And, we're back.

Took a bit of a break there due to a total lack of inspiration but now I'm all atwitter to be helping the other brother decorate his new loftish bach space.

I found some pics of Valerie Pasquiou's apartment on Loftlife and the vibe was very, very close to what I had in mind for him:







Some of the key elements:

• Basic white walls and neutral flooring
• Mainly neutrals (black/white/brown) with some subtle flashes of colour (throw pillows, chair, etc.)
  
• Mix of modern basics (couch, bed, coffee table) with some vintage pieces (desk, chairs, bench, sideboard
• Additional pieces: cowhide rug, large mirror, lots of art/books, misc. lighting

The only main element I'd change would be to have the dining table wood rather than white. And I think the giant floor mirror might be a tad "done".

I'd definitely take my time finding a some used interesting chairs for the dining room and living room. As well as a desk and sideboard. For the basics, some initial ideas:

Karlstad sofa

Koldby rug

Something like the Klubbo coffee table.

Malm bed

Classic steel Tanker desk and chair



Art - the kid is a great photographer so he should definitely blowup and frame a couple like this one:


Bedding - clean and simple in greys/whites like the Unison Porter duvet cover:



Pillows - a couple of these Fluf Wool Punch pillows for the bed and couch:

You get me, you really get me

I love the work of Mike Monteiro and this new one available at 20x200 is so perfect it scares me:

The kitchen: before and inspiration

The next/last big project to tackle around this place is the kitchen. Although the bathroom reno has left me feeling a bit less terrified, I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to the process of the kitchen reno. This is not a big house and the kitchen though tiny is the still the activity hub of the house. I have no idea how we'll manage with relocating everything. Plus the thought of living off take-out and microwaveable "food" for any period of time is also unappealing.

Since we're planning on selling in a couple of years, there's not much room for expansion/re-configuring and because our neighbourhood is not going to attract upscale buyers anytime soon, we're not going nuts with highend upgrades.

Basically I'm looking at lower-end Ikea for almost everything: white cabinets, perhaps some glass on the uppers to make it look a touch above builder-grade, dark counter tops, single sink with a built-in drainboard, white subway tile backsplash and new vinyl flooring.

I've been collecting some inspiration pics of small white Ikea galley kitchens to get me motivated:

Chai modern

One of my little bros will soon be shacking-up with his lovely fiance in an open, modern, loft-type apartment. For some reason he thinks I might be able to help him come up with a decorating scheme. 

So, based on the preferences he indicated, I've taken a stab at some basics for creating a modern, warm, ethnic, eclectic, organic feel:

Livingroom





Key components:

• Neutral basics (walls white, dark grey or cream; low-slung sectional in grey or off-white soft fabric
• Square low coffee table (to accommodate casual dining while sitting on pillows)
• Natural fiber area rug (jute, seagrass, etc.)
• Focal point of bright yellow sideboard for media storage
• Lots of bright ikat and kilim print throw and floor pillows
  

Dining/Kitchen

Key components:

• Simple dark kitchen with bright yellow backsplash
• Round, dark, old-fashioned table
• Assorted modern chairs 

Bedroom

Key components:

• Warm neutral walls
• Low simple modern bed 
• Rustic bedside tables
• Warm, layered, textured bedding
  
  
  
  

Bathroom

Key Components:

• Warm neutral pallet of whites and creams
• Raw materials: seagrass, unbleached cotton, bamboo, wicker, wood
• Large, ornate silver mirror

Outside

Key Components:

• Lots of lush plants in rustic, assorted containers
• Low comfortable seating