Living Etc.
This time it's an office, and here's what Heidi had to say: "I have been searching and searching for inspiration... maybe you could help. I am in the process of furnishing my new home. I have a great sized, dedicated home office. I use it every day as I run several businesses out of it. Problem is, right now it is just a Brazilian Walnut hardwood floor, blank walls, and an incredible bay window. I NEED some inspiration! I want a modern, clean, minimal look. This is so hard to achieve in an office! I need storage, desk space, and a sitting area, but beyond that, I have no idea which direction to take this room. I'd love to see what you could find to get my brain working again. It's been in a slump since the construction phase has ended." I tried to find photos of modern office spaces that weren't shoved into little corners as they often are (Heidi, you are SO LUCKY as it sounds like you have a decent amount of space to work with). So hopefully this gets your brain going and have fun with it!

New York Social Diary	Jowa
Alda Pereira	Alda Pereira
Apartment Therapy	Delshon or Sherman Architects
Ghislaine Viñas	Hans Zeegers
Jeff Andrews	Paul Massey
Apartment Therapy	photo-locations.com
PointClickHome	Stephen Alton

Sorry for the rather murderous analogy but it will all become clear soon I hope. I'm in a retro kind of mood today. It must be due to the lack of retro posts lately. I've also been inspired by Tessa's design dilemma. When Kim bewailed the fact that no one paints a room burgundy my immediate thought was "they used to". The light bulb went on in my head and one name was there - David Hicks. I've paid homage to Hicks before but I realised he was part of the solution. These are his lush rich rooms, not always burgundy but brave in their dark hues.

Imagine that Buddha vignette in a burgundy room! Or that yellow and white abstract canvas.

Tessa leans toward super bright hues (oranges, yellows, apple greens, etc.), Kim had some great ideas and with David Hicks' help I'm going to suggest a few more. White, white, white. Tone it down with white. White furniture - think sleigh bed in white gloss, white sheers and fabric that uses white. Chocolate and white, navy and white, pink and white, black and white and even certain greens with white. Treat your burgundy walls as a deep dark neutral.


Bright colours? Why not! All these fabrics were pulled from Lee Jofa's Groundworks Collection. Many are by David Hicks. Bright colours particularly orange and yellow and pink and green are all happy with burgundy. You don't have to buy these fabrics but they give you an idea. Maybe florals are more your thing Tessa. I suggest a trip to the paint store. Gather together as many burgundy paint chips and every possible accent colour and play to your heart's content. My second suggestion is dark wood with an ethnic twist, suzanis and kilims in rich reds, pinks, oranges and black. Layers and layers of pattern. Cocoon yourself in the mysterious dark. OK now I have retro rooms and Tessa's burgundy dilemma out of my system. Two birds - not bad!

I haven't put together a retro post in ages. Today my laziness stops. Today I give you what you crave - retro good and bad. Scans are from Woman's Day All Colour Book of Home Decorating & Design, Edited by Babette Hayes, Octopus Australia, 1977. I promise you won't have to wait so long for your next fix. Don't forget to click on the images to enjoy a larger serve of retroliciousness.

Alda Pereira is based in Vancouver and she is an unbelievably talented interior designer. I adore her style - refined modern with bold hits of colour, graphic artwork, and to-die-for furnishings. It's young and hip and simply fabulous. And I love it. LOVE IT.

Rayman Boozer is the creative talent behind Apartment 48. His work is "a rustic approach to modern design". Unexpected colours, styles and patterns are characteristic of his spaces. I remember bookmarking his apartment when it appeared in Elle Decor in 2006. Loved it so much. Now I'm on love with the leopard carpet!

I found this selection of photos on the website of photographer and journalist Gareth Gardner, based in the UK. It's a wonderful dose of modern design that draws your attention to the architectural detail and the stunning materials used (I must point out the multi-coloured timber flooring that is sooooo incredible).

Visually striking but totally functional - that's how Matthew Leverone designs his interiors. With over 25 years experience he creates spaces that reflect his clients' needs and their unique sense of style. His sense of scale, balance, light and colour plays an important role in these spaces. Liveable and authentic as well as stylish.

Nothing much has changed since we first featured NathanEgan early last year. Wayne Nathan and Carol Egan are still fabulously talented. The rooms are still rich and layered, lush and contemporary. No nothing much has changed EXCEPT they have updated their website. More gorgeous rooms!

As much as I love the look of wallpaper, I haven’t been able to make the leap from admiring wallpapered rooms in Domino to actually papering a room in my own house. There’s something so adult, so permanent, and, yes, so expensive about the whole process that I haven’t been able to bite the bullet quite yet. Still, if I were to paper, I’d want to do it with a bang — I mean, why go to all that trouble if you’re not going to make a statement? Isn’t drama the whole point of wallpaper? I have a fantasy of papering a dining room with something wacky and fun like this Woodson & Rummerfield green birdcage wallpaper, which is made with recycled paper and vegetable dyes ($55 at Green With Glamour). What do you guys think — is wallpapering worth the trouble and expense? –Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

Hable Construction has teamed up with Bella-Dura to create a line of vibrant, fashionable, and eco-savvy fabrics suitable for in-doors and out-. Bella-Dura is a by-product of post-industrial waste comprised of synthetic fibers with amazing performance qualities that require no additional chemical treatments. Starring qualities of the fabrics include anti-microbial properties, stain-resistance, and provides 1,500+ hours of lightfastness. Bella-Dura fabrics are also recyclable.


This line is available to the TRADE ONLY and several NEW styles are in the mix. Such pretty, pretty patterns!

I don't know what the weather's been like in your neck of the woods, but here in Northern California it was blistering hot this weekend. (Is it global warming? Is the Bay Area the new Palm Springs? I'm busy plotting our move to Vancouver through the sweat over here ... )

Anyway, all this unseasonal heat has me itching to move mealtimes outside, where we can take shelter under the shade of our towering birch tree while praying for a cooling breeze. And what better way to dress the patio table than with these brand-new oilcloths (such as Family Tree, above) from Denmark's Ferm Living, the maker of some of the coolest modern wallpapers around?

Even if it's still chilly in your area or you don't have an outdoor dining space, these are a fun way to dress up your kitchen or dining table -- and are particularly great if you have spill-prone kids.

Take a look:

Branch

Walldots

Bindweed

Berry

Ferm's oilcloth is about $28 per linear meter, which is roughly 39 inches; the oilcloth comes in 55-inch widths, so if you want a tablecloth that's about four and a half feet wide by six and a half feet long, order two meters. It's available through the Scandinavian Design Center -- which also carries beautiful oilcloths from Marimekko, Pappelina, and Susanne Schjerning.

Check them out right here.

san francisco-based designer lisa neimeth just released a beautiful new collection of homemade “diner” plates. available in a wide range of rich, earthy colors (i love the deep orange hue), lisa’s diner plates are available at stores across the country, or via email at lisa’s site. want a little more lisa in your life? click here to check out lisa’s home and converted chicken coop studio.

One of the first things to grab my attention in the new April domino was Peter Dunham's choice of Deborah Sharpe Linens. In his own inimitable bohemian-meets-English style, Dunham layered "classic flower" with eclectic bed coverings.


Sharpe also offers many fine embroidered geometrics.




West Elm of course offers more budget-friendly options.

Hey Kstylers,
My mother is undergoing a very serious health crisis and so I will be taking a leave from Kstyle until she is stable and back on her feet. I am happy to report that she got through major surgery today and wanted her ipod and of course had to stay awake to watch the latest episode of American Idol. Now given that she is 81 I can only hope that I have half her meddle down the road. Anyway I will be leaving soon to visit her and help in her recovery so I will only be in sporadic touch until this has settled down. So think good thoughts for my mom. Talk soon
k

Soft ambient Japanese lights from Kozai Designs in Vancouver on West 6th Avenue.
Designer Toshiyuki Tani has developed a very contemporary line of gorgeous lights utilizing traditional Japanese woodcraft techniques. His Wappa series of pendant and floor lamps employ bent cedar from Akita in northern Japan. The Mocoro table lamp is a cylinder of soft ambient light nestled within a layered globe of turned Japanese hemlock disks. And his newest light, the very delicate Sen, is hand-built from many hundreds of tiny strips of bamboo by traditional bamboo craftsmen in Shizuoka prefecture.
Top: Sen Table Lamp, Kazaguruma (Pinwheel) Pendant/Floor Lamp, Shuriken (Ninja Star), Hanabi (Fireworks), and Mocoro Table Lamp

Sorry this post is so late.  I had so much to tell you from the weekend break that I lost track of time today!  How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was mixed - on the sad news front, my iPod bit the dust. It is so outdated that it’s hard to even find on the website - it looks like an antique compared to all of the new ones!

•On happier notes, Sex and the City is worth the price of admission just for the fashion. What did you all think of

(SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ THE NEXT FEW PARAGRAPH IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET AND WANT IT ALL TO BE FRESH)

Carrie’s apartment makeover? It seemed like good Apartment Therapy philosophy to me - clearing out Aidan’s heavy chair (it was literally weighing down the room), getting some bright new color and prints (I loved the blue), getting rid of the wedding gifts, clearing out so many books and magazines (something I am completely unable to do), arranging all the artwork on the walls instead of leaning it up against the walls. I also enjoyed all of Patricia Fields’ color combos on the clothes - the raspberry pink and red; red and purple; taxicab yellow, black, and white, et. al.

OK SPOILER OVER!

•I’d like to thank my blogger pal Holly over at decor8 for inviting me to dish about design reality television shows. A few of them are gearing up to start this month, like Design Star and Top Design. Holly let me introduce myself to her readers by introducing my block in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood in the city of Atlanta. After journeying out to the ‘burbs for the flick last night, I appreciate my ‘hood all the more!

•Thanks to my neighbor Lily for inviting me over to see her amazing home. Lily saw the blog post I wrote and invited me to come see the inside. I cannot wait, and I’ll be sure to share the experience with you here as soon as I do!

•Thanks to commenter Charlie for giving me the heads up on another fire station renovation (the first post on this topic is here). Engine No. 44 Firehouse is completely renovated and available for the low-low price of $6,375,000. This was one of, if not the first, fire station renovations, originally bought and used in 1959 by an artist couple. Built in 1910, the firehouse included a stable for the horses that pulled their fire wagon. Check out all the photos of this remarkable property here.

• Thanks to Elle Decor magazine for all of the chic inspiration over the years.  I am so happy that I finally own So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish Spaces. Now  I can throw out my copy of the magazine with SJP’s Hamptons house in it.  The magazines I save are starting to overtake my house.  This book deserves its own post, so I’ll try to tell you more about it later this week.

Images:

•Sex and the City image from sexandthecitymovie.com

•Firehouse 44 photos from Firehouse44.com.  Be sure to check out the rest of the renovation photos on their site!

•So Chic photo by William Waldron as seen on from Amazon.com,

I am particularly fond of viewing photos of Design Public products in action…like folks swinging on a Fatboy Headdemock, or modeling with their Vitra Nelson Clock, or dressing up their OFFI My Pet Lamp. In this case, the “action shot du jour” is of four legged friend Mr. Buddy scratching his little heart out on a Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Cat Bed and sitting on a Hepper Wave Pet Bed. Obviously, Mr. Buddy’s owner, Anthony, has done a might fine job of pampering his purry pal.

Name: Anthony and Mr. Buddy (the cat)

Where do you live? Seattle, WA

What do you do? Director of Development

DP Purchase/s: Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Pet Bed, Hepper Wave Pet Bed, Hepper Nest Pet Bed, Weegee Floor Lamp.

What’s your favorite DP product and why? All the cat goodies. Mr. Buddy (our cat) can’t live without them! All the items in pet stores are bland.

How would you describe your design style? Retro modern

Sites/blogs you visit daily: velonews.com, yahoo.com, nytimes.com

What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? Don’t shave your legs with goosebumps (I’m a cyclist and yes we shave our legs!)

Tell us about your home, office, workspace, or favorite nook and cranny. New modern dwelling built by elemental architecture (elementalarchitecture.com)

What’s your favorite color or material? White

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Silver

If you could redo any space, past or present, what would it be? The “Biblioteca Nacional” in Buenos Aries. Great buuilding that needs a little love

Any favorite design ideas? Old spaces revamped with an acute design sense for interiors

Any design pet peeves? “Euro” Modern, overstuffed couches and “knick-knacks.”

Do you collect anything? Tell us of your treasures….Any prized possessions? Not really a collector, but I own lots of fancy race bikes that I’d die (or get fat) with out.

Favorite member of the A-Team: Their black and red van.

Movies you can watch over and over: Anything that DOES NOT include Tom Hanks and/or Julia Roberts.

Four places you would rather be right now: In Phuket, Thailand at Twin Palms resort; Winthrop Washington hiking in the woods; Italy watching the “Giro D’Italia” bike race; Stumptown coffee shop with my wife.

Thanks Anthony and Mr. Buddy!

Your turn! We can’t wait to see your photo of your friend sitting on your Orange22 Botanist Bench, or an incredible spread set our on your Blu Dot Strut Table. Join our “Design Public Peepsâ€� Flickr group and upload a photo showing how you use your Design Public purchases.

I really love this nesting coffee table I found over at Burke Decor.

http://www.burkedecor.com

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From Janet:

Spotted in the NY Times: this simple glass fixture by Roost from Williamsburg shop Moon River Chattel is equally suited for modern or traditional interiors ($165 at Moon River Chattel; call 718-388-1121). The Roost Glass Cylinder Lamp is also available online at Velocity Art and Design for $130, both as a hanging pendant and as a table lamp.

From Julie:

Machado and Silvetti Associates is a Boston firm that specializes in museums (Getty Villa renovation, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Provincetown Art Association and Museum) and urban projects; the founding partners are both from Argentina and both teach at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. They designed this cottage in Wellfleet, MA, on outer Cape Cod, which looks like the perfect studio for a pair of architects (note the drafting tables).

From Sarah:

This spring, I became obsessed with finding an outdoor table that met var