the black house.

did any of you guys see this, the black house in real living on line? the house is pretty darn cool, tons of rich, deep color contrasted by large swaths of bright and vibrant color. it's really striking...

the home features polished concrete floors, besser block walls and a super daring black ceiling. it's one of those homes where the more you look, the more you like. see more of the black house, here. and enjoy!

vondom is vavoom for outdoor furniture this summer.

this exceptional line of outdoor furniture, the "f3" line designed by fabio novembre for vondom is riddled with mathematical surfaces, serious functionality and really beautiful design...

and i love this line in white. there is something very visual, something very dominantly about the sea, about foam, of waves cresting, of the even flow of tides rising and settling that is evocative with this line, and in white.

as if floating, as if becoming one with the water, the sea, while enjoying these "f3" pieces is what is happening here with vondom. and i love that. enjoy!

monday & inspired by...

happy (late) monday friends! i hope your weekend left you feeling rejeuvinated and ready to take on the world. or at least the week ;)

today i'm inspired by these "terho" pendant lights designed by helsinki artist maija puoskari and these "continuation" planters offered up by flora. each ring in spring, each ring in summery weather with their light bright whites.

the finnish lights are made from mouth blown glass and finnish alder and the continuation planters are made from zinc plated perforated sheet metal. each lovely summer additions to your residential or commercial summer spaces & places.

i've had a tough time getting going today, i hope you've had better luck. maybe tomorrow i'll have more of a jump in my step! enjoy...

a sunday space.

man oh man i love, love, LOVE this space today. there is something very old and very mod about it. the sunlight, the tall tree plant, the photography, all of it makes for a sunday space i'd like to spend time in today.

you can see more of this texas house tour, which was featured on apartment therapy, here. it's the home of emily and ian. she owns prototype vintage design and he's a musician.  your jaw will drop. so pick it up ;) enjoy your day friends!

kick up your feet. it's friday!

this is a hip, hip hooray it's friday post, a blog shout out post, and an i love the photography coming out of this blog post. bekka palmer rocks it...

check out her blog, her wanderings, her tattly magic maker self, here. (she's the production overlord (her title ;) of tattly temporary tattoos too!)

and on that note, yes! kick your feet up. you deserve it friends! what are you up to this weekend? i'd love to hear. i'm heading to the city, boston that is. to reflect on the areas i love that have been touched in ways other worldly. after that reflection, i'm going to support some of my favorite local businesses affected by the recent craziness. i'll drink wine in some of them, try on clothing in some of them, take a few photographs and most especially...remember why i love that fact that i was born just outside of my favorite city in the world.

it's also my dad's birthday today, although he passed away one year ago in may. so to him and for him, i will be raising my glass. i will be remembering why i love him so much. and why i miss him so much. happy birthday dad...enjoy.

wild tiles.

these wild new floral tiles offered up by bisazza caught my attention this afternoon...

the designer is marcel wanders. and if you have a little bit extra in your home or commercial renovations budget for a very specially tiled wall, bisazza might be your go to splurge. i've posted about bisazza in the past. what i really enjoy about companies like these is their daring to go bold, to test the boundaries of something like wall treatments or floor treatments. to wow you. after all, being wowed is a good thing right? enjoy...

the spaces we wait.

i was intrigued by the photography of lisa scheer today. and in particular, her depictions of the spaces we wait.

they are contemplative spaces. they are rough and soft all at the same time. and when we have found ourselves in these spaces, the spaces we wait, we all in turn have unique experiences all our own. we are there for positive or negative reasons, maybe we are lost and finding our way, maybe we are just resting and then moving on. it's all of those things. that's why lisa's photos are so moving. they speak to all of us. enjoy.

out of focus.

this "out of focus" photograph by budi kwan and sold on society 6 is just about what it looked like here, today, as my day transitioned from gloomy & grey to watery colors as the sun began to show itself...

what about you today? how has your day transitioned? i'd love to hear. and i'd love this photograph. beautiful! enjoy...

waldhaus and warm light.

these waldhaus lights, offered up by fries & zumbuhl provide a warmth, a natural softness and glow that any space, residential or commercial, crave.

designed and manufactured from ash tree veneer, then paired with a black metal frame and dark brown cords, these waldhaus lights are hand made, in wald, near zurich. fries & zumbuhl state on their site that these lights "enliven" spaces. i initially saw them as quieting spaces.

but after really looking at them, after considering their personality, these lights, and the effect they exude, i too see them as enlivening spaces. there is something to be said for the texture of trees, the lines, the life they add to the things we make out of them. i suppose it's just life transformed. enjoy!

dent-ed

whether around a residential kitchen or dining table, or in a commercial setting, these dent(ed) chairs offered up by bla station are if nothing else, interesting. their motto? "to meet the demands and desires of today, we believe it is necessary to have an open and innovative mind, a child's curiosity, and a heart that refuses to take the easy way out." so great...

you have to wonder how bla station and their designers came to this particular design. were chairs inadvertently damaged and one designer thought, "hmmm" and the rest is history regarding these dent chairs? i'm not sure, but they're definitely on to something. in my opinion. enjoy!

teruhiro yanagihara tables.

happy monday friends! i wanted to share with you the works of teruhiro yanagihara and more specifically, his "1915 tables."

initially designed for the 2009 milan design week, this set of stacked tables reveal metal rods that appear to be placed sporadically, without intention, without a plan or constructive viability. but in reality, they are positioned in a very strategic manner, maintaining a stability and balance, and of course an extremely dramatic affect.

architectural in nature and design, these 1915 tables by yanagihara are exceptional. talk about a wow piece...you've got that with these. enjoy your monday, another brand new start to the week!

the joinery.

this sunday morning, i'd love waking up wrapped up in these striped woven sheets offered up by the joinery.

woven in brazil, they are 100% cotton and 100% to die for. super beachy and summery. and yes, i did just add "y"s to words to create my own words. i do that. ;) enjoy!

braid of love. by satsuki shibuya

i think that these braids of love necklaces by satsuki shibuya in linen and leather are seriously fun for summer.

they are chunky and eye catching. pair it with a simple t-shirt, tank top or dress, keeping the focus on the necklace and you are sure to get some comments, some attention. oh, and in a good way! enjoy...

friday & boston.

i, as well as some other boston area bloggers are having trouble maintaining the status quo on posting or posting as if nothing is going on to or in the city that we love. i find my sleeping is off, my thoughts are anxious and everywhere. i suppose that's to be expected.

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i could write more but i feel that if i did, i'd never stop. i hope this weekend you are safe, you are staying hopeful and finding some sort of peace and sense of normal, especially if you are in my part of the world. i hope that this weekend brings better news, better feelings. try to breathe, look at the stars, wrap up with people you love and talk sweetly to each other. enjoy...

friday food/4

happy friday friends! i have been on a serious parmesan cheese/arugula kick lately. i'm not sure if it's because summer is coming right up behind us or whether i'm just obsessed with parmesan cheese and arugula. that's probably it...

this is a super simple put-together pre-dinner appetizer. or just eat lots of it with wine and call it dinner. your choice. ;)

i saw this version (and image) on martha stewart's website here.

here's how it goes:

ingredients:
mozzarella cheese

toasts (and i say...don't take the easy route here, take the time to grab a really delicious artisan bread for this one!)

homemade (or store bought) pesto (i actually think this brand is really delicious, believe it or not)

arugula

shaved parmesan (again, i say don't skimp on the metza cheese, go parmesan reggiano all the way, it's worth the expense)

freshly ground black pepper

(*the only thing i might add here would be a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a burst of interesting and unexpected flavor.)

i think you can figure out from the photo how to layer the ingredients. or do it your own way ;) i say, pour a delicious glass of red wine and start seriously enjoying yourself. it is friday after all...

functionals tables.

i think that these are clever. these functionals t-tables offered up by functionals. with their sturdy metal tops, rubber stops at the leg bases and matte finish (so that you can place them outside as well without sun glare!), offer a cozy yet industrial feel to spaces, indoors or out.

i am very drawn to distinctive and unique furniture (as well as classic and vintage pieces to mix it up in your spaces.) but newer pieces, pieces that incorporate shape, pattern, a bold aesthetic, those are the ones that are your wow pieces. wow pieces are a good great thing my friends. enjoy!

seriously beautiful rugs.

the newer line of rugs offered up by toulemonde, are full of lines, blurred lines, sharp and ombre...in blue. lovely!

the lines of these rugs, no matter the style, offer direction in the spaces that they lay, they offer texture and interest. and add in bold or soft color? and now you've got something even more fabulous...happy almost friday friends, enjoy!

moonbasket shades.

how so supremely pretty are these for summer? these moonbasket stitched hemp light shades? oh, and they come in colors, available upon request...

but for summer, i adore the white. the clean, uninterrupted nature of what the white offers to these shades. what about you? do you like them for summer, or at all? would you order a color? i'd love to hear! enjoy.

i like these today.

this silk chiffon and silvery chain bracelet. and this straight shooter sweatshirt. i think i want need both of these ;)

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both of these finds i discovered through jojotastic's fab blog. just saying. and wanting...enjoy!

wrap tables.

these wrap tables, designed by lucie koldova are smashing. lucie utilizes bent plywood here, which offers this design and in turn your space(s) a unique material choice...

lucie koldova enjoys working with wood, with color, with pushing design to the limits while clinging to classic craftsmanship. if you like them, you can find them sold at lugi. if you want to read more about lucie and see some of her other creative projects, you can here.

and another thing i take away from designs such as these...is the fact that such simplicity can be more complex, the more that you look at it. the more that you really look. enjoy!

outdoor pit lights. by domus.

these are interesting this afternoon. these "pit" lights offered up by domus. they can literally be strapped up, to any pole or tree or free standing anything really. then place them, point them, adjust them, enjoy them...

available in powder coated aluminum and in white or ocean neoprene (and accompanying coral red cable) you have tons of freedom to direct the light any where your little heart desires. i love that! enjoy...

hiding. and boston.

so i live in massachusetts and i am in boston ALOT. i'm in graduate school there. i eat, sleep, drink in boston sometimes more than i do outside of it. to say the least, i'm shocked and sad at what happened here yesterday. i went to bed sort of numb. i just celebrated a graduation with my father in this exact same spot, stayed in a hotel right there, ate dinner, right there. there are times, when all you want to do is hide.

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but you can't. so today, i will drive to boston, i will walk the streets, i will go to class. i will remember that there is still much living to do on the part of all of us, despite the attempts of a few to make us think otherwise. enjoy your day everyone.

45 degrees. new from vibia.

happy monday morning friends! i hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be. i'm enjoying these new "45 degree" lights from vibia this morning. and in white...

a new take on lighting, opposite of recessed, these 45 degree lights allow combined and differing vertical compositions and downward lighting. designed by victor carrasco, they come to you in matte white lacquer, black or peacock blue. i'm seriously loving the white. how about you? enjoy...

a sunday space.

for a sunday space, today i'm enjoying this view, at the hotel lautner in desert hot springs california. it's looks hot. it looks relaxing. it looks amazing.

originally built by architect john lautner in 1947, this iconic desert hideaway has gone through several transformations and uses. (it used to be used by stars and starlets as a weekend getaway from los angeles.) it sat vacant at one time for almost 20 years! you can read more about the story of the hotel lautner, which is super interesting, here.  today the hotel lautner has been re-imagined, as a "stunning modern day oasis in the desert."

so this one's on my list as well, of places, spaces i'd like to see, that i'd like to be. one day...enjoy!

k2. a cool cabinet.

with a very graphic expression, this k2 table offered up by jensen plus exudes functionality but with a focus on innovation and aesthetics. the unexpected bits of bold color offset the slightly rigid style.

at first my instinct with this k2 cabinet leaned toward placement in commercial or professional settings. but after a little bit of creative thought, placed in an unconventional setting, say a residential kitchen or bedroom, would not only be fun, it would offer a unique texture & sense of style, a strong new personality to a space, in an unexpected way. and isn't that what it's all about? enjoy...