room love

Would you check out this room?  There is absolutely nothing I don't love about this room.

I think it's somewhere between those blue chairs and the big star pillow on the couch.

In Abigail Ahern's home in London, courtesy of The Selby.  The whole house is lovely, but oh! that room.

porter chair love

These chairs would be very happy in my home.  Really, I'd take just one of them.  Porter chairs forever.

globe heaven

Imagine, if you will, a choir of angels singing a single, swelled note.  Because that's what's happening in my head right now.  From the home of Viennese artist Nives Widauer.

rather cozy

"I have always liked decorating my small apartments as though they are just a few of the rooms in a much larger house, so you have the feeling that you could, should you want to, wander off to the drawing room, library, dining room, but for the moment are just choosing to be in this rather cozy study." - Rita Konig

This is maybe the best decorating advice I've ever read.

from NY Mag, via Katie

louis vuitton home

When I lived in Florence, there was a bus which stopped 2 blocks from our school going in one direction, but not in the other.  Which meant that in order to catch a bus back to the apartment, I had to cross the Arno and wait by the Duomo.  Which really wasn't a tough burden to bear, to be completely honest.  That walking route took me directly by the Florence Louis Vuitton location.  I could never bring myself to go inside, but I found great joy in looking through the windows.  Something about Louis Vuitton has always spoken to me of a different time.

So I was of course excited about Todd Selby's new project, especially since it includes a look inside the Vuitton family home.  The excitement increased exponentially the moment I discovered that Louis had decorated his home in the Art Nouveau style (which was actually unfashionable at the time he did it), and that his family had maintained it.  Seeing the home takes me back to those long moments standing in the cold, gazing wistfully at white dresses.  Oh, I knew there was a reason I couldn't look away.

Check out the magnificent fireplace, would you?  Oh, and the inlay on the desk!  I want to fold it all in my arms and never let go.

swing

When my family first moved into our house, the basement was unfinished, a vast expanse of concrete floor, shiny insulation walls, and wood frame ceilings. My brother and I tried to outfit it as a "hang out space" despite its barrenness, and one of our better ideas (which I take full credit for) was hanging a double hammock swing from one of the wood beams.  However, it wasn't very well secured (we were, what, 14 and 11 at the time?) and came crashing down one memorable summer day, embarrassingly while two of my friends were in it.  It's still one of my favourite things that we almost made work, and one I would love to duplicate someday.

This morning, this showed up in my inbox:

Dude has a swing.  In his living room.  NO FAIR.

(in all seriousness, there is a lot to love in this space)

canopy

Remember these?  Still love 'em.

photo by James Merrell who you should expect to see lots more of as I've fallen in love with his stuff.

sheet envy

I finally decided on my new duvet cover this past fall, and I adore it, but now none of my sheets match.  I am of the opinion that one's sheets should not be boring.  Like underwear, they stay covered up most of the time (if you're a good little munchkin and make your bed), so why waste your time on serious, plain sheets?  Rita Konig's bed is my inspiration.  I love, love, love those hearts!

I couldn't find any exact matches, but here are a few options I like:

clockwise, from top left: arrowhead sheet set from anthro, novelty pastel sets by tommy hilfiger (I like the heart and scottie prints best), snowflakes sheet set from anthro, polka-dot sheet set from target

dutch alcove

If we have another dreary, rainy day like Sunday soon, I might break into this fellow's house just to curl up in that bed and wait it out.  Doesn't it look so deliciously cozy?

from the NYT via Jo

days of heaven

A couple years back I dated a guy who was a total cinemaphile, and when the Criterion edition of Days of Heaven came out, let me tell you, we were at the nearest Best Buy to pick it up, hoo-boy.  We headed straight back to my house to watch it, and when it was over, he asked me what I thought of it.  My reply was, "The interiors were incredible!" which probably wasn't the response he was going for, but I think he was just glad I wasn't traumatized, like I was after we watched Punch-Drunk Love.

I kind of thought I was the only one to have noticed the interiors (keep in mind that I was the only person of my acquaintance who'd even seen the film), but apparently I am not.  It's no secret that I love Amy Merrick's Living In series for Design*Sponge, and, as usual, she is spot-on.

I really wanted to move into that house, and her picks totally reinforce that desire.

pillow dilemma

I've been on the hunt for a new quilt/duvet cover for my bed forever, it seems. I like the pale green of mine, but needed something in a warmer color, at least for the winter. With all of my windows, it gets visually very cold in that room. This week, I saw this for sale on the West Elm website and snatched it up.The trouble is, they were all out of shams. I'm okay with it, actually, as I'm not a fan of things looking too matchy-matchy, but this does mean that I'm not finished hunting. I'd love something in a simple, bright solid, like this in spice, or this in sunshine or pumpkin (and I am just Southern enough to be tempted to stick a monogram on those suckers). So, what do you think? I've been having some second thought about ordering it, but am reserving judgement until it arrives and I can see it in person.

library love

I've always said that a dream come true would be to have a library like Belle's for my very own, but if offered, I'd take this instead. Yum. Love the stairs!

via obsessilicious

living in

If you've ever watched a movie and wanted to move onto its set permanently (coughAmeliecough), then you're going to love the "Living In" series on design*sponge. Check out this Mama Mia-inspired composition:

Inspiration shot:Round-up:Pretty spot on, yeah? I'd move into that room!

washroom envy

As a companion to my earlier post, which discussed kitchen envy, today you get a dose of my washroom envy. Yeah, I know I'm messed up. This is in a lovely old Rhode Island house. I can't decide which element I like best, the tree wallpaper or the door with its frosted glass and silver lettering. I think in the end, the door wins. But that shouldn't surprise anyone. The rest of the house is equally delightful; I especially love the nursery.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled Thursday.

kitchen envy

I could happily live out the remainder of my life in this kitchen.
Also this:
from here.

candy apple red

Just a bit of eye candy this morning. How gorgeous is this vanity in that candy apple red? Yum, yum.

via Oh Joy!

j'adore

Can you possibly guess why? From here.

small and bright

I absolutely adore this home recently featured on AT. With merely 200 square feet, homeowner Jessica created a vibrant and comforting space that doesn't feel cluttered. I love all of the vintage elements, especially the dresser and wall frames. The idea of curating your belongings is a fairly new one to me, and one I'm working on mastering. Jessica sets an excellent example!

daisy daisy chain

How wonderful are these paper daisies? I'm not crazy about the pink, at least not in that volume, but they've got a lovely selection of colors. I'm thinking maybe a couple in orange and green in ceiling corner to brighten up a white room (namely, mine). And at $1.95-$2.15 a piece, the price is very, very right!

via Making It Lovely

south african living

I love the colorful hodge podge-y feel of this home in South Africa. It just looks like such a happy, cluttered space. I think that's what I'll call my design aesthetic, actually. "Happy and cluttered." Extra points for the Calder mobile hanging from the ceiling. It adds just the right touch. Check out the full tour on ATDC.