Gimme My Decorating Magazines Back!

The NY Times today has an article on The Selby.  You probably heard of the site.  It's about real people in their homes--some famous, some not.  The article also went on to discuss how people can relate more to "real places" than professionally decked up places frequently featured in decor magazines, which contributes to their ever growing popularity. 

We love the Selby too but in a way, it's like watching Rachel Ray cooks vs a professional chef.  There is no competition!    Magazines offer beautifully shot, gorgeous decor that we can fantasize about. We don't want to look at houses that look just like ours, for god's sake.  For example, look at the image below from Homebodies, one of the blogs mentioned:

We want our decorating magazines back!  We miss them, terribly.

Real Cool Barstool

We totally dig this barstool from Arteriors. It has an unique shape to it, and we love the organic look/feel.

The barstool sells at $450/each  with free shipping.

You can find the specifications in our barstool section.

Modern Silk Flower Arrangements

Just want to share with you some beautiful modern floral arrangements we just got in...



These can be found in our silk flowers section. If you see them in person you wouldn't believe how real they look.

Modern and Glamorous-Chandelier from Barbara Cosgrove

We are loving this new chandelier from Barbara Cosgrove.  It's so chic, don't you think? 

The chandelier is priced at $925 including shipping.
The shades can also be replaced with parchment shades. The best thing is, it can be painted with any Benjamin Moore paint color. How clever!
You can find this chandelier in our Barbara Cosgrove Lamps section.

Design Ideas - Make Your Island Special!

This is the first in a new series that I will be starting called "Design Ideas". What I would like to do is illustrate little design ideas that can help to make your home special. So here goes.

The photo below is a Kitchen in a home that I designed at Larson Brenner Architects. This unique house plan - The Lakeland Cape Cod - is currently available for purchase at Simply Elegant Home Designs.

It is a pretty simple kitchen layout but a few things make it special.

• The kitchen cabinetry composition beyond is kept simple and clean. A soffit with crown molding connects the upper cabinets to the ceiling.
• A "mantle" was designed for the range, which serves as a counterpoint to the fireplace mantel on the other side of the room (not seen in photo).
• Under cabinet lighting provides highlights for the tile back splash and counters.
• An upper cabinet extends down to the counter and is fitted with glass to display the china.
• A solid walnut butcher block on the island top adds warmth and richness. This contrasts with the honed granite kitchen counters beyond.
• A special leg detail was designed for the island corners. The leg detail was also adapted for the stairway newel posts.
• Unique eclectic light fixtures hang above the island; highlighting the wood and help to emphasize that the island is the focal point of the room.

All in all a very simple yet elegant kitchen design. This illustrates that attention to the details can make all the difference.

Nice Space, Good House Design2

My better half (Kelley) loves everything that interior designer Candice Olson performs. I just ran across one more example of a family room she designed which I have included directly below.

It seems like all of her work combines architectural and decorating elements in a sophisticated and harmonious way. Here I love the texture of the fireplace wall, the comfortable mixing of old and new (furniture and accessories) and the attention to lighting.

Key point - lighting is one of the most important things that you should not overlook. In this room it highlights the texture in the wall, brings the warmth of the wood media cabinet out and creates subtle reflections on the metal storage boxes. The space would still be nice, but not nearly so dramatic without it.

Great Design Resource

Now that summer is in full swing (and whoa, is it swinging!), I've cut back on all the extra stuff I do (like blogging!) and I'm sticking with what has to be done.  However, I have continued to follow one blog... Remodelista.



When I first started Cattywompus, I thought I should check out what's out there in the blogging world so I signed up for a load of feeds.  And Remodelista always manages to inspire me above the rest.  Almost every time I look at it I find something that is relevant to my work, home or own personal style.



It could be something as simple as coat hooks...

Or maybe house numbers...

Or even a fancy trash can.  This compost pail can be found in their 'Domestic Science' section!

I particularly like their 'Steal This Look' features where they show you enviable images like this one and then give you tips on how to make it your own.

I get Remodelista Daily sent to my email and even though I swear I signed up for the weekly recap, I do get it everyday (yeah, like the title states!).  The funny thing is... now I'm happy when it arrives and I always look forward to opening it.  I find the posts highly visual with just the right amount of info that I can quickly scan to see if I'm interested in delving a little deeper.  Like today they featured these beautiful chairs that feel so beachy to me.  Ahhhh, to be on the water on a hot day like this... the soft blue color almost make me feel cooler?!

Carl Hansen & Son Chair

Or like the other day, these great brick tiles had me checking out the latest on the Waterworks website...

Not only do they talk about great products they also inspire with good design and beautiful imagery.  I had mentioned Remodelista on my Double Island Counters post.  They featured a light filled kitchen in Brooklyn... which is one of my favorites.  

It's just a well packaged website, that I find simple, inspiring and informative.  If you're in the process of renovating or hope to do it soon... it's a great way to see good stuff to consider for your own project. 



Where do you get design inspiration for your home?

Colorful Smart Interior Design for Futuristic Living Room Designs

I love very much this futuristic living room design, This is the  “Smart-ologic Corian® Living” that design with colorful and sophisticated interior lighting installation, designed by Karim Rashid that released his design correlated with futuristic living room concept for our future, karim rashid shown us to to decorate and renovate new futuristic living room concept like a sample in photos. decorating living room today didn't concern on how to design our living room look modern but also we have to think about eco-friendly furniture we used to renovate our living room. via

Ipod Kitchen Faucet

For years I have been wondering when someone would come out with a kitchen faucet / ipod - and here it is!

OK - its not an IPOD, but a touch screen. The faucet is produced by Italian manufacturer Fima Carlo Frattini.

The "Nonos" faucet allows the user to adjust water quantity, pressure and temperature. It also alerts the user in case of any malfunction such as leakage. The faucet’s touch-screen and easy-to-read graphic icons help in controlling the flow and temperature of the water stream.

Nice Space, Good House Design

I ran across this photo of a nice modern bedroom space and thought I would pass it on along with a couple of thoughts.

• Obviously the design is all about the connection with the outdoors. Floor to ceiling glass with a patio directly outside bleed the definition between outside and inside. If it was my design I might have extended the roof line outward to create a covered patio zone. This would have created a transitional space between inside and outside.
• The room is nearly void of detail. Why distract from the view?
• A very simple palette of material and color. The decorating takes a back seat to the outdoors.

So what's the moral to this story? If you have a beautiful yard take advantage of it. Spend more money on glass and patio / porch space and spend less by keeping the interiors more minimal.

PS - you can see more photos of this home at http://www.househomedesign.com/residential-home-design/luxury-residence-in-bridgehampton

Custom Architect Designed House Plans for $10K?

So how much does good home design cost?

To have an Architect tailor a home design specifically for you and your building site it can cost quite a bit. Full service Architectural fees can cost anywhere from 8% to 15% of the construction cost of your home. As an example a $400,000 home could run from $32,000 to $60,000 in architectural fees.

Many clients however do not have the budget to accommodate those kinds of fees. So are there any alternatives to this approach?

• You can spend countless hours searching through pre-designed house plans trying to find one that fits your needs.
• You can try to find a residential designer that has lower rates (but you might sacrifice on design quality and creativity).
• You can find a Residential Architect that has created a special package of services to provide a home design tailored for you and your site for around $10,000. This is exactly what we have done at Simply Elegant Home Designs.

We call this the $10k home design solution. We believe that anyone that is going to invest several hundred thousand dollars on a new home ought to have high quality design available to them; and that $10,000 is a reasonable investment that nearly everyone should be able to justify. Through our experiences working directly with many individual clients and builders we have identified the most important elements in the design process and what needs to be communicated in the drawings. We have taken our understanding of these most important elements and incorporated them (leaving out the fluff) into our $10K home design solution. Below is a brief summary of that package:

• Program Review - This begins with a meeting where we discuss your building program in detail; your list of space needs, important adjacencies, interior and exterior aesthetic goals, views, site orientation and other site issues. Ideally we meet at your building site so we can get a feeling for the lay of the land together. Then we take what we learn and summarize it into our Building Program document. This serves as our guide for beginning the design of your home. For an example of a completed Building Program see the following link: Sample Building Program

• Schematic Design - This is where we look at preliminary design solutions for your project. We will look at plan and exterior image sketches which describe possible options for the layout of your new home. After meeting with you to review the options we then refine them into one cohesive design that meets your needs. For an example of a completed schematic design see the following link: Sample Schematic Design

• Construction Documents - This is where we put all the detailed pieces together which explains to the contractor the elements of the house so they can complete the bids and begin construction. As we prepare the construction documents we provide you with updated plans that are increasingly more detailed. This helps to ensure your complete understanding of the project. In the end we provide you with a concise set of plans, elevations, sections and specifications which together describe the project to your contractor. This is what they will build your home from. For an example of completed construction documents see the following link: Sample Construction Documents

The $10K Home Design Solution may not work for everyone. Because the fee is limited to this modest amount there are limits to building size and complexity of the design. To find out if this is the right solution for you give us a call at Simply Elegant Home Designs. Or call a good Residential Architect of your own choosing to see if they have a similar package available.

Google celebrates Josef Frank

: : Google is celebrating one of my favorite Swedish Designers of all times today, Josef Frank. Happy 125th Birthday Josef Frank!!

(images via google images)

Its Complicated House

Over the past year I have had several clients make reference to the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. They all love the house that Meryl lives in but cannot put into words exactly what it is that draws them. So I thought I would take a little closer look to see if I could discover the secret to this house.

The exterior of the home is very unassuming. Simple composition with handsome materials and elegant window patterns. The landscape is an important element to this homes exterior.

The foyer demonstrates the use of a simple material and color palette. Rustic wood and quarry tile floors, neutral plaster and painted trim. The dark windows add a level of sophistication. Also notice how the simple arches break down the length of the hallway.

A very simple but well proportioned composition of fireplace and bookcases. The wood beamed ceiling adds a coziness to a space that might otherwise feel too voluminous.

The kitchen is light, airy and very casual. Open shelving in lieu of cabinets. Wall mounted pot rack. Same earthy palette seen throughout the rest of the public areas.

The architecture of the bedroom remains neutral while the interior treatments liven up the space.

Subtle details add sophistication. The painted two toned wood floors and cabinets are unique.

To sum up this house I would say it has a very simple, yet sophisticated architectural theme both inside and out. Natural materials and color tones along with restrained decorating provide an overall soothing feeling. The home is at once casual and elegant - "casual elegance". It's a home that does not try to impress, but it does so anyway through it's subtleties. I can definitely see why people love this home.

New Jamie Young Lamps

Have you seen the new Jamie Young lamps lately?  They have some beautiful new fabrics...

If you are not familiar with Jamie Young, check it out. It's a really cool line.  Well-made and not too terribly expensive.  Plus you can swap out the shades to create different looks.

Here are some of our favorites:

We'll be posting these up in our Jamie Young Lamps section by the end of this week.

PS Did you notice the slideshow? Cool heh? We just discovered it on Picasa. It's free and super simple to use.

Contemporary Dinnerware

Do you ever go to fancy restaurants and wish you can buy the dinnerware?  The ones that are so cool and make everything look better?  Well, we saw some at the Dallas show and we thought we'd share it with you.  It's so cool, and not too expensive either.  The line is made in Germany--very contemporary and sleek.

Here are some examples:

You can buy them directly at the vendor's web site.  They are sold in Euro.

Spanish villa

: : since our summer vacation in the .Costa Brava region of Spain. last summer, we've been dreaming about owning a house in Spain. A house like this one on .IKEA family live. would do. *smile*  I love that there seem to be no barriers between indoor and outdoor space, they just blend together.