Delicious dichotomy...

This chair is a delicious dichotomy of raw industrial iron and plush luxurious upholstery - graceful ambivalence perched on four legs. 

{Harmoni og Kontrast had me swooning over it immediately.  I am still swooning.}

Afternoon muse...

I love this photograph.  A hint of a fireplace I would absolutely die for.  A print with several different languages.  Antlers.  Wine crates {wine crates always get me}.  Antique cameras {yes, plural}.  And a sprinkle of lanterns.  The sum of the whole is better than the parts. 

{Thank you Emma's Design Blog for sharing this gorgeous image.}

Can I move in tomorrow?

Every now and then I wake up wanting to relive an old flame {post}.  I still remember the first time I set eyes upon this interior.  Love at first sight.  Every time I devour these images I find a new detail that makes it even more endearing.  I still love it.  Sigh.

{Original Post February 26, 2010}

One of my favorite blogs, This is Glamorous, featured the London flat of Liza Giles, describing it as, "...creative and romantic and colourful and perfect."  No further words are needed.

Reveries and resumes...

I am still completely involved in my reverie about this wondrous collection of tufts.  James Merrell captured its likeness perfectly.  By the way, Mr. Merrell's portfolio is a horizontal slideshow of pure pleasure.

On another note {drum roll, please}, I am now stringing words {and pictures} together for the Shelter section of EcoSalon.  Here's a quick glimpse of my work at EcoSalon this week {take a look, maybe even leave a comment}.

Forecast Sunshine {Sunlight + Mirror = Magical}

The Bee's Knees {Six legs + Honeycomb = Whimsy}

Hand-Printed Loveliness {Ink + Spindle = Perfection}

Handpicked: Harmoni og Kontrast {Laila Kaldestad + Cathrine Kullberg = Birch Bliss}

Elegant entomology...

Beetles make me swoon {remember this?}.  Just to clarify, I love beetles in the form of graphics and commodities - the real life crawlers give me angst.  This linen Beetle Tea Towel by Warbeck & Cox is a safe way to let beetles mingle in your kitchen.  If you simply cannot seem to get enough exoskeletons, check out these shiny {and kind of creepy} cockroach magnets.

{Thank you Fresh Design Blog for introducing me to Warbeck & Cox.} 

Useful and beautiful...

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," this is the wisdom of William Morris and the tradition Cox & Cox has adopted with their catalogue of curiosities that are both useful and beautiful. 

This Recycled Indian Paper Pad is a lovely surface to grace with a pen, offering graphic glimpses made entirely of recycled paper from India {ranging from Bollywood posters to washing detergent ads}.

Four thousand words...

These four pictures {by Gaelle Le Boulicaut} have instantly portrayed much more than the standard one thousand word allotment. Vivid bohemian loveliness.

{Thank you Lovely Clusters for featuring a gorgeous Gaelle Le Boulicaut image that prompted me to explore her luscious portfolio.}

Cardboard cushion...

Confession:  I have been lurking through the archives of Lushlee.  This is one of the many delicious tastes I found.  

Is it a cardboard box or somewhere soft to lay your head?  Both; it's a digitally printed pillowcase with a conscious, by Snurk.  Forty percent of the proceeds are donated to an organization dedicated to helping homeless youth.  So, if you sleep on a soft cardboard pillow, someone else may not have to sleep under a brittle cardboard box.  That's poetic.

Snurk is Dutch for snoring, which makes them well qualified to offer these sleeping tips {and facts}.

Every single time...

Exposed brick; it gets me every single time.  My life feels significantly more complete knowing this space exists.

{Thank you Greige for reminding me of the vast talents of photographer Pia Ulin.  Image from Agent Bauer.}

Seasonal perfection...

This glimpse of lavish perfection has been lingering in my mind, reminding me of summer.  I am taken with the crisp white and ephemeral flawlessness.  I could admire this all day...

{Thank you The Style Files for reminding me of this gorgeous image.}

Midsummer lust...

Just a little something tufted and lovely, the Chester Sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

Colorful cravings...

You know how some mornings you wake up longing for a Belgian waffle with warm syrup?  Or a bowl of fresh raspberries and crème?  Or a soy latte with a perfect crown of foam?  Well, this morning I woke up with an inkling for hues; a deep craving for vivid, saturated color.

Ah, satiated.  The brilliant styling of Irina Graewe fulfills my color yearning with pleasure.  My love for balance tells me to share these monochromatic {slightly mysterious} beauties for the perfect amount of contrast with the previous rush of chromatics.

{Thank you Bloesem for introducing me to Irina Graewe.}

Weekend full of whimsy...

I have previously praised my undying love for the musings and styling of Christine Rudolph.  And here, another round of {immaculate} images to inspire your inner child.  Here's to a whimsical weekend.

{Thank you My Sparrow for reminding me of Ms. Rudolph's talents...and for being so lovely in general.}

Ah, Arcobaleno...

I recently discovered the gorgeous haven of Arcobaleno; I feel like I have bathed in perfection and soaked in delight.  These images {in particular} are wooing me with raw concrete, exposed beams, and glistening incandescence.

An outdoor fireplace to allay icy evenings and cobblestone glamour nestled between mossy cushions.

{Thank you to the lovely Susanna Larsson of Purple Area for introducing me to Arcobaleno.}

Bright and shiny...

Today is all about glamour.  Every space needs a little bright and shiny glamour {mixed in with rustic industrial pieces}.  Brocade Home is full of ornate and glossy muses to sprinkle about a space {including my favorite piece of glossy perfection}.

This oversized Tufted Ottoman is a dream in velvet {above} or cotton{below}.

The Ruffle Edge Mirror, sigh.

Perhaps the most delicious fixation at Brocade Home is the wallpaper collection; it's pure opulence.  The Medallion Wallpaper {in Apple and Coco} would love to live in my dining room.

Two more lovely papers, Square Gothic Print {in Black} and Flourish Flock Foil {in White}.

Admittedly, too much bright and shiny Brocade Home would be easy to achieve.  But, just for the sake of visual amusement, enjoy these spaces full of glamour.

Okay, now find yourself a pile of aged and rusticated nails {or a collection of antique industrial tables} to take the edge off all those high gloss surfaces.

Streets, houses, schools, and squares...

The Let's Colour Project is an initiative to {literally} color the world; a not-so-subtle message that "we can change anything we want".  The mission of this project is to color streets, houses, schools, and squares with bright and vibrant color.  This striking image is from the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil project.

If you need a daily reminder that you can change the world, paint some color {bold, bright color} in your life.

Blooms {and fireworks}...

A pop of red and a hint of blue to celebrate this Fourth of July.

Images from the lovely Leslie Shewring of A Creative Mint.  {Yes, twice in one week.  What can I say?  When I fall, I fall hard.}

Ah, Alessandra...

There is a place in France that manufactures beauty; this place is called Alessandra Home Interiors and is available for your swooning pleasure. Rest up your salivary glands before perusing, there is a lot of drool to be induced.

This image {from the always lovely Belgian Pearls} started my love affair with Alessandra. The fireplace is immaculate.

Alessandra Home Interiors has one project that has specifically captured my attention, Maison de Village {in Saint Tropez}. The architectural details are a perfectly combined selection of doors and beams. Sigh.

A shower I want to move into.

A staircase full of whimsy.