Design Vie

I recently had the opportunity to help out a friend with her kitchen remodel.  She loves white kitchens as much as I do so we had lots of fun shopping for countertops and backsplashes to complete her new kitchen.  But the one constant was that her cabinets are going to be white and she did not like granite.  So what is it that makes white kitchens so beautiful?  Is it their crispness?  Is it that they showcase food beautifully?  Is it that they provide timeless bones for your home?  Is it that they give you a bright space to work in?  Is that it can make your space appear bigger?  Its all of these things.  White kitchens are incredibly stunning and can give your home an elegant twist whether its a traditional, transitional, or modern white kitchen.  A kitchen re-model can be the most expensive thing you will ever do to your home so its not like you want to give into fads or colors that you might tire of.  Give your kitchen some good bones and then you can experiment in other ways such as textiles, china, and kitchen accessories.  Why else did you get that Red KitchenAid Stand Mixer? Check out the inspiration images below -

Use mirrors as your backsplash to make the room appear bigger.

What a great mix of rustic and glam!

I love the mix of materials in this kitchen

Wondering what my friend chose for her white kitchen?  White quartz countertops and subway carrara marble tiles – its going to be beautiful!

I had the wonderful opportunity today to have coffee with Grant K. Gibson of Grant K. Gibson Interior Design. We met at Out the Door on Bush street – who knew that they serve coffee and breakfast goods?  Its one of my favorite places to eat (hello green papaya salad! imperial rolls! glass noodles with crab!), so I am loving that they do breakfast.  But I digress over the location and food.  It was great to catch up with Grant, hear how is business has been faring in this economy, and talk about design.  Things have been going great for Grant as he was just featured in the June issue of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, C Magazine and The New York Times this past fall.  I thought I’d share with you some of his stunning interiors.  He’s got an incredible aesthetic to go with his warm and engaging personality.  Be sure to check out his blog too as he writes about design, food, travel, and photography.

I love all of his calming, approachable yet classically appointed spaces.  His designs are proof that white isn’t boring.

I got to catch up with my girlfriends last night over a drink and then we saw Sex and the City 2 – what a fun night!  The movie was good, but I was ogling over Carrie and Big’s new apartment every time it was on screen – it was a scene stealer for me.  The apartment couldn’t scream Carrie and Big anymore as it masterfully combined the masculine with her eclectic feminine.  I couldn’t get enough of the navy blue touches and wallpaper throughout – two of my favorite things.  It made me love my new navy couch that much more!  And Carrie couldn’t have said it better when she said that she’s been cheating on fashion with furniture – that’s been the story here.  Lydia Marks of Marks & Frantz is responsible for the incredible apartment seen in the movie.  Check out the drool worthy interior shots below from Elle Decor’s slideshow.

I am flipping out over those lamps.

What better place to put her books than in the foyer, juxtaposing the classic with the whimsical light fixture.

Like the couch?  Check out this sofa from Mitchell Gold Bob Williams and their other Mid Century inspired pieces.

I love how Big is sitting on the masculine navy couch and she is sitting on the feminine blue pouf with ribbon detailing.  What a great shot.

Mid Century Modern reigns in this kitchen.  I love the light fixture and two toned cabinets.

The heath ceramic tiles make me think of ocean waves.

The subtle complementary color scheme can be seen here with the orange toned cabinets in the background with blue tile and the coppery light fixture in the foreground (which I am also flipping for)

The pattern on the walls is repeated on the headboard but in a different color value, scale, and medium.  You can’t see it in this shot very well, but the trim detailing on the curtains is fab and relates back to the yellow/orange/blue’s seen elsewhere in the apartment.  Check out Cole and Son for wallpaper and Kravet for the custom headboard fabric.

Someday I’ll have a Carrie worthy closet with his and hers cabinetry, or perhaps my own closet with just her’s cabinetry and a chandelier