I’m a proud new Auntie! Twice over, in fact – and not even from twins. Both of my sisters had babies in the past week. Little Molly was born on the 20th and my nephew Charlie came a week later on the 27th. I am so excited. In honour of their arrival, I wanted to dedicate the next few posts to kids related stuff.
Here’s a start with some gorgeous looking nurseries and kids rooms. Above: Room featured in Cookie Magazine; Designed by Koko Architecture and Design
I’m drawn to grey walls for kids rooms. Here’s another example of how it can really work in a darker shade. Photo care of Bloesem Kids.
For slightly older kids, here are some inspiring designs
Above: Photos from Emmas DesignBlogg
I love the BDDW rug featured below. This room is a great example of how to add some sophistication to a space for kids. Beautiful. The photo is from book Brooklyn Modern and was taken by photographer Yoko Inoue
I view lighting in a similar way that I think about rugs and art – a great way to add character and personal detail to a space. Here are some pendants that I’m considering for above the island:
Above: I’ve loved the Carravaggio pendant for a long time. It’s available at YLighting ($275).
Above: These “heavy light” pendants were designed by Benjamin Hubert Studio and are produced by Decode. Unfortunately, they are not yet available in North America. But, stay tuned…they’ll be here soon.
Below: T-2206 Pendant Light from YLighting ($845).
I love the shape and simplicity of these pendants:
Above: Flos Glo Light; I can’t remember where I spotted the dome light…but I hope to track down a source soon enough. Bottom image is the A110 light designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek.
Below: The Mega Bulb Pendant by Ameico is about as simple as it gets. Maybe that’s why I love it. Available at YLighting ($280). Muuto also makes a plain old light bulb look anything but plain with their E27 series. Tough to decide on a colour – there are tons (Available at DWR for $99).
Now that I’ve got the kitchen on my mind, I figured it would be a good time to think about the finishing details. We’re a while away from buying any sort of furniture, but we will need some good stools for the island.
If price wasn’t a factor, I’d be buying one (or 4) of these:
Now that we’ve narrowed down our fixture selection, we need to design a kitchen to house one of these lovely faucets.
I have more clippings for the kitchen than any other room, yet I still continue to search. We’re going to have a predominantly white space, but adding all the little details to make it unique will be the real challenge.
I’m sure I’ll post many more images along the way, but here are some initial shots to grab your attention:
Above: I think Bulthaup makes the most beautiful and carefully thought out contemporary spaces. They have a modern, clean aesthetic, but still feel warm. Their kitchens also seem very practical. A nice mix all around.
Here are a few more spaces that are far from expected
Things are about to get a bit tactical. One of our first tasks for our home build is to choose fixtures – that includes everything from the kitchen sink (literally) to bathroom faucets. A simple enough request, right? Well, maybe not.
A faucet isn’t just a faucet. The ones that look beautiful, might be a pain to use. I’d love to get a square-edge (zero radius) kitchen sink, but will it be a nightmare to clean? Probably. I’ve seen some wall mounted faucets that look amazing, but then I noticed the price. Eek.
We’ll be holding back in tons of spots, but for the time being, I think we’ll step it up for the kitchen faucet. It’s probably the most used fixture, after all (or at least that’s what I’ve been tell myself).
Here are a few pieces that have caught my eye.
Above: Dornbracht faucets (Meta 0.2, Elio, and Tara Classic).
Below: Hansgrohe Axor Starck faucet. I don’t think we’ll ultimately choose this industrial look, but the Hansgrohe version is quite minimalistic.
Browsing through one of the final issues of Metropolitan Home (November 2009), I came across the stunning San Antonio home of Dixie Chick, Emily Robison. It’s got beautiful steel windows, one of my favourite BDDW lights, Cherner stools, and an overall great aesthetic. Who knew?
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of Elle Décor’s April 2010 issue, here are some shots of Christine D’Ornano’s stunning London home.
This house is filled with character and fabulous lighting fixtures! I love the pink living room walls and of course, the Serge Mouille lighting. The floral wallpaper by Osborne & Little adds a whimsical touch to a home already filled with amazing details.
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’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).
Above: Room featured in Cookie Magazine; Designed by Koko Architecture and Design
Photo by Ditte Isager
