Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, while I took a little break to help out some family and we began preparing to have our third baby girl.   Now that things are settling down for a while, I am excited to share the things I have come across.  Since I have been working on our kitchen lately, I thought I would kick things off with a little inspiration in the way of this vintage kitchen renovation.

When Mary Engleson and Petter Skerfving bought this townhouse dating from 1948 in Malmo, it was entirely original and beginning to show its age.  Their goal was to preserve as much of the vintage kitchen as possible, while at the same time creating a space that was both “practical and modern.”   To accomplish this, they installed new windows in the old frames, a more efficient heating system, replaced the drawer rails, used smart trays for cutlery and utensils, and elevated work surfaces.  After seven busy weeks their work was finished, and I think the results are perfect.

I really love the color and material combinations used in this remodel.  I included a sample (below) of some options for a similar look.  Enjoy!

Interior photography via Hus & Hem

After an amazing stay at the Ace Hotel this last weekend, I thought it would be fun to do post on it.  My goal was to source as much as I could from memory and photos, and see if I could provide a short list of where you might find some of its amazing decor and details for yourself.  The list turned out to be longer than I first thought, so I am going to break it up into a few posts over the next few days, highlighting just some of my favorite details.  Hope you enjoy, and of course feel free to email over the next several days with some ideas of your own!

I have been considering ordering this book for a while now, but for some reason I held out hope I would stumble upon it randomly at a used bookstore.  I am not sure why, but when I can I prefer to buy books in places where the air smells like old paper, an old couple works tirelessly at sorting impossible stacks of books, and a cat watches sleepily.  Clicking a few times and having a book delivered to my doorstep somehow doesn’t feel like I earned it.  You can imagine how happy I was when I randomly stumbled upon this at Powell’s this weekend.

“One of the country’s most renowned modernist architects, Barbara Bestor has fully embraced and perfected Silver Lake’s “bohemian modern” style: a practical philosophy that is Californian in origin but achievable anywhere. It is a look that favors raw, authentic materials, brilliant colors, creative space planning, and a natural flow between indoors and outdoors.

The results, as Bohemian Modern presents, are striking: a flawlessly restored Neutra house decorated with both whimsy and restraint, a rooftop constructed for viewing the stars, a lavish outdoor garden delicately integrated into the surrounding architecture, a double-sided bookcase that soars three stories and serves as a functional art installation…there is no limit to the creativity and beauty of Silver Lake style.”

I highly recommend this book, overflowing with detailed descriptions and vivid interiors.  After I left there were two still left.  If you are not near Powell’s you can order online and last I checked 10 books a deal on shipping.  Also available through Amazon.

Description via Amazon.

My wife and I are constantly leaving notes, lists, and reminders for each other.  I will sometimes find small pieces of torn paper stuck in my glasses, on my wallet, or under my keys, when I am on my way out the door in the early mornings.  I know you can buy cork boards at just about any store these days in various, but average, sizes..  However, I have never found these boards to be a useful size, fitting for my wall space, or very interesting to look at.

A great solution, like in the above image showing a kitchen by Schwartz & Architecture, that will add a little warmth and texture to a room is the cork roll (or tiles).  Also available in most hardware stores for $15 or less, you can use vertically or horizontally in a long band or create a custom size just for the space on your wall.  Just make sure it is thick enough so the tacks don’t reach through the cork to the wall surface beneath, or spray mount it to thin backing material before securing it to your wall.  Of course if you have small children you’ll want to mind how low the tacks go, or hang it at a height they cannot reach.

Via Remodelista