A Perfectly Imperfect China Cupboard

The cupboards in our rented apartment came stocked with dishes, so ours are jostling with theirs for space. Someday I hope to have a china cupboard like this one; pretty enough to leave open for all to see. I love how all the china is in a similar neutral palate, with some pale pale hints of color mixed in. It's tidy, but just messy enough to really belong to someone. Perfect in slight imperfection.

This image is from the new Design Sponge at Home book. Have you had a chance to peek through it yet? I'll be ordering my copy soon.

Reinventing a Furnished Apartment: Bathroom Makeover

The bathroom in our new digs is positively palatial. It feels like I'm stepping into a fancy spa, which of course, I adore. Here's the grand tour.

I like to place art in the sight lines I use most often as I walk through our home. Remember my DIY seashell specimen boxes? They're on the wall facing the mirror so you see them while washing your hands!

These wicker trunks were scattered throughout the house for extra storage. I rather like them stacked together for dramatic effect.


Perfume collection displayed on an oval china plate along with a tiny finger bowl for jewelery. One bottle was a gift from my Mum, one from my lovely Husband. (And the cologne was a gift from me to him!)

This science beaker collection makes a nice tableau with a sea sponge bowl and a little model ship.

Purely a coincidence that most recent nail color matches new rug perfectly! (It's called Jade Jump if you must know.)

This Wayne Pate Jacques Cousteau Poster is right at home with a collection of glass fishing floats displayed in a trifle bowl.


The new rug was really affordable and also happens to match this vintage inspired swimsuit! Further coincidence or evidence that I spend too much time scouring the sale section of Urban Outfitters? Don't answer that.

Bedroom Before & After: Reinventing a Furnished Apartment

Bedroom Before...
Before...
And After, all moved in! The furniture in this condo (which has led a double life as a vacation rental here in Hawaii) is quite tasteful, if a little dull. I'm always amazed at the power of textiles to transform a room and this duvet cover really punched it up. Now it feels tropical, fearless and fun. (The "For Like Ever" poster was a gift from our friends the Taylors on our wedding day. I only recently found the right frame for it!)

Mix & Match throw pillows never hurt anyone either. I embroidered this Taj Mahal design on a ready made cushion cover from Ikea and the birds were an odd piece of textile that caught my eye at a thrift store for $1. I just sewed the sides shut and turned it into a pillow cover.

I once read that all the best hotel rooms are neutral so that the inhabitants can bring their own color and life into the space. All I really wanted to do here was add some personality and flare. Nothing like displaying your jewelery to do exactly that. Plus I find I'm much more likely to use it all if I can see it all every morning when I'm getting dressed.

The "See it All Rule" is a good one to follow when displaying shoes...

And scarves too.
It's all just so pretty- who would want to hide it away in a box?

I have more posts to come on our other living spaces that I can't wait to share with you. It feels so good to be feathering my nest again. What special objects add personality and flare to your home?

Moving Day. (Thank Goodness.)

Newlin Chesterfield Sofa from Anthropologie

Today is moving day. At last. After looking at 16 different set ups in eight days, (on the heels of eight weeks of solid travel) we finally found the one. I scared Eric a little by going into dangerous convulsions of laughter & tears after we saw it. I guess I'm ready to set up camp again.

I'm looking forward to unpacking all my treasures and making this beautiful but rather neutral space into our home. You can see photos of our new digs here if you're interested. I'll be posting about my sprucing in the next few weeks.

I am grateful that our new place is furnished, so all we're doing today is hauling in boxes. But I fantasize about the day I will select my own furniture. I wonder if I'll find it as overwhelming and unpleasant as house hunting? (Will I even know what I like after all this time living in furnished places?)

What was the first piece of furniture you bought? Do you still have it? Do you still love it?

Visiting Vienna: Cafe Orlando di Castello

One of my favorite food stops in Vienna so far has been Orlando di Castello. This charming little cafe is just two blocks from our apartment.

Aren't their lacy cafe chairs pretty? They remind me of elaborate calligraphy on a fancy wedding invitation.
I think Eggs Benedict is one of my all time favorite dishes. I really must learn how to poach an egg so I can make it at home. This one was perfectly made with a light herb Hollandaise sauce, salty ham and a toasty roll.

I am falling madly in love with Viennese cafe culture- people bring a stack of magazines and books with them, order a coffee (which always comes perfectly made with a tiny glass of water) and while away the afternoon catching up on news and fashion. The waiter never brings the bill until you ask and you can sit for hours. (I start to feel antsy after only an hour or two, in the States I always feel like I need to buy something every few hours if I'm camping out like that.)

This article (which sports far better photographs of the uber hip cafe interior) informs me that the design was inspired by "50 Cent, Queen Victoria and a girl from Tyroll". My thoughts exactly. (Ha!)

These total experiences are what I miss most about an urban lifestyle when we are back in rural Hawaii. Here there is attention paid to food, service, and the atmosphere you are enjoying which elevates the experience and creates additional value. Sometimes these hip places can feel cold and intimidating, but the staff here was so welcoming and friendly that spending the whole morning was blissful.

Are there chic but friendly places to eat where you live? Which is your favorite?