a beautiful chair.

this just might be the most beautiful black leather chair i've ever seen -- the shell lounge chair in black leather and soaped oak. sold by horne for $1,300. beside it is a glimpse of the design of the gx-01 terra rug of loloi's contemporary giselle collection. beautiful, right? they would pair quite perfectly together, i think.

images courtesy of 1, 2

pretty and nice spaces.

some public. some private. some living. some bathing. some sleeping. some eating. some old. some new.

 images courtesy of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

there are elements in each photo that appeal to me: a diy copper coffee table; a hardwood and marble floor; over-the-top fancy wallpaper; white tiled bathroom with a large, open shower; polished hardwood floors; white cabinets; white bedding; framed art displayed on the floor; cool rugs; brick; ornate mirrors; large windows; exposed beams. 

oooooh, i'd love to spend a day or two in each space. 

daydreaming about pretty home furnishings--

i still get caught up dreaming of outfitting my [someday] farmhouse from anthropologie's house & home furnishings. i love the assumed clash of rustic and industrial and fancy and homey pieces thrown in a room together. that kind of mishmash excites me and sends my heart and soul into a flurrying tizzy; much more than a house that looks like it fell off the pages of potterybarn or an interior designer's portfolio. 

these are some of my favourites for lighting and textiles for the living areas. oh, and that desk. that's not a textile or light fixture. it's simply magnificent and that's enough. 

images courtesy of anthropologie.com

giant anglepoise floor lamp, $ 4,298.00  /  jardin des plantes curtain, $68.00-98.00  /  whorled trapunto rug, round, $498.00-998.00  /  doily rug, $20.00-798.00  /  retractable writing desk, $1,298.00  /  hand-tufted parni rug, $9.95-1,199.95  /  golden sap pendant, $248.00  /  rhys chair, $2,498.00  /  volta desk lamp, $98.00  /  orianna sofa, $1,998.00  /  half gold light bulb, $6.00  /  kaare leather sofa, $2,499.95  /  novara floor lamp, $398.00  /  honeybee bloom curtains, $128.00-188.00  /  archway floor lamp, $498.00  /  verdeante chandelier, $1,499.95-2,499.95

what do you do with a family of five after you've outgrown your chelsea loft?

you buy the identical apartment upstairs and merge the two and incorporate health-conscious systems, sustainable resources, and insulate with recycled denim. now they have a gor-geous eco-friendly urban home.

much of their furniture and textile choices lean toward that fun mix of contemporary and mid-century. i'm in total swoon mode over here.

images courtesy of design-milk.com

a few good rooms and windows.

simply an assortment of room images i've collected over the weeks. all have at least a single aspect that i would like to adopt into my [someday] home. club foot tub? yes please. walls of windows? definitely. mid-century furniture? like you even need to ask. 

images courtesy of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

a holidays story from design within reach.

"i feel foolish that i came outside carrying a wreath, hammer and nail," she said as they stood outside their glass house. he took the wreath from her hand, hung it on the doorknob and said, "let the holidays begin."

images courtesy of dwr.com; story gwendolyn horton

i'd be thrilled if the egg chair was wrapped and under the tree for me this year; i like that station wagon, too; but i shall be quite happy when the day [finally] comes that i find a place for my inherited bertoia bird chair and ottoman in my own living space instead of in my parents' attic.

the story blurb taken from dwr's november 2012 catalog and found here.

southwest english home under the scandinavian influence.

i'm falling head over heals for this southwest english home.

the table and chairs.
the long countertop.
the gray sofa.
the chevron wood flooring.
the shelves under the stairs.
the tiled bathroom walls.

perhaps it's the scandinavian influence that has me smitten with its design and layout.

from kathryn tyler, resident of the beautiful house pictured below: "the houses we visited in scandinavia had such a welcoming feel, often because they used lots of wood and had really well-considered layouts. they looked lived in rather than pristine and they weren't soulless like so much contemporary, modern architecture can be."

images courtesy of design-shimmer.blogspot.com

random room collection.

i was catching up on my apartment therapy posts in my google reader over the long weekend and came across some fun rooms. some i loved for their colour scheme. others i loved for the furniture. others may just have a cool piece hanging on the wall, like the goat picture, which i love. and i'm always a fan of exposed beams/ceiling as pictured in the kitchen and guest room.

images courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com