177 Domino's Decorating Contest

i came home from work this afternoon to find my domino magazine waiting for me in the mail box! how excited am i.


i love that they're doing another decorating challenge.
it allows every day people to pick up a paint brush and make their design ideas come to life in a fresh way. a few of my favorites is this wonderful space created by maria and her husband from florida. it totally reminds me of a resort in some far off tropical island and the fact that she made all the furniture pieces with her husband speaks volumes for their talent.


another favorite is this gorgeous dark chocolate dining room.
i love the dark on white contrast and the vintage art, stunning.
it just screams lovely.

for more check out Domino Magazine Online

176 Bamboo House

image by: Inhabitat

i love bamboo.
it’s 50 times stronger than oak, just as strong as steel but much lighter, pliable, physically attractive but most importantly it's rapidly renewable making it one of eco-friendly's greatest symbolic element of design. i just saw an episode of Most Extreme Homes on HGTV tonight which showcased a lady by the name of Linda Garland who built her entire estate on 10 acres of Bali land from bamboo. i was just blown away by the design and architectural details she put into her house. unfortunately i couldn't find any images of her estate, but it made me look up more bamboo homes and i came across this great article from Inhabitat on Kengo Kuma’s Great Bamboo Wall. an initiative to develop a series of houses, all by Asian architects along the Great Wall of China.



i've always wanted to built my own cottage, now i'm so motivated and desire to build one out of bamboo. i challenge everyone to be more aware of their building products and try to use green as much as possible.

175 Le Photique

ever heard of photographic jewelry?


created by Le Photique

i love the idea.
but instead of the image around my neck, i would love to see it blown up maybe 8x10 or 11x14 or something larger and hung on the wall with chains just as it is shown here. it's so stunning ... i'm totally going to do this with my photos! i'm wow'ed.

174 Present Your Best Face Forward

image by michael molloy



so many times i stumble across a designers page, scroll through the portfolio/gallery images and sadly, i am more often than not disappointed at what i see. as a designer i feel that a website is an introduction to who you are and what you do, a first impression to say the least so shouldn't desingers recongize the importance of visual stimulation - especially being in a field of visual interpretations?

above i have an image by photographer michael molloy of a kitchen much like many in our homes. nothing too fancy, nothing too extreme ... like a kitchen you would probably see at a friends or family house or maybe even our own. but the composition of the image is what stands out and really brings the kitchen to life. what would otherwise probably be a "oh nice kitchen" during a pass by has now become, "wow. what a sharp looking kitchen!" it grabs your attention, as a matter of fact it demands it, which is what i think designer portfolios should do.

so what's my point ... ???
designers, please please please invest in a good photographer. your space and creation may be spectacular in real life but on film it can look dull and lifeless. a good photographer who knows who to ultize light, work with dimensions and depth can really bring a space to life. that's why i admire and really respect good interior photography ... it's essential! here are a few examples of great photography in simple spaces.


image by michael molloy


image by willam geddes

173 Baest

i recently came across this fairly new company called Baest located in the UK who create fun and practical designs for the home. my favorites being ...


the Rahmen, which in Korea is instant noodles. but here at baest is a storage space for your fresh herbs in the kitchen or your flowers and plants in the living room. i love cooking with fresh ingredients so having fresh herbs at my fingertips is a must for me. i've always played around with different planters but this is ingenious. i can display my herbs like art but at the same time save on space because it's mounted right up against the wall.

or how about this one... the rack


even with gas/ alcohol run fireplaces, i love seeing real cut wood next to it which gives it a deep raw feeling. of course, nothing beats a real crackling fireplace but really for me i think it's all about the wood. the smell, the look, the textures ... what better than to display a wood storage system. it is an aesthetic, smart and modern helper in storing wood for your wood burning stove or fireplace. the wall mounted Rack system makes storage of your logs convenient, clean and accessible. placing a number of Racks near your fireplace creates a unique ambience to that space.

for more products by Baest ...check out their site!

172 Baby Rooms

i don't know about you but this year alone, 6 of my girlfriends who just got married either last year or this year are already with child. is it just me or are there a lot of baby mamas this year!

so i thought i'd do a little tribute to the new moms out there and do a post on baby / kid rooms. as a designer, it doesn't matter to me how old you are, everyone deserves a space that is practical, functional and visually pleasing to be in. even children understand design and they respond to it.



for youngsters, i believe in a good balance of color, practical and safe furnishings, art and inspiring words and anything that can calm, motivate, influence and play a positive role in a childs upbringing. i think children should be inspired daily and what better way then to let the space they spend the most time in to do help along the way. i'm also big on rooms that grow with the kids. a place where kids and be themselves and express themselves.



all images from Flickr

171 Dream Laundry

i dream of my own laundry room.
a place where i can fold my clothes in private without wandering eyes. a place without the need of coins. because we don't have our own laundry machine i always have to go to the public coin laundry mats and although i make an effort to pick the cleanest places, it's still a public place. so my dream is to have my very own laundry room one day! one much like this! what a space!

i love the smell of clean clothes, detergent and bounce. therefore, i would like my laundry room to have a seating area where i can read while i wait or do crafts.

image from Hampton Design

170 Carpet Tiles from FLOR

what to do something fun with the carpet or rug in your room and want to do it all by yourself? consider FLOR and their fantastic carpet tiles which are extremely easy on the eyes and very simple to install.



whether you want a simple clean solid look or a fun bold pattern, just take the tiles out of the box and lay it out the way you desire. take the adhesive dots off and fasten the perimeter tiles down, which holds the rest of the carpet in place. how much simpler can it get.


it looks fresh and it’s easy to keep clean. you can pick up the tile, wash it off, and then replace it easily. if one happens to get damaged beyond repair you can just pick it up and replacement tile and remove one tile instead of the entire carpeted area. the next time i think of carpets, i'm totally going to utilize these carpet tiles!

169 Modern Landscaping

before summer is gone for good this year, i thought i'd do a last garden / landscaping post. here are some of my favorite modern landscape images i've come across this year.




images by: MelB Flower Show

168 Fun With Elegance

Shoot Factory has this elegantly decorated almost over the top victorian featured apartment listed in brondesbury, and the moment i perused through the images i fell in love. all shades of black and white with small spashes of color through floral arrangements or small accessories. but then you have a gorgeous garden full of lush greens, pinks and purples that just penetrate into the space.

167 Fun At Walmart

a few weeks ago, Happy Mundane posted a few goodies from Walmart and as many as you may cringe at the mere name Walmart ... I was quite surprised by what I found on the website.

For example ...



this great blue bedding, lamps for under $30 bucks



fun decorative pillows between $3 - $20!



talk about bargain shopping in style!

166 Foot Stool

if you're anything like me, you're always look for something to rest your foot on. being only 5'4 i find at many times that my foot either dangles above the floor or my tippie toes are reaching to connect with the floor. so when i came across this image from Angela Free's website (a great interior designer), i just had to post it. that little foot stool/rest is just what i need!

umm... i'll also take the desk, the picture, the lamp and the chair as well :)

165 The Barn Reborn

I've blogged on Shoot Factory several times but when one of UK's best location firms always updates with fantastic spots like this one how can I resist!
Take a look at this barn now transformed into a modern oasis of a house.



This is a place I would be proud to call home or cottage. In fact, if I had a summer house, this is what I would want it to look like. Very cozy and warm yet modern and extremely stylish. It even fufils my glass house fantasies!

164 I Feel Like A Girl Today...

nothing brings out the girl in me better than paintings from Olga Cuttell.
i first came across her work on Etsy.com where i've been noticing a lot of bloggers are frequenting. my cousin sells her handmade jewels on there and so it started, my journey into various hand made pieces of art and furniture.

Ola Design paints pictures, ceramic, glass, decor accesorries, and lamps that breathe new life into any interior without overpowering it. simple, but never plain; these original autographed pieces are flirty and feminine crafted pieces of art.



i would love to hang her paintings in my office. they're the type of art that would bring a smile to my face every morning.

163 Photographer William Waldron

William Waldron is represented by Achard & Associates who also represents many other great photographers and stylists but William's photos really stood out for me. I love his use of light which seems to soak into the image, almost making it surreal.

I've been trying to play around with lighting myself when it comes to photography but haven't been able to master it just yet. Ultimately, these images are what inspire me. Just brings a beautiful interior to life, almost as if it's right out of a dream.

162 End Of Summer

labour day is now officially over which means schools doors have re-opened for a new year, summer sunshine has decreased and the hot blazing warmth that follows has started to turn into a cool breeze.

in with the bright summer greens and out with the dark bold tweeds and warm autumn wools. for some reason i'm really looking forward to this fall/winter season and nothing says this more to me than a tweed jacket on a crisp white eames chair.

images by Robyn Glaser