One Way-Cool, Totally Hip Bachelor Pad

Most guys won't go for great design in their own homes, but when they do, the outcome can be really, really amazing.  I already posted some of my favorite masculine spaces here.  The following images provide more great inspiration for a stunning masculine space:

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Recent Pins

Hi Everyone!  I don't know about you but I am sloooowly getting back to full speed after the holidays!  Hence, less blogging, but I'll get on a roll again soon.  :)  I have started looking around on Pinterest though and thought I'd share a few of my recent faves...

Dark doors always look stunning and this office beyond looks pretty great, too. 

If a dressing room has this much style, what does the rest of the house look like??!!

I don't love all of this kitchen, but that island and all of the styling is wonderful!

I want to go here on vacation, never leave and instead call it home...

Wow!

Enjoy your weekend!

So Clever, So Stunning

I just love a dark door...inside or out.   We are about to have our front door painted a striking black (along with the rest of  the house, but not in black :)) and I'm so excited.  I have been wanting to have a black front door for a long time - now I just have to wait for the Seattle weather to  hold long enough for the paint to stick! 

For interiors, it's an easy trick that can be done with even to the most traditional white trim.  For today's post I have gathered up a few beautiful examples of them used, primarily on interiors.  I love this look - it adds a touch of masculine to a room for immediate sophistication.  See what you think:

I love the contrast with the warmth of the floors.

It even works well in a more feminine space, especially with floors like these. 

What a unique dining area.  Very Palm Springs, right?

What a gorgeous outdoor space.  I love how the wicker is set off by the black background.

High Gloss:  gorgeous.

This shot makes me a tiny bit "home" sick for Munich and all of Europe...  Isn't it great surrounded by all of those more natural colors and forms?

It's also a great way to add weight and class to less expensive doors that you aren't able to replace just yet...

 If you aren't ready to jump in completely, dark grey or navy can look really amazing too.

So what do you think?  Have you done this in your home or a client's home?

If not, would you?

On a different note, many many many thanks for all of the supportive comments about Linen Haus.  It was a great day because of all of you!

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Easy DIY Ideas

Hope you're all having a good weekend... we continue to explore Seattle and are making lots of progress on our "to do" list of getting settled back on US soil.   As you can imagine with so many expenses involved with moving back to the US (we bought two cars in the last week for example!) DIY solutions have also been on my mind. I thought a round up of some of my favorite ideas might be fun to share:

These will be so pretty for a BBQ in our back yard this summer!



A clever use to maximize garage space...

DIY Roman Shades - the house we want has several separate windows so we will need several of these!



I'd love to find a spot for antiqued mirror, and this shows how...

A beautiful deck needs lots of potted flowers and plants and I love the earthy "lived-in" look of mossy pots.

I'm thinking of this for the kids' bathroom - there are so many possibilities!

I love this sweet, fresh look for the quickly approaching Spring.

I'll be on the hunt for a few interesting chairs, perhaps flea market finds with potential. 

I haven't ever re-done a chair, but I'm itching for the challenge.

Thank you to all of you for the kind wishes on the house negotiations - with all of that positive karma swirling around good things will have to come out of it. :)

PS: I haven't forgotten about sharing Bali and Hong Kong pictures - coming soon!

Sources and DIY instructions can be found here.

Seattle Home Inspirations

Happy Monday!  The movers are here and have started packing...it is a strange but good feeling to have this day finally arrive.  Even though we still have the trip in front of us, the design enthusiast in me has already started scouring the web for the house hunt that will follow.  Other factors besides the home itself will play into our decision, such as schools, commutes and that silly thing called money, but right now I am just dreaming a bit!  I thought it would be fun to share a few beautiful homes with you along the way. 

First up is this home, available for a cool $26M!!  That is not going to be my future home but some lucky person will get it!   I thought it was a tasteful, unique mix of furnishings and art, and the kitchen is really nice.  Take a look...



Love this kitchen with all of the cookbooks and open shelving.
I think I especially like it becuase although the house is grand the kitchen looks very approachable.

Not bad eh?

Just in case you are in the market, you can find the details here.

Also, thank you for all of the well wishes for our going away parties.  They were wonderful, although teary at points. I am kicking myself for leaving such a fantastic community of friends and family behind, but a new one awaits us in friendly Seattle! A few bloggers have already reached out to me with helpful advice, connections, etc. and it is much appreciated!  OK back to packing now...have a great day!

Grasscloth: What's Not To Love?

I hope everyone's year is off to a good start!  We have another week off from school here in Germany (gotta love those European holidays) so my blogging/commenting will continue to be a bit more sporadic this week but life will be back to normal next week.  I also have some big news that I have been dying to share but it needs to wait until next week - details coming soon!

Today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite rooms where one  of my favorite materials - grasscloth - is used.  I still think I prefer earth tones the most, but some of these colors are pretty striking too!  See what you think:

I have posted this picture before on this post, but the post would not be complete without the amazing look of metallic grasscloth - it's especially remarkable in contrast with rough elements like these. 

I'm still trying to decide if this is pretty, or a little too "Hawaii 5-0" for me.



ELLE Decor





LOVE this look!

The masculine feel of this office really appeals to me and the grasscloth is the perfect backdrop for the ethnic pieces.



Coastal Living

I find the texture and subtle elegance it brings to a room irresistable! 

What do you think of it? 

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