hayon studio

"Showtime Collection for BD Ediciones de Diseno is a home furniture collection inspired on classical MGM musicals. The concepts behind these pieces explore the contrast between what is external and internal. A comination between organic forms and classical details is key to it's development. It exhibits passion for finding ways where things that are not supposed to match, coexist in elegance. Very innovative material combinations like plastic and leather were used to create this unique collection."

Hayon Studio link found via Bloesem's blog. Love the imagery! I also recommend their great bathroom pieces, Artquitect.

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Renting Can Be...

Colorful/Artful/Efficient

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Just Because....

Not small but I love the styles of these rooms!

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prefab modular cabins

Oh la la - flippin' fabulous prefab cabins at BlueSky MOD. I saw a show at the Vancouver Art Gallery last year on prefab homes and cabins and was delighted with the design ideas, arcitectural lines and details, and simple living reflected in the exhibit. Modern, clean (yet somehow still rustic) and environmentally sustainable , I left the show wanting to click my own little shoebox home together somewhere out in the wilderness (preferably) or (also appealing) on a tiny, downtown, industrial lot somewhere.

My favorite design in the exhibits were the weeHouses by Alchemy Architects. Totally adorable and totally chic. I want one. Please.

Other prefab, modular home ideas can be found at Versadome, LivingHomes, Modern Cabana, Marmol Radziner Prefab, Modern Modular, The Micro Compact Home, and GlideHouse.

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my (work in progress) living room

As promised in an earlier post this week, I'm showcasing some photos of my living room for furniture placement advice. (Sorry about the lousy photo quality - I always seem to have lighting problems when I'm taking photos in my apartment - clearly it feels like it's not ready for beauty shots ;). So, without further delay, here is my living room at the moment (note: I only moved into this space a month ago so forgive the lack of decorations - right now I'm prioritizing the room set-up, then I'll get stuff up on the walls...).

Views when you enter my apartment and first look (from left to right) into the living room.

Looking (left to right) towards the back wall of the living room (with the space that looks into the kitchen).

Looking (left to right) towards the fireplace (with the last shot looking towards my kitchen doorway and apartment door). PS - the black bench thing under the cuckoo clock was rescued from the basement dumpster - score!

A few things to note: I bought a second matching rug this week (in the 'as is' section at ikea - discounted and therefore justified right?) to help the shag fill the space. I plan on sewing the two together so they don't separate every time my kittens attack them. I wish I could centre the rug in front of the fireplace, but the kitchen wall that juts into the living room prohibits that. Also, I've tried the dining table against the back wall and the couch closer to the fireplace, but it really makes the room feel small - plus, I like having something centered under the windows (used to be the couch). Okay, let the advice flow...thanks!

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Interesting Bathrooms

Its so cool to see all the new and interesting things they have come up with for bathrooms. Why sinks alone have changed a lot. Seems to me every room in your house is worth a second thought, and that's fantastic! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Talk to you again on Monday!

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hotel fox

It's never very surprising to come across great, creative Scandinavian design - it's like the region's inhabitants are born with it and maximize their talents to their full potential. I love the idea of theme hotels with individualized and very forward-thinking room design, so Copenhagen's Hotel Fox's 61 rooms provide eye candy galore.

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fancy and whimsy from elsita

I'm digging elsita's strange and wonderful prints (on http://www.etsy.com/). Upon first glance, they're precious, beautiful illustrations. After a closer look, you begin to notice the darker, fairytale side to them as rabbits eat insomnia-inducing holes into girls and knit wool onto sheep...yes, strange indeed. Strange and fantastic...

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Neutrals

One look I never seem to tire of is creamy whites mixed with warm wood tones. The 2 tones go together very well and I think that's why you see it used a lot. The picture with the desk is of my teenage daughters room. I redid it a few years back and she was not happy with the lack of color. But now that she's older she really likes it and her friends do too. Very calming colors for the bedroom. I have color in my home too, but I do love the feel that warm whites bring to a room.

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fruition design

It's fun to brag on behalf of friends - almost as if by extension, you're bragging on behalf of yourself :P My friend Kelly Reynolds and his business partner Sharon Halpin started up fruition design last year in Vancouver and have three chic decorating projects completed and on display on their website already. Considering how new they are to the decorating and design market in Vancouver, they are doing fantastic! Vancouver, by the way, for those of you who've never been, is a drop-dead gorgeous city with every kind of living space imaginable (we're talking converted warehouses, 100+ year old heritage buildings, modern skyscrapers, beach bungalows...you get the idea), all against a backdrop of the pacific ocean and coastal mountains. It's a pretty inspiring place - this clash and integration of nature with hardware with multiculturalism - and is super dreamy for those wanting to get in on the design and art scene. (Can you tell I'm a proud Vancouverite? and currently displaced Vancouverite...).

Anyways, I wanted to showcase some of fruition design's interiors here because I'm so happy to see my friend doing what he loves and being successful at it. If you take a look at their website, you can see the 'before' and 'after' shots of their projects which make these interiors even more impressive.

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