Holiday cottage in Maine

There was a great holiday cottage featured in Houzz newsletter which caught my eye.  It is from Hunting Island in Maine and I love how the light and airy interiors contrast with the harsh landscape and roughness of the building. There is something so interesting about the glass shower box against the rock walls and I love the tree branch used on the stair case.  I find that sometimes with cottages like this the interiors are very dark and gloomy with mahogany woods and red tones, but this scheme is almost french countryside chic.
The house was designed by Knickerbocker Group (architects) and photos taken by Darren Setlow and borrowed from Houzz.

more headboards

I am feeling very inspired by the headboard I made in the weekend, I think I might have to make another one. I found this picture and think it would be cool to have a go at making something like this next.  Just have to figure out where to buy the studs from, spotlight maybe?

Homemade headboard

I was very productive yesterday and made someting I have wanted to make for ages, but never got around to it - until now! I made a fabric headboard for my bedroom. It is made from a piece of mdf, foam, fabric and buttons and took about 2 -3 hours to make. It looks fabulous and was well worth the effort. I followed direction from http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/01/diy-simple-tufted-headboard/ for each step of the process, but once I got going it was really simple. Probably cost me about $80 all up and looks much more expensive than that! I can't wait to do one for the spare room.

Martine's

Martine's was a little cafe down the road from my hotel (La Belle Juilette)  in Paris.  It was such a cute little place with a really relaxed vibe. Martine was very helpful to us non-native speakers and we really enjoyed our lunch there. I loved the art work on the wall and the little odds and ends on the book shelves. The fresh flowers gave the cafe a homely feel. There are two rooms, one downstairs and one upstairs - but I didn't get to see the upstairs! On Martine's website, she describes the spaces as "Two rooms, two atmospheres: pop and soul in the main room, loungy and peaceful". If you are ever in the Latin Quartier go in for a piece of yummy traditional quiche! (Pictures property of Martines)

http://www.martines-paris.com/

Fernandez & Wells

Sorry for the long absence, I have been off travelling around the world on my honeymoon! I thought I would be able to post as I go, but turns out issues with flash and my ipad stopped me.  Now I have lots of interesting places from all over to share.  I'll start with Fernandez & Wells in London. I went to Fernandez & Wells after reading about it on Remodelista (there's a surprise!) It's a lovely little cafe with a great atmosphere - calm with lots of white(not unlike an art gallery space - which is fitting because it is a cafe attached to Somerset House). I very much enjoyed my flat white and a piece of cake.

 

Astrid armchair from Freedom

I have my eye on this beautiful chair from Freedom Furniture in "Dexter Ketchup" for the spare bedroom - would look great the Union Jack cushions I already bought. It is only $299!!

Gemma Smith

Love LOVE LOVE this artwork by Gemma Smith featured on the Design Files today!

Furnicular

I went to the new cafe Furnicular (above the Body Shop on Lambton Quay) yesterday for lunch. It has quite a cool decor - I love the use of red string lights. The yellow booth that wraps around the room reminds me of the couch featured in the heading of my blog - on a grander scale!  There is so little choice around Lambton Quay to eat and this little gem is tucked away where you can watch the world wander by.

The Zetter Townhouse - Boutique Hotel in London

Thanks again to Remodelista City Guides I came across a great hotel to stay in while passing through London next week. I needed somewhere near Euston station and found The Zetter Townhouse in Clerkenwell. It is eccentric and unique and in my opinion, very British. You will definitely find me sipping a cocktail in the cocktail lounge.

Clock Tower

While looking for something completely unrelated, I came across this penthouse apartment which has come up for sale in Brooklyn, NY. The clock makes such a unique wall feature in the stunning contemporary apartment. I love how it gives glimpses of the amazing surrounding view. Would love to live there, shame it is on the market for $25 million!
Photos borrowed from the NY Times.