Nico Van Der Meulen Architects

We received an email the other day from someone at the firm Nico Van Der Meulen Architects. They are based in Johannesburg, South Africa and have many sweet modern homes in their portfolio. One in particular caught my eye. It's a home that is stunning both inside and out. I love the funky modern fireplaces that take on interesting shapes, the "water window" in the living room, the sliding glass walls to open the inside to the outside, and the windows at the tops of the walls to let in even more light. Brilliant. Talk about a fantasy home!

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Stalking a house with a secret behind the door

Behind a very unassuming facade, behind the door of a slightly tired timber and tin worker's cottage, behind what you might not give a second glance is a vibrant, modern home of polished concrete, walls of glass and white, white and more white. It's fresh and young and bright and inner city funky and it all hides behind that simple facade in Newtown, Sydney. Never judge a book by its cover. Here while the link lasts.

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Madara, Neutra and a midcentury house

An amazing set of images by an amazing photographer of an amazing house by an amazing architect. What more can I say but amazing. A Richard Neutra home in LA captured through the lens of photographer Jason Madara.

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Monday's pets on furniture - part 2

If you'd like to send me photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow my basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet! Thanks!

Lolita Maria, age 2 being a little lady boss on my leather bucket chair.
- Annie (San Francisco, CA)

This is Jack, a rescue kitty, sitting on the bed in his recently re-modeled bedroom (note the Japanese influenced art behind him ready to be hung again). He prefers the quiet of the bedroom to the clutter and noise in the office which his sister Annie likes a lot.
- Rebecca

Here's two photos of our mini dachshunds, Dash and Oscar. While Dash may be content to hang out in his dog bed under a vintage tile table (I guess that makes that photo more of a "pets under furniture" submission), our dappled mini doxie, Oscar, prefers to be covert by camouflaging himself on our vintage Arne Norell rosewood and cowhide safari chair.
- Lynn

Attached, you will see the lovely Mimi who just adores her velvet chair.
- Patricia (Montreal)

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Monday's pets on furniture - part 1

If you'd like to send me photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow my basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet! Thanks!

Pepper is our 4 month old English Springer Spaniel puppy. When she's not playing she loves to lounge on our black leather Poang chair.
- Kerri (Halifax, NS)

My pets name: Skippy (like the peanut butter) and Charlito (the mass of black curls). After a brisk walk through the park Skippy draped himself over the edge of the chaise and I had to take his picture.
- Deborah (Oakland, California)

I thought I would share this picture of our beautiful Cavalier, Honey, doing what she enjoys the most on the chair she loves the most.
- Trudy (Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia)

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