A gorgeous coastal cottage

Posted by Mr Wong at 9:07 AM 0

It has been so dreary and chilly - I'm chomping at the bit for summer. What would be even nicer is to have a lovely cottage on the beach like this one - a little break from the hustle and bustle. What's your ideal escape home?












via KML Designs

Tropical Style Bedrooms

Posted by Mr Wong at 10:58 PM 0

First, I would like to thanks Rachel for lending a hand while I'm out in Alaska running my marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I finished in one piece but I am really feeling it today! Without further ado, Rachel -

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be here today guest posting for Ashley while she is away! My name is Rachel and I normally blog on dwellings and decor.
I decided that doing a guest post on Tropical style bedrooms would be fitting since we are getting into Summer and I am from Maui where it seems like all I ever see is tropical style. In my opinion tropical style can be hard to make chic. I guess I get tired of the same old tourist condos with the rattan furniture, Tommy Bahama motifs and so forth. It can also sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between coastal, Asian or tropical and I am no expert but hopefully these photos will give you an idea. Enjoy!







Row 1: Piet Boon Pierce Allen
Row 2: Harlequin Adeeni Design Group
Row 3: One and Only Resorts Kerry Joyce
Row 4: Sarah Kaye Plymouth
Row 5: Ellen McDermott Phoebe Howard
Row 6: Fuse ID Phoebe Howard


Thank you Ashley for having me guest post today! Hope you are having a wonderful time!

...and...me at the finish - a little delirious! THANKS to all for your support along the way :)

I'll be back soon! I'm going to visit a place like this...

Posted by Mr Wong at 6:23 PM 0

I'm off to Florida you guys! I'm taking a much needed long weekend to visit one of my sisters and relax on the beach. So, I'm leaving you with ways to add some light-hearted, tropical air to your space.

oh...this is so me... natural wood tones and white

via the beautiful blog, this is glamorous




West Elm(top)/Pottery Barn ( 2 bottom) via Material Girls

Material Girls gave some really good advice on achieving this look:

• Rattan or wicker furniture
• Wood flooring
• Natural area rug- seagrass or sisal
• Mixing lots of texture and pattern is a must!
• Comfort is key- large upholstered furniture in preferably white or off white will give it a fresh, clean, and crisp look
• Animal prints!!!!
• A few leather pieces
• Try to stick with these colors- pale yellows, browns, golds, beiges, natural greens that have more yellow in them, soothing blues, whites, and splashes of red, black, and chocolate brown
• Wood furniture
• Lanterns
• Bamboo shades for your windows
• Table setting- they have these great round textured placemats at Crate and Barrel/ C&B Outlet or you could do wooden bowls
• Large floor vase with bamboo sticks
• A candle in a glass container with water rocks/stones
• Wood bowl with real fruit

But if you want more of a beach/nautical look, here are some of my favorite accessories:

• Faux coral- I can't say enough about it, I have a piece of it in my Living Room that I bought at Crate and Barrell and it just makes my coffee table.
• Extra large clam shells- I know we have done a high low feature on this before, but you can find them everywhere these days- they are very in style!
• Anything dark blue and white
• Stripes are always nice for this
• How about putting starfish in a bowl or in a jar?
• Shells on a stand or in a glass bowl
• A glass apothecary jar filled with sand...my mom (who inspires me every day!) has been collecting sand from the different beaches she has visisted while on vacation for the past I don't know how many years- she then puts the sand in different glass jars and labels them where they came from. It makes a really cute display and a great conversation starter about all of your travels!

Tips via Material Girls (more great info to be had)

via Home Decorating Reviews






Tropical island architectural genius! I love the use of stone! It must make the home feel so cool when coming in from the beach.

viazlgdesign

Charming coastal cottages

Posted by Mr Wong at 10:34 AM 0

I have loved the beach since I was a little girl - and a week spent lying on the beach with a new book is my idea of the perfect vacation. Time moves completely differently, and I've never caught myself thinking about work when I'm on a beach. It is also a lifelong dream to one day live close to a beach - or at least have a nice little beach home to escape to from time to time!

Amazing kitchen - small is beautiful!

If I ever got my own studio in Brooklyn, I would love to see if I could pull off a similar look - even in December it would be like coming back to a beach cottage.

*stunning*



Love the bedding - what a difference a cheery palette makes!


I'll be taking my coffee and muffin here tomorrow morning!





Via Coastal Living

love the nautical wallpaper - what room would you put it in?
via Completely Coastal via BHG

Airy, calm, coastal interiors

Posted by Mr Wong at 12:20 PM 0

These interiors make me want to be at the beach sitting on a patio with a warm breeze. I just went up on the roof to get some fresh air, but unfortunately the breeze off the Hudson wasn't quite what I was looking for.

All these spaces are the genius of Tim Clarke, Inc., a Santa Barbara interior design firm.
















From the firm's store, Tower 20

via Tim Clarke Inc.