Home Fashionably: February 2011

{inspiration+colour} Cool and Classic in Black & White

I spent the weekend organizing inspirational images I have been collecting over time and realized while sorting through everything that many of them carried a consistent theme... their color palette. Rooms of black and white started to jump out at me, none of which seemed cold or stark, rather they felt rich, smart and harmonious. In fact, the deep black and dark moody-grays are all stunning when used as a main color within a room. Combine them with white and rich woods and you have a smart palette that works in a number of settings.
What I am loving most right now: slate black floors with crisp white moldings, shots of color as foils for the classic color story (bright, citric shades of green create a wonderful contemporary feel or muted shades of red offer a sophisticated combination) or using metallic surfaces, soft grays & luxurious fabrics to create an indulgent space (chandeliers, mirrors, velvet & satin) .

It's cool, retro chic, classic, urban, pared-down and traditional... just take your pick. Have a wonderful week everyone!

*Photography: Images 1 & 6 via Country Living, Image 2 Jackson Pollock, Number 26A, 1948 Black and White via Artchive, Image 3 by Caldwell Flake via Coco Cozy, Image 4 via Frank Features, Image 5 via Style At Home

Kitchen project

The kitchen reno is coming together, but we still have another 6-8 weeks before we get our counter top and cabinets. We manged to prime all the walls, with help from the #1 kid in the world :) Thanks O.

I have to admit I have not been cooking all that much, I make dinner every night, but it usually a pasta dish, soup, or some kind of veggie dog/burger. Nothing spectacular.

If you are looking for some yummy vegan recipes to make....go visit findingvegan.com , a vegan food photography site linking to lots of amazing recipes and cooks!

Small lamp

Wish of the customer. The house interior should be quiet with small accents. The general tone of walls the warm brown.

Lay-out. Three premises are designed: kitchen, a drawing room and a bathroom. In a drawing room the doorway is expanded. At the expense of it panels are made of matte glass. In kitchen – sliding doors.

Home remodeling idea: A drawing room in easy beige tones. A fireplace with shelves for books. The big angular sofa for all family. On walls of an impregnation of a decorative stone. Kitchen coffee with use of a decorative stone. On a floor the brown tile alternates from the beige.

The separate rack is located so that from any point it was possible to watch TV. A bathroom – in Japanese style with accents of a tree of color venge. On a sliding door facade Oriental cherries have blossomed.

The bathroom takes place on a podium with the illumination, decorated by a coffee mosaic. A ceiling with wooden panels on east subjects and lamps-small lamps.

{product+love} Peel and Stick Wallpaper

I am always on the lookout for great tips and products for renters or home owners who like flexibility. If you are anything like myself no one room stays the same for too long. I like the evolution of decorating and although I might reach a lovely conclusion to a project there is always something interesting to move around or add down the road. So, speaking of utterly fabulous things, I am loving peel and stick wallpapers and cover-ups. They are the perfect decorating solution for renters and really can recreate the look and stylistic flair of wallpaper while providing the ability to change looks with the snap of your fingers (well, almost!)

Tempaper Designs is a company that offers fantastic peel and stick options in soft, modern tones, traditional patterns, organic designs & hip, bold prints. "Like a Giant Post-It Note for Decorating." Mariann Rohrlick, The New York Times

LOVE, Love, Love... what a beautiful thing!

*Photography via Tempaper Designs

{idea notebook} Secret Storage Cabinet

Pair a flea-market painting with an old metal medicine cabinet and what will you have? A seriously clever secret storage cabinet! I think this is such a cute idea that I can't stop thinking about just where to put mine!

"How To" text via Country Living:

Step 1: If the cabinet has a mirrored front, carefully remove the glass (be sure to wear gloves, as you may have to break the glass). Additionally, your painting's wooden frame should measure at least 3/4" think and overlap the cabinet door's surface by at least an inch on all four sides.

Step 2: Lay your painting facedown on a flat surface, then center your cabinet facedown atop the painting. Use a pencil to mark the cabinet's edges on the back of the frame.

Step 3: With the cabinet still resting on the painting, open it up to expose the back side of the door. Use a permanent marker to mark a dot in each corner of the door, making sure the dots align with the thickest part of the frame.

Step 4: Lift the cabinet off the painting and lay the cabinet facedown atop a piece of scrap wood. Drill a hole at each of the marked dots, then place the cabinet on top of the painting again, aligning it with the pencil marks on the back of the frame.

Step 5: Use a drill to drive 3/4" screws through the door holes into the frame.

Step 6: Mount the unit to the wall using the premade holes in the cabinet's back. If holes don't exist, drill on in each corner.

* Project credit from Kate Pruitt, Photography via Country Living

SEE WHAT WE'VE COVERED SO FAR ON OUR BRAND-NEW WEBSITE -- INSPIREDHOMEDESIGN.NET...

"ST. HELENA FARMHOUSE," BY BACKEN, GILLAM + KROEGER ARCHITECTS

BEAUTIFUL SCREEN PORCH OF ST. HELENA FARMHOUSE BY BACKEN, GILLAM & KROEGER ARCHITECTS, PHOTO: BGARCH.COM

Architect Howard J. Backen, principal of Backen, Gillam & Kroeger Architects of St. Helena, California, redesigned a simple 1890s Napa Valley farmhouse for a couple who had initially intended to construct a brand-new residence. Mr. Backen turned a once-unremarkable structure into a beautifully open, bright and livable home.*