Remnants of the Past weekend..

 

I am excited to say that we have skipped town for the weekend to enjoy a little girl time.  I will be staying in the Central Coast this weekend and attending the Remnants of the Past show.  So excited to see some good friends and hopefully meet some new ones.

Wishing you a wonderful Saturday!

image via

 

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London Home of an Antiques Dealer

 

 

 

 

 

A rich and beautifully detailed London home filled with a careful selection of antiques. Owner and antique dealer Will Fisher has recently auctioned a majority of this collection so that he can start collecting again...

Photographs by Christies Image Ltd. via Remodelista.

 

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Sophisicated Kid's Bedrooms

Here are two kid's bedrooms that I came across via Elle Decor and they belong to the children of actress Reese Witherspoon. I was impressed to see them very chic and sophisicated with antique furnishings. There is a 1830's Swedish table, a vintage chair and 1920's tole chandelier in the girl's bedroom, while the boy's room contains an antique desk, a Turkish rug and an Italian mirror. This is a nice change from the usual young people bedrooms that we usually see.
You can see the rest of Witherspoon's Ojai home here.
Photographs via Elle Decor.

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Ett Hem Stockholm

Welcome to Ett Hem Stockholm ("a home" in Swedish), a 12 room hotel which opened their doors earlier this month. Based in a former private residence built in 1910, I think this is what a hotel should be - a comfortable home away from home, but 10 times better. Ett Hem Stockholm is a result of a very successful collaboration between its owner, Jeanette Mix, UK based designer, Ilse Crawford and Stockholm architect, Anders Landstrom. I love the stylish and comfortable interiors with its rich collection of furniture, antiques and design.

See more photos and an indepth article about Ett Hem in this article from Monocle here.

Photographs via Ett Hem Stockholm.

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Atelier De Campagne....container sale POSTPONED!!

 

Please take a minute to stop by Atelier de Campagne's facebook page for updates!!!

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A Little Asian Flair

I recently found this bedroom image and was drawn to its soothing, neutral palette mixed with my favorite color right now - orange! I like that it feels like a very relaxing bedroom and that it is a great example of varied texture - soft faux fur throw, rough piece of coral, nubbly upholstered headboard, sleek wood side tables, shiny gilt frame.....I could go on, but I think you get the point. :)

Another reason I like this room...

{via everythingLEB}

It includes a ~1960s temple rubbing from Bangkok, Thailand that is VERY similar to the one I just scooped up at a local antique store...

{Apparently these rubbings, created mostly during the 1960s, are becoming more valuable because the Thai government stopped allowing people to create rubbings of their historical temple reliefs in 1995. After years and years of creating these rubbing on rice paper, the stone reliefs were being damaged and worn down. I also read that they no longer allow these leave the country. Kinda interesting.}

I'm excited for the day when my temple rubbing makes its way into a pretty permanent home! I don't have many Asian pieces in my home, but I will always remember one of my teachers at UCLA stating his theory on creating a "perfect", classic room. 

Number one, something Asian. 

Number two, something black. 

Number three, I can't remember! Gah! 

Anyway, I agree one the first two points - something with a bamboo motif always looks classic, as does a piece of Asian-designed ceramic (I still love my garden stool!). And a black object ALWAYS helps to anchor a room. 

This purchase is for you Gray Adams, thanks for the tips!

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One Year On...

It was one year ago today that I ventured into the blog world - Happy First Anniversary!
A year has gone by fast and it has been an education keeping a blog. I have posted about my interior design work, inspirational images and designs that are influencing my day-to-day thoughts and as of the last 5 months, recording the renovations of my two apartments at 292.
It is a great way to express oneself visually.There is a saying that you should put all your ideas out there in the world and it creates room for new ones in your head. I agree with this and I only hope that readers of this blog enjoy seeing them. Here's to another year.
The photos above are from my first posting - an interior design job that I worked on some years ago.
Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

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Hidden Jewels

My sister-in-law told me about some AMAZING abandoned Russian houses that were featured on a blog she reads called Ensuite. I looked them up and sure enough, they make me speechless! I read everything there was to read on these, and it is quite unanimous that everyone who sees these wants to get their hands dirty and restore them. Check out this meticulous detail...

{Click them to go bigger, these are worth seeing up close!}

There is not much info as to their current owners etc. They are apparently located approximately 550km outside of Moscow, were built in the late 19th century, and are in fairly good condition due to the fact that they are pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Can you imagine what these would have looked like in their heyday? The Art Historian in me can't help but look at these masterpieces and wonder what life was like living here. Picture these interiors when they were new. I can't get over all the trims and mouldings, and those colors must have been stunning!

{All photos via English Russia}

I would love to walk around these mansions and soak in all the beauty! And I would take all that snow right now, because it is nearing 100 degrees in this part of the country. Ick!

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Oh Canada Cozy

I found this photo while browing the Elle Decor website, and you know what? It made me a bit homesick. After having both my parents, AND my husband's parents visit us this month I shouldn't be surprised that I miss the "homeland." But this photo, and the Hudson's Bay point blanket, has made me miss Canada som'thing-fierce.

{Weekend retreat on Long Island, designed by Calvert Wright}

I grew up seeing these blankets while shopping our national department store The Bay, and I also remember Roots Home showcasing them in their rustic-chic displays...

Originally these wool blankets were traded by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in western British North America and the United States during the 18th century and 19th centuries. The blankets were typically traded to First Nations and Native Americans in exchange for beaver pelts. In the point system, a blanket of higher point value would supposedly be larger and warmer. A common misconception is that each point indicated a quantity of beaver pelts or Hudson's Bay Company money. Blankets varied in color and design.

Today you can buy antique point blankets on eBay or Etsy, or go for a new version sold at The Bay in Canada or through Woolrich in the US. New or old, these blankets are oh-so-cozy, and just ooze Canadiana - perfect for a lake house, cabin or cottage. I know my mum has her heart set on the traditional multi-striped pattern for her winter bedding at our cottage.

This monochromatic grey-striped point blanket is a soothing version. A great option for a more contemporary, city setting...

{Designer Mark Cunningham's New York bedroom}

Also love it here in this boy's bedroom. A fitting compliment to the hockey poster (haha)...

{via Flickr}

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Flea Market Finds

This sunday we took my husband's parents, who were in town from Toronto, to Pasadena. They had never visited this adorable little town complete with its beautiful tree-lined streets, gorgeous old houses, and fun FLEA MARKETS!

Unfortunately, they aren't in town next weekend for the huge Rose Bowl Flea Market, so we tried out the Pasadena City College Flea Market. Although it was smaller and lacked the charm of being held around the famous Rose Bowl, this flea market was still lots of fun and had great treasures to be found!

Us ladies were in our element...

There was so much stuff to look at! I have been into stone lamps lately and the one on the right was beautiful, but too big for my place. Oh, and I had just got a new alabaster lamp two days before (hehe)...

{Cute eggplant painting}

{Vintage faux bamboo dining chairs}

{Amazing strands of beads...so many ideas for these!}

The only thing I bought (scratch that, I also bought vintage alphabets blocks to spell R-A-E-L) were two Dorothy Thorpe glass and silver trays. I wasn't familiar with Dorothy Thorpe but these pieces caught my eye with their textured glass bottoms and sparkly silver and gold patterns. The vendor explained who they were designed by, and I realized they had more of a history than I had originally thought. 

Dorothy Thorpe was a Los Angeles- based glassware designer in the 30s. She is well-known for painting silver on glassware - trays, bowls, glasses, etc. I really liked that these pieces had an LA design history and snapped up the large oval platter, and one of the square trays (not visible in this picture). I'm kicking myself for not buying the small bowl too! After some googling and browsing on eBay I discovered that my pieces were part of the Atomic Silver Explosion collection. I love that I learned so much from this flea market stroll!

{Dorothy Thorpe glassware, all silver except the far right which is gold}

I was worried about how these would blend in my living room and dining room, but they mix surprisingly well - once I decide where these are going I'll take a picture to share. And what a fun way to take some LA design history with me when I eventually move back to Canada!

What's your favorite flea market find?

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