Icons of "Home"

idyl·lic
Pronunciation: \ī-ˈdi-lik, chiefly British i-\
Function: adjective
Date: 1856
1 : pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity
2 : of, relating to, or being an idyll


When making checklists for all of the things we want to do to our (soon-to-be) new house, I realized how many things have been ingrained in my mind over the years as to what the idyllic home (to me) would have. Not necessarily stylish things, but more romantic ideals or icons of the perfect home. Some of them are things I will probably never realistically have, but they've been with me for years & I thought I'd share some of them with you. I'll start outside & work my way inside............


I've always wante a white house (image from Martha Stewart.com)



A front porch with a porch swing is the perfect spot!!



A wisteria-covered pergola (although I just learned that wisteria seeds are poisonous so we won't be getting any!!) (image from here)

Image below (and top image of post) from House Beautiful. How amazing is this?!!!
Window Boxes: They makes houses look so cheerful & loved. (image from hooksandlattice.com)



A garden large enough to "walk through" and "sit in" as opposed to edging the yard or house (image from indigolandscapes.com) I like a little mystery in the garden & it would be such a luxury to have enough space to do this:



A beautiful back patio (image from one of my favorite Cottage Living houses)



There are a lot of plants I've always thought embodied the perfect yard or garden. Here's a list of some of them: A magnolia tree would be amazing (image from here) and I could just sit there & smell the blooms for hours!! :)



A lilac bush to cut blooms from and again, smell for hours (image from gardencorner.net )



Forsythia bushes (image here from Dumbarton Oaks)



TONS of hydrangea bushes (image from http://www.youcanlearnseries.com/)



Peonies -- how beautiful are they in arrangements?!! (Image from marthastewart.com)



And finally, it used to be rose bushes until I put them in my townhouse garden & managed to kill almost all of them, (image from http://www.sloatgardens.com/) but if I could do better, I'd still want them... (Actually the bushes themselves were in such bad shape that I felt absolutely no guilt for cutting off every single bloom & taking them inside for arrangements!!)



A tree swing for the little guy & me too!! :) (image from http://www.ntoddblog.org/



French Doors (Image from that same amazing Cottage Living house) leading to some beauitufl outdoor space... They'd be amazing in the bedroom...



A big hood over the range (image below from House Beautiful) A hood makes a kitchen look like such a functional yet homey space:

A window seat (image from Cottage Living)... We built one in our old house & it really was the perfect spot for chatting on the phone, cuddling with the dog, getting warmed up by the sun, reading & relaxing

A banquette or window seat for an eat-in kitchen (image from Country Living)

A grandfather clock (image from mantecalighting.com)... When I was a little girl I loved the mystery surrounding them. They made me think of huge houses you could get lost in & have adventures in & always wanted one when I grew up... Think The Borrowers... But sadly, now I really don't even like to know what time it is & would have to go with a Mora clock if I did have a huge clock in my house.

A fireplace with two chairs that can face each other with an ottoman in between for reading with my husband... The two chair & ottoman thing would also be amazing in the bedroom...

A guest bedroom (image from Country Living) is truly a luxury to me. To have it ready & waiting for friends & family to come at any time... to not have to unfold a bed/ mattress & not have to hide anything away... Just an easiness...

A sunroom/ conservatory that could act as a family room or dining/ breakfast room (image from here)

A huge living room/ great room where lots of people can be at one time doing different things (images from Cottage Living & House Beautiful)

A round table for intimate dining (Pic from House Beautiful)

And finally, a four-poster bed (Bed below from Restoration Hardware) ... We had a sort of British Caribbean mahogany styled one in our old house and it's in storage now. Because the lines of the new house are so modern, I can't really picture it in our bedroom but the lowerl level feels a bit more traditional, so we'll be putting it in the lower level guest bedroom. (I think it'll be fun for guests too :) The bed below is from Country Living's 2008 Idea House:

I think we all envision a home and a life in which we have the time and space to be with our families & friends. Some call it the "good life." It's a home with simple luxuries... where things are made easy so we can spend our time doing what we really want to do. It's a life & home with the perfect balance of function & beauty. These are just some of the iconic things that come to mind for me when thinking of the ideal home... how about you?

Happy Easter!!

We were dying eggs & I thought I'd take a quick pre-pic & share!! (That's my new vintage silver bowl I found at Lucketts last weekend!! :) I was going to attempt to photograph a tablesetting & just didn't get the chance, but see how easy & pretty a bowl full of eggs could be for the centerpiece? And how fun is it to eat your centerpiece? ;)

Have a really happy Easter and I'll be back Monday!!

xoxo,
lauren

Haskell Harris

Ok, so I know I said I was taking a break from blogging this week, but I opened up Southern Living Magazine (very weird that it arrived at my house today since I don't subscribe to it, but I'm not complaining!! :) and saw Haskell Harrris' house featured & was so excited that I had to post!!

Haskell Harris was Special Projects Editor and Assistant Homes Editor at Cottage Living Magazine, which I think is probably my favorite magazine. (The more I go through old issues for inspiration on this new house, the more I miss it!!!) She painted the outside of the cottage herself & I'm loving the stripes on the porch floor. (below) Also, I covet that porch swing & the clematis growing up the posts.

The living room is definitely a "Cottage Living" room with its natural woven shades, comfortable yet pretty furnishings, and the perfect mix of old & new. (The black & white bird fabric on the wingchairs also happens to be a fabric I'm having made into a banquette for a client so I was happy to see it looking so good!! :) How cool is the reclaimed shelf hanging over the sofa with all of the photos?

Below is the kitchen, where she was able to get the gray cabinets for a steal. I wish there were more photos of the kitchen because I spy the tiniest bit of the hexagonal tile floors that I love so much and would love to check out the rest of it!!

*** Thanks so a very sweet reader, Wendi, I now have a photo of the tiles(below)!!!! She was able to find the kitchen & sent me a pic of it!! :)***

Haskell used more of the same subway tiles in the bathroom & it keeps the house feeling cohesive. I'm liking the area to the right where the cabinet doors were removed and she put baskets on the shelves. (We have a funny area like this in our new house & it reminds me of a changing station!!) I also love the open shelving above the toilet.

Below is the collection of mirrors she put together in her bedroom. She found some of the frames at flea markets & had glass cut to fit. The pale pink color she chose on the walls (along with all of the paint colors in the home) was inspired by a bag of gourmet marshmallows she saw.

I'm normall not a big pink person but I think it's just so pretty & airy in this room. She was able to use some of her family's antiques in the house while still maintaining a fresh feeling. The lanai quilt below looks a lot like some of the Pottery Barn quilts from last year. And how funny is it that even her fan looks good?!! I love how simple & functional her bedroom is. It's got such a "no more, no less" perfection to me.

Brooke from Blueprint Bliss has an awesome post on this house, so check it out here!! (haha I am slow!) Also, Haskell has a blog & you can check it out here!!!

xoxo,

lauren

Track House Ideas from Sarah's Fab Day!!

Check out Sarah's Fab Day for a cool post she did where she has suggestions & tips from 5 design bloggers (me included! :) about how to make a new house feel less cookie-cutterish. I think you might find the ideas really useful so go check it out if you get the chance!!

Happy Spring Break!! (and Tom Scheerer)

Good news = This week is our Spring Break!!! Bad news= we missed our flight to Florida on Friday!!! (My husband got the flight time wrong & when we arrived at the airport via taxi, our flight had already left!!!!) Because this week is Spring Break around here, we couldn't get another flight out & will just have to use our flights for another trip (that's the beauty of frequent flyer miles- they're letting us keep our tickets!!) phew

We'd been a bit worried about going anyway, since we've all been so sick, and we've got inspections with the new house, papers to sign, appraisals, etc. We had the inspection & there were a few issues that if they fix, should be fine & we're getting SO excited!!! I spoke with the other realtor & she said that the letter I wrote it what changed their minds. (Thanks to those of you who suggested writing a letter!!! :)

Anyway, since I can't be at the beach this week, I thought I'd show you some pictures of Tom Scheerer's work on beach houses. (He is in my TOP 5, by the way--- there were so many images I'd saved from before not realizing who the designer was!! so, another "love" warning for this post!!) These first photos are from the De Givenchy residence:



I love all of the washed wood in the dining room above. The director's chairs are awesome solutions for a beach house dining area. (Just remove the seats & wash!!) The sea of neautrals is just gorgeous to me & would be so fun to inject color into. The round mirrors are so simple & have such a modern elegance. And the ceilings = perfection.

Below, I'm LOVING the tiled walls in the kitchen. (You'll see more of these in the rest of the pics) They've got such a fun vintage flair. Also, check out how thick the countertop on this island is--- gorgeous!!! This kitchen is such a great combination of industrial (check out the cabinet hardware) and vintage homeyness. Loving the color scheme (or lack of one! ;)


Below is another kitchen in the same residence. (??) They're so similar but this one feels a bit more 'cottage.' The tiles are incredibly similar but the floors & cabinet hardware change the whole feel of the room. The Saarinen table seems to be one of Sheerer's trademarks & I must admit, the way he uses them with more traditional chairs is making me want one. badly. Also, what's your opinion on lamps on kitchen countertops?? I see it done all the time & love the look but am not sure of how practical it is for messy cooks... I'm also loving the lack of upper cabinets in this kitchen. (I want this in our new place but don't think we have enough storage to get away with it!! arg)



How great is this entry below?? Love the mass of hats on the wall & it feels like they're just hanging there for anyone to use on his or her way out the door. Such a relaxed & fun generous-feeling space. Cool little chair too!!

Below is a pretty little sitting area. Love the brown walls here against all the white and naturals. Such a realxing spot. The mirror adds just the sparkle needed here.

The bathroom below is AMAZING. The mable walls & floating washed-wood vanity create such a seamless look. You know I'm all about accessories & just can't even get over that massive piece of coral in the nook above the tub. The pale blue towels are so pretty against all the neutrals & I love that you could switch it up with so many other colors.

The residence featured below is in Hobe Sound and I love all the neutrals used & at times its Bohemian feel. The fabrics he found for this home are just incredible & if you're a paisley-lover like me you're going ot be very happy :) Check out this beautiful little corner seat, below. The sculpture on the wall echoes the paisley fabric perfectly. Also, do you see the embroidered detail on the white curtains, bottom left? He just uses so many textures here: the rug, the chair seat, the walls (hotizontal stripe), the wood block table... And the screened shutters?!!! love. What a perfect space for chilling (haha can you say "chilling??" I felt funny writing "chillin") with a book or a mojito.

Below is a view of the whole living area. How beautiful is the chandelier?? Love all the white mixed with natural elements. He's also mixed in some exotic elements.

The dining room (below) is to-die-for. I really can't get over the table. Putting it in a room full of white showcases is perfectly. I also LOVE how it was styled for this photo: all the natural objects are just so beautiful.

Below is the living room. The coffee table reminds me of an upholstered bench from Oly Studio I've been stalking for the new house. The furnishings are all really low in this room which draws more attention to the height of the space, which I think he was definitely trying to play up. (See how the artwork goes all the way up too?)

Below, what a gorgous sink!!! (At first I missed that it was even a sink!!) It definitely reminds me to keep my eyes peeled at junk markets for possible vanities. Even a desk can work!! awesome

Below is the master bedroom where we see more pretty paisley. I'm loving the grasscloth walls too!! And, just on a sidenote, I love how simple & elegant his window treatments are. When you have beautiful views, the focus should be on the outdoors, not the draperies.

Here's a really beautiful blue-cocoon-of-a-bedroom below. It honestly took me a few years to learn to appreciate these type of rooms, but now I have to say I love them... in the right context. When you have a small space, wallpapering can work beautifully & is often the perfect solution. (now I'm STILL not one for covering everything possible in toile or the wallpaper used..) Again, we're also getting a little more of that Bohemian vibe:

Awesome blue bathroom, below. I love how he decided to use the color on the floors & tub surround and nowhere else. It's really striking.

The next images are all from two houses in the Bahamas. I like a lot of the elements in the room below but as a whole, it's just not doing it for me the way the others have. If it's possible, this room might just be too neutral for me. (?!!)

I always find hallway spaces & little nooks to be so beautiful even though we often pass through them so quickly in real-life.

I'm loving the study below. The raw walls are gorgeous and the floating bookshelves are perfect with the tulip table. (See how he uses them in such unexpected places?!!)

Here is more of that same tile in the kitchen, this time in blue. The white shelf is great & may be a possibility for our kitchen?? ps- how cool is this floating stove?!!!

The combination of style in this dining room is genius: The shelter sofa pulled up to the tulip table for seating combined with the Chippendale-like chairs... it's just so much fun & so unexpected. And it actually works! (I think sometimes designers are going for this & it's easy to fall short because it's such a thin line to walk.)

Below are two bedrooms with similar looks. Very island, all-white with hits of black and/or wood.

I love his use of the pair of chairs flanking furniture in both of these rooms. Check out the pretty french linen bedskirts below:

And I absolutely LOVE the feeling in this bathroom below. The bamboo is probably what does it for me but doesn't this feel like the perfect island getaway?!!

And here's our final house, again in the Bahamas.

I also have a thing for glass fishing bobbers (my grandparents used to live in Hawaii & collected them) and love how they're displayed here. (This is also the final tulip table & I think the Bohemian house was the only house featured that didn't have one!! The last house even had 2!!) But it's the juxtaposition of the modern table against the rough wooden walls that appeals so much to me...

And finally, check out the use of the super-tall mirror above the console. (Might have to steal this idea too!! ;) I love the airy feeling of this room & would love to be there now.

So anyway, I AM going on Spring Break this week even if we aren't actually going anywhere. I've promised my husband that this means no work & no blogging so I'm going to miss you!!! But I'll be back on Monday, hopefully with some good stuff & some good news!!!

xoxo,

lauren

How Cool?!!

I came across this image from Atlanta Bartlett & remembered these little hanging jar lanterns... I used to make them in college & sell them (haha oh boy) with my best friend. We hung them around our apartment & they added such a sparkle to the place. Anyway, it's a fun , inexpensive little project to do for a party (indoors or out) or with your kids so I thought I'd post on it really quickly!! (my little one is sick now too!! poor baby- so I have to run!!!)

xoxo,

lauren

The Search for Home: CONTRACT SIGNED!!!

I KNOW how scary this place looks right now... and I need help!!

We finally got the contract back signed today and are scheduled to close in a month if all inspections go well. (!!!! craziness!!!) :)

If anyone has ideas for me on the front of this house, I'd LOVE them. (please! please!!) Here are some details: the siding is vertical cedar, the window screens/ storms you see in the top windows are dark brown vinyl. (I'm not very happy with that but know we won't have it in our budget to get new ones.-- is painting an option??) The cable cord you see will be going. yuck.

The windows themselves are aluminum & I actually like them.

We'll be painting (haven't decided upon colors yet so I'm up for suggestions) and I'm thinking about pulling out a dark rich gray from the stones and going white with the trim. (Now, you KNOW how much I want a white house- but do you think that would be totally weird with the stone??) My husband is planning on adding a pergola along the front right side sort of as a porch but with a patio underfoot. Basically like what you see below (similar color too! :) but extending along the whole front right side of the house:

Kind of like this (below) but in all-white:

Eventually I'd like to add some more Craftsman elements to it and it would definitely need some more rooflines but that is SOOOOOO far in the future it's not even funny. (And a tin roof!!)

Anyway, we're SO excited but I'm staying a but grounded because things have been so strange with this whole deal and I won't be able to totally relax about it until we close. I know how talented & creative you all are & I'm really in need of your ideas so please send them on!!!!
xoxo,
lauren