WINKS

.... what the real estate websites don't show you.
Is this my new bathroom?
The rest of the old house has potential but this is definitely a challenge!

WINKS - weekend links. Here we list what has come in during the week, things we've found and things we think you'll want to see. If you'd like to see your blog or website featured email us and if we think it fits with our readers we'll link you. So what's in this week?

• Inspired by his Norwegian heritage and woodworking traditions handed down through his family furniture designer Andrew Moe has created the Oslo Collection. Every piece in the collection is crafted from reclaimed timber beams. It's a Scandinavian aesthetic meets Japanese economy of design. The pale blond hue and smooth wax finish just makes me want to stroke these pieces and watch them age with time. More info at Studio Moe.


• I couldn't resist. I just had to feature the fabulous eco craftiness of Australian designer Morgan Wills. Morgan's Cast offs range is made from 100% recycled finely woven woollen jumpers and her Play with me range utilises everything from vintage fabrics, designer off cuts, linen & cotton tea towels and tablecloths from yesteryear. Too too cute and vibrantly colourful. I seriously need some of those felt beads for my winter wardrobe.




• Glam and just a little different? London based Ivory Pearl Interiors website will satisfy your craving for all things silver embossed, french, rococo or mirrored. The papillon silver wardrobe would be gorgeous in a boudoir.




• I'm in love! I need this green Chinese chair in my life .... now! Oh my, oh my! Celebrate Pagoda Red's new website and become eligible to win this 19th century Chinese roundback chair. Go to Pagoda Red and subscribe before May 30th for a chance to win. Actually you'll be there for quite awhile. So many lovely lovely pieces.




• Stephanie emailed, "We wanted to send you a quick email to let you know about Cardboard Safari's newest full-body figure product, Rambling Robbie (just launched last week). Robbie is sure to add a little wildlife to any home decor. Great for gifting, kid's room decor, or just something fun to place around the home or office........" This isn't a winkaroo it's a winkarhino (ooooh sorry about that). Now what could I do with a full bodied rhino?




• And let's finish with two blogs. Angie Henry is a stay-at-home-mom/artist trying to make the best and most beautiful out of the everyday. "I love to make the mundane fun. I hope that I can inspire someone out there to be creative and love their home and their life!" Her blog is Angie Henry Designs. Enjoy!

  Victoria is an interior decorator and artist in Westchester, NY. Her blog Art House Design showcases her work, musings on art, design, life style and the places she comes across on her journeys.Lots of lovely eye candy.
  

Another reader's home

Dana from Bucharest, Romania wrote us a really sweet email and here's what she said: "Found about your blog, from friends (Claudiu and his fiancee in Cluj, Romania whom I posted about here). We all share the pleasure to decorate and re-re-redecorate our homes. To mix old and new items and express our mood and/or sensibility by home arranging. Transforming “things” into “spirit”. Here are some photos from my loft and my closed terrace in my mountain lodge at Cheia, Romania. Also, kindly note that the paintings are done by my father, Traian, who is now 84 years old, and started his painting hobby with 81 years old." Thank you for sharing your wonderful home (with an amazing view I might add) with us Dana!

My dream home

Patrick Flynn is a designer/project manager at envelopeA+D, an architecture and design firm based in Oakland, California and he emailed us thinking we'd be interested in a project the firm recently completed (it was featured in the NY Times yesterday). Interested??? I almost passed out when I saw the photos. This home is so unbelieveably cool and funky and creative and plucked right out of my dreams. I am completely smitten with it. The Victorian duplex is located in San Francisco, and is owned by Claire Bigbie (an interior designer who now designs for the firm) and her skateboarder boyfriend Jay Shapiro. It was renovated to house a creative studio for Claire on the main floor and the living quarters upstairs. I adore absolutely everything about this home, including the incredible blue-black exterior (used to downplay the Victorian embellishments). Thanks so much Patrick for sharing this with us! Every photo below is going in my inspiration folder, and I imagine in many of our readers' folders too.

Claudia Bryant

Whether it's light and lovely vintage girliness or moody, luxuriously layered and sophisticated contemporary, interior stylist Claudia Bryant nails it every time. So much inspiration here and even more on her website. Love it!

Reader dilemma...and my least favourite colour

I need your help with this one folks. Lauren wrote us with this problem: "I am going back to school, and my friend is oh so graciously letting me move into his house (rent free!). So, I feel like I should not complain too much, but the room needs a lot of help. I attached a picture for you to see the bedroom, just to give you an idea of the wall-to-wall maroon carpet I have to deal with. He has taken down the wallpaper boarder and painted the room a buttery yellow, but I think it kind of looks like a nod to McDonald's now... He actually just replaced the carpet (but kept maroon, I'm not sure why), so I have to live with that - and the room is pretty large: 16' x 13'. But he did say I can paint, which is a good start. So, my question is, do you have any ideas as to what color scheme would work with this carpet? I am normally a "blue" person, but just feel like I can't completely disregard the carpet color. I was thinking maybe repainting the room white, and doing an accent wall - possibly relating to the maroon carpet, but I'm not so sure. Any ideas would be much appreciated!"

When I see maroon/burgundy I practically break out in hives. So I'm a bit at a loss as to what Lauren should do with this. My only thought is getting sisal rugs and trying to hide most of the carpet, and maybe painting the walls a pink (on the pale side). That's all I've got. I'm hoping our readers might have better ideas.