La Bandita

"Ever wish you had a friend with a stylish house on a beautiful hillside in Tuscany, one who knows the best local restaurants, towns and vineyards? Well now you do."

With a tag line like that you know have found the perfect holiday getaway. La Bandita is the creation of music executive John Voigtmann who had the crazy idea of ditching the big city and the celebrities and with his wife restore a derelict Tuscan farmhouse. It's relaxed, comfortable, modern yet rustic, stylish and no fuss. Sheep wander past the perfect pool, views go on forever and I wouldn't be surprised if lunch continued on till dinner. Down a long bumpy road is a slice of Italian heaven. The best things in life are always off the beaten track.

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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!

This is our rescue cat Elvis in his favourite afternoon nap spot, on my Robin Day dining chair, enjoying the last of the late afternoon sun! He immediately claimed the chair when we brought it home, so he is obviously a discerning cat when it comes to design classics!
- Holly (London, England)

This is Pandora, our Bengal rescue on the "Graffiti Chair" I designed for a client.
- S. Rohde Hill

The image attached is my beagle/fox hound mix, Roscoe. Rossie loves to sneak on the sofa when I'm not looking. On this particular day, he looked so comfortable basking in the sun that I didn't have the heart to disturb him!
- Amanda (Brooklyn, New York)

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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!

I would like to submit a picture of my poodle Ben.  This pic was taken a couple months ago right after I rescued him from an animal hoarding/puppy mill situation in Minnesota.  I swear its not staged at all - that's just how he sits.  I was working on a project, turned around to check on him and then ran to grab my camera.  It actually inspired me to start a pet photography business Le Caniche Fou which means "the crazy poodle" which he very much is.
- Dawn (Washington, DC)

Featuring Puck (Weimaraner) and Room and Board Reese Sofa! We hadn't planned on letting him on the sofa... but he was so darn cute and cuddly we couldn't bare thought of denying him the pleasure! :)
- Danielle (Miineapolis, MN)

Here is Cukierek ("Candy") our enormous cat resting in his favourite place on our Ikea Manstad sofa. Sometimes he looks just like another pillow...
- Julia (Gdansk, Poland)

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A closer look

I had to go back. I just had to. Drawn like a moth to the flame. I clicked the link and took a look. Sucked right back into the portfolio of photographer Mark Gregory Peters. (You'll find my first post on him here.) Then I took a closer look. A closer look at the home of Spanish decorator Serge Castella, first published in AD Spain and captured in all its moody, dark and broody glory by MGP. Dramatic!

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Stalking steampunk

One part high Victorian, one part industrial, one part art deco and one part modern. Seems I stumbled on a recipe for a steampunk home except I don't think that was exactly what the owner had in mind. Imagine living in an apartment where the living areas were once a two storey ballroom and imagine having that lovely Victorian era room for a kitchen. I love the mix of modern and antique, slick art deco and polished industrial. Lovely to see an old house divided sympathetically into apartments. I just wish the photos were better and we could see more of the intriguing details. You'll find it in Potts Point, Sydney. Link here while it lasts.

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