Seaside Retreat by Jamie Bush

The shifts in weather have made me realize just how strongly affected I am by the weather, climate & environment. I’m sure we are all ready for some sunshine and blue skies. We got lucky this weekend with some amazing Spring weather in San Francisco that just came out of the blue (no pun intended)! We’re at a balmy 22 degrees celsius and I couldn’t be more chuffed.

With that being said, let’s feast our eyes on a perfect vacation home (or primary home, if you’re lucky) by Jamie Bush, located in Malibu, California. Jamie Bush maintains a soothing, cool-toned neutral palette throughout the house, which continues out to the terrace as well. The blue of the ocean is the perfect counterbalance to the home’s neutrality. It’s hard to decide which is the star and which is the backdrop – the view or the home… or maybe we shouldn’t have to decide at all. This is harmony between nature & manmade construction at its best.

Materials such as marble and stone are carefully selected to show off their natural beauty – such as in the marble kitchen island and this cylindrical side table. The marble’s strong veining acts like artwork. The bare white walls facilitate the eye being drawn towards them as focal points.

Oftentimes, people default to thinking of dining tables in circular or rectangular forms and neglect to think of more organic shapes such as the one shown here. The irregular shape of the table lends a more casual feel and invites additional people to pull up a chair and join the conversation, as seating space is less defined. The natural wood paired with the large sliding glass doors invite the outside in in an effortless manner.

The cool-toned, grey hues of the wood furniture, and the washed blue shade of the rug are very calming – aren’t you ready for a nap here? (I’d leave those terrace doors open to allow the breeze in while I snooze…)

Legs galore

The slight angle of the sofa is just enclosing enough that the space feels intimate, yet not so severe that the living area feels closed off from the rest of the space. It also enables easy access to the terrace.

This entry bench is another fantastic example of a material being shown off in all its natural glory. It simply doesn’t need any ornamentation to look complete (I’d remove that vase/vessel and let the bench stand alone). Sometimes less is more.

Texture is the name of the game in this bathroom – from the cerusing of the wooden vanity cabinet to the raw wood stool. There’s something about rougher textures that work magic in coastal locations.

We’ll end this tour outside (where you’d most likely want to be if you were in Malibu) …

Are these stone sculptures or seating or both? Design is truly celebrated when form and function merge – especially when the pieces are ergonomic like these.

Discover more of Jamie Bush’s work here.

Advertisement

Clean Lines by Griffiths Design Studio

“Simplicity, style and elegance is the signature of the most successful design ideas.”

Australian interior design is having a moment in my book (and on my blog, clearly). Griffiths Design Studio, led by Gillianne Griffiths, is based in Melbourne, Australia, and was founded with the philosophy that “simplicity, style and elegance is the signature of the most successful design ideas.”.

This apartment in Toorak, Melbourne, evokes a deep sense of calm and serenity with its clean lines and simple monochrome palette.

Griffiths Design Studio 1

Highlight: the charcoal coffered wall.

Griffiths Design Studio 2

Highlight: the whimsical but structured light fixture.

Griffiths Design Studio 3

Black and white perfection.

Griffiths Design Studio 4

Griffiths Design Studio 7

Griffiths Design Studio 5

Griffiths Design Studio 6

Griffiths Design Studio 8

Griffiths Design Studio 9

Griffiths Design Studio 10

Griffiths Design Studio 11

Visual interest is created by mixing varying tones of grey within the same room.

Griffiths Design Studio 12

Whoever said neutrals couldn’t be cozy was very wrong. A chunky knitted throw does the trick.

Griffiths Design Studio 13

Clean lines keep the space looking airy and fresh.

Check out more of their projects on their official website.

Breezy Bohemian in Pacific Palisades

This house is the epitome of easy, breezy, Bohemian interior design. The white walls allow the Californian sunshine to flood the space, the wooden beams and window frames lend a raw, rustic feel reminiscent of the colonial era and the textured soft furnishings inject Bohemian coziness to the space.

This breathtaking Spanish Colonial house in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, was designed by Katherine Carter, London-born Californian transplant now residing at Venice Beach, LA.

Katherine lives by the philosophy that, “A well-designed interior and exterior should embody exceptional design that is timeless, unique, charming, luxurious, functional, comfortable, and most importantly speaks the client’s language.”

This house is the epitome of easy, breezy, Bohemian interior design. The white walls allow the Californian sunshine to flood the space, the wooden beams and window frames lend a raw, rustic feel reminiscent of the colonial era and the textured soft furnishings inject Bohemian coziness to the space. The house is the perfect example of how the fiddle leaf fig plant can make a whole room come together while bringing a bit of the outside in. The beautifully curated rug selection also provides the perfect finishing touch to each room.

Fun fact: this house belongs to reality TV star and fashion/makeup guru, Lauren Conrad.

Katherine Carter 3

Katherine Carter 1

Caramel leather, rattan and warm wooden tones infuse a sense of warmth, coziness and down-to-earth vibe to the space.

Katherine Carter 2

Katherine Carter 4

Katherine Carter 6

Katherine Carter 5

Katherine Carter 7

Katherine Carter 8

The white-on-white-on-white room is broken up through the clever use of texture. White honeycomb floor tiles add visual interest and provide a nice textural contrast against the white subway tiles on the wall.

Katherine Carter 9

Katherine Carter 10

That gold geometric pendant light adds a touch of modernity to the otherwise traditional entryway (and there’s that cheeky fiddle leaf fig peeking in again!).

Katherine Carter 11

Katherine Carter 12

Those wishbone chairs with rattan upholstery are the perfect Bohemian accompaniment to this casual dining space.

Katherine Carter 13

Katherine Carter 14

Katherine Carter 15

Katherine Carter 16

For more Bohemian gorgeousness, click on through to Katherine Carter’s website.

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

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 1

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 2

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 3

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 4

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 5

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 6

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 8

Hecker Guthrie - Kitchen 9

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.

Katelavie 3

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

Katelavie 4

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

Katelavie 7

Katelavie 8

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

Katelavie 1

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!!

Katelavie 10

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!).

Katelavie2

Beautiful brass touches everywhere ❤

Katelavie 11

Katelavie 16

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

Now into the kitchen…

Katelavie 9

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.

Katelavie 12

Now into the bathroom…

Katelavie 13

Katelavie15

Katelavie 6

…and lastly, the bedroom:

Katelavie5

Katelavie 14

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!