THE WANT: TURKISH TOWELS

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I had the pleasure of visiting Brooklyn a couple weeks ago. Had I been more organized and able to pick my jaw up off the floor (the people! the style! the vibe!) I would have documented it a little better - I was just so in the moment.

One of the highlights was visiting the Brooklyn Flea, a weekly market by the waterfront in Williamsburg. OH MAN - if I had limitless cash and a way to take more stuff home with me I would have. This place had some FINDS. 

I could only come home with a couple small things, and one of them happened to be a Turkish (or "Hammam" or "Peshtemal") towel. 

This really cool couple was selling them, in all colours and textures. They told me they were really absorbent - I was skeptical. They told me I could take it to the beach - I guffawed. But they had this cool minimalist look to them and were incredibly soft so I went for it and bought one. 

It is absorbent.

I took it to the beach. 

Damn it all.

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Some of them are thinner and almost like a table cloth, others are slightly more plush and almost quilted. Point is, they look awesome. I love the sort of nautical stripe and how striking they look in their simplicity. 

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I'm really into this pale pink and navy - for some reason it seems really edgy. 

The vendors said they can be used not only as towels, but also blankets, throws, and even scarves in the winter. I've even layered mine with my bedspread and it looked awesome. Pretty good bang for the buck I'd say. 

Not only do they look cool, they also bring a bit of luxury, a touch of the exotic, and the right amount of worldliness - as though they were picked up while away in some far off destination. All of this without being too flashy. 

So, are you ready to step up your shower game?

bZd

CONCRETE WALLS

Maybe this whole industrial thing is getting a bit out of hand, but I have to say that I am pretty into the prevalence of concrete lurking from all corners lately.

Concrete tables, DIY concrete planters, inefficient lightbulbs, you name it!

Mostly, I have spent my days dreaming about concrete walls:

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...Catchin' my drift?

I've been working on a large scale project for the last couple of months, and the client wanted an industrial look in what is currently a very dated, plain space which is void of any character.

I wanted to combine the classic elements of exposed brick, industrial lighting, etc. but also couldn't escape the idea of concrete walls. 

There are now wallpapers that exist which are shockingly realistic (albeit quite expensive) but can easily achieve this look. Due to the size of the space I'm working with, I was worried that even the slightest glimpse of a wallpaper seam would spoil the whole effect. 

What I have wondered about - and I am almost positive this is what I have seen in some retail/hospitality spaces - is if it is possible to apply a thin coat of very fine, high quality concrete (the kind used for countertops) spread evenly over drywall or any surface to create the appearance of a wall made entirely of concrete.

That is what this woman has written a little tutorial about, and it seemed to work out pretty well! (Although, not really the same kind of look I'm going for.)

I think we are going to be brave and attempt this in my current project, and if I don't re revert back to my complete blog neglect then I will try to report how it goes. 

I leave you with a textural image of concrete to get your creative juices flowing:

How can you incorporate concrete into your space?

bZd