honeycomb hideout

With summer upon us, I'm starting to have dreams of little get-a-way forts like this. It was always my dream, when I lived in SF,  to get a little parcel of land in the wine country and build a canvas cabin or place a tricked-out Jet Stream, just for weekend down time from the electronics and a time for reconnection and reading....maybe a morning hike. Villa Else ( in the middle of the Søllerød Nature Reserve in Denmark ) would be perfection, if only it were a little closer to home.

Villa Else is owned by Henriette Willerup and Anton Greiffenberg.

Photography: Stuart McIntyre

5th street * Park Slope

 

Now this is the way to do Brooklyn. via: The Brooklyn Home Co.

The House of Haslam

 



You know how French women just have that, je ne sais quoi, at any age? And that, no matter how hard the rest of us try, we never quite get it right. I think this is the way with the English Country Style. Throughout the 80s there was an English Country trend that took hold of the nation and Laura Ashley was the patron saint of frocks {and believe me, I know. I worked there } Thankfully this trend passed, because honestly, we didn't quite get it right. We behaved it, rather than inhabited it.







All though the, full throttle American version of "English Country" really isn't my style, when you see the real version, in the real setting, it's very charming, comfortable and lovingly filled with a cacophony of pattern, oil paintings, chintz and cabbage roses everywhere, inside and out.





 

 




Designer Nicky Haslam's Jacobean-revival house was built for Tudor king Henry VII ....... { That would be the 16th century - which is a bit mind blowing to me } English Hunting Lodge isn't behaving like English Country, it is. And if it's not your over all style, it's filled with great little details and inspiration.



"I tend to look out for things with a resonance to my youth—artists or objects that seemed romantic all those years ago. I never buy anything purely for its value. I like possessions that smile back at me.”- Nicky Haslam

Of interesting note, the house was previously owned by Colfax and Fowler, co-founder, John Fowler. To see more photos,  hop on over to the Wall Street Journal  where writer and decorator, Rita Konig gives a great interview and grand tour with Haslamm.

glamour shots

just a shot of glamour goes a long way......

 

 as seen in these grays, turquoises, golds and browning pinks

via:: ELLE decor

there's room for a bit o' the leopard in every space. Lately I'm thinking a gilded, fine boned chair tucked into a room would be the perfect amount.

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and found on ebay, a little Dorothy Draper Espana number ...... why must these things always be in the farthest reaches [ Florida ]

 

this gilded bar set is great. I have a few sets with different patterns. When you're not boozing it back, they make for great little vases filled with pink carnations, roses or peonies.

check this chair out. a bit of paint { hot pink? gold? }+ fresh fabric { velvet leopard/cheetah } = great side chair

and if all of that is a bit in your face, try the animal motif in this small shot:

 

giraffe book ends here

rotunda

who do you think tunds their ro better.....

Kate and Andy:

via::The Selby

Tory:

or edward and richard:

via::peak of chic

etslandia

There's No Place Like Here: Hindsvik from Etsy on Vimeo.

Join Daniel and Valeria a.k.a hindsvik on a video tour of their home, where Scandinavian and Japanese vintage pop in a minimalist environment.

"hose"

Lo and behold.

 

ok, one more Swedish stylist. I didn't even google this one to see who else has blogged about Lo Bjurulf.

 

 I'm sure many. I don't care though, I figure those of you who have had
the, "winter of everyone's discontent", could use this color shot .

 

 A visual boost of vitamin D.  wowza. Jolly Ranchers, pink hearts and yellow moons. The colors are delicious.

 really planning on doing this tall lemon tree thing + lettuce on the table look.

 

 paint the walls, paint, the radiator covers, paint the moulding, hell...paint the ceilings. but don't paint the floors. that would be over kill.

I'm captivated. Sort of a Stockholm Syndrome kind of thing going on I think.  

via, Dagny @scandanavianchic.com

lotta agaton :: interior stylist

 





Coming off of a weekend in the hills above Santa Cruz at my friend's beautifully restored farm house, I'm totally zenning out to these shots by Swedish stylist Lotta Agaton. The energy the pops of color, the simplicity, all have me drifting. 

 

I love an Albert Hadley tricked out room,

 

but man-o, if I could pull off living in a minimalist space filled with great typography, a palette inspired by river rocks and lovely light? I'd be, I don't know, throwing in the towel and making organic bread all day while throwing pots at night. 

 

by the way, if you're curious as I was about the familiar check or, "Brabants Bont design",  found in so much of Swedish design { + ikea } here's an interesting link to the background of the textile pattern.