Seductive Interiors

Interior designer Sera Hersham-Loftus is the queen of romantic, seductive interiors. We love her work so much we've blogged her work several times over the years (here, here, here and here). I was so excited when her goddaughter emailed us with the news that Sera has come out with a book! It's aptly names Seductive Interiors (CICO Books) and it looks fabulous! From the press release: Seductive Interiors displays homes which Sera has decorated as well as those that have simply ‘seduced’ her – each epitomizing the spirit of Sera – which could be described as ‘a heady mix of romanticism, passion, and playfulness.’  Sera likes to live in a loose, informal style that is reflected in her interiors.  Most of her furnishings come from antique markets or vintage shops. Her look is essentially ‘a concoction of enchanting soft lighting, charming antique and bohemian furnishings, oriental bric-a-brac, and more than a teaspoon of The Blues and Rock-‘n’-Roll.’ Essentially, it's HOT STUFF. (Love the photography by Gisela Torres). I need a copy. Find it @ Amazon, Indigo and check out this Sunday Times story about it. 

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Book review

There is a new book coming out August 28th called The First Apartment Book that I received a rcopy of recently, and I wanted to share it with you all because it's fantastic, especially for folks who are about to move into their first apartment, or for those living in a small space. The author of the book, Kyle Schuneman (whom we featured back here) provides small-budget ideas for big-style decor projects. The book features 10 homes across the U.S. where Kyle cleverly worked with residents to translate their visions into real life. Kyle shows you how can seamlessly blend the things you love into a sophisticated design scheme, and some of his projects are really brilliant I have to say. To note: there are about thirty do-it-yourself projects included in the book that allow you to customize your space, especially when you refuse to let rental regulations or limited budgets stand in the way of your dream pad.Before I get into some of these projects, I was excited to find out the stunning photos in this book are the work of one of our favourite photographers here on DTI - Joe Schmelzer. We have featured Joe's work several times in the past, including here, here and here. (This means 2 cutie patooties were responsible for creating this book - I couldn't help but add that). You can pre-order the book on Amazon here. So how about a little sneak peek, including a few of my favourite DIY ideas? And after the jump, there is some news from Joe as well.

Above are 2 of my favourite projects included in the book - dip-dye curtains (which I have been wanting to try for years) and the faded-paint technique. COOL!!

Love these yarn frames (everybody has frames that are less than cute that could use a makeover) and the chalkboard kitchen with an oilcloth-covered island.

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Killin' time

I have been on holidays these past 2 weeks and dear gawd did I need this break (at least from one of my jobs). Since Tuesday I've been pretty much stuck at home during the day which I welcomed, because it meant getting lots of things done I have been putting off - including several tasks involving organzing something or other. Yesterday, after walking to the post office to pick up some hot boots, it was time to organize the bookshelves in my bedroom. I really don't like having all this book storage in my bedroom (to me it's like bad feng shui - too much visual stimulation for a room that's supposed to give me tranquility), but it was the only free wall in my tiny house that could house my magazine collection and some books. I threw some of the older magazines out because holy smokes I have far too many, and made the piles neat again. Once the contents were organized (and shrunk down a bit) I went out to the storage shed and dug out some apple baskets and a couple wooden crates I had purchased some time ago at an antique shop out in the boonies. I am a FREAK for rustic/industrial storage options, and these, along with my vintage metal locker baskets, helped in the wrangling of my crap. I'm a happy camper now, and I think I can sleep a little better tonight knowing it's not a disaster. (P.S. Before the hubby moved in, the shelves looked like this, and after when I de-feminized the space, the room looked more like this).

A new book

I got my hands on a new book recently so I thought I'd do a review of it today for you all. It's called Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman, and it is based on her lifestyle blog, which I happen to have been reading daily for at least a year now. This book is only somewhat related to interior design but I quite enjoyed it so I thought I'd feature it with photos of the more design-y topics. :)  Cupcakes and Cashmere includes DIY projects, organization tips, party-planning ideas, beauty how-tos, and delicious recipes for food and cocktails (a few I want to try ASAP). It's separated into seasonal chapters, and within each Emily divulges her signature “Five Things” relating to beauty, style, at home, and food & entertaining. You can purchase the book at Amazon, Abrams and Barnes & Noble. Here's a little peek (of course I had to include a photo I found at the back of the book of her 2 cats).

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Book storage

I love books and magazines. I have a pretty healthy collection, especially of decor magazines (although on black box recycle days I am slowly getting rid of old ones as I don't think I'll be referring to decor mags from 2004 anytime). Right now I have a couple of Ikea Expedit shelving units in my bedroom but I have come to the conclusion that I don't want all that visual clutter and stimulation in a space I am supposed to use to relax in. My favourite book storage area is the dining room - I love how it can look like a library one minute and a dining space the next. Where do you guys store your books?
Book storage always catches my eye when I'm doing blog research and because I haven't done a themed post in a while I thought I'd find some book storage/shelving photos. (I did a post on this topic a while ago here). 

Dwell

Lonny

Freunde von Freunden

Bolig Magasinet

Lonny

Lonny

The Selby

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