Happy New Year! Some gorgeous spaces to inspire a home cleanse...

I ended up taking a longer break than I expected, as I had a lot of work to finish up for my web design business. But, I'm glad to be back, and I hope everyone is having a great New Year thus far. Here are some little projects I am undertaking to sort of "cleanse" my apartment and start fresh.

Clear your surfaces!  In general, I think people have too much stuff on their shelves and surfaces.  Remove all of your tchotchkes, candles, trays, vases, etc., and put them in a bin.  Then, slowly add back a few carefully edited pieces.  A few well-chosen objects are all you need. It might look sparse at first, but once your eye adjusts, you will love the clean, mind-clearing look of a more minimalistic homescape.  Keep any unused objects in a bin, label accordingly, and when you're aching for a refresh, swap out what you have on display now with another round of objects.  This method works great for me, and I make less purchases, because every 6 months or so I "rediscover" the objects I had packed away!

Embrace bright white. Leave at least one area of your home white. The best spot to do this would be anywhere you really have to focus, concentrate, write, or create.  It might seem counter intuitive, but a space of lower visual stimulus will be less likely to distract you, and foster a steadier mind for getting work done.

Hang your artwork!  Someone once said, art is like jewelry for your home.  For me, I finally feel like a room is complete, or feels like home, when I have hung my art.

Style your book shelves.  This concept is in the same vein as hanging your art.  There is more to decorating than arranging furniture, details such as arranging your books and objets d'art makes a big impact.

Carve out a permanent space for something you do often, or for something you'd like to do more of.  Do you enjoy the process of putting on makeup?  Carve out a small vanity area - and make it gorgeous!  Wish you could sew more put don't because you have to pull out your sewing machine every time?  Dedicate a small desk or table as a permanent sewing station.  If you want to do it enough, and even if it means changing the purpose/function of an already existing piece of furniture, you can make it work. Spending more time on things that make you happy will make you happier!

What are your 2013 plans for your home?

1. Adore Home 2.-3. 91 Mag, 4. Angie Hranowsky, 5. BHG, 6. Rue Mag

Super luxe and lush bathrooms

I have never had a bathroom worth writing home about in my years as a renter, so on the rare occasion that I get to travel, I always appreciate a hotel with a clean, well-stocked, and zen bathroom. If I'm lucky enough to have a room with a whirlpool tub, or a walk in shower, it is something I always remember.

How luxe is that shower!?!

So how does a hotel take a bathroom to the next level?

For rooms that house two guests, the minimum in luxury bathrooms should be twin basins and mirrors. Bathrooms boasting marble surfaces, spacious baths and showers with steam or sauna options and mirror cabinets with inbuilt televisions are elements that are sure to impress guests. Whirlpool baths are another luxurious pleasure that come in all shapes and sizes to suit varying room sizes and the corresponding number of occupants.

Faucets are often underestimated in terms of their impact on user experience and therefore hotels can deliver plenty in regards to this element in the bathroom - just as long as it is still useable.  I hate it when a sink is too shallow to wash my face. In some instances, faucets tie together the entire design  and level of opulence of the room. Designer taps with sensor operation, single lever operation or floor standing options all offer a luxury experience for guests.

I'd feel like a princess using this bath located in Kenya.

What do you think of that tree sculpture?

 This Cape Town hotel bathroom couldn't have a better view.

Same with this hotel in Capri.


What makes a hotel stand out for me is to offer indulgent bathing experiences to the same degree that they offer indulgent eating experiences. Who wouldn't remember a spectacular whirlpool bath tub, spacious enclosures or indulgent walk-in shower?

Do you remember a hotel bathroom that really stuck in your mind as being absolutely fabulous?


1 - 4 via Elle Decor, 5-7 via ABC News Explore


*disclosure: This post in partnership with ACVA.co.uk

Bathroom love...

I've been absurdly busy this month, and it looks like September will be no different... I'll have to squeeze in some pampering and soaking in the tub whenever I can...

How lovely is this?

...and that wallpaper!  I'm not sure how practical the lamps are though - and I hate it when they take out the cords in photos!

I swoon over beautifully arranged objects!

via BHG

Luxury Bedroom Wish List

The bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house,  not only for it’s obvious function as a place to sleep or store your clothes and shoes, but the role it plays a private haven or sanctuary away from everything else ( remember when you were a teenager!).Ultimately a bedroom should be relaxing, comfortable and a little self-indulgent, after all it’s your bedroom and need reflect only your tastes and personality, with maybe the exception of your partner if applicable! But just for the sake of self-indulgence here are the top 5 contemporary furniture essentials for the perfectly luxurious bedroom….


The Walk in Wardrobe
It's hard to imagine any woman who hasn’t fantasied about a custom fitted walk in closet to house all of her clothes and shoes, equipped with full length mirrors and a dressing table (yes I’m thinking Sex & the City style!) Although many of us may not have the space to have essentially what is a bedroom within a bedroom; a great alternative is fitted wardrobes with customized accessories to organize all your things along with mirrored sliding doors to make the most out the space available.

via Ivy and Piper

via Chico Deco

via Design With Christine

King-sized Upholstered Bed

I used to think King-sized beds were unnecessary. But now, I find myself liking more and more space to stretch out when I sleep. And nothing is more luxurious than a fluffy upholstered headboard.

An over-sized floor length mirror.
A generously sized mirror casually leaning against the wall adds an instant sumptuousness to any space.  It's a great way to reflect candle light, and add some romance.  It's also the best way to make sure your look is pulled together before leaving for the day!

Flueless Fire
I grew up with a fire always going in the winters, so I'd be happy with any fireplace. But, there is nothing like a flueless fire to warm up a contemporary bedroom and provide a fantastic focal point.  Not only do they keep the room pretty toasty the glass protector in front never gets too hot to touch making them a health and safety dream!

Appropriate Bedroom Lighting
There's nothing I dread more than harsh and cold overhead lighting.  The bedroom, more than any other room in the home, demands dimmer, warmer lighting.  If you have an overhead fixture, it must be on a dimmer switch.  In fact, I'd like every light switch in my home to have a dimmer switch.
Since your be is often the focal point, it's especially important that your bedside lamps, whether matching or not, be beautiful and give off soft light (though still provide enough light to read by).

Vanity 
Another glamor girl must have, a vanity, or dressing table, makes your otherwise dreary morning routine feel a little more like pampering. Make sure your dressing table has ample storage options for cosmetics, whether through the use of drawers or pretty baskets or containers, a luxe chair or stool, and a mirror.  This is one place where you want to make sure you have access to good lighting.  Strip lights or bulbs along the sides of the mirror are better than overhead.  It helps to place your vanity near an outlet so you can use your hot tools or other electronics while getting ready.

What are your must-haves or on your luxury bedroom wishlist?


All images via gomodern.co.uk unless otherwise noted.
disclosure*: This post was sponsored by Go Modern

Little bits of pretty around the home...

Ugh. I'm stuck at the airport. Bad weather has delayed everything. It's 9:30 AM in San Francisco and now it looks like I won't get back to DC until after 9 PM. The weather here is foggy and wet. Here's a few gorgeous interior details to get you through the day if you're in a not so cheerful place...

This chest of drawers is stunning

via Tradhome 

via BHG

I love curling up with a good book on a rainy day
via Anthology

2 above via Lonny
 

via ?

Warm up your bathroom for the autumn and winter season

At this time of year, our thoughts turn naturally enough to ways of warming up our homes. If you’re looking to give your bathroom a warm glow, there are ways of doing this both figuratively and literally. Using a warm color palette and natural materials when updating your decor makes the room look warm, and adding innovations such as heated towel rails and underfloor heating will provide a warm feeling to match.

Your decor needs to match your bathroom furniture, so if you have existing cabinets and aren’t planning a full remodel, then think about the base color of your bathroom cabinets. If this base isn’t satisfactory and you’re willing to put in some DIY effort to tweak the bathroom to suit, you can paint your own cabinets with cupboard paint, a durable paint type available from DIY stores. Warm neutral colors from beige to ochre are a good starting point and can be complemented by richer accent colors: russets and orangey reds, warm greens, and shades of mocha, chocolate, bronze or gold.

Try using a combination of tile and vinyl (or washable) wallpaper: a neutral tiles and highly detailed wallpaper will bring a balanced combination of styles to the room. Or contrast walls of neutral bathroom paint with richer, more detailed tiled areas – tile small alcoves and a full feature wall, or add this detail in your shower enclosure or basin splashback area. Finally, you could tile or paint the whole room, according to your taste, and use bathroom accessories and art to bring interest and variety to the room.

Add real (rather than visual) warmth to your bathroom with underfloor heating (from £400 for a small area) – obviously this is something that will cause quite a bit of disruption so is best factored into a bathroom overhaul rather than a simple redecoration. Adding an electric towel radiator, provided you have the space, is something that can be done without disrupting your existing central heating system, as the power source is separate and the unit is self contained. Alternatively, you can exchange your existing bathroom radiator for a towel radiator.

 love the rectangular tub...

4 images above © betterbathrooms.com

Flooring additions like soft, cozy rugs or bathmats will amp up a bathroom’s comfort factor during the winter months, and task lighting combined with ambient lighting will bring warmth to the room (dark and cold just seem to go together, somehow) and ensure that you have sufficient light in the bathroom on gloomy winter days.

Here are some more bathrooms that I would just love to cozy up in on a cold winter's day:

This bathroom has a warm, Victorian-vintage vibe to it

via BHG

pardon my drool...I love the big armoire, rug, and beams in this eclectic bathroom.

2 above via Elle Decor

*disclosure: This post is sponsored by betterbathrooms.com