house Archives - Page 52 of 61

Cabin Fever

I have a confession to make. I have cabin fever. Not the kind where I can’t wait to get OUT of a cabin. This kind can only be cured by time IN a cabin. In the woods. By the water. Surrounded by trees and silence and beauty and inspiration.

With no quick means to get my fix, today’s post features some gorgeous glass cabins, perfect for drinking in the serenity of their surroundings.

The cabin above – a hybrid of dreamy, glass-enclosed sleeping quarters with a simple potting shed – is featured in this month’s Elle Decoration UK. Designed by Helsinki architectural firm Avanto, This little piece of heaven has utterly captured my imagination.

This charmed and serene little cabin in the woods is available for rent in the far recesses of Wisconsin. In my mind, this would be the perfect weekend getaway for me and my man {if only Wisconsin was within driving distance!}.

This last one – a wood and glass structure by Finne Architects of Seattle – feels as though it was magically dropped down into the middle of the woods. I love the massive skylights flooding the centre of the space with natural light. The simplicity of the wood, stone and glass seem a perfect framework to the picturesque landscape from inside and the refined elegance of the structure’s interior from the outside.

Where is your perfect cabin getaway?

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 23rd, 2012|1 Comment

A Wedding to Remember

I’m so sorry to have missed connecting with you all on Friday! My hands were rather full – figuratively and literally. Friday was delivery and installation day, so I was up at the crack of dawn and didn’t stop until my weary feet took me straight to bed after the reception. I had the priviledge of designing wedding flowers for the nuptials of the youngest son of my favourite client. A mix of modern and luxe, these florals were a delight to design and create.

The table centres, all loaded in the box and ready to be delivered!

The aisle markers remind me of a very modern terrarium in their sculptural, glass-enclosed simplicity.

I was thinking of this large floral piece as a blessing that would hang over the couple as I made it. There were certainly a few beads of sweat produced over the installation of this piece, but advance planning won the day and my ribbon anchors worked beautifully. Phewf!!

The flower girl’s basket

The ringbearer was a serious charmer.

I love the modern simplicity of the boutenirs – Star of Bethlehem, Hypericum Berries and Israeli Ruscus wrapped in a chartreuse satin ribbon.

The chartreuse green of the bridesmaids’ bouquets was a lovely contrast to their classic navy dresses.

For the mothers I created orchid nosegays in silver tuzzy muzzies. Much more elegant and honouring than a corsage, befitting the lifetime of investment these women have made in their children.

My only shots of the bridal bouquet are rather over-exposed, but the wedding photographer has offered to share some photos with me in the coming weeks, so I’ll be sure to share them with you!

The modern grouping for the signing/gift table outside the reception dining room. Love the tin panelled walls in this space.

I’m a fan of long, low table centres as they allow guests to chat without having to do a peacock-like “head dodge” around superfluous flowers. Simple, elegant, to the point.

These snake grass “hedges” hide 6 glasses inside which then received the bridesemaids’ bouquets when they came in for the reception. Best solution I could imagine to repurposing the bouquets for the reception while making it look intentional and well thought out.

Isn’t the venue gorgeous? Love that wood-burning fireplace and natural stone surround.

And of course I love these capiz shell, flower petal chandeliers. So feminine.

A terrible shot, but the bouquets made it to their final resting place and collectively adorned the head table quite nicely, I thought. And with the day complete and the flowers a success, I slept the rest of the weekend, dreaming fragrant dreams in green and white. {Not really, but let’s pretend.}

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 20th, 2012|4 Comments

Tuesday Getaway | Ayada Maldives

We have had a pretty spectacular summer if you ask me, so it feels rather ungrateful to complain when a rainy Tuesday hits. Instead of whining about the weather, I’m just dreaming of the next exotic vacation I might like to take with my loving family.

The Ayada Maldives looks like it might just hit the spot. This awe-inspiring 112 villa resort, located on the 150,000 square metre paradise island of Magudhuvaa, Maldives, opened in November of 2011. From the powder white sand and azure waters of the Indian Ocean to the exquisite amenities to the seven indulgent restaurants, I’m pretty sure I would never want to leave. Add to that the spa, kids’ club, scuba diving centre and loads of water sports and we might just become ex-pats after a week’s stay.

Of course, it’s the design details that would make me feel at home for far more than just a week. Endless infinity pools; clear glass floors with a view to the ocean life below; hits of Hermes orange punctuating a natural palette of exotic wood, straw roofs and linen upholstery; porch hammocks that suspend you out over the blue. The marriage of natural and local with modern sophistication is positively perfect for this Detailista.