A Storybook Farmhouse

What a dreamy farm house to live in. I would move into the 200 year old farmhouse in Wales immediately. The sheep grazing, the white washed walls, the stone, the exposed beam work, the worn and colorful textiles... It's so good.

Architecture firm, Hackett Holland, handled the renovation.

found via

Family Photos?

I was reading Cup of Joe this week and found one of her posts really interesting. Apparently, in the book The Perfectly Imperfect Home, the author says you're not "supposed" to have family photos in the living room or other main living areas in your home. Now, I of course don't know everything there is to know about design, but design isn't science {usually} and I think this is just a tip for a clean "design-y" look.

This was especially interesting to me because I am in the midst of picking out a ton of family photos to print and hang in our hallway. I don't have photos displayed in our living room, the hallway is our photo gallery - but that is still a main area in our home, and it makes things feel cozy and comforting.

I would rather have a bedroom sans photos to make things feel like more of an escape.

What are your thoughts about displaying family photos?

photo 1 via

photo 2 via

City Posters

Ork Posters makes city neighborhood posters that are really, really, really awesome. Here are Portland and Paris, where we live now and where we hope to be living two years from now.

Art Stable

Art Stable, by Olson Kundig Architects, was built on the site of a former horse stable in Seattle. It's a seven story, mixed-use building filled with adaptable live/work units.

The way I understand it, there is a crane attached to the alley facing side of the building to move oversized objects in and out of the building; while on the street side there are large hinged windows that open up to provide natural ventilation. 

Let's take a moment and fantasize about being a painter or maybe a sculptor living in one of these spaces. Beethoven blaring, paint stuck to your face, fumes getting you a little high before you remember to open your giant window, really attractive friends stopping by with a bottle of wine... Oh the life...

What makes this place cooler (or hotter) is the geothermal heating system. This is one of the first times this type of geothermal system has been used in the USA. The pump system runs through the structural pilings in the buildings foundation, deep down into the ground where it's nice and toasty. 

top photo: point32

 lower: Benjamin Benschneider

Cavern Wallpaper

 

Cavern is a boutique wallpaper design company. All of the wallpapers are hand silk-screened and eco-friendly. There website doesn't elaborate on what makes them eco-friendly, so I will just take their word for it. I love how graphic, bold, and expressive the designs are.
Putting wallpaper on a focal wall in your space adds interest and personality. If you don't want to fully commit to plastering your wall with paper {or if you rent} another option is to buy some plywood from home depot, adhere your paper to that, and screw that into the wall. Then all you leave when you move are a few little holes and you get to take your wallpaper with you!

Paisley Magic

Etsy store, Paisley Magic, sells some wonderful quilts. I love how simple and worn they look. They are made from 3 to 4 cotton sari layers and hand stitched in a tradition style called Kantha. These quilts are sure to look great on your bed, draped over your sofa, or wrapped around your shoulders. I would probably try to figure out a way to wear mine.

My office is freezing. Someone bring me one. 

Lofty Naps

This rocks. A small guard rail would probably give me less anxiety, depending on how high up those beds are, but still, awesome. What a fun idea for a vacation cabin or guest area.

photo via

Alyson Fox Designs

I was seeing what was new on Design Sponge when I stumbled across Grace's post about Alyson Fox and her beautiful new collection hitting West Elm at the end of the month. Her rugs and pillows make me want to throw up. Literally, I feel sick. 

I love them.

I don't generally buy something unless I fall in love - especially something I have to stare at everyday. I have been searching for a rug for years, and Alyson Fox decided to fill my void with her beautiful new designs. And the pillows...Yea, obviously those will be on my couch by November. 

My obsessive personality seems to be magnified lately.

Pendleton Pot Holders

At Alder & Co. here in Portland they have these awesome Pendleton Pot Holders (yes I am posting about Pendleton again) made out of recycled Pendleton blankets. Who recycles their Pendleton blankets, I wonder? 

I don't have very stylish pot holders in my kitchen. I think they are all from Swiss souvenir shops my grandma brings me back each Christmas. Sweet, and I am not ungrateful for those pot holders that have protected my hands all these years of forgetting things in the oven...but I think that adding some cute Pendleton ones to the mix is a good plan.

via: remodelista 

A Few New Things..

How do you like the new layout? It's not dramatically different, but feels SO much better don't you think? I am at the beginning of picking out fabrics for an entire drapery and side panel line. It's both exciting and daunting. How do so many fabrics exist on this planet?! If you come across any great textile companies, let me know, I would love it. I will share any great designs I find along the way.

photo via

Geometric Bedding

This Anthropologie bedding is wonderful. That's all I can say. I hope it's on my bed soon. 

Swedish Country Home

This is a pretty neat Equestrain Estate in Sweden. So many romantic evenings must be happen here don't you think? I hope they do, anyway. Check out more photos here.

Leather Love

Eeeeeeeeeee! I have been a little illusive lately. I know. But, that's because big things are happening in life right now. Everything is big. I will tell you about it soon, I promise, but until then, this Cavett Leather Chair by Crate and Barrel is beautiful don't you think? Mid-century modern makes me weak at the knees, and anything American made makes me even happier. So, when you combine those two things with the sleek lines of this handsome chair - I am left twitterpated.

Little Bedroom

A little space turned into a comfortable little bedroom nook. 

photo

Rack & Shelf Unite

Look what I found. Cool right? It's a shelf...and a bike rack! Maybe I am easily mesmerized, maybe this is a great idea, or maybe it's both. If your bike is a member of the family, maybe like a beloved pet or even a child, and you don't like to keep him outside in the cold - here is a stylish and practical solution. The Bike Shelf can be found at Knife & Saw or a less expensive, and less stylish version at CB2.

I know my roomie would love it if my bike wasn't leaning against our wall acting as a booby trap for unsuspecting guests. 

found via: remodelista

Barefoot in Denmark

Here is a cottage in Nordsjælland Denmark - and it is really pretty. I love how clean, light, and minimalistic it is. I have convinced myself that so many scandinavian homes are white because it is dark half of the year. 

Community and family is big deal in Denmark, so I imagine that table hosts a lot of laughter filled gatherings.

Photos by Pernille Kaalund at Heyhome

oh the eames..

Who doesn’t love the Eames husband and wife team? They completely transformed the furniture world by creating lean, sleek, simple, and let’s not leave out beautiful, furniture. They created more than a new look during the design revolution of the 40’s and 50’s – they had grand ideas about saving the world. They wanted to design for ordinary people to bring more simplicity and pleasure to the life of the “average Joe.” Ironically, their once affordable furniture is now anything but affordable but every bit as stylish and functional.

Charles and Ray Eames were an amazing couple. They created some of the most influential designs of the 20^th century, and they didn’t stop there. This versatile pair made films, designed houses and showrooms, and invented toys. More importantly, they showed the world that good design can improve our quality of life.

Do you have a list of living and dead people that you would invite to a dinner party? The Eames’ are definitely on my invite list.

Photos: Design Within Reach 

Mineral Art

I am a huge Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams fan. I was in the showroom yesterday, in awe of everything or course, but mainly the amazing art pieces they have on display at the moment. One of my favorites was the mineral/crystal collection. The photo doesn't do them much justice - but they are wonderful sparkly minerals in shadow boxes. What is even better? They are created by an artist out of Salem, Oregon and can be doing worldwide. Stop by the showroom on Burnside and check them (and everything else) out!

Have a great weekend friends!

photo via

Old Bernal House

 

I have recently become obsessed with Feldman Architecture (I posted this house a couple of weeks ago), so I will likely be sharing more of their work in the near future. 

 

Their designs celebrate light-filled open spaces with a strong connection to the site and landscape; while designers explore innovative and expressive ways to apply sustainable technologies and adaptations to traditional solutions which complement the firm's contemporary designs.

I love the open and airy feeling of this home. The architectural details and color contrast of the materials pull your eyes in. I was about to write about my desire to take a bath in their bathroom - if they invited me over for a dinner party, I might do just that. Then I realized that I not only want to take a bath - but I want to take a nap on the sofa, and climb the ladder looking for a good book, and make something delicious in the kitchen (or watch someone make it for me), and sit outside on a floor pillow on a warm night with a glass of wine. If you give a mouse a cookie... 

It's a beautiful, beautiful home.