Sleep in the city

The flood waters have receded and things are grindingly returning to normal for a lot of us here. The flood survivors face a mammoth clean up job. I feel very petty complaining about the 4 and a half hour return journey I now face each day to get to work (flood damaged train lines). First mud and now a thick dried crust cover everything and the devastation is heartbreaking. I want to run away to this pristine white dream of a boutique hotel in Belgium. A girl's shopping break? Yes please. And no mud in sight! Sleep in the City via the ever fabulous Studio Anndacht.

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Loft love

Spirally into love here folks. Love the open space, the white mixed with wood and black. Rustic and modern and all tied together with one sexy black spiral staircase. Clever sliding walls define the children's sleeping areas. The Crosstown Loft by Campos Leckie Studio based in Vancouver, Canada.

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A handmade home

Every once in a while I see a home featured on a website that makes me sit back and sigh in delight. This is one of those homes. My twin sister sent me the link to this home which I think is in Finland (since the site is) and is the home of a family of 5 where the mother creates beautiful knit objects and the father is a carpenter. I absolutely adore the rustic, natural, neutral and handmade vibe of this home. I think I'm going to save just about all of these photos in my inspiration folder. (More, including the gorgeous kitchen, after the jump).

  
  
  

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Love this!!!

99% of the posts on this blog are published to inspire our readers. I'd say the other 1% are purely selfish posts that Jo and I post because we find something we adore and want to remember. This is one of those selfish posts. My twin sister sent me this home on Hus & Hem the other day and I went a little nuts. I am in love with the black exterior of this home. I've been thinking alot lately about what to do with the interior of my home, particularly the new addition we're adding, and haven't given alot of thought to the exterior. But after seeing these photos I WANT A BLACK HOUSE!!! The interior of this home is pretty fabulous too because it's black and white and that's what I'd like to do to mine, but with less of a modern/Swedish vibe and more industrial and ethnic bits thrown in.

P.S. My husband and I found 2 local architects that we'd LOVE to work with for the addition we're planning for the house but one is too busy and the other missed an appointment with us this week. I'm starting to worry we'll never find anyone so if anyone out there knows of an architect in Ottawa who is creative and likes to think a bit outside the box, please email me @ desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com. THANKS!!

  
  
  

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Messy perfection

I love this house. I love the large rooms and wonderful light streaming in. I love the history, the architectural details, the old wooden floors, the dark bathroom with the tub as centre of attention, the art leaning against the walls, the old dining room table and believe it or not, the mess. Hallelujah a real house! There are dishes in the rack, shoes in the bathroom, the throw rug is not artfully draped and a pile of coats in the hall. This London house is from 1st Option locations. You see it warts and all. It can be perfect when the stylist comes to straighten and preen and the photographer to compose and crop. Any other time a family lives happily here. I wish it was me ;)

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