A More Perfect Bath

Bathrooms. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

OK, that may be a little harsh but no other room in a house (with the possible exception of the laundry room) is so purely devoted to function. Many people renovate their whole house and leave the bath for last or don’t do it at all. For my part, I’m just not a fan of bathrooms. But lately, I keep seeing some wonderful examples of beautiful and functional bathrooms that are making me change my mind about the worthiness of renovating/redecorating them.

I’ve discovered that I like a clean, uncluttered look: lots of gray and white, minimal furnishings, with interesting details… nothing too fussy or frou.

Two examples of my favorite bathroom layout:

Fixtures and fittings all down one side, dark floors, white walls, an uncovered window and a glass short enclosure instead of a tub.

I love gray and white bath schemes:

The master bath in Ellen Rakieten’s Chicago home. Designed by Nate Berkus and Anne Coyle. Picture from Elle Decor.

A rustic, industrial look prevails in the bath on the left, refined elegance rules in the bath on the right. I like elements of both looks. (sources unknown)

Some bath elements I love:

Clockwise from top left: Natural stone vessel sink, Pegasus – $380, ‘Chantilly Vines’ mirror, Anthropologie – $128, ‘Perpetual Blooms’ towels, Anthropologie – $9-$62, ‘Strut’ medium table, Blu Dot – $699, ‘Tex-Tile’ in Cotton (12″x24″), Emser Tile – $8/sq ft, ‘Henry’ bath fittings, Waterworks – price varies by finish.

I’d love to have a sleek, elegant gray and white bath someday. In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming! What are your favorite bath styles/color schemes?

Totally Inspiring Room

So, I’m doing another inspiration room this week! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this gem of kitchen with you:

Lindsay Reid’s Pasadena cottage kitchen from the June 2011 issue of House Beautiful.

This room is so elegant and simple. I love the dark gray cabinets, the coolly linear backsplash, the warmth of the textiles on the window and window seat… and the complete lack of upper cabinets. I’ve seen some really beautiful kitchens but I think this one is definitely vying for first place on my list of favorites.

What do you think of this kitchen? Love it or hate it?

Brassy

I am really loving brass right now! I love the kind of worn, golden glow it has about it. I’ve been sort if inadvertently collecting pics with lots of brass featured and thought you might enjoy them as much as I do! 🙂

Dark & Light: Brass looks good in both dark and light color schemes. I think it brings a luxurious warmth and texture to both.

Clockwise from top left: Brass pendants and footstool – Atlanta Homes & Gardens, a brass topped iron bed – (source?), chic office with custom brass etageres, ceiling pendant, and side table – Amy D Morris/Atlanta Homes & Gardens Christmas House, Scala Klismos chair from the Brass Collection – Elle Decor Showhouse 2010.

Desk Set: What an elegant way to bling out your desk, right!?

Phoebe Howard etagere – Atlanta Homes & Gardens, Colored Pencil and Brass Holder Set – Jayson Home & Garden, desk with brass pulls and desk lamp – (source?), vintage chalkboard globe – Etsy (similar).

Light Brigade: I don’t think you can go wrong with a well placed brass lamp. I’m gaga over Anthropologie’s $1800+ floor lamp… its swoon worthy!

Tulip Family – Hive Modern, Etch Light – Tom Dixon/DWR, Gilded Glow Floor Lamp – Anthropologie, ‘Jana’ desk lamp – Arteriors Home.

That’s my roundup! What are your favorite brass pieces?

Neutral Territory

Kitchens. I like ’em clean and uncluttered. The sleeker and crisper a kitchen is the better I like it. And nothing says clean like neatness, organization, neutral colors, and no upper cabinets (though open upper cabinets are fine). I’m not against having decorative objects or color in the kitchen as long as they are accents and not the only thing you see. So, today I’m presenting some of my favorite (mostly white) kitchens. The uppers are missing or open, the decor isn’t tacky and over the top, and yet all if them look welcoming and homey.

Currently my very favorite kitchen. Everything about it makes me happy. Not sure of the source but I’d love to know!

There is a lot to love here: open shelves, white dinner and serveware, marble counter tops, rustic-modern cabinets, the wall mounted tap, and art leaning casually on the backsplash. Gorgeous!

A more feminine, traditional take on idea… this is so cute! It’d be perfect in a little cottage.

Technically, I’m cheating a bit here because there are some upper cabinets… but the rest of this kitchen is so perfect (especially the view through the door) that I couldn’t pass it up. And… its a tiny cabinet!

Chalkboard walls are a fun and functional way to bring interest to a kitchen.

Digging for gold.

A couple of years ago I spotted my first silk floral arrangement made to look as if the stems are actually in water. I wondered where I could find some that were better looking than the cheesy discount store versions I was looking at. My internet hunt turned up online catalog Inside Avenue. They carry the now ubiquitous silk-flowers-in-faux-water arrangements, home accessories, furniture, fabrics, wallpapers, rugs, and lighting. Pretty much a treasure trove of cool home decor stuff.

Somewhere along the way I lost track of the link. I couldn’t remember the name of the company either. All my attempts to find it again went awry until I remembered what led me there in the first place: faux floral arrangements. That did the trick.

It was fun rolling through the mountain of cool stuff available at there, though there is so much that at times looking through everything takes the patience of Job (especially since their categories aren’t subcategorized in any way). But, like many a brick and mortar store, sometimes half the fun is “unearthing” something amazing… if you’re just willing to go beyond a cursory glance.

Above are a few of my favorite items from my last surf. At the top of the list is the beautiful brass and marble lamp that reminds me of a miniature version of the Arco Lamp (@DWR).

Above:
Brass and marble desk lamp
White Tulips silk flower arrangement
Silver round side table
Raffles Chandelier by Currey & Co.
All – Inside Avenue