super natural

heidi swanson of the blog 101 cookbooks has been featured recently over on remodelista here and here (and probably a handfull of other times because she's so cool).  i thought i'd make a little post about her because i recently picked up one of her cookbooks titled Super Natural Every Day.  i have to say, it's not only a beautiful book, but it has me excited about eating real, good food.  it also has me rethinking my kitchen and how i might make organizing it fun and pretty.

images: two; three

compact cool

in light of apartment therapy's small cool 2011 here is a fun little pocket kitchen featured in architectural digest.  love how the backsplash continues around the little eating nook.

design by penny drue baird

cookin' kitchens

favorite color combinations: smokey blacks, warm greys, cream colors and browns.  these are a few kitchens that i lust after.  i need to cook in a space that makes me hungry, so the über sleek, modern look is not really for me.  how about you?
images: elle decor; traditional home

on display

i'm always so intrigued by the way people display their things.  i was trained in architecture so i tend to like things lined up and evened out...but then not always.  i like to have a little fun with the mundane stuff hanging around my house.  i mean next time you do the dishes and set them out to dry, try lining them up in neat rows and stacks, it's so satisfying.
...but then the fiancé tells me it's time to put the dish sculpture away.

check out the creative walls or decorate for some more inspiration!

image: country living

image: marie claire maison 

image: jarlath mellett

image: kelly wearstler via lonny magazine

new beginnings

i've been on hiatus, working for a stint at a boutique interiors firm in manhattan. while i learned a lot, not only about design but about people, i am happy to turn the page. im in the middle of planning my wedding and thinking about what sort of "tools" for living we might one day have. my interests are always changing and my attention span short, but i am consistently drawn to smokey blacks, creamy whites, the sparkle of glass and the occasional colorful surprise.

things i covet:

black basalt wedgworth

vintage bar ware