bathroom # 1 mood board

it is time to get serious about finishing our house.  björn and i are running into the problem of too many choices and too many decisions to make and as a result we have yet to make very many interior finish selections at all.  we both have spent hours (maybe days) scouring the internet and houzz.com for everything from lighting ideas, to wall finish options.  i have about 2 thousand "inspiration boards" on pinterest, houzz, and my desktop and things are getting a little out of hand.  luckily this little blog is actually helping to pin me down to make a few decisions...i think.

the bathroom layout

below are a few photos that inspired the design of the first floor bathroom.  this bathroom is going to have an enclosed shower / steam shower, a custom designed vanity (design is in the process), and tons of natural light from three windows so i wanted it to feel light and airy and to reflect the contemporary farmhouse feel that we are going for with this house.

aqua glass tile and a herringbone marble mosaic floor
(mueller nicholls cabinets and construction via houzz)

love the large format glass tiles in a grey-green color
(studio m design via houzz)

white horizontal wood panelling for the walls

i put together this mood board which summarizes my wishlist for this bathroom.  björn and i had already decided to run the hardwood cherry floors into this lower bath.  we love the look of the rich cherry with beautiful painted cabinetry and with the radiant underfloor heating it will be toasty warm underfoot even on the coldest days!  

1. herringbone carrera marble from AKDO

2. glass tile in "whisper" from Dal Tile

3. sherwin williams 6218 tradewinds- ceiling

4. sherwin williams 6168 modern white- trim and walls

5. vanity lighting - from durango light art (manu. unknown)

6. infinity mirror- room & board

7. archer self-rimming sink & archer lavatory- kohler

8. shaker style custom cabinetry

9. cherry hardwood floor

10. persuade two-piece elongated toilet- kohler

11. artwork

i really would love to put horizontal wood panelling painted white on all of the walls, i think it looks clean and contemporary but definitely give some farmhouse charm to a space.  it will also make the walls have a ton of character so that i can hang minimal artwork.  speaking of artwork i would love to incorporate profile silhouettes of björn and i as children somewhere in the house and i think the bathroom would be a great place!  

my dreams for the steam shower include soft grey-green glass subway tile walls and ceiling, and a beautiful herringbone marble mosaic floor.  i love the luxury of the marble paired with the simplicity of the glass tiles.  because we have to tile the entire height of the walls and the ceiling due to the steam shower aspect i may need to add an accent stripe of white to break up the grey-green tiles.  all of our fixtures for the shower are from kohler in a chrome finish.

the vanity is being designed by moi and will be built by björn and matt.  i am leaning toward a simple shaker style painted the wall color, with a grey concrete or engineered stone top.  i will share the design with you as soon as it is more complete. we are using kohler's archer series sink and faucet which i love because it has a very clean look with some traditional styling.  and the toilet has actually been decided upon for months.  björn fell in love when he saw this toilet and its sleek "spaceship" like design. (his words)  i love it because it will be so easy to clean and has a fun dual flush button on the top.

i would love to paint the ceiling of this space a grey-green color like sherwin williams tradewinds, to compliment the glass subway tile.  i hope that this first floor bath will 

inspiring spaces: living in a van down by the river

for days now we have told all of the excavators, concrete workers and other contractors that come over to look at the site that we are living in a van down by the river... well Casper is not quite a van.  he is a 16' bambi edition airstream trailer.  it is camping but luxury camping, and we couldn't ask for a better spot!


björn's mom and step-dad bought the airstream a few years ago and lived in him full time in alaska, over a winter.  they have since used the airstream to travel around the country visting friends and going on some fun camping adventures.  


we have Casper set up on the north part of the property, we can see the river from our "bedroom" window and we have almost every amenity.  the airstream has a nice sized refrigerator, three burner gas stove, a microwave/convection over, surround sound stereo, tv and dvd player.  it also has a shower and a toilet, but björn and i have vowed not to use these features, it just means having to move Casper and dump him, plus there is something a little funny about using the bathroom 12" from your bed.


however, we are fully enjoying living in the airstream, it is acting as a combination home and construction trailer!  i have been adding my own little touches here and there and I plan to do a little more but here is Casper as he looks now!

Our little bed- I found the wool pillow from a thrift store here in town,
the Ralph Lauren plaid blanket is Björn's and the orange wool blanket is from our trip to Austria last year.

The dining area- horse blanket on bench is from the Basin Coop Feed Store in Durango,
the moose candle holder is Björn's.

The kitchen area.

Our bedroom view!

The refrigerator and flat screen tv! Another horse blanket as a rug!

My closet- smaller than even a NYC closet but it works!

The bathroom vanity!

Casper's floor plan!

I need to work on our outdoor patio space and to add more personal touches! as I make improvements i will add more photos, but for now Casper is home!

happy weekend: inspiring offices

i am in Vermont right now, supposedly working on the electrical & lighting plans for the house....its just that the weather here has been so beautiful & the swimming pool has looked so tempting...so i haven't really gotten much accomplished.

one thing i don't miss about working in my old offices was the lack of a view.  sure, here in Vermont I catch myself staring out at the green mountains & thirty whole minutes have zoomed by, but an office should be inspiring, no?

enjoy your weekend, here are a few inspiring desks and offices spaces to get you thinking!  bjorn flies in tonight so i better get back to work.

My Office in Vermont!

Edouard Francouis- Carte Blanche Love Table via Apartment Therapy

Home Office outside of Sturgeon Bay, WI via Unplggd

Office with a view to die for! via Elle Decor

I like to imagine a pretty awesome view outside these windows!  via Elle Decor

Love the plans rolled up and the vintage tripod lamp! via Elle Decor

This is an interesting office, with some very cool stuff in it!  via MET Home

Tamara Mellon (Jimmy Choo founder) home office in London.  via Elle Decor

This is the only office that rivals mine! via sushi kay deisgns

Bjorn's office if pretty sweet too!