in the hood

: : my friend .leonard. found this article in the .nytimes. about .sam davol. , a cellist for the Magnetic Fields. He and his family just moved into a loft apartment in Chinatown, Boston. The loft is not far from where I work, I never would have thought there would be spaces like this in the buildings around downtown Boston. And what a beautiful space!

paint more

: : found these inspiring photos on .emma's blog. there something about this home.....and I am really drawn to the painting in the second picture. my dad says I should paint more. I should paint more. I really should paint more. I want to paint more. my Grandpa was a painter.

my books in my own room are stacked the same way, but I can't wait until I have a big white wall to stack up against.

Clean Machine

I love whats happening to laundry rooms. No longer dank and in a cold basement (well mine is) they are actually being well thought out spaces. Smaller machines for smaller spaces too. Where would your perfect spot be for your machine? Near the bedrooms seems logical to me, I'm seeing them mounted under kitchen cabs too.

On to Christmas...

Ok, so Thanksgiving is over. Its officially now Christmas. You can't deny it any longer. I will be away from home for the first time ever. I'm not quite sure how much decorating I should be doing. But since thats a month away, I figure I can still pull out stuff. I have noticed that every year I'm doing less and less. I do think less is more, but I also get when people go all out too. I just know I'll have to put it all back in a month!

Quebec

: : a pic from Quebec. it was a magical weekend! a beautiful city covered in snow. we long to go back.

ja må hon leva

: : today is my birthday! : : I celebrated in Quebec City with Iz and friends. a wonderful weekend! we are just back in Boston. more to come soon.....

Taking a Break

I will be taking a blog break for about a week and a half. I have family coming in town tomorrow and my husband will be starting a new job come Monday. Everyone have a wonderful holiday and I will see ya soon!

wallpaper wildlife

: : another approach to sustainability is to reuse what is already made. like these vintage wallpaper posters for kids. so adorable!!

Is Small Space a Style?

I was thinking about my blog name the other day and wondered if it made sense. Could small spaces be a style? I guess at the time I was just looking for a catchy little name. Maybe small spaces do have a unique style, then again small spaces can vary in style just like large spaces. Hmmm, I think its late and I should go to bed. In my small bedroom. That has style. Somebody stop me.

recycled furniture

: : I'm always on the look out for cool sustainable products, but it's not always easy to find. but it's something that I would like to devote some more time to. the new furniture line .strata. by .ryan frank. was hard not to notice though. .strata. is a furniture line built from the waste wood salvaged from old office desks.

Compact Kitchens

Here are some more compact kitchens with TONS of style. I love all these...so practical but still so pretty. (2nd pictures is from the blog Apartment Therapy and the bottom from the blog Simpler things)

Small Space DIY projects

Here are a few DIY projects that can help with space and storage. Small bracket shelves can fit almost anywhere, and ottomans are very versatile. (All picture projects can be found at BHG, look for them under stylish DIY slide show.)

mumin trollen

: : another wonderful present from my mom...two .mumin troll. books.

the .mumin trolls. are wonderful large white, very kind creatures who live in the mumin valley.

my grandmother had these books when I was younger, they are some of the most beautifully illustrated books I've ever seen. .tove jansson. writes and illustrates. her writing is all in rhyme, and the illustrations are fantasy like, full of details, with so many amazing creatures.
I remember reading this book "what happens next" [hur gick det sen?] together with my grandma and my parents. on every page there is a hole that gives you a sneak peek of the next page.

mamma, tack! böckerna är underbara!

sexy bikes

: : habitat have had lots of great articles lately, among many others is the .top 6 sexiest cycles. I am a bicycle commuter, I love my bike. well, I love biking, and I love the freedom you have with a bike...... but I don't love my bike. I'm riding Iz's old mountain bike. it's not built for the city, and it has no giant basket where I can put my groceries. so, I've started saving up for my dreambike, and I think I'm getting closer and closer in my search.

check out this .fisher simply city bike. and below .the boston roadster. a custom made bike made by Mike at a.n.t. what a beauty!

tea time

: : who can resist these? on top of being super cool and glossy, they're recycled .christine misiak. takes old tea sets and makes them into new.

read the full article at .inhabitat.

Pretty Bedrooms

Monday mornings are always hard to get going. So, here are some pretty bedrooms to look at. Simple, clean and very pretty. I'm off for my 2nd cup....

Layout AGAIN

Most of you like the new layout, but it just was not sitting well with me. I agreed with some of you that it was a bit cluttered. So I'm back to the old.....

Christmas Goodies

I've been seeing lots of Christmas pictures already and have really enjoyed some of them. I've always loved a simple Christmas decor and I think these pictures are great examples of that. Decorate with things that speak to you and have meaning, you can't go wrong!

: : good reading : :

: : I've caught a cold.....and there's nothing better when you're sick than to have a pile of design magazines and a good book to look forward to. : :

swedish presents

: : I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! my parents were just here for a visit, which was wonderful....and even more wonderful, they showered me with presents from the homeland!!

first out is this absolutely awesome bag, with illustration "pottery" by .stig lindberg. [from .design house stockholm.]It makes me so happy, especially on these gloomy fall days. mamma, tack söta!!