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
Kitchens are on my mind at the moment. My own is way overdue for a complete renovation. I'm drawn to these raw but beautifully crafted, rough but luxe kitchens by German-born, Italian-based designer Katrin Arens. Honesty, simplicity. Less is more. Reclaimed and re-used materials, rich with history and patina. Sigh.
For as long as I can remember I have dreamt about buying a very old home in Europe that is filled with glorious original details and maintaining that while modernizing bits as needed. This home in Italy was pretty much left intact by architecture and design firm Archiplan. Original materials were sealed to maintain their longevity, and some modern touches added to rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms. The result is stunning.
As the story goes, there once was a boy whose mother was a gallery owner. When the boy was 14, he asked for a Vespa, and was instead given a Joe lounge chair by de Pas, D'Urbino and Lomazzi. Many years later the boy now lives in a beautiful home in Milan with his wife and children. The home was formerly 6 apartments and is now a wonderfully eclectic family home with amazing artwork on display and yes, some classic statement furniture. I love how the canvas printed with a photo above is hanging without the use of a stretcher (might steal this idea for over my living room sofa). Via The Socialite Family, photos: Constance Gennari.
I was only going to use these first 2 photos for this post because OMG...but this Sicilan vacation home of architect Laurent Buttazzoni is so fun I had to include a few more. Via Architectural Digest France. Happy Friday! Peace out.
It has been a BEAUTIFUL weekend here in Ottawa and everyone seems to be out enjoying the warmth and sun given the weather we have endured for the past 6 months. There is nothing I would rather do than wander the city and check out cafés and restaurants (we have so many amazing ones of each it is crazy!) so in keeping with this theme, here is a café and restaurant, both of which I would love to hang out in.
This incredibly innovative idea of combining a shop with a café is defined by an even more innovative and brave concept: that all the products sold here will be... pink! The designers had to meet the challenge of combining a store full of varieties with a bustling cafe, and all of it on just 45 sq. meters! The most optimal solution was to create a single, suspended structure that would function both as shelves and the ceiling. This way the exposition area was maximized while not using up the incredibly valuable space. To meet the dreams of the owners that were captured during long hours of conversations, the architects decided to substitute the traditional café counter with a kitchen island. A place that would be the center of the café’s life. This solution helped blur the line between the staff and the customers, introduce a homey feel, but also together with the modular tables, created a space easy to rearrange for different events. To best expose the pink products, the architects used raw and contrasting materials such as plywood and mfp boards. Also they left the original brick wall, in some places patching it up with ceramic herringbone tiles. The Rozove Cafe in Poznań, Poland, designed by mode:lina architekci, photos by Marcin Ratajczak.
Wed, 2 Sep 2015