Small, But Not Minimal

Back in 2014, I came across this tiny apartment on Refinery29. I loved it right away because it shows that small-space living doesn't have to be minimalistic or impersonal. Today, I saw that the very same apartment is now for sale (for more than half a million dollars!) Of course, like any apartment for sale, the place has been staged with fewer belongings for an airier look. I thought I'd repost it here as a reminder that small does not have to mean minimalist. This apartment, which was also featured on Curbed.com at the time, really feels like someone's personal home—filled with antiques, collections, and art.

Check out the difference between the staged and unstaged living space below, and my original notes on the design below that:

The "bedroom" and "dining room" both fold away. This view of the living room shows the apartment with the Murphy bed and the dining table both folded away. It looks a lot like any New York City apartment's living room to me, which I like.

See the Murphy bed unfolded below.

Fall 2015 Decorating Books

This fall is one of the most exciting seasons for decorating books that I can recall. So many decorators and stylists whom I admire have had books published that I can't decide which titles to spend my leisure book budget upon. Here are a few of the new books that I have my eye on:

Life | Style: Elegant Simplicity at Home by Tricia Foley
I've long-admired editor and stylist Tricia Foley's simple, clean aesthetic, and while I'll never probably embrace the white-on-white-on-white look as fully as Foley, I love to dream of an "elegantly simple" home.

Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms from Tabletops to Bookshelves by Emily Henderson
Everybody's favorite home blogger finally has a book out. Beyond the excitement I share with everyone for Emily Henderson's first tome, I am particularly excited by this title because it was produced with two of my favorite work pals: stylist Scott Horne and photographer David Tsay.

Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating by Lauren Liess
From my first encounter with Lauren Liess's blog, I have loved her earthy-yet-simple vibe. (I also love that she seems like a real and relatable working mom.) I can't wait to see a full book of her interiors.

In Pursuit of Beauty by Timothy Whealon
Timothy Whealon came onto my radar this summer when his amazing apartment was featured in ELLE DECOR. When I heard he had a book coming out this fall, I immediately bookmarked it for my to-read list.

Carrier and Company Positively Chic Interiors by Jessie Carrier and Mara Miller

I met Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller last spring when I wrote about their Kips Bay Decorators' Show House room for Curbed.com, and I have been a huge fan of their work every since (I've pinned dozens of images from their portfolio to my inspiration boards online). 

Cabin Porn by Zach Klein

I'm apparently the last one to know about the Cabin Porn Tumblr. I read about the site and the book in the New York Times a few weeks back (the article is worth a read!), and decided I was very curious to see the book that was born out of the site. 

Mix 'N Match Mid-Century Chairs

I sort of love this idea. From Sarah on Remodelista, "Here's proof that not everything needs to match: six different midcentury chair designs, in various types of wood, create a compelling dining tableau." You could have a Hans Wegner's 1949 Wishbone Chair, a Cherner Arm Chair, a CH20 Elbow Chair and a few others to boot.

Ochre Owners' Shelter Island Home in House Beautiful

Another house to love: The Shelter Island home of Harriet Maxwell Macdonald and Andrew Corrie, the owners of the New York City shop Ochre. The house graces the cover of House Beautiful's wood-themed issue and appears in the their feature well. While these online photos are lovely, I whole-heartedly suggest picking up a print copy to see the full story.

A living embodiment of the Ochre brand: The house is filled with furnishings from Ochre and its lower-priced sister line Canvas. (Though the sofa above is an old one from Andrew's bachelor days that has been slipcovered.) The photographs are shot by Ditte Isager, who also shoots Canvas's catalogs.

A map of Shelter Island and Peconic Bay hangs above this vintage cabinet. Having spent many childhood summer on Shelter Island. I must admit I also have a soft-spot for this house's locale.

I love the details here: The natural, linen colored roman shade, the faded blue and white stripe rug and a crisp white Bertoia side chair mixed in with all that rustic wood.

Someday I swear will own at least one Hans Wegner's 1949 wishbone chair. These are in soaped Danish ash finish.
It's not all custom and high-end furnishings: Those bookcases are from West Elm!


I love Andrew's homemade bamboo shade cover for the deck. It's a great DIY inspiration for my future summer house.

Weekend Inspiration: 4 Great Projects

Bedside tables made over as a console from Sunset.com.

Another project from the same article on Sunset.com: Pillows made from used/vintage clothing.

String lights made from cardboard egg cartons from Apartment Therapy Los Angeles.

Candle holders made from cement and soda bottles via Room Service (wish I spoke whatever Scandinavian language in which this is written).