Cheers!

                       Happy New Year !

Natasha

Image via Little Blue Deer

Classy Glassybaby!

In the beginning of this year, I discovered Glassybaby (this post & this post). I have secretly wanted to start collecting these beautiful glass votives, the colors are so yummy and there are so many to choose from....

Have your pick....
Personally I would probably stay in the cool color range of the first image, but then when you see an image like the one below, those colors look so pretty as well..... so many choices, so little time / money / you fill in the blank :)

As you can imagine, I have been through the Glassybaby website a few times, they even have a blog if you are interested.

One of the coolest things is the video of how these little gems are produced, one really sees the full process, "the three layers" etc.
Worth checking out here, enjoy!

Baby light my fire ;)

Natasha

All images via Glassybaby

Nineth Holiday Post.

 

Soothing color and beautiful textures......

Winter landscape + white Christmas tree + huge mirror = lots of light! Love how the soft blues and greens of the living room is echoed in the Christmas tree decoration....

.... even the antlers have been decorated ;)

Happy - last minute - decorating! It's not too late!!

Natasha

Images via Living etc.

Just a pretty picture!

...The dinner party was a success!

I was the happy recipient of two beautiful Christmas tree ornaments, hand painted in white and silver, with a little glitter.... SO, so pretty!!

Natasha

Image via Skona Hem

Party Time!!

Come on...send out that party invitation!
Pick a color "that's you" and stick with it!
Use this color in every thing you do....

Look around you, since you picked Your Color I bet you have accessories in your home already in that color?! Gather your "stuff" and start arranging...

Look, even a book cover can become part of the decoration. (I find that often the spine of the book is a different color than the rest of the cover, so take a second look around, you might be surprised to find more in Your Color).

Greet your guests with the cocktail of the evening, which of cause you have planned to work with Your Color, right?? Right!

Look how little it takes; a few ornaments in Your Color, a throw on the back of the chair.... Make food and drink stations around your home, that way not everyone ends up in the kitchen :)!
Don't sweat the small stuff, you already have what you need in your house, you just need to look at it with a fresh eye!!

Have a fun time at The Party!

Natasha

PS. For all American readers of NORTHERN LIGHT; I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Thank you for taking the time to visit Northern Light, I truly appreciate your time and comments :)

Images via Style At Home

TGIF!!

Oh my.... It's been a hectic week, looking forward to spending a Saturday morning relaxing with a hot cup of tea!!

Wouldn't this be the perfect spot to start your day??
Any plans for your weekend? I'll be prepping for Thanksgiving (bringing a dish to a friends house) and for a small dinner for some friends on Sunday :).... can't wait to set the table!

Natasha

Image from rue (I think, I forgot to note, it's been so crazy... sorry)

Feeling the blues...

What first attracted me to this hallway, was the cool wallpaper!!      
But looking a little closer, I see a familiar face :).... the dog!!          
We had a Bearded Collie, named Duke, growing up!

Miss him a lot!

Natasha

Image origin unknown, sorry.

Congratulations!

I want to congratulate Anna Spiro, of Black & Spiro and the Absolutely Beautiful Things Blog, on the wonderful and exciting news;
She has won an Oscar...... !

Well, not exactly, but she has been included in Andrew Martins new book; Interior Design Review, Featuring the Worlds Leading Designers. This book is like "The Oscars for the Interior Design World" according to the Times.

If you are a regular reader of ABT, you will be familiar with Anna's Friday Flowers Posts. I found this image over at her blog earlier today (yes, I know, it's not Friday...) in her trademark colors; Hot Pink, White and Blue, so fresh and pretty, you can't help but get in a good mood :)

Oh... and did I mention she is also featured in the new Vogue Living??    I can't wait to get my hands on that issue, but it's a little slow coming to Florida, so some time in December maybe..... :)

Congratulations Anna, you deserve all the praise and acknowledgement coming to you!!

Natasha

Image #1 Via Shelter, Image #2 Via ABT

Front Page News

Danish jewelery Designer Charlotte Lynggaards enviable home has made the IndsideOut cover.

A few months back I wrote a post called Moonbeams and diamonds, introducing and exceptional piece of jewelery designed by Charlotte, if you didn't read the post then, I urge you to at least look at the fantastic images!!

How wonderful is this view over Oeresund? I bet the natural light is wonderful at all times of the year.























Wonderful use of an old chair, perhaps an heirloom... have a new cushion made up!

Through the french doors is the living room; A piano, a gorgeous view, lots of natural light, and the typical blond wood floors, what more can you ask for?

 

Placed just inside the double doors, an Asian console table in dark brown (almost black) lacquer, with a carved wood koi fish sculpture, a few Asian inspired artifacts, and a simple flower display.

Between the living space (above) and the kitchen (below) is an office space, complete with a black leather Arne Jacobsen Egg chair. The transition between the two parts of the house, new and old, is done very seamlessly with a few stairs....

... and saving the best for last! What a kitchen!!

Charlotte Lynggaard, danish jewelry designer.

While looking for images for this post, I came across this image, of the same kitchen space, just styled differently. It's so interesting to see, at least I think so, how a space can transform, just by styling it differently! The image above looks "lived in", and as beautiful as the other images are, they were clearly done for the sake of the photo shot..... just thinking out loud ;)

A casual Charlotte Lynggaard at her desk, ready to design her next piece of jewelery! Check out the pretty chair and the fresh cut garden roses, inspiration is everywhere!

Hope you enjoyed this little house tour!!

Natasha

Image #1 InsideOut, Image #2 - #6 Skona Hem, Image #7 ?, Image #8 - #9 Norske Folkebladet

It's (still) the Weekend...

.. at least for a few more hours!

Had a few quiet days; Visiting the local antique stores, made it home with a few really cool items (I'll share later), perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Stopped at the market, and baked a wonderful Pumpkin Bread! I was inspired by Trina this week!

Been looking for bedroom inspiration...
rumor has it our bedside tables are arriving next week ! Yeah!!

Hope you had a great weekend, too!!

Natasha

Image #1 Janis Nicolay, Image #2 Ashlee Auerbach

New on the Virtual Newsstand...

I have liked artist Inslee Haynes for a while now (I featured her in a previous post here)... In the new Ivy & Piper issue, you can not only get to know Inslee, but also see more of her fun watercolor girls :)

Have a great start to your week!!

Natasha

Image by Inslee Haynes via Ivy & Piper Magazine

Sakonnet House

To me, this house is PURE New England style! Without giving too much away, it's located in little known Sakonnet, Rhode Island, a favorite spot of ours! I just L.O.V.E the whole vibe....

I thought this went so well with my Feeling Blue post (scroll down),
just had to share.....

Natasha

Image NHH for Northern Light Blog

Feeling Blue

Inspired by my recent quick get-away, a few images evoking the atmosphere of New England...

..... imagine riding to the beach on this turquoise bike, the paths leading thru the dunes, the sand between your toes....

.... coming back from a long day at the beach to this "modest" cedar clad stunner.....

.... sandy feet, towels, wet bathing suites..... waiting for freshly carved watermelon slices.... yummy!

..... the place settings do not match, but it's a beach house, so who cares.....

.... ending the day with a refreshing drink (pick your favorite!), and please, use one of these cool Cape Cod Coasters from Etsy.

Now, I know it's Monday, but wasn't it fun just day dreaming for a moment?

Have a, not too blue, Monday :)

Natasha

Image #1 Starfish & Sundresses, Image #2 Urban Grace, Image #3 Ella and Baba, Image #4 Apartment Therapy, Image #5 Etsy

Preparing...

Rumor has it we are in for a bad hurricane (Irene) this week, so a small break in blogging will probably happen as I need to concentrate on securing my house...

UPDATE: 

Looks like Hurricane Irene is taking a more easterly course, so we should be good!
Phew!!

I have been slowly starting to prepare the last couple of days, not wanting to panic, nor wanting to get caught in the supermarket stampede, fighting for the last couple of necessities either! So for those of you who have not been through a storm like this before; there is a lot of prep work involved! Don't really want to bore you with the long list....

If you are in the Bahamas, STAY SAFE, as you will be getting the brunt of this storm!
...that is it for now: See you later!

Natasha

PS. I have come to really like the day before a hurricane, as it's often sunny, quiet, not too hot and windy. LOVE when it's windy in Florida! Sometimes I go to the beach to see the huge waves roll in with the dark clouds in the horizon... Beautiful!
The Clam Before the Storm, for sure.

Image via Google search

{East Hampton} House Love

Are you in for a Sunday house tour?

This East Hampton 1920's stucco cottage has been fully renovated by writer Frances Schultz, with a keen eye for what needs to be changed, what does not need changing;
Fully preserving the integrity of the cottage and surrounding grounds.

Let's explore Bee Cottage...
I am sure you have seen a few images from this home out there in blog land, I know I have (I even used one in a previous post), never realizing where the image actually came from.














Charming curb appeal; A new front door was fitted with Bulls Eye Glass, salvaged from the original front door... The dusty blue color on the shutters is Benjamin Moore's Mountain Laurel.

The only room in the house that was entirely gutted was the galley kitchen! Since this is such a narrow space, Frances was careful not to overwhelm the space, using open shelving and fully taking advantage of the great natural light streaming through the row of windows. Painting the low ceiling a high gloss white, helps make the space visually larger!

What appears to be limed oak floors is actually ceramic tile, making this space highly functional! In the butlers pantry the ceiling has been painted blue... a color that in various shades appear throughout the cottage.

What was a dark, oddly shaped bedroom before, has been cleverly made into a Master Suite, complete with a dreamy canopy. Not only does this make a statement, it also hides the sloping ceiling!

One of the funny little nooks in the home is this mirrored arc; Beautifully made into a makeup counter. For a close-up of this space click here.

 
Opposite the master bedroom an office space. A few tricks to make the space feel bigger; Again, notice the glossy walls, bouncing light around in what otherwise could have been a dark, cramped corner. The arrangement of artwork, drawing the eye up, fooling you to think the ceiling is taller than it actually is... + keeping to a consistent color pallet!

The first time I "made my way down" this narrow hallway, I kept my eye on the prize at the end, wanting to see more of this brilliant blue color... BUT, I actually learned something from this space!

The built in chests of drawers on the right were originally pained white, so to disappear into the wall, something I probably would have done. But you see... painting them a dark, glossy brown actually works, now the drawers work as a piece of furniture, they ground the space, and keep your eye moving down the hallway...

Check out this guest room!! An attempt to use accents of cranberry-red in this room without it screaming "Red, White and Blue" has been successfully reached in my opinion. The natural element of the rush beds (these are actually new, from Crate & Barrel) and the little woven cube, keeps the feeling of the room beach-y and relaxed.

Two things to pay attention to here; The Bee - we are after all in the Bee Cottage - and the lamp base.  Frances Schultz has done a great job in "branding" her little cottage, and finishing touches such as the appliqued Bee on the bedding ads to the charm. The otherwise crisp white sheets keep the room from feeling too dark. The Staffordshire dogs have been wired as lamps (they were inherited from Frances' mother), and fitted with cranberry colored shades, completing the look, and carrying the accent color beautifully!

OK, so what to do when there is nothing wrong with the bathroom, but it's in need of a makeover... Paint!! Paint the ceiling and why not have a little fun while you are at it? Carry the fantastic blue from the guest room into the guest bath, work with the odd angles of the small room... Small detail that did not pass me by; the towels have been trimmed in red, giving a cohesive look to the guest suite. It's all in the attention to detail, my friends :)

Owner of Bee Cottage; Journalist Frances Schultz.

Beautiful Garden gate leading you to the pool area of Bee Cottage. Notice the cutout... and the ironwork.

In a garden that had seen better days, a landscape designer by the name of Jane Lappin was brought in to make it what it is today, complete with a long narrow pool. "I don't know how I came up with those crazy fountains in the pool, but they added just the je ne sais quoi I wanted. And I burst out laughing every time I turn them on" says Frances.

This last image is from Frances' blog, the clematis is filling in the arch just beautifully, don't you think??


Hope you enjoyed this home as much as I did reading about it. For the full article on the renovation of Bee Cottage, go to Frances' website, it's complete with links etc. There are before images and more interior shots as well.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Natasha

Image #13, all other images via House Beautiful