Dare to Dream: Modern Gothic

It's not often that idly clicking through Apartment Therapy brings me to a house that flawlessly combines raw brick and linear modernity with elegant mouldings and Victorian frill. And then there's the twisted, skeletal staircase. Courtney & Trevor, I await my invite. Also, let's be best friends.

The owner describes her style as "disturbed traditionalism," a phrase I wish I'd coined myself. I wasn't sure why AT had termed this practically colorless house "playful" until I locked eyes with the DIY coffee table. Oho, now I get it.

Images from Courtney & Trevor's Playfully Sophisticated House Tour by Apartment Therapy

This is a look that requires good bones- good architectural bones, that is. I'd do terrible things to have a space like this, with room to make an aesthetic statement (instead of just leaving little hints everywhere). I'll always be firmly against white paint for a shoebox apartment, but these crisp white walls with such height and natural lighting... this is an art gallery, and one that can elevate curious shapes like paper snowflakes and wire hangers to Dada-esque distinction.

If I hung a wire hanger on my wall, people would merely assume I'd run out of closet space. Which, incidentally, is true. Ah, dare to dream.

A Present for Shock The Bourgeois!

I hope you all survived your holly-jolly holiday (and I hope that unlike me, you're taking an extended vacation). I can't wait to show you what I found under the tree on Christmas morning!

I also received a very sweet gift from friends in the blogging community: I got some nods for an AT Homie Award!

See, here I am!

I can't tell you how flattered I am to be included. It's the best gift that a very new and modest blog could hope for- thank you! Be sure to check out the Homie nominees- add your favorites to the list, and find new favorites for your reading pleasure!

A Long Lost Sibling

Scanning through AT the other day, this picture caught my eye.

Image Courtesy of AT via Tocar Interior Design

What's that on the coffee table? A sculpture? A vase? An urn?

Recognize it now?

Did the light bulb go on in your brain?

It's the ceramic base of a vintage Chinoserie lamp... identical to the pair I bought on Craig's List and refurbished!

Separated at birth!

Decorating by the Book. Or... Not.

I am not so good at packing. A normal person puts their belongings in a cardboard box, seals it up, and moves on to the next. I, on the other hand, put one item in a cardboard box, suddenly recall details about how I acquired said item, and spend several hours in pleasant reminiscence. Utterly hopeless.

For this move, I've decided to pack up books first. This is no small feat, as books (by mass) comprise a considerable percentage of our belongings. It's also rather difficult for me to resist reading as I go. I've stayed pretty strong on that front, but I couldn't help goofing off just a little bit...

A while back an Apartment Therapy blogger presented a trend in book display that piqued my interest. Don't worry- I'm not talking about color-coding!

I'm talking about shelving books with the spine in.

Image from Crooked House

As you can probably imagine, the comments on this post were, well... "not enthusiastic." I was sort of ashamed to admit it, but I was tempted by the dark side- in this case, the non-spine side!

We have a ton of books. While we love every last word of each of them, we don't love every cover. It's difficult to integrate them into our decor- our bookshelves seem to dominate the room with color and weight.

These shelves represent about half of our library.

So, on a whim, I decided to flip em'.

The picture-perfect results.

As you can see, I went about halfway. I left all of my treasured Everyman's Library tomes right-side-out, but anything that was shabby, neon, or not frequently re-read got the flip. This allowed me to showcase my love of books without sacrificing my color scheme. The occasional visible volume served as a reference point for the alphabetical order. I noticed that the variance of thicknesses and the shades of cream and white made a beautiful backdrop- it was easy to add a few more artifacts without the shelves feeling cluttered. As a whole, everything looked softer, and blended so much better with the muted tones of my living room.

Would I execute this design more permanently? I'm not sure. I loved the visual effect, and honestly- I didn't find it to be terribly impractical. Then again, I know my book collection backwards and forwards. I don't need to see a cover to know a book!

My verdict? Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm talking to you, AT community. Creative book displays don't indicate that the owner "never reads," or "doesn't need them."

Thoughts?

The Weekend in Review

The trouble with a legendary weekend... is that Monday finds you dull and glassy-eyed, facing an almost insurmountable pile of neglected chores (and if you uh, put the work off until Tuesday, it's all the more daunting). Excuse me while I engage in an epic battle with the fearsome piles of laundry and dishes that have usurped my apartment. Should I prevail, I'll regale you with tales of feasting, festing, and feats of fashion.

Coming up soon...

• I wasn't kidding about the festing. Pictures from the Fremont Solstice Parade and the Edmonds Art Festival are on the way.
• My style woes are history- thanks to a little help from my friends. See how we addressed the problem for under $150, and see how I take on the winner's decoration vexation. (Pssst, Rachel! Send me pictures!)
• I'm entering the Apartment Therapy My Great Outdoors Competition, and I'm in it to win it. (Which is funny, as I don't actually have a yard...)
• I have a knack for spotting a fab find... but sometimes I'm not quick enough on the draw. This week I'll show you some great stuff I didn't win.
• Next weekend I'm rolling out the drop cloth and revving up the orbital sander- it's time to attack that to-do list. I've got an apartment full of "befores," let's see if I can crank out some "afters."

In the meantime, here's a glimpse of last weekend's adventuring...

Cheering the Mariners on to victory with Alex, Cory & Megan (and celebrating said victory at the Pyramid Brewery later...)

Who knew that baseball players were into decor?

The M's spice up their bullpen with some awesome "antiquities" and a "we're going to kick your ass" theme.

Megan got a souvenir from the Diamondback's bullpen.

Adam was a little jealous, so we had to buy him some rally fries.

Dare to Dream: Bathing Beauty

I love most things about my apartment, but I feel like my bathroom and kitchen have got a bet going about which can mortify me the most.  

Bathroom: You can see flecks of sky blue through my recent coat of "wilted vegetable" green paint!  My particle board medicine cabinet is disintegrating!

Kitchen:  My countertops are forest green laminate!  And my sink has stopped draining!  Again!  Ha!

Oooh.  Touche, Kitchen.

It's tough to call a winner, but right now the bathroom has got my full attention.  A routine cleaning last weekend has somehow morphed into stripping the entire bathroom bare of decor and starting afresh.  

Here's what I'm working with:

That's it, wonky peach tiles, low ceiling, globby yellow-green paint, tilted vanity et all!

In my hands it could become a peaceful refuge... with pearly gray paint, a vessel sink on an antique wood side table, low white subway tile wainscoting, brass fixtures and a little pendant light over the vanity.  But true bathroom improvements do not come cheaply- and nobody likes to invest in a rental unit (especially not a landlord).  

So, I'm left with an oddball bathroom, a fair amount of frustration, and a notebook full of inspiration photos...

This antique brass faucet is the one that got away on Craig's List... *sigh*

The Kohler "Pallene" Spun Glass vessel sink is utterly mesmerizing, like a church window carved out of ice.

Kohler describes the "Finial Avian" faucet as "exotic and whimsical."  I agree!

This Georgian master bath was recent feature on Apartment Therapy.  I love how the metallics elegantly fuse the modern with the traditional.  I have a few quibbles with the decor (a bit sparse, and where's the mirror?), but oh, for a soak in that spectacular tub!

The ultimate bathroom, found in the home of Jenna Lyons, J. Crew creative director (image from the late great Domino).  Jenna, your home is so beautiful it hurts.  You are clearly my long-lost, very rich sister.  I will move in tomorrow.  

See the dilemma?  How do I bring in the essence of these images (dark, luxurious & natural)... without using a jackhammer or a paintbrush?

Dining Finely

*Sigh*  This was supposed to have been a weekend post, but last night I succumbed to exhaustion... after an emotionally draining installment of Little Dorrit.  Oh, Mr. Clennam!

AT recently delved into the topic of coffee table dining , and I was intrigued to find that most who responded had embraced this habit.  I admit that I occasionally forgo my table for the comfort of my sofa and the company of the television, but I can't imagine making this a daily custom.  Dining at a real table can make a civilized meal out of anything- even ramen noodles or left-over pizza.  Don't we all crave a little luxury in our day?

Why not make eating in feel more like dining out?

Love the ambiance... What's on the menu?

This Antique Claw-Foot Table took my breath away.  I love the fiery woodgrain and Medieval creature feet!  And it's solid.  Like, pass it on to your grandkids solid.  Don't cringe at the $500 price tag, this is an investment.  Plus, it will grow with you- it comes with several leaves.  I'd also recup some of the expense by selling the four chairs that come with it, because dining sets don't ever thrill me.  Replace them with...

Nontraditional Green Slipper Chairs.  These are an unusual choice, but I think their high curving backs complement the round table.  Plus, we've already established that I cannot resist mossy green velvet, even at $250 each. Imagine sinking into that plush seat with a glass of wine.  Just try to tell me that doesn't beat the floor in front of your coffee table.

This Leafy Metallic Chandelier ($150) reminds me of the romantic lighting one of my favorite eateries, Madeleine's Patisserie in Spokane. It's equal parts delicate and tough with curling tendrils and patinated bronze.  

Accessories are like daily specials.  The glimmer of gold on this $18 White China Bud Vase caught my eye- it's a perfect match for the chandelier.  I'd also like to keep things interesting with these Whimsical Pheasant Salt & Pepper Shakers.  They're $30, but they're silver plated!

This is definitely my favorite post yet- if I had a grand at my disposal, I would be sorely tempted to redesign my apartment around these items!  I want my patron's opinions though- 5 stars, or is this in bad taste?

Hallelujah.

When I saw this kitchen (the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Month) on Apartment Therapy last night... I had a moment of truth.  My kitchen grail quest is finally over.

Can you hear the angels singing?

Those gleaming pots, the rustic wood, the frickin' glorious range... Wow.  Of course, that's not to say that I'd take it as-is.  Replace all of that white with mossy green and a soft velvety black?  Throw in some glossy red to match my prized mixer?  You've got a deal.

It's a Porsche for my kitchen... Shiny, sexy, and just listen to this baby purrrrr

Of course, Adam will be designing the kitchen in our future abode, so I suppose I ought to run this by him first.  I'm pretty domestic and I bake a mean apple pie, but he's the boss in the kitchen.  That's what you get when you hook up with an ex-chef... and I am perfectly okay with that (as long as he keeps cranking out his signature dishes according to my whims).  So, what do you think, boyfriend?  Could you whip up a pomegranate-glazed leg o' lamb here?