A Room with A View: homes

Monday, August 8, 2011

Good Design Finnish Style

There are many lessons one could learn from the design of this small Finnish apartment. How to -

design on a budget,
be minimalistic,
incorporate pops of color,
create a wall of inexpensive artwork,
create a kid-friendly space,
use mismatched furniture in decor,
make a small space look larger,
set up visible, organized storage.

Take a look..

Open plan dining, living, kitchen. Love the mismatched chairs.

Origami, a bird and a bunch of straws.

Basic black-and-white theme allows the use of a pop of color (small doses) here and there...blue-and-white patterned rug and blue-tipped chair legs.

For an organized look, books and DVDs stacked by color and size.

Magazine pages and postcards taped to the wall serve as inexpensive, easily-changeable artwork.

Design with kids in mind.

Gleaming white floors help light reflect creating an illusion of a larger space.

Black contact paper on cabinet front.

Neat light fixture

Aall images via Dwell photos Petra Bindel

Overall a welcoming, family friendly, cheerful, unique space with a ton of charm. My favorite element would be the taped artwork and the simple but interestingly effective ceiling light fixture. Do you like the style of this apartment?

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Monday, July 25, 2011

Beach meets Global in South Carolina

We recently spent a week in beautiful, sunny Kiawah Island, SC, a favorite vacation spot. We usually rent a home not far from the beach. As one would expect, these houses are usually decorated in a typical beach style making guests feel right at home and relaxed.

Browsing through a recent edition of Architectural Digest I came across this private home in Folly Beach, SC. The style of the decor I find appealing. Not only does it reflect the environment, creating a home to relax in, but it does so with a global appeal which I love. It's a different approach to a beach theme. A place where old meets new, antique meets contemporary, different styles and colors are blended harmoniously.