Kim's personal links
MY FAVOURITE DECOR SHOPS IN OTTAWA
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kitchen remodel in my last house
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my twin sister's mostly kid's rooms decor blog
At the edge of the woods stands a small white house. A beautiful home with a single room the owners share with guests. A room, a bath, a terrace, a pool, a lovely home and the beautiful countryside around the town of Sint-Martens-Latem in Eastern Flanders, Belgium. Bliss. The perfect spot to hide away or base yourself for exploration. Sometimes a small bed and breakfast beats boutique and brash hotels any day. Maison Blanche.
Yesterday's House at Hautefage divided opinion so I couldn't resist posting its sister property The House at Cannes.The creative force behind both houses is Jason MacLean of MacLean Interiors. (And silly me I only realised today that I had already blogged Jason's work back in 2008.) Once again MacLean juxtaposes the historical with the modern. It's a marriage of incongruities. Bright, modern colour, pattern and shapes sit uncompromisingly in a sun drenched pastel Mediterranean confection of a building. It's edgy, uncompromising and just a little rock star glam. Perfect for a Cannes getaway.
... Hautefage. Take a 19th century farmhouse right in the heart of France. Original beams, old weathered floors, terracotta and thick stone walls. Excited yet? Add design classics and bespoke fittings. Be a little cheeky, a touch unexpected. Throw in amazing food and wine and be prepared to be amazed. Boutique hotels are always something just a little special. Medieval village meets mid century. Lavender, rosemary, dining al fresco, cobblestone streets and rolling fields. It's almost torture not being there. The House at Hautefage.
Friday finds me craving for a getaway from the bad, the mad and the ugly. So what's new you ask? Besides the fact that I fell badly in the main street this week and was taken by ambulance to the emergency department leaving my dignity and half my jeans in the street. Almost 50 and having one's trousers slit open with scissors opposite the post office is not fun however handsome the paramedic is. Nine x-rays later and there were no broken bones just soft tissue damage and a sad and sorry Jo dosed on pain killers. I hope this guesthouse has a bedroom with no stairs... and a shower. Don't think I can handle a bath. Back to today's sublime holiday property. Part gallery, part home, once a shipyard, always unique and poetic, hiding behind an unobtrusive facade. Apparently the bathroom is big enough to dance in. I think I'll pass on the dancing and instead drink in the loveliness of the simple luxury of Tielrode in Flanders, Belgium via Welcome Beyond. (Please forgive me. I'm not whining. I'm grateful to be home, in one piece and finding joy in a lovely home. Happy weekend!)
Andreia lives in the centre of the village of Odeceixe in the Algarve in southern Portugal. Down by the sea she has remodelled Casa Alba, the white house, into two holiday rentals. Casa de Cima and Casa de Baixo. The up house and the down house. Dibs on the up house. Love the simplicity. Love the laid back feel. Holidays down by the Mediterranean are all about sun and sand, fun and swimsuits, and espadrilles and sarongs, chilled wine, seafood and a sweet little holiday flat to suit.
Wed, 7 Sep 2011