Interiors

Mmmmmmmm, I like these shots. This looks like a place I could be very happy in! Pictures from here.

Hardware

Call me boring but wanna see my favourite new thing at Anthropologie? - This is it, the "card catalog drawer pull". This little beauty is going to turn a lot of boring old chest of drawers around the country into something far more interesting - good job Anthro!

Random Objects

I think this is lovely and would look great in our place. By the way, when I was in TJ Max last weekend they had a whole bunch of rolled up canvas botanical science charts hidden behind the art and mirrors - very nice just like the one pictured on the left hand side of my blog here.

Studio

Welcome to your new studio - an ultra organized creative space from Apartment Therapy. Wow makes my studio look positively messy and makes Doug's studio - well, we won't go there!

Well, I have officially bitten off more than I can chew this week and I am taking a blogging break this morning. I'll be back here tomorrow morning, bright and early. Thanks for all the comments yesterday - made my day :-)

Home

I took the opportunity the other day, when the sun was shining, to finally take some pictures of our house. As you probably have read here before we live on the edge of Kootenay Lake in BC and so our home is appropriately cottage-like. We are surrounded by mountains and trees and wildlife. We have a lot of wood and stone in the house - though these days I am busy gathering lots of ideas to start adding some more colour to the rooms. We have lived here for 5 years and have done quite a bit of work on the house. We do all the work ourselves, figuring it out as we go - there are a couple of good before and after shots right here.

The house is very open concept with large windows on 2 sides of the living/dining room that look out to through the trees to the lake. We don't have any window coverings because we don't have any neighbours. We put the teak floors in a couple of years ago and I love them.

The stone fireplace was a crazy project that we tackled and wish to never have to repeat. Lesson learned - hire someone to build a stone fireplace!

I have lots of vintage oars, paddles and skis around because its all about mountain culture here! Believe it or not those green oars did not come with that cupboard and I didn't paint them the same colour they just matched!

This kitchen was a budget makeover project (see before picture) and I think it turned out very well. Doug built the breakfast counter out of reclaimed lumber - it's perfect!

Studios

Doug's studio is in our house. Doug likes to have a small studio. Most people find it fascinating to come and visit Doug in his creative space surrounded by all his inspiring objects - I find it totally claustrophobic! He has so many collections and books and rough drawings and tracings - apparently he knows where everything is! The first 3 pictures are of Doug's studio.

The next 3 pictures are taken in the Cartolina studio where everything is neat and tidy and organized - well most of the time! I'll take some more studio shots in the near future.

This last image is of our Cartolina stock room just off the studio. You can see 3 levels of shelving in this picture - there are 7 rows of shelves on all 4 walls of the room - each one loaded with boxes of cards. I guess there must be close to half a million cards in this room - good grief!

Not in the Barn

So when I was in Pottery Barn at the weekend (down south of here, in WA) I didn't see these cool storage units. If I had I might actually have bought one. Perhaps these are website items only(this must be where they hide all their interesting stuff because it's definitely not in their stores.) I like them and could definitely find a place for them in my house (talking about which, I took a few pictures the other day of our place and, if I'm feeling brave, I will post them here tomorrow - stay tuned.)

Interiors

If you like the idea of using vintage, found and industrial treasures in your home then you are going to love these pictures from Country Living. Check out the details - this homeowner in Ohio has really collected some amazing pieces and combined them with some modern furnishings to create a space that, for me, is pretty much perfect!

New

Let's see what's new at Anthropologie this season. First up is a wire lighting fixture which is about the most unusual lamp I have ever seen. I like the wood cupboard(I think those are pictures of birds on the back panel). The last item is quirky wall paper - a sort of tongue in cheek version of toile de village I think.)

Found

If you love vintage engravings or lead type you will love this reproduction Pictorial Websters. Full of encyclopedia illustrations - how fun. One of the things I've collected for years is vintage encyclopedias - fabulous designer's resource for vintage imagery and quirky illos. So this is a score for anyone that has wished for a good collection of old line drawings - and I expect most of them would be royalty free. Get yours at Anthro online.

By the book

Not long ago when I was shopping in the US I bought one of those Pottery Barn decorating books at TJ Max for $4.99. I have a few of their books and I think they are really good - and I have to say I think that they are a lot more inspiring than their stores - which seem to have gone very dull and mainstream in the last few years. This particular book, Storage & Display, was printed in 2004. I finally had a moment to flick through it this weekend and here are a few of the things that caught my eye. First up is this display of old books covers - framed and hanging in a group. This looks really great and a very good way to display some of those fabulous old Penguin Books that I was drooling over here a few weeks ago(and really this is just a good excuse to post a picture of those delicious book spines again!)

These next 2 jewelry display ideas are great. This first idea of taking an easel back picture frame, lining it with velvet and displaying your favourite pieces as a collage of treasures, complete with an exotic family picture just makes me squeal - I love this! And then the 2nd idea, below, of using an old industrial display, in this case a cigarette cabinet, to store your sparkly jewels is superb. I would totally do this - if I had the perfect vintage display of course!