to cheer you

i know some one who could use some cheering-up,
so i made a little photo montage to brighten your day and lighten your thoughts.
onward and upward!

mellow yellow

happy friday, shiny happy people!

{photos from these flickr folks, top to bottom: jamesgalpin, jennib {that's my mini cooper she took that great shot of}, natashap, nickidobrin}

tara in totnes

if you'd like a delightful distraction to ease you back in to monday (or any particular reason will do) ~ go visit paris parfait today. she's posted absolutely wonderful photos of her visit to totnes, devon.

sunshine extension

hope you had a happy memorial day weekend. i want to extend the sunny feel from yesterday so i'm posting some sunshine-inspired images today. cheers!

(by far my favorite yellow setting ~ sunflower petal painted bricks with a fireplace and a painting on the mantel that melts my blonde-n-blue heart)

(a david hicks living room. light, fresh, deelish!)

(i like this combo of maize and cobalt and chestnut. nice balance)

(this designer did an excellent job of making yellow soft and mellow ~ and found the perfect shades of gray to go with it)

(no sunshine-inspired post would be complete without my lemon drop car & some golden daisies in my front yard)

(yellow black and white ~ it's bold and bright and cheerful)

(i love the wake-up-and-smell-the-sunshine feeling in this kitchen)

stair masters

stairs are awesome. if designed well they can be the ultimate in form AND function. some are vibrant, some are ominous, some understated ~ here's a collection of several of my favorites. (the new seattle public library by rem koolhaas is one of my favorite contemporary public buildings. if you're ever in seattle you *must* visit it. the library's use of crayon-colored highlights adds drama and helps orient visitors by making essential features such as escalators and stairs easy to spot. above are the lemon yellow double escalators that excite as much as they transport)

(also in the same seattle public library: the entry to the luridly cherry-colored and organically-shaped public meeting room level eschews straight lines in favor of curves. boldness has genius in it!)

(tadao ando does incredible architecture. shown here are the stairs he designed for the oyamazaki museum in kyoto japan in 1995. austere and strong they have a sense of mystery about them)

(the prestige floating stairs by architectural stairs company. this hanging-tread stair has a floating appearance by not using any under support for a clean look that appears to be suspended in the air. you've gotta have the right side-bearing wall to support this, but it is a gorgeous effect)


(albini and fontanot have created a contemporary style for a new twist on the classic spiral stairs. a light and airy design, the beech treads and steel supports & cables are both warm and sleek at the same time. i love how clean, simple, and elegant they are )

(joel berman glass studios specialize in kiln-fire glass for architectural applications. here is a stunning example of their work ~ luminescent glass treads elevated by futuristic metal creates a contemporary allure & grace)