As I see it

8/1/10

I've become a bit obsessed with wanting an open loft - an area dedicated to the kids to be used for play, reading, and eventually homework. It would be their little place to escape to that would still keep everyone close. This setup looks doable.

I like the idea of a random picture wall for one spot in the house.

See more images here.
via design mom

Drafting Tables in the Kitchen

The drafting tables are very cool, but what grabs me is how socially-ideal this kitchen area is.

See more images here.

2/11/10

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."

- Francois Auguste Rene Chateaubriand

1/28/10

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"As adults we choose our own reading material. Depending on our moods and needs we might read the newspaper, a blockbuster novel, an academic article, a women's magazine, a comic, a children's book, or the latest book that just about everyone is reading. No one chastises us for our choice. No one says, 'That's too short for you to read.' No one says, 'That's too easy for you, put it back.' No one says 'You couldn't read that if you tried -- it's much too difficult.'

Yet if we take a peek into classrooms, libraries, and bookshops we will notice that children's choices are often mocked, censured, and denied as valid by idiotic, interfering teachers, librarians, and parents. Choice is a personal matter that changes with experience, changes with mood, and changes with need. We should let it be. "

-Mem Fox
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9/12/09

Entry Light Ideas

(I am really enjoying the tile work in this room.)

We are nearing the end of the summer of the never-ending house projects. We are also nearing the end of the house-projects period. Hooray!

One of the last things we're figuring out is the entry light. We have one of those glass-encased brass chandelier monstrosities that needs to go, but we haven't found anything we've loved to replace it with that works with this house and our price range. We are leaning toward replacing the brass chain and cord with silver and finding a drum lamp shade or two that would cover the existing chandelier after the glass casing was removed. Making a transparent circular bottom for the shade would keep you from seeing the chandelier from below. Because it is a two-story entry we are thinking a single drum might be too plain, so whether or not to tier, how many levels, what sizes, color, etc. are on the mind.

I think we are partial to the tiered look for the entry.
It needs a little something more than just a drum.

We would have the same chandelier-inside-the-drum affect, and choosing to let that show is kind of cool.

just imagine
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I think I tend to think of lights being placed above mirrors, and I like that these aren't.

And a couple of the Random Pendant because I love it.

via Decor8

I am pretty sure that most of the photos are from Desire to Inspire. I've neglected to stay on top of proper labeling due to rapid searches and downloading for immediate comparison rather than blogging, but decided I now want to save a lot of these rooms and ideas that have stood out to me over the last couple of months. The occasional mis- or unlabeled photo may appear as I do this. I am happy to correct this if anyone happens to stumble across something that deserves proper credit.
{I know, bad blogging etiquette...}

8/8/09

Grays and White

Mmmmm....

(I like casters on coffee tables.
I'm not a huge fan of lots of mismatched chairs, but it works very well here.)

Suddenly the hours I've already put into hand painting our stair banisters white seem worth it.

Then again, I am only on the second coat of primer on the first half of the project...

...ask me again in a month or so.

We've talked about painting our wood floors white, or possibly a somewhat transparent light white-gray so you could still see the wood grain. We'll probably wind up just taking the stain darker because our house isn't, well, it isn't our house in the sense that it isn't worth making just the way we want. Close enough works for now, until we eventually live in a home that matches our tastes from the inside out and where we don't feel the need to worry about future buyers.

I knew I liked this rug, but in this setting I am absolutely smitten.

(See more of this house here.)

7/17/09

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Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don’t. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.

- Philip Andrew Adams

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6/25/09

White Deck

This summer has been lovely. Pleasant weather, outdoor activities, and home projects make sitting at a computer not so appealing, so I've handled the desire to scan in favorites by just not finding them - I have a pile of unread magazines that is reaching a foot in height...

We are repainting our deck and just finished the first coat. After applying some of the chosen white (oh so white) paint I started having second thoughts about changing the look of our porch so drastically. A quick google and flickr search for images renewed my confidence, and a few rooms from this house increased my love of light rooms. I'll never be an all-white gal, (I love my blues, browns, and dark accents too much) but I do appreciate the look.

The most unexpected but logical bonus to a white deck? The back of our house faces North and leaves our sunless kitchen, eating, and family room areas dark and gray even with lots of large windows. The white deck and a little sunlight have easily doubled the light inside the back our home and I could not be more pleased. It also seems to extend the indoor areas into the outdoors because the white of the deck keeps your eyes going rather than cutting them off at the dark deck.

I'm still a bit nervous about how much I'll like the white after the second-coat is on and my pots and bistro tables are back up, but I think I'm going to love it.

T hates that our master bathroom (which needs a major overhaul) has a dressing table. I'm trying to find examples that show him that this can be a good thing.