Friday, January 31, 2014

Equestrian Decor: Year of the Horse

Happy Chinese New Year! It's officially the year of the horse. I was born during the year of the horse, so this one is especially fun for me. The past couple of years, I've seen equestrian decor popping up more and more, and I predict that now that it is now officially the year of the horse, it's going to become a major trend. It's always been a dream of mine to go horse back riding - although I'm a little bit intimidated by horses, there is no denying the sheer power and regalness of these gorgeous creatures!
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Take a look at some of my inspiration pics for horse-related decor:
Designed by Kelly Wearstler via O at Home Magazine
via Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.
via Apartment Therapy
via Design Darling

via House Beautiful
 Do you have any equestrian decor in your home? What do you think about this trend? Comment below!
xox
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Lovely Danish apartment







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This amazing interior with high ceilings and wing doors may be a dream for a lot of people. For Emilie Bjørløw Møller, a psychologist from Copenhagen, and her family, this dream has become a reality. Emilie is a passionate hunter and besides the animal trophies on the walls, one can also see other treasures that she has collected: unique vintage pieces of furniture.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A designer's home in Istanbul







This lovely flat located in Istanbul belongs to a Turkish designer Sefer Caglar, who resides there with his wife and daughter. Apart from an interesting use of materials, there are plenty of amazing pieces of furniture. The overall bohemian atmosphere is even emphasized by the use of framed art on the walls.

source

Monday, January 27, 2014

IDS 2014: Some Highlights

Like every other Toronto design blogger/enthusiast, I spent a good chunk of my weekend exploring and being inspired at IDS2014. I get very overwhelmed by the sheer size of events like this, and inevitably, my intentions to take a million pretty pictures get thrown out the window while I touch and experience everything. I did, however, make sure to document some things that really caught my eye.

First up is the IKEA booth. IKEA is always a showstopper at this event and this year was no exception!

I was literally drooling over that gold tile!

I also really liked the fun and quirky displays illustrating colorways at the Urban Barn Display:
Obviously this wall treatment isn't the most practical, but it is pretty and romantic isn't it?

A line by Aerin Lauder is coming to Cocoon Furnishings! I just loved this etagere vignette:

I also had fun seeing the new products on the market, especially those designed and constructed locally here by talented designers in Toronto.
I found these 'Innit' chairs to be so fun and surprisingly comfortable:

 Last but not least, I had the privilege of hearing the design talks by Linda Reeves, Kelvin Brown, Suzanne Dimma and Sarah Richardson, which was very inspiring and motivating. Sarah's booth featuring her new Kravet fabric line was amazing too, but much too crowded for me to take a decent picture!  Here is a peak off of Sarah's Instagram account:
via Sarah Richardson on Instagram
Next year, I will try to take more photos! At least this year I didn't knock over any sculptures...
Big thanks to M. for sticking it out with me all day! He is a keeper.

Were any of you at IDS? What was your favourite thing?
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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Light my Fire: Pretty Matches

How ugly/always-out-of-fluid-when-you-need-them/ gives-the-impression-that-you-are-a-smoker are regular plain old BIC lighters. I mean, don't we deserve something a little more lovely to light up our deliciously scented candles? I think so. Enter pretty matchboxes and matchbooks. There is something so classic about a match, no?
via
via Katie Armour
source unknown
via Live Creating Yourself
via Design Darling
Well, I know I said I was going to buy less in the New Year, but I've had a little slip up. Jackie from York Avenue posted a picture of these matches and the price was right and I just couldn't resist. Jackie! I thought we were in this together!
Now they are mine, all mine. Well, I had to pre-order them, so soon they will be mine.
Get 'em at Waiting on Martha!
xox
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Watercolour Wednesday: Moody and Mirrored

Another watercolour from my rendering class last term, practicing again from "Interior Design Illustrated: Marker and Watercolor Techniques" by Christina M. Scalise. We were experimenting with using large, abstract brushwork. I love the dramatic aesthetic of this one!
Ps. Tomorrow I'm going to the media preview for Chapters/Indigo! Can't wait to see some of my fellow Toronto bloggers there!
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Monday, January 20, 2014

An Arrangement to Admire: A Desk Behind a Sofa

So, about once every 3 months I get the urge to leave my current living situation. I love the set up of my tiny bachelorette, but it means sharing a building and kitchen with 5 other girls...which can get much messier than I can handle. The reality is the price is right and my personal apartment portion (livingroom/bedroom/office area with large bathroom and walk-in closet) is lovely. I probably will not move until I graduate from Interior Design school, but right now, I've got the itch bad. Probably has something to do with the large pile of dishes in the sink that I'm waiting for the culprit to wash.

 When I start day dreaming about this new hypothetical apartment (where the kitchen is all mine), I know it will most likely have to be a one bedroom (or another studio style space) due to cost. Where am I going to put my necessary desk area? The answer I favour the most lately is putting it behind the couch.
For now I invite you all to day dream a bit about this set up with me:
Joe Nye via House Beautiful
^ Can be used as an additional serving surface when guests are over!
via Emily Henderson
Loeffler Randall via Domino
via Source42
Jess Lively via Pretty Fluffy
Could be dangerous though...the TV would be in direct eye line! Self discipline at it's finest.
Happy week my loves!
xox

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Parisian loft with a mid century modern vibe






Great combination of industrial loft style, mid century modern and contemporary design here! This loft located in Paris is wonderful example of how powerful the combining of the various styles could be!

source

Watercolour Wednesday's: Shiny Floors

Last term my entire rendering class was done using watercolour, so I have a lot to show you! This week, I'm sharing a practice exercise we did based on page 21 of "Interior Design Illustrated: Marker and Watercolor Techniques" by Christina M. Scalise. This is one of my favourite books that I've had to buy for school.
I love the way this painting turned out and I really feel that the floors look successfully shiny (maybe even a little slippery!). Happy Wednesday.
xox
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