“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”Steve Jobs.
Our functional and custom kitchen banquette is one of the spaces in our home that we enjoy the most. We surf the web, color with Lucas, eat, have our coffee in the morning, you name it. I think a custom kitchen banquette is one of he most functional features anyone can incorporate in their kitchen design. Not only does it offer a lot more space for seating than individual chairs but it also instantly warms up any space. All these images of kitchens with custom banquettes are absolutely beautiful but my favorite is the very first one because of all those slick antique-looking iron windows, the adorable French mattress (a post coming up on this by the way), and the accessibility to the banquette itself. Enjoy!
Patterned floors have been mostly used in middle eastern design for centuries. Ranging from elaborate and intrinsic techniques such as Mosaic– small pieces of stone or glass (mostly the same size) are glued together to form a scene or picture to Pietre Dure- where small pieces of semi-precious stones are cut in different shapes and forms and then glued together to form geometric or figurative patterns most often used on floors, walls or tables; to Parquetry-where a similar process (in geometric shapes) is done with wood. There are simpler and less compromising methods such as painted or stenciled floors. Although many people would be afraid to commit to patterned floors permanently when a consecutive geometric pattern is used, as seen in these images, the result can be as classic and easy to adapt to as plain tiles or wood floors. And the outlook could be simply stunning.
Two images below, Pietre Dure on table.
Take a tour of Jacques Grange’s vacation home in the very private area of Portogallo, Portugal. I found these new images at Marie Claire Maison Italy, and some of the things I was able to interpret was that the house was previously a fisherman’s house and Grange did not change any of the exterior features. “Fa tanto rustico-chic” he says, and I agree. Casa Nina was decorated in a fundamental but sophisticated way, respecting the originality of the house and using whites and many tones of wood, Moroccan carpet and Jacques Grange’s characteristic use of African textile. Grange’s ceramic collection from Portugal, Turkey, and France are displayed throughout his exquisite vacation home. Enjoy!
I adore the kitchen cupboards (top & second image) with its fretwork doors
Traditional blue and white Portuguese tiles as a statement backsplash behind the stove.
Good Morning dear visitors, how was your weekend? Mine was a little more adventurous than the previous one, with more outdoor activities -biking, Sunday outdoor brunch and a lot of walking in beautiful neighborhoods with cobblestone streets that make me want the weekend to linger a little longer. It’s so easy to get used to the pleasures in life. I have these images bookmarked a while ago because they remind me of the trend of the moment in design which I call Nouveau Rustico. Where things are simpler and with a more organic look with bleached wood tones which result in an atmosphere more in sync with nature. These unique wedding images are from Spain where the couple got married at the bride’s sister’s backyard where everything in the event was designed and coordinated by the bride. I adore the tent of twinkle lights and how the Versailles chairs added a touch of formality, needed for the occasion. Enjoy!
The table settings were simply elegant in a rustic way and infused with a touch of amber provided by the glass that picked up on the twinkle lights and the wood tone surroundings. Don’t you love the butterfly place cards? Simple and small details that slowly reveal themselves are the interesting ones.
Isn’t this little boy, the ring bearer, adorable? I love the classic Spanish traditional children’s outfit he is wearing.
This area was where the ceremony took place. So well adapted to nature!
Her hair style could not be more suitable. A lovely bride.
“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
top image via Your Granny Was Chic, Stella Mccartney’s home.