued at 3months old in 2005 after being dumped in a park with his 3 sisters.
Loved and Adored by Nick & Dave of Sydney Australia.
Later a (younger) big brother to Chloe, our German Wirehaired Pointer rescued in 2008 age 5.
Zac unfortunately was hit by a car 12 months ago.
R.I.P young man. Xxo
- David
It may be Swedish white but it's red as well. Like a shiny apple just ready to be plucked from the tree. How adorable is this 1905 pilot's house in Smögen, Sweden. Ship's pilot obviously ;) Apparently this particular pilot had travelled to America and included gingerbread touches here and there that make it a little different from its fellow houses. Seaside haven. Tick. Historical house. Tick. Scandi white and painted wood. Tick. Relaxed lifestyle and something just a little bit different. Tick. Not just one but at least three ceramic stoves including a green kakelugnar that I need to fondle. And to top it off it's RED! Ticks all my boxes. Definitely immigrating to Sweden .... or at least visiting for the summer. For sale here. If only I could buy it!
Swedish born photographer Björn Wallander now lives in NYC with his dog Ella and has made quite a name for himself, having shot for several mags you all know and love(d) including Domino, Oprah, Dwell, Martha Stewart and Real Simple. I am completely and utterly smitten with his portfolio, which is full of photographs of spaces whose lightness and darkness and shadows are captured so perfectly....
Can't get enough of church conversions and this one is very special. A series of living spaces are positioned lightly within the historic building. Clean minimal lines allow the church's structure to shine. The light spilling in through the ornate stained glass windows splashes the sparse modern interiors with rich colours. Furnishings are almost monastic but be sure they are luxurious at the same time. The soaring ceilings, the stonework, the open space! Imagine cranking up the stereo in a place like this. Heavenly bliss. And just when you think you have entered the heavenly light the flesh is pampered in a daring, dark overindulgence of a bathroom. Sinful? Church conversion in Utrecht by Dutch architectural firm Zecc.
Interior designer Craig Kettles of C designs can take a really crummy house and turn it into a comfortable and timeless space - there are before and afters on his website that are quite impressive. And his kitchens, with a bit of country charm, are fantastic (LOVE the industrial lighting he seems to use quite often).
From golden luxury to the rustic modern idyll. From brooding city apartments to moody desert hideaways. Textured luxury with clean lined modern aesthetic. Tribal nuances meld with big city sophistication. It's as delicious as the rich honey tones so often present in the work. It's French design firm Studio KO.
London estate agency Domus Nova sent over photos from another one of their fabulous properties (see previous posts here and here). This one is a funky 2 bedroom garden maisonette, with open concept living space, long and narrow layout at about 1183 sq ft. HELLO white Panton chairs (my fav!), Flos Taraxacum 88 pendant lights, lavendar sectional, rad artwork...
Beauty rich and lush, luxury layered upon luxury. High end interior design. Aspirational or inspirational. Fresh colour palettes work mix it up with references of past design genres. Fashion background means rooms are well dressed, a well tailored elegance. Rooms by Michael Boyd of Smith Boyd Interiors. There is always a place in my heart for the luxe.
I stumbled upon the website of California based architect Lewin Wertheimer the other day and was taken by his attention to detail, where he seems to easily join form with function. Some are modern and some more traditional...it's all equally beautiful.
I haven't had a photographer crush for some time and well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do when her design heart is smitten by a seriously sexy portfolio. Fabulous use of light, clever composition and an eye that can cut through the cr*p to get to the inner beauty. Meet my new photographer squeeze David Prince. He's a hand-me-down though because Kim has professed her love for him before. New photos since then. Love the one above. Just want to snuggle in to that corner. Think a drink and a good conversation might also be on the boards. And don't get my started on that simple empty frame just nonchalantly leaning against the wall. Such a tease!
I found the following home on the website of French magazine Le Journal de la Maison last night and HAD to blog it. I adore homes like this one. Quirky, rustic, vintage, eclectic, colourful, mid century. Blend all those together and I'm completely smitten. I even love that fact that one window pane in the living room is partially painted pink. (Styled and photographed by Dana Van Leeuwen)
It's almost Friday (thank gawd) and I wanted to do a quick post before I hit the sack to welcome a new advertiser to desire to inspire. k19studio is recently established in Germany, with the notion that people can bring original modern artwork into their homes at a fraction of the cost of art found in galleries. Here is a bit of info: Pictures presented by k19studio are the geometric abstract painting executed in the technique of acrylic on canvas or acrylic on aluminum. Attention! It's not printed matter, it's not posters, it's the real original pictures, each of which, the artist makes individually, manually.
On the k19studio site a few themes each with a set of samples and various sizes are presented. You can choose the sample and the size you like. From this sample we will make the picture in the acrylic on canvas or on aluminum technique for you. Each sample is used a limited number of times (max. 5)
Check out some very cool completed works below (the organic geometry line is my favourite):
Finish the week just as it was started with beautiful pictures of inspiring rooms. Remember my post on KO Studio? The photographer of those golden delights is Yann Deret and of course I had to share more of his portfolio. There is a certain something, is there not, about his work? Elegant and refrained, simply seductive. Except when it is vibrant and fun! High end or low, moody and modern, white, bright and punchy, Yann Deret captures it all through his lens and presents us with the dream space.
Tamara Kaye-Honey is a Canadian now living in Los Angeles who, like many interior designers/decorators, started out in fashion. She's been in the business of interiors since 2003 and her eclectic designs are punchy, witty and dramatic. Tamara's work combines high and low, old and new pieces (love that!) to create modern spaces that are not so serious. I'm a big fan. (Check out House of Honey, her online shop stocked with to-die-for, must-have items!)
Waiting, waiting, waiting. Nothing is happening on the reno front. My painter is delayed another 5 weeks. Lucky I'm a patient woman. (That sound you just heard was my husband choking with laughter.) I'm sure there is a chair to glue, a cupboard to strip, a painting to frame and a slipcover to sew but today is so beautiful and sunny I'm not going to lift a hammer, push a paintbrush or even dust a shelf. I'm taking me time. Perhaps some shopping in my favourite local shops? Maybe a bit of blog surfing? Bliss.
It's been ages since I've done a chair porn post. I have a chair fetish you see, and have a hard time not bringing home a cool chair every now and then. And because I'm feeling a bit guilty for not having blogged last Sunday and wanting to spend the evening with my husband off the computer for a change, I thought I'd just slap up some chair porn for your viewing pleasure.
Elle Decoration (South Africa)
Design*Sponge
rue magazine
Sköna hem
Style At Home
Design*Sponge
