It’s just such a gorgeous townhouse inside and out, it’s almost mind-bogglingly perfect. From that architecturally gorgeous (white, bonus!) exterior and the beautiful blossom filled backyard (with concrete paving stones which are my FAVOURITE thing in the entire world when it comes to outdoor spaces)…

… check out that stunning minimal industrial-feel kitchen (mmm, concrete counter tops)…

… the delicious black coated bedroom and enjoining master bath…

… the entire-room-is-a-closet room! (Do the shoes come with the purchase of the home? Pleasepretty?)…

… and, of course, my FAVOURITE room in the entire house, the living room! That chandelier! That couch! That rug! The moldings! The fireplace! Everything!!

Wistful sigh. Yeah, I just really love this place. It’s perfect. And I’m jealous of whoever gets to live in it post-Lyons.

Most of the images in this post via Fashionologie. Some are from my own archives from aaaaages ago back before I even started my blog, so unfortunately, no source. I want to say they’re from Domino though.

The raw natural textures, liberal use of white, and modern architecture have me seriously envying Barbie’s new digs. She even has a Pantone chair! So jealous. Hey, Christmas (and my birthday) is around the corner… Santa, if you’re listening, my inner 8-year-old would be bouncing off the walls if I woke up to one of these in my stocking.

Images via The Huffington Post & Miniio.

Take the design of Mazzo Restaurant (by Concrete Architectural Associates) for example. There’s the powerful design statements that larger commercial projects allow – see: giant light up lettering of the restaurant’s name – but it also mixes in lots casual and homier elements through its use of materials & finishes. Best of both worlds.

My absolute favourite part of this entire design is all of those raw, natural textures. It has such substance and authenticity! I love that like woah. (Sidebar: Was that a song? That sounds familiar and I feel like I should be singing it and busting a move and now it’s driving me bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Gwen Stefani knows her shit.)

Anywhooo! (That was such a great segue from my lame song jokes, wasn’t it?) You all know I’m a huge obsessee of white+black+neutral textures so you know I’m not kidding around when I say I want to live in this restaurant. I’d be good, I promise!

P.S. I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, so you’ll have to excuse the slow down in quantity of posts, and the shorter in length posts.

Images via The Contemporist.

Everything about her style is so pretty and soft. The textures are lovely, the muted pastel tones are a dream. The space perfectly represents her and is so very much in sync with her design aesthetic as the whole. Plus, how eloquently does she describe what the space illustrates: “I see it as a reflection of my creative universe. It’s romantic and chic, but clean and modern.” I wholeheartedly agree with this. Body, mind, soul, imagination, right? That’s the recipe.

Also, have a mentioned I have a wee crush on Erin herself? She’s just so ethereal looking and in the way she moves as well. Like a little elf! Total girl crush. And the apartment? It’s delightful and definitely possesses all the elements of a house crush. I love the modern meets vintage Parisian vibe to it. So many lovely little treasures dot the space for that perfectly effortless relaxed romantic feel.

My favourite parts include but are not limited to: the wall colour in the living room, the fluffy sheep beside the sofa, the gold bird cage, her closet!, the piles of logs at the entry and those gorgeous filigree doors, the Chinoiserie screen in her bedroom, those long and luxurious two-storey curtains. Hello, lover.

So yes. I have a girl crush on Erin Fetherson and her apartment. Is that weird? Is that normal? Is that even possible? For now, I’m going with yes, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong/send me off for mental evaluation.

Images via Vogue.com

That said, Net-A-Porter is killing me dead. First, I have to boycott their website because of the reason above, but now, now they have the most gorgeous head offices I’ve ever seen, too? Good lord, I have so much envy right now it’s amazing the envy bank inside me isn’t overflowing and seeping out my ears or something. Next you know they’ll be shouting in the streets, “Quick, get the girl some ear plugs! She’s oozing!”

What really caught my eye was the space being described as a “working wonderland” in the design brief. That it is, that it is. It’s such a little dreamland of beautiful finishes, subtle textures and unexpected details at every corner. The simple monochromatic palette is both sophisticated and timeless, plus it really highlights all of the details, and the few odd quirky little touches here and there. Like the jet black gloss-on-matte wingback chairs in the library. I die for those. They’re so drool worthy. No lies, I want one for my apartment. So rad. And that library? Yum. Sleek black shelving with a library ladder! More dying and more envy and more wanting.

And you know what else is a really fun touch to this otherwise very sleek, fashion-conscious and elegant space? Top hat pendant lights. You know I’m all over that. As I am with the copious amounts of white!

Yesssss… look at all that white. Topped off with generous lighting, glass walls, simple modern lines, metal fixtures, and grounded with just the right amount of black, it looks impeccable!

Also, there’s a collection of really amazeballs giant chandeliers in the main office space. And a yummy wide black timber staircase. I want to live there. Put me in a little corner somewhere and I will happily grow old without complaint. But since we know that won’t be happening any time soon, I’ll just have to go back to extreme amounts of envy and lusting. Always look, never have.

 P.S. And, of course, for my fellow architecture geeks, le floor plan. Click to embiggen.

Images via Dezeen.

And the rest, you’ll have to see at Moxee. Check it:

Behind The Scenes / Krissy

Photos by me for Moxee.

I feel silly saying this, but if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I designed this myself. Not to say I’m as brilliant as the designers behind this, but simply that everything about this screams “Krissy!” in a way that no other space I’ve seen before has. It epitomizes everything I love and stand for in terms of interior design – that it not only perfectly speaks visually to what the company stands for as a brand, and highlights and champions the product above all else, but also that it goes above and beyond in creating a design that is sure to crack a smile on the face of everyone that walks through the doors. How can you not smile looking at this place? It’s just so charming! It elegantly illustrates the French history of the delicate little macarons it sells, all the while keeping things very current with the contemporary materials and finishes. The perfect blending of old and new! (Which I’m also a huge fan of for any and all interior design, be it residential or commercial.)

And if you’re not sold yet, behold their stationery and package design! Pretty with the simple white and the slender little zigzaggy bits, n’est pas? To be Captain Obvious, I love the white (both for the shop’s interior and for their packaging). Pretty much a given. I think it works really well in this environment as it lets the rainbow of macarons take center stage and, if it’s even possible, they look all the more mouth-watering. Drool.

Everything about Maison du Macaron is lovely, elegant, modern and imaginative – everything that perfectly suits the macaron we all so love and treasure.

Images via Anagrama and WeHeart.

This is the Sugamo Shinkin Bank in Tokyo, Japan. It’s the coolest (looking) bank of all time. Let me tell you why:

1. It’s rainbow. Nothing beats rainbow. Ever.

2. In addition to the aforementioned rainbowness, it also is white and shiny. Shiny as in awesome, and shiny as in… well, shiny, reflective, kind of glossy looking in that ultra-modern sort of way.

3. The lobby is filled with rainbow chairs – one in each colour. Man, how hard would it be to pick where to sit? Apple green or orange? Cherry pink or sky blue?

4. There are little pin wheel patterns on the ceilings and walls!

5. And there are diagonal light wells!

6. And look! Look! It glows in the dark at night! How flippin’ rad is that? Just try and tell me your bank is even half that cool.

7. It’s just so happy looking! I love that.

After all, and sorry to repeat myself constantly, but one of my biggest goals personally as an interior designer is to create spaces that are not only functional, practical and aesthetically pleasing, but to design spaces that make people smile. The world can always use a few extra smiles. :) And this design is definitely oozing smiles.

8. Oh yes, and it’s… RAINBOW! In case I failed to mention that.

Eight points out of eight equals… most awesome bank design ever! I’m switching banks. And maybe moving to Japan. And then camping out on the yellow “tier” and claiming it as my own.

Images via The Contemporist.

As anyone with eyeballs can see, it’s gorg. No need to state the obvious. The furnishings are luxurious; the materials a tad rustic, a tad industrial; the styling is impeccable; the colours dramatic and moody; plenty of little nooks and crannies for storage and unexpected seating areas; and the space planning is top notch. My cook book says: a recipe for success.

I also seem to be riding a train of green love, so that bold green accent wall suits me juuuust fine. Funny, a few months ago, this space probably won’t have appealed to me nearly as much as it does now. Of course, I’d be attracted to the natural materials and deep black palette, but now with a new found love for the colour green, well… I’m green with envy. (Yeah, I went there.)

I loooove this kitchen. The sleek, modern lines and finishes coupled with the industrial influenced cabinet and Tolix chairs are yummy. As is that floating concrete stair case. Double yum. Or is that triple? In any case, I want multiple servings!

As if we needed even more icing on the cake, the washroom in deep black oozes drama and sex appeal, and the little sleeping cubby in the bedroom looks snuggly and quaint. Perfect for building and tents, and for curling up with a good book, I say.

There ya have it, folks. A modern, industrial space fit for a king. Now, when do I move in?

Source: Dwell

1. You’ve got that in your head now don’t you? I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry. That song is flippin’ sweet.

For those seeking continuity, you may recall that fashion design studio I’m working on for university? Consider this a little prologue, if you will. In addition to simply designing space after space after space, as a student, we must also log a certain amount of history credits. During the summer, I took Survey of Traditional Architecture which, as the name suggests, covered the history of architecture from the beginning of recorded time to the end of the 19th century. At the end of the semester, we were asked to select our favourite design style/period studied, compose an essay (which I won’t bore you with…yawn!), and create a rendering. Naturally, I dove at the chance to further research, and consequently ogle, pretty french architecture from the 18th century.

At the end of the day, all of my research culminated with Marie Antoinette’s little escape from Versailles, her Petit Trianon. Check out the gorgeousness. It’s simply dripping with feminity and lavishness, non? All of that moulding, the floral wallpaper and fabrics, the gold accents… j’adore!

Like I said, I won’t bore you with my essay or more gushing, so I’ll leave you here with my final rendering of Marie Antoinette’s bed chambers.

Until next time… Krissy Antoinette out. Au revoir!

Click images for sources.