Bathroom love - lavish and luxe

Right now I have been sharing a teeny, tiny bathroom with 5 other people while living with my boyfriend in Spain (we live with two other couples). I'm heading back to the states on Friday, where I will stay with my parents until my boyfriend and I go apartment hunting in DC in August. My parents just beautifully renovated their bathroom and I can't wait to go back to using that one for a little while!


This tub looks so wonderfully deep - and the chandelier above it is a great idea...
via Apartment Therapy


I don't know if I've ever seen a tub positioned in a corner like that, but I love the view from the windows and the blue on the wall



4 images above via Eric Roth


Love those doors and the blue of the tiles
via Interior Design Styles

A house tour from me!

Last year I conducted a house tour for Apartment Therapy. By lucky coincidence I went to pick up a desk I found on craigslist from the very congenial Leona and Kay, and I was instantly struck by the clean design of their top floor, Park Slope apartment. Around the same time, I was asked to conduct a house tour for Apartment Therapy. I instantly thought of their home, and they were kind enough to allow me to present it. Nice place isn't it?

Their apartment had great light!


This shower curtain was a hit - they acquired it at a local hardware store





This 50's dinette set is their prized possession

The headboard is actually an inexpensive Ikea mattress!






A day bed for guests. The curtain behind it acts as camouflage for storage



These sliding screens from Ikea make for pretty closet doors




Here was my original post:
I was shocked when Kay and Leona told me they had moved into their beautiful top-floor apartment only a month ago. They've hung art, curtains as partitions, and even come up with an attractive and functional closet system. The couple's furniture and décor comes from a wide variety of sources, such as flea markets, antique stores, Ikea, Art de vivre in France, Christie's, and Lumas. I was really impressed when they revealed that the headboard for the bed is actually an Ikea mattress. I thought it was a real upholstered headboard! The apartment has a surprising loft-like feel, as they've chosen to embrace a more open layout, including using what most would consider the bedroom as a living room, and the living room as a bedroom. They spend the most time in the living room, so they designated the larger room with better light to serve the purpose. Kay and Leona also enjoy the almost exclusive (nobody else ventures up there) rooftop with a great view of the Statue of Liberty!

Their survey for Apartment Therapy:

Your Style?

Although we like modern design, we wanted to give this brown stone (pre-renovation) apartment a special touch and combined modern and vintage elements. Because our lease is limited to one year, we couldn't structurally change anything in the apartment.

Favorite Element?

The open bedroom with fireplace, the kitchen that opens to the dining room. The almost exclusive rooftop.

Biggest Challenge?

The open bedroom without a door to the dining room and the lack of storage / closet space.

What do friends say?

Love it

Biggest Embarrassment?

He: The old IKEA sofa and the cheap lamps;
She: the 1995 Baywatch centerfold in the office

Proudest DIY?

The classy (we think) but inexpensive and easily removable walk-in closet.

Biggest Indulgence?

The art (photo art mainly). We love our custom-made walnut dining table from France, which combines a modern shape and warm wood color combined with chairs from the mid 19th century. And the 50ies modernist bar and all the photo art for the walls that is yet to come

Dream Source?

Christie's (they actually have very interesting stuff at their furniture auctions)

Furniture: Custom made dining table from Art de vivre with 19th century chairs
50ies Formica diner table and chairs for the kitchen
Chest of drawers, daybed and sofa from IKEA
Walk in closet a combination of Home depot & IKEA
Vintage and antique furniture shops in Brooklyn
Glassware and chandeliers from flea markets
Beds: Standard spring box and mattress with a twin mattress (our guest mattress) used as a headboard
Artwork: several galleries, Lumas

via Apartment Therapy via ashleywhitedesign.com -- me ;)

Pretty, cute, and totally attainable!

It's not too hard to find imagery of gorgeous interiors and rooms, but how many of those spaces could the average dweller pull off, and more importantly, live in? Not many. Any image can provide inspiration for a starting point, but I think these images go a little farther. Most (ok, not all- I tried) of the objects look like something you or I would use, have, and/or actually be able to afford in our homes. What do you think?

Old sheets, linens, or clothing could be patch-worked together to create a shabby-chic shower curtain like the one above.


We don't all have the space for a luxurious chaise in the bathroom, but even a chair can provide a little glamor.


Cluttered kitchen? Me too. Try and collect items within a color palette you decide on - or based on what you have the most of already, and the clutter won't look so chaotic, but cute. For example, all the kitchen wares in the above pictures are pastels, and therefore, even when things aren't put away, the chaos looks intentional.

Old pillows serve as cushions and dress up these chairs, found objects like the clementine crates serve as rustic table decor.

Vintage luggage as a night stand or side table can probably be found at yard sales or thrift stores, and lend themselves to a slightly "disheveled" look.


A pile of pretty pillows and a throw can disguise a not-so-great couch. And pillows are less expensive and easier to change out than a couch.



Again, these storage areas are kept looking tidy because all of the boxes, containers, and fabrics color coordinate.

Glasses and jars make a cute and casual flower arrangement



Cover a dingy side table with a vintage tablecloth


The "vintage" look is a great one to adopt, because you can be so versatile. Notice how a worn chair, or a worn tray table make cute nightstands.



I'm not a fan of matching furniture suites or sets. All of this furniture is different, but tied together by the vibrant blue used throughout the room.

A ho-hum and dark dining table is upgraded by adding modern accessories

via Easy Living