Fireplaces in Every Room

I love fire. I love its heat, its flame, the way it looks, the rustic feel of it, its protection, the way its light reflects on everyone's face. If the names Pyro and Sparky hadn't already been taken at Camp Two Sentinels where I volunteer most summers, I would definitely have picked one or the other. I love fire. I just do. My dream house would have a fireplace in every single room. I would have a fire every single day (yes I know its terrible for the environment, I'd have to find a green way to do it, ok?!) 

Today I decided to write about fireplaces. They give such a lovely feel to every space. They can be elegant, traditional, modern, bohemian, rustic-- whatever you want. Fireplaces are unique and, in my opinion, not used enough in today's design. 

First of all, the internet loves this kitchen. It is pinned all over the place on Pinterest. I love it's bright open feel, the floor to ceiling subway tiles (or is that brick?), the contrasting cabinets, but mostly, I LOVE the fireplace. See right there in the center? It's gorgeous. It's little. It's modern. I want one. I love the wood storage below too. In fact, I love how that wood looks real and isn't all perfectly cut like most styled images. This is a wonderful kitchen with a wonderful fireplace. It seems like a novelty, but, in fact, once all kitchens had fireplaces. Because that's the only way you could cook. duh. You knew this. Now I think we should all run out and hire architects to add a fireplace to our kitchens. Or Bedrooms. OR ANY ROOM IN THE HOUSE!!

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Here is a much more rustic example of a fireplace. This room is gorgeous, like a medieval Italian castle. I love the little corner fireplace. A fireplace in the bathroom would be amazing. Think candles are relaxing? Now think about fire, it's like candles times a million. Plus it would feel so nice on naked skin as you slip into the bath. I'm serious. It would be the most wonderful feeling. Also, check out this tub, guys. Pretty snazzy, eh? Its clean lines are a great contrast with the rough cut stone of this room.

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Now for the bedroom. Here is a nice modern, traditional space. I love the incorporation of different cultural pieces of furniture, I love the large wooden beams, I love the green fainting couch and curtains, I love the four post bed, but mostly, of course, I love that fireplace. Even though it doesn't have a fire in it, the addition of candles allude back to the firey origins. They've added some nice decor to the mantel too. I'm digging the convex mirror (my Oma has one!) and those sweet twigs. This room is lovely and relaxing and slightly sexy. Just what a master bedroom should feel like.

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Here is another fireplace in a bedroom. This room has a completely different feel however. It's very bohemian. The walls appear to be from an old (Victorian, maybe?) home, but the furniture is a mix of modern and traditional with a lot of color. I love that bedding. There is also that awesome mirrored chest in the corner. I like it. Feels like someone just moved and dumped their things here. It feels very much like I'm squatting. I'm feeling the adventure here. That fireplace brings some of that warmth and danger into the space.

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Fireplace in your closet? Why not? Especially when your closet looks like this. Please someone give me this room for my birthday! I love the way this space is used. The clothes, furniture, painting, and rug all go so well, despite their huge differences in style. I would just love to get ready to go out one night with a huge roaring fire. Can you imagine it? Sipping wine with your girlfriends, or husband, or wife; the fire crackling; the music playing just a little bit too loudly, the lights just dim enough for you to see yourself clearly in the mirror? Oh my goodness. It's like a closet orgy in this space. Fireplaces make everything better

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I do have to apologize  to y'all for slacking lately. I had finals and a mess of other things going on. But I'm back! Get ready for happiness and gorgeous design! So follow me! I'm getting ready for a summer of bright happy design fun!

Colorful Kitchens!!

I collected a bunch of colorful kitchens for y'all! I am a huge fan of color. As much as I want to like Swedish design, it often isn't colorful enough for me. I could never live in an all white world. A) I'm super clumsy. Nothing white lasts more than a few months around me. I spill, I trip, I bleed, I track mud, I like big dirty dogs. B) Color makes me happy. It brightens up the day. :)

Anyways! Here is the first kitchen I have for y'all. This one's a statement, for sure! Bright pink-red. Magenta? Fuchsia? I'm bad with color names. heehee. (Also I totally just looked up fuchsia because I had no idea how to spell it, and turns out, IT'S GERMAN!! Named after some scientist whose last name was Fuchs. Which means its actually pronounced more like Foocks- ia. Funny!) 

Back to design now... I actually really like this kitchen, although it is understandably a bit too much for most people. The wood toned island in the center helps tone down the pink though. The stainless steel compliments  the color of the cabinets and also alludes to the sparkle of glass. I like the glass door cabinets, it helps tone down the color since the back of the cabinets is white and the dishes are glass or white (I think I see some steel bowls too!). The only thing I would replace is the chandelier. It's a bit too Princess-y for me next to all that pink. The green and yellow accents are nice and also removable! Overall, this kitchen rocks. The owner clearly has some balls. I'd totally buy this kitchen. I wonder if they'll ship me a duplicate for $500? heehee

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Ok, this kitchen is a tad more realistic for the majority of y'all. (How many times have I said y'all in this post? My mother's Kentucky accent is totally rubbing off on me. [except she doesn't say y'all, so really it's my extended family/ I am on crack.]) 

Aaannnyyhoo, this teal kitchen is much more subtly colorful. The color is a nice pastel. The wood counters also ground it in nature and compliment it very nicely. As always, stainless steel appliances look modern and slick (seriously does anyone renovate a kitchen and not use stainless steel these days? TELL ME IF YOU DID AND SEND ME PICTURES!). The handles on the cabinets are also stainless steel so everything matches well. I like, I like.

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So you want a sleek, modern, useable kitchen? Add a dash of yellow and this is what ya get! This is another kitchen I luuurve. Thanks to John & Sherry at Young House Love (I want to be them I swear. I just need to save up to actually buy a house of my own... Banks totally give huge mortgage loans to 20 year olds who only have $1700 in the bank and absolutely no credit right?) for house crashing this pad and posting this picture. This kitchen is hella cool. (Yeah I'm from NorCal. My slang is all over the place today.) The yellow is bright and loud and the blue and orange accent colors jump out at you to say "Hi!" It's awesome. Look! There's even a chalkboard cabinet on the left. The white counters and sink and the stainless steel appliances and shelving (on the right) help ground the kitchen. This will also help for re-sale value; buyers could paint if they aren't digging the yellow. 

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Here we go green! I like this kitchen's color scheme, though it borders on Christmas. I do not like the letters etched (or silhouetted in the etchings or... I have no idea how to phrase this. Suggestions?) into the class cabinets. I'm not really sure why one would go through the trouble of glass cabinets and then decide to frost them. Maybe different owners did it. hmmm... 

There are a lot of things I do like a lot about this kitchen however. The high ceiling and tall cabinets are gorgeous and especially useful for a tall girl like myself (I'm 5'10")! The layout also works really well. The cabinetry also included that super convenient wine rack and those cute little drawers which I would  totally use for spices. There are some really nice design aspects to this kitchen. Mad props. Also I want a kitchen faucet like that desperately. 

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Ok, maybe it's just because it's red, but I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this kitchen. I think its amazing. It reminds me of the country. It's rustic, it's modern, it's sleek. Basically, it's great. The color of the cabinets is a fabulous shade of red, not too cherry, not too blood. The kitchen could look a tad too goth with all that black, white, and red, if it weren't for that amazing table. It's wood really brings the whole kitchen together. Also I really like that rustic look. What a fabulous kitchen table. 

That white sink? Yes please. Would you call that a farmhouse style sink? Or is it just '50s? Either way it is AMAZING. Plus all those veggies are making me hungry. As in I want a nice big salad. And I don't even like salad!

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So there are some lovely, bright, vibrant, colorful kitchens for y'all! Hope you liked them. Comments? Do you like a colorful kitchen? Or do you prefer a more neutral palette? Should a kitchen be all neutrals? Or should it be a neutral background with pops of accent colors? 

Also I totally apologize for my ridiculous accents and over usage of exclamation points today. It's sunny and beautiful here in Boston for once and I am SUPER EXCITED AND HAPPY ABOUT THIS!! Also color is my favorite thing ever. 

Chalkboard Rooms

Chalkboards have been all the rage lately. I've seen them in nearly every type of room on various blogs.  I'm choosing to share a view I like with you. I find them particularly useful in kitchens. Chalkboard walls certainly bring a feeling of youth and fun into a room, no matter the rest of the decor. 

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I like this a lot. It's very simple, yet totally awesome. The colorful chalk and the child like table and chairs makes me what to color. Or cook. I can't decide. This is a great way to use an empty wall in a dining area of a kitchen. Writing up most-used recipes is a fabulous idea!

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Now, I am pretty sure this is not actually a chalkboard, but I like the idea of a large canvas or piece of wood as a statement piece in a room. The fact that this one is black and graffitied made me think of chalkboards. Anyone could do this as a large, ever changing statement art piece, you just need to paint a large piece of wood and lean it against the wall [maybe fasten it to the wall if you live in California! ;)] 

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I think chalkboard walls work fabulously in kids' rooms! This one is great, but clearly done by an adult. I like that it is a way to have an ever changing space. Something that is particularly useful in a kid's room. This is playful, colorful, fun. 

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Now this is a screenshot from the movie Because I Said So. I am in love with Mandy Moore's character's apartment. It is gorgeous industrial design. If you look carefully here though, you notice that she's painted an older fridge with chalkboard paint! What a fabulous idea! It looks amazing and is super super useful!!

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Here is another kitchen with a chalkboard wall. I like the way its broken almost into sections. The mother or another adult uses the right side for lists and such, and lets her kids draw all over the left. What a great way to use the space as a family!

Red, Of Course!

How could I not show some red rooms for this first post? These vary from a few red accents to a dominating red color scheme. I rather enjoy both. Don't worry though! I'll be mixing it up, this blog is not entirely about red rooms.

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I love these red storage boxes and the chandelier. I think the room needs at least one other color though. I am afraid of all that white near pens, ink, newspapers, etc. 

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I love this room! So warm and inviting. It is very traditional.

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Oh my goodness. Can you say heaven?  I absolutely adore everything about this room. The red and turquoise work so well together. They truly are complementary. I love how each piece looks like an antique, and yet the overall look of this room is very modern. Mostly I adore those long, tall, red curtains and the bedspread.

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This is such a happy, bright space. Invigorating. It would be great for a kids bathroom. I would love to bathe my kids in that tub! The red of the tub and the red of the wall paper work very well together. Even though the only dominant colors of this room are red and white, I don't feel like it is as stark as the office above. I'm not afraid to touch anything here. I do wish the clawfeet were painted white or gold, though.

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This is another bathroom I love. The clawfoot tub is gorgeous, especially raised up on this platform. I can't imagine trying to vacuum under that raised platform though. What a pain that would be. The accents of red are very subtle here, yet have a lasting affect. I believe that little red cart is about $5 million though. I adore that little black and gold stool, however and the curtain that so gently and elegantly filters the light and adds privacy. This room is both rustic and finished. Its amazing.