Living Small

A major trend in residential design is a shrinking house size, but with high-end amenities. It becomes about creating homes with useful space that is intelligently crafted, instead of just bigger houses with more space. The shift to smaller houses is happening for a number of reasons, including sustainability, functionality, lower costs and the realization that a supersized house isn't a better house.

Home owners are forgoing dining rooms and creating eat-in kitchens in their place. This room has the functionality and intimate feel of a dining room without the extra space.

This galley kitchen takes advantage of vertical space and extends to the outdoors, creating an efficient and comfortable space without a huge footprint.

Taking this idea to the extreme is Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, designer of the world's smallest house and other tiny houses from 65 to 874 square feet (and with tiny price tags too!). 

It's all about Ikat

You may have already noticed that Ikat prints are everywhere. Even though it's an ancient dying technique (similar to, but more refined than tie-dying), Ikat prints are very current and will continue to pop up in fashion and home accessories. Incorporating Ikat brings a bohemian vibe into your space, and the prints are coloful with a hand-crafted feel.

I love the vivid colors in this Ikat fabric by Schumacher. I think it's the perfect fabric for a project I'm working on! 

This pillow cover is distincly Ikat.  It's made by Fabricadabra, a fabric compnay that uses organic, non-toxic and naturally dyed fabrics. They have a great collection of Ikat pillow covers with a spectrum of colors and prints to choose from.

These super cute shorts from Gap aren't in stores yet, but they are part of an entire collection of Ikat for Spring & Summer 2012; including scarves, shoes, shorts and dresses. 

Colorful Ceilings!

During a recent trip to Charleston, I was reminded of my love for painted ceilings! Ceilings painted various shades of "haint" blue caught my attention as I weaved the historic streets. A haint is an evil spirit, and as legend has it, porch ceilings were painted this color to resemble water and keep the evil spirits, that couldn't cross water, away (it's thought to ward off spiders and bugs too!). Take a look at this classic low country porch, and it's fantastic painted ceiling.

It's a great idea to bring painted ceilings into the home, particularly in a smaller space like a bathroom, dining room or sunroom. The unexpected pop of color in this South Carolina sunroom adds character to the space.

Painting a herringbone pattern is modern twist on this idea, and has a very cool effect.  Check out this great ceiling by Vintage Revivals.

Escape from the office grind




Photo by Melissa Blackall Photography

                                    
Escaping from the office sounds appealing, right?  I'm not talking about not working, but about an alternative to where you work. You may daydream about working in bed, in a coffee shop, or outside on a sunny day. The reality is getting real work done in these places is difficult. But there is somewhere else, an in-between space that offers the tools and technology you need, in a more relaxed setting. It's called coworking and it's catching on. Space is rented by the day or month and resources like printers and conference rooms are shared, which appeals to the self-employed, freelancers and start ups. Coworking connects you with a community of other professionals and helps with the work/life balance, while also cutting down on the costs of a traditional office. Some bigger businesses, like US Bank, are testing out this new workplace strategy because of these benefits. Would you cowork? Take a look at a few of these spaces to help you decide.

645 Croswell - Grand Rapids

Metro Space - Detroit

Co-Hoots - Pheonix

General Assembly - New York

Work Bar - Boston



654 Croswell, Grand Rapids



Clutter, served up neatly.

I love my reclaimed wood tray, so I try hard to keep it clean!

Trays are a simple way to contain clutter and add a sense of order to things that otherwise look messy. I recently bought a tray made from reclaimed wood to use on my kitchen island. We toss mail, keys, phones, and anything else that doesn't actually belong on our kitchen counter, until we have time to attend to it. It's something functional, but also adds a rustic feel to our space. If you find a tray you love, you will be motivated to keep it tidy so that you can enjoying looking at it. 

Bathroom vanities are also great places to utilize a tray for organizing toiletries. Try using a lacquered, or other easily cleaned finish, like these brightly colored square trays from West Elm.  You can also add your personal touch to a tray by lining the bottom in a fabric or paper you love, and having glass cut to fit in the bottom to protect it.


West Elm Square Lacquer Trays



Think Spring!



This spring is all about pastels! You'll be seeing mint green, pinks, yellows and oranges in fashion, but how can this translate into interior spaces?  Incorporating something small, like a pillow or vase that reflects the latest trend is a smart way to stay current without too much commitment.  I love these graphic diamond lumbar pillows Serena & Lily.  Use just one to create a small pop of Spring color, or mix and match a few colors for something more bold.

P.S. Black and white were also big fashion trends on the runways for Spring 2012, reminding us that basics are always chic.