Delightful home of Marina Coriasco

I have been loving these photos of stylist Marina Coriasco's home, shown in Elle Interior (Norway) in December 2008. About that living room- I never have thought I could live in a loft-like open area, because unless you are a sparse decorator, it might tend to look messy. But here, I think she's achieved a good division of the space, with the areas being well-defined, yet everything blends visually without chaos. It looks livable to me.

The details in the bedroom are also lovely. I only wish there were more of these so we could further explore her home. These are taken by the talented photographer, Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer.

Vignettes

Some people have a talent for creating vignettes of things that fit together visually. I look at these and wonder what ideas went into creating the scene and how the objects were chosen- for their similarities or maybe their dissimilarities, such as the lace plastic modern basket beside an aged and worn scrapbook of lace doilies beside it. Vignettes are often a really personal collection of things that create a mood, which is why they appeal to me. I love seeing an assemblage of little favorites, sentimental objects or family photographs in the home- on a desk, bedside table or shelf. (photos: top two from stylist Katie Sellers; UK Country Living; Country Home magazine; photos 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 from stylist Stephanie Hanes)

The comfort of a lovely bed

Don't you just love bedrooms like this? I could just fall right in to one of these beds. Simple and comfortable but not "done"- love these. (photos in order: top and fifth photo from stylist Twig Hutchinson; 2nd - 4th photos- marie claire maison; the blog absolutely beautiful things, photographer debi treloar)

Dining room chairs

I've been looking for dining room chairs for the longest time. My table is a very old weathered "farmhouse-type" table of light-colored wood. Currently I have mismatched chairs of darker wood but the look isn't working at all- probably because I don't like the chairs individually.
I love some of the classic Thonet bentwood chairs I've seen recently (those in the 2nd photo of this group are my favorite), however they are so expensive. (photos from domino and the Provence home of this blogger's grandmother)



I've just aquired a set of 4 chairs that look like Tolix chairs- kind of like these above, but with a steel finish, and I'm thinking of painting them. (this photo from coco+kelly)

living etc.

from viva terra

photo from diana vinoly interiors

living etc.

The colorful Eames chairs seem a great match for almost any dining table, but it is a look that has been done to death, I'm afraid! I'm still tempted to use black and white ones. (photos from the home of AB Chao via apartmenttherapy.com; the home of Heather Frazier on apartmenttherapy.com)




These white Bertoia chairs look lovely with this white weathered wood table, especially in such a sunny room! (photo from Jed Johnson)

I like the mismatched look here, but to make it work, I think either everything else in the room needs to be sparse and serene (like this one) or the room should be really spacious. (living etc.)

I also think that the dining chairs matter very little if the kitchen / dining space is this great. (photos: nadia tolstoy's home on apt therapy; domino magazine)

Artist John Dilnot

The other day as I was wandering around in a London neighborhood near Bloomsbury, I happened upon a gallery showing works by the artist John Dilnot. He's a British artist, characterized as "urbanist" , who creates books, prints and other works from found objects. I immediately liked his work shown at this gallery- cut paper collages in handmade wooden boxes.








Chris Lethbridge describes his work like this: "John Dilnot’s art is the expression of an intensely urban and industrial society, obsessed by its agrarian past...Memories of past agricultural squalor, hardship and poverty have been suppressed in favour of the classic archetype of England, as pastoral Never Never Land. Through the period of the 20th century imperial and economic decline this sense of a retreat into a fantasy as a panacea for contemporary reality has become ever more pronounced."

Sunlit spaces

The past few autumn days here in London have been heavenly: crisp and cool with brilliant blue skies. It would be a shame to sit inside on days like this unless you have a room in your house that lets the sunlight stream in. Like these. (photos from Domino, Cote Sud)