Item of Note: An oval ottoman/table for an affordable price!

An ottoman/table was something I always imagined having, I had seen it used in so many beautiful ways, as a living-room table even as a center sitting piece in a walk-in closet! It had eventually become a piece of furnishing that I always wished I had but never could afford. Cost Plus World Market now has an ottoman/table that is more than affordable, $99.99 (on sale from $199.99)!

Not only can the Mulberry Lucille Oval Ottoman be used as an ottoman or for sitting but also for storage! Now that is one versatile furnishing.

Cost Plus World Market sale items tend to go pretty fast so if you're in the least bit interested get in on it fast! Click here for more details on the Mulberry Lucille Oval Ottoman @Cost Plus World Market. Save yourself an empty-handed trip and remember to call your local World Market first to see if they have it in stock.

Home Of: Steven Meisel

Steven Meisel

Date of Birth:  1954

Place of Birth:  New York City

Occupation:  Photographer

Most famously known for his works in fashion photography

*Pictures via Architectural Digest

 View of the exterior

 Den 

Living-room

 Library

 Kitchen

 Master bedroom

Master bathroom

Read the full article on AD by Mayer Rus:

Steven Meisel's Midcentury House In Los Angeles

Cozy Dining-Rooms

You may opt for a formal dining-room, but if you're anything like me you will probably feel most comfortable in a not-so-formal one. Formal dining-rooms are very beautiful but the pressure to sit-up straight as a stick, to not have a finger or elbow out of place and to eat with formal dining etiquette (this fork for this, that fork for that) can be a bit much for my digestion. My idea of a dinner party is, close friends, dim lights, a quiet chatter or even, dare I say, gossip. Reaching over the table for hot bread buns, a shared dish of butter... this is what I see for a dinner party in my home. And for a dinner party like this, or for any dinner like this for that matter, one will need a comfortable, cozy and friendly atmosphere.

A FEW ATTRIBUTES TO MAKING IT COZY

FIREPLACE... Add warmth, now that's cozy

Maybe it is because we envision winter time when we see a fireplace that make us feel so comforted; sitting around a fire during a storm reading a book with a cup of hot chocolate while we wear our most warm and comfortable.

DINING-ROOM FURNITURE... That isn't exactly dining-room material can be cozy

A large dresser drawer there and a table lamp here, all on a beautiful arabian rug can exude an atmosphere that makes diners feel that it is okay to 'let go'. "Forget formal dining etiquette" it might say.

THE LOVE SEAT... Cozy for two, cozy for all

Adding other non-traditional seating, such as a love seat is probably one of the most simplest ways to transform your dining area into a cozy one.

THE FRIENDLY CHALKBOARD... a casualness that comforts by saying "you'll be okay here"

Perhaps it is reminiscent of our childhood that makes chalkboards so friendly and warm, remember your 2nd grade classroom? The room with its colorful tightly knit carpet, games and toys off in one corner, colorful 2nd grades drawings all over the wall, and in the corner a little alcove where one had cubbies and hooks to put their belongings... and of course at center, the chalkboard.

ALCOVE SEATING... Snug

The bench seating that goes around the table reminds us of alcove dining areas that are dimly lit and comfortable with its cushions and throw pillows. Cozy.

AMBIENCE... It's just cozy

Keeping it casual is the best way to keep it inviting, thus, cozy.

I Stand Behind: Ikea's Dragor rug

When I first purchased the 6'7" x 9'10" reversible Dragor rug at Ikea for $79.99 I really was just excited about the great deal for the large area rug. I did not expect it to last even 2 years, I honestly expected it to simply unravel with every step I took on it, but I was wrong, because here I am 3 years and some months later with the same looking Dragor rug- there is no unraveling, no thread out of place, no stain seen, it has survived one move and and a rather enthusiastic and playful poodle-terrier... and it is still the same Dragor rug I bought 3 years and some months ago.

I have come to love and appreciate the Dragor rug so much in fact, that I went and bought a second to place near the fireplace.

At $79.99 the rug is not only the most affordable in its size, but it also comes in three different sizes: 4'7" x 6'7", 5'7" x 7'10" and 6'7" x 9'10" and is also reversible giving you two different color-blocks to choose from, brown border and a beige center or beige border and a brown center. The flat-woven rug surface makes this area rug ideal for 1. Layering (as shown in the picture below near the fireplace) or 2. As a rug for the dining area where chairs will be pulled in and out continuously (as shown in the dining area picture above). And while some may say that the rug is a bit bland and boring, I say that the rug is perfectly neutral which means it is great for setting anywhere and easier to decorate around.

Check out the Dragor rug @ Ikea

I Stand Behind: Yoga blankets as a throw

My last throw blanket that I purchased from Bed Bath & Beyond was cheap, the softness of the fur only lasted a week or so before I began to realize that the more I used it the more matted and oily-like the fur became, so when I adopted Annie from a rescue I gave her, whole-heartedly, the throw blanket. And so, ever since, I have been looking for that worthy throw blanket. The requirements of the throw blanket were:

1. Price: Affordability was a major factor (of course!). While I came across many beautiful Mexican woven throw blankets, they were all out of my price range at $250+. I was willing to spend at most just a bit over $100 (and that's only if I really had to).

2. Material: Woven. A woven throw blanket was my first choice mainly because it is sturdy while softening with time and the kind of look I was hoping to achieve in my home.

I did not expect a throw blanket to be expensive but every time I passed a window display or  throw blanket in a home store the price was always more than I had imagined, definitely much more than I was willing to spend. And then one day in my yoga class going into my Downward Dog pose, I found myself staring at the beautiful gray Mexican yoga blanket neatly folded beneath me, this got me thinking. After class I found myself in the tiny little yoga store that is a part of the yoga studio and saw a stack of Mexican yoga blankets, all in different colors but in the same material, size and design, and when I asked for the price I was completely blown away... $26.00! I grabbed one immediately and even contemplated getting a second. Funny enough the throw blanket that I have been hunting for for a whole year was not a throw blanket at all but a yoga blanket! What's the difference? Nothing really.

And of course when I brought it home, Annie claimed it immediately.

There are a few different places you can purchase different Mexican woven yoga blankets on-line and quite a few designs to choose from in a wide range of colors. I purchased my yoga blanket (a Yogaworks brand) at my local Yogaworks studio, I found this to be advantageous especially for choosing the right color and taking a closer look at the thickness and such.

YogaWorks studio locations

Home Of: Benedikt Bolza

Benedikt Bolza

Date of birth:  Unknown

Place of birth:  Unknown

Occupation:  Architect & designer

Most famously known for his works as an architect & designer on the Reschio Estate

*Pictures via AD

Drawing Room

stairwell

Kitchen

Sitting area in the kitchen

Dining alcove

The study

Children's playroom

Guest bedroom

Guest bathroom

Guest bathroom

Guest bedroom

Garden sitting area

Read the full article:

A Rustic Farmhouse In The Hills Of Italy by Marella Caracciolo 

at Architectural Digest

Item of Note: Copper Dial Thermometer

For as long as I have known him, my husband has had a thing for thermometers, specifically the kind that gives you a reading on the weather. Since I have known him he has bought a total of three thermometers, all of which, in his mind is not the one he was looking for; they were either too inaccurate, simply, the thermometers were inconvenient in some way or other. Living with him I have come to realize that being a perfectionalist is hard in a world where everything is made by man, who is, in a word, imperfect.

Browsing Terrain one day, I came upon their new copper thermometer. Beautifully designed and said to be highly accurate this German thermometer is the first thermometer I have had an interest in and when I introduced it to my husband actually peaked an intense interest in him as well, especially the "highly accurate" phrase. 

While I cannot say that this is the perfect thermometer (that is a rather bold and rare statement) I can say that it is nearest to the perfect thermometer that I have yet to come across. And of course it is absolutely beautiful too, which simply goes to show that a thermometer does not have to be unattractive, which unfortunately they usually are.

Take a more detailed look at the Copper Dial Thermometer @ Terrain

Flemish Kitchens

The Flemish kitchen favors simplicity and utility, thus exposed shelving, minimal decor and large open spaced kitchen where kitchen and dining area are one can be seen as very important aspects and are characteristics often not missed in the Flemish and Flemish-inspired kitchen. If there is to be any detail worth noting that goes beyond simplicity and utility it would be the tile-work and in more exquisite traditional Flemish kitchens, the fireplace. While both the tile-work and fireplace may still be seen in today's standards as being rather simple, for the traditional Flemish kitchen it is worth noting. Above and below are a few examples, pictures of the look of the traditional Flemish kitchen style.

FLEMISH INSPIRED KITCHENS

Above and below are a few examples of beautiful modern Flemish-inspired kitchens. Characteristics such as simple tile-work, the use of wood, commune tables, large open spaces, vintage style ovens and open shelving are examples of how the Flemish kitchen has inspired these pictured.