sitting on a cloud

all images via cb2

i thought i'd share some new offerings from cb2 that caught my eye. i especially love the look of the cloud 16 lounge chair {bottom}. i'd love to have one in my living room to replace the leather slipper chairs that we've currently got, which i feel are just too weighty and chunky now for the look i'd like in that room.

a mantra for an ethical life.

downloadable poster by jessika hepburn of oh my! handmade goodness

i've been doing a lot of quiet thinking about the happenings in japan over the past several days. to be honest, i've found it almost too difficult to watch. i'm not sure i'm able to comprehend the extent of the disaster, to imagine the people, their feelings, their losses. the images of the peoples' faces are what get me the most, seeing the heartache + fear there in their eyes. it's a bit much for me, as i'm sure it is for everyone. it feels too close, too awful, too real.

when i read this post on oh my! handmade goodness yesterday, i was struck by the poster she designed. ethics. they are, after all, the root of our lives, our personal mandate for our time on this planet. someone commented on the post about working towards an ethical life, even when it's inconvenient. i think that is so important. you can talk about your ethics all you want, but when it comes time to act, to help, to do good, where will you stand? will you stand behind your mantra? have you ever taken the time to write down your values, your beliefs? i really think it helps.

i know i'll be pondering these thoughts for a long time. what do we want to pass along to our kids, what are the things we'd like them to take away with them when they leave home. it's about being mindful of your actions, your words. taking care of our fellow human beings. it shouldn't take a disaster to make us think of these things, but now is as good a time as any to start, isn't it?

i'd recommend popping over to omhg to read jessika's post for yourself. it's a lovely read. the last line of jessika's poster really strikes a chord. working together to make life better. for everyone, that is to say. for the whole planet.

if you'd like to help with disaster relief in japan, christchurch, and otherwise, please visit these links for ideas on what you can do. this is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are a multitude of shops donating partial proceeds, and auctions set up to help. feel free to leave a link in the comments if you have something to add to this list.

poppytalk has a great post with links to artists donating partial or full proceeds to japan.

blooming in japan :: jacqui of mee a bee

how artists can help japan :: evie s. of a beautiful idea

products to aid disaster relief in asia :: more info at octavia & brown

and of course, canadian red cross is just a text away. text ASIA to 30333 to donate $5.

affordable art :: leah duncan

images via leah duncan on etsy.

i'm totally smitten with leah duncan's beautiful prints. i love the subtle colours, patterned geometrics, and simple yet striking compositions. how am i to choose which one to get for my workspace? her tea towels would also be pretty perfect for my new kitchen. decisions, decisions.

bowen island escape.

one of my favourite things to do online is to browse architects' portfolios, particularly local ones. i find it so inspiring, and love reinforcing the styles i am drawn to and what i'd like to strive for in my own home.

i fell head over heels for this bowen island residence, by west vancouver firm burgers architecture inc. the open, airy space is kept streamlined + simple with white walls, natural wood plank vaulted ceilings, and concrete floors. built on an ocean bluff with amazing 180 degree views, it just seems to fit perfectly in its' surroundings of rock, trees, and cliffs. also notable is the use of geothermal heating and a 10000 gallon rain cistern, which make this home not only stunning, but kind to our earth. love.

the sightlines in this home are my absolute favourite. i am a total sucker for a good sightline. look at the expanse of smooth concrete, juxtaposed with the perfectly angled beams in the ceiling. the trees seem to to float at the end of a tunnel in the photo above.

all images are from burgers architecture inc.

sleek + warm, LAXseries furniture

i am completely over the moon for this beautiful LAXseries furniture coming from santa monica design firm MASHstudios. with a focus on quality, sustainability, and responsible manufacturing, the LAXseries is built to last. using high-grade materials, recyclable aluminum, low-voc + natural oil finishes, this furniture is made to last a lifetime while leaving the smallest footprint possible.

looking beyond the environmentally responsible production, these pieces have style to spare. i love the warmth of the natural english walnut paired with crisp white powder-coated aluminum. minimal styling, modern sensibility, it's picture perfect.

i think my favourite is the platform bed, above. i'd like to climb right in. oh, and that room is pretty fantastic, too. love that exposed concrete wall. pure bliss.

all images via LAXseries.com

lemon + teal for the home.

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from bottom left.

it was another picture perfect sunny {but cold!} day in vancouver today. this is just the kind of winter weather that i love, and is quite typical of vancouver in february. and then my spirits are usually smashed by a wet + soggy + grey month of march. sigh.

anyhow, i thought i'd share my lemon + teal finds for the home today. so much goodness out there, i must say it was hard narrowing it down. when i do roundups like this, i find i often feel the urge to redecorate and rethink all my accent colours! how about you?

industrial task table lamp in turmeric :: west elm

turquoise moroccan pouf :: the cross decor & design

tivoli audio model one am/fm radio in yellow :: via anthropologie

sugar jar {turquoise} :: paulova

facet cream/citrine rug :: dwell studio

staub la cocotte, oval in turquoise :: via anthropologie

choose 2 pillows from urban throw collection :: nesta home

:: also make sure to have a look at these sweet mugs that molly of charlotte's fancy posted about last week. we always seem to be on the same wavelength, and those mugs would fit perfectly in this post ::

winter colours

jan at poppytalk is hosting another winter colours week starting on monday. i am always so inspired by the photography that emerges during these seasonal flickr pools, and it got me thinking about the colours i've been seeing in nature recently. since starting my 365 project, i've been snapping a lot of flora, it is just something that draws my eye. these are just a few that i've taken this past couple of weeks.

let there be light

gorgeous, light-filled, minimal living. while it is doubtful i could live in a space like this [i have two kids, and a lot of stuff], i sure do love looking at it. this london apartment is a recent addition to the locations being showcased on shootfactory, a uk site for film + tv rentals. loads of eye-candy there, it's one of my fave places to browse when i find myself with a spare moment.

and those stunning greystone eames chairs? a very very close runner up in colour to these beauties, which we just recently received, and love very very much.

heath ceramics :: backsplash inspiration

my head is spinning with images of tiles + countertops + faucets + hardware + flooring. oh, my. as always, there are loads of amazing designs over at heath ceramics. such beautiful tile. i will have to keep dreaming, but i can certainly take my cue from the inspiration, right?

and, i know it's not a kitchen, but i love this palette + tile layout. sublime.

all images via heath ceramics. individual architect + photographer credits in the gallery.

sightlines

if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know i love a good architectural sightline. acclaimed local architects + designers battersby howat have a portfolio of work that makes me swoon. divine staircases and sightlines to die for. i'll share more of their work again soon, i can't help myself. it is westcoast design at it's finest.

images via battersby howat

crisp + cool

image via dreaming green

i love the contemporary modern look of this bathroom. the wood gives it a lovely warmth, in contrast with the sharp linear style of the room as a whole. i also love the ice blue hand towels paired with everyday whites. crisp + cool.

this gorgeous space is found in an eco-friendly townhouse featured in the book dreaming green. i happened upon this book while i was in a local shop the other day, but only had a moment to flip through it. i was intrigued, so looked it up when i got home later on. looks like there would be lots of inspiring stuff inside!

dreaming big

i'm totally in love with this summer house, featured in the august 2010 issue of style at home. the expansive views of forest + lake are pretty much to die for. as are the open stairwell, modern furnishings, amazing kitchen, and sleek master bed + bath. yup, i love it all.

images via style at home, august 2010

the folks at style at home also shared this fantastic kitchen in the september issue. i love the mix of dark + light grey with white, brightened with bold pops of orange. i also love that this is a budget-friendly, ikea-based kitchen! huge inspiration for me as we get set to reno our kitchen [ikea styles] this fall.

image via style at home, september 2010

beautiful chaos

i am totally smitten by this photo i saw on emmas designblogg. she always find the most impeccable examples of design, but this one stole my heart today. how can someone's disorganized room, which looks to be in the midst of being unpacked, be so beautiful? maybe it's the calm that we glimpse on the near side of the photo, a comfy eames lounger to relax in to be separated from the chaos. or maybe it's those incredible herringbone floors. so good.

and now for the greys.

some nice [grey] things to go with my greens. we use a white coverlet in the summer, and it definitely could use a cozy throw blanket for cooler evenings. i always have magazines on the floor beside my bed, the felt storage would be perfect to collect them. and i love those escutcheons. just the word, escutcheon. doesn't it sound dreamy?

images via sources as listed below, top to bottom.

chunky knit throw :: cb2
floppy basket, large :: josh jakus, available at branch

escutcheon collection no. 6, original watercolor painting:: golly bard

just another kitchen i love

by stylist pernilla asberg, via emmas designblogg

laura bucci :: vintage illustration series

i first met local artist + designer laura bucci last winter at the got craft holiday show. we had chatted a little back and forth prior to meeting, and it was so lovely to greet her in person. she is as warm + sweet as she is talented.

i have admired laura's work for a long time, and am super interested in her newest goodies.
laura's new series involves vintage illustrations from the 1930's, which she has reworked + enhanced, and paired with vocabulary lists to round out her story. she has put each image together with colours that perfectly suit the vintage appeal of the series. printed in an eco-friendly manner, laura is continuing with her quest to create low-impact earth-friendly designs that are also gorgeous to look at.

the series started out with a vintage spin on her already fabulous eco cup cozies. i have the aqua bicycle one shown below [and i love it], but have a look at that exhausted laundress. how fun, i can certainly relate to that!!

laura is continuing her series with these awesome textile wall art panels. she has kindly shared her process with us here on her blog. it's really great to see what exactly goes into creating a piece, from the design to the trials, to the actual production and even marketing of a new piece. definitely check it out. i love these new pieces, and can't wait to see them in person. where would you hang them? kitchen, classroom, office?

if there's one thing i know about laura's work, it's that these pieces will be just as wonderfully made + fantastic looking as all the rest. you can find laura's shop on big cartel right here.

all images via laura bucci