If stone walls, brick arches, and weathered wood beams make you swoon, then you should take a seat! Interior designer Maire Laure Helmkampf transformed this mill in Provence in to her own home. Maire has highlighted the historic structure with an open plan. Large steel windows allow natural light to flood the home and enhance the texture of the raw worn materials of the former mill. Continue reading →

Swedish stylist Katarina Grundstromer renovated this small 1940s home in to her own blissful summer house retreat. Her design proves that nature and style make a fabulous couple. Spectacular lake views are complimented by wood, stone, glass, and natural fibers. The living area seating melds in to the white-washed wood walls and dares you to stay inside with lush textiles and comfort. A delicious mix of chairs cozies up to the honest wood dining table under a stylish and rusty chandelier all layered on a color-rich carpet. Continue reading →

Have you ever dreamed of renovating a villa? Well you’re not alone and Swedish designer Marie Olsson Nylander and her husband, Bill, have made that dream come true. They viewed this1970s villa, which had been unloved for 30 years, three times before succumbing to its call. After their purchase they began to remove floors, ceilings, and walls. Swathing the entire interior with a fresh coat of white made it virtually disappear under their quirky collections.
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The beautiful bones of this home were covered in white to create a canvas for modern pops of color. The walls, dramatic ceiling planes, and even the ornate ceiling detail wear a flat white coat. Wood plank floors unify, anchor, and add warmth to the space. Traditional transoms, angular doors, and sultry curves all work as an interesting back drop for the daring geometry and color choices. Continue reading →

My sensibilities lean more to modern than to traditional design. However, this brownstone in New York has convinced me of the power of their combination!

The apartment’s living room and main bedroom occupy the ground floor. The lower level contains the kitchen, dining, child’s bedroom, bath, and study.
The ground floor’s pale color palette creates a calm retreat from the hectic city life outside. Room-high windows celebrate the lofty and beautifully ornamented ceilings. Quirky pieces – spiral table, cage lamp, and graveyard painting – balance the femininity of the flair-armed and button-tufted sofa. The occasional and expert use of black acts as an exclamation point and anchoring device. Continue reading →

With the motto ” Be bold. Be original. Be you.” Kohler encourages us to get creative in the kitchen and forget all we knew about sinks so far. They part together with brilliant designer Jonathan Adler and they launch incredibly fresh, appealing and juicy colors, to make our kitchens explode with positive energy. Continue reading →

Sometimes the most impossible challenge turns to be the most audacious… In Les Menuires, France a peculiar apartment renovation testifies the eloquent answer to a particular brief: Le refuge. The request was extremely challenging: to increase the surface of a living room without touching the bearing elements, offer two bathrooms instead of the existing one, and keep the number of sleeping 8 beds in an available area of 55sqm. But how do you make an already small living area larger than it is? The answer lies in an ingenious design concept of living furniture. Continue reading →

The Chevron House belongs to Oliver Peyton, a collector of contemporary British Art and a renowned restaurateur and food critic. It’s an Edwardian piece of architecture, situated in the suburb of West London, which has been transformed into a multicolored living space. A new extension was developed, taking the Edwardian elegantly proportioned spaces to a modern extreme. Continue reading →

Who doesn’t dream of traveling the world in search of unique and exotic items? On Sailor’s Island, Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, a summer house was created for family and guests. The look and feel of its eclectic interior design is gorgeous, featuring colorful rugs, modern candle holders and lighting fixtures, traditional pieces of art, while here and there you can also spot classic suitcases which enhance the concept of travel and exploration. Continue reading →

Using the words pastel and power, the one next to the other might sound a little odd, pastels being mostly correlated with sweetness, calmness, innocence and often a feminine or even “girly” mood. Lately though, more and more interior trends are emphasizing the indeed powerful impact pastel touches can have when incorporated in modern homes. It’s all a matter of the right mix, the right amounts and there you have it! The gorgeous home residence I’m sharing here with you today has been sitting in my folders as a “good example of a mix of pastels used in an overall architecturally and chromatically minimal space. Continue reading →