interiors: rose colored apartment in paris

Dreaming of Paris - its lovely muted colors and classic shapes. 

This picture perfect Parisian auberge is just lovely. The architectural detail is stately without being stuffy. The dusty rose pink that anchors the room with the sofa and a pattern in a pair of low-slung chairs could seem old and dowdy, but feels young and very feminine.

Image via PlumSiena

interiors/florals: the biotope

When I saw this, I was sort of spellbound. It is part fantasy, part art... and entirely beautiful. It is a mix between stagecraft and interior design. 

Images via T Magazine

Who: The designer is Ingo Maurer, a German who designs everything from table lights to subway stations. 
What: The Biotope. A 12 foot hanging acoustical installation made of sponges. Hidden LED's provide the glow. 100 hand-painted butterflies, dragonflies, lizards, and other enchanting creatures adorn the sculpture. 
Where: Munich, Germany in an octagonal room that was once a chapel, and is now a dining room. 
Why: The client wanted something that would provide light as well as muffle the sound in the small (yet very vertical at 25 feet high) space.

Parting thoughts: this space is totally inspirational. Yet, I can't help but wonder, "how do they change all those LEDs?" Good thing they are long lasting.

cocktail hour: not your mother's jello shot

Usually I find a cocktail that I want, then work back to a space where I would feel at home imbibing said cocktail. But when I saw this beautiful dining room with its ombre drapes, I was inspired to create a cocktail fit for a princess. Well, Marie Antoinette to be exact. The French love of blue interiors plus the glamour of this space seems a perfect fit.

Image via Coco Cozy

Image via wikipedia

It is a little known fact that the first champagne gelee (it just sounds classier than "champagne jello shot" - leave it to the French) was served at the court of Marie Antoinette, and it was made with champagne - mais bien sûr. 

Recipe below the break.

interiors: lighting as art installation

When working with so much vertical space, this designer must have thought, "How much drama can this room take?" She didn't underestimate what could be done. This lighting installation would be perfectly at home in a restaurant or hotel lobby. But how lovely and unexpected to find it in a domestic space?

Image via Atelier Turner

This space is inspiring to me. It makes me want to go big or go home. Or, in this case, both.

interiors: all that glitters.

I love sparkly stuff. Jewelry. Shoes. You get the picture. 

Around Seattle we have a very studied "retro/hipster" restaurant vibe. Exposed beams. Unfinished concrete floors. Filament bulbs. A single wall of damask wall paper. Stop me if this is all sounds too familiar. 

When I saw this gorgeous Vancouver, BC, restaurant design by box, I was absolutely smitten. It's a steak house (Black + Blue), so a little formality is warranted, but I crave a little more sparkle in my day to day... and this really fits the bill.

Image via International Interior Design Association