Sunset Magazine: Houseplants Go Glam

This houseplant guide in Sunset Magazine (Feb 2013) features a great selection of gorgeous houseplants.  I am a huge fan of having plants in my living environment.  They are like living sculptures, and they say they help purify the air inside too.  I have a fiddle-leaf fig that I am trying to get to grow into a more tree-like shape like the one above and I'd love to add some of these other beauties to the collection.  Especially the more vertical, tree-like black aralia or ficus triangularis, as most of my plants are low and squat.

If you live in my neck of the woods, a great source for houseplants (and herbs and other seasonal plants) is David Shannon Nursery and Florist.  They've got a solid selection of plants at reasonable prices, a really friendly staff, and will also re-pot your plants before you take them home for a small fee.  They have a selection of basic planters, but you could also bring your own. 

To read more about these plants visit www.sunset.com or pick up the Feb 2013 issue.  Image above scanned from Sunset Magazine.  Photo by Thomas J. Story.

Details From an Abandoned Cement Factory

This abandoned cement factory on the outskirts of Barcelona was rescued by architect Ricardo Bofill.  He lives and works here.  Where can I even start?  Such a big, wide open space - high ceilings is an understatement.  Can you even imagine how much those window treatments weigh?  I love the shots of light and greenery coming through the tall, arched windows and the way you can see that this building had a previous life as something else.  My favorite part of this space is all of the material details.  Rough materials like cement, brick, board-pressed concrete coming together so beautifully.  I would definitely not mind having this as a live/work space.

Featured in Elle Decor Jan/Feb 2013 in the article "Concrete Poetry."  Originally featured in Elle Decoration UK.  Photography by Richard Powers.  Images from www.elledecor.com.

Instant Attraction: Study in the Home fo John Robshaw

So much personality.  Very collected.  And the plants.  Love that rug.  Good trick to paint the ceiling a lighter shade of the color on the walls.  

Image from Elle Decor.  Photos by William Waldron.  Featured in Elle Decor December 2012: Home and Abroad. 

Nate Berkus Home Office Makeover

Loved this one-day home office makeover by Nate Berkus in House Beautiful May 2012.  Perfect balance of masculine and feminine.  Love that 70's sofa!

Image from House Beautiful.  Interior Design by Nate Berkus.  Photo by Björn Wallander.

Instant Attraction: House Beautiful - Naturally Modern

Love the color and materials palette of this project.  Lots of texture, pattern and natural materials.  And I LOVE the groundcover in the deck area.  It is called Baby's Tears, and I want some.

Images from House Beautiful, July/August 2012.  Interior design by Mark Egerstrom.  Photos by Lisa Romerein.  More photos of this project after the jump...

Color Files: House Beautiful - Layer With a Global Mix

Great use of color and mixing of textiles in this project.  There's a lot going on in these photos, they're a bit of a departure from my usual preferences of simple palettes with an emphasis on natural materials and very sparing use of color.  Although there is more color here, the palette is still restrained to a range of purples and reds and neutrals.  GREAT rugs.  And I am dying for this bathroom.

Images from House Beautiful June 2012, Layer With a Global Mix.  Interior design by Betsy Burnham.  Photos by Amy Neunsinger.

More images of the project after the jump...

Heath Ceramics Single Stem Vase

Heath Ceramics Single Stem Vase in California Poppy and Birch.  Love the dipped look.

Color Files: Au Naturel

For me, the appeal of clean, bright white combined with natural wood finishes, black accents, and fresh greenery never gets old.  It gives off an appearance of serenity and calm that to me makes the perfect interior.  The palette can be applied in so many ways, from a more rustic look to a steamlined modern look.  I think the important thing is to get the balance right.  You don't want so much white that the room feels sterile, and you don't want so much wood that it feels like a barn.  And you can't forget your soft surfaces and good lighting, otherwise the room just doesn't feel livable.

Here and after the jump: some of my favorite interiors and vignettes featuring this favorite palette of mine.

Super Cool - Studio Gorm Flow Kitchen

This "living kitchen" by Studio Gorm is pretty amazing.  They explain it best on their website:

a living kitchen where nature and technology are integrated in a symbiotic relationship, processes flow into one another in a natural cycle, efficiently utilizing energy, waste, water and other natural resources. it provides a space not only for preparing food but an environment that gives a better understanding of how natural processes work. a kitchen where food is grown, stored, cooked and composted to grow more food. 

the flow products can be used independently but are far more effective when they work in concert as part of the larger system. the individual objects are relatively uncomplicated, acting as simple vehicles for the more complex natural processes to do the work. this kitchen is developed as a flexible system where resources are reused by several elements creating a dynamic flow between the products. 

the water from the dish rack drips on the herbs and edible plants, which are grown in the planter boxes places below the rack. the counter top features a built in waste bowl, which can be utilized to dump the scraps while preparing the food. once the bowl is full, it needs only to be tipped to transfer the waste into the worm bin composter, which lies beneath the counter top. as the waste is lowered into the composter, the worms convert it into nutrient rich fertilizer, which can be put back into the plants.

Image and text from www.studiogorm.com.

Instant Attraction: West Village Garden of Julianne Moore

I am mega-crushing on Julianne Moore's West Village garden.  I might truly consider killing for a garden like this, especially in the WV.  I am oving everything about it.  The greenery (no flowers!), the wild look or it all, the walls of ivy, and I LOVE the way the aptly named staghorn ferns are potted in wall-mounted planters so that they look like game trophies.

Above photo by Christopher Baker from Architectural Digest.  Definitely go have a look at the rest of the photos of this lovely secret garden.