The Makings of a Kansas Home

myidealhome:

• lightning in the cabinets (via Gamla skolan)

Kitchen love

myidealhome:

• wooden headoard

(Source: designtraveller)

myidealhome:

• rustic charme (via  Inspiring Interiors)

myidealhome:

• light grey  (via ikeafamilylive)

myidealhome:

• messy, lived, kitchen (via ▨Kitchen / pretty)

the-hurricane-k-reigns-here:

georgiegirlnyc:

erehwyna:

Marjorie asks: My husband and I recently bought a house and will be moving this month. We don’t own much in the way of furniture and will be looking to make some investments. I know about Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel, but I was thinking you might have some ideas about good places to shop for good stuff. We aren’t going to be in the market for anything crazy expensive/designer (as we are still students for a few more months) but I also don’t want to go to Ikea and replace everything in a year or two. I know this isn’t exactly your field but I so love your posts of beautiful rooms, and I’m lacking in the interior design area and pretty overwhelmed by this project! 

…

first of all: a house!! that is very big & exciting news - congratulations! it is an overwhelming task to furnish all that new space, but if you pace yourself, it could end up being a lot of fun!

i spend a healthy chunk of time scouring for furniture - we architects love to micromanage down to the last chair…

(if i had a dollar for everytime someone asked me this sort of question, i’d be typing this answer from my eames la chaise… all $10,365 of it)

+ so here’s a list of some sources (they run the gamut in price & style) i use for clients and for myself :

cb2 / room & board / design public / blu dot / all modern / hive / restoration hardware / haymaker shop (chicago) / huset / jayson home & garden / scout (chicago) / world market / thrive / abc home & carpet / yliving / lumens / modernica / bungalow 5 / overstock / gilt / fab / one kings lane / roy’s (chicago) / industry west / instyle modern / euro furniture (chicago) / west elm / hcd / id (chicago) / gus modern / william sonoma home / nadeau / 2modern / emeco / modern motif / anthropologie / arhaus / wisteria / zinc door / candelabra / smart 

a few notes, too:

+ typically, january & july are the best times to buy furniture as new collections come out in february & august. but i keep my eyes peeled for sales throughout the year, like design within reach and their big semi-annual sale each october & march. it’s worth scouting the annual sales from herman miller, knoll, vitra, etc. that happen every fall & spring.

+ when it comes to buying a knock-off of the real thing, i don’t get up on my high horse about it. (it’s more of a tiny shetland pony.) if you really, really love something and there’s no way to save & splurge on it - sure, a replica never hurt anyone.

+ surprisingly, a knock-off doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality.

+ cruise around furniture stores - even if you think they are too expensive or not ‘your style’. i don’t love restoration hardware, but i went in on a whim only to find a cool coffee table that fit the bill on sale. the salesgirl even let me buy the floor sample at a further discount.

+ with that, always inquire about floor samples or upcoming sales - there’s no harm in asking.

+ a big price tag doesn’t always mean high quality and, conversely, a small price tag doesn’t necessarily mean low quality. i hate to say it, but there is some good stuff at ikea. just be ruthless about quality of construction and material - no matter the source.

+ if you’re looking for a true investment, check out auctions - like wright in chicago. the thing is this: buying an eames chair (or any noteworthy piece) at DWR is very different than finding an eames chair in your grandmother’s attic or buying it at auction.

+ flea markets, thrift shops (go to ones in upscale suburbs and neighborhoods), ebay, and craigslist are all invaluable resources if you have some time and energy to spare. 

+ to that end, striking up a relationship with a good furniture restorer in the area is smart; learning how to DIY might be even smarter (especially for home owners).

good luck & have fun! take your time - and lots of before & after shots! 

Lots of great info here for people with completely empty rooms to furnish!

For future reference

myidealhome:

• plants (via stadshem)

hidden-panda:rouxfully:thesleepinggrave:ourinterwebs:

Forms in Nature is a light  sculpture that turns the room into a tangle of branches and trees. The lamp is made by using a special 3D-printing technique and the lamp can be manufactured in various sizes as necessary.

Want

NEED

This is beautiful

(Source: princemase)

interiors-porn:

via design sponge

(Source: interiorsporn, via myfarmhouse)