Paris locations

Happy friday DTI lovelies! It's been a loooong week for both Jo and I and thankfully it's almost over. But I do have a busy weekend planned - last minute Christmas shopping, a Christmas party Saturday night, and Sunday my husband and I are volunteering with Friends of Abandoned Pets for their "pet photos with Santa" event at a PetSmart here in Ottawa (Merivale Rd. near Hunt Club for those who might want to stop by). To top it off we're supposed to get a snow storm that day. I think I could use a little distraction. How about some photos of a fabulous home from Paris locations site Mires? Works for me! (What I would do for one of those suspended fireplace...would be SO cool in the media room addition we're planning).

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Locations, locations

I'm loving the whitest of white walls in this location house in London. I'm kinda smitten by the touches of black too. My inspiration files are groaning with images just like these. (OK and a lot of deepest darekest black too.) Good news on my new old house front is that the painters start next week. We'll be painted in time for Christmas .... I hope. Means I have to stop unpacking until each room is done :) You can see what a state my messy office is in on my page. Think of it as a before. Meanwhile this fab home is from the 1st-Option location stable. Delish isn't it?

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Subtle changes powerful impact

You've seen this house before in magazines, product shoots and here on Desire to Inspire. It's location78, the East London photographic location house of photographer Graham Atkins-Hughes and stylist Jo Atkins-Hughes. Their design, their styling, their business. Look more closely and you'll see them, the subtle changes that have taken this house to the next level. A few well chosen pieces of furniture and new accessories, touches of new colour (including a black living room), warm timber tones have added a life and a warmth to an already amazing house. To cap it all are these fabulous new photos by Graham. A new look at old favourites, a peek at spaces we haven't seen before and an exuberant garden that is the perfect foil for the moody maturity of the interiors. I couldn't make up my mind which photos to leave in or out. I'm guilty, I'm afraid Graham, of using almost all of them. Available for location hire ... maybe I could hire it permanently and move on in.

P.S. Launching soon an online shop at their website sevenandeight.com and they have started a blog. I'm sure they'll let us know when they have all the content ready.

  

  

  

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Imperfection

Hi everyone and welcome to a new week on Desire to Inspire. I've been thinking of imperfection over the weekend. I went to see a house and I'm trying my hardest now to buy it. We should know in a few of days after the banks and building inspectors and valuers and agents have prodded and poked, massaged figures and stared down sellers. The house was built in 1860 and got me wondering about imperfection and the beauty of gently aged things. If we are successful I don't want to gut renovate but to slowly add my own layers to the old house. To leave a crack or an unevenly plastered walls. To cherish the footsteps worn in the cedar stairs. To gently clean the wood burning stove and live with the warped floorboards. I don't have photos yet to show you but instead I wanted to share the tattered beauty of another home, this one English, one of the locations from Oak Management. Why do we so often race in and rip out ?

  

  

  

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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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