Open House

Don’t have any plans this weekend? If you’re in New York consider attending “Open House New York,” a once a year event that celebrates architecture and design throughout the five boroughs. Hundreds of sites normally closed to the public will open their doors and other locations will host special tours, talks, and performances. There's lots to chose from. Climb to the top of the tower at the Jefferson Market Library; visit the Little Red Lighthouse; explore the Old Stone House, built in 1699; inspect the Unger Hansen Residence, an energy-efficient townhouse; wander through the Noguchi Museum, a former photoengraving plant; and more. For a full list of events visit here.

I plan on checking out the New York Marble Cemetery, Edward Hopper’s studio, and the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Can’t wait. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Image from here.

Dream Library

In my dream house, I have a large library. One with floor to ceiling bookcases, lots of artwork, a fireplace, and comfortable seats to curl up in with a book. For Donald Oresman, his dream library became a reality when he purchased a flat overlooking Central Park South. There he had a library built to house part of his large book collection, and I think it's pretty amazing with a nice blend of beauty and practicality. If I lived there, I don't know if I'd ever leave the room. And as an added bonus, look at that view.

To see more photos, check out the article in New York Magazine here.

Photos by Annie Schlechter.

Colour Change

This one photo has me dying to redo my flat in greys, blues, and silvers. I like my current palette of reds, greens, and yellows but all I want to do right now is enjoy a whole new look while sitting in that chair. Isn't it just lovely? 

The room is via Windsor Smith here.

Dream Kitchen

Having the smallest kitchen on Earth (I’m exaggerating but not by much) I don't cook a lot and when I do, I try to stay away from dishes that require a lot of pots or room. For example, I have so little counter space that I usually have to balance a chopping board on the edge of the sink. And once when I made a cake, I had to put it on my desk to cool off. And so I often fantasize about having a kitchen with loads of space and cabinets where I can squirrel away all types of dishes and glasses and multiple pots in various sizes, and where I have ample room to work and for people to gather for a leisurely meal. In other words, a dream kitchen.

Plain English is a UK joinery company that creates just such kitchens. This kitchen of theirs, “Suffolk Rectory,” is beyond lovely with its creams and red accents and all those cabinets and shelves. And the bench along the wall? How gorgeous is that?

Just think of cooking in this kitchen. I can imagine rolling out dough for biscuits and frosting cakes not to mention stirring pans of risotto and roasting chickens in the oven all with plenty of room to spare. I can also see myself sitting on the bench with a cup of tea, flipping through a cookbook. And that table? Just perfect. I realize this kitchen is huge but if you're going to dream, you might as well dream big.

For more dream kitchens, visit the Plain English site here. 

All photos from Plain English's site.