Narnia at Home

I know I wasn’t the only child who dreamt of having a secret room at home, Narnia style, to escape to for a few hours with your friends and pretend that you’re in another world. This converted monastery in Poland designed by JRKVC certainly would have done the trick.

A bedroom is cleverly hidden behind a wall that is a bookshelf and door in one. Another ingenious feature is the master bathroom, which is actually directly accessible from the living room through the open hallway.

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The optical illusion tile in the entryway is a firm favorite.

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Despite its all-white walls, the apartment maintains a sense of warmth through the generous use of warm toned wood and a healthy sprinkling of greenery throughout. It treads the fine line between minimal and cozy by not being too stark, and at the same time, not cluttered.

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The open shelving and floating hood, both in light colors, keep the kitchen looking light and airy, balancing out the dark lower cabinets, which ground the space. Kitchen hoods can often look heavy and imposing, but by painting the hood white (the same color as the walls), the hood almost disappears.

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Hecker Guthrie

Do kitchens get any fresher than this? I think not. The kitchen equivalent of freshly washed, crisp linen sheets.

I’m about to share with you one of the freshest, brightest and most revitalising kitchens I’ve ever laid eyes on. Allow me to introduce you to Hecker Guthrie, an interior design studio based in Melbourne, Australia, led by Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie. The Australian design aesthetic is one that I often admire – free and easy, modern, youthful and always with a touch of that carefree Australian vibe.

Toorak Residence

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What is your preferred kitchen style? Would you like to spend your lazy Sunday mornings in this Toorak Residence kitchen?

Kate La Vie’s Enviable Apartment

If you’re familiar with the beauty blogosphere and YouTube world, you’ve probably heard of, or follow, Kate La Vie. I, myself, have been following her blog and YouTube channel for years. What stands out the most to me about Kate is her impeccable interiors style and DIY talent. She has a gift for styling knick knacks and decorative items around the home. Her Parisian flare permeates her beautiful apartment in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Bohemian touches lend a casual, free-spirited balance to the space.

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Highlights: West Elm Monroe sofa, marble fireplace, raw hardwood floors, bright white walls.

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Highlights: Moroccan-inspired pouf, mid-century modern pink armchair, cushion covered with eyes (!), eyes print, cacti… okay, pretty much everything!

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How adorable is that baby cacti arrangement?! Kate DIY’d the mini planters herself. Genius!

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Herringbone floorboards (tick!), subway tiles (tick!), “marble” (but not actually real marble) fireplace (tick!), selection of cacti (tick!), tribal-looking bohemian mirror (tick!). Tick, tick, tick!!

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Which print is your favourite? For me, the palm trees win, hands down. Close second: the polka dots & pink marble hybrid print (oh, and let’s not forget the ocean waves print!).

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Beautiful brass touches everywhere ❤

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This gorgeous marble and brass bar cart is from Oliver Bonas.

Now into the kitchen…

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That mint green SMEG is everything. This kitchen was completely DIY’d and designed by Kate herself. The backsplash constructed with herringbone tiles is so unique and really stands out. The brass theme continues with the tap.

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Now into the bathroom…

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…and lastly, the bedroom:

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Brownie points if you noticed the change in headboard and the flooring. I personally much prefer the latter picture (with the new herringbone wood floors and (non-existent) headboard); warmer, fresher, less feminine and more modern. The warm wooden floors help to ground the space, whereas previously, the room appeared to be “floating” due to the combination of white walls and white floors.

I’ll leave you with Kate’s video of her apartment tour. Enjoy!