De Giulio Kitchens

I've always had a fascination with Degiulio Kitchens because I used to work with them at my old/first job. They have amazing lighting, and are very grand and top of the line everything. Designer, Mick de Giulio used to work as a craftsman so everyone of his kitchens is different and amazingly constructed.

This kitchen could so easily feel heavy and bulky because it is quite large but instead of a solid island, De Giulio used one with legs to bring it off the floor. GORGEOUS: potrack, subway tile backsplash, window, and shelf next to window.

He can work with a mini space too! This tiled floor is perfection.

Does anybody have one of these "flexible sinks" in their kitchen? Are they functional or a mistake? They look amazingly handy, and everything on it looks so fresh!

He doesn't believe in trends really and thinks a kitchen should feel like a furnished room, just like the rest of the house. Which brings me to the refrigerator which is disguised behind a faux Gothic tracery cabinet. I usually am put off by when people hide refrigerators but I really like these!

De Giulio says he doesn't do such things as "Italian kitchens" or "country kitchens" but he takes the needs and desires of clients and works that into his design. HOW NOVEL.

I've visited their showroom in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago and it's so amazing. If you live in the area you should take a walk through. It's clean, fresh, and uplifting. What do you think of his kitchens? Take a look at the website and Decorati's article on him as well.


Alicia B.

Hobbit House? I'll take it!

Absent mindedly flipping through the latest Martha Stewart I was astounded by this amazing fireplace!

The scale of it is so unusual and the way it is constructed is so beautiful. The linear arrangement of stones with a keystone shape in the middle is so amazing. This house is a hobbit house in Northern Michigan designed by a developer Earl Young in the 1940's. It is a rounded sort of house constructed of stones with a rounded organic roof. Kind of reminds me of a yurt, which I've done a blog on before HERE. Throughout the rest of the house I was continually surprised at the integration of modern and traditional and organic elements. I just love the name Hobbit House, too!

Alicia B.

Art Inspiring Design: Matisse Style

The Red Room. Henri Matisse

Have you ever been super inspired by an artist or just plain fallen in love with a certain artist? I've always felt a certain affinity for Henri Matisse ever since my first art history class in high school(that I took because of a crush on a teacher). There is something whimsical and beautiful about all of his paintings, cut outs and drawings. Not everyone can afford to have a painting or work by their favorite artist so why not do something in your home that is inspired by them? In my apartment I have a few black cut outs on my mirror that I made for a project in college and then put them on my mirror as a reminder. Matisse has inspired many things in interior design such as fabrics, color schemes, and furniture.

From Eric Cohler's latest amazing work featured in House Beautiful, in this bedroom he created custom Matisse cut out lampshades. This room is so beautiful and surprising and I just adore the art work over the bed.

Stephen Shubel used Matisse fabric from Clarence House on this chair.

Bungalow 5 designed a leaf cut out cabinet inspired by Matisse. From Point Click Home.

From Flickr, Liselotte . A fun DIY project, this girl made a large scale leaf cut out mobile. What pretty paper she used.

From 1st dibs Lotus Collection Kathleen Taylor Rug has Matisse inspired cut outs on a black background.

Maybe I love the bright and happy colors, or the cut outs, or the gorgeous interiors that he painted, or maybe I just loved the spirit that is emitted from each painting, but I've continued to love Matisse throughout all my art history studies. Plus he says brilliant things like, "What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." Thoughts?

Alicia B.

Rando Design Inspiration Friday!

I'm so happy it is Friday again, as always! I know most people have left for their country homes, but I'm staying in the big bad city this weekend. Enjoy some of my fave pics from this week!

I bought a few books downtown at a used bookstore about Provence interior design and I'm falling in love all over again with France. So romantic. From Kimberly Seldon's blog.

This sun drenched room looks so relaxing and whimsical. By Sharon Simonaire.

This chair with the caning is possibly everything I've ever wanted from a chair. Okay, maybe that was a tad dramatic but I still love it. By Kimberly Seldon.

Hmm, maybe I wish I were going to my country house (parent's house) this weekend after all. Nothing is quite as lovely as reading a good book on a porch with a beautiful view. From Country Living.

Oh Albert Hadley, you never disappoint me. From the patriotic eagle to the painted floor to the canes by the door, everything in this room is gorgeous.

With all this heat and humidity it makes going outside a big hassle unless I plan on going outside and not moving at all. I will be going to a garden party this evening though! What do you all have planned for the weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it's fun!


Alicia B.

Jam Plan

Does anybody remember that Friends episode where Monica makes all that jam because she just broke up with her boyfriend, Richard? Well that happened to me MINUS the breakup part. So basically I just made jam for the sake of making jam. So thanks to the combined inspiration of Friends and Martha sending me jam recipes, I did it! It was the best decision I had made in weeks, though. YUM.

First you must OBVI wash the 4lbs of strawberries. MMM.

Then chop them all up into one inch squares/bits. This is one box chopped and put into an 8 quart stock pot. Martha says 10 quarts but...I only have 8. Make it work!

Phew! Here is what 4lbs of strawberries looks like all chopped up. Next, turn the heat up on your stove...

And start pouring on the sugar! Pour in 1/4 cup to start.

Stir it around with a wooden spoon until it is all mixed in.

Then I put in a few more cups of sugar, and stirred it as I went along. MMM it smells so good!

Next, turn up the heat and bring the strawberries and sugar to a boil and maintain a temperature of 220 degrees on your candy thermometer. After this, you are to do a gel test. Spoon a tiny amount of the almost jam onto a plate that you had put into the freezer about 3 steps ago, and leave it in there for about 4 mins. After 4 mins, test the jam to see if it has "gelled." In other words, is it gellin'? If it is, then you're good to go and you can take the jam off the burner. If not, keep boiling it. And test again.

After you've tested the jam to see if it's gelled (or licked a very very cold plate a few times), then you can start to pour it into the jars! I got small jars so that it would look like I had a lot of jam. It's important that you put it in while it's warm.

I made 7 jars!

Then, if you're a huge nerd, you can take out your sticker maker and make sticker labels! I made mine with Farrow and Ball wallpaper. Martha also has some templates, but I wanted to make my own.

Here they are!

Close up.

OOPS.

HERE is Martha Stewart's recipe which I was most impressed by. Next stop: scones. Thanks!

Alicia B.

Office for Creativity

Sheila Bridges

My friend who was asked me to help her with her new apartment and look for a new desk for her. This got me thinking about desks, home offices, and how my "home office" is set up. I have a small green painted table with a distressed white painted chair. I have a printer scanner on my desk, a lap top, and a mail holder where I place photographs and postcards that interest me. Above my desk I have a framed piece of fabric, a photograph of my sisters and me, and some other small inspirational things including a poem. I find that having a desk like this with lots of things to look at (I have ADD okay??) is very helpful for someone is the creative field. You can find inspiration in almost everything. Here are some home offices that I found equally inspirational.

Living etc. Bookcases on either side make easy access to everything you need, plus a great view. I have a radiator in front of my window so I had to put my desk on the opposite wall.

James Merrill Photography. This home office has books, space for the computer, and a clear space for reading. Also, amazing chairs, eclectic wall decoration and fun art.

Houzz. OMG I love this one. Its cozy and that stairway on the left that acts like another wall/ceiling is SO fantastic. I also love how everything has its own space.

Burnham Design. This one is also super cozy. It looks like a nice retreat from everything with a gorgeous fabric on the chair, amazing antique furniture and dark painted walls. I wouldn't change anything about this room.

Having a space for all of the things that you require at your own "home office" is very important. I have pretty file folders to break up the monotany of paying bills and other office activities that aren't as fun as blogging or researching designers. What does your home office look like? Please feel free to email me photos for a future post! aliciabdesigns@gmail.com

Alicia B.