covet.

December 14, 2011, 9:45 am

≫ Next: whiter shade of pale.

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i covet lighting. much like the chairs i collect, i can never have too many lighting fixtures either. and just recently, MCMF turned me on to these amazing edison light blubs — they’re vintage-inspired and they make lighting things up just that much cooler. here’s some lighting i’m coveting right now.

trampoline has some great vintage light fixtures in stock right now, and i like how they look with just the bare bulbs. anthropologie sells the edison bulbs too. this is how they look unlit, and then all lit up, too. pretty, huh? best made also makes this very rad cloth extension cord. i bought this one in black, and i’m trying to figure out a way to rig just a bare edison bulb to it and hang it. any electrical wizards out there with an idea? love the look of this studio with it’s exposed bulbs. what can i say, i like bare bulbs and i cannot lie.

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whiter shade of pale.

October 26, 2015, 9:30 am

≫ Next: golden hour.

≪ Previous: covet.

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circa lighting.

i don’t know why i’m always so drawn to white, but maybe because it just looks so fresh — like a rainstorm just came through and washed everything clean — making it brand new again. it also looks ultra calming, so i get a very restful and relaxed feeling in a white room. it’s why i paint all my walls white these days (benjamin moore’s oxford white is my favorite) and if i had the guts i’d paint all my floors white, too. i am going to paint my home office floors white very soon, and i’m going to follow anna’s “special sauce” to get them just right. here’s to bright white.

pynter.

the design files; design*sponge; house & garden UK; lundia cabinet.

decor8.

fantastic frank.

domino.

my unfinished home.

style me pretty.

fantastic frank.

frederikke heiberg photography for bo bedre.

home bunch.

barefoot styling.

the urbanite.

golden hour.

November 3, 2015, 9:30 am

≫ Next: oh berlin boy.

≪ Previous: whiter shade of pale.

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jessica tremp’s beautifully converted studio.

last night i had my family over for dinner and we dined al fresco on the new patio — such a warm, wonderful evening. tonight, it’s threatening rain and i’m hunkered down under a cozy blanket. fall is in the air. and with it, that beautiful golden light. amber and rosy hues take over the hillside outside, and it’s the closest thing we get to autumn here in L.A. — but i’ll take it. it’s beautiful, just like the colors in these pretty spaces. the warm glow of pink and shades of gold look so divine together, don’t they?

Elle Decoration UK April 2013, via arkpad.

domino magazine.

vegan leather moroccan pouf from free people.

Patched Circa Floor Pillow by susan connor from the merchant home.

sophie munro photography.

Natural raffia lamp from la casa decoto.

all items loaded.

reid arcade.

oh berlin boy.

November 6, 2015, 5:00 am

≫ Next: let there be beautiful light.

≪ Previous: golden hour.

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this is the latest design project from vintagency — a berlin-based interior design agency. they had just a small budget but made big changes for their client – a young entrepreneur who needed help with his tiny two-room apartment in Berlin — Prenzlauer Berg. Together they created a great space with industrial charm and fun, vintage-inspired and colorful accent pieces like the neon “happy endings” sign. the before and after photos tell the whole story so be sure and have a look!

• Photography by Anne-Catherine Scoffoni for vintagency.

let there be beautiful light.

November 25, 2015, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Friday Finds

≪ Previous: oh berlin boy.

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there’s nothing worse than bad lighting. it can take you from looking your most beautiful to a frightening Frankenstein moment instantly. But Philips Lighting is introducing a new line of dimmable LED light bulbs that are a complete game changer. I always want to use LED’s for energy efficiency, but i don’t like the weird blue casting they create — so cold and unwelcoming. but Philips sent me their new Philips LEDs with a dimmable warm glow effect to try out and i am sold! even when lily was photographing these images around the house she mentioned how great the light they give off is — and shooting in dim light is challenging!

the Philips LEDs with a dimmable warm glow effect take lighting to the next level by changing color temperature as they dim. We put my dining room and overhead kitchen light fixtures on dimmer switches to test it out, and voilá — lovely soft and cozy light! Through dimming alone, Philips LED’s move from producing a warm incandescent light effect to a softer sunset light effect, helping you to create the perfect ambiance needed for every room in your home, and for every mood or occasion this fall and beyond — they’re really nice to read by, too. The new Philips line includes five bulbs, offering a lighting solution for any room or fixture, and they provide up to 85% energy savings and last up to 15 years. i will definitely be using the Philips LED’s from here on out — they have really made the light in my house so much more warm and flattering.

• photography by lily glass for sfgirlbybay.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Philips and all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep sfgirlbybay going with fresh content every day.

Friday Finds

December 4, 2015, 11:30 am

≫ Next: west village charmer.

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Top to bottom, left to right:

1. Contemporary meets cozy at a Portugal Airbnb
2. This beige bedroom looking out onto Paris
3. Elegant lighting by Michael Anastassiades for Flos
4. These tiles from Marrakech Design will floor you
5. Simple, monochromatic interior styling

Happy Friday,
Annie

west village charmer.

January 6, 2016, 9:30 am

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talk about your live/work space! this is the new york west village townhouse turned storefront of interior design aficionado paul caddell — he turned his passion for art, antiques and design into a career by transforming a portion of his charming townhome into Abingdon 12 — a home store and art gallery specializing in vintage and contemporary sculpture on the garden level of his home. but upstairs is his three bedroom space is filled with beautiful vintage collectibles from travels abroad. featured in throwback issue of lonny, you’ve got to visit the full, inspiring tour. i’m so inspired by someone who could host a gorgeous space that doubles both as home and studio shop — nice commute, and just lovely!

• Photography by Patrick Cline for lonny.

friday finds.

January 8, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: who is this fantastic frank, anyway?

≪ Previous: west village charmer.

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annie’s off today, but back next week with a fresh look at friday finds. in the meantime, i’m here filling in and sharing my own finds this week. happy friday, everyone!

xo, victoria

Top to bottom, left to right:

1. this has to be the loveliest powder room i’ve seen in a long while.
2. how do you feel about an all pink shower? this Sicis Glimmer Watermelon tile will do the trick for you.
3. this angular and unusual dining nook makes a very strong architectural statement, and i like it.
4. this pink plaster backsplash by the jersey ice cream co. is unexpected and quite dreamy.
5. i’ve always wanted a girly vanity, and this one is just girly enough.

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who is this fantastic frank, anyway?

January 12, 2016, 5:00 am

≫ Next: bold choices.

≪ Previous: friday finds.

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if you’ve been in the blogosphere or on pinterest for a while now, you’re probably very aware of berlin and stockholm-based fantastic frank. a real estate mogul by trade, but oh — so much more. i sometimes think of frank as some kind of santa claus, or perhaps he’s more oz like — the great wizard you never really get to see. all we see is the magic of the beautiful spaces up for sale on the fantastic frank website, and the actual wizardry of the stylists that stage these homes so well that you instantly feel right at home. i don’t even think there is a frank — is there? i discovered today he also has a blog, and on it, a kind of ‘best of’ — selected interiors that really stand out from the pack. i’ve got my own frank favorites, but i strongly suggest you go earmark a few of your own. you go frank — you invisible wizard of design oz.

• all styling and photography via fantastic frank.

bold choices.

January 12, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: at home with francois et moi.

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you gotta love it when a homeowner is brave enough to make some bold color choices. i used to be much more apt to paint a room a bright color and if i didn’t like it i’d just paint it another color. a friend used to joke that my bathroom was getting smaller because each time i’d add a coat of paint, the room would shrink just a little bit more. true story — i think that room went from white to lavender to yellow to pale gray to white again. but i digress — and even if i’m really into black and white walls these days, i can truly admire someone with the guts to go forth with one bold color after another. take this top room and the next two — they’re all from the same beautiful house. now, that my friends, are some brave and brazen decorators. but i think it’s fantastic, and tip my hat to those with a bold stroke of the paint brush. let’s look at a few more.

fastighetsbyran (top 3 images).

clockwise, l to r: design*sponge; polly wreford; marie claire maison; histor; and dimore studio.

chris court photography.

elle decor espana.

poshhome.

milk decoration.

at home with francois et moi.

January 13, 2016, 9:00 am

≫ Next: at home with frédéric hooft + eva goethals.

≪ Previous: bold choices.

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this is the very lovely, and recently renovated home of blogger Erin of francios et moi and her husband, Ken Francois in the North Loop of Minneapolis. they purchased their charming 1934 Tudor-style home last July and spent late Summer and Fall last year renovating much of the house. erin’s background is interior design (but she’s currently a freelance writer and DIY blogger) and Ken manages commercial construction projects, so naturally the creative couple were looking for a project to sink their design teeth into with their very first home.

The wonderful thing about erin & ken’s house (other than those fantastic curved archways) is that it’s actually a duplex — they live on the 1600 square foot main floor, and are able rent out the apartment upstairs. they wisely chose to purchase a duplex, knowing it would be a great investment in both the short and long term. the couple’s goals for the home were to update the look and feel through bright, crisp finishes (note those beautiful brass kitchen knobs and pulls) and bring the 90-year-old Tudor into the 21st century with smarter, more efficient technology, all the while respecting the time period of the home. they’ve created such a great makeover with beautifully updated fixtures and paint — i’m quite smitten with that bright white kitchen smartly finished with navy trim. you can view some very inspiring before and after photos over on francois et moi. erin loves visually clean, modern spaces that are softened and made approachable by handmade, imperfect pieces, adding soul and a relaxed sensibility, affecting how they interact and feel in their space. i think they’ve done a smashing job of achieving just that!

• all photography by erin francios.

at home with frédéric hooft + eva goethals.

January 20, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: the shutterbugs: salva lópez.

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have you ever visited coffeeklatch? it’s a wonderful interiors blog sharing fascinating chitchat with all kinds of creatives. i loved this recent home visit with interior, vintage retailer & furniture designer frédéric hooft and graphic designer eva goethals. it’s a 16th century home in belgium, in the old city centre of Ghent, where the creative couple also shares their respective workspaces. the couple were going for an eclectic, simple but stylish vibe and i just love all the little imperfections — walls were replastered, but not painted. Old floors and ceilings were preserved, small rooms were transformed into large rooms. renovated — but minimally to retain the charming vintage character of the home. for the full inspiring tour, have a visit to coffeeklatch.

• photography courtesy of coffeeklatch.

the shutterbugs: salva lópez.

February 3, 2016, 5:00 am

≫ Next: at home in the hague.

≪ Previous: at home with frédéric hooft + eva goethals.

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i love the story-telling images of barcelona-based photographer salva lópez. he seems to just slip in and capture the mood of a space perfectly — like a fly on the wall, there’s no disrupting the elements — just a very personal documentary of what’s taking place. this story, for instance, commissioned by client Monocle Magazine of a husband-and-wife team in their live/work apartment in spain. the creative couple decided to transform their apartment behind Madrid’s Paseo de Prado into a space in which they could live and work, and salva has managed to make us feel as though we’re actually in their comfortable abode — i can practically smell their lovely leather goods. you can see the full story on monocle (which is an amazing magazine if you don’t already subscribe!) and more images on the online portfolio of salva lópez.

bedoro

• photography by salva lópez for Monocle Magazine.

at home in the hague.

February 4, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: good reads: modern pastoral.

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home to illustrator saar manche, i’m in love with this lovely townhouse in the hague recently featured in vtwonen. i think if i could choose just one architectural feature to add to my home, it just might be double-wide doors like these that lead from the living room to the dining room. it just makes for such a romantic, and dramatic entrance. i love how they’ve decorated in such a homey, and somewhat whimsical way, with saar’s artwork and painted furniture pieces adding a welcome personal touch. it was a happy accident to discover saar’s work, as well — you can see more of it on her website, and following on instagram.

• photography by Louis Lemaire courtesy of vtwonen.

good reads: modern pastoral.

February 12, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: say hellow to yellow.

≪ Previous: at home in the hague.

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there’s a new design book out, and it’s by one of my personal favorite blog authors, niki Brantmark of my scandinavian home. niki’s beautiful new book is Modern Pastoral, published by CICO Books. Niki runs the daily interior design blog My Scandinavian Home, inspired by her move to Sweden from London over ten years ago and much like her blog, Modern Pastoral shares inspiring interiors embracing the pared-back lifestyle of living in the country, taking nature as the main point of inspiration. In her book, Niki shows us various takes on this simple, informal style. Featured homes across Scandinavia and the United States show how to use colors, textures and details to create a home in which to unwind — a peaceful retreat from the rest of the bustling, busy world. divided into four sections — Forest, Graphical, Homestead and Waterside, each chapter contains ideas to bring a small part of nature into your home. From exposed wood and rugged stone surfaces to neutral textiles and rooms filled with light, they all evoke an ideal, rural life, adapted to modern living. you can order the book http://amzn.to/1V6NVUMright here.

• photography by James Gardiner for Modern Pastoral by Niki Brantmark, published by CICO Books.

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say hellow to yellow.

February 22, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: room at the inn.

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vtwonen.

it was so warm this weekend in l.a. that it felt a lot like spring was already here. spring always makes me think of bright colors, like yellow. yellow harkens back to my 1970’s preteen hell-yes-to-yellow years. i had faux bamboo ‘corner beds’ and a built-in wall unit desk — all quite yellow. when i think about yellow i instantly have flashbacks of that bedroom. yellow is cheerful, bold and positive, all great attributes to decorate around. i’m not sure i’m courageous enough to handle a color that formidable in every room in my house, but in small doses yellow really has that extra bit of get up and go!

vtwonen (above + below).

house beautiful; trendy traveler; vesper hotel via trendland; rebel walls; vegetarian ventues; schoolhouse electric whitney bed.

wolfgang laib.

atelier rue verte; bjurfors.

farmhouse touches.

vtwonen; toovia; idha lindhag photography.

arkpad.

studio snowpuppie.

luc roymans photography.

room at the inn.

February 23, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: dtla studio life.

≪ Previous: say hellow to yellow.

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meet the estate trentham, the look sharp work of interior designers gardener & marks. doesn’t this look like an awfully nice place to stay? located in australia, it’s An original 1902 three bedroom federation house set amongst beautiful gardens in the heart of Trentham just over one hour from Melbourne. gardener & marks made it so cozy and warm — The living room is filled with wall to wall sofas to laze and relax on or choose to curl up and read in front of the wood fire in winter. Open the double french doors to the north facing summer garden in the warmer months. Turkish and hand crocheted rugs adorn the floors while oversized light fittings, cushions, throws, were all hand made for the space and for you to enjoy. sounds like a pretty dreamy retreat, right?

Inspired by Scandanavian interiors, the estate trentham boasts fresh white walls, dark floors and airy rooms, complemented by natural wood furniture, a mix of old and new curated collections from European flea markets, to local country finds. The kitchen houses a large personal collection of vintage crockery, wooden utensils and chopping boards. Two bedrooms in the house and an original potato pickers shed, now the 3rd bedroom, a few steps away from the main house, overlooking the herb gardens and mini orchard. there’s also an amazing white barn on the estate trentham — perfect for weddings and events. for more, visit their lovely website.

• photography by gardener & marks.

dtla studio life.

February 24, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: vignettes that speak volumes.

≪ Previous: room at the inn.

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as you may have seen on instagram, i’m sharing a sweet loft studio space in the downtown L.A. arts district with a few other creatives you may know — bri emery and the fab team from designlovefest, laura miller from raw vegan not gross, and jesse chamberlin, photographer extraordinaire. it’s a big space, and very much a work in progress, but we’re really happy with the way it’s all coming along. we have these cozy and very rad langford sofas from dwellstudio in reserve jade and you can just forget desks — this is where you’ll find most of us curled up with our laptops every day. accompanying the pair of langfords are two beautiful leather aldama chairs from the citizenry – pretty and comfortable! that’s a maven collection princess jasmine leather pouf; a schoolhouse electric Mulberry Tripod Floor Lamp lighting up the space; woven wall hanging by meghan bogden shimek and moroccan boucherouite rugs from the pink rug co. also scattered throughout the space are modernica’s pastel case study fiberglass shell chairs and Cb2’s aqua virgo tables. it’s such a bright, light space and i feel so lucky to share it with these inspiring and creative ladies. more to come as we get it all together!

• photography by lily glass for sfgirlbybay.

vignettes that speak volumes.

February 26, 2016, 5:00 am

≫ Next: i think it’s a sign.

≪ Previous: dtla studio life.

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this loui origami pendant lamp just makes this corner and draws attention to the print, via urban outfitters.

with interiors, i’m often just as much drawn to the nooks and crannies or how an odd little corner has been thoughtfully styled as i am to the big picture. the small vignettes of personal keepsakes, travel treasures, photographs and artwork tell the story of a home’s inhabitants, much like the well-worn volumes on their bookshelves. there’s often sweet memories or sentimental reasons for those objects out on display — much more than say, your average sofa. i move my treasures around quite often, too — creating new vignettes of special mementos just for the fun of it — you should try it. i think a well-crafted vignette can speak volumes and like-minded objects or collections placed together can really give your friends and family an intimate glimpse of you — without speaking a word; and alternately, be a real conversation starter. here’s some lovely vignettes and styling to inspire you.

yellows.

the shiny squirrel.

ida magntorn.

vtwonen.

mer mag (above + below).

quincoces dragó.

the urbanite.

residence magazine.

the urbanite.

i think it’s a sign.

February 29, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: the well-appointed mantel.

≪ Previous: vignettes that speak volumes.

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homegirl london.

i love typography — all kinds, including handpainted signage, old neon, any cool vintage signs or letters at all really. i even have a pinboard called alphabet city where i catalog signs and letters i love. in my book see san francisco, i documented a lot of the city’s old signage. we just don’t make signs like we used to — but some artists are bringing it back — like todd sanders’ modern neon signs and nathan coley’s there will be no miracles here 2006 art series. and bxxlght who create great custom signs. bring back the art of signs!

@bxxlght.

@sir_julie.

clockwise, l to r: i’m not wordy; makavheli; todd sanders’ neon via fast co design; rachel denbow; nathan coley; house of c; den of opulence.

apartment therapy.

a tangerine inpsiration.

designlovefest.

clockwise, l to r: g on flicker; stchas; eva thiessies; designspiration.

design quixotic.

fashion hippies.