Country Inspired Kitchens



I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I have a thing for the country, which I think, is perfectly normal for a girl who has lived in the city her entire life.  My goal, which slowly and sadly is turning into more of a dream is that one day I'll get to live in the country.  I saw that Architectural Digest did a post with a compilation of beautiful country-styled kitchens and so, unable to help myself, here I am sharing.  I hope you enjoy these beautiful kitchen ideas.


*Photographs from Architectural Digest
The rawness of the wood beams caught my eye

White-washed clay walls- I love it!

Italian country-side

A very colonial country-side

Contemporary country

Modern country

Perfect country



New Notable Item @ West Elm: Glass Jar Pendants


I saw the new glass pendant jars at West Elm and thought they were simply fabulous!  Just had to share these unique urban-styled light fixtures that come in two different shapes and tints.


Glass Jar Pendants @ West Elm


Home of: Portia de Rossi & Ellen DeGeneres


Birth name:  Ellen Lee DeGeneres / Amanda Lee Rogers
AKA:  Ellen DeGeneres / Portia de Rossi
Date of birth:  January 26, 1958 / January 31, 1973
Place of birth:  Louisiana / Australia
Occupation:  Comedian, Actress / Actress


Pictures from Architectural Digest
Entry way with ping-pong table

Family room

Dining room

Closet

Backyard pool


Read the article at Architectural Digest


West Elm's Notable Item: Paul Loebach Credenza

Paul Loebach Credenza @ West Elm


Paul Loebach's Credenza table... A modern vintage... eclectic?  Table.  I may be at a loss for words on how to properly describe and detail the credenza table but it clearly took my breath away the first moment I set my eyes on it.  Wood with high gloss, I'm not quite sure if I've seen this combination before, but it works.

The kind of table that can transform and hold a room together, now that's the type of furnishing worth paying for, which brings me around to the pricing of this beauty, at $599.00 - it is decently priced.


Front view



Also comes in white



Paul Loebach's Credenza Table was such an attention grabber for me that I became curious about the designer.  With the push of a few keys I was able to find his website that proves he is an eclectic visionary in the realm of furniture design.  Check it out for yourself at Paul Loebach.


I Stand Behind: Large jars for storage

1-gallon Glass Storage Jar $13.99 @ Costplus World Market

I do yoga and love to soak in the tub once a week, my significant other does... well to be honest, I'm not sure what he does but he loves to soak in the tub at least once a week too.  And for all our body aches and pains we love to sprinkle a cup or two of fragrant bath salts to ease the pain and for a more deeper relaxation, whether the salts actually work- I have no idea, but they smell great and do make for a more relaxed bath time.  

Taking a bath once a week for each of us requires a bit of bath salt, so we buy the bath salts in bulk, and though the bath salts come in a pretty purple package it just isn't attractive enough to have it sitting around out in the bathroom.  To fix the problem of the bulk-buy bath salts I bought a very affordable 1-gallon glass container from the kitchen section in Costplus World Market to store my salts in, and it works wonderfully!  I can empty about 2-3 lbs of bath salts in the jar and leave it sitting out on the bathroom table, it looks wonderful and with a small glass scooper in the jar the salt is easily accessed.




Alessandra Branca interior design



When I look at Alessandra Branca's interior designs I honestly can't put my finger on what it is that I love so much about her concept, the best way I can describe what I see in her designs is that... "she runs with it".  As you look below at her designs I think you will understand what I mean, but let us begin with the living-room pictured above, in this room Branca ran with the idea of "mixing it up", the tall twig centerpiece can very well be described as contemporary compared to her circular carved wooden side-table and twin turquoise vases on the wall which would be described as ethnic.  Her twin turquoise arm chairs on the far wall contain an essence of period piece furnishings from the 18th century, on the other hand the sofa and armchair set looks very much "today".  All the pieces that make up the living-room are indeed different in time and design and yet Branca has gathered them together in this single room to create a space that looks not disordered but intriguing to the eye.

"Uniform, even and proportionate" is also something Branca likes to play with in her designs, pictured below you'll find two rooms in which mirroring seems to be quite apparent, and then you will see a key feature in the rooms that will throw this idea of "mirroring" off, a rather sophisticated way of toying with our brains... but I also believe it makes the look and feel of the room as a whole, fun and quirky.

The blue vertical lines v.s. the animal & tree wallpaper at center

The glass side table to the left & the orange-glowing chandelier plays with the room's
proportionate features


Wallpapers are always fun and interesting to make the spotlight of in a particular room.  And from looking at the two wallpapers below it seems Branca has a thing for birds and elegance which she has extended throughout the bedroom (pictured below) using light airy colors allowing the wallpaper to be the key feature.




Branca has a way with space arranging sitting area(s) in the least likely position, using corners to create a more homely and comfortable space is something that Branca did in her below pictures.




My favorite is pictured below, Branca uses a colorful sofa bench against the black and white tiled entry way.  The stark contrast between the look and the design of the bench against the tiled flooring is eye-candy to me.




Alessandra Branca.com

Antique Tube Radios @ Bryan Radios

Monarch Hi-Fi - Red
6.5" length, 4" wide, 4" height

If you've been following my posts for some time now it won't be a surprise to you that I'm actually from a time long ago, I often say that I must have been born in the 1920's or 1940's in my previous life because my love of vintage things are completely out of control!  Let me just say that the decision to rent the 1920's flat I'm living in now was made because I fell in love with the vintage 1920's stove in the kitchen.  

All this jibber-jabber is an introduction to the Antique Tube Radios I'm posting today, sold by Bryan Radios.  They are absolutely beautiful! 

Silvertone 101-808-1C
10" tall, 13.5" wide, 7" deep
Volume, tuning, tone and on/off control knobs
also has 4 pushbuttons for auto preset stations

Emerson - Radio Phono
14.5" x 13" x 9"
Listen to AM radio, 33/45 rpm vinyls, Iphone and mp3



View Bryan Radios' complete collection of Antique Tube Radios