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!

Humbert & Poyet

Humbert & Poyet is an architecture firm founded in 2007 by two Architects, Christophe Poyet (from Monaco) and Emil Humbert (from Paris). Over the years, the dynamic duo have designed prominent restaurants such as the Michelin Star restaurant, Beefbar, in Hong Kong and Monaco, and Song Qi, a Chinese fine dining restaurant in Monaco. The duo also design residences and offices around the world.

“We like to put forward the spirit of the place. The noble materials by combining them and combining them with one another. We favor working with artisans and traditional know-how” – Christophe Poyet (translated by Google).

Beefbar, Hong Kong

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The layered marble coupled with hidden lighting creates a dynamic yet soft lighting effect, adding an almost celestial glow to the space.

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My favourite elements, carrara marble (or more likely, calacatta marble, since the marble is whiter and the grain more defined) and herringbone flooring, once again make a dynamic pairing. The tufted brown leather banquette injects maturity and an old world feel to the restaurant.

Apartment Marais, Paris

You may have seen my post on this apartment on my Instagram page. This space is smooth as crème caramel. Elegant and sophisticated are words that sprung to mind when I first stumbled upon pictures of the space. 

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Layers upon layers of earth tones – so harmonious and tranquil. I can almost feel myself getting more relaxed just looking at the place. That baby grand piano makes me imagine soft classical music wafting through the living room as the owners unwind at the end of the day.

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The minimal sand-toned stone fireplace melds perfectly with the natural tones and materials surrounding it.

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A carrara marble tulip table by Eero Saarinen (one of my favourite table designs) accents this lounge area. Splashes of colour add energy and vibrancy to a cozy corner. The mid-century modern style of the tulip table is complemented by the mid-century modern wall sconce.

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The kitchen is a little more modern, with the stainless steel ladder leading to mini library shelving, and the minimal dark grey galley kitchen. A touch of country is incorporated through the the dining table and chairs.

Grace Apartment, Monaco

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The Sputnik chandelier is an instant eyecatcher. That rich teal colour of the dining chairs is so deep and beautiful, and somewhat mellows out the bright gold of the chandelier.

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Glamour, glamour, glamour with the touch of the unexpected from the cluster of fluorescent light tubes on the righthand-side wall. I would normally find a space like this slightly tacky (maybe it’s the overly shiny marble flooring?) but somehow it works here. Personally, I would prefer to use a matte, sand coloured stone (a huge continuous slab of it) for the floor instead, to balance out the various statement pieces in this room and to ground the space.

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Absolutely in love with the palm print wallpaper. If that view out the window is real, the wallpaper is a clever way to bring the outside in.

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This graphic wallpaper adds some geometric fun to the bedroom. More fun is injected through the smattering of yellow cushions on the bed.

I could continue to wax lyrical about the designs of Humbert & Poyet but why not have a peruse for yourselves – step right on through