tree house

Check out this neat article about Roald Gundersen who incorporate entire trees into his home designs. Aren't these images incredible? I want a tree in my house.

I can't even handle how gorgeous that is.

I love how much light there is in each of these rooms...gorgeous windows.

And of course he also constructed an incredible greenhouse.

(all photos via NY Times)

out in the open.

apparently craving a change of scenery in the bathroom this week... these are envy-creating. from bhg.

i love this!
in case you need to hide the entire sink?

kind of reminds me of a barn sink.

luxurious.

nothing to hide.

bathroom sink skirts would absolutely destroy these amazing rooms. from bhg.

love these sink faucets but i remember getting incredibly frustrated with the separate taps for hot and cold when i lived in scotland.

skirting around the issue.

base assumption: you must have something under your sink you want to hide.

it could very well be that you are one of the lucky owners of a beautiful pedestal sink. however, because of the very existence of a sink skirt, i assume some of these sink foundations must have something to hide. here are a few ideas.

from real simple.

from country living.

from country living.

this kind of reminds me of the circus. from bhg.

and this reminds me of a tutu. from bhg.

not sure about that window treatment. from bhg.

fire safety.

growing up, i had what probably qualifies as a phobia of fire. yes, i made my family go through the drills of what would happen if the smoke detector went off. multiple times. when my family moved into our new house, one of our first purchases was a fire screen for our fireplace. my parents were pretty sensible when it came to teaching us what we could and could not do (i apparently took it a little more to heart than they intended), but at that point, the fire screen was purely functional, rather than a piece of decor. now, looking at fire screens for sale, i realize there is a plethora of choices - perhaps i'm glad i don't have a fire place from which i need to protect myself. or perhaps i'm a little jealous.

from target
from target

from pottery barn

from plow and hearth

changing seasons.

i scored a small victory when i convinced my husband that he could not place a rug on our coffee table (literally, a rug. and it clashed beyond repair with everything.). my compromise was instead of a rug (or his next suggestion: a large round table cloth for the poor, defenseless rectangular table) was two placemats. i even let him help choose - a nice neutral beige. he likes it because it breaks up the plain monotony of a wooden table top, and i like it because it doesn't overpower the simplicity - and it will be changing with the seasons. it is a perfect foundation for a festive, fall table decoration (or two small ones). these are examples from bhg.

bathroom envy.

trying to figure out how to transform my bathroom into a place like this:step one: find a vintage dresser and then put a gorgeous piece of stone on top.
step two: convince my husband to install a faucet like this. (i foresee a problem with step 2)

(photos via bhg.)

cozy on up.

after a cold, rainy weekend, i truly appreciate the ability to cuddle up in a perfectly cozy room. something about the safety of a warm, dry bedroom, living room, dining room, or office makes a dreary day amazingly satisfying, especially if you are able to tick off the majority of items on your to-do list while listening to the rain. so... here are a few ideas on how to cozy up your home from bhg.

putting the long table cloth on the table instantly changes the seasons, especially with the long, heavy drapes.
love the portiere.

that blanket looks perfect.

the long, heavy drapes again are beautiful - and i love the colors.

yes, please!

you can definitely tell this room is perfect for spring or summer weather, but by adding the runner to the table and the blanket to the bench, it can definitely suffice for fall.

i think the mantel could use a little more coziness, but as long as the fireplace works, i'm okay with it.

you'd be amazed at how many people i have seen traipsing out of target with baskets full of pillows. this one really seems to be catching on this year.

i'll take the blanket and the puppy!

welcome back.

who doesn't love shabby chic? who isn't happy that it is back after a spell of economic hard times? nobody. absolutely nobody. the new york times had an article this weekend about the comeback of rachel ashwell and shabby chic.

bake me a cookie!

perhaps it is the cool weather, but i am dying to spend a weekend in the kitchen baking something warm and delicious. here are a few kitchens i wouldn't mind invading.

from southern living from ideal home

from ideal home