{ocean lounge}

soothing deep blue paint creates a cozy nook in ben brougham's studio in nyc. while the gallery wall could be a sensory overload for a sleeping area, the antique golds alternated with stark white mats and thin black and white frames keep the saturated color from overwhelming the space. am debating about finding a wall in the bungalow to paint the same surf blue from benjamin moore. the mustard colored daybed with grey striped bedding adds some brightness while keeping things sophisticated.

{see more of brougham's studio in the current lonny magazine, fresh and new today!}

{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}

{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}