Design crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers!

Jesse emailed "I'm a big fan of the blog, and wanted to reach out & ask for a bit of advice. I've recently moved into a new apartment & am trying to make it a home. I'm a rustic minimalist but an eclectic at heart." Jesse wanted feedback. Then Jesse sent photos. After I picked myself up off the floor I thought Jesse wants advice? Jesse wants to take it to the next level? OMG the bones are fabulous. There is so much that is wonderful about her new space.

"I guess I was just looking for some general feedback than specific what-to-dos. I would love to hear back from readers in a Design Crew post, I'm just looking for others opinions." This is were all of you come in. Your feedback? The next step? She has motivated me to walk away from the computer and head back to my still unfinished "quick" kitchen redo. Can't wait to see what you guys have to say.

There's even more after the jump.

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Reader request - kitchen islands with no sink/stove

Here is a reader request from Monika: I'm about a year away from a major kitchen/family room remodel and our architect is recommending we have a large island that would stand alone without a sink or stove. The sink and stove will be on the wall opposite the island. I love the idea of a large open space with no sink/stove paraphernalia to clutter it up, but I haven't seen an example of this in real life and would like to see a few examples before I give the go ahead... my mother in particular is skeptical siting the importance of the "work triangle" while I feel a large clutter free expanse creating a sense of calm & cleanliness trumps the triangle. If you find examples of large islands with no sink/stove, I would love to see them. I am absolutely with you Monika. Plus, with the main sink in the island, you'll always have a pile of dishes there. Who wants to see that so clearly?

Style At Home
Freunde von Freunden
Antoine Bootz
Gunkelmans Interior Design
Nathan Egan
Hus & Hem

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Reader request - log homes

You may recall this post from last month, where I blogged the home of Jack (a co-worker of mine) and his wife Shannon. In that post I mentionned that they were selling that house because they had just purchased a log home. !!!! Well, log homes are not the easiest to work with in terms of decorating and keeping them from being dark and dreary, as Shannon expressed in an email to me:
I am writing to request pics of...you guessed it...log interiors. My only issue with the logs in our new place is that I NEED light, airy interiors and log homes can be dark, dark, dark. That's sometimes a function of lighting but also of having so much wood. We are planning to refinish and lighten the floors before we move in in August. Plus, I'll be brightening all of the drywalled surfaces. There's lots of darkish greens and blues. The kitchen is maple, but with a dark blue-green stain...I'll eventually repaint that a creamy white, etc. I'm also going to update the lighting and add lots more lights. The master bedroom is actually a loft overlooking the living room and its 3 large west-facing windows (plus there are more windows in the back of the bedroom). I'm planning to paint the floor of the loft a glossy white and this will be the first place where I'll try my big experiment: white-washing or bleaching the interior log walls. I plan to convert the place from "rustic Montana" to "Scandinavian bright". Anyhow, if ever you have time, anything you find on log interiors would be helpful.

Here is a little peek at Jack and Shannon's new home:

It turns out my stash of photos did not include many log home interiors. So I gathered up those and included some that feature wood panelling or whatever wood surfaces I could find that might help give Shannon (ok, and Jack - LOL) some options.

Aftonbladet
(LOVE this but i think they overdid it on the gloss - in fact this would look WAY better matte)
Le Journal de la Maison
Hus & Hem
Hus & Hem
Hus & Hem
Anna Kern

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Design crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week it's Cris who, after years of making do, has a flat with great bones and loads of potential. I know you'll have lots of ideas for her.

Let me tell you a few words about me. I am an assistant professor in organic chemistry and in 2007 I  joined the faculty of the University of Zürich. So far I lived in couple of "just for sleeping" flats cause I was far toooo busy with the science. But  three months ago I was able to find (and rent) a fantastic apartment. It´s just a dream, my dream come true. And this is also why I write you, cause ever since I cannot make up my mind on how to decorate the dining room as well as the connected living room. I desperately need the Crew´s help!!! For reasons too long to explain I had to buy some furniture to the previous tenant. Those are all the dark-brown wooden pieces you see in the first two pictures (table, 6 chairs, 2 high + 1 medium shelves), which I decided to put together in the (smaller) dinning room. The other pieces you see in the third and fourth pictures (big linen sofa + caravane cushions, old walnut chair and table, sewing machine, etc…) are my beloved pieces, those that I really feel MINE.

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Reader request - built-in shelving for fireplace

This reader request was sent in a while ago by Kristina: My mother is really struggling with adding a wall of built in shelving around her fireplace in her living room. I told her I would try to find some inspiring reference photographs. She wants to add a wall of bookcase shelving around the (brick) fireplace, hoping to put the TV above the fireplace. I suggested some double doored cabinets to put the DVD player surround sound etc. The room has HIGH ceilings so the bookcase wall would go all the way up, pretty vast. There is also a slanted ceiling, which is driving her crazy. I suggested a decorative round piece on the top shelf to tie in the slant. Any pictures would be helpful!! I am so glad Kristina added in that last sentence because despite looking at hundreds of photos of living rooms, I could not find any photos that were perfect for her mom's dilemma. Instead I grabbed all sorts of photos simply of built-in bookcases/shelving around fireplaces to hopefully help with ideas - and for anyone else looking to provide storage around a fireplace.

the selby
design*sponge
Jerry Jacobs Design
Nathan Egan
Colombe Stevens
Warren Heath
Dana Wolter

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