Chic in Stripes

I packed a few striped tops for the cruise but now I'm kicking myself for not buying a dress too.  It's amazing how many different ways you can wear stripes.  From casual to dressed up, they always look great.  As you'll see from these photos, they been a favorite of many chic people including Jackie above.  Enjoy!

Lauren Santo Domingo wearing chic stripes in Paris.

Ines de la Fressange and daughter Nine from their new book Parisian Chic: A Style Guide.

The ever chic Lauren Hutton in J.Crew

How chic does this man look in stripes?!  Love this photo by Vanessa Jackman!  She's my favorite street style photographer!

Pablo Picasso

Stripes + Chanel = Tres Chic! Photo by Tommy Ton

Minnie Mortimer wearing a striped dress she designed. 

The ladies at Vogue looking chic in stripes including dresses by Minnie Mortimer.

Olivia Palermo

Audrey Hepburn

Minnie Mortimer again.

Brigitte Bardot

Sofia Coppola from Interview magazine.

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James Dean

Photo by Vanessa Jackman

Jean Seberg

Photo by Vanessa Jackman

Jean Seberg again.

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Kirsten Dunst by Norman Jean Roy

Pablo Picasso

Photo by Vanessa Jackman

Jeanne Moreau in Jules et Jim

Elle France

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The Sartorialist

Giselle looking ridiculously chic in stripes. 

Sexy in Stripes! Photo by Bruce Weber. 

Bon Voyage

By the time you read this, my friend Stefan and I will be hitting the high seas.  After this awful winter, I don't have to tell you how excited I am to get away to warmer weather.  Thank you to everyone who sent me recommendations for Miami and Nassau.  If you want to follow our adventures in real time, you can always check me out on Twitter. But don't think I've left you high and dry.  I have written lots of fun posts that will upload while I am away.   Bon voyage!

Photos by Pamela Hanson

Worlds Best Small House Plan Introduced!

The Worlds Best Small House Plan has just been introduced at Simply Elegant Home Designs!
The home design - the Scandia Modern Cottage is actually a plan that Simply Elegant has had on the market, but has taken on a complete remodeling.  The result is the worlds best small house plan.  See images below and be sure to check out the videos.

A modest interior, but with abundant natural light and a carefully designed open floor plan it fills large.  Check the interior video out at small modern cottage interior 

The exterior is simple and unique.  A modern cottage design.  Check out the exterior video at small modern cottage exterior

The Scandia Modern Cottage was designed by Minnesota Architect Ron Brenner.  He had this to say about the project.

“Is the claim that this is the worlds best small house plan a little much? Perhaps; but I am very excited about the design.  To me the design if fresh and the floor plan functions beautifully.  Let me list just a few things that I think make this a special home design.

1. At 1349 square feet the home is on the small side, but it feels large. Take a look at the interior images and video and I think you will agree. We opened up the floor plan and looked carefully at circulation patterns and furniture arrangements to make the spaces highly functional. Windows filter the public spaces with natural light from every direction.
2. It is a small house plan with plenty of storage. Because of it's size we made sure we packed it with storage possibilities in creative ways. A custom buffet cabinet floats between the living and dining areas. A continuous window seat with storage below is placed alongside the entry path. Media cabinets flank the fireplace.
3. The house is “comfortable”. Both inside and out, it evokes a casual kind of elegance that makes you feel at home.
4. The floor plan is adaptable. We have designed the home to be expandable with a main floor master bedroom. Or on a walkout or lookout lot, kids bedrooms could be placed on the lower level and the second floor converted into an amazing Master Suite.
5. The exterior is adaptable. We like the clean lines and uncluttered look of it's Scandinavian influenced exterior. But the design can easily be adapted to a more traditional or rustic aesthetic without altering the massing in any way.”
   
   

View from rear yard showing the trellis covered patio area.

View from right side.  The tower makes a dramatic statement.

Custom cabinetry is featured throughout the home design providing for ample storage in a small house plan.  Also, notice the exposed stair stringers.

Warm Modernism

We love the modern look, escpecially when it's cozy and livable.  No one does it better than Marcel Wolterinck, a Dutch designer. His interiors have a really organic feel to them. We love his use of textures and natural materials to bring the inside/outside together.

Here' s some images for your viewing pleasure....

To see more of his portfolio or buy his books, check out the web site here.

Saša Antić

: : the styling of .Saša Antić. always amazes me! Love the outdoor settings, especially the same scenery in different seasons.

New Concept House Plans Unveiled!

Simply Elegant Home Designs has added a new Concept Plans gallery page at Concept Plans and Custom Home Design.  The page has a flash gallery of home designs that we have started, but are just waiting for the right client to fully develop.  These concept plans basically represent a starting point towards the design of a new custom home.

A shingled cottage home design that could serve as a great mountain cabin plan or beach house.  

A modern cottage with an open floor plan and a beautiful front porch.  The roof lines are simple, yet dramatic.

A mountain lodge with wrap around porch!

Simple yet unique farmhouse plan with a wrap around porch and a main floor master bedroom.  Classic Midwest Living! 

An elegant cottage home design with a welcoming front porch.

You can check out more of the gallery at  Concept Plans and Custom Home Design

Kiddywompus!

I recently received a post from Remodelista in my email and it featured this great way to display kids art.  I have piles of my daughter's drawings and this inspired me to 'someday' put together a project like this. 

It makes me feel better that I'm holding on to oodles of artwork, some of which are not much more than squiggles...but you never know what might look fantastic once photographed, shrunk, cut into a square, and arranged with other colorful squiggles! 

The site led me to the creator of the collage, Jan Eleni, an interior designer in New York. Here's another display of children's artwork and a whimsical bedroom...

Via The Creamy Life

Via The Boo and the Boy

This adorable little girl's room got me looking through my archive of other children's rooms that I found inspirational...

I love the simplicity of this room and that it could be for a little boy or girl.  I found this image and bunch of other sweet kids rooms at House to Home

 Via House to Home

Children's rooms are the best for having some design fun. Here are some other kid room ideas that I have found in the past and would love to copy for one of my projects!

Corkboard wainscoting panels scale the room to little tots and it's another great way for kids to display their artwork that piles up. 

Via the Scoop

Chalkboards are another great way to have fun in a kid's room.  I like the color scheme in this boys room and the band of chalkboard coupled with the map... oh yeah, maps another great idea. 

Via HGTV

Supposedly you can make your own chalkboard paint and the DIY: Project website has the recipe.  If anyone wants to try it, let me know if it works! Otherwise here's a safe option from Restoration Hardware... 

 Restoration Hardware

Another great map... this one is a decal which is an easy way to dress up a children's room.   This one can be found at Weego Home. 

And storage... you can never have enough for a kid.  Here's what we did to even out a bump in our wall and give ample shelf space for our daughter's toys and books.  More photos of the room can be seen on my website.    

  

The discreet under bed storage in this Ikea bed is a huge bonus... you don't want to know how much we've got packed in those drawers!   

I could go on and on about storage for kids rooms.  But I'll leave that for another post... anyway, I've got to get started framing my kids artwork...