Thursday, May 28, 2009

Eco Chic - Sonrisa

How great are these vintage and reclaimed furniture pieces from Sonrisa.  

Sonrisa was started by Peggy and Burke Byrnes in the 70's.  The Byrnes had a love for classic steel furniture and so they began rescuing vintage pieces from schools, hospitals, and libraries.
They would take their finds, strip the old finish, and restore the metal to its original beauty.

Sonrisa is now under new ownership but the store still offers the same beautiful, vintage style they always have.  The website is worth checking out, there are some amazing furniture pieces and accessories.



Inspired by...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Inspired by...

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! It's been a whirlwind...we put an offer on a house and we are in the process of negotiating so fingers crossed! Peewee is having back problems so we are dealing with that. Other than that the weather was great and I got a chance to work on my tan. Sorry for the short posting schedule today, I have a million things going on and didn't get a chance to work on anything over the weekend!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Eco Chic - Lindsay Jo Holmes

These bracelets are amazing. They are made out of wood which comes from old skateboards. The designer, Lindsay Jo Holmes, hand makes each bracelet from old and damaged skateboards from her local skate shop in Portland, Oregon. Made from 7 layers of pressed maple wood, each bracelet is unique, just like the skateboard it came from. There are even coordinating earrings!


Travel by Design - Makanyane Safari Lodge

Makanyane Safari Lodge is located in South Africa and was designed by a group of architects to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings. 

The lodge consists of eight suites, all offering amazing views of the nearby Marico River. The lodge is situated within the Madikwe Game Reserve, home to the Big 5 as well as many other bird and animal species. 

The rooms are absolutely beautiful, designed with African influences, fireplaces, and large picture windows to see the amazing views and wildlife.





Photos: Makanyane Safari Lodge

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Inspired by [Chanel]...

Oh what I'd give to be this girl with a car full of Chanel bags...

Photo: Unknown

Rainy days...

It's been raining here for three days straight. Luckily, I'm from a small island in Alaska where all it does is rain so I'm completely in my element, I love it. It's a great chance to drink tea, work on wedding planning, and break out my wellies for the first time since we moved back to Florida!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Amazing Real Estate...

Check out this amazing conversion of a historic church into a house.

For sale in the Mission Dolores area of San Francisco, the house includes 3+ bedrooms, a state of the art chef's kitchen, 4 fireplaces, and stunning architectural details.




Interiors

I love the mix of modern and traditional here...

Monday, May 18, 2009

Inspired by...

A little flower cheer to brighten your Monday. Dahlia's are one of my favorite flowers and I could really use some cheer this week. We are still house hunting. I'm convinced we've seen every house there is to see.  It's exhausting and I'm trying not to give up hope. I keep thinking our perfect house is out there somewhere, waiting for us.  

I hope you all had a great weekend.  I'm definitely looking forward to the long holiday weekend approaching!

Interiors

I really like the mix of color and texture in this room.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Inspired by...


Travel by Design - Honu Kai

We are heading to Hawaii for this week's Travel by Design!  In my laborious attempts to find the perfect honeymoon spot I stumbled across this website which lists luxury homes for rent among all the Hawaiian islands.  I must have drooled over the site for hours looking at all the beautiful beach homes available.  Of course some of them range as high as $6,000 per night so it's just a little out of my price range but there are more affordable options.  Here is one of my favorites, Honu Kai in Maui.





Monday, May 11, 2009

Eco Chic - Matt & Nat

Matt & Nat, a purse designer, takes eco-friendly to a whole other level. All the bags in their collection are vegan and the lining is made from plastic bottles.  Their goal is "to make cool products which also happen to be committed to animal rights."



Photos: Matt & Natt

Interiors

Here's something bright and cheery to start your Monday morning off with. I hope everyone had a great weekend and a happy Mother's Day!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Fashion Find

I ordered this dress for my rehearsal dinner...I love it! Unfortunately it's backordered until June, luckily the wedding isn't until November! Hopefully I won't be tempted to wear it before the rehearsal.

Travel by Design - Hospes Madrid

This week's Travel by Design takes us to Madrid Spain.  The Hospes Hotel is located in the Plaza de la Independencia, a central area of Madrid.  The building was designed in 1883 and combines a blend of elegance and architecture. 

Although the hotel's architecture lends itself to old world style, the interior's design is sleek and modern with clean lines and a neutral color palette. I am definitely adding this one to my travel list. Along with a delicious looking restaurant which focuses on natural and healthy food choices, the hotel also houses a spa with lots of spa treatments, needed to relax after a long day of touring around the city!




Thursday, May 7, 2009

Pretty in Pink

I love rooms with touches of pink throughout. It's such a fun and unexpected surprise!

Small Space, Big Style

Lotta Jansdotter is one of my favorite textile designers. I love her use of simple patterns and subdued color palettes which seems to carry through into the design of her fabulous but tiny San Francisco apartment (725 square feet!)

The design looks so effortless and pulled together. I love it!