Living the dream...

Summer is upon us and that means that everyone is fleeing the city to take their yearly vacation. One of the most popular vacation spots for us East-coasters is Europe. I must say that I have recently been dreaming of yet another European vacation, and hope that come fall i'll be able to fit a short trip to England in my schedule.
While browsing through some of my favourite blogs I found the hotel J.K Place on Erin Gates's Elements of Style blog. I fell in love with their hotel design, and would love to be able to stay there one day. Here are selected pictures from their Florence hotel as well as their Capri location.

Florence...
What a relaxing bathroom. And look a the view... :)

Pipping! Yessssss.

Capri...
Ummm heaven?!?!?

I'm really enjoying the colour palette and the wall paint.

Pretty in pink

I think almost every young girl has an obsession with the colour pink at one point in their childhood. I really enjoy this little girls room because it's tasteful yet has that princess, girly feel to it. What makes it even better is that it was decorated on a budget. Considering that children grow up so fast and their room needs to be an extension of their maturity, it makes it a lot less difficult when you have to throw or give away most of the furniture.








Here is a breakdown of the cost for this room:

- beds - Craigslist $20
- vintage lucite chair - Craigslist, reupholstered the cushion
- vintage wicker chair - Craigslist $10, spray painted
- dressing table - vintage, owners already had it
- green stool - Home Goods $30
- 2 Flower mirrors above beds - Home Goods $25 each
- pillows - Home Goods $30 total
- monogrammed pillow cases - Wal-Mart $5, monogramed by owners mother
- upholstery fretwork fabric - Home Fabrics $50
- watermelon silk velvet trim - SAS Fabrics $7
- vintage Mar Lou Goertzen flower prints on shelves - thrifted $2.50
- owl bookends - thrifted $3
- vintage My Book House books - thrifted $10, can be found on ebay
- vintage initials - $2
- trophies - thrifted $2
- lamp - thrifted $5
- watermelon fabric on cushion - SAS $1
- panels behind the beds were modge podged with scrapbook paper on cardboard. Framed with MDF from Home Depot.

What a crafty mother these girls have. Amazing job! :)

Yet another eclectic attraction...

It seems as though it's been a weekend of original designs. I fell in love with Burnham Design's portfolio. I really enjoy the cultural references and the Asian flair in many of her spaces.

I love everything about this office nook. The vibrant colours make me giddy.

I'm obsessed with this console table!!!!

What a great custom storage unit.

For the love of originality

I recently fell upon Julie Bowen's home and thought it to be quite interesting. After doing some research I found out that m. design interiors is behind the original decor. While looking through their portfolio I admired their fresh take on design. I really enjoy how they are able to mix many different era's together and make it look eclectic.






Other exuberant work by m. design interiors...

I'll take one of everything...

The other day one of my good friends introduced me to Plantation. She couldn't believe that I had never heard of this store before, and neither could I for that matter. It seems to be heavily advertised in many design magazines, but I must have missed this one. Luckily she was there to point it out to me. They are quite pricy, and I can't imagine dropping a couple grand on their stunning furniture pieces. But I do find that some of their home accessories are well worth the extra cash. I mean some of these pieces would be the show stopper in a room, and that I believe is well worth a little extra. Here are some of my favourite pieces. And, just a little side note, i'm obsessed with every single furniture piece on their website, but I thought i'd focus on the accessories. Check out their website for the full catalogue.

Glass octopus, Red. 425$

Lacquered boxes, Orange & black trim. Set of 3, 265$

Porcelaine Genie Jar. 185$

Moroccan Porcelain Lantern, White. Large, 195$

Pradesh Frames. Set of 2, 100$

Iron jacks. Set of 2, 145$

Horse Bookend. 175$

Carved Handle Magnifying Glass. 50$

Everest Pillows, Brown. Set of 2, 175$

Alester Nesting Trays. Set of 3, 195$

Canaan Mirror Tray, Square. 250$