I’m loving these shots of a home I found at 1st Option, which represents potential photo shoot and film locations. All the rooms are just so pretty without being girlysweet or frou-frou. I feel like there’s something feminine about this home, but at the same time a guy wouldn’t feel out of place there.

Loving the blues and greens, the use of circles in the rug and in the artwork, the vivid furniture, the kid’s bench, All of it – just the whole package.

Loving the way the chairs contrast with the thickness of the classic wood table and sideboard.

Loving the white! It’s so clean, and it’s gorgeous paired with that pine (I think) floor. The gray chair is just the right touch, along with the pink coverlet.

And here are a few things that might appeal if you, like me, love the interiors above. As always, all six of my picks are clickable!

It’s hot. Or at least warm. Either way, having a fire is the last thing on your mind, and will be the last thing on your mind for some months. You could lean a nice painting or print over the gaping maw of your fireplace, but why not use that empty space to make your living room (or bedroom) a little more awesome? Here are just a few ideas, but there are so many more things one could do.

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Orange needs no introduction! Bright and cheerful, but also a little maddening,orange is a power color. How often do you see around you? You might be surprised at how readily you answer – it’s hard not to notice orange whether it’s the paint on a wall or a single accent piece in an otherwise colorful room. It’s a playful color, and creative, too, though some people find it too overwhelming to take in anything more than limited quantities. How can you use orange in your home? Here’s some yummy orange inspiration to stimulate your creative juices!

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Have $3.95 million just sitting around burning a hole in your pocket? Love that classic old school modern look? Then have I got just the property for you. Fashion critic Steven Cojocaru’s mid-century modern home is apparently up for sale, though you can lease it at a mere $20k per month.

What does that buy you? 3,850 square feet, first of all, under high pitched-roof ceilings with sweet exposed wood. There’s plenty of glass to let the outside in, and gorgeous exposed brick in the living room. Then there are all the “little” details like an orb fireplace, amazing bath tubs, and the neutral decor that might surprise some at its understated tastefulness.

And how about that infinity edge pool, mmm. Those are so awesome when done right. I tell you truly that while I usually go in for a bit more color and a lot more black, I wouldn’t kick this particular real estate out of bed. How about you? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Why?

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I’m a sucker for keeping things neat and clean, to the point where I’d rather sacrifice sleep to straighten up and wipe down the counters before bed then wake up to dishes in the sink. So you can imagine that I spend an inordinate amount of time reading articles like “The 10 Habits of Highly Organized People” (which appeared in O Magazine). I can’t get enough. In fact, it’s probably a little unhealthy, but I don’t care. So what if they parrot the same tips over and over? It’s good to have a reminder, and even better, I have my own tips to share, right here, right now! What follows are five of my very own tips for clean livin’.

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Telecommuting rocks, but it’s easy to let work get derailed by a sink full of dishes, a pesky bathroom faucet leak, or other tasks that you’d normally try to avoid doing. Isn’t it funny how the boring-but-necessary becomes so palatable when one is searching for ways to procrastinate? Telecommuting gets easier when you have a home office, but still that sink full of dishes is just a short hallway away. What’s a work-from-home employee to do? There’s always shedworking, which is apparently what’s hot in the alternative home office world! (Suck it, coffee shop!)

Oh em gee, I love it! It’s scads nicer than the home office I have now, I’m ashamed to say.

Unfortunately, while I have a shed, it’s currently full of a wheelbarrow, a push mower, grass seed, trowels and things, and about a gajillion lady spiders watching over egg balls. Creepy. Not conducive to work. Also kind of dirty. But I suppose I could haul all of my outdoor gear into the basement, tear down my yucko shed, and replace it with some chic Swedish work/life shed.

(Image via Shedworking)

Who hasn’t punched a pillow or kicked a couch in a moment of heated anger? As stress-relief goes, it’s convenient, sure, and doesn’t carry the same stigma as, say, breaking plates by pitching them at the nearest wall. But is it truly satisfying? Maybe not as satisfying as this aggressively cool piece of furniture commissioned by Italian furniture manufacturer Campeggi for the 2010 Milan Design Week.

German designer Tobias Fraenzel, maker of the ping pong door and coloring book wallpaper, has created a one-of-a-kind sofa with a back cushion that can be lifted up to form a punching bag or kick bag. Now wailing on that would be much more fulfilling than punching a pillow, no? The verdict? Safe, good for exercise, and overall pretty sleek.

Painted floors are a dime a dozen (okay, not really – not at all, in fact) but purple painted floors are relatively rare. So much so that when I wanted to find a pretty picture of a purple painted floor my options were worse than limited.

So instead may I present a real purple painted floor. One that is not making its grand debut in a magazine, but rather one that started out as a kind of crummy wood floor topped by wall-to-wall carpeting. You can read a short tale of this purple painted floor’s evolution. If you’re considering embarking upon a floor-centric DIY project, it may just inspire you to take some risks!

Long story short: A mom upholstered her couch and chair in muslin and let daughter (along with said daughter’s friends) loose on what was basically a blank canvas.

What do you think? On one hand, it’s a bit messy, but on the other hand I could see someone paying big bucks for something similar if it had a designer name attached.

And I’m a little jealous – when I was four or so, I created a masterwork on my maman’s couch using Sharpie, but my efforts were most definitely not appreciated.

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Ask me one day and I’ll tell you that I’d gladly live in an all-black universe. Ask me the next and I’ll tell you that I adore bright, dramatic colors. Today must be one of the latter days because I’m salivating over rooms created by designer Dutch Ghislaine Viñas – she combines vivid hues with simplicity, so the colors frequently play a starring role in her interiors (as opposed to a few stand-out pieces of furniture or a unique room profile).

Born in the Netherlands and raised in South Africa, Ghislaine brings a special blend of international sensibility, intuitive style, humor and refreshing enthusiasm to her work. She is driven daily by her passion for interior design especially by form and color. “Color excites me. As a child, I would feel a rush of excitement when opening a box of crayons.”

Which isn’t to say that her choices of furniture are anything but amazing. She mixes modern and vintage pieces in such a way as to create a kind of perfect harmony. Hers are not rooms in which one might say “How clever to have mixed something old with so much new.” Rather, eras blend, united by Viñas’ color choices.

I would be happy to give Viñas carte blanche to come into my home, throw out most of what I own, and replace it with stuff she picked out in my stead. Now I would love to link to her site, but every time I try to visit I’m warned off by Google, which says there’s malware there. So I’ll share a link to her Interior Design Magazine blog instead – check it out, she seems like a lot of fun!