Lovely apartments from my future city

As some of you might already know, in August I am moving to DC because my boyfriend will be attending GWU in the fall to get his masters. While I grew up in MD, I only ever went to DC for school field trips, so I don't really know much about the different neighborhoods. So yesterday before attending Manvi from Mochatini's fabulous tabletop decorating how-to party, which I'll be sharing pics from later, I drove around and explored some recommended neighborhoods. I checked out Columbia Heights, Shaw, Foggy Bottom, Dupont, Silver Spring (MD suburb), and Capitol Hill. It's ultimately going to come down to the $$/space ratio. Anyway, enough of that - here are some fab. DC apartments...


The vintage chic split level apartment is in Cleveland Park.

LoVe the widow seat


This charming loft is in the adorable Logan Circle in the The Louise Hand Laundry Loft

Love the rug

Great bed

via Apartment Therapy

A happy Friday to you and gorgeous book giveaway

The weekend never comes soon enough - except when I have a Friday deadline. So I figured there is no better time to do a book giveaway.

This is a unique one - "Classic Swedish Interiors," by Lars Sjoberg. The poetic photos are by Ingalill Snitt.

I'm going to quote Amazon as they describe the book better than me -

"Lars Sjöberg has made it his life's work to understand and preserve the Swedish manor houses of the 17th and 18th centuries. Here, exquisitely photographed by Ingalill Snitt, are the eight houses (and one church) that he has acquired over more than 40 years. The book focuses on Sjöberg's first, most complex project: the manor of Regnaholm. Unoccupied for about 40 years when Sjöberg arrived in 1966, it allowed him to experiment with interior decoration and refurnishing, copying old furniture, reweaving, and reprinting old fabric patterns.

His other projects include Ekensberg, a three-story Italianate villa near Lake Mälaren, built in 1788-90, and Salaholm in Västergötland with a garden laid out in the first half of the 17th century. Odenslunda, a small manor from the 1770s with a panelled exterior and a säteritak or manor-house roof, is his family home, while Sörby, a scaled-down early 17th-century manor house, was reproduced in its entirety for an exhibition in Stockholm. Full of insight and inspiration, this is a deeply personal summary of everything Lars Sjöberg has learned in his years of working and living with classic Swedish interiors." - via Amazon.com

Here are some of my favorite photos from the book -


One day I will have an antique Swedish grandfather clock!








As usual, all you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment! To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing.

Contest closes Friday July 1st at 5pm. Good luck!

Super cute and charming kitchens...

So not all of these kitchens are tiny cottage nooks, but they aren't the glossy granite and marble monstrosities you'd see in the high-end home decor mags either. Most are modest and give me hope that no matter how small the kitchen in my future rental, I can give it some charm and make it work for me...

Some vintage stools add coziness and floor to ceiling cabinets and creative storage solutions makes this small kitchen clever

via Kitchenisms

 

The green dishes are too cute

via Pinterest

via Kitchenisms

adorable coastal kitchen
via Kitchenisms

would love to have me a proper pot rack one day... this island is amazing too
via Kitchenisms

even a galley kitchen can be beautiful and functional!
via Kitchenisms

...amazing butcher block island
via Kitchenisms

 

2 more small but pretty kitchens from House to Home

Fabulous living rooms for every mood and taste

I'm not sure what you'd call the two styles above -- modern eclectic? But I'm liking this style more and more these days. Since things don't "match" you can use items you already have instead of buying new ones.

This living room - pictured above and below - is so unusual and luxe.  I ADORE the white media console and the huge white mirror...stunning

An otherwise dark and broody "club" like living room is brightened up by an interesting array of mirrors.
images above via Adore Home Magazine

Modern rustic feel in white and pastels...
via Ballard

All out vintage...
via Covet Garden

Do you have a fav?

A peak inside the home of Shabby Chic's Rachel Ashwell

In the Aug/Sep 2010 issue of Lonny Mag they gave us a sneak peak of Ashwell's London flat. The flat came furnished and she kept all the furniture, just converting it to her needs as opposed to buying new furniture.




I think that coffee table is an old door!


I want that rug...


Rachel's decorating rules. (click on the image for a bigger view)

From her new store in London

So...I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I did not know until I read the article that Shabby Chic filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Since then, Rachel has come back with products that address the new style of cleaner lines and less "fluff," as opposed to the chintz and flowy slipcovers she's famous for. What do you think? Do you think Rachel can adapt to the changing times with her new line? Were you sad to see Shabby Chic go or were you over it??

via Lonny Mag

A super easy DIY that makes a great Mother's Day gift

The new home networking site - Link My Home, was awesome enough to publish my post today on turning a Mason jar into a soap pump. Link My Home connects home owners globally to chat, share inspiration, and buy/sell - check it out.

Below is my post and DIY

Office Furniture DIY: Turn a Mason jar into a charming soap pump – A great Mother’s Day gift too!

via Country Living

I’m far from the first one to present this idea, but it’s really great and perhaps some of you out there have yet to discover it. All you need is a soap dispenser pump (reuse one from your last soap bottle or purchase one from a supplier like onedreamdesign.com), a mason jar, and the jar’s lid. It is also helpful to have a drill, as you will need to create a hole about half and inch wide to accommodate the soap pump. Other supplies you may want to have on hand include scissors, a marker to mark where you will drill the hole, and some 2 part epoxy to seal the cap of the soap pump to the jar of the lid.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Directions:

1. Use marker to measure and mark a circle in the lid of the mason jar the width of you soap dispenser pump
2. Drill hole where you marked in lid of mason jar
3. Mix epoxy and apply to the lower rim of the soap dispenser pump
4. Insert the pump dispenser through the jar lid (if the tube is too long for the jar, just snip it to size with some scissors)

5. Let the epoxy dry according to the instructions
7. Fill with your favorite liquid soap – and enjoy!

Here are some examples of what you can create:

(via Apartment Therapy)

If you don’t have a Mason jar they are pretty easy to find at thrift stores.

via Décor Chick

So cute right? I think I’ll be making a couple for my mom for Mother’s Day!

O M G - Best house tour ever!

I don't know how to make your Monday better, because if this house tour doesn't leave you high off the beauty I don't know what will. It is simply gorgeous.

The house is registered for film and photo shoots - so no one actually lives here. Still, it's beautifully done. Seriously, I would consider giving my left hand for this house. And I'm left handed.

ps - you can see a larger view by clicking on the image



















Well ? What do you think?
via 1st Option