Wish I'd Thought of This!

I have many magazine subscriptions (probably too many), but getting the mail everyday becomes a little more interesting when there's a little nugget of a home decor magazine waiting for me.  One of my favorites is House Beautiful, and I love their monthly column called the Best!.  March's issue has me smitten with these delightful little cafe au lait cups that are decorative, functional and genius.  Look:

Look closely--when filled with your favorite milky beverage, these clever creations reveal the shape of a bird, cat, or wolf.  So innovative!  They were designed by French designer Geraldine de Beco, and are available through Bernardaud.  At $189 a piece, I don't think I'll be sipping out of these anytime soon, but the brilliance of their design has certainly caught my attention. 

Have a great weekend!

Marble, Marble, On the Wall

White marble with grey veining, in all of its many varieties, is everywhere.  This is an overwhelming trend that isn't going anywhere, and despite constantly seeing surfaces covered in it, I still can't get enough of the stuff!  There's something about marble's ability to sit proudly within modern and traditional interiors, as well as the rich visual texture contained in its veining.  There's a purity to the stone itself, and paired with the fact that no two slabs are exactly alike, choosing this surface is a no-brainer for many applications.  Currently, I'm kind of obsessed with the ways I've seen marble applied to surfaces other than countertops......this stone is so beautifully versatile.

Joseph Dirand Architecture

That is a delicious looking island.  Nothing like marble instead of wood when it comes to a paneled look, base moulding, etc.  Outstanding!

Its not a vertical surface, but I think the veining in this countertop is stunning, not to mention that crisp extra-thick edge.

Haynes-Roberts

Not a single vertical surface is untouched with marble here.  The tiled effect is simple, yet beautiful.  I could move right in to this kitchen.

 Haynes-Roberts

I didn't think I could love this space any more, then I saw it from another angle!  The tiled niche is genius, and cleverly integrates with the adjacent room.

House & Home Magazine

This space isn't as dramatic as some, but is perhaps a little more "attainable".  Marble tile is a more economic choice than slabs, and I love how it continues up the tub for a seamless effect.

Jasper Conran via House & Home

Speaking of dramatic though, this bathroom makes my heart beat a little bit faster.  The custom touches like that marble sink, as well as the vent covers made from marble slab really set the space apart and elevate it to a beautiful level of modern.  Plus, I love the warm gray veining that this particular marble offers.

via A Well Dressed Home

This apron front sink really caught my eye.  A sleek look with a nod to tradition that doesn't say "farm sink" at all.

Canadian House & Home Magazine

I'm sure there's no storage to speak of underneath this vanity, but the thing is so stunning I wouldn't care at all! 

I'm loving these marble shelves peeking out from that stone column.  So monolithic and modern, but the visual texture from the marble adds just the right amount of relief.

And finally, a little portfolio piece from my own pursuit of this glorious stone.  My bathroom from our former home--hexagon marble tile for the backsplash, and Carrara floors and countertop. 
I miss it terribly :) 

My Sister's Kitchen

I've had it in mind to post about this for months now, and its finally time.  I'm blessed to be a sister-in-law to one of the most talented cake designers out there.  My "sister" launched her wedding cake business just last year, and it has taken off in an amazing way, due largely to her amazing design skills and hard work ethic.  Its called Sugar! Wedding Cakes, and these beauties taste as good as they look.  It helps that my brother (her husband) is a marketing genius and has come up with all sorts of clever ways to promote the business.  She's currently based out of Saskatchewan, Canada, but I'm sure with the rising demand for talent and quality, she'll need to figure out a way to ship these creations elsewhere!  So without further hesitation, here is what happens in my sister's kitchen almost every weekend of the year--an amazing collection--some done as showpieces, and most done for her lucky clients.

The level of detail and pretty elements working together here just excites me!  This is among my favorite of her recent cakes (although its hard to choose)--I love the high contrast color scheme, quilting detail on the top tier, and cutout damask pattern on the bottom.  So striking.

There has been a lot of demand for this one, I think due to its soft tone-on-tone color palate and flawless execution.  Yes, my sis made all of those edible flowers on the top, and aren't those the most perfectly tied bows you've ever seen?

Another favorite.  I love this unique overlapping technique, created by using vertical strips of fondant.  Classic with a bit of an edge.

This cake has the perfect amount of whimsy and fun.  I've never seen a cake like it before, and I think it would be perfect for a bride who's all about frills and fancy.

If I had to do it all over again, this might be the cake I'd choose for my wedding (although I LOVED mine--I'll do a special post with photos of that cake).  I love how architectural and organic this one is, and again, so out of the ordinary.

I need to note that all of this piping was done by hand--often without a template of any kind.  Yes, she's that good.....:)

How fun are those Jones soda bottles with the couple's photo on them?  Great wedding favors, and the cake compliments the theme perfectly.

Another freehand cake creation--all of the cutouts and piping are an original design.....beautifully done!

all photos courtesy of Flare Weddings

This gorgeous composition was created as a replica of my brother and sister-in-law's own wedding cake.  They got married at Christmas, and wanted the cake to be a classy resemblance of Christmas gifts.  The original cake was done by my sis's parents, who are also cake geniuses.......and as you can see from all of these beautiful photos, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Oh, and one more thing.....the "icing on the cake" is the car they drive around to promote their business.  One of the most clever marketing strategies, if you ask me.....its called "The Sugar Cube"

I could post way more images, but I'll let you visit her website here to discover more of these beauties for yourself.  And after all of this, I'm craving chocolate cake and icing.....wonder why :)

I Want.......

I've been on an ongoing search for dining chairs.  From Craigslist to all of the usual retail haunts, I haven't found something I want to commit to.  In reality, I've probably found several worthy specimens, but my indecision has prevented me from actually making the purchase.  The problem is that I'm trying to accomplish a successful mix of old and new, and wanting to execute it properly.  We have an antique oak dining table available to us from my parents-in-law, and the piece is really beautiful.  A house full of antique furniture isn't really my style, but I LOVE the mix of antique and modern, so I think it can work.  Plus, the table is perfect for our daily needs, and it has a million leaves to expand for large gatherings, etc.  This (grainy) photo is similar to what we have:

I really love the base detailing, and ours is a nice "wood" color that will work well with our dark floors.  Now for the chairs. 

West Elm

I love these in white, and especially love the modern take on the Windsor chair.  Plus, these are smaller in scale than a traditional Windsor chair, which would work better for me.

Room & Board

Then there's this beauty.  Not quite a Ghost chair, but the same effect.  I like chairs without arms because they push in all the way (when my dining room isn't in complete disarray), and these take up minimal visual space.  My fear is that they would be too "lightweight with that heavy oak table.  Moving on.

  West Elm

Back to West Elm we go.  I stumbled across these just now, and they're on sale!  I like the retro lines, and think the white one would work well, but if I remember correctly, last time I was in there, this chair felt a bit "small" to me.  Kind of like a child's chair.  I'll have to double check though--this sale may be too good to pass up :)

Crate & Barrel

This Ypsilon side chair from Crate & Barrel is probably at the top of my list right now.  Its powder coated steel, which gives it a delicious glossy finish, and it would be so easy to clean.  Plus, its so different in style than the table, and it would be such a unique mix.  Maybe too different though.......see how I can talk myself out of anything?

Room & Board

If money were no object, this would be the one.  Hands down.  I shouldn't have even ventured into this territory, because I love these, and they're perfect in every way.  But at $855 a piece, not perfect enough.  Check them out here though, because they come in a ton of fun colors!

cb2

This is an interesting one from CB2.  I like it because its a little bit industrial, but has some softer lines.  Might be an interesting pairing of materials, and maybe pick up on the stainless elements I have in the adjacent kitchen.  Hmmmm......

So what will it be?  Any suggestions?  I'm sure I'll look through many more options before I decide on a winner......

Saving Because We Can

I had a great conversation with a client this week about saving money.  Not necessarily because we have to, but because we can and should.  The conversation came out of a discussion about the lifestyles us 30-somethings think we need to lead.  The interesting part is that as this "younger" generation, we have a growing entitlement to live like our parents do, have the stuff they have, the big house filled with nice furniture, the nice cars, etc.  Even more interestingly, we think we should be able to acquire all of these possessions through a few years of hard work, when realistically, our parents worked a lifetime for what they have now (and are often still more money-conscious and penny-pinching than us!)  I think about my own "standard" of living.  I don't consider myself to be an outrageous spender, but I will splurge once in a while on things my mom would never consider dropping that kind of money on.  I was with her when I recently dropped $27 on a blush (with a name that makes you blush!), and she thought I was ridiculous to spend that kind of cash.

Part of me agrees that it's ridiculous, but a bigger part of me thinks "I deserve it", and allow myself to become a member of the cult following that "needs" these products.  How does this kind of spending come into play when it comes to our own homes?  I think its easy to get carried away and think everything needs to be brand new and shiny and perfect, but when we sit back and take stock of what we have, and what it would take to live a modest and less-expensive life and still be over-the-moon happy with our surroundings, I think we would be pleasantly surprised.  There are many creative people out there who pinch pennies, spend wisely, and still end up with a beautiful result.  I admire these people, and hope to learn from my past splurges and realize that new/expensive isn't always better.

 

This light fixture just about blew my socks off.  Britt at Gus + Lula came up with this beauty, and you can click here for her great tutorial.  It looks beautifully expensive, and it only cost her $35.  Brilliant.

Gus + Lula

While you're over there, check out her hand-painted "wallpaper".  I've been paging through wallpaper books for months trying to decide what to do for my front entry.  I was about to give up and succumb to the fact that I would have to pay at least $75 for a double roll to get what I wanted.  Since seeing her beautiful transformation again, I've decided to do something far less expensive, and although it won't be as stunning as this, I'll be happy with my choice.

 I've posted here about this kitchen, and the amazing before and after transformation that took it from drab to fab.  Although this looks like a major overhaul, the genius homeowner kept all of the existing cabinets, plumbing and appliance locations, etc., which was a huge savings.  The end result is outstanding without being an extravagant over-the-top overhaul.

I'm sure you've seen this beauty from Isabella & Max Rooms. Janell is pure genius at well-executed, expensive looking DIY projects.  This upholstered headboard is no exception, and I can just imagine what you'd pay in a designer showroom for something like this.  See the whole tutorial here.

But don't stop at just the headboard, how about an entire DIY bed!?  This was done by Camilla at Effortless Style, and the work her and her husband did to pull this off is nothing short of impressive.  Definitely the look for less, and they did a wonderful job creating the high end bedroom retreat they were after.  Check it out step by step here.

I could literally spend hours posting all of the projects I've found that have been done by creative people who pinch pennies but still turn out projects that look like a million bucks.  To say the least, I'm inspired to look at what I have, and see the beauty and potential in existing items instead of thinking I need to buy new.  These photos and projects show that it doesn't have to look "homemade" and cheap to be cost effective and savings-conscious.

Gray & Gold

A long-time favorite color combo of mine is gray and gold.  Maybe its the tension created when mixing a warm and cool tone, or maybe its the quiet pairing of two luxurious hues that gets me.  I don't know, but I've loved it for years, and continue to be drawn to interiors with these colors.  Gray can seem so cold to some, but I think adding golds, yellows or chartreuse tones can inject a "ray of sunshine" and really bring a gray room to life.  I've experimented with this in my own homes, and hope to share more of this mix as I continue to play with these lovely colors.

I love my soft gray furniture--I've always wanted pure white, but this is more forgiving, and still maintains the light palate I'm always after.

My house at Christmas.....I love how gray, gold and turquoise work so well together.

Caldwell Flake

These acid-green pillows and charcoal upholstered wall are to die for!  I love how this room feels so luxe, even with a simplistic mix of elements.

 Fisher Weisman

I'd feel like a million dollars even if I were sitting in this room in my pyjamas!

Kelly Wearstler

Lonny Magazine via Pure Style Home

 

 House Beautiful

  

 Sara Richardson

It might be a stretch for this room to qualify as gray and gold, but I've loved this space forever, and thought that the small brass and mirror side table made it worthy.  And I can't get enough of the glorious built-in banquette!

 

Steven Gambrel

And finally, these last three rooms, all designed by Steven Gambrel offer an amazing mix of gray and varying shades of gold.  There is definitely a warmth to these spaces, and the bold patterns and rich textures really add to the visual interest.  Beautifully done.

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!