I Am Back

We spent two weeks in the Mediterranean soaking up the sun. This wasn't our first trip to the area but I was stunned by how beautiful the Amalfi Coast is every time we were there. The weather was perfect every single day.

A villa by the Amalfi Coast near Sorrento, Italy

We also spent some time in Gaudi's Barcelona.

 

This is what we woke up to and finished our day with every day - the Mediterranean sunrise/sunset view from our suite.

I still have tons of photos I want to share but this is it for now. I can't wait to get back to my décor blogging routine. 

Where Will I Be?

Happy Friday everyone! I am taking a short break to enjoy the summer and will be back to post regularly in a few weeks.

Positano, Italy

Via

 Provence, France

Via

Retro Telephones

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'd know how much I love to mix the old and the new styles in my décor. I am a big fan of 30's Regency, a touch of 60's Vintage Mod, and the everlasting Hollywood Regency Revival. 

Lately I am pretty obsessed with retro telephones, and seriously contemplating replacing the super modern & sleek cordless phone in our kitchen with one of these.

Vintage Princess Phone in Cream and Gold via Etsy. My parents got me one of these for my bedroom back in the 80's. My design sense obviously hadn't sprouted yet, and I was so embarrassed (so much so I'd hide it whenever I had friends over) to use something I deemed so "old-fashioned", and mocked my mom for having no taste in style. Eventually my mom took the telephone back and used it in her own bedroom which she later gave away. Well, guess who is laughing now huh?  

Vintage Princess Phone in Turquoise and Silver via Etsy. Is it dreamy?

GPO 1970's Retro Push Button Rotary Phone via John Lewis.com. Something so utilitarian and household back then can appear so chic today.

1960's Popular Princess Phones in Blue, Yellow and Pink.

I am pretty sure Mad Men's Betty Draper had one of these in Turquoise on her bedside table. Med Man's show put my desire for vintage accents on steroid.

And this is phone I am considering for my kitchen - the VTech's Retro Phone. Switching to one of the real retro phones featured above would be going a bit too far, I think, as it might look out of place in my kitchen. Not to say the inconvenience of using the telephony technologies from the past era. But something like VTech's retro phone seems to have a perfect marriage of vintage look and modern technologies.

So what do you think? Would you use a vintage-looking phone like this in your house, or would you go for the true retro piece?

Knobs for French Provincial Dresser

Ok I admit, this is yet another OC act of mine. This is the dresser in question: the French Provincial style white dresser in my master bedroom. I used those cube knobs years ago and I am pretty sure it was inspired by an episode of Sarah's House. She used exactly the same knob for a girl's bedroom dresser. I loved the look at the time and still like it now.

However, there is a problem. Do you see all the sharp corners of the knob? I should've known better right? I don't remember how many times I've bumped into these knobs and you really don't want to hear what slipped out of my mouth. So as much as I love these cube knobs, I have to replace them.

Here are a few options I am considering, and again I can't make up my mind. I don't want the knobs to be shabby chic; they can't be too modern but they can't be too antique-y either; I definitely don't want a whimsy/novelty type. I want them to be slightly Victorian, vintage-y, and go with the style of the dresser and the mirror. Do I make it too easy or what?

 

1. Anthropologie's Gleam Theory Knob: love the hammered brass look. They are discontinued so it might be challenging to find them online.

2. Anthropologie's Mercury Glass Knob in Silver.

3. Anthropologie's Mercury Glass Knob in Gold.

4. Antique Silver Knob from Etsy.

5. Anthropologie's Glass Melon Knob in Brass.

6. Anthropologie's Mother of Pearl Knob.

 

 

I did a quick mockup in Photoshop and this is what the dresser looks like with the glass melon knobs on it.

 

 

So which one is your favorite? Any other suggestions? Do you have a French Provincial style dresser at home and what type of knobs/pulls do you use?

 

 



In the Mail Today

I purchased this Eames stool in Queen style for my master bathroom a couple of years ago. I love a timeless designer piece of furniture like this, and have been thinking of buying another one for my living room. It can be used as a side table or extra seating, and its rich wood tone would bring some warm colors to the space. As I was debating whether I should again fork out that much dough for a small piece of furniture like this, I found a store in BC called Eternity Modern.

Have you ever shopped at Eternity Modern before? Seriously I wish I had known they carried the Eames stool a couple of years because I would've picked up a set of three from them in a heart beat.

After a few emails with the owner and phone calls to place the order, this King-style Eames stool in solid teak arrived in the mail. Can you believe the entire stool was carved out of a single tree stump? I love the wood grains in it and it weighs a ton.  

So now I have a King and a Queen in the house. I am happy.

Eternity Modern also carries a wide range of iconic mid-century modern furniture such as the Egg Chair, Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman, and Le Corbusier Chaise Lounge. Their quality is top-notch and the design pretty faithful to the originals. You can view a list of their product images here.