Misool Eco Resort

Marit, a DTI regular, wrote us recently about her resort in Indonesia and we had to share this dreamy place with everyone. Those of you living through a terrible winter (like myself), I am warning you that the photos below might result in a few tears shed so I recommend having a tissue on hand. "Your blog has been a big inspiration to me as we've been designing our resort and home in West Papua, Indonesia. We're an eco resort in the true sense of the word, using only reclaimed wood in the construction of our 11 cottages, dive shop, restaurant, and pier. I could go on and on about that stuff, but I think the aspect that might be of most interest to you is our Water Cottages, designed by UK-born but Australian-based architect Viv Faithfull at WH Architects in Melbourne. There are 8 of them built on stilts over a tranquil lagoon."

"I designed the sideboard in the first photo and our Javanese craftsmen built it. It took 18 men to move it into place! The rattan furniture was made in one of the local villages. Together with Conservation International, we made a project to bring rattan artisans from Bali to Papua. The local villagers now have an income that doesn't rely on unsustainable exploitation of marine resources. And we have great, locally made furniture!"

*sniffle sniffle* See? I told you! Thanks so much Marit for sharing your incredible home with us. Maybe one day....

Cynthia's pad

Cynthia sent us photos of her Australian pad I'd like to share. I looooove the black swan chairs, and the symmetry of them with the windows on either side of the marble/granite fireplace. I'm also diggin' the large artwork, dining chairs and buddha head thingy. Fantastic pad Cynthia - thanks for sharing!!

Cats on a daybed

Katia from Finland wrote this morning with the following: "Your recent post about the kittens in the sink inspired me to send you one of my favourite photos of my cats. Here two -of my five darlings- lounging on my daybed in front of Ikea Billy bookcases. And if you look closely, in the lower right corner you can also see what these darlings do to furniture..." WOW - someone with almost as many cats as I have! And Katia, your poor furniture - I always say they're lucky they're so cute...

Brasil bonito

I love readers' homes. I love to see how people live, the things they surround themselves with. I love Flavia's Brazilian home. Stylish and real. I'll let her explain. (She apologises for her English - don't Flavia. It's excellent!)

Since I saw some posts with your readers’ houses around the world, I thought you would like to receive a Brazilian example. I have been photographing my house for a while, but, in fact, I don’t think it is ready for a final photo session. We live there for 4 years now and still haven’t finished all the furniture and décor. I feel it’s like a mutant space, changing and improving every day. For this reason I have been taking so long to email you. But this week I saw a post with a brazilian “salao de beleza” and I realized that many Brazilians must read you and send you stuff, so I decided to email the pictures I had.

Here is some explanation:

The living room: Starck’s Slick slick and Louis Ghost chairs at the table. The painting is a Graffiti we got in our neighborhood from a construction temporary wall. Table, coffee table and sofas are from Fernando Jaeger, a Brazilian designer. The Altoids art was made by me (we didn’t have Altoids in Brazil so I depended on loving friends that always brought them to me). The centerpiece on the table is from Alessi. The candles as cheesy but they are from my wedding party décor so I just can't get rid of them. Old fan and trunk were gifts from my mom. The two ashtrays on the coffee table are made by a Brazilian designer called Jacqueline Terpins.

The kitchen: Don’t have much to say, except, sorry for the mess!

Tv room: This is the room we use the most. It has a desk for me and my husband to work, but is also a play room for the baby, so we can all stay together. Sofa and armchair by Fernando Jaeger, a Starck’s yellow Toy chair and the new Aalto’s style play table with stools. Above the desk and books, pictures by me and the baby (believe it or not).

Bedroom 1: This is where my husband and I rest. No bed, just a mattress on the floor. Bed side tables made by my mom. Eclipse lamp by Mauricio Klabin (another brazilian designer). The funny thing is that the only “good art” we have is all piled up in the corner of this room… Shame on me.
Bedroom 2: This is the bedroom that is going to change the most as soon as possible. The baby became a toddler and is getting a new bed and little kitchen furniture I designed. This room also has one of my favorites pieces on the house, that is the huge paper on the wall were the family drew and stuck stickers, sadly it is also going to be replaced for a new one, since there is no more free space… The ballerina picture was made by my father in 82 and given to the baby when I was still pregnant and had just found out it was going to be a girl. The weird bird on the top shelve was his first Christmas gift for the baby (that was only 1 month old) and is from a French artist that have made a lot of New Yorker covers, but I sadly can’t remember the name. The weird face behind the toys was also taken at that construction site.

These pictures don’t show all the rooms and are not all produced and stuff… actually, they were taken during “real life action”, but I hope you like it.

NYC apartment tour

Over a year ago artist, stylist and designer Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Design emailed us with some photos of her home that her and her husband were renovating. We were happy to post them, and to my delight, she emailed photos yesterday of the completed renovation! To quote ABCD: "now that the renovation is complete, we are moving on to a new project". HUH??? When you see the photos below of this phenomenal NYC apartment, you too will be asking how she could possibly leave this. There's nothing I don't love about her home. It's an eclectic mix of styles that works so well together, bold use of colour throughout that stands out against the white walls, the dramatic artwork, those to-die-for hardwood floors, and don't get me started on that kitchen and bathroom (I'm pretty sure I had a dream recently about that exact bathroom). Thanks for sharing these with us ABCD!

This is the great room (*sigh*...a great room would be really great) where ABCD works, and she and her husband Scott live in the back section.

I love her home so much that I wanted to include more photos that she took over the holidays that show other angles of the spaces. Just more eye candy. DELISH.