COLOUR WATCH: DARK OLIVE

While reading in the October issue of Lonny Magazine about Kristen Cunningham and Scott Jarrell's loft (which EVERYONE should check out here), I was really inspired by the colour palette of everything they have curated in their space. Blacks, whites, browns, and Kristen even mentioned they have painted most of their doors in dark olive. 

Dark olive naturally lends itself to a vintage, military and industrial vibe that brings automatic cool to anywhere you can find it. 

I present the following:

via

via

via

 via

 via

 via

 via

I think that leaning more towards "dark" than "olive" is key as well - a pale olive bordering on avocado just brings the wrong kind of vintage feel (more hippy, trippy, and bad 70's which just isn't the look).

So, we welcome dark olive (also delightfully referred to as olive drab) to our extremely low-variety yet incredibly high-taste arsenal of acceptable colours along with black, white, brown, and brass.  

What do you think of olive this? Terrible. -__-

bZd

FLOOR TO CEILING SUBWAY TILE

Listen here, BUD.

I'm not gonna pretend to tell you that subway tiles are anything new or exciting. One thing I have been noticing a lot lately, however, is the twist of taking them from floor to ceiling up an entire wall. 

A good ol' Google search of "Victorian Industrial" a while back (another popular trend - think Edison lightbulbs, raw wood and black metal) brought me upon this inspiring image:

via

Very 'Downton Abbey'. 

And while dining out at Bent Restaurant in Toronto, I noticed something similar here as well:

via

This picture isn't a great example, but they too ran white subway tile from floor to ceiling. 

Further Googling led me to the following inspiring imagery to share with all of you, to prove how cool a treatment I think this is.

via 

(HGTV designer Tommy Smythe's kitchen)

 via

via

via

via 

(This time in black!)

via

(Love the textured tile here)

via

(Really dig the sort of varsity-style stripes)

via

via

via

via

If you have the time or care enough to go back and review the above images, you may/may not notice that some examples have been finished with dark grout for higher contrast and an edgier vibe. 

Grout can be tinted a number of colours, and going dark in the first place can add life and longevity to your tiled look as it will conceal dirt and grime much better.

What do you think? Too much of a good thing? For some reason, I think it brings an old world feel, but seems altogether new and current. 

So, are you a tile-o-phile? 

bZd

NEW RUG

After moving my Persian rug to underneath my dining table, our living room floor was in serious need of some love.

...And guess who scored a Beni Ourain-style rug!

Duh. Me!

This baby is PLUSH. It is literally almost 2" thick. Your feet seriously sink into this lavish shag madness!

After longing for a Beni a while ago, a clandestine search on Kijiji led me straight to a beautiful rug. By hasard, I typed in the words "Beni Ourain", expecting nothing. Instead, I found the ad for this rug listed within the last 14 hours and only a short drive away.

I knew this rug would soon be mine. 

And what's this? More teak furniture? No more pleated leather throne?

The throne was sold allowing room for a few more pieces inherited from the high-style mid-century home that was my grandmother's. So awesome right? ORIGINAL UPHOLSTERY! 

I'll write and post more detailed pics soon.  

For now, we have plenty to admire with this new rug in town.

It's amazing the difference a rug makes, after having to live with horrible, exposed parquet floors for far too long.

Lush and plush is the only way.

bZd 

OH OH OH WHAT A FEELING...

... Wood on the ceiling!

This has been a cool idea that has been plaguing my mind lately (and unfortunately has resulted in a certain Lionel Richie song being stuck in my head). 

I have always envisioned that if one day I bought a condo (although I probably wouldn't) I would try to accomplish an effect on the ceiling replicating the exposed beams and woodwork of much pricier "hard lofts". The aged, rustic, warm colour from the wood would be a huge addition of character to what are normally lifeless, cold, uninspired spaces. I also began to think about a much more polished, streamlined approach that would be similar to what we are generally used to putting on our floors - except on the ceiling!

This is something that is often seen on porches and verandas, but looks OUTTA THIS WORLD when introduced in an interior space.

I have also been trying to convince my parents that this effect would look really cool at our cottage, which we are currently in the process of giving a facelift! (Stay tuned.)

Anyway, for your viewing pleasure:

via

via

via

I love the high-lacquer, rich colour of the above three examples.

The next three photos show a more matte, light colour application.

via

via

via

I like the wrap-around effect featured in the next two photos, where a defined strip has been sectioned off and applied to the wall, ceiling and even the floor!

via

via

I think this idea would only work in spaces with more generous ceiling heights, as a ceiling too low could leave you feel imposed upon from above. But, I think this brings a really unexpected, cool approach to the fourth dimension of your space that, generally speaking, doesn't get much attention.

What do you think?

bZd

STYLING

I've been experimenting with some styling around the apartment lately. 

I've been really into a deserty, mid-west vibe so I picked up some cacti from IKEA last time I was there. I also picked up this awesome teak carving from a decor store. 

I loved the tone of the wood, its shape and its texture. 

I've also gotten into plants - in a big way.

I was at a friend's apartment a few months ago, and was really inspired by their look: minimal decor, with white walls and a ton of simple green plants. It was such a fresh look, so not to be outdone I too went out and bought a bunch of plants and set them all around my apartment.

What a difference.

...And this. Among the ever growing bounty of treasures from my Oma's house, I also scored this awesome deer head. Oddly, a deer head is something I have always wanted for my apartment. I already have several pairs of antlers (also from Oma) but this just takes my interest in taxidermy to an entirely new level of intensity. 

The head was mounted on a very typical, crest-shaped wooden mount that was very outdated looking. So, I decided to remove it from its mount entirely and hang it directly to the wall for a much more contemporary look. 

More plants! My vintage lamp! Yet another inherited teak table! The deer is overseeing all this action, and seems to approve. 

For merely a couple dollars for each plant, I paid very little money to freshen up the place and make it feel even more sophisticated.

Speaking of sophistication, I leave you with an artsy photo of evening light in our living room.

Ooh la-la. 

bZd

NEWLY ACQUIRED

As I recently warned you, I was about to come into the possession of some highly desirable items for the apartment. I think I suggested that "you will DIE OF JEALOUSY" but I hope you can fan your eyes over the following few images of a newly acquired vintage teak dining room table long enough for you to enjoy them before perishing. 

... I know right?

Assuming you are still alive, how sweet is this table? When I say it was "acquired", I am referring to the fact that it was given to me by my beautiful, 79-year-old Oma. (Oma = German for grandmother). Oma is moving out of her house of 50 years, which was chockfull of beautiful, pristine condition teak furniture.

A couple later posts will also be dedicated to new things for the apartment. They are all equally awesome!

But this table (and all the other pieces) are so legit. This "MADE IN DENMARK" stamp is stamped branded on the underside of the table, just to secretly declare its Danish legitimacy.  

The table also has slide-out extensions at both ends, and the table's legs aren't even removable. This thing is SOLID. 

You may have noticed I decided to move my Persian Rug from the living room to the dining room. I am still searching for a new living room rug. 

My Oma also had this vintage plywood chair lying around, which I also grabbed. Apparently it was my Mom's when she was small, and so I had to fight my Mom for possession.

Mommy can't have. 

Stay tuned for a few more pieces on this here blog... if you can survive it. 

bZd

PAINTING A WOOD KITCHEN: a how-to guide with pictures

How to get this...

...from this.

Click below for the (rather long) how-to: