A bright, airy, and elegant home

A lot of super luxe and elegant homes are often done in richer, darker tones, and heavier fabrics. I thought this home was interesting in that it still looks very refined and elegant, but is also very airy and bright.

The ceiling in this bedroom is AMAZING.  Can't beat the light, either.

Another amazing ceiling.  It almost feels like a giant lighthouse!

What do you think?  Do you like this elegant and light look?
via TradHome

Since I featured West Elm's fab new look yesterday, I thought it'd be a good time to showcase West Elm creative director's home.




Unfortunately those are all I have!
What do you think of her style as compared to West Elm's new style, which I featured yesterday.
as seen on Country Living

Below are some random pretty images, also from Country Living.

What do you think of the wallpaper? Too much?



A sweet little bedside montage. Some great must haves for a guest's bedside table.

An eco-friendly, US-made friendly new store with absolutely gorgeous home decor!

I was introduced to this store by the owners and I was really, really impressed when I looked at the website. They obviously have really great taste as anyone can see by their collection of found and vintage pieces - and some of their own designs! (Talented hubby even builds some of the furniture!}

Their philosophy is one I like as well - "We believe that homes should be a cultivation of things you love and need and we take that approach in finding our products. Our focus is on community and sustainability so we try to source as much as possible from small, u.s. companies and many of our furniture pieces are made from salvaged wood or repurposed pieces."

Below I've pulled a few of my favs. They also carry a lot of smaller home goods - candles, pottery, tea towels, etc.







What do you think?

Go see more at Redefine Home.

Happy Friday Hodge Podge

I'm back on the farm in Maryland and we're expecting 18-24" of snow today and tomorrow! I was super indulgent today after all my traveling and slept till noon. (Naughty, I know) I'm a little late today but I want to send you into the weekend with a little eye candy. If you're due for snow, hunker down with some homemade cookies and cocoa. If you're not due for snow, enjoy you're weekend anyway!

I'm starting to like darker interiors, and I love this darker, coastal style.
via Tom Scheerer


Love this dark and cozy room too! via House to Home

via House to Home

via Tricia Joyce



loft and/or open space decorating is an art in itself
via Magness Design

My friend's NYC apartment

I used to work with my friend Alexis Tirado at Martha, where she is an online editor for the Radio department. She dwells on the Lower East Side and wanted to go for a hipster/nautical theme. Thanks Alexis for taking and sending all these photos!

The living room, below:









The bedroom, below -




Her Siamese fighting fish, Biden


Thanks Alexis!

Fun reader question - ideas appreciated!

So, Laura posed this question to me awhile ago and I've been compiling ideas for the last couple of weeks:

"We're about to get an antique brass bed from my parents, but it's been
really hard to find examples of similar being used in well-appointed
bedrooms! So I was wondering, have you seen any great examples of this
style?

(I'm also hoping to go for a Scandinavian or lightly nautical theme,
once we get it. We have wood floors and I'm painting the walls a very
light grey.)"

I thought this was a good challenge, as one often sees brass beds only in victorian, floral-type bedrooms. The photos I found either feature a brass, or similar bed, in a way that keeps things from getting to frou-frou, or is a bedroom where I feel a brass bed would fit in well without detracting from Scandinavian sensibility and nautical details.

Here's a really nice example with the gray walls, and I think that a brass bed would work, as long as you kept your bedding free of frills and lace or flowers. Maybe a solid or stripes. Instead of the starburst mirror in this room, try a fish eye, or convex mirror for a nautical touch.
via house to home

An ornate bed works in this very Scandinavian bedroom because the colors are primarily neutrals and other elements, such as lighting and artwork, is modern.
via house to home

Here's another bedroom which features pale walls, and I think that with all the modern elements in the room - like the bedding and artwork, that a brass bed would still feel chic.
via DecorPad

This bedroom is minimal, but still cozy, and I think that just a couple of nautical touches and a brass bed (keep the bedding crisp and simple) would work. Keep a couple of organic touches around too - like the branch ladder featured in the corner of this bedroom.
via DecorPad

This bedroom is already very nautical, and I think that if you kept the bedding similar, and got rid of a few of the overly "campy" objects (the flag, the wooden fish,etc.) in this room, that a brass bed could work.
via house to home


If you don't mind a slightly more feminine look, as long as it's not frilly a more modern floral could work. Switch the green stripes in the rug for blue, maybe some nautical-themed art, different curtains, and you could have the look you're going for.
via So Haute


The above two images are from Ikea, which usually has a Scandinavian look, and you can see references to nautical in the later image, which I think would be fitting for a brass bed.

So folks - any ideas for Laura?