A unique tile statement that says: why not?

Over the past year I’ve noticed a growing number of bathrooms with white tile and dark grout. Traditionally, that was a no-no except on floors.  But this is the first time I’ve seen bright-color grout used to ramp up the decorative value of plain white tile. I think it’s fabulous and budget friendly – look how it jazzes up standard 4 x 4 glazed tile!  True, grout is permanent but a carefully chosen flamboyant color insures that no bathroom tile will ever suffers from “the blands” we see too often.

(Source: fromScandinaviawithlove)

A collection of handcrafted custom gate ideas.

Our three children were in college when we built our Alabama Stone Cottage. The framers asked (more than once) why I didn’t want a door at the top of the stairs. I explained we had a dreary basement in our last home of 20 years – this one has a lower level. Closing off the stairs would make a big dent in this open and accessible feature. Fast forward six years, through graduations and a wedding.  As soon as DD2 announced she was expecting, and the Eclectic-Gender Neutral Nursery was ready, thoughts of his and future grandchildren crawling, walking and running around the house started a search for gate ideas.  The stairway is wide and the opening is arched to mimic the kitchen entrance to the left. The coat closet is directly across from the stairway and the wide door going to garage is to the right. I searched the internet for pre-built wooden baby and pet gates, but everything I found that would fit would stick out like a sore thumb. I wanted the gate to blend in with the rest of our home. I considered numerous options to rework: a pair of vintage shutters, cutting down a vintage door, repurposing an iron gate, decorative metal sheets, metal scissor gates and vintage elevator doors. It was sort of like The Three Bears — pieces I found were either too big or too small, never just right.

Then along came Larry.  I emailed him pictures of rustic garden gates, and he promised he could build us a sturdy and safe gate using salvaged wood and copper piping that would keep Baby J upstairs, but still be pet-friendly allowing our three cats slip downstairs for their daily naps.  A perfect gate would have been able to slide to the left when opened, in front of the wall.  As luck would have it, the wall is not quite wide enough.  Larry came up with a great solution – build a gate that appears to be a pair of gates when closed,  but is hinged so it folds against the wall when open.  He used old hinges for their patina. It’s mounted just above the baseboards to give the cats space to slip under.  We’ve gotten in the habit of leaving it closed 24/7 and I really like the secure feeling it gives when going out to the garage.  I’ve already started watching etsy for the perfect set of vintage strap hinges and/or decorative handles.  The hunt is part of the fun and I’ll update the post when they are discovered.  Dubya and Coco [top] approve of Larry’s handiwork.  Baby J will be walking soon, and our first granddaughter, Baby E, is due in June.

Here is custom pet-friendly iron gate that keeps the dog out of the cat food bowls.  We contemplated a similar design that spaced the copper pipes to allow the cats to walk-thru… but two of ours are rather large and we decided the gate would not be baby friendly.

Custom gates are an easy addition to new construction and pre-built homes. This gate features a small wheel underneath the end that swings open, which helps keep the weight evenly distributed.  The sliding hinge mechanism on the gate allows it to be easily removed when not in use.

This homeowner simply cut down a wood panel door, similar to a Dutch door but without the top half.  We had a stairway like this in our last home.  Stairs that led to an attic eventually led the way to an added master suite.  The door was removed and the stairway was left open.   Be sure to check your local building codes, as we were told this was considered a hazard during a fire emergency and, therefore, against code.  That said, it is a charming option in the right location.

A more rustic version looks like a simple panel that swings open.  Knowing the owner, none other than Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic, she spotted it during one of her antique outings when shopping for The Prairie B&B.

This contemporary wooden slat gate is reminiscent of a MCM slat bench.

The wrought iron motif of the hand railing is repeated in this custom wood and iron gate.  Designing a gate might take awhile with all the hand forged metal art and decorative parts, balusters, and panels available.

This one is very simple, and lays against the wall when not in use.  One concern I had in our space was that no one coming in or out be fooled by the gate.  I didn’t want it too low – afraid that someone might lean to far and tumble over the top.  We found that chest high was much better than wast high.

Great example of modern, yet traditional. If you can dream it, someone can build it.

Continuing staircases need more than one gate, and sometimes adjustments to the existing railing as well.  Here, blackened steel tubing and mesh panels were created and attached with custom hardware.

While I like this design, they must have dogs instead of children… as the first thing I think of is a child climbing up and over the horizontal bars.  This gate also has a wheel for operational ease.

A colorful Partridge Family bus style design is sure to please kids and the kids at heart.  This could be fashioned from painted wood or transparent colored plexiglass sheets.

Although we all want our homes to be beautiful, of course we want our family, guests and pets to stay safe.  If you are adding a baby or pet gate to your home, be sure to read the suggestions at Safety Gate Standards at Safe Kids and ASTM.org.

For more pet friendly ideas, don’t miss Built-ins For Pets.  And if you’re a Shabby Chic fan, be sure to read An Interview with Rachel Ashwell.

(Sources: Jezroc Metal, BILDnow.com, Internet, Holly Mathis Interiors, Blue Ant Studio, JD Stairs, HC Metals, Martel Fab, MILKdesign, Dijeau Poage Construction)

Linking up with Met Monday.

A 1960s color refreshes the look of traditional patterns.

What if the fabric color in any of these bedrooms was changed to pale blue, or even light green? I’d think ‘predictable’ or at worse ‘yawn.’ Would you? Yet to my eye, some of the same old patterns we see again and again – large-scale checks, toiles, and plaid have a young and comfortable spirit in these bedrooms. Updating Swedish-style bedroom color [top] really works and lavender marries well with the natural wood finish of the bed frame and side table in addition to the blue table base.

Lavender toile wallpaper sounds horrible but look how cozy that pattern makes this bedroom. White-painted furniture, trellis detail on the base of the window seat and the draped canopy over the bed help strengthen the French spirit.

Plain curtains mixed with a checked pillow and throw brings a kiss of pale violet to an off-white bedroom. Switching out the bed covering offers a flexible approach to adjusting to the seasons or, eventually updating the look.

(Sources: southern accents, skonahem, pinterest)

It’s easy being green when materials are as attractive as Elements by Durcon.

Pure quartz and post-consumer glass are fused together through a unique manufacturing process. The result is a product suitable for the kitchen, laundry and bath. The surface is non-porous so it resists staining, such as food, juice or wine. Moisture and bacteria are out of luck too — it’s NSF certified for safe food contact.  Available in a dozen colors [below], it is 100% recyclable at the end of its lifetime with the company’s Dust-to-Dust program. I have to wonder if the shiny surface would be a maintenance nightmare for some but the website states Elements is easy to clean with a soap and water mixture. An environmentally friendly surface that’s durable and beautiful.

(Source: Elements by Durcon)

More clever ideas to make life comfy for our fur family.

I continue to collect various ways for us to include pet-friendly areas in our homes.  We all know it’s not really whether Mama’a happy – it’s whether our dogs and cats are happy.  No “beware of dog” sign needed, as this big guy is all smiles. And who wouldn’t be, with his own space in the mudroom.  Humans should be happier too – no bending down to pick-up boots.

The base cabinet next to a doorway puts doggie in prime position for meeting and greeting.  Notice this cabinet was designed with him in mind, as there is no knob on the front panel.  A washable curtain makes his den more private.

Non-pet owners won’t understand all the beds in eating areas, but pet peeps know (and understand) they are always close by.

Animals love and crave attention, but it’s nice to have a safe place for them to be contained when guests drop by.  Here, a window bench at the kitchen table is nestled against a custom crate.  Spindle doors not only allow much needed airflow, but still gives them a visual connection to those nearby.

This arched niche is big enough for two.  Custom cushions can be fabricated from fast dry foam and outdoor fabrics for easy cleaning.

Out of sight, out of mind?  We love our feline friends, but decorating obsessed humans despise the dreaded litter box.  This blogger repurposed a vintage chest into a hidden space with an idea and a sharp saw.  The drawer boxes were removed and the drawer fronts were attached and hinged.  A pet door was placed on the side.

Similar to the cat cut-out in Built-ins For Pets (Part 1), this mudroom laundry room combo has a double door entry with mat (to catch the litter before it hits the wood floors).  The litter box is most likely behind door #1 (to the right) and in the dead corner space.

A modern cat cut-out graces this pair of cabinet doors.  Notice these two examples extend to the bottom from the door as well (no frame).

Not handy?  You can still have a base cabinet litter box – just not as fancy.  This one takes up more real estate but gives them the top left shelf for a litter catching mat and storage below.  For those with cats that like to push littler out of the box, using a large plastic container solves that problem.

Last, but not least, an under the stair way space gives pets room to roam.   A custom iron door adds a decorative touch, as does the heartfelt script above.

Don’t miss the double duty Utility Room Tub Sink, perfect for bathing pets.

(Sources:  Home Klondike, Better Homes & Gardens, That Inspirational Girl, House of Turquoise, Cat Basket, Internet, Maukaja, Recaptured Charm)

More than any other choice, seating IMs attitudes about taste, sociabilty and comfort.

Some people take a strictly business approach to kitchens while others want a place to cook that doubles as party- or family-central. And, of course, there’s everything in between. But over the years I’ve been involved in designing kitchens and curating our look-books here at AM, I’ve seen kitchen counter seating – often on one side of an island – become a default requirement, even with a dining table just a few feet away. And those of us who take our cooking seriously know that our kitchens must do double duty as multi-purpose, public rooms where culinary theater productions take place while the audience sits, sips and chews or maybe even lends a hand.

Enter kitchen stools. Basically, we have two types: counter height – about 26 inches, and bar height—about 31 inches. (Chair seats are usually 18-inches).  So, sitting on a kitchen stool requires a stretch or a climb.  This is important to know in the planning stage since bar-height seating tends to be less comfortable for many people than counter height. Yet these spaces often are designed without any specific seating in mind. That can make selection an afterthought, a treasure hunt, a budget nightmare, a style blunder, or perhaps a design asset — as these kitchens illustrate.

High Modern Designer – Harry Bertoia’s stools for Knoll  [top] are immediately recognizable by their wire-cage design. Created in the 1950s, this iconic looker is a frequent pick in high-end kitchens. With originals in the $1000 range (there are less costly copies) this is investment seating with a serious commitment to high style. And with flaring backs and seat cushions, they are comfortable.

Swedish Neo – Sweden’s 18th-century chairs have come to define informal elegance. One Neoclassical form with slatted back and straight tapered legs has been stretched into a bar stool as well — notably by Crate & Barrel where it is renamed “Village” and is a best-seller. As simple wood stools with backs go, this is as classic and classy as it gets. A tie-on seat-cushion easily boosts the comfort quotient and I have never seen one of these painted any color that didn’t work, even pink and silver.

Custom Upholstered – Stools with odd pie-shape upholstered seats, decorative nail heads, barley twist legs and glazed antique white finish broadcast “interior decorator was here.”  These are certainly handsome, well cushioned and stretchers on each side make good foot rests. But these aren’t geared to kids or hunky relatives – the message is feminine and inviting enough for a single glass of wine.

English Saddle – Turn them sideways and these might easily be English saddles (sans stirrups) hanging on spindly forms. While the natural luggage color provides a dash of warmth in a gray kitchen that borders on sterile,  they give off a storage vibe that is barely more cheerful and inviting than the penitentiary-style window. Here’s where a touch of country, mad color or an eccentric base could go far.

Armchair – As singular examples of bar-height stools with arms and seat cushions, these bentwood babies were obviously chosen with eating meals and hanging out in mind. And because the color stays within the same tone as the floor, cabinets and knobs, they are well integrated into the monochromatic idea of this kitchen. But here’s what I don’t get: they completely block access and setting down space for someone cooking at the $8600 CornueFe range.  So these are super stools on a barrier island in a kitchen with an odd plan.

Pop Art – Cut-out dots on fin-shape metal bases of these white stools are nothing short of statement-makers. Mid-20th century leads the way with seating for a half dozen. While the cooks up Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon, guests can gaze at starburst chandys from  upholstered seats. Still, these stools are as much sculpture as seating. Think dinner at the modern museum.

Reclaimed – Handsome and hefty right? Sure, the bases are dynamically coiled, hint at one-off salvage origins, and seem well matched to the cargo pendants. They are also are nice departure from the chippy rusticity of barn wood cabinets. Yet I can’t escape the image of rogue upholstery springs poking up through an old sofa, or a kid’s toy used to bounce around the yard.

Country – Rush seats are standard on country-style furnishings. Combining natural fiber and the ability to give when you sit, they are perennial favorites for good reason. There are no backs and not much leg room under the counter of the New Hampshire Farmhouse kitchen we toured a few months back. So if these are pulled out, they do just fine for perching.

Skirted – Skirting is making a comeback in country and suburban kitchens, laundries and bathrooms as we celebrate our DIY sewing skills and seek inexpensive solutions to concealing our stuff.  And to-the-floor slipcovers have long been used for dining room chairs. While I have a passing worry about getting tangled up in this much yardage, here is s a super look that softens up a simple kitchen. While the skirts may be as manageable as ballgowns, these stools are among the few that they make me want to run right over and sit for a while.

Industrial – This 1940s, French-style stool is gaining steam for it sturdy no nonsense design and adjustable seat. There are many versions, from vintage in the Black and White Smallbone kitchen, to handsome contemporary variations at Design within Reach and Crate and Barrel. The seats are hard but ease of turning makes them well designed for the basic task. Plus they have the lines to pull a traditional kitchen in a slightly more modern direction.

Low Rider – Cut down so the backs don’t interfere with sight lines, this stool is often the choice for super-cool minimalist hipster kitchens. Adjustable and nicely upholstered as well, they possess critical assets when a looks-are-everything choice is paramount.

Elemental – Plain wooden stools come in many forms. I’m partial to this hand-rubbed-look blocky style that reminds me of Asian woodworking. Note the gently curved seats with contrasting joinery details. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether these are fabulously handcrafted and expensive or great knock offs from Pier 1. In either case, they never intrude or assert themselves, which is part of their just-basic appeal.

Deco Chic – Lightweight and chic, galvanized steel stools are a popular choice for kitchens this year, plus they have a great backstory. Officially called Tolix Marais Counter stools, they come in chair-, counter- and bar-heights (18-30”) and were originally designed by French metal worker Xavier Pauchard in the 1930s. Still made in Burgundy for Design within Reach, they stack, have rubber feet and their utility and clean lines are uncontested. Best of all, they are afforedable  – the original reason industrial products came into use at home.

(Sources: Bonesteel Trout and Hall, House Beautiful,  Hutker Architects, Nate Berkus, Ivette/Pinterest, Lucy Interior Design, Smith and Vansant,  pinterest, pinkwallpaper, Jeff Andrews, Kitchen Lab, Gardenweb)

Ancient magazine pix and a thrift-store-find inspired my affection for banquette sofas.

It’s been many years since I’ve seen a banquette sofa – one without side arms – used in a room. Lately, I’ve come across three. The red-velvet and passementerie pair L.A. designer Antonia Hutt used to express Mediterranean-Moroccan theme [top], samples the  to the 1980s grandeur when, at a minimum, banquettes were done in velvet and trimmed with bouillon fringe around the base. Cording and tassels also were common – Hutt nailed it and embellished by adding the neck-roll-pillow arm rests.

Here’s a bona fide early ‘80s New York apartment owned by an English press lord. I’ve had this banquette sectional kicking around my files forever — you can see why it immediately came to mind. I love the lumpy down pillows and this was one of my inspirations when, a few years later,  I found a heavy, custom 6-footer for $400 in a thrift shop. I don’t have a photo (wish I did!) but after I had it reupholstered it served my single-girl apartment well for 15 years. When I moved into my husband’s place there was no space, so back to the thrift she went.

A very charming and refreshingly updated and informal banquette sofa keeps the 3-seater idea alive by using a contrasting swath of linen down the center. There’s a graceful scroll back on this piece and simple skirt. For me, it works equally well without the addition of cording or other embellishments.

Now, the Wisteria catalog has modernized the form by starting with the English style sofa on legs (no skirt), losing the low arms, streamlining the back, and keeping the seat pillow simple. I adore them all but think this latest version just may be my favorite.

(Source: antoniahutt, bonesteel trout and hall, wisteria)

French mirrors are classic, versatile decorative elements at home in any room.

Decorating advice often given to those furnishing a first home is not to rush and buy just to fill a space.  It’s better to wait, saving to buy better quality pieces adaptable not only to location but style.  Antique gold leaf mirrors fall gracefully into this category.  Aged to perfection, the patina on this wide frame is hard to miss.  The beaded trim along the glass adds another layer of detail.  What a beautiful way to start and end each day.

This grand version makes an elegant statement behind an Empire tub.  A mirror this size is ideal to generate an illusion of space.

Another large variation makes a romantic backdrop in the bedroom.  The distressed mirror allows it to perform well as a headboard.

The foyer is an easy choice for an over mantel mirror.  Its gilded frame paired with scattered sisal rugs and the zebra stair runner results in an eclectic look.

A mirror in the dining room will reflect light from a lantern or chandelier and candles.  The slightly curved top of this beauty is surmounted with a carved leaf and floral detail.

Lastly, an over mantel mirror actually used (drum roll, please) over a mantel… but in a kitchen.  Not the place one would expect to see a looking glass, yet it doesn’t look out of place.  Another reason to purchase classic, versatile pieces.

Don’t miss designer Annie Brahler’s (her kitchen above) Chocolate Bath featured earlier this week.

(Sources: Heide Claire, Eclectic Revisited, This is Glamorous, Domino via Interior Philosophy, Lonny Mag via Marcus Design Inc, House Beautiful)

Will these crazy-quilt Italian designer cabinets sell? Whatever. They offer 3 minutes of fun.

There’s always something to be said for a new idea – that’s what keeps the market vibrant, after all. But there’s a difference between new-usable and new-theoretical. The latter aptly describes these just-off-the-runway kitchen cabinets which literally take fabric designs from Enrico Coveri’s runway show, slap them onto Aster Cucine doors and call it a Collection. Aster hopes to make a splash with Coveri’s 1960s Pucci-esque prints which were shown in April at the influential Euro Cucine show in Milan and certainly have intensity going for them. Thing is, they are so LSD trip there’s no jaw dropping here, just tongue wagging with ‘what are they thinking ’ type talk. And perhaps someone missed the similar Scavolini’s Crystal range cabinets, which we showed in 2010?  If so, we’re back to the future, on steroids.

(Source: Aster Cucine)

Now that I have your undivided attention – no melted chocolate, just paint!

The master bath in this Illinois Victorian is contrast of brilliant white and creamy brown.  The paneled lower walls and crown moulding are painted bright white.  The upper walls, even the ceiling, are painted a dramatic dark chocolate – a bold move that visually lowers the high ceiling and creates intimacy.  A vintage clawfoot slipper tub is fitted with a freestanding British telephone faucet.  The hexagon floor tiles are another classic choice.  The hex tile is repeated on the glass shower floor, while subway tile covers its walls.  The exposed shower set includes a porcelain sunflower showerhead and lever handles.  Glamourous touches include the 1980′s crystal chandelier, vanity with cushy chair and a gold leaf bracket shelf to hold extra towels – a clever idea.

See more beautiful retreats featuring clawfoot tubs in Golden Fantasy Bath and Pink and Green Feminine Bath.

(Source: House Beautiful)