10 creative backsplashes

  While I let my imagination run wild in my art career, I stick to very conservative treatments in my home and  advise the same with clients.  I usually ask  two questions:

1. Will you still love this in 5 years?
2. How will  this  treatment affect  resale value?  

I know ... boring and predictable, but there you have it.  I think it's great that there are people who are willing to step into the abyss and let their creativity run wild.  What do you think of these?

 New York Architect Incorporated

Designer Drew Stuart placed his client's favorite Josef Frank fabric between two pieces of architectural glass above this stove.

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You can have back painted glass in any colour. 

Desire to Inspire

LouiseM is a French story-telling painter  who mixes pop and street art. This personalized  interior included  the names of the family members and their favourite foods and drinks.

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Pebbles with dark gray grout.  

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Wine corks with black and white art.

Bob Vila

Great use for the defunct Canadian penny!  Busy for sure.  Working copper into a kitchen colour scheme could be a problem.

  Everstone is putting out uniquely shaped designs, from pointy shards to circular bubbles. Seems fitting for a backsplash!

Products Insider
 

A truly one-of-a-kind option, this colorful backsplash made with recycled skateboards is featured in a kitchen in the Lofts at Cherokee Studios multifamily project in L.A.

  Products Insider

What about vintage bottle caps?

Contemporary Kitchen design by Austin Architect McKinney York Architects

Cottage Love: 6

Ahhh more Cottage Love...the home of designer Tia Zoldan floated around the blog and print world a few years ago but I still LOVE this stunner!!! In fact I could move right in! I mean are you kidding me with that cabana and pool?? Tia's also an artist, see her impressive pieces below and here. Happy Friday! 

adore this cozy kitch, with the hicks pendants and fabulous rugs!!

I have a chair very similar to this that I'm having upholstered for my new place. I'm thinking of doing the body in one fabric and the seat in a yummy pink velvet.

Are decor trends important?

I am interested in following the latest  trends in interior design.   I need to know these things to have relevant discussions with clients and to understand where the industry is headed.  Many  trends come and go without ever hitting the average home.



Colour of the year is a good example of a temporary trend.  Depending on which paint company your like, you will have a different colour of the year!   I use Benjamin Moore paint and this year the colour of the year is ....

 Lemon Sorbet 2019-60

This is an interesting fact to know, but I doubt this time next year it will make much difference  because there will be a new colour of the year.

 Then there are broader colour trends that seem to last for much longer, e.g., the change from beige/brown to grays as the predominant neutral in home decor.  This type of information  is  more important to be aware of because it produces whole palette shifts in home accessories including textiles. The  change to grays has moved palettes from warmer and earthy  to cooler and cleaner colours.

 Rather than the burnt orange/rust  of the brown/beige  era

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 you will now find  a more true orange mixed with grays.

 Rather than olive/mossy greens of the brown era...

  you will find fresh apple greens.

You can have such wonderful pops of colour with grays and this is reflected in the vibrancy of home accessories available in the market place today. 

 Several years ago I looked for emerald green accessories for a client.  It was almost impossible to find any!  Pantone's colour of the year for 2013 is...

I find Pantone's colour predictions have more impact on fashion and home decor than those of specific  paint companies. This year you will have no difficulty finding emerald green accessories.

 It is important to keep up with trends that will  impact big ticket, relatively permanent products like hardwood, tile and cabinets.  You do not want to select something that will be dated  quickly.  Awareness of these trends does not mean you have to buy into them.  Sometimes choosing exactly the opposite is the the best design solution for longevity.   That is why it is wiser to choose  more neutral  long term items for your home.

Homeowners  who jumped on the dark wood look  for kitchens will probably end up sorry for their selection sooner rather than later.     Extremes rarely work for long periods of time. I predict the patterned glass mosaic backsplash tile that is all the rage now  will have run its course soon too.

 Reynolds Architecture- Northfield, Illinois

That's why classic soft white kitchen cabinets will always work. There are no extremes in this kitchen.   The style is softly traditional, the tiles are plain and the counters are  lighter granite.   I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea.  I am talking about what stands the test of time.

 

Staying with a traditional example, if you don't like white, consider a more mid tone neutral  or  ...

  mid toned stained  wood. 

Stay tuned for 2013 decor trends with staying power. 

Inspired: New Home

image via

Hello loves, So I've sort of put my house hunt on hold for a few reasons; one being that everything in my price range in the towns I want to live in are absolute DUMPS. Holy shiz it's depressing. I'm trying to stay positive, but this single mama can only afford so much if I want to keep my sanity. I need to maintain a bit of a social life! Yes, in a perfect world I'd just stay in with my hubbie and sip cocktails as we painted walls after the kiddos have drifted off, but that's not the case and TRUST me right now I'm okay with that. I'd rather lose a creep of husband early on than spend twenty miserable years with him. I mean don't get me wrong I wasn't a fool, I didn't marry a creep (he had us all fooled), some guys just can't keep it together after you have a family. They stray and become detached in every way possible and that's precisely what happened to me. So in all honestly if Santa could bring me anything in the world it would be a charming little house at a reasonable price. I'm OKAY with a little elbow grease I just can't buy a money pit nor can I live in a money pit with two kids under the age of six. Anywayyyyy onto my post! :) I've shared this top photo before. (My apologies because I don't remember the source, but I'll find it and link back, promise). A little cape like this would be perfect, I'd even be open to a little house that I could eventually add on to. I love the glassed room off of this home and adore the classic simplicity of the black + white facade and the beautiful bucolic approach. This would be my little dream pad. See??  I'm not asking for much am I? A little pretty like this would cost quite a bit in the Boston area. I've been collecting images via the web and started a pinterest board, new home, it's full of a bunch of dis-jointed goodies, but I guess they all make sense to me. I've assembled a mini-inspiration board below showing the overall feel of the space. It'd be fairly simple with graphic details, patterns and pops of brownish-grey, pink, tan, cream and white. And of course splashes of other accent colors like emerald green, brass and yellow. The agate stone was really the impetus and inspiration around the color palette. I love it! I like fresh clean kitchens and bathrooms, and am undecided on white or black cabinets but I guess I have some time to think about that!

This marble wrapped counter, brass hardware and glass door cabinet are beyond amazing! I will absolutely have ALL of these in my kitch! image via 

A little sunny, happy banquette would also be perfect and makes such efficient use of space in a small home. I'd switch out the fabrics and colors and would plump up that seat cushion a bit but you get the idea!

I'd love to have comfy seating area and a lounge worthy sofa like this!

My daughter's room will be a mix of pink, yellow and charcoal and no matchy, matchy concepts here.

I can envision my son's room but I have yet to find a photo that comes close to my vision. A little reading nook like this would be dreamy though! I read multiple stories a night to my children, they love it. I think it's one of the most important things you can do for your child besides smother them with hugs and kisses!

I can't deal with a big yard but I would love a small garden path and patio area for outdoor cocktails and alfresco dining. 

Anyway, that's all for now, it's way past my bed time.... I just wanted to keep dreaming...and share my thoughts and ideas. I'll make this all come true and promise to share it with you all on my little ole' blog! 

xx

Cottage Love 3

Okay, so I think I've come to the conclusion that I have a slight definite obsession with adorable cottages. I might even have to continue featuring a favorite cottage every week!! This beauty is a bit on the "grander" side but categorically it still feels like a cottage to me. It if anything is exactly the cottage that I dream of living in. Marlien Rentmeester's, west coast editor of Lucky Magazine and creator of my new favorite fashion blog, Le Catch, home has been featured in a few publications including a shoot for Lonny Magazine. These shots however are from the Glitter Guide and Lucky Magazine. I ADORE the feel of this entire home. 

Marlien has amazing taste and her home design a collaboration with another tastemaker Hillary Thomas is pure PERFECTION. I've included various shots of the same spaces because it's all SO GOOD! Enjoy! xx. and Happy Halloween.

I LOVE warm red doors (not to be confused with cooler shades). I had a client paint her door this exact color and every time I visit her home it makes me smile!

and another take on her home office!