New York Real Estate!

It seems I'm on a real estate hunt these days! And also on that note, I realized I have done very little hunting in this city! So off I went to find a little nook of NY that I wouldn't mind calling my own!

Of course then (like I always do) I imagine how I would redecorate it! This time, I searched my seemingly millions of images for what I thought would be just the right fit for this property... which was wayyy too much fun!!!

And so, above is the apartment, located in Greenwich Village on Jane street (a gorgeous tree lined street!) between West 4th and Hudson St. I love the WOOD BURNING fireplace! The wood floors, the layout and the gorgeous little kitchen oozing potential! This one bedroom apartment has a ton of exposed brickwork, 10 foot ceilings, as well as a southern exposure (so there will be sunlight coming in all throughout the day!). For the full listing, click here!

I would of course, keep all the features I love, but brighten it up with whites, light creams, earth tones, and add splashes of deep blues and grey tones! The kitchen, although recently renovated, I would brighten from top to bottom with cool blue paint on the cabinets, open shelving, but treasure the already existing farmhouse sink!

The bedroom need a redecoration overhaul with a dose a character, and the navy blue striped headboard below does the trick perfectly. By making it a plush, clean and cosy room, without making it feel small, it's miles better then the odd and cold layout it currently has.

Although I don't know what the current bathroom looks like, I'm thinking a navy accent wall, vintage tiles, crisp and sparkling in this small space with what unfortunately looks like no window...

In the living room, I want the walls and fireplace to hold their own, and not be cluttered by too many patterns which could end up making the space look small and messy. Instead textures and neutral tones will lead the way! A deep cosy white sofa, a leather armchair, a textured rug, baskets, cushions and repainting the fireplace mantle white should do the trick perfectly!

All pulled together to turn into a gorgeous NYC sanctuary, to relax, to enjoy, it's fresh and inviting...

Sweet, Sweet Love...

I. Am. In. Loveee.

I was cruising blog Decor8 yesterday, and as soon as my eyes were caught, so was my heart..

The post (here!) was featuring Knack Studios, based in South Carolina.

Secretly, I've got a dream of owning my own shop where I give flea market finds and old furniture and home stuffs a fantastic new life... and so you will see why I'm so deeply in love with Knack Studios!! I am totally in heartfelt longing for the cream dresser in the above left photo! And I'm a total sucker for mismatched old plates too (below)!! Hey... I love it all, what can I say!?!

"Knack Studios was born of a passion for discovering home products that reflect a distinctly urban professional lifestyle. With and eye for detail and a talent for repurposing found objects, Knack offers an eclectic selection of furnishings that are sleek yet warm, detailed but relaxed. Clever design. Easy Style. Uncommon Expression." From the Knack Studios Website.

Also Knack studios has a Blog and a fantastic Flickr set! Check them out!!

Golden Lily......

British Born William Morris (1834-1896)....now, although I don't agree with his political standpoint, I do love his designs!
As part of the English Arts and Crafts movement, he established his firm Morris and Company in 1875 which he was his sole direction, he mastered the design and production of stained glass, wallpaper, printed and woven textiles, carpet and tapestry. Through his work he was in pursuit of what he called "the beauty of life". Before 1875 the company was known as Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company, to it's members it was known as "The Firm". They called themselves "fine art workmen" with the common goal of achieving 'earthly paradise'. At the time, it was unusual for artists to turn their attention to designing objects to decorate the home.

After Morris' death, John Henry Dearle (1860-1932) who was his protege, took over as artistic director of the firm and guided it almost to it's end.
Above is my favorite drawing, and created in John's time directing the firm. "Drawing for Golden Lily Wallpaper (detail)" 1897, Watercolor and Graphite on Paper.

Ochre!

Over the past weekend, I had to take a trip into Ochre on Broome Street for one of our clients, and seen as how it's just around the corner from my apartment, it was a nice little stop off with my hot coffee in one hand, camera in the other, before I hit the flea markets uptown!

I found lots of goodies which would be perfect, and I did get nice and snap happy! Above is my favorite shot, so I thought I'd show it off here, and give you all a little taster of this beautiful store! It's got lots of lush, modern and vintage items and furniture, all of which work great together! I love this place, and just like most places down here, it's like a huge loft space, high ceilings, gorgeous old wood floors....If you get the chance, go for a visit! You won't be disappointed!

Luxurious Lace!

Valentino Catwalk Show, '07

Now, I'm a big fan of lace.. it's delicate, beautiful and feminine. And these days it seems it's walked off Grandma's table and right into modern design and high fashion, and I can happily say, its done well!

So, without further ado, here's a few designs I find interesting, and some of my favorites....

Above and Below, Brocade Design comes through beautifully once again! White Lace Storage Unit and a Laser Cut Wool Blend Flax Rug.

Marcel Wanders designed the above Crochet Table in 2002 (shown here in large), manufactured through Moooi. Below he added to his lace trend with the Crochet Chair, both of these are made of hand-sewn crochet flowers sewn together, placed over a mould and stiffened with resin. I love that these are made from real crocheted pieces... beautiful!

Below is the Nebula Table, designed by Chris Kabatsi for Arktura. Laser cut and powder coated in glass white, the piece is available in multiple sizes with glass tops, all of Arktura's steel and aluminum pieces are made using 35-100% recycled content.

The Random Suspension Light, designed by Bertjan Pot in 2001. Manufactured by Moooi, its made with epoxy and fiberglass, chromed with steel and plastic.

The Fiberglass Hanging Lamps below are designed by Niels Van Eijk & Miriam Van Der Lubbe, they provide light without the use of bulbs! Instead, the light is produced in a hidden box at the top, and is transported by the strands of fiberglass to the bottom. Therefore, the woven strands become the source of light in their own right.

Denmark's Gamfratesi gives us beautiful lace in fiberglass chairs,  "This project is the result of an intense study that embraces tradition as well as advanced technology; an idea that emerged from reflections on contrasts. A fascination of a fusion between high performance composite materials, as glasfiber, and the aesthetics from the antique art of lace. With inspiration from working methods in the textile industry, we have been experimenting with various techniques applicable to the glasfiber. This project is a dialog between many specialized sectors, and different historical references.

And did you ever think your regular paperclip could look this good?!

Drew Leshko designed the above and below light fixtures using 2,018 and 2,280 paperclips respectively. Amazing.... and one of those, 'I wish I thought of that' moments!

I am in love with Jethro Macey's work! Above, his Textile Side Unit, made in collaboration with Decode London. It's a stunning simple piece, and with it's subtle lace detailing on the front, I fell in love with it the second I saw it!!

Below, are his award winning (Elle Decoration British Design Awards - Best in Flooring) Lace Tiles, these are just stunning!! High technology surface design techniques turn an otherwise plain stone tile into a three dimensional piece of functional art. These will be in my future dream house I swear it!!!!

And just one more addition on how the purely functional can be decorative, the Lace Fence, created by the Dutch Design House, Demakersvan. Each fence is unique in it's design, and the patterns come in a variety of themes. Each application is created according to it's function, for example, to hide or enhance it's surroundings.

I think it's beautiful, and definitely one of the best fences I've seen, ever!!

Heaven!!!!!!

I am in love with Brooke Giannetti's Interior Design!! Her interiors incorporate her love of antiques, beautiful fabrics, and classic design infused with a bit of whimsy. She has amazing attention to detail and sense of style. In her projects, her desire is to touch the emotions, which she does oh-so very well!
She also has the blog Velvet & Linen. Frequently she collaborates on architectural projects with her husband Steve Giannetti, to provide their clients with the full scope of architectural, interior design and landscape services. Together they have created Detailio to help their clients with the design process.

My absolute favorite design of Brooke's must be her Oxnard Interiors. I just love this clean, warm, cosy and fresh white white white!! I could move into this house immediately and be in heaven! I adore the antiques, flea market finds, little details, color palette, natural wood, touches of luxury, wood burning fire, natural light and the warm glow of lamps...I just love it all!

From the talented lady herself, "Our goal on this project was to crate a home that would evoke the calming emotional response. We created a neutral background by painting all of the wood white and plastering over the dated lava rock fireplace. We kept the rest of the color palette neutral, using creams and light greys and a few blue accents. Then we filled the house with things that created the same calming emotional feeling for us: old French shutters, a great baroque Italian artifact over the bed, vintage wicker, Swedish and English bamboo furniture. All were a little worn and faded with age, most of the items were purchased at local flea markets and antique shops."

Well, I do have an extreme soft spot for antique and flea market finds! And I love how this interior isn't pretentious or immaculate, the worn, loved, and warm feeling melts my heart. I love the air of femininity to it too, but it's not so strong that a family wouldn't be happy here too!

So, I think I've gushed over this enough....when can I move in?!


This living room (and the top & below image) is my absolute favorite room, without a doubt, I love everything about this!! It's classic and fresh, elegant and cosy...it's a dream come true!!




An antique Swedish Table with a French chair.


The breakfast room...yes, I can definitely see myself enjoying a coffee or two here!


The perfect kitchen breakfast bar. I love these stools, and I am such a sucker for old antique kitchen tins, scales, bowls etc.!


Yes, the perfect kitchen! I love the open cupboard doors, and I can just see myself making fresh pastry in this kitchen! Oh! Heaven!!


Light and bright dining!


A beautiful chaise for the bedroom (one day I'll have one of these!! I swear!)


And last but not least! Although this is the 'dressing area' it inspired me as a study, or more to the point, my painting room!! It's bright and clean, perfect to paint in, blog in, and for all of my inspirations to run wild!! (I swear one day I'll have a room like this too!!)