see through: lucite lust

I am on the hunt for a square, large lucite coffee table for our living room. Easy you might say? Oh and did I mention I would like a vintage one? Well, yes it is relatively easy to find such lovely things but the price tags are steep.  To find the right table for the right price is my challenge of late.

So for now, I look and lust for lucite.

I had to include this image - love the console... hmmmm
maybe a console instead?


















The exterior of our home has a very specific look.  Think "north of France country home".  My hope is to instill a little 'old meets new' vibe by adding pieces like this to the mix.

Here are a few vintage finds from 1st dibs 
incase you are in the market...

this one is a signed Charles Hollis Jones c. 1970
 but a tad too contemporary for our space. 
 listing here


this waterfall table is beautiful but alas we need a square.
listing here



I absolutely love this one ... but alas we need a square. 
listing here


So my hunt continues. The good news is, I love hunting vintage finds so this will be fun. 
Square.  A tad 'transitional'. Clean lines, unique. 
Wish me luck!


images found: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

ps: if you are in the market for such a table, link #7 will take you to more resources

spotlight: SF GIRL BY BAY

I've been home today with my sweet sick XS boy and not at the 'machine', as in computer.  On a quick stop at the machine I checked Facebook and found that my friend Victoria has been profiled on today's design*sponge.  She is super fantastic and talented and all around really nice.  So I thought I would share a post about Victoria and her interview on design*sponge for your reading pleasure.  

Meet Victoria. 


This is an awesome picture btw V.  I can hear you now saying "oh I'm too shy to be infront of the camera".  But forget shy! I am waiting for someone to offer you a TV show.

Her journey from ad-gal to blog maven is inspiring and insightful for anyone toying with starting their own business, taking a leap of faith, following their heart. Victoria's blog is an inspiration to me, as is she.  One of the sweetest people I know, one of the most creative. And if you haven't found her lovely blog yet, today is the day you should.

Read about Victoria's career path and advice on the always wonderful design*sponge.
Check out her blog SFGIRLBYBAY.
And then you simply must check out her new venture, Makeshift Society.


inspire // desire: pink and white and soft

These images caught my eye this weekend on tumblr... here is a mini inspire//desire and the tree image was the original inspiration.  A little something different for your Monday.  

INSPIRE


and some shopping links if you so...

DESIRE...


sublime

I have spent a lot of time this week on blog 'housecleaning'. Cleaning out my photo files, starting a new pinterest board of just blog images, cruising around tumblr enjoying images.  I must admit I was a tad in search of something new after dusting off the cobwebs. Today I tripped over this:


which took my breath away

I have seen various pins from this space here and there but never have I seen all the images together so I dug a little deeper ... the space is amazing, the images are amazing...I am so enjoying just looking at it that it really doesn't need a lot of chit chat from me.  Enjoy !























You can see more images from this gorgeous light filled space here.  
I'm so enchanted by this home.  It is a perfect blend of old and new. 



images: photo © Birgita Wolfgang Drejer / Sister Agency


Jenna

Watching Jenna Lyons on the post inauguration Today show I had to yet again admire what she was wearing.

But more than that, I loved what she had to say. So it made me want to read a bit more about her, and not just her divorce/new relationship and emotional sale of her beautiful Park Slope townhouse that has been blogged about a gagillion times.  

This article in the NYT  is a nice glimpse inside what makes Jenna tick.  She seems humble, happy and genuine.  She came from a childhood of feeling out of place, not one of the 'in crowd'. One of the reasons there are no visible logos on J.Crew's stuff. She doesn't want to subscribe to the mentality of logo-worship to display your status, leaving others feeling left out.  

Not to mention retiring the first family's inauguration items. A class act and well done J. Crew.  

A few images from the article of Jenna's personal style:  










and a few of my current fav picks:  






I am a big fan of J.Crew, always have been.  Jenna has lead the company into a creative space that in my opinion, many brands are having trouble with. It is always a pleasure to see what she comes up with next. Very few brands have my attention this way.

It is not just about the clothes, it is about how you feel when you put them on.  


straight up desire

I know I usually do the 'inspire // desire' thing when talking about shopping but today I'm just jumping right in to 'desire'.  Lets call it a shopping list. As I look at spring fashion my head is somewhat spinning.   Do I like pastels?  Flowers?  I'm just not sure yet how spring will play out for me and my closet. So for now I am feeling this...






Now, will I get all crazy and mix the leopard shoes with stripes?  I am not sure yet... but as I write this I think, why not?!

My favorite is the Tibi top.  
You know how much I like a good striped top.  
This is at the top of my list.  How about you?


THE LIST:

1.  Tibi top in silk... a nice change from my cotton standbys
2. sunnies in a fresh shape
3. an ipad case plain and simple
4. a cigarette jean just above the ankle
5. sassy leopard flats with a touch of hot pink for a twist

simple pleasures

have a beautiful weekend


ps: this artwork was concepted and art directed 
by our creative and wonderful son,  Small K (age 7).  
He wanted to create something for mommy's blog. 

He saw something I was working on with an image in a circle and away we went...

He looked in my photo library, picked these images 
and told me the words that he wanted to put with each image. 
He picked the typeface.  He sized the type and placed it just so. 
He changed the size of each circle until they were just right.  
Watching him concept his idea and helping him realize his vision 
was my 'simple pleasure' today.

xoox
catherine


images found:  peace // love  // heart  // happy

dreamy penthouse

Look at this sublime picture:

found on the lovely blog  Georgiana Design
I immediately started searching for more images and the story of this penthouse. 


54 Bond St. was built in 1874 as the Bond St. Savings Bank. A few banks came and went from this address and then it was used as a fabric storage facility until 1963 when the Bouwerie Lane Theater  opened its doors.  Purchased in 2007 by Adam Gordon, it has now been reborn as 3 condo units, gutted and redesigned by Steven Harris. (the word 'condo' seems kind of silly doesn't it?)

The top 3 floors of the building comprise the 4,863 sf 3 story penthouse.  
























So how is that for dreamy real estate? 
It sold for $13.5 million two years ago.
Makes me want to bleach our hardwood floors and get out the white paint.  
Maybe it'll feel the same?  



images found: here and here

inspire // desire: light layers

My eye is drawn today to soft floaty comfy layers so here are some images to ...

INSPIRE


and some shopping links if you so 

DESIRE

5) white blazer (this one by Smythe
similar here

happy shopping! 

images found: 1 // 2 // 3  // 4 // 5






delightful restaurant design

I love sharing things I find along the way.  Today's post all started on pinterest with an image of a beach deck. A few clicks down the pinterest path and somehow I ended up at this delicious restaurant design via the blog delight by design which lead me to Milk and Honey Home.  It is amazing how fast a pinterest find can lead you on a visual journey.

Aqua Coastal Sushi in Rosemary Beach FL



















Vintage collected meets well curated and gives this space subtle tone and texture. The banquet gives it just the right amount of fancy. Lovely vibe don't you think?

In reading back through Milk and Honey's blog posts I see that they had a clear concept and achieved it. Results like this are always inspiring and it doesn't hurt to have what sounds like a nice client who has a vision and good taste. 

The custom tables were built by Lamon Luther. I just spent 1/2 an hour on the website and am in awe. The story of how this company came to be is worth checking out when you have a quiet moment.  I will let you know, you will probably shed a good healthy tear if you watch 'our story'  -  I did... smiling at the amazingly touching story. 

  





dream house Cali style

I think I just found the plan for my dream beach house.  This one is in Stinson beach so of course it immediately scores as close to my heart. I just happened upon it not knowing its location. It never fails that the thing that catches my eye is usually the one that ends up being true to my heart.  Stinson beach is one of those places. 

































Simple, well thought out and just the right amount of space. I love the "H" design with the center portion of the house for living both indoors and out.  The outdoor deck is an extension of the living room for the ultimate indoor/outdoor experience.  

To read more about this Stinson beach home look at architectural firm Butler Armsden's site.

There you will find a little story about the lot (purchased by a family in the '50's but not built on until the '80's).  You will also read a little about the inspiration for the house and learn more about its construction.  Not to mention all the other fabulous projects in their portfolio.  Very inspiring work.  

Enjoy this California dream.  I sure do. 
This post inspires me to start a new Pinterest board called 
'my someday beach house' 
and these will be the first pins.   

Deep Dive

I am finding with extra time at home I am becoming more of a shopping sleuth. I have shopped on Amazon forever, but never really for 'fa...