small, cool and cozy

As promised, I am sharing my home project I was working on a couple weeks ago. In early April Apartment Therapy began their annual contest for the small, cool apartment of the year. I thought about entering many times over the years since I always somehow find myself renting a petite abode somewhere under 1000 square feet. This was finally the year I decided to make the effort and I entered with gusto but perhaps a bit late in the game. I was never chosen to be in the running but followed the contest closely. After pouring over all the other entries I realized how similar most of them were. There was an undeniable theme running through them--very contemporary with a touch of mid-century style not brimming with much more personality than a staged Ikea or CB2 catalog. It was not very inspiring to me and slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, there were some standouts. My point is that the winner was picked by the readers and I think it reflects on them and what they are used to seeing as "stylish home decor". As you will see from my entry below, my home is nowhere near cookie-cutter. It's a split trinity rowhome, approximately 625 square feet and difficult to define space and purpose in each room and floor. That is a challenge I find extremely inviting. I think my home comes across as a quirky, charming and uniquely pleasant place to live. Perhaps I will try again next year or submit it for one of their tour profiles. Have a look at the finalists and winner here.

muses of mucha

Before Alphonse Mucha's famous paintings burst forth upon completion with color, style, whimsy and seduction, each piece came from an inspirational sitting with a model that the man very deliberately staged in his perfectly bohemian studio. Here is a collection of the original photographs of Mucha's models, taken at the turn of the last century. These images somehow capture the exact Art Nouveau fantasy that is seen in Mucha's completed work. Enjoy these beauties. I wish I could have been one of them...

in the garden

I have been decidedly away from my computer and with that, blogging. I spoke before about a home project that I was working on and I still plan on sharing that most definitely later this week. Last week I dedicated some serious time on my garden and completed what I like to call the "1st stage"... a first round of planting and a general sprucing and pruning done. I've learned from the trials and errors of last year that I need to stick with shade loving plants; hostas, lilies, ferns, and do well with bulbs. I am trying out a few new ones this year and I am excited to see how they do. I also look forward to adding to the garden as it grows throughout the summer.