Living the dream…

If you asked me what my dream home would entail, you would almost certainly hear the following words: cottage, cosy, natural timber, fireplace, more windows than walls, soft colours, and most importantly – sea-view. This rural cottage in Maine encompasses all of those things and more! Renovated by architect Sheila Narusawa (for clients Fiona and Tony Hooper), this former dilapidated General Store  sits so close to the coast that during high tide, the water actually laps at the porch (I can’t decide whether this is scary or really intriguing)!   I’ve swooned over the kitchen a few times on Pinterest but I had never seen the whole package! I can honestly say, hands down, that this is one of my favourite finds!

It gets better… you can rent it here!

All Images via Justine from designskool

Studs, studs, studs…

If you are one of those people who think studs belong in the 90s with snap bangles and big hair, then I’ll give you a running start to look away now….

A few days ago, I came across the below image on Pinterest that stopped me dead in my tracks. Shall we marvel a little?

Well this one little image seems to have spawned an obsession in me. If you had asked me before I saw this coat whether I liked things blinged with studs, I would have been totally ambivalent about  the whole topic. But this is where I am at right now…

 

Click on the image to go to its source.

Making mornings bearable…

Sometimes you find an image that needs a blog post all by itself. What do you think about this spot ladies? How would you feel waking up in front of that view?

Click on the image to go to its source.

My favourite small spaces…

On Monday, I blogged about sacrificing space for the love of living in the city. It’s been on my mind ever since so I thought I would run some more small spaces by you again today. I am constantly on the look-out for clever design ideas and tips to make living in a shoebox just a bit more bearable. Luckily, there are thousands of clever people out there who think outside the box (ha ha) and give me tons of inspiration. Here is a round up of my favourite small spaces…

Clockwise from left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Clockwise from left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Clockwise from left; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Clockwise from left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

My Fair London – The Suburbs…

Just around the corner from where we live, is a little wooded common area where people go to walk their dogs, do their yoga or sometimes get up to no good. In the winter, it remains a desolate, cold and horrible place but in the summer, it becomes a lush green haven. But by far, my favourite aspect of this park is the surrounding houses. It’s certainly not the wealthiest area in London, but the residents are obviously very house proud. Each garden is immaculate, gates and fencing have been meticulously painted and you can be sure that on a summer’s day, everyone is out in their gardens having a barbeque or playing cricket on the common.

All images via Wishful Thinking