Funkdafied Tiles

It's not often that you see tiles really being taken to the limit in colors and patterns in residences. I find that most people, even when doing a multi-million dollar home want to stay classic with the tile selections, which I can totally understand for resale value. I go back and forth between super classic, clean looking materials like Carrera and Calcutta marbles and travertines to more unique designed tiles or funky patterns created by the tiles- I honestly love both! Maybe you can get the best of both worlds by taking classic materials/colors and combining them in an unexpected pattern. Some tiles are available in the sizes you need to create your pattern, while others can be cut down from stock sizes to create your pattern. I would love the opportunity to do a more "outside-the-box" installation of tiles for a project! Who's got the guts?!

Check out some of these inspiration pics for unusual tile patterns!

OR...

Take a classic white subway tile and do black or grey grout for contrast instead of your classic white!

Laser Cuts are Cool

This is a little off beat for me, as I usually post pictures of pretty rooms, but I came across Molly McGrath, a jewelry designer/artist at the Renegade Craft Fair here in Austin a couple of months ago. After I left the fair and took the time to read the brochure I picked up, I discovered that she is actually a trained architect, which made me like her even more! I can totally see the architectural lines in her designs. Apparently her laser cut jewelry designs came about from cutting architectural model pieces! Here are some of my personal favorites from her collections:

 Coasters-

 Prints-

And if you live in Austin, you can find her product at Downstairs on S. Lamar!

Art inspiration

I think this painting is going to be the new inspiration for my Master Bedroom.

I've definitely been planning to paint my own large scale painting for a feature wall. I'm wanting to keep the colors in the room fairly neutral with creams and black, but add a pop of Jade Green, kinda similar to this picture-

So maybe color in the art, a green throw on the bed (where do I get this?), or maybe Euro shams, and maybe some cool ceramic or glass accessories? Originally I wanted the green Mad Men style head board, but I think I'm chickening out on this! Walls I'm thinking a warm shade of grey.Window treatments like below with a tape trim-

This is actually my exact dresser-look waaaay in the back... You can't tell, but it has a black, Asian style legged base and rectangular brass pulls that probably need to be polished.

Nightstands-something custom and modern with an open bottom and drawer, painted black with a light stained wood drawer front for contrast. My Dad's friend builds furniture as a hobby, so I'm thinking I may call on his services...

What do you think? Do you have any art pieces inspiring you lately?

Another brilliant idea from Eddie Ross

When I stumbled across this super easy, super affordable, super good looking project the other day on Eddie Ross's blog, I couldn't wait to share! I  mean how awesome is this? 1. You take a bookcase- could be the Billy from Ikea, or any old bookcase you want to refurbish 2. Cut pieces of foam core the same size as the back of the shelves-maybe a little tiny bit smaller so you can get them back there 3. Find an awesome fabric and wrap around the foam core 4. Insert in the backs of the bookcase 5. Voila! To top it off, the foam core pieces are removable so you can change the fabric out with your decor!

BEFORE

AFTER

AWESOMENESS

Cheap or Chic?

Lately, I've really been thinking a lot about white, modern dining chairs. I especially love these when they are paired with the rawness of a natural wood dining table. I think it provides a great contrast of color and material. My current dining chairs have upholstered backs and seats (waiting for a great new fabric), but they are starting to feel a little traditional, even though they have a more sleek lined frame. I'm starting to lean towards a more modern look in my Dining Room and have been looking at these kinds of pics for inspiration. The thing about the plywood or plastic chairs is that they are super low maintenance, but sometimes they can feel cheap. And this is where my husband stops on his decision for these. Maybe I need to buy one and test it out in the space before I commit to all 4... What do you think?

So this is my dining table from 4 Hands Home:

I think I'd prefer NOT to do an Eames chair, only because they feel overdone to me. Ones I'm considering in my price range:

Scoop Back chair from West Elm

OR

Echo White Chair from CB2.

What do you think? Cheap or Chic?