Rustic, elegant kitchens

 

Living in Argentina, from Taschen

   

 from House & Garden, 2004 

 

The kitchen of set designer, Eugénie Collet. Photo by S. Anton in Brussels Style from Taschen

via Topsy Turvy

photo: Seaside Style, from Taschen

Though completely varied in their location and space, these kitchens all seem warm and charming- and despite some being quite elegant, I can imagine actually cooking in them. I'm always falling under the spell of rustic or old-world kitchens! (photos, from top: Taschen, Elle Decor, Living Etc; last photo from Marie Claire)

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Anthropologie, welcome to London!

It's finally here- the long-awaited opening of the first Anthropologie store in Europe. I had to see it, so I made my way to Regent St. this afternoon. I know lots of design buffs like Anthropologie's style, so I thought I'd post my findings.


One of the coolest displays in the store was the hanging teabag design in the windows on the ground and second floors - paying homage to the English, no doubt. The teabags were different colors, as if they'd used herbal teas of all sorts, and upstairs I noted they actually still smelled faintly of green tea!


Most impressive is the wall of greenery- plants and grasses fill a wall illuminated by natural light flooding in from a skylight above. It's beautiful. The staircase flows alongside the wall, so it feels very open and bright. Hung in the stairwell are candy-colored chandeliers of flowers and reclaimed materials, made by South African artists Magpie Art Collective.



The homewares section has huge antique Belgian or French painted armoires and cabinets filled with pretty glassware and books. This dining table above is fantastic.


I love the structure of this shelf with molding from the top of an armoire. Could I make one? I think so!

Overall, it's a lovely interior but I was floored by the prices! Wow. It's as if the American numbers were kept on the tags and they stuck a "£" in front. Decorative cushions were £90-250. There were some special one-off pieces, too- like antique (I think) Turkish-looking quilts for £2,200 and a really cool carpenters' bench for over £9,000. These prices are expected for a small boutique or designer store, but I was surprised to see not just the homewares, but the clothes priced as high as they are. Recession? Who says? Because if Anthro's London prices are any indication of what consumers might be willing to buy, the recession is over!


I felt right at home inside the store, because the interior is completely consistent with the U.S. stores I used to visit. It is so consistent, in fact, that I could have been in Anthropologie anywhere: New York, Charlotte, anywhere. There wasn't much of a British flavor, except for this Union Jack wall hanging by Becky Oldfield, of Lost & Found design.

Very cute, albeit small, childrens' section


Yes, I could have forgotten I was in the UK, except for the view outside the window- unmistakeably London! It's cool to have Anthropologie in London, and I'm glad it's here, though I can't say I'll be a frequent shopper there. I'll have to stick to buying from the US & having it sent over...

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New Orleans Style- Angele Parlange

Lately I'm loving a mix of New Orleans/ French decor everywhere I can find it! I found one dose of this style via this creative NOLA designer, Angele Parlange. Her colorful fabric choices and the way she's interjected not-too-serious things into her antebellum home make it personal and unique. It's a bit more relaxed the way she mixes things up, which is a more acheivable style in the real world (for me, at least). I also think that's just the perfect room of books, don't you? I mean, with so many books at arms' reach from the bed, well, it could be tempting to just not leave.

These images come from her book, Creole Thrift. I loved looking through this book at the bookstore when it came out, though to my regret, I didn't buy it. I should have gotten it while I had the chance, because I can't find it in London! It is full of of personal memoirs and stories collected along with snapshots of her family's life.

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Stylist Yvonne Baker

I learned of Dutch stylist Yvonne Baker from a favorite blog, Head Over Heels. I don't know whether it's the styling or the fact that the actual structure of the house in the top few photos is so appealing, but I love the look of it and the selective, sparse furnishings. (all photos from Yvonne Baker's website.)

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Charming Paris Shop: Au Petit Bonheur de la Chance

About three weeks ago I took a trip to Paris for Easter. We had the most beautiful weather and all the colors seemed so saturated. The entire city was blooming. It was a perfect introduction to this lovely city for my little 10-month old, who enjoyed most the baguettes!

I found this lovely shop called Au Petit Bonheur de la Chance, (13 Rue St. Paul) with a million vintage treasures picked out over time: everything from unused 1950's school notebooks and erasers to silk ribbon and hatpins. The owner has an impressive collection of colorful vintage latte bowls from the 1940's and 1950's, kitchen tins and stacks and stacks of antique cream and red table linens. The way things are displayed is beautiful- everything is easy to find, and despite the shop's small size, pretty easy to see. You must visit if you get a chance! I discovered the shop from this lovely blog. (The gorgeous photos were taken by my husband.)

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Italian stylist Candida Zanelli

Some fun photos of room settings from Italian stylist Candida Zanelli. Her work is often featured in magazines like Elle Decoration Japan and Case Abitare.

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