A few years ago, I had several friends over my apartment for drinks. A guy one of my friends was seeing left to go use the bathroom -- when he came out he told me, "Your apartment is the American dream." Confused? So was I, and frankly, I wasn't sure what the hell just happened in my bathroom.
He explained that when his parents first came to the U.S. from Russia, they stayed at the home of a wealthy Chicago family who offered to get them on their feet through a church program. Apparently the best part of this family's home was the fact that they had a telephone in the bathroom -- and as embarassed as I am to admit this, my not-renovated-since-Gerald-Ford's-term bathroom did too. (The phone has since been removed from the wall and the jack is covered with an etagere.) From that point on, this guy equated the ability to chat with your relatives while sitting on the toilet with all that is good and great about America. Yeah, make with that what you will.
But the point of this story is that
this is how I feel about stairs. I dream about owning a place big enough to warrant stairs. If your house has stairs, I'm pretty sure life can't be all that bad.
Today, I fell in love with the photo above from Marie Claire Maison. The contrast of the mirrored tiles with the old, weathered wood is so gorgeous.
It got me thinking about all of the other ways we can dress up a space with an inventive staircase, like painted or papered steps, nautical roped railings, stenciled words, graphic runners and pull-out storage:
Sources, Left to Right: 1., 4.-6. Marie Claire Maison,
2. House Beautiful,
3. Country Living
Another interesting riff on this theme was this beautiful public staircase in Germany. Artist Horst Gläsker painted 112 steps, all conveying a different emotion or behavior associated with relationships. Examples include "to forgive", "to cuddle", "to offer resistance","to seduce", "to get the tinglies", "panic", "to flourish" and "love".
(Via
Apartment Therapy)
via here comes the sun
In honor of tonight's season finale, I searched high and low for lighting that reminds me of one of my favorite props from the show -- Don's fantastic double-gooseneck task lamp. I couldn't find an exact replica, but here are some great, affordable options if you're in the mood to bring a little bit of Sterling Cooper to your office -- Added bonus: This approach will go over much better with HR than day-drinking and hitting on secretaries.
Left to Right: 1. Green metal desk lamp (Vintage Jane) 2. Vintage double gooseneck lamp (Modish Vintage) 3. Vintage green metal gooseneck lamp (VintageCottageGarden) 4. Tensor goosneck faux bois lamp (VintageEye) 5. Last chapter vintage lamp (BelovedBagLady)
Doesn't this home make you feel like you're Dorothy after the house has landed? Even for someone who is as color shy as me, the home of decorator and Etsy seller Tamar seems infinitely joyful. How could you walk into this house and not be happy? Particularly love the abundance of patterns, wildflowers, cozy knits and vintage china.
Not gonna lie -- once Urban Outfitters began selling fare as sophisticated as Pope on a Rope soap, I decided I should probably take my faux-hipster shopping to other, less kitschy retailers lest I look like an overly excited, fresh from the strip mall NYU freshman.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan of bulky costume jewelry, but lately I've been in the mood for lighter, simpler pieces that don't make you feel like you've got a life raft around your neck. I love these charming pieces on Etsy, and just picked up the super sweet bow necklace in the top left. The best part -- all of the pieces are under $30. Shop here.
A few years ago, I had several friends over my apartment for drinks. A guy one of my friends was seeing left to go use the bathroom -- when he came out he told me, "Your apartment is the American dream." Confused? So was I, and frankly, I wasn't sure what the hell just happened in my bathroom.
Sources, Left to Right: 1., 4.-6. Marie Claire Maison, 2. House Beautiful, 3. Country Living
(Via Apartment Therapy)
