Having spent my childhood summers in Maine, I have a thing for the beach. While I gravitate towards clapboard and shingled homes, it really doesn’t matter where I am. I love the sound, the smells, the feeling of dipping my toes in chilly salt water. I’m not one to sit and lounge in the sun for hours, but there’s nothing better than spending an afternoon by the shore, in my opinion.
Fresh off the plane from our Florida vacation, I thought I’d share some shots that bring it all back – well, minus the Florida part:)
Check out these inventive spots that make the most out of what they’ve got:
Above: Pre-fab home by Swedish Architects Sommarnojen, discovered on Remodelista
Above: Designer Nina Tolstrup built this beautiful 388 sq.ft. beach home. Photo care of Mopu42
I’ve never paid as much attention to the windows on houses I pass by as I have lately. I discretely (sort of) walk up to stranger’s homes and touch their frames to see if they’re wood or aluminum. I used to just notice a house and comment on aesthetics. Now I ask questions like “are those aluminum clad or anodized?”
In any event, I’ve discovered a new found love for steel / metal windows. They’re stunning. Take a peek:
We want an industrial look, but we also don’t want to be freezing in the winter. I’ve been told that steel windows have come a long way, but given that we’re living in Toronto, we’ve decided to opt for something more practical / affordable. Exactly what, we’re unsure at this point. While we decide, why not check out these inspiring views:
Before we thought about exterior sketches or what type of home we wanted, we started collecting images. Lots of images. The photos below are nothing like what we’re ultimately going to have (sigh), but I found inspiration in these shots.
I love the mix of old and new together. That will be our challenge – to build a new house with with the character of a lived in space.
The staircase featured in this Paris apartment by Ecole design group, is incredible. Personally, I’d be petrified to reach the second floor and this is definitely not a kid friendly place, but the aesthetic is amazing.
We are oh so close to starting our new house build. As such, I’ve been doing a lot of digging for design ideas. I have to be careful not to waste entire afternoons searching through architecture and design sites. There’s just so much great stuff out there that it’s easy to lose track of time….and focus. Although I was on the lookout for great kitchen designs, I recently found myself drooling over country homes.
Wouldn’t it be nice to call one of these spots home?
Is it just me or are yellow design accents popping up everywhere? Maybe it’s the winter blahs that are drawing me to one of the happiest colours around. But I’m kind-of-into all the yellow I’ve been seeing.
The first set of chairs I noticed was from Laplace & Co architecture and design. You could get very lost at this site. Stunning. These chairs are from their Place St. Georges project.
Then I spotted these cheery yellow chairs care of stylist Elodie Rambaud
I was flipping through the latest LivingEtc. and saw this yellow kitchen. It’s a bit too bold for me, but then again, so is living in a concrete house. But you’ve got to give architect Greg Katz and wife Caryn credit – it really works for this space.
New Year’s was pretty quiet this year. We had just returned from our holiday trip. Babysitter-less and exhausted, we opted to stay home. We did enjoy some delicious lobster and had a lovely time. But if there’s a party I could have gone to, I think it would have been the one I just read about in Food&Wine.
Forget the amazing food for a moment – I’d love to check out the Chemosphere house in Los Angeles. I mean, really. Art-book publisher Benedikt Taschen and his wife, Lauren, had a killer setting to ring in the New Year. They also brought two of the best-rated new chefs in 2009 (Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo) to cater the meal. Now, I admit, I’d never heard of Jon or Vinny before reading the article. But I imagine they’re pretty damn good.
Plus, guests got to take a “hillavator” or tram to reach the party. It is 2010 after all.
I’m Katherine Yaphe, the founder and designer behind Oliver Yaphe, Inc. This business was an idea in my mind for a long time. I knew that I wanted to build something, I just didn’t know how. I worked in the corporate world dreaming of what to do next. Then one day I decided to just start. I launched with rugs. Branched off to artwork. Paper came next. We’ll see what’s to come. What I do know, is there will be more.
Oliver Yaphe Blog
I love being inspired to create. It doesn’t matter how big or small the undertaking, it’s more about this feeling that drives so much of what I do. This blog is my space to instill a bit of that energy to my readers. It’s a lofty goal. I might fail horribly. But every once in a while, something might click (or at least I hope so).
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