Simply Seleta

pretty

So peaceful.  So pretty. 

 

So vibrant.  So alive.

 

QUESTION:

RED OR GREEN?

[photos by elouise via frolic]

chocolate

Just came back from the gym and I'm having a face off with a plate of warm brownies that I just baked.  I'm thinking, "who's going to win - my ever compromised willpower or the fluffy brownies?" 

Seriously, who eats brownies after a pretty lame work out?  Oh, that would be me.  Can't help it.  Besides, I have an enabler or two in the house.  So it's not 100% my fault.

Maybe we should switch our focus to a chocolate that treats the eyes and not the tummy.  The guilt free kind.

If this room were a chocolate, I'd label it Ghiradelli.

This one would be Richart out of Paris.

And this would have to be Godiva.

Confession:  I just scarfed down three brownies while working on this post.  Anyone else crack too?

[first photo from here, last photo Lee Kleinhelter's home via Cottage Living]

headbored?

Some headboards leave me feeling...well, frankly bored.  But when I saw this one over at Design Esquire, I was thrilled.   See the rest of her posh post right here.

pale + pretty

I had a fit over this spread when it first came out about a year or so ago.  Do you remember seeing it?  It sat earmarked on my nightstand for weeks.  The colors are as delicious as buttercream frosting.  The Scandanavian style soothes the soul.  I've been meaning to scan it all and share with you, but hello, just stumbled upon it on the Country Living site. 

In real life this home is a touch too feminine for me, but taking parts of its charm could add some nice touches in just about any space.

Take, for instance, this dressing table.  Look at all of the detail here.  The mixture of fabrics, the carefully designed valance, the painted floors, the vintage mirror.  Good stuff.

Notice how the owner inscribed her anniversary date on their bedroom bench.  A lovely personal touch.

Like what she did with this old church window. 

Love the chairs.  Perfect room to host a baby shower or ladies luncheon, isn't it?

If you look carefully at this picture below, you'll see that she made rustic cornice boards out of boards, painted them then lightly sanded to add a distressed effect.  Love it against the sheer fabric.  This would be adorable in a nursery or playroom.  And a great at-home project if you're slim on budget.  Get that man of yours busy using his hammer and drill!  Or heck, do it yourself.

Let's finish with her sunny kitchen.  

Maybe you can fill in the final thought for me.

This kitchen looks like a perfect place for cooking ____________.

[photography by Ellen McDermott]

heavy metal

Don't know about you, but I like a little metal in my kitchen.  The older the better.

{country living + jac de villiers}

speaking of books...

I'll admit to having a bookshelf obsession.  Do you?

Obsessions are funny.  They can really take over your mind at times.  One lovely feature I consistently yearn to have in our house here at the beach is lots and lots of book shelves, something I absolutely love in a home.  I do have one set of shelves but they're located upstairs right smack in the middle of all the kids' bedrooms.  So you can imagine who has custody of those shelves.  Yep, lots of Dr. Seuss action happens on those shelves. I could be stingy and take over with our grown-up books, but that would be cruel. 

Let's take a moment and drool over some inspirational bookshelves.  These pics are all reruns, many from Domino.  But some things are worth seeing more than once.  I still miss Domino, by the way.  Although I'm totally excited about this magazine news from M.A. Belle. 

I think bookshelves add so much character to a house.  If treated properly.  By that I mean that there's a certain level of character books in shelves add to a home.  To me, it makes a space seem that much more cozy, that much more "real."  And the types of books one displays on their shelves can say so much about that person.  Or their design attitude.  Do they display antique books?  Just-for-looks books?  Design books?  Self-help books?  We have an interesting mix at our house.  My husband would like to someday go back and get a third degree, this time in Oceanography.  So we have lots of books about underwater life.  As you can imagine, we also have gobs of design books.  And of parenting books, it seems we have hundreds of those.  How I wish they would make parenting books gorgeous on the outside loaded with pretty patterns and colors.  Then it would be a double bang for your buck when you buy them.  You'd be making your house stylish all while learning how to be a better mom or dad.  I could deal.

Back to our topic.

If you're like me and don't have much wall space, you can create a similar look of a bookshelf with creative stacks of books like this, below.  Very mod.  Don't recommend it for anyone with a child under the age of five, though.  Or one who owns a large dog who likes to wag his/her tail a lot.  Potential disaster.

If you need more assurance and structure despite your limited wall space, you can take a single shelf vertical approach as seen here by the preciously mentioned (and ever stylish) M.A. Belle.

 

Erin, of Elements of Style, has a similar shelf in her swanky digs.   

Love this set below.  Shelves wrapped around a window are as delightful to me as a box of chocolates.

Painted shelves can always make a seriously chic statement.  

And here's a formal set complete with a silent butler mirror for any of the decorous divas out there.

So you see, there's always a place in your life for your books.  Even in the least expected places.

[photos courtesy of domino, isuwanee, and elements of style]

monday chill

I've cranked up some Moby and doing my best to relax after an incredibly exhausting and active weekend.  Let's look at a few peaceful spaces that have a rhythm of their own. 

And b-r-e-a-t-h-e. 

Because sometimes I forget.

[domino + elle decor]

shackin' up

Leave it to Anthro and James Merrell to make a shack look so good. 

QUESTION:

If you lived in a tiny cottage [or shack], what's the ONE thing you would love to have to make it feel perfectly beautiful inside?

 

cabinet meeting

Plenty of time was spent in our kitchen this weekend, preparing delicious food 'round the clock for family gatherings and fun.  We even had the chance to unwind and visit a few friends and enjoy some of their delicious home-cooked meals.  Each year I realize more and more that the kitchen really is the heart of the home. 

As we all start our week, why don't we honor a few lovely light-filled kitchens?  Interesting that all the kitchens I picked happened to have white cabinets.  Huh.  I really do love color, promise.  Anyway, let's just enjoy.

I'm foaming at the mouth over this stainless shelf [above] juxtaposing the creamy distressed walls and relaxed setting.  Love its practicality and style. 

And this curved banquette with that detailed nailhead design?  Pure delight.  The texture of old brick on the stove's back splash is a glorious contrast that also unifies those smoky gray doors with the light walls and ceiling.  The antlers are a great touch to add the perfect element of surprise. 

What I would give to be able to grow flowers.  Anywhere. 

Seeing that beautiful Jadite in the cabinet below makes me think of Eddie's beautiful collection.  

I think this picture is a repeat over here.  But how about that mac daddy stove?

The ever chic all white palette.

This one gave me a little flutter.  Hmmm, I think it's the green peeking outside the cabinets and painted floors.

Shouldn't every diva have a hand-hammered zinc range hood like this one in their kitchen?  Yum.

Maybe all of these pretty images will inspire you to go cook a delicious meal...or at least sit back and enjoy while someone else cooks for you in the kitchen!

[photos from country living, cottage living, house beautiful, domino, and southern accents]

pretty design

Sit back and enjoy the design goodness of Charlotte Crosland.  Spotted her work over at Desire to Inspire. 

I'll take that staircase.  Wallpaper and all.

First time I've ever really loved a picture of a fish.

Delicious stacks of books and a fresh vase of flowers.  Yum.

 

Ah, the coveted bookshelves.  And in a nice enclosed room for quiet reading.  Or blogging.

For more enjoyment, go browse the Charlotte Crosland site right here.  You won't be disappointed.