2 White Rooms with Pink & Teal Accents

kitchen featured in Living Etc.

These two rooms have so much in common despite their different functions. They are stark white rooms with bold accents of pink, teal, and lime green.

This kitchen and dining room was featured in Living Etc. I am attracted to this space for many reasons. One of the reasons is that it is a small kitchen. I get sick of seeing huge outlandish kitchens in design magazines. The other reason is that it is old. It has brick floors. I can’t remember exactly but I think this is an old Spanish or Portuguese apartment.

Anyways, I love the use of accent colors. The white paint makes the space look fresh and well, it emphasizes the high ceilings. I love the robin’s egg blue counters. And I love the dining room accents. These energetic colors really pop against the white backdrop. These are the kinds of things that are easy to change and perfect for renters. Never underestimate the power of colorful accessories.

And I thought that was a fireplace but it appears to be a secret passage or storage. And I love the chrome diner chairs paired with a sturdy wood table.

This other space, a bedroom nook of some sort or a guest bedroom, was featured in Marie Claire Maison. This room has such an eclectic

Marie Claire bedroom

layered feel. It is like the Living Etc. kitchen and dining room because the room has old architecture, the walls are a crisp white, and there are colorful accessories. I love this bedroom. I love the mix of fabrics and prints. I love the jewel tone colors. I also love that there are paperback books everywhere. You don’t see paperback books in decor magazines very often so they really stand out when they are in a room. I just really like this room because it is so livable and feels like home. It’s eclectic and not stuffy.

It has been a hot weekend here in the PNW. I found some great thrift chairs and a German Shepard paint by number. David found a huge, bright koi picture. I dislike it, too bold. We rarely disagree about home stuff. Marriage is about compromise, right? So, the giant kois are hanging up in the studio.

Well, Frink and I are going to commence the sweating for the day. Old homes without a/c are no fun when temps exceed 90° 😦 Too hot to clean, cook, or renovate.

-Victoria

Read Full Post »

Going Coastal: Oyster Shell Lighting

Coming from a landlocked state to a state with generous coastline, I love anything “sea” related. Ocean stuff and aquatic life is so novel and exotic to David and me. We should really be playing up our proximity to the ocean in our home decor. We have a few things but I really should have went “coastal cottage” out. When your dog is out on the deck barking at seals barking, then you have a right to have sea-themed decor.

Coastal Living white dining nook

I lust over oyster lighting. It’s a bit “brutal” in appearance and too “Grotto” for my decor. But, oysters are another cool thing about living next to the water. David and I have learned to love raw oysters. We aren’t oyster snobs yet, but I see it happening. It happens to people in the Seattle area. Anyways, I found these 2 rooms on Coastal Living website.

The first room is a white dining nook with incredible views. This room would be awesome regardless of lighting. But, I love the lighting/chandelier. It adds to this stark white space. *On a side note, I’ve realized that we’ve really underutilized white in our home. We have no rooms that are white. We are so obviously first time home owners that rented for many years. White didn’t seem appealing because we’ve stared at white apartment walls for years, but now I see the appeal. White is so seaside and coastal. But, if you do white, then do white. I like when everything is white.

The other room from Coastal Living is an adorable kitchen. It also features an oyster chandelier. It’s a white and rustic room. Rustic goes with a seaside cottage.

Coastal Living kitchen

Something is different with this oyster chandelier. It has pops of aqua. I love the pop of chartreuse on the cabinet door. This is a great way to deal with and work with a house if your cabinets are less than perfect. Take off the doors, paint everything crisp white. Keep one rustic door and paint it a bold color. It doesn’t even need glass. I would have added a bit of fancy trim to the top, but that’s me.You know the more I look at this, is this a kitchen or a bathroom? Anyways, you get the point.

I like oyster lighting, but I know there are many haters out there. They think it looks ugly, dirty, etc. That’s why I like it. It’s nature. Things in nature aren’t always beautiful or glimmer like crystals. The sea is rough and gritty. I think these are a cool way to bring that inside.

Now, these things are expensive. These “chandeliers” usually retail for $1k+ I know everyone looks at them and says, I can make one of these. They probably can, but I have a feeling it isn’t as easy as it looks. After collecting a ton of oyster shells either from a bar, the beach, or purchasing them and eating oysters for months, and you’ve drilled through 60+ oyster shells and secured them with wire, you’d charge at least $700 to do it for somebody else. And if you work full-time. It’ll never get finished.

These “style” of chandeliers are found at little seaside shops, especially in Savannah, GA. And on www.cottageandbungalow.com. (Great lighting on this site but expensive. Oh, check out their blog. It’s adorable).

-Victoria

Read Full Post »

An “Apothecary” Style Kitchen

The kitchen is about finished. It looks nice. It isn’t what I would call my “dream” kitchen. I worked with what we had and the result is that I have a cute kitchen for cheap. It works with the house. All you really need is something that works, that gets the kitchen duties done. Our kitchen does that. It does that while being a total “cheesecake” of a kitchen with its pink counter tops, aquamarine walls, and black/white checkered floor.

early 20's apothecary

If had to start from scratch, I would like an “apothecary” styled kitchen. I love a Belle Epoque apothecary vibe for any space really, but I always thought it would be cool to have an “apothecary” kitchen since this is where my creations are born.

I look at antique apothecary pics frequently. This 20’s one is one of my favorites. It has amazing millwork, ceiling tin tiles, interesting floors, and of the course the built-ins are fabulous. I would love to have a kitchen like this. I would have a stove, fridge, all of that shoved in there, open cabinets, cute jars for my spices/dry goods, and that amazing kitchen island for workspace and dining. I’d love beat up wood planked floors and oil rubbed brass fixtures. The colors would be light with dark rustic woods. This is my dream kitchen. This doesn’t go with my house.

I also found this kitchen in Southern Accents magazine (RIP this month, right?). I love the rustic, creepy vibe of it. I wouldn’t mind elements of this kitchen in my pretend “dream” kitchen as well. Just like the apothecary look, it adds a bit of macabre.

Southern Accents kitchen

And it’s functional. I pretty much love everything about it from the taxidermy to the rough plank floors to the types of bowls they have out on the island. It is almost an antiquarian kitchen, a kitchen for collectors.

Well, it’s a bit silly to think of this kind of kitchen after my current kitchen has been finished. I don’t dislike my kitchen. It’s retro and fun. In fact it is too fun. And to be fair my “dream” kitchen doesn’t fit with the house at all. It would take a complete kitchen remodel. Not a “make it work” remodel like we pulled off on very little money. But, I love working with what I have. It’s rewarding to be resourceful.

-Victoria

Read Full Post »