{not just} for the birds

found what must be the coolest guesthouse i've ever seen. what once was a pigeonnier, called such because it used to house pigeons back in the day on a louisiana plantation, has been converted into a two-story cottage retreat.

apparently the built-in bookshelves used to house pigeon nests!

{read more at apartment therapy}

{colorful vignettes}

small but bold nyc apartment of georgia born and raised designer, lindsey coral harper

{exuberant studio}

the new issue of lonny magazine is full of color and pattern as usual. have always had a secret dream of living in {and decorating} a shoebox apartment in new york city and elizabeth bauer's studio would certainly fit the bill {though may not be so brave to cover half of apartment with zebra print wall paper}

{see the rest of her happy apartment and store in lonny magazine}

{english den}

oil painting gallery + cozy chairs make one glamorous fireplace.

{rita konig's nyc apartment via ny mag}

{dove grey den}

have been meaning to post these for a while now, but here are just a few recent photos of the den. considering this was the last you saw of it, we've come a long way.

the trim has finally been caulked & painted. just need some frames on the walls and curtains on the windows but things are really starting to feel like home.

and somebody loves the sunshine...

{tele-guise}

unlike someone else who lives in the bungalow, i generally do not find the black monstrosity --albeit a skinny one-- that is our television particularly attractive. and though i'll concede that it is marginally better looking mounted on the wall sans cheap credenza to keep cords, it still is currently the focus of our den / main living space and i've lately been brainstorming ways to downplay that focus, or distract from it at the very least. and considering it is on the largest wall in the den {and wow, that photo is old and also makes it look as though i have zero design sense. promise updated photos stat.} and the only one that doesn't have windows or several doorways, doing a gallery style wall is a real possibility. though there are concerns of it looking cluttered. a real editing eye would be necessary to pull off television incorporated salon picture wall successfully...hmmm..

and while the following idea really wouldn't work in our den space considering the aforementioned issue of wall space, the idea of doing a gallery wall on a neighboring wall to the tv is intriguing and maybe would divert attention altogether?

this next photo is a beautiful integration of collection and television. didn't even notice the tv until you looked again, did you? love the top shelf idea with leaning frames. though my wall is really three times the length of this one. perhaps will steal leaning frame shelf for elsewhere...

and perhaps need to at some point accept that i/we live in a home that does enjoy its share of {mindless?} television and not actually in the pages of an interior design magazine. but that doesn't mean i can't have impeccable design in the room in which the television resides. thank you palmer weiss for this beautiful but realistic family room.

...can't resist another view of the same room.

or the fantastic tangerine damask curtains with aqua trim. love.

{photos via hgtv, apartment therapy *and see more ideas there on how to incorporate a tv, house beautiful, and the last 3 photos - room designed by palmer weiss}

{happy weekend + springtime at home}

didn't mean for this week to come and go with nothing happening here at {s&s}. my mother came in town to help deal with some of the chaos around the bungalow and to lend a hand at painting the sunroom studio {pictures soon, promise}. and then i took the last few days of the week to go back to my hometown of blythewood, sc {where the internet doesn't exist, apparently} to clean out our overflow furniture in mom's storage unit now that we have places to put it all. {and in doing so have come to the conclusion that a bungalow garage sale is imminent.} anyway, came across this house tour at apartment therapy: modern florals + lattice grey + pop of yellow.

{sunny photos from summer & josh thornton's one bedroom apartment. see the rest of their home tour at apartment therapy.}

{cheerful elegance}

anna spiro's {of absolutely beautiful things} bright and happy brisbane home tour on apartment therapy can't help but make you smile. summery florals, stripes and hot pink pop against the clean white backdrop. proof to my husband that there are in fact women with more pillows on the sofa. but hey, i'll trade in a few pillows for the piles of design books in anna's gorgeous home.



{see these photos and tons more at apartment therapy}

{a cottage addition}

i realize it's unusual for me to post more than once a day but i'm afraid i'll lose these photos of this incredible cottage remodel in charlottesville, va (and tintsy addition) if i don't post them now.  this cottage is pretty close to the bungalow b & i have been admiring at its whopping 800 & change square feet.  this first picture is the before picture but i think the best part of this remodel is how the owners have really utilized the inside space.

below is the after photo of the outside.  the leveling of the yard was the biggest change but you can also see the small addition on the right side of another bathroom.

while there are not any before photos of the inside, you can imagine how cramped the house might have been at its original layout from 1940.

the exposed beams are gorgeous and notice how the owners have really carved out three separate spaces out of this one open area.  i'm thinking a sizeable party is possible with this set up.

the owners decided to take the ceiling up to the roofline and take advantage of the unused attic/crawl space.  instead they carved out a small loft space for a home office.  genious.

{see these images & more at designpublic}

{glamorous pink}

a vibrant pink can have such an impact on warm neutrals and soft spaces. instant glamour.

{images ~ bdbphotos, published in domino 2007 and jonathan adler via apartment#412,etc., design*sponge}

{a refined rustic to call home}

with the virginia house finally under contract and a closing date at the end of april, b and i have officially started our search for our savannah home. day dreaming about a laid back low country lifestyle, we drove over the bridge towards the beaches hoping for an island bungalow that will be donned our Vacation Everyday House. the downside of this plan is that our coastal living itch has certainly taken our budget out of the move-in ready category and into fixer-upper territory (aka money pit! my mother has already promised a copy of that tom hanks blockbuster). but on the upside, a cottage demanding a bit of sweat-equity welcomes a load of creativity and endless possibility. hmmm.

so

there is a chance we have already stumbled on our future dream home. but im just wondering how much elbow grease it will take to have the interior looking like these photos from my new favorite (and possible domino replacement??) magazine. such a pulled-together yet inviting and casual style, yes? i'm loving the spiral stairs!

{all images from notebook magazine out of austrailia via decor8}