Reflections from the Saints

"Perfection of life is the perfection of love. For love is the life of the soul."

St. Francis de Sales

Inspiration Board

This mood board is so great to me. Maybe it is the background of the board, the frame and the wall are all close to if not the same color so all the images really pop. The black jackets with the white cuffs looks interesting. The giant ball of string doesn't hurt.

Via The Style Files.

Hydrangea on Handmade Paper

Off the Grid

This house in the Navajo Nation was built off the grid by DesignBuildBLUFF, a nonprofit that is affiliated with the University of Utah's College of Architecture and Planning. The budget for the house was not to exceed $30,000.

This program was inspired by Rural Studio the program at Auburn University started by Samuel Mockbee.

The electricity for lights, small appliances, and water pumps is powered by four photovoltaic panels.

More information and photos can be found in the article from Dwell.

Three Owls Studio was started in an off grid cabin.

Workspace

once again I failed to get the source, sorry

Don Freeman Photographer

Image of Tim Evan-Cook from Sarah Kaye Represents.

Grids

There is a sense of order in a window with a grid.

The above two images are from the loft of Amsale Aberras New York via Interiors.

Photo from the home Asli Tunca creators from Miguel Flores-Vianna.

Photo from the garden room of Richard Sharpiro from Miguel Flores-Vianna.

These are the windows that started this post, from Laura Resen.

Reflection

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves: "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."


Taken from Long Walk to Freedom, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

Package Closures

Wonderful sticky disk to use instead of tape on gift packages. What a wonderful assortment of beautiful papers. These disk and other wonderful papers found at Bari Zaki.

I used old stamps as stickers on a package. I can't decide if this is a poor person's stickers or just that I like to reuse my stamps in different and unexpected ways.

Orange Floral

Since this week has been a mixture of opposites we have orange floral on green and orange floral on rose with a border treatment. I can't decide which is my favorite. Do you have a preference?

Minimalist

home of edward leida - design director of W magazine

This home is paired down to the basics. Some of the furniture was not to my liking so I could not bear to post it. I do like the soap in the bathroom and the items on the table. The sculpture in the first photo looks fun.

Above four photos from The Selby.

Above two images of a monastery in the Check Republic

above five spaces designed by British Architect John Pawson

These pared down spaces are the opposite of those of Roman and Williams and the Obsolete shop with the abundance of objects. Ash Wednesday makes one think about the need to live with less and the reason for the season. Finding a balance will always be a struggle for me, but better to see things in others spaces that to have to deal with all that in mine.

Ash Wednesday

These red beads are called "White Hearts".

Obsolet

In my mind it is logical to follow Roman and Williams with the space of Obsolet in Venice, California. Both spaces share unusual objects, industrial furniture, cabinets for treasures; the same eccentric feeling. Both are spaces that I would enjoy spending sometime in exploring.

Images from article on 1st Dibbs. More can be found at Obsolete.

Roman and Williams

I want to look at all the things on the tables against the wall.

small cabinet and a bookcase on top of the large cabinet, great metal stool

never enough drawers for treasures

The design duo of Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch live and work in this loft. They design under the name of Roman and Williams.

Images via Remodelista.

Hearts Around Our House

Happy Valentines Day!

The wool is dyed with yellow onion skins and the thread is dyed with logwood and brazilwood sawdust. The buttons are 18th century bone.

Heart by Anne at Hearts and Hands.

Snow

Interior of a Hornets Nest

This is the interior of a hornets nest that was found in our driveway after it fell from a neighbor's tree. The outer portion fell first and weeks later this part. We had never seen the interior before. It feels like paper. Nature is amazing.