But I’m thrilled to finally debut the completed Hood Canal Cottage. I certainly didn’t think it would take more than 16 months to get here. I always go into renovations with the utmost optimism. After five+ years of This Old Victorian, You’d think I’d have learned my reno lesson by now. But a good renovation before-and-after story is never without some drama. So let’s dive into this roller coaster of a renovation saga.

If you remember, as the pandemic raged in mid-2020 we happened upon a listing in an idyllic setting in the Pacific Northwest just an hour outside of Seattle. Not only was the property in a beautiful far flung corner of the world, but it was also a particularly meaningful spot for me. The house sits a stone’s throw from a hidden Puget Sound beach that I grew up combing with my mother and grandmother when I was small. I was thrilled by the thought of getting to share this undiscovered area with my six-year-old and bring my family back to place that meant so much to my childhood. With the future so uncertain, we also wanted a spot to be closer to our immediate family, so we dove in head first, like I shared all those months ago, I thought we’d undergo a quick three-month spruce-up to ride out the rest of lockdown with our nearest and dearest. The bad juju of 2020 had other plans in store.

Just as we were about to get started, the property suffered major water damage from a faulty dishwasher hookup. Floors and walls throughout the kitchen and living room as well as the rooms in the basement below suffered severe damage that was not salvageable. Suddenly, this project took a whole new turn. We were left with the only option of doing a much bigger makeover. Needless to say, our three month “spruce up” was blown wide open. Thankfully this isn’t my first rodeo. This Old Victorian had me well prepped to tackle this turn of events. There were certainly more uncharted challenges ahead though. I thought you’d be interested in some of the other Covid related obstacles this project faced:
– We only had 20 minutes to walk the property before deciding whether or not to put in an offer.
– I got to see it one more time for 45 mins before I needed to start on the design process
– The entire project was designed and managed remotely as I couldn’t travel from San Francisco. Yay for Facetime.
– Continual supply chain issues pushed many furniture and final finish deliveries back 12-20 weeks longer than expected

We also had to do so many unfun things like replace the roof, put in new drywall, insulate and fix a lot of disrepair. While my contractor and his crew were demoing water damaged floors, I was stuck in my house 1200 miles away, attempting to run zoom kindergarten, figuring out if I could get yeast to make a sourdough starter and selecting finishes and furnishings once everyone else in the family was asleep. So strange to think I made all these design choices more than a year and half ago already. Aw, the Covid time warp is a trip.

So let’s go back to the beginning.

While (what we lovingly now call the Hood Canal Cottage) has a truly stunning location – the ultimate spot to unwind and appreciate the area’s beautiful surroundings – the house’s architecture itself offered little in the way of design inspiration. The architectural style is your typical late-1990’s American builder grade construction- luckily plopped within a little slice of heaven. My mission: help this stereotypical suburban style home’s inside match the splendor you enjoy out her windows.

Ta-da! What do you think??

Redesigning this house was an endless balancing act as we weren’t in the market to make any major architectural changes – as much as I may have wanted to. Instead, I needed to figure out how to work with the existing spaces, but change the vibe entirely. Since the house sits right on beautiful beaches of the Hood Canal, it would make sense to define her as a beach house, but I did not want to fall into that cliche. Instead, I wanted to show how you can imbue your own personal style and design aesthetic into any type of space – rather than feel forced into a tired design theme. I set out to achieve what I’m calling Elevated Coastal Chic. If you remember, this was my design moodboard. I wanted to hone in on a Scandinavian, design-forward influence with perhaps a touch of coastal charm. I can’t wait to hear if you think I succeeded.

The Hood Canal Cottage living room is meant for enjoying the view – however you prefer to do that. Sitting by the fire, watching the sun set behind the Olympic mountains, burying your nose in a good book or enjoying your favorite glass of wine. I wanted this room to wrap you in a sense of serenity. I tapped one of my go-to resources to achieve the look – the couch, rug, coffee table and sideboard are all from Lulu & Georgia. You can always head there and find a gem.

I’m also always a sucker for really good chairs – I see them as the jewelry for a room and the Circle Chair from Eternity Modern is certainly that for this space. It was actually the first piece of furniture I selected for the entire room – the rest of my design was really built around the Circle chair.

Accessories in the living room were kept monochromatic and to a minimum intentionally. The joy of being away from your day-to-day environment is to forget about the stuff – literal or figurative – that crams itself into our lives, so I really worked to keep this look as minimalistic as possible without skewing too modern. Stacks of my favorite design tomes and choice decorative pieces from friends, local shops like Shop Coco Kelley and Casa Patina, or artisans I work with regularly, help the space feel curated but also personal. The sideboard is full of used travel books and vintage bits and bobs I’ve collected over the years. I edited everything to stick to a singular color palette.

A few other details to call out – the whole room (and actually the entire house) is enveloped with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White on the walls, ceiling and trim in a nod to bright white Scandinavian homes. It’s also an antidote to the Seattle gray – it’s a thing. The idea for the house’s wide plank floors also came from my love of Scandinavian design. I was really happy with the warm wood tone. The flooring really grounds the space and helps play up the other natural wood elements dotted throughout the room.

I even did a DIY in the living room! The fireplace mantel was a quick fix. I simply had my contractor build a box surround that I then lime washed with a lovely hue from Color Atelier to give it a little more depth and texture. The hearth is a remnant piece of countertop left over from the kitchen! Love little simple design wins like that.

Now let’s turn our attention to the kitchen, shall we. If you’re standing in the living room and turn 180 degrees you look right at the house’s kitchen- which is a complete 180 from where the space began!

I have a major kitchen obsession – I mean, don’t we all – and I really wanted to see my dream vision come to life in this space. The kitchen area was the one spot where I actually took down walls during the renovation. If you look closely at the before pictures you’ll notice that the original kitchen was much smaller. There was actually a 6’x6’ enclosed space in the right-hand corner of the room that housed the laundry, a sink and some random storage. But it took up serious real estate and also broke up the only interesting architectural detail of the whole house – the vaulted ceiling that runs the length of the main living area. As soon as I got confirmation those walls weren’t load bearing out they went – opening up a fully contiguous living, dining and kitchen space.

Opening up the kitchen was the game changer and it allowed me to live out my dream – putting a Reform kitchen into a project! I had been fan-girling over Reform for years. They’re a kitchen company out of Denmark that started out making custom fronts for Ikea kitchen boxes. I love their elevated but minimal aesthetic. In the last couple of years Reform made the jump across the pond with showrooms in New York and LA. I’ve long been smitten with their Frame line of cabinets, designed by Note Design Studio – another favorite Scandinavian design house. That’s the kitchen cabinetry you see here. This collection is a set of Reform’s own entirely prefab kitchen cabinets and they are extraordinary. The quality is divine and my contractor could not stop raving about how easy they were to assemble and install.

I wanted this kitchen to feel like it was made out of pieces of furniture which is why there are no uppers and the back row actually floats off the wall on both ends. There is ample storage however, as all the back cabinets are actually double drawers and the entire island is wrapped with additional storage. The induction range sits atop the island with the oven tucked underneath, keeping the sight lines clean. I was a bit nervous about switching to induction but I really like it! I custom designed one set of open shelving in the island to offer a little styling moment and to mimic the display of the floating wall shelf I had custom built by Seattle-based studio Walnut+Oak. The black countertops are actually quartz – Black Tempal made by Caesarstone – but they look and feel just like soapstone – one of my all time favorite materials. I really could sit and stare at this kitchen all day, I love her so much. I so hope you do too.

Before you ask why there isn’t bar seating at the kitchen island, that was a very intentional choice. I decided to focus on storage in the kitchen area rather than seating because the dining table is right next to it! When I took out the laundry room, I opened up a lovely long blank wall that now houses the dining area.(image that brown wall in the pic above disappearing).

I demarcated the dining space with a stunning sconce by Allied Maker and an equally amazing art piece I’d long coveted from Canadian fine artist Anna Church. It’s the perfect to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or host Thanksgiving dinner!

Now let’s turn to the bedrooms! Luckily these spaces simply required fresh coats of paint and well curated furnishings to create that elevated Nordic vibe I was going for. I wanted each room to evoke a sense of calming serenity.

To achieve that I designed the primary bedroom with a mix of natural materials and textures in complementary hues. Think a lovely wool rug from Nordic Knots, linen bedding from Rough Linen, a Noghuci paper lantern and marble and stone side tables from Hay Design and Norm Architects all play beautifully together. I also love my little sherpa cutie from Target! I turned to Seattle Art Source for the gorgeous Jennifer Gauthier painting above the Rove Concepts platform bed.

The one nice thing about working with house built in the 1990’s is all the built in storage! Historic homes don’t have so much of that. The primary bedroom had a walk-in closet, but I wanted to make sure I fully optimized the space, so I worked with California Closets to design the ideal spot to keep all your weekender gear organized. I for one love to immediately unpack and make myself at home anytime I stay somewhere – and this closet definitely makes sure you can do that. There’s plenty of space to stash away suitcases and I can even lock the drawers if I want to keep some of our own things private.

Ironically, I eliminated the closet in the cottage’s second bedroom. The room was already quite small. Putting in a queen sized bed was going to make it feel very cramped so I decided to demo the reach-in closet and design a custom credenza to sit in its place. Seattle-based design shop Walnut+Oak built out my vision perfectly – it gives the room a fun punch of personality and guests ample storage. Another Nordic Knots rug, this time in a bold checkered pattern and a long-coveted Faye Toogood Roly Poly chair add a fun tension between modern and more traditional pieces. I’ve had nothing but rave reviews from our guests about this room thus far.

Now let’s chat bathrooms. Bathrooms can be as overwhelming to design as a kitchen. So many options – so many choices! The only choice I had with the bathrooms in this house was to start over.

The primary bathroom proved to be a big game of tetris. Its existing layout of a tiny tub, itty bitty fiberglass stand up shower and weird cubbies smack dab in the middle of the room certainly could not stay. But it turned out the fireplace chase from the living room was actually hidden behind those cubbies – I only wish I knew why – so I had to figure out how to work around that.

And here’s how it turned out! I created an extra long double shower clad entirely in amazing handmade tile from Clé. Now you get to enjoy stunning views out the west facing window while you lather up. The floating white oak vanity sits on the opposite wall where the fiberglass shower once was – the round mirror reflecting the views of the water and mountains back at you while you brush your teeth.

I used a concrete hexagon tile also from Clé across the seamless floor. As for that fireplace chase? I had my contractor encase the lower half and put a Caesarstone counter on top to serve as another surface for storage. Small simple floating shelves create a spot to display some pretties.

I took a slightly different approach in the guest bath. The layout stayed exactly the same here. It was such a small space it didn’t make any sense to try to switch things up. Instead, I simply made a massive upgrade on all the surfaces – and a total departure from the vibe in the primary bathroom.

Since the guest bath was already small and windowless, I wanted the design to feel really dramatic and bold. To achieve that end, I stuck to a very graphic black and white color palette. Dark zellige tiles from Clé span the floor and run up the wall to cover an existing bump-out. Stacked cement brick tiles from Clé run up the shower walls to help it feel a bit taller. An off-the-shelf glass shower partition by Vigo from Build by Ferguson was a budget friendly solution for finishing off the shower in style. To soften all the angles and strong lines in this little space, I chose a really fun free-standing cylindrical sink, an oval mirror and two globe lights from Flos. The hall bath may be small, but she gives a mighty big style punch.

Now let’s turn to kid’s spaces!

I turned the cottage’s third bedroom into a haven for the littles. As the mother of a seven-year-old myself, I was certainly designing this room with him in mind, but also thinking of all of my friends who have younger children in tow. A simple pine bunk bed (which I may still paint someday. On the fence about that one) allows for sleepovers or siblings to bunk up together A custom (removable!) world map wallpaper lines the room’s entire back wall, creating fun storytelling opportunities at bedtime. On the opposite wall, a Mini Library shelf from my go-to children’s furniture line Oeuf NYC displays books and choice toys.

A cozy braided rug from Armadillo softens the floor. My son runs into this room with the biggest on his face and I truly hope other kids will too.

You might think we’ve reached the end of our tour, but I have a surprise for you. While I call this house a cottage, that moniker is more about how the house feels than its actual square footage. Turns out the house had a daylight basement with a bevy of (sometimes random!) spaces that I set out to maximize by creating a great room, a play space, a home office/fourth bedroom and a couple of random spaces that I found some pretty fun uses for – so let’s head downstairs!

I’ve never lived in a house with a great room or family den before, so I was excited to create a cozy little haven for movie nights and family hangout time. Above is where things started.

Thankfully, after a little spit and polish, I now have the sanctuary from the hectic world that I was looking for. To achieve this, I turned to more of my favorite sources, including Scandinavian designers like Skagerak and Nordic Knots rugs, but also one of my favorite American furniture makers, Room & Board. A curved sectional upholstered in a nubby cream boucle from Room & Board offers the ideal spot for snuggling up in front of the TV. My son also likes to bounce off the matching ottomans. The media console is actually a series of three Keaton media cabinets in ash that I installed edge to edge along the wall as a way to mirror the soffit above. It has the added bonus of offering ample storage for games, AV equipment and even our turntable and a little vinyl collection. The great room is warmed to an extra cozy degree by a gas stove in the corner that also features a Skagerak Cutter Bench and an original print by Skye Schuchman. I look forward to hanging out in this space after putting my son to bed every single evening.

There are some dedicated spaces for kids and grownups alike in the basement. Since so many people can work from anywhere these days I turned a fourth bedroom into a dedicated home office with a pullout sofa to accommodate extra overnight guests. The desk faces the waterfront views though so I can’t promise you’ll be particularly productive.

On the opposite side of the basement there was a strange doorless alcove of a room that I decided to turn into a dedicated play space. I immediately knew I wanted wall mounted shelves for storage in this room as it’s a well known fact kids only play with the things they can see. I had my heart set on a particular set of shelves from Ikea but in the midst of the pandemic supply chain issues, they went out of stock, never to return. Thankfully, I discovered yet another amazing Scandinavian design studio, Moebe CPH based in Copenhagen after they reached out to me on Instagram. Their Wall Shelving system was exactly what I’d been hunting for. I couldn’t be happier with how that wall turned out. Kids can grab puzzles, blocks and vintage games from the shelves. On the opposite side of the room I used the Oeuf NYC Toy Store to corral legos, marble run pieces, musical instruments and other fun odds and ends that kids of all ages and stages could easily dig through, while an easel and art station creates a dedicated zone for creativity. Another Armadillo braided rug adds the perfect soft spot to sit and play during a rainy afternoon.

But don’t think I let the kids have all the fun! There was yet another, slightly odd, fairly tiny space in the basement that was crammed floor to ceiling with junk when we originally took possession. But as an avid yogi and a newly minted Peloton enthusiast, I immediately saw an opportunity to carve out a space dedicated to wellness. I worked with Legrand to add designer outlets and switches (which we also used throughout This Old Victorian) and York Wall Coverings to envelope the entire room in a gorgeous grasscloth. I set up my ode to all things “woo-woo” in one corner and also stocked up on some more traditional fitness equipment. I have to tell you, having a room within your own house where you can close a door and workout feels ah-mazing. A room of one’s own, right? After more than a year of doing Zoom yoga in the middle of the living room, I love having this special space.

Finally, I also took over a very weirdly sized closet in the basement to create a larder with California Closets – a spot where we can store the holiday cooking tools, those extra bags of flour we all keep around these days.

Phew. Well there you have it. She might not technically be an actual cottage, but the Hood Canal Cottage is most certainly a special little escape. She sheltered us wonderfully during this incredibly hard time. And this past winter family and dear friends were able to finally gather around her dining table for holiday celebrations. I see so many more of those get-togethers in her future. And we’ve decided that the Hood Canal Cottage should be a guest rental – it needs to be shared with others who appreciate hidden gems.

I’m particularly excited to share the Hood Canal Cottage with other design-loving travelers later this summer. For now, be sure to follow @hoodcanalcottage on Instagram to be the first to learn when our booking waitlist will open. And do come follow along at @apartment_34 too! I will be sharing many more behind the scenes stories for this entire renovation process and I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have.  All the sources I could think of are listed below but be sure to ask me if you need more!

photography by Kara Mercer

styling by Cassandra LaValle

design by Apartment 34 Designs

SOURCES

LIVING ROOM

Rug Lulu & Georgia Similar

Coffee table Lulu & Georgia Similar

Couch 

Sideboard Lulu & Georgia 

Circle Chair

Side Chair Similar 

Floor lamp

Atollo lamp

Casa Patina painting

Bench

ENTRY

Wicker Bench 

Flush Mount Similar

KITCHEN

Cabinets

Countertops

Tray

Pendant light

Art print

Floating shelf

Peg Rail

DINING AREA

Similar Dining Table

White Chairs

Brown chairs

Sconce 

Art

Stool

Casa Patina Vase

PRIMARY BEDROOM

Bed

Rug

Side table 1

Side table 2

Side table 3

Sconces

Pendant light

GUEST BEDROOM

Bed

Credenza custom

Rug

Bedside light

Roly Poly chair

Cashmere throw

White vase

Art 

HALL BATH

Vigo Shower Glass

Tile

Globe lights

Mirror

Art

KIDS’ ROOM

Book shelf

Wallpaper

Pendant light 

Rug

FAMILY ROOM

Sectional

Ottomans

Media storage

Bench

Chair

Mirror

Art

Rug

Lamp

PLAYROOM

Shelving

Toy storage

Garland

Rug

Pendant 

ZEN DEN

Wallpaper

Outlets and Switches 

Wall hooks

OFFICE 

Desk

Bookcase

Office Chair 

Rug

Art

The post Reveal: the Completed Hood Canal Cottage! appeared first on Apartment34.

Hello November. Hello friends. Long time, no chat.

I looked up recently to realize we’ve arrived at the month that means a lot to me and not only because it’s the month of my birth. November is always when we turn inward, gather friends and loved ones, take stock and pay homage to everything for which we are grateful.

If I’m being honest with you, I’ve struggled to feel grateful these past months. Ghosting you here was never my intention. While the reasons I disappeared are complicated and some too personal to share at the moment, ultimately, I became a victim of the pandemic – one of those 5.1 million American mothers who had to stop working for pay (a very critical use of language there, as the work certainly did not stop) in the midst of school closures, childcare shortages, and lockdowns. With paid work completely dried up, I could no longer call this space a job. I think when we do something consistently, but without pay, it’s called a hobby, am I right? And the pandemic certainly left me zero space for hobbies. The pandemic put me in a position that I’d never planned for – to serve as the primary caregiver in the family – and to be candid, it really sucked the life and the joy out of me (if you need background on my struggles with motherhood, head here.)

Of course I should preface by stating the obvious – I am incredibly lucky. I am beyond grateful that we have a roof over our heads, food on our table and are always able to provide for our son throughout these crazy times. Dear friends and family rallied around us when dealing with really challenging circumstances. And I realize SO many families have experienced so much more loss and deeply harrowing challenges during this whole insane experience.

Yet, my unplanned hiatus from this blog – really the unplanned hiatus from my self-determined existence – has been a palpable loss and a perpetual struggle. It zapped all my energy and narrowed my universe, leaving me adrift on a tiny island of domesticity.

Just as quickly as the sadness, frustration and loss can sweep through, I can also can easily cycle back to space of gratitude though. Turning to my insular family brought great gifts. Deeper relationships, better knowing and seeing and understanding. A closeness. Also mountains of dishes and laundry. So. many. dishes.

Now we’re hitting the official season of gratitude and I’m holding on to those brighter thoughts about what these past months have brought me, but I’m also really feeling the urge to break free. With actual gatherings possible again, could it happen?! I feel a bit like I might get to emerge from my cocoon.

But having been away from here for so long, I wasn’t sure I still had anything to share. For me, blogging has always been about uncovering beauty, craft, art, design and soulful intentional living and sharing that inspiration with you. What happens when you’re not sure you can still be inspiring?

Thankfully, I was able to partner with Wente Vineyards, a family owned winery –  the oldest continuously family run winery in all of USA – and one that is female led to talk about their holiday theme, #MakeTime. I worked with Wente Vineyards to create a Thanksgiving tablescape in This Old Victorian, not only as inspiration for you, but also for myself. Because what I really want to #MakeTime for this year is rediscovering that spark of inspiration. That joy. And I still haven’t even hosted an actual Thanksgiving at my dining table yet!

I am feeling eager to come back to the reasons I began Apartment 34 nearly 13 years ago now, and determine where I want to take this space in the future. I gotta admit, to flex some creative muscle again, to collaborate again, to be in the company of amazing women creating things I admire again – I felt back in my own skin.

For this Thanksgiving table, I wanted a very simple and easy layered feel, focused on natural materials and muted earthy tones. The look was achieved by stacking ceramic dishware (from Heath Ceramics and Anthropologie) layered in two complementary colorways, with beautiful linen napkins with an embroidered edge from The House by Tracy Simmons Design. A simple linen runner, rustic wood bowls & serving boards and vintage brass candlesticks create a warm, welcoming feel down the center of the table. Rose gold flatware and stemless wine glasses feel fun and laidback.

Rather than a traditional “centerpiece,” instead a footed bowl by Leanne Ford for Crate and Barrel filled with autumnal gourds and a simple floral arrangement inspired by the wilds of nature are the only table decor.  If you wanted to up the fancy factor you could create placecards or write little quotes about gratitude to set at each seat, but I’m just so thankful to be able to gather this year – I don’t think the extra bells and whistles are really necessary. A sprig of olive branches at each place setting is more than enough.

I just want to eat delicious food and drink some fantastic wine – with other people again finally! Wente Vineyards is actually going to help us do that. They’re offering two beautiful wine bundles at 25% off the usual retail price and a flat $10 shipping. They aren’t officially launching until November 5, so my dear Apartment 34 readers, you get first crack at the Thanksgiving Dinner Pairing Set and the Nth Degree Gift Set right now.

But really, what is the point of this ramble, other than to say hi and how are you and oh yeah, I am still alive? I just felt compelled to show up here to let you know that I’ve been struggling. And I see all of you who have too. But I remain hopeful that we can come out of this collective trauma with a greater sense of not only purpose, but also appreciation for our own passions, gifts and desires. Of course, we all have to makes sacrifices in challenging circumstances, but I’ve learned you don’t want to lay yourself down on the altar of sacrifice. There is joy to be unearthed, even in the darkest times. You just have to #MakeTime to find it. Setting a beautiful Thanksgiving table definitely brings me great joy and I hope it does for you too.

I will always be grateful to you, dear readers, some – if you’re still out there – I know have been around since those early early days. Even when I was as far from this space as I could both physically and mentally get, I was always thinking about you. I do so hope you have weathered the COVID storm as well as you can.

And I do plan to be popping in here more frequently again. I can’t make any promises on when that will be, but there is so much amazing design out there and shining a light on people doing awe-inspiring work has always been the greatest gift of Apartment 34. I wonder if I can make professional treasure hunter a thing? Well, I guess I kinda am. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on the Hood Canal Cottage. You can see the latest behind the scenes of that project on Instagram. And major SPOILER ALERT – I will be launching design services in early 2022. If you have a project you might want to collaborate on or just want updates on the services I’ll be offering, you can sign up for my newsletter right here.

In the meantime, I’m sending you love and gratitude this November.

photography by stephanie russo, prop and food styling by kelly allen studios

This post is in partnership with Wente Vineyards. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting collaborations that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open for more than a decade.

The post Not that Anybody Asked But, Where the **** Have I Been?! appeared first on Apartment34.

If you’ve been a friend of Apartment 34 for a long time, then you know that we used to talk about fashion – a lot. Fashion was actually my first love – if you hit up the Personal Style section on the site you’ll see, I actually used to get dressed, and enjoy it! I still remember attending my very first show at New York Fashion Week and breaking down in tears – I was so moved. Like what we put in our homes, what we put on our bodies is a powerful tool to not only express who we are but also who we want to be in the world. As we began to emerge from our pandemic pods and actually leave the house again, it’s both exciting and slightly terrifying to think about getting out of my sweats and back into real clothes. I’m been worried I’ve forgotten how.

My fears were not eased when I began to do a little online shopping for a new piece or two to enjoy this summer and found myself bombarded by nothing but puffy sleeves, tiny floral prints, and more ruffles than you’d find on a 1980s prom dress. Now don’t get me wrong – some people can rock these looks like there is no tomorrow. Many of my friends are among those who do. I however am not one of them. I need clean, timeless, minimal, and nothing more. No frills or feeling like I stepped straight out of the prairie here, please.

I posted about my fashion confusion on Instagram Stories last week and got SO many responses from people with a similar feeling that I made it my mission to unearth any and all minimal, classic summer staples that will help you ease out of our Covid hibernation. The fact that it took me nearly a week to amass decent options says a lot about how hard classic styles are to find right now!

But scroll below – I think I’ve compiled a variety of simple summer options in varying price points that will keep us LBD-loving, simple silhouette-wearing, would rather wear pants anyway people, well dressed all summer long. While I focused on dresses for my shopping list, thanks to so many of your recommendations, I amassed a list of go-brands if you’re in the market for things like a simple jumpsuit, timeless tanks, easy shorts, and other classic summer pieces that don’t make you look like you’re about to go milk the farm’s cow.

Vince

Cos 

Apiece Apart

Joseph

Rag and Bone

Rachel Pally

Nili Lotan

Ozma of California

Another Tomorrow

Raey

Laude the Label

Co

Cuyana

I’m going to be adding more pieces to The Apt34 Shop all week, including some cute and crazy affordable summer bags and sandals so keep checking back. The hunt for a summer uniform is officially on.

SHOP SIMPLE SUMMER STYLE

maxi shirt dress

Shop now

asilo jumpsuit

Shop now

tshirt dress

Shop now

loose t-shirt dress

Shop now

textured rib dress

Shop now

crochet vest

Shop now

organic linen maxi dress

Shop now

maxi t-shirt dress

Shop now

linen maxi dress

Shop now

fern print maxi dress

Shop now

roll-sleeve shirt dress

Shop now

linen jumpsuit

Shop now

one-shoulder dress

Shop now

wide-leg trousers

Shop now

tiered dress

Shop now

strapless linen maxi

Shop now

linen maxi skirt

Shop now

linen crop top

Shop now

The post What You Need for a Minimalist Summer Wardrobe appeared first on Apartment34.

Kitchens. They’re amazing spaces. They can be visually stunning. They must be total workhorses. They’re quite often the heart of the home. But they can also accumulate a lot of CRAP.

As I work to not only design but also fully outfit the kitchen for the Hood Canal Cottage, I’m starting completely from scratch. No hand-me-down casserole dishes, no knives I’ve carted around since college, no random herb scissors that I’ve never ever used. For once, I get to hand-select every tool and every object that comes into the space.

With that total blank slate, I find myself often thinking (ok, obsessing) about what I want this kitchen to have. As an avid cook, as we probably all are coming through Covid, I want kitchen tools that are really pretty, but also highly functional. And nothing else.

This kitchen, designed by Our Food Stories out of a refurbished old schoolhouse in the middle of the German countryside, is a total mood. Featuring deVol kitchen cupboards, tiles, shelves, light fixtures, hardware and more. This kitchen is certainly a showcase for the many of the pieces on my list of must-have kitchen tools – and of course, it does so beautifully.

This space immediately transports you to an idyllic rural retreat. I imagine walking through overgrown gardens, picking fresh roses and making multi-course Sunday lunches here.

I love how this kitchen keeps so many key kitchen tools close at hand. While I might not be doing quite as many open shelves at Hood Canal, there is a lot to be said for having key tools within arms reach.

There’s nothing that drives me crazier than a poorly outfitted kitchen. But an overcrowded kitchen can be equally crazy-making. You have to strike that balance.

For me, the key kitchen tools I turn to time and again include one good set of pots and pans, a cast iron skillet, a good set of wooden spoons and spatulas, a top notch cutting board (or several) and then all those little tools that you need when you’re in the middle of pulling together a recipe – measuring cups, knives, peelers, strainers, graters, zesters – all the speciality things that let you add the finer components of a dish.

Those speciality tools are the kinds of things that far too many kitchens lack. Or they’re the big bulky OXOX ones you get at a grocery store that feel chunky in my hand and will just clog up my limited drawer space in the new kitchen. She gonna be cute, but she’s not going to be big.

As the weeks have progressed, I’ve been slowly but surely amassing my ultimate kitchen wish-list. Each kitchen tool, appliance, or serving piece needs to have a very critical purpose and look damn good while doing it.

I thought I’d share my wishlist with you. It’s certainly not comprehensive. As I cook every evening some other thing in my San Francisco kitchen makes me think oh yes, I have to find the beautiful version of this for Hood Canal. But all the extraneous stuff I have in my SF kitchen also makes me want to pull my hair out. I’m constantly digging for my one favorite knife or pan or bowl.

I hope you find something below you’ve been searching for. If you spot a key kitchen tool that I’m still missing, please tell me in comments! I consider my ultimate quest to outfit the ideal kitchen.

I’m also regularly adding favorites for the kitchen in the Apartment 34 SHOP so be sure to check it out too!

SHOP KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

kitchen fundamentals

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nordic kitchen frying pan

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citrus press

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stainless steel sauce pan

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balmuda toaster

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black carbon steel knife

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cast iron casserole

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ceramic mixing bowls

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brewer stand set

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cleaning essentials

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Linen Tea Towel Set

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skagerak paper towel holder

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round cutting board

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ceramic french press

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mandoline

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modern salad spinner

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measuring cups

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farmhouse pottery board & bow set

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sheldon ceramics bowl

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lidded bowls – set of 3

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evermill spice rack

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baking sheets

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glass water kettle

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cooking essentials

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kale razor and herb stripping tool

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pasta machine

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stainless steel citrus juicer

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Japanese vegetable peeler

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hand carved serving spoons

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hurom juicer

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all images by Our Food Stories

The post Everything You Need for Your Kitchen & Nothing More appeared first on Apartment34.

To make it up to you, I’m bringing you an insane amount of design inspiration over the coming days with a series of home tours and interviews that have been informing my design choices at the Hood Canal Cottage (and admittedly making me want to switch a bunch up at This Old Victorian as well).

For those dying for Hood Canal Cottage updates, I am sharing a bunch of major sneak peeks on Instagram this week. Even though I have a love/hate/love relationship with Instagram these days, for some reason, it just feels easier to give quick updates there – so if you don’t already follow, please do pop over to Instagram if you want to see the Hood Canal Cottage mid-construction.

Now, let’s dive into a truly stunning home tour as a little palette cleanser for your week.

This home is designed by Pernille Lind, one of my favorite design studios. Based in London, Pernille expertly combines modern and traditional styles to create warm, inviting spaces that just draw you in. This project is a perfect example. At first glance, you might make you think this is a stately home somewhere in the UK, but it’s actually a Colonial Revival home in Chicago. The beautiful mix of design styles and materials immediately caught my eye. It shows how you don’t have to stick to a “modern” or bohemian or antique look, no matter the architectural style of your space.

Keep scrolling for a closer look and for my interview with Pernille about her process!

What was the project scope and how long did it take?

I flew over to see the house just when the client had gotten the keys in May 2018. We then found a local architect to help with the planning permissions and a contractor for the renovations. The construction crew started on site in October 2018. I regularly went over to attend meetings to appoint local cabinet makers for our bespoke kitchen and joinery, as well as oversee some of the build process and key material selections with the client. The client could then move in August 2019, where I flew over to install all of the main furniture, as well as sourcing smaller items, such as unique vintage pieces and art. These we spent a while finding in local shops and markets. We added in an additional trip beginning of 2020, as some items still needed sourcing and we could then photograph the project.

What sources do you use for inspiration?

For every project, I always look at the architecture of the building and interior spaces, its character, light, and period features. This informs the direction of the interior experience and the key notes to play on. Generally, I’ll look for inspiration through a variety of artistic mediums, however, materiality and color seem to be the first steps I take when getting to grips with the concept of a new project.

In the living room, we have a curved sofa from Eichholtz and two Carl Hansen CH25 armchairs in oiled walnut and natural cord. We found a striking vintage Italian travertine marble table from local antique shop South Loop Loft along with the brass Italian mirror over the fireplace. The black metal and fiberglass floor lamp is also from a local vintage store ‘Salvage One’. This piece really steals the show in the room, and unfortunately, the seller didn’t have much information about the origins of the light, I would expect it’s 1950’s.

The living room is the home’s gem. Late in the afternoon, the sun light reflects the long shadows of the palladium windows across the floor. It’s very dramatic and creates this additional visual layer to the room.

In the sunroom office, we sourced a desk chair from Jayson Home in oak and cane, paired with a vintage Scene Two olive burl-wood Parsons-style desk from Henredon. The wall colour is Farrow & Ball 201 ‘Shaded White.’

How did you work with the client on creating the vision?

The client’s brief was to create calm and natural surroundings, as well as incorporate an essence of their many years of living in Europe and world travels. Moreover, they were looking for a considered approach to creating a functional home for a modern family with a love of entertaining and having friends and family over.

The house has abundant daylight and great period features, such as the arched palladium windows, frame molding and European style cornicing. I, therefore, kept the color palette muted and soft, in order to let the architectural features be the main heroes of the spaces, and key to the clients brief – achieve a calm atmosphere only punctuated by a few contrasting furniture pieces, such as the black stained dining table and dark wood vintage pieces.

To achieve a more modern living style, I opened up the kitchen and dining spaces on the ground floor, and further created a luxurious master bedroom en-suite, by converting a walk-in wardrobe with an existing bathroom. I then located the dressing room within an adjacent bedroom and added a connecting door to the master bedroom.

In the kitchen and dining area, the dining table is from Gubi called ‘Moon’ table with wicker and black painted bentwood dining chairs from Thonet. The pendant is a new production 3-arm Serge Mouille light. Over in the kitchen island, we chose PH 3/2 Pendant lamps by Louis Poulsen over the island and Bestlite BL7 wall lights by Gubi over the kitchen counter.

Renovating old homes always comes with surprises. Where there any in this project? 

The house has only had 4 owners in its lifetime. The current owners are the 5th. In the process of the renovation, they came across many interesting relics. As they were replacing some damaged floorboards in the attic level, they uncovered a metal plate (secured with brass tacks) that was patching a hole. Upon closer look, the plate was an old cracker tin that had been cut and flattened out – it read “National Biscuit Company.” The company is today known as Nabisco, and they think the tin dates back to sometime before 1928.

They also uncovered interesting historical features in the home such as a basement coal chute and coal room with a slanted floor, a root cellar that stays cool all year round (it was converted to a wine storage space), and a separate maids’ stairwell and maids’ quarters.

In the master bedroom, the bed is the Nelson Thin Edge Bed by Herman Miller with a vintage four-tiered, gold-plated Kinkeldey chandelier from the 1960s. The artwork above the bed is by Josh Yöung. The bedside wall lights are Signal Sconce in bronze, by Workstead. The wall color is Farrow & Ball 211 ‘Stony Ground.’

To see more home tours, CLICK HERE.

Get The Look

P5 monochrome pendant

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sequoia pouf

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swing arm sconce

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vintage clay pot

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ch25 easy chair

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Curved Sofa

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Specchio Mirror

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vintage stool

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sheldon ceramics bowl

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travertine coffee table

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table lamp

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Square Pillow

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design by pernille lind studio, photography by john and maura stoffer

The post Home Tour: Worldly and Warm in Chicago appeared first on Apartment34.

Designing the Hood Canal Cottage is a unique situation to be in for a hobby designer like me. Usually, you move and take pieces with you, but since the cottage won’t serve as a full-time residence, I’m starting from a literal blank slate.

My focus this week has been on the dining room – or in this case dining space as the dining area sits within a great room that also houses the kitchen and living room. I’ve been shopping around like a madwoman trying to hone in on the look and feel I want to bring to life in the dining area. I want it to feel distinct and anchored – its own little zone within the larger room. And the idea I keep coming back to again and again is banquette seating.

Banquettes and built-ins have been having a moment for a while now, but I would argue for very good reason. A built-in banquette is a great space saver in a smaller space and increases the capacity around a dining table. Since I envision the Hood Canal Cottage as our hub for future Thanksgiving dinners and holiday gatherings, I definitely want to be able to cram as many people around the table as possible.

Like many of the examples you see here in this post, our dining table will also run parallel to a long wall, rather than float in the middle of the room. This actually limits the ability to pull back a dining chair. I would probably have to use a bench on that side of the table, but a banquette will allow the table to sit a little closer to the wall and not have legs you have to work around, saving precious floor space.

I also love how a banquette offers the opportunity to add big long seat cushions, back pillows, or both! Adding cushy upholstery to a dining space softens areas often dominated by hard surfaces. I love how that brings a sense of coziness, inviting you to sit and linger over your morning coffee, or pour that last little bit of wine and stay up talking. I want this home to encourage anyone who stays there to slow down and enjoy the little moments. Kinda like you’re living on vacation. That is the goal.

Adding a major upholstered piece at the dining table will also help me bridge the living room space and kitchen.

While I am obviously leaning toward jumping on the banquette bandwagon, I do have some convincing to do. Not everyone in my household is into the idea of a banquette. To add to that resistance, I’m not finding any good off-the-shelf options so it’s likely I’d have to go custom to create my vision. Custom is certainly not the most affordable of options.

So what say you? Do you happen to have a banquette in your home?? Do you like it? Have you found it comfy? Useful? Are there downsides you’ve dealt with? I think I’m pretty committed to this design choice at this point, but I would love to hear what you think! Please share in the comments section.

Catch up on the Hood Canal Cottage HERE.

Check out more design ideas HERE.

images vincent van duysen | home designing | mr & mrs white | danthree | amber interiors shoppe / larritt-evans design | poppy talk | nicole franzen | decus interiors / 

The post Banquette, Baby! appeared first on Apartment34.

I’ve been an uber-fan of Dutch designer Faye Toogood for such a long time. Interiors, furniture, fashion – there’s nothing she touches that doesn’t turn to beautiful. Her Roly Poly chair is on the tippy top of my wishlist for the Hood Canal Cottage.

As I was internet rabbit holing looking for inspiration for the cottage over the weekend, I stumbled across this apartment on the real estate site The Modern House and was immediately stopped in my tracks. And of course it was designed by Toogood (interesting side note, the co-founder of The Modern House is Toogood’s husband!).

This apartment resides in Winchester, a hamlet toward the UK’s coast. The apartment resides on the ground floor of a historic Victorian building in the heart of this lovely town. The entire apartment is a major mood.

The project is such a great example of using consistency in your design to create an incredibly distinct point of view. I was immediately taken by the super consistent monochromatic color palette of cool whites and light grays used throughout the apartment. That sea of greige is punctuated by wood, little hits of black and touches of patinaed brass for punches of contrast.

A couple of things I really like about this kitchen – the single open self (I was just having a debate on Instagram this week about the status of the open shelving trend), the simple flat front cabinets (yay for no hardware-I did that in our kitchen too!) and the jumbo paper lantern pendant. I’m putting one in at Hood Canal and cannot wait to see it.

Vintage art is always a wonderful way to punctuate an otherwise plain hallway. So are those incredible light fixtures.

This cast-iron tub in the primary bedroom is truly spectacular. I love a tub in a bedroom.

That cast-concrete sink in the primary bedroom’s attached WC is just gorgeous and of course keeps within the approved color palette.

Designing a room – not to mention an entire home – can feel like a desperately overwhelming task as there are literally an infinite number of choices that can be made. But, if you give yourself parameters within which you must work, like a tightly honed color palette, so many decisions – from picking paint colors, to your family of light fixtures, to the final bedding selections -suddenly become that much easier.

As I work to determine the final finishes for Hood Canal, I’m going to come back to this project as a constant reminder to rein it in. When it comes to design, setting limitations is actually incredibly freeing.

GET THE LOOK

gatto table lamp

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KK47000 Safari Chair

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Paper light

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roly poly chair

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cedar & moss sconce

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building side tables

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cleaning essentials

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Linen Tea Towel Set

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tobie dining chair

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images via the modern house

The post Masterclass in Monochrome appeared first on Apartment34.