Dwellings

In my post yesterday I said I would try to make a trip to one of the big design stores here in Barbados as soon as possible, and I did. I went and looked around Dwellings today. It's like any other design store in the US but the prices are higher. They even carry my favorite bedding brand 1891. I love the table setting above and really wanted to get it but my husband said if I brought any more dishes home he would break them all. Hope you guys enjoy the rest of the pictures below.

Beauty in Portola Valley

BCV Architects in California do some extraordinary work. Here is a kitchen that is stunning. It has been posted on BCV Architects website. It also has been on the GardenWeb's Finished Kitchens Blog Forum since 2004 and still four years later, there are comments of admiration being posted.

It is a wonderful and peaceful space. The owner refers the kitchen as Tuscan meets California Wine Country. I call it beautiful and timeless!

Notice the Beautiful honed caesarstone in Baja on the counters, with a double thickness added on the edges to give the illusion of greater heft. I love the mosaic backsplash.
A Lacanche Fontenay range! The Rolls Royce of ranges. Stunning!

Notice the lovely windows. The owner mentioned that the Astec extruded bronze windows were imported from Italy. Also notice the bronze pulls.

The doorways on either side of the range lead to a pantry area. .

The area has a dog watering/feeding center, additional stove and microwave

With every renovation the architect's design is an important component, but also the owner/builder relationship and their ability to execute that design is paramount to success. In this case it seems a very talented and tenacious owner was able to create a space that is elegant, peaceful and timeless. Let me know if you agree.

I encourage you to click on the Garden Web link to read the owners comments in more detail. She is very gracious and forthcoming with her experiences and information.
http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2005/06/bosches-kitchen.html.

Also more pictures of the entire home including the exterior and the dining area are on the BCV website: http://www.bcvarch.com/home.html

Just My Type

Seeing as how I love typography, I couldn't help but love this image from photographer, Trevor Dixon's portfolio.

Image via Desire to Inspire

Thompson Chairs

From both an aesthetic and durability standpoint, GUS* Design Group is committed to building quality products that stand the test of time.

The Thompson chairs are available in white or black vinyl with a natural or wenge stained solid oak frame. They are sold as a pair only.

{LINK}

Chalk it Up to Style

I saved quite a few images to my computer around this time last year (it may have even been in 2007) of rooms that featured chalkboards or chalkboard paint. I never got around to writing that post, but upon seeing this room by Benjamin Dhong, I thought I owed it to the chalkboards to do a little post. Most of the rooms I had intended to feature used the chalkboards or chalkboard paint in a pretty practical way, i.e. refrigerator doors, kitchens, playrooms, etc. which is why I love the complete contrast of Dhong's choice. Instead of looking for practicality, he turned to art featuring the Empire State Building. Medium of choice? Chalk on blackboard. The result is completely cool.


Image via Benjamin Dhong

New color trends for 2009

From {House to Home}

Summer Loving in the Winter

Happy Monday everyone! I'm still in the beautiful country of Barbados, having a wonderful time during these winter months. I've been here for about three weeks now and loving every minute of it. The design stores here are awesome even though they are a bit too expensive for me. I will try to post some pictures of the board houses here and some items from the shops. There are two big design stores in Barbados, Designer Decor and Dwellings. I haven't had a chance to visit either but I plan to stop by them soon. I've just been visiting the shops along the gold coast such as The Chattel Village. They don't have any design shops in the village but the clothing stores are wonderful.

I'm staying in St. James were most of the house on the beach are huge villas that I can't even imagine owning one day and I have a really good imagination. The houses that most of the locals live in are called board houses. They look like little beach shacks. I'll try to post as many pictures as I can from this little winter vacation of mine. If you guys have ever been to Barbados or know someone who has been, please recommend any great design shops you think I should visit.