A Brooklyn loft

Photo agent Mara Singer sent us some photos of the Brooklyn loft she shares with her husband, still life photographer David Sawyer. Located in the neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, these folks apparently paid the highest price ever for an apartment here. WHOA! These are only glimpses of the 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1,559 square foot space with a 600-square-foot private roof deck which includes items from their travels and David's photography of course. It's a beautiful loft. Thanks for sharing Mara!

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Reader's home - Ely's light-filled villa in Bali

Ely Gordeeva is an architect and decorator and painter from Russia now residing in the most wonderful villa in Ubud, Bali. Ely designed her Balinese home and it's filled with light, warmth and a bit of whimsy - the DIY light fixture over the dining table is so cute! (Do you think she'd want to switch places over the winter??!!)

High roof saves the cool air inside the house - the floor is gipsum - woven mat of palm leaf in living room

to have more light in the room I decided not to make cabinets under the countertop - love this colourful woven dining chairs from Java

VEGETARIAN LAMP  made by me

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Reader's home - a bit of New York industrial in Paris

Philippe Choplin (of Le Loft Interior Decoration) is a Parisian about to become a resident of New York and pursue his career as an interior designer (after 25+ years in IT). He sent us photos of his remodelled townhouse in Paris, where an industrial New York loft was his inspiration. Fellow readers, if you've got a male significant other in your life who is all about masculine decor where industrial touches are abundant, grab them now and have them take a peek at this. Philippe's home is about as masculine and industrial as you can get (I'd just lose the tablecloth on the dining table). Here's a bit of info on this pretty cool guy's pad, including details of Philippe's amazing vintage finds. 
This project was realized by an architect (Philippe Ponceblanc) and a soon-to-be Interior Designer (Philippe Choplin). Philippe Choplin custom-designed 2 light fixtures using American telegraph pole isolators. Below is an abstract list of the decorative objects serving the decoration:
- a 1920s Cutler Mail System from a hotel in Knoxville, TN equipped with 6 stories of "chute"
- a 1960s Marvy barber pole
- 30+ American car door handles from the 1950s
- never-used 1950s bakelite switches
- a metal & glass office door which was transformed into a sliding door
- NYC subway grab handles from the 60s
- a Duncan-Miller parking meter from the 40s
The kitchen is by Leicht and Siemens.
Le Loft Interior Decoration will bring French style to American homes and US Industrial style to French houses. It will focus on using the latest technology and appliance, but realizing decoration that have the soul of vintage and reclaim. 

BEFORE

AFTER

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Stalking a picture in my inspiration files

It was the chairs, those bus roll upholstered chairs. I'd coveted them for years. There couldn't be two sets. Sorry I've started this story a little far into the timeline. Rewind. Email waiting in my inbox. A little teaser. "Thought I would share this house with you." That's all but like a terrier on a scent down the rabbit hole I went. Scroll, scroll. Bam. It was the chairs, those bus roll upholstered chairs. I'd coveted them for years. Email back. Gush thanks. Confess my thing for those chairs. "Are you the owner or the agent?" And the owner, or should I say soon to be ex-owner, wrote back. Yes the house had been in Living Etc . That's where I had seen the chairs. That's where my love affair with their house began. Strange that a number of years on and I'm talking to an Aussie in London who owns those chairs, who has just sold that house. It's a small world full of wonderful coincidences and serendipity. I just have one more question for the owners. I hadn't remembered when we were emailing, only when I found the house feature online. Do you still have the display case? I've coveted it for years ....

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A Glebe home tour - part 2

I have TONS of photos left to share of Kathrin and her family's home in the Glebe. This time it's the dining room, kitchen and backyard. (The tour is the afternoon of September 15th and if you're in the Ottawa area you've got to check it out! Details are here, and you'll get a chance to tour this home for yourself, and several others! Oh - and Kathrin's carpenter is Phil Robilliard in case anyone wants to use him to build all sorts of goodies like Kathrin has).

{ that's Sasha trying to hide from my wide angle lens :-) }

{ this desk was a trash find }

{ the kitchen was very dark and narrow so the wall was opened up to make it more open and bright - SUCCESS!!! }

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