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I'm not even sure why I'm posting these images.  They are from a historical house in NSW, Australia, and for some reason they intrigue me.  Maybe it's because I tend to like things that aren't overly "done," in the sense that things are so decorated that they look twee, or overly matchy.  I think good interiors, like good homes, tell the stories of the people who have lived in them.  And when I look at this old house I can't help but wonder about the people who have lived it, including as the article indicates, Miss Aphrasia Maughan.  Aphrasia Maughan, now there's a name.

images and article from Real Homes

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Sadly, when you are in graduate school, enjoying the winter holidays usually gets chucked out because there's about a million and one loose ends to finish up before the semester is over.  This year is much better for me than past years, but still I'm racing to finish.  In the meantime, we did manage to get a mini tree up (with lights), plus a poinsetta, wreath, and paperwhites. I'm listening to my favorite holiday music, and I'm sticking to my vow to try and decorate the inside Scandi-style, using lots of greens and bright candles to soak up the darkness that has fallen across the northern hemisphere.

I'm the kind of body that really gets affected by the darkness these days.  What do you guys do to brighten your days as the solstice approaches?  top: Maria JC; middle: (my fav) Abby Powell; bottom: Sarah Ryhanen.

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A very happy birthday to one of my favorite little people.  Happy 3rd Birthday, Robbie!  Love, h.

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me likey.  that's all.  via sweet space.

sunshine.

Things that are making me happy today: sunshine streams in through the windows and a home that is filled with light.

high summer in Wiltshire

A friend of mine just emailed me this picture.  It's of my niece and nephew in their family's garden in Wiltshire.  I adore everything about it; it seems very Selby-esque.  Wish I had been there!  Doesn't my sister's garden look amazing?

york street studios.

 

continuing on with my own ode to New England: on the plane flying from SF to Boston last week I fell in love with this house from the pages Elle Decor.  The house is in rural Connecticut, near where my brother and sister went to high school.  The home's owners are the couple behind the design firm York Street Studios, and their house is pretty much perfection.  Richly layered, but simply, relaxed and comfortable!  I like how it doesn't take itself too seriously.  Case in point, the sofas in the sunroom are even from Ikea.

maine + massachusetts.

Friends, I have been on a mini vacay in Maine and at my family's home in Massachusetts.  I have been experiencing some serious heart pangs at being back "home".  Old white New England farmhouses, summer sun, the Atlantic ocean, listening to the pine trees in the wind, driving down back country roads with the windows rolled down, cool air at night without street lamps.  It's perfection.  

Gallant & Jones

Lovely, lovely outdoor chairs from Canadian company Gallant & Jones. With every purchase, they donate $5.00 to Love Trees. Plus isn't their website just adorable?

Kathryn Ireland

Was browsing through the Kathryn Ireland's last night and couldn't help but wanting to share these images. I love how comfortable everything looks. All images from Kathryn Ireland's website.

Some really lovely things from the new to me online only store, L'Aviva Home. I love, love, love the white Moroccan Wedding blankets and the Indigo throws. What a gorgeous collection of things--perfect for birthday or wedding presents.

Uruguay

I was born with a kind of wanderlust that no matter how hard I try gosh darn it, will not be talked into submission. My latest obsession is coastline of Uruguay. And setting up a hotel/boutique. And then I remembered these pictures from The World of Interiors a few years back (Feb 09, I think). This is the residence of the celebrated Argentine chef, Francis Mallman, in Garzon, Uruguay. Pretty much perfect, don't you think?

Now that it is getting nicer out, I'm day-dreaming about ramping up our backyard garden. Things I fantasize about including:

vertical garden panel from Flora Grubb

bistro set in turquoise blue or verbena green

lights from Restoration Hardware to string up along the fence and trees

fire pit from Toast for the toasty San Francisco nights

our meyer lemon tree! (photo by Liz Kuball from 20x200)

3.12.10 -- a House is a Home

I really, really like this Brooklyn apartment which is featured in this NY Times article. A lot of their furniture is apparently stuff they inherited from grandparents, friends, family. The place reminds me a lot of my apartment in San Francisco. I too, have stuff that I grew up with and have gotten from my parents and grandparents. Couches, rugs, books, artwork, photographs, tables that I will never get rid of. It seems to me today that so many interiors are sort of overly done. Striving for a kind of contrived perfection, they often look and feel more like museums or galleries than actual homes.

It takes character and personality to make something transcend the "decorated" look. The somewhat saggy couch I'm sitting on right now came from my grandparents house in Nashville in the early 80s. It is the same couch that I used to nap on in the summer sun when I was a teenager at home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I love being able to touch objects that remind me of people and places that sadly have passed on. To me, this is what makes a house a home.

Luxe Lust

This would be on my Christmas list if its price tag weren't so high! (295 pounds! why is cashmere so outrageously expensive?) One day, cashemere blanket from toast, you and I will get it on.

Home, Sweet Home

Hey, all, sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I've had some guests in town, including my adorable five month old nephew, Jasper. It's been so fun to hang out with him! Speaking of hanging out, I could log some serious hours in this lovely London home, spotted on the Guardian's website. It's light, airy, elegant and comfortable, just the way a real home (with barking dogs and giggling babies) should be. Thanks Sash , Will and Jasper for making our home a real one for a few days! {Photographs by David Cleveland}

Color Palette

It's hard to put into words how much I love this house. The focus on color is something that I especially admire. I think it can be so hard to match the right soft, color palette together -- and Karen Draaijer gets it just right. The soft grays and lavenders in the kitchen are a gorgeous departure from the usual white. I really adore that lovely cream antique chair in front of the fire, but that blue color in the hallway is my absolute favorite. It kind of reminds me of this blue room from World of Interiors. via Remodelista.