The Unexpected

A cute little Saltbox reproduction used as a beach-house on the Nantucket coast, probably filled with equally cutesie tootsie furnishings I reckon.

A covered breezeway connects the out buildings from the main house. Still thinking twee furnishings, maybe with a bit of a beachy, nautical feel.

DEAD WRONG silly Millie!!! Instead there are gorgeous sleek, low-maintenance, minimalist rooms to drool over.

Full of natural light, easy care surfaces & statement pieces to tie the design together.

A warm fire in the dining space.

And a simple setting.

A fabulous, yet very practical kitchen to feed those hungry beachgoers returning from a big day on the water. I think this would the perfect house to use MOTH's ideal house cleaning tool - his garden leaf blower! A quick wander around waving his best friend on high & every last bit of sand & beach detritus would be out the door pronto.

Images: Thornewill Designs

What do you Think?

Theadora Van Runkle is a Hollywood costume designer (Bonnie & Clyde, The Godfather, The Thomas Crown Affair & many others). She lives in a Californian bungalow in Los Angeles which is constantly evolving. She has gone down the predominantly white decorating route because she says ' My house is now simple & life seems easier & somehow more fulfilling.' If that's the case dear Miss VR, then show me the white paint tin immediately & I'm off painting everything in sight! Interestingly, she's used more than 30 shades of white in her house, mixing a new tint each time something else is painted so her house doesn't look like an all-white wedding cake.

She also painted a set of antique Regency mahogany chairs (as pictured) because she was 'tired of them', although she did admit that some of her friends were staggered - & I'm really not surprised! So cutting to the chase - what do you think of Ms. Van Runkle's decision to give the chairs the white treatment? Is it sacrilege or is it fine - do tell!!

Living Simply

No tricked-up seaside McMansions here in the sleepy little Spanish fishing village of Cadaques, about an hour's drive from Barcelona. And that's exactly what attracted Tami & Anders Christiansen when they were looking for a weekend house to give them a break from their busy life running an Interior Design business in Copenhagen.

Wandering around the steep & winding streets one weekend, they saw a For Sale sign on a derelict house perched on a cliff overlooking the harbour & a week later they were the new Owners. Only few minor structural jobs needed to be done before they moved in & then it was just a question of lots of fresh paint & filling the home with pieces purchased mainly from second-hand stores along the Costa Brava. They really have achieved a fantastic sense of ambience & relaxed living using an eclectic mix of pieces in this gorgeous little retreat.

Throwing the shutters open on these windows allows the light to spill into the dining room.

Confidently hanging a small chandelier in this room along with all the quirky pieces, shows a strong sense of proportion & style.

Relaxing pieces of old furniture, soft cushions & a couple of very elegant busts thrown together form a gorgeous vignette.

Tami's used the same fabric accents on all the cushions throughout the house to give the space a stylish sense of continuity.

Bare brick floors & scrubbed wooden boards make for easy & relaxed living.

A small side-table sits beautifully in a corner holding a plant in a terracotta pot & family photos.

Again unusual & quirky pieces are scattered throughout the house to create a fabulous sense of ambience.

An old piece of wrought iron fencing adds a decorative touch to the little open fireplace.

Symmetrical placing of these topiaries in the the Living Room on an old milk-washed table.

Low stone plastered walls in the house have had a coat of paint to freshen them up & provide extra shelving.

An old Spanish armoire was rebuilt to serve as a kitchen pantry cupboard.

A close-up shot of the kitchen armoire.

Some of the rooms were awkward shapes, so Tami used simple furnishings & higher decorative pieces as accents.

A small old desk provides a place to read or catch up with some writing.

The steep, windy street outside the cottage.

Views of the harbour from the Dining room window.

Life in Cadaques still revolves around the fishing industry.

All images Hearst (photographer Andreas Von Einsiedel)

Not Moving!

Eve Robinson

And that's exactly what I'd be doing if this ever so gorgeous kitchen was mine! I wouldn't care a hoot what was going on in the rooms up those stairs. Or have any interest in what has happening outside. I'd be staying put cocooned in this delicious room. And with that Wolf stove sitting there in all it's glory, I may even be tempted to fire it up!

White Affair

Image Nordic Style

Image Angel at my Table


Image Belle Maison

Image Garden Tones

Image House to Home

Image New England Lifestyle

Image Nordic Style

Image Fridas Gard

Image Nordic Style

Image Brian Vanden Brink

While I'm away here's a few of my favourite white pieces to look at. Is there one that wins your heart?

Cute as a Button!

The external colour scheme used on this lovely lakeside cottage had me hooked right up! There is something so relaxing & calming about the grey timbers contrasting against the crisp white trim.

The rear view is almost prettier than the front. The bay window to the left really adds another dimension to the facade.

Just love the beautiful open fireplace in the living space & the transom windows in the dining area.

The family room just begs you to bring a book & sit by the fire.

Love the contrast of the darker timber against the white.



The use of white timber continues on in bathroom & again lends a feeling of light spaciousness to the room.

Images Sam Schofield

The House in the Woods

Images Abigail Edwards

Thank you to everyone for the messages of 'condolence' following MOTH's dreadful paint mishap. He's slowly recovering, although still in need of lots of TLC! So after all the drama, I need a relaxing, gentle post & this beautiful home certainly provides that.

In the middle of a forest, on a tiny island in Sweden, a designer tore down a derelict cottage and built a family home and studio in its place. Inspired by Asian wooden houses, he designed the building to be off the ground on stilts and built it almost entirely from local pine.

The aroma of the freshly milled timbers positively jumps out of these photos and the setting on the lakeshore just divine. I would be so interested to revisit this home in the middle of the Scandanavian winter to see how it looks surrounded by snow & ice, with the warm glow of candlelight shining through the windows.