hoo favourites

I love this sleek little nook. Black and marble with a splash of gold. Beauty.

Compact and cute. Dying over the hex tiled floor. 

Not a new concept, but it is amazing what you can accomplish with a set of kitchen cabinets and a slab of marble.

*** HOT ***

Another hot bathroom. Complete with black marble, white subway tiles, one of my favourite mirrors, and black hex floor tiles. 

If you have a gorgeous tile, why not run it along the floor and up the wall!

 Love the brass lights and the cool theater chair. Perfect for a narrow hallway.

{{{ via hoo }}}

Almost perfect

The only thing stopping this bathroom from being perfect is that it's not real. Oh how cruel (and life like) computer rendering is these days. Can't wait to see the real thing when it is built. Design by Studio You Me and filed away for inspiration by me.

El Quiosc

It is really unfortunate that Barcelona is no where near Ottawa because I would LOVE to check out this restaurant in person (and maybe even try a burger while I'm there). Alex of Blanco Azabache Interiorismo thought we would like to share this latest project of his with you all. It is a burger joint called EL Quiosc. It is an old house in the center of the town of Mataró (Barcelona) that after abandoning the shoemaker who had his workshop there decided to rent my clients to transform into a gourmet burger, with a industrial retro aesthetics (4 rooms, entrance area + the childs playground). As an aficionado of all things industrial, I love what Alex has done with this space. Lots of rustic and industrial touches with a French and Spanish vibe make this a quirky yet fun and inviting restaurant. There are lots of elements I would love in my own home - from every bit of lighting and seating to the hanging terrariums and tile flooring (YES!). 

Click to read more ...

A Victorian kitchen

Jessica Helgerson is the queen of kitchens, and I had to share yet another one of her amazing kitchen renovations. The kitchen and dining room were remodelled in this old Victorian home in Portland, making a larger, brighter kitchen by using part of a sun porch. It is absolutely beautiful, and so conducive to having large family gatherings where everyone congregates in the kitchen (it's even houses a sofa in case it wasn't inviting enough!)

Click to read more ...

Holiday chaos

As usual, I waited until the last minute to get myself organized for the holidays. I blame it on having 2 jobs and too many cats. :) And OMG this is the worst time of year when you've got nosy cats and no place to store wrapped presents out of reach. I spent about 4 hours yesterday wrapping presents and then we created a mountain of them by the front door so I can take the lot to my parents' house tomorrow to stash until the big day. I caught 2 cats on the pile within 5 minutes. AAAGGGHHHH!!!!! Needless to say I am so freaking busy so I whipped up this post really quick. I love this home. It is located in Piacenza, Italy, and is a fabulously modern without being too cold. There is some bold colour here and there to keep it from being too stark, some REALLY amazing tiles in the kitchen for a serious jolt of pattern, some walls clad in the same hardwood as the floor to warm the space, and some to-die-for lighting (I have always wanted one of those Flos Parentesi suspension lamps!). I'm not a fan of the bedroom or grey bathroom though but the rest makes up for these. Via Le case di Elixìr. 

Click to read more ...