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 The Coolangatta Home of designer Leah Bartholomew.  Photo – Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The Coolangatta Home of designer Leah Bartholomew.  Society 6 Cushion, Beneath The Sun large Gem Vessel, Wire chair bought on Gumtree.  Brick wall painted by Leah in Dulux Coral Blossom.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The Coolangatta Home of designer Leah Bartholomew.  Society 6 cushion, Beci Orpin cushion, Ikea cushion.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Leah painting on her back deck.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Leah Bartholomew at home.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

You might recall around this time last year we interviewed one very clever and particularly versatile local designer, Leah Bartholomew.  After five years working in Melbourne as Beci Orpin‘s right hand woman, Leah moved north in 2011, settling in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast, not far from her childhood hometown of Bilambil, which is half an hour north of Byron Bay.  Though she loved living in Melbourne, Leah craved all the usual things Melbourne is not very good at – sunshine, surf and a generally relaxed pace of life.

It didn’t take long for Leah to settle in to her new surroundings, after securing a lease on this sweet surf-shack style home, just minutes from Kirra beach.  She now lives and works from these perennially summery surroundings, tackling various freelance graphic design projects whilst also running her own fabulous homewares label, Beneath the Sun, from her home studio.

Since its a rental, Leah has made only minor cosmetic changes since moving in here, such as installing shelving in her little studio, and painting the brick wall on her back deck in her favourite summery shade of coral.  Inside, she’s filled the home with op shop treasures, sweet handcrafted details and her signature pops of cheerful colour in every room!  Many of the cushions and decorative elements you see here are Leah’s own designs – from cushions, to original artworks, ceramic ‘gem vessel’ planters and her super cute ‘woody’ printed timber objects.

Leah’s home reflects her relaxed, free spirited nature – she loves prettying up her surroundings with sweet handmade details, and is particularly skilled at op shop / roadside treasure hunting!  Some of her favourite furniture finds are the geometric pale pink side tables, found on the side of the road in Tweed Heads!  (This would not happen in Melbourne!).  Another much loved second hand find is what Leah calls ‘the most comfortable lounge in the world’ – the seventies velour corner lounge she scored for a steal on Gumtree!

As a former Melbourne resident, its no surprise that the real drawcard of this home for Leah is its proximity to nature – both Coolangatta’s impressive beaches, and nearby bushland.  ’I was really happy to find this place’ says Leah of her relatively new home.  Surrounded by lush foliage, Leah says it really feels like you could be living in the mountains.  ’Gorgeous Kirra Beach is 500 metres away, and I have views to the hinterland, where I see the most incredible sunsets every afternoon’.

Massive thanks to Leah for brightening up another freezing Melbourne morning with her fabulously summery home!  If you share Leah’s passion for bold colour, do check out the full Beneath the Sun product range online here!

‘Bike On Grass’ photograph by Conor O’Brien, Beneath The Sun hanging pot, German vase from Found Furniture, 1970′s velour lounge, kilim cushion, Sisauvage cushion from Etsy.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen detail.  Top left – Lucas Grogan plate, local pottery, Country Road mugs and bowls, op shop finds.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Loungeroom detail.  Artwork by Leah Bartholomew, Ikea lamp, Beneath The Suncushions, Beci Orpin cushion, Rug picked up at a garage sale, handmade timber lounge purchased in Brisbane.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Loungeroom.  Themis hanging mono mobile from Douglas and Bec, 1950′s chair – an op shop score.  Printed wooden objects on dresser by Beneath the Sun.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bedroom.  Artworks by Leah Bartholomew, pillowcases – a mix of Beneath the Sun and Country Road,  Beneath The Sun Applique Linen Quilt, bedside lamp from Found Furniture, pink bedside table picked up on the side of the road!  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bedroom details.  Fleur chair from Found Furniture, locally made Bangalow palm basket, Artwork by Leah Bartholomew.    Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Leah’s home studio.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Details from Leah’s studio.  Beneath The Sun timber objects, Holly Leonardson hanging rainbow, Mould Map images.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Russell Lewis surfboard, Gem Vessel.  Photo - Toby Scott, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The Perth home of WA-based designer and shop owner Renee Coleman and her family.  Above – view from 9yr old Orlando’s bedroom down the hall.  Bond poster found in a second hand store in Sydney.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Loungeroom.  Original Featherston chair (foreground) is one of Renee’s favourite pieces, the metal green industrial light was found in New York , the oval marble coffee table Renee designed and had made in India.  ’The houndstooth single chairs are very in now – Gatsby! But I’ve had them for over 18 months, from Empire – I took one look and fell in love!’ says Renee.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

The main lounge room.  French metal stool recovered in Designers Guild mustard velvet.  Charcoal slimline sofa by Empire (to the right).  Renee collected vintage german vases – they are dotted all through the house.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Renee and Sneaky the boxer (!) enjoy a moment on the outdoor terrace.  ’We live out here’ says Renee.  Original Harry Bertoia chairs – ‘collected pre the knock off era !’ says Renee.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo – Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Today we have another fabulous mid century home to share, courtesy of stylist Anna Flanders and photographer Angelita Bonetti, the incredible Perth-based team we work with closely to ensure TDF gets its fair share of WA homes!  (I will get there in person very soon I promise!  But in the meantime, my goodness, what a JOY it is to have such a fantastic team on the ground keeping us in the loop!).

This very special family home, in the Perth suburb of Floreat, belongs to designer and shop owner Renee Coleman of much loved Perth interiors store Empire, her husband and two kids Orlando (9 yrs) and baby Riva Ruby, as well as ‘Sneaky’ the dog, and Audrey the ‘fat angry feline’!  Designed and built in the 1960′s by Bulgarian architect Iwan Iwanoff for his own residence, the home is one of Perth’s most iconic houses.  Renee says she had her eye on it for many years, but had almost lost hope that it would ever become available. When it did come on the market in early 2011, the family were quick to snap it up, moving in in April 2011.

As with so many of the mid century homes we feature, Renee’s home is in close to original condition, requiring only minor restoration work to keep it looking its best! Interior walls have been refreshed, some new light fittings have been added, and a little ‘invisible’ restoration work has been necessary, such as plumbing fixes, etc.  Blinds were also installed on street-side bedroom windows for privacy.   Renee’s next the major project will be to re-fence the garden -’ to stop Sneaky from escaping and harassing the neighbourhood!’ she says.

As a designer and owner of one of WA’s most loved interiors shops, Empire in Highgate, it’s no surprise Renee has pulled together such an inspired and eclectic edit of furniture, lighting and artwork for her own home.  Mid century finds sit happily alongside contemporary artwork and quirky collectibles, giving this house a vibrant, relaxed feel.  The 4m long vintage teak dining table is a particularly treasured item – found whilst on honeymoon in Java, Renee says she loves this piece the most. The original lime green Featherston chair comes a close second!

Almost all the key furniture and decorative items you see here were sourced by Renee for her shop… but which mysteriously seem to have found a permanent home here!  In addition to her collection of restored vintage furniture, there’s also a healthy edit of pieces Renee has designed and commissioned herself, and unique items sourced from across the globe, such as handstitched cushions and copper candelabras found recently in Egypt.

However, as with most of the mid century spaces we often feature, the star of this show is undoubtedly the house itself.  ’The deceptively complex design elements create an uncluttered sense of serenity’ says Renee of the timeless modernist design features that make this home so special.  ’Every single aspect of the house and garden has been designed to be both beautiful and functional, which gives a constant feeling of completeness and soundness. Two years down the track,  I still find a new angle, corner, beam or alcove that is perfectly conceived and proportioned. I have never lived in a ‘special’ home before, and there is not a day that I don’t pinch myself that I have the fortune to be the custodian of this perfect family home.’

Anyone planning a trip to Perth must put Renee’s beautiful store on their ‘must visit’ list!  However, never one to sit still for very long, Renee also has a new business in the works - The Collector.  Due to launch this Spring, The Collector is an online store specialising in one-off items sourced from across the globe, with 50 new pieces added every quarter, ranging from unique furniture to glassware, hand made textiles, soft furnishings and other treasures uncovered by Renee on her annual buying trips abroad.  Wowsers, sounds kind of AMAZING – watch this space!

Dining room, with incredible original timber panelling.  ’Two Worlds’ painting by Susanna Castleden.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Kitchen.  Mid century chrome barstools, reupholstered in Designers Guild purple velvet. ‘I love velvet in mid centry modern homes as you can tell!’ says Renee.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Original Kitchen.  Purple horse sculpture designed by Renee and carved in Ubud, Bali.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

German vases collected by Renee.    Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Sitting room.   Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Sitting room details.   Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Master bedroom.  Bevan Honey’s ‘Architectural Drawings’ hang above the bed.  Throw rug by one of Renee’s favourite Australian textiles labels – Bemboka.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Amazing retro-inspired bedroom for Orlando (9). ’I broke up the black masculine look by adding some green vintage pieces and some Marimekko fabric from Empire‘ says Renee.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

Original bathroom details.   Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

The distinctive wall imprints on the house exterior are taken from the design of Singer sewing machine casings (!), commissioned for the home by the original architect / owner Ivan Ivanoff.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

House exterior.  Styling – Anna Flanders, Photo - Angelita Bonetti for The Design Files.

We’ve seen designy board games here before but this takes designing a game to another level. Graphic designer Pat C. Klein created Facebook: The Board Game to “persuade people to stop using the internet forever.” I suppose if you’re playing a board game, at least you’re being social and interacting with humans.

He explains:

As a young person living in the digital age, I feel as though the internet is affecting our ability to communicate with one another.

Research done by Stanford University has indicated that social networking sites like Facebook can increase loneliness, depression and insecurity.

Facebook: The Board Game was created as a response to this. The idea is that instead of engaging with Facebook on your computer or phone, you can arrange to meet up with friends, have a few drinks and play in real life.

Some of my favorite parts of the game: You land on “Unattended PC!” and you have to “Reveal something embarrassing about the next person to leave the room” and “Tag a player who you’d like to drink.”

Do you think he managed to accomplish his goal?

This summer, James Turrell has transformed the Guggenheim into a jaw-dropping, neck-cranking, ever-shifting experience with light and space.

Turrell has re-sculpted the massive interior of the iconic rotunda with tiers of white fabric over unseen scaffolding. Unsagging and seamless, the perfection of the material allows the physicality of the light to become the primary focus as both natural and LED lights shift from one color to the next at the speed of a sunset. This piece, titled Aten Reign, is completely immersive, altering not just the 6-story ceiling, but changing your entire perception of the world around you (at moments I forgot what “white” looked like).

Turrell isn’t the first to rethink the Guggenheim. Though one of the most visited museums in the world, it is ironically one of the worst spaces to actually view art. If the curved walls, low ceilings, blinding windows (often covered) and energy-draining incline weren’t bad enough, the view from the lobby is so incredible that it eclipses the experience of any exhibition viewed immediately after it. Any attempt by an artist or curator to ignore or fight the dominance of the architecture is simply overshadowed. Successful exhibitions in recent years have found unique ways to collaborate with the structure. Brilliant examples include Maurizio Cattelan’s hanging retrospective, or Tino Sehal’s exhibition of nothing at all.

But James Turrell has done something even more amazing. He hasn’t rethought his own art in the shadow (or curve) of the Guggenheim, he has USED the building like a tube of paint. It’s as if the building was actually built FOR James Turrell, who for decades has been encouraging art viewers to look up in his “skyspaces.” (One is on permanent view at P.S.1. in Queens).

Visitors who walk up the iconic curved ramp, now sandwiched between the original and temporary walls of Frank Lloyd Wright and James Turrell, will find another strange work in the highest exhibition room. That piece is titled Iltar and consists of 2 rooms with a rectangular opening between them. The room in which the viewer stands is lit, and the other is not (except by the ambient light of the first room). Forbidden from too closely approaching, space becomes matter as the hole is perceived as a two-dimensional grey rectangle painted on the wall. While the massive Aten Reign exaggerates your depth perception in a slow explosion of saturated color, Iltar completely collapses it in a world of grey.

If you are near New York City this summer, don’t miss it. One word of advice: Due to reduced capacity and the desire to stay for hours, there may be extremely long lines. To save a substantial amount of wait time, pre-purchase your tickets online here (ticket holders are given a separate and faster line) and get there just before the museum opens at 10am.

What: James Turrell
Where: The Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Avenue, New York, NY
When: June 21 – September 25, 2013

I might be from the land of meat and potatoes, but you all know how that my heart lies with the green stuff. I rarely eat potatoes, but I just couldn’t pass up these little cuties. And since it’s summer, … Go to the recipe...

Is the sun setting on Washington, D.C.’s sublime brutalist heritage? It sure seems that way, as a new wave of conservative design thinking dominates city discussions and projects. Several major brutalist icons are already doomed, while others are in severe danger of being subsumed by the wave of chrome-and-glass boxes surging through the capital. Boring ...Continue Reading

We have two garage doors. I know, I know – cool story, bro. But I promise this gets better. Well, it does if you’re a tech nerd or just enjoy life’s little conveniences. Sherry’s eyes glaze over when I try to tell her this stuff, so I’m talking to the remote-control-loving convenience enthusiasts out there. Anyone?

Each door came with its own remote, which we inherited from the previous owners. This guy barely worked at first, but with a quick battery replacement it works almost too well – occasionally opening or closing the door when the remote shifts in my cup holder. Did I mention it didn’t come with a visor clip? Yeah, that’s why it lives in the cup holder.

The other remote wasn’t much better. It worked more consistently, but required a duck tape wrap to keep it functioning. Classy, no? Not to mention its monstrous size meant it didn’t really fit anywhere conveniently in our car.

Improving our garage door remote situation was not high on our to-do list, but then I passed a display at Home Depot for a Clicker Universal Remote. It was $34, but the lure of simplifying to one, small, tape-free remote was too great for me to resist.

You only live once, right?

Sidenote: this YOLO skit gets quoted a lot in our house.

I didn’t really pause to think about actually programming the darn thing. And I know nothing about garage doors. What is this “dip switch” the instructions speak of? Well, a little bird (aka Google) told me it was a series of a 9 or 12 tiny switches that live in the garage door opener whose sequence of ups and downs creates a fingerprint. Match that sequence in your remote and you’ve got a match. Here’s the partially-obscured-so-you-can’t-get-into-our-garage dip switch in one of our existing remotes.

So all I had to do was replicate that switch in the new clicker.

To do so, I used the tip of a screw driver to move each switch into the correct up or down position. Note: the last 5 dip switches hadn’t been moved to reflect our code in this photo yet.

Once the dip switch was coded correctly, I just clicked the button I wanted to assign to that particular door until the door responded.

It was craaaaaazy easy to program this little thing. I got both doors programmed within 10 minutes or so. Doing the second door was the same as the first (and it didn’t undo the first door’s programming by changing the dip switches to a different sequence) so within no time I was the proud owner of one, single, double-door-operatin’ remote. Hallelujah.

And I just had to spread the word, so there you have it: a post about an easy tech update that might sound intimidating, but you can do it. Heck, I think Burger might be able to do it.

In summary: I think I might just be a remote addict (remember these?). The icing on the cake? Since it came with a clip, I was finally able to hang my garage door opener in a convenient spot on my visor. Yup, you can call me big poppa.

Okay, who else is way too excited about a little technological upgrade? Sherry couldn’t believe my enthusiasm for my new remote when I first told her about it (or when I brought it up again and again). But seriously, I’m so happy to be rid of those big ugly duct-tape-covered cup-holder-hogging remotes of the past.

Welcome to the future, guys. It’s nice here.

I’m sure fried food is exactly what you thought you’d see here today. But, you know, we’re only human and sometimes we fry things. Well, to be clear, Jack fries things. I sit back with a glass of wine and … Go to the recipe...

I don’t have a jewelry box. It’s not because I don’t want or need one, but I’ve had a very hard time finding one. Right now, all my jewelry is sadly and messily dumped inside a drawer. I discovered Balsabox a few weeks ago and I am utterly in love. It’s a series of simple wooden boxes of varying sizes by Nomess Copenhagen, but the one in particular that caught my eye is Balsabox Personal.

The top becomes a mirror and leans nicely inside the box so you can see yourself trying on earrings or putting on makeup. The interior boxes have a wash of hot pink that really pops next to its simple wooden container.

It’s the perfect box for jewelry, makeup, or even a small collection of craft supplies or mementos.

You can get one at A+R Store.

Casa LC is a house located in Mexico City designed by Antonio Rueda of Art Arquitectos. The massive residence is 2,000 square meters, which equals approximately 21,527 square feet (see, I said massive), and covers three specific desires: to have a social area, private area, and an entertainment area. I’m pretty sure they had no problem getting all of these spaces under this particular roof.

The social areas are centered around a central circular patio that has glass doors that slide open to bring a bit of the outdoors in. Around this perimeter, there are various spaces like the living room and dining room, the library, and a bathroom.

There are perfect views to the lush green landscape through the living room and all the way to the circular patio, and vice versa.

The library features a wall with floor-to-ceiling bookcases with staggered shelves.

The private area is set off of a square patio with a floating orange tree planted prominently in the center. Off of this space are four bedrooms and a master bedroom, all of which have an upper level space with terraces overlooking the square patio.

The entertainment area comes complete with a pool and a swimming track, game room, home theater, gym, bathroom, and a small house for guests.

Photos by Sófocles Hernández.

Artist Carine Brancowitz, who grew up in France, studied illustration, screen print, and lithography at the School of Arts & Graphics Industries, Ecole Estienne. Her tool of choice is a ballpoint pen, which she combines with what she describes as “an obsessive attention to detail, the uncluttered elegance of lines, the severity of the compositions.” This week, CMYLK looks at her sharp figurative pieces, which are also minimal in color. Still, we were able to create distinct Colourlovers palettes for each.

You guys, I owe you an apology. It’s been nearly a month since I first encountered this grilled bacon salad and I couldn’t find a window to tell you about it until now. That wasn’t right of me. When you try it, you’ll understand.

This salad is so delicious, it has spread by a modern sort of word of mouth alone. I tried it out on a friend’s grill a few weeks ago, and as social media will go, she Instagram-ed a photo of it, which led to two of her friends making it on visual suggestion alone, and then friends of that friend’s too. I imagine a web of people now partaking in the awesomeness that is a grilled bacon salad and here you are with a direct line to Patient Zero, and I was too busy dry-rubbing chicken and making pecan sandies into pie crumbles to get around to mentioning it until now. Tsk-tsk.

... Read the rest of grilled bacon salad with arugula and balsamic on smittenkitchen.com

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I eat a lot of vegetarian food, even though I’m not a vegetarian. Especially during the summer, when weekends consist of grilling sausages, burgers, and hot dogs, I gravitate towards grains, beans, and salads for some balance during the week.

Yet I’m often guilty of running to the cabinet for pasta when I go to make a meatless meal. Many of the most satisfying vegetarian dinners are based on lasagna, linguine, and orzo, but other grains and vegetables can be the starting point too. I thought I’d share inspiration for pasta-free vegetarian dinners good enough to serve to guests, and the BGSK archives yielded a ton of options I hope you’ll enjoy. (Note: despite being pasta-less, some but not all of these mains are gluten-free.)

**Vegetarian Mains, Hold the Pasta**

1. Seared Pepper Tacos with Pintos and Avocado Crema. A combination of spicy peppers and onions and home-cooked pinto beans makes these vegan tacos hearty and healthful. Don’t forget the avocado crema–that’s key.

2. Middle Eastern Carrot Tacos. We go fusion here, bringing carrots dressed with spices and herbs to the center of a cheesy taco. And, look, there’s avocado on top of these, too! (How could I not?)

3. Fried Rice with Shiitakes and Cashews. Fried rice used to be a dish made out of leftovers. Now I cook rice precisely for the purpose of mixing it with mushrooms, cashews, and scrambled eggs for this filling, easy main dish.

4. Sweet-and-Sour Tofu with Bok Choy. This recipe, which originally came from a reader, hits a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and filling. Paired with bok choy and rice, this one dish makes for a complete vegetarian meal.

5. Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, and Pesto. The quinoa salad fills a need in my diet for something quick, not too heavy, and delicious, especially in the summer when grain salads rule the picnic basket. This version combines all my favorite ingredients, from roasted tomatoes to fragrant pesto.

6. Roasted Caponata Salad with Chickpeas & Goat Cheese. Chopping vegetables to the same size as chickpeas makes this little vegetable toss as aesthetically pleasing as it is delicious. Serve big bowls topped with goat cheese.

7. Smoky Red Lentil Burgers. I always have lentils around in jars that never seem to empty. These burgers are more refined than my typical lentil preparation–a stewy soup–thanks to a dose of smoked paprika and a pretty presentation inside toasted pitas.

8. White Bean Burgers with Pesto, Tomato, and Roasted Eggplant Spread. The crispy exteriors of these burgers pairs gorgeously with their summer accompaniments: eggplant, pesto, and thickly cut tomatoes.

9. Swiss Chard Turnovers with Parmesan and Pistachios. Like empanadas, these little turnovers are easily held in your hand for on-the-go eating. Next to a big salad, two or three are a great light dinner.

10. Oversized Mozzarella Arepas with Summer Veggies. Even after a decade of enjoying arepas, the process of turning masa harina (par-cooked finely ground corn flour) into these dense, crispy corn cakes still astounds me with its simplicity. On top of the crispy, cheesy cakes, I pile a simple spring veggie sauté.

11. New York Corn Chowder with Tarragon. Corn chowder is better without any cream or milk, and this light and herb-filled bowl is the perfect recipe to prove it. When corn is in season, I couldn’t ask for a better dinner than a big mug of this sweet goodness.

12. Really Good Vegetable Soup. I searched far and wide for the perfect vegetable soup recipe, and I finally found it in Peru. To make this unequivocally filling, throw in handfuls of quinoa and chickpeas towards the end of cooking.

13. Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Frittata. Sliced sweet potatoes and slow-cooked onions (both easily made ahead of time) turn the classic frittata into a farmers’ market affair with a whiff of the breakfast-for-dinner vibe.

14. Crispy Potatoes with Baked Eggs and Pesto Yogurt. Since hash browns are pretty much the best food ever, I see no reason not to serve them at dinner as well as brunch. This one-skillet dinner is totally homey and a little gourmet.

15. Zucchini & Tomato Curry. The scent of browning mustard seeds and searing zucchini will fill your apartment with the scent of India and the satisfaction of using only seasonal ingredients. A cool dollop of yogurt finishes off the dish.

16. Vegetarian African Peanut Stew. For all you peanut butter lovers, don’t stop eating spoonfuls just because it’s dinner time. Mixed with veggies and served over rice, this African stew doesn’t disappoint.

17. Tortilla Espanola. Potatoes and eggs in another form, this traditional Spanish tapas can be made ahead and eaten room temperature or cold, a perk when you’re entertaining.

18. Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomato and Ricotta. Let’s end with the return of spaghetti–only in the gluten-free, unprocessed form of spaghetti squash! This dish gets heft from yummy tomato sauce and plenty of ricotta.

Psst- Sorry about yesterday’s truncated post, Reader users. There was some bad code in a video we embedded (we like to feed full posts, so if you ever see a shortened one, something wonky’s going on).

We’re painting something again today! Who’s surprised? Anybody? Nobody? We’ll be back with the goods tomorrow, but in the meantime we thought this house tour was so charming and creative that we had to share it. It’s a great example of a someone buying a house and just going for it, without being even a little afraid to make it theirs. And if there’s one thing that we’ve learned in this whole home-making journey of ours, it’s that the more personal you make a space the less it might appeal to someone else (like your mother-in-law, the mailman, or your handsome pool boy) but the more it can feel like “you” – and really, that’s what matters most. So stamp your house up baby. Leave your fingerprints all over that thing.

But on with the tour! First of all, how sweet is the exterior of Laura’s house in Reno?

Here’s Laura now, with her dog Emma. She’s also the mother of three kids, so you know, she’s not busy at all.

When you enter her home she has a wide foyer area with a curved wall, which is where Laura and her husband Dan got creative. Yup, she made shelves from old secondhand chairs that she painted a soft seafoam green color (Seacliff Heights by Benjamin Moore) and hung right onto the wall (after chopping them in half). I love the little potted plants that are resting on each chair-shelf. Here’s more on how she did that project.

Speaking of creativity, check out her dining room. Yup, the entire wall is filled with shutters that Laura painted in a bunch of soft beachy tones. Isn’t it amazing? As for where she got them all, many came from the Habitat For Humanity ReStore, thrift shops, and Craigslist. I’m also a HUGE fan of both the light fixtures and the chairs (which she found on ebay). It’s such a cool personality-filled room that she made all her own. And that table is actually an old conference table from a nearby university.

The kitchen is another classic-meets-creativity example, thanks to traditional white cabinetry and subway tile mixed with playful hanging pendants that Laura and Dan made from Home Depot lamps. I love that they don’t take themselves – or their home – too seriously. And the industrial bar stools (which were once science stools at the same university as her dining table) are another fun touch.

Laura decided that closing off this doorway made for better flow so she casually hung some secondhand window panes to subtly divide the space while keeping things airy. I love that colorful bench too. She picked it up at a thrift store and spray painted it Lagoon by Rustoleum and then glazed it for a less-new look.

Laura also added height and a breezy and cozy vibe to their bedroom, thanks to sheer curtains from Ikea that she hung from the ceiling for a makeshift canopy affect.

Their master bath has awesome tile that mimic’s Laura’s childhood 1920′s home. I love it with the extra thick black counters and the white cabinetry.

Laura would love to take the subway tile all the way up the wall behind the tub to the ceiling, but in the meantime she added a really cool old ladder that she found at a thrift store for a couple of bucks and a few hanging plants.

Thanks so much to Laura and her husband Dan for sharing their gorgeous home! I hope you guys were as inspired by their fearless approach. And of course you can check out more about every project and room here on her blog. But before I get back to painting, let’s play the favorite part game. Mine’s the shutter wall in the dining room. Especially with those gorgeous glass pendants hanging down in front of it. Me-ow.

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lina östling for hus & hem.

it’s a gray and foggy sunday in san francisco and well, the news wasn’t very bright this weekend either. i thought we all might need a bit of cheer to start our monday morning. i really love a fresh white and very colorful kitchen. if i owned white kitchen cabinets i’d totally go for this look, because i mean, what everyone needs is a happy place to wake up to and start the morning brew going. here’s some extraordinarily cheerful kitchen inspiration — a lot of which was simply achieved with the stroke of a paint brush and some bold accessories. add fresh flowers and you’re pretty much guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing.

matchbook magazine; and retrovilla.

lina östling for hus & hem.

floral bouquet via inspired by; Brigid arnott photography; Lina Östling photography; anthropologie color pop coffee pots; lotus bowl collection from fjeldborg; and tin box by Lina Östling photography.

katia graeff’s kitchen via design*sponge.

raya carlisle’s kitchen nook via design*sponge.

turquoise dining chairs via Marie Claire Maison; dani garlet; Rosanna Fleamarket Chic Trays; vintage tins via sofia lawett interiors; aqua kitchen by Sasâ Antic Interiors; and Behr paint colors by oh my little dears.

lotus bowl collection from fjeldborg.

This past weekend, I welcomed a spectacular piece of art into my home from Virginia artist Kerry Steele:


GORGEOUS. I spotted this piece in her shop and the colors were the exact mix that I've been working with in our basement. I think this piece was fated to live with me.

But the most fun part about this purchase is that I actually went to pick it up in Fredericksburg, so I got to meet Kerry! Y'all, you walk into her house and there are paintings everywhere. It would be very convenient if I could create pieces like hers whenever I needed one. But alas, I don't have that talent.

But Kerry sure does...a sampling from her Etsy shop:


I saw this one above hanging...and besides the one I purchased, this is my absolute favorite. Those colors!! If I had that damn money tree, I would be buying this one in a heartbeat. So, basically, I want it is what I'm saying.




Kerry is as sweet and likeable as her painting as colorful. It was a total delight to meet her...especially since art is such a personal thing - I like knowing the hands that created it.

So now I have two large works in my possession...both by Virginia artists. I sniff the start of my collection...

Sherwin Williams is having a 40% off paint sale July 19-22! Perfect timing, as I'm getting ready to paint 2 rooms. Have them colormatch your favorite paint color, or just go with one of their great colors, like these favorites of mine:

My latest infatuation? The work of artist Chad Wys. The Illinois native does a little bit of everything (painting, collage, digital, video…). I highly suggest you get lost in his portfolio — something tells me you won’t regret it.

Keep in touch! Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr // Facebook // Pinterest

Don’t be intimidated by fish, it’s actually extremely easy to cook.  With a little bit of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, you will have perfect buttery, flaky fish every time.  For these tacos, I chose salmon, but any type of fish will do.  And the mango salsa is just as easy, a few chopped ingredients and the natural flavors do all the work for you.  Sweet mangos chill together with red onion, crunchy red pepper, and tangy lime juice creating a mysterious harmony, taming the heat of the chili pepper cream sauce.  Wouldn’t these would be great as an appetizer or mixing up the weekend barbecue?

KEEP READING FOR FULL RECIPE…

Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
the ingredients

• fish (see instructions below)
• chili pepper cream sauce (see instructions below)
• mango salsa (see instructions below)
• 8 corn tortillas
• arugula

Fish
ingredients 

• 1lb. fish (salmon, cod, tilapia, or halibut)
• 1 t. lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
• 1 t. paprika
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/4 t. salt

how to make the fish…
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil.  Pat dry fish, leaving skin on if any.  Drizzle a light coating of olive oil on both sides of fish, and place skin side down on baking sheet.  Pour lemon juice over fish.  Combine paprika, chili powder, and salt in small bowl.  Season fish with herb mix.  Bake until fish is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, or until it becomes flakey when pulled with a fork.  Break apart into bite size pieces.

Chili Pepper Cream Sauce
ingredients

• 1/2 cup greek plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 t. paprika
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. oregano
• 1/2 jalapeño, minced and seeded
• 1 t. cilantro or parsley, minced

how to make the sauce…
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, stir until combined.  Store in refrigerator.

Mango Salsa
ingredients

• 2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup red pepper, diced
• 1 t. cilantro or parsley, chopped
• zest and juice of 2 limes

how to make the salsa…
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, stir until combined.  Store in refrigerator.

how to make the tacos…
Warm up tortillas in 450 degree F oven for 2-3 minuets.  Layer pieces of fish onto tortilla, spoon cream sauce over fish, add some arugula, and top with mango salsa.  Serve warm or chilled, either way is delicious. Let us know how yours turn out!

(recipe + photos by leslie grow for designlovefest– want more food posts? go here!)

How lovely are these 1946 images of Greta Garbo snapped by Cecil Beaton? The British photographer was infatuated with the Swedish silver screen icon and it is believed they had a love affair. Greta was dismayed when Beaton published his diaries (naturally, as she was in them…) and the two had a falling out. Many years later Beaton suffered a stroke prompting them to reunite in 1974 for one final visit.

P.S. I knew I recognized that window treatment! I’ve been coveting this print for some time.

(images via the National Portrait Gallery)

Keep in touch! Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr // Facebook // Pinterest

 

As long as I can remember, I have been a lover of delightfully tacky things. I keep thinking that as I grow older, my yearning to surround myself with vintage kitschiness will diminish- but it truly hasn't. I have to stop myself from completely filling our home with crazy colors, velvet paintings, old toys, flowery wallpaper, and a million knick-knacks.

Sources (from top to bottom): Oh Marie!, Tear It Out, Danielle Thompson, Troedelhaus, Piewacket, Elle Spain, Karen Shavit, Design Attractor, batixa, unknown, Design*Sponge.

Five years ago, I fell in love with dry-rub barbecue. Prior to the summer of 2008, I naively believed that the only way to make ribs deliciously on the grill was to mop them with copious amounts of a wet, tomato-based barbecue sauce. I know, I know, silly Deb, but what can you really expect from a Yankee?

Under my friend Molly’s tutelage, I learned the error of my ways. The thing is, no matter how unappealing the word “dry” may sound against meat of any sort, the results are anything but. While a wet sauce just wants to roll or evaporate off your meat as it cooks, the dry rub spices adhere themselves to it, almost crusting in the meltingly tender meat within as it cooks slow-and-low over a the grill. It loses none of its punch, no matter how long it cooks. You might have some barbecue sauce around when you’re done as a dip for the meat, but there’s so much flavor from that spice crust, you probably won’t need it.

... Read the rest of slow-and-low dry rub oven chicken on smittenkitchen.com

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© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. | permalink to slow-and-low dry rub oven chicken | 213 comments to date | see more: Grilling, Meat, Photo, Poultry, Summer

As soon as tomatoes appear at the farmstand, I rush to make summer pasta salad. Have you ever made it? It’s just chopped heirloom tomatoes marinated with tons of garlic, fragrant basil, a good pour of olive oil, and minced red onion. As the tomatoes sit on the counter, the scents of garlic and fruity tomato waft around the kitchen. Hot pasta hits the “sauce,” which coats each strand with its summery goodness. Then you’re ready to eat.

Ever since we got back from Thailand, I’ve been tweaking a lot of my favorites with Asian flavors. Birdseye chilis. Fish sauce. Sesame oil and sesame seeds. Smoky chili oil.

The summer pasta is no exception, and it presents the perfect palate update for telling you about P.F. Chang’s Flavors of Summer sweepstakes.

I was really excited to hear that the restaurant is playing with some of my favorite ingredients in its seasonal menu this summer. There’s avocado, lime, quinoa. There’s Thai basil, fresh carrots, heirloom tomatoes. There’s green beans, cilantro, fresh mango.

And, there’s a contest going on, so that if you help highlight these delicious ingredients on your pinterest board or create a recipe with them, as I’ve done here, you can win generous gift cards to P.F. Chang’s. Here’s where to read more about the sweepstakes.

The way I cooked with these summer ingredients illustrates a lot for you about the way I like to put meals together right now. I’ll always be a carb-lover, but in summer, carbs become merely the base for my bowl meals, with as many vegetables as possible collected, chopped, and thrown on top. Each one brings something to the dish: the tomatoes add sweetness, the basil contributes the essence of summer. I like the carrots and snow peas for crunch, and the avocado for creamy sweet richness. Finally, shrimp tops the bowl, making this a complete meal.

Colorful and crisp though they may be, it’s hard for images to convey to you how wondrously fragrant and satisfying this bowl is. Those tomatoes. That basil. That garlic.

 I wrote this sponsored post in partnership with P.F. Chang’s in order to tell you about their Summer Seasonal Menu and Flavors of Summer Sweepstakes. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make BGSK great!

**Recipe**

Summer Udon Noodles with Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado, and Shrimp
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

The prep for this dish is mainly chopping–much cooler than roasting or frying! All the cooking takes place in one big pot of boiling water, so have all the to-be-cooked ingredients (shrimp, snow peas, noodles) ready to go near the stove.

Ingredients
1/2 pound cleaned shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup safflower or grapeseed oil
About 12 basil or Thai basil leaves, cut into thin strips
About 3/4 pound Roma or other plum-sized tomatoes, chopped
juice from 1 lime
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound udon noodles
Large handful snow peas, trimmed
2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and julienned
1 avocado, cut in cubes

Combine the basil, tomatoes, garlic, shallot, salt, oil, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, red pepper, sand salt in a serving bowl big enough to hold the noodles. Let marinate on the countertop for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

When ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a bunch of salt. Set a colander in a heat-proof bowl near the stove and grap a pasta server–one of those spoons with spikes to catch the noodles.

Cook the noodles in the salted water according to package directions, about 4 minutes. Scoop them out into the waiting colander in a bowl. (Leave the water boiling.) Shake out the noodles over the sink, then add them to the bowl with the tomatoes. Toss.

Bring the bowl and colander back to stove side. Add the snow peas and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just barely cooked. Scoop into the colander, shake to dry, and transfer to a bowl. Finally, add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook just until pink, less than two minutes. Scoop out into the colander.

Top the noodles with the julienned carrots, cooked snow peas, avocado, and shrimp. Garnish with extra basil, torn, and a squeeze or two of lime.

well hello there and welcome to the easiest, most satisfying summer pasta recipe around. watch the video below to see how easy & delciious it is. and hopefully you will find some tabletop inspiration in there as well! we found the gold dipped bowl (only $20!) & adorable mara mi patterned napkins at target here and here.

i would love if you subscribed to my youtube channel where hopefully i will be adding a lot more recipes, style videos and all that jazz! click here to follow!

now, for the recipe…

what you’ll need:

• 16 oz spaghetti
• 10 to 15 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup of raw pine nuts
• 2 cups of grape tomatoes
• 5 slices of prosciutto
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper (as much or as little as you want)
• zest of half a lemon

let’s do prosciutto:

• place the prosciutto on a foil covered baking sheet into a 450 degree oven. leave them in until crisp.
• this will take about 10 minutes, but keep an eye as ovens and prosciutto may vary.
• once it’s done set out to cool to room temp, than crumble into a bowl.

while the prosciutto is cooking:

• bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, then add spaghetti a tablespoon of olive oil.
• cook about ten minutes, remove when still slightly al dente. rinse with warm water in a colander and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. this will prevent it from getting sticky.

you’re almost to the finish line:

• heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
• toss in tomatoes, moving them around the skillet occasionally (remember you don’t want them to burst, so be gentle)
• after about 8 minutes tomatoes should be done, so transfer them safely to a serving bowl
• while the skillet is still hot, brown up those pine nuts.  this will be quick – maybe 3 minutes. these little guys like to burn, so keep’em moving.

bowl it up:
• now grab a bunch of your favorite bowls in varying sizes and then fill each one with a different ingredient.
• for the record that’s…pasta, pine nuts, tomatoes (which should already be in a bowl), chopped basil, crispy prosciutto (this one is already in a bowl, too) and the parmesan cheese.

encourage your guests to dress their pasta with some olive oil, salt pepper and any and all of the fixings they want and then, cause you’re a real gem, offer to top it off with some fresh lemon zest. let’s summer up, people!

photos & recipe by: jen gotch
video by: modshift
art direction by: bri emery
want more food posts? go here!

(This summer inspiration is brought to you by Target. Find more fun and surprises all season long on Target’s #SummerUp Pinterest board.)

Jose & Ainara

After several conversations with (male) friends about how relationships between men and women have changed since their parent’s generation, Spanish photographer Jon Uriarte had a brilliant idea for a photo series. He wanted to make images that showed not only the equality of balance in heterosexual relationships, but also the feeling of confusion the male may be experiencing with this change. He began this series, which he calls The Men Under the Influence by taking photos of couples together in the same image. After some time, he realized that a more effective image was to photograph the man alone, dressed in his girlfriends clothing in their shared apartment or house. Uriarte photographed the series over a period of three years in both the US and Spain.

Javi & Gabi

Santi & Sabela

Matias & Sarah

Marcos & Lucia

Victor & Ana

Carlos & Naia

Steve & Fonlin

Feature Shoot Contributing Editor Julia Sabot is the Associate Photo Editor at Dwell.

prints available here at inaluxe! beautiful, right?