• How I went so long without seeing Antonia’s Line, I’ll never know. Loved. It.
• Although I’m still in-love with my bike, this Simply City one looks really good.
• World’s smallest postal service.
• Decor8’s sharing a lot of discounts from her amazing sponsors.
• White Chocolate Gratin. Oh. Yes.
• Making it Lovely’s Plant Reference Book - great idea.
• I have just seen some snipped of “Grey Gardens” starring Drew Barrymore - cannot wait for this to come out!
• Prep for the Quake: I’m participating. I was in the Seattle Earthquake a few years ago and my building, across from the Starbucks that tumbled, went dark and all our manufacturing equipment, ladders, and desks fell whilst the floors went up and down. Scary and I had no idea what to do. Living so close to a major fault line now in LA, I’m changing that.

When my Carmel by the Sea home appeared in Apartment Therapy, San Francisco this Spring, the response was pretty overwhelming. So I created a home set on Flickr to better detail some of my homes and things in them. But still there was requests of a quicker home tour gallery on Hygge House.

And so, there is now a Home Tour Gallery on Hygge House, showcasing my last four homes. Enjoy!

I’ve always been a small space living girl - even when I took on roomates. My best-friend and I once shared a two bedroom, one bath flat with an assortment of people over a 1.5 year period. At most, we had 5 guys, 4 girls and a dog. Yeah, that worked for about 2 months. But when we got rid of everyone, we found that 800 square feet suited us both and all the space we had we used. And that’s when I began to really think not just about square footage, but livable space.

It makes sense; if I’m frugal about what I buy and consume, then I should really be frugal about what I live in.

In the fall of 2006 I purchased my first home; a modest 1000 square feet, two bedrooms, one bath 1941 bungalow. The price I paid was pretty high because I wanted that kind of home in a certain area. When people heard what I’d paid they kept telling me about the 4/2 I could have gotten five miles down the road. And I had looked at those places and each time I thought, I wouldn’t use any of those extra rooms. I don’t have the furniture for anything more. Who’d pay the electricity (this was Austin, Texas where you need to run the air conditioning 24/7 after all). The little home I chose had all the space I needed and didn’t overwhelm me. It also kept me from buying more than I needed because although the rooms were generously sized, there wasn’t a lot of them. I had only what I needed.

However, during this time I was still working in Los Angeles and going back and forth so I took up another home in Santa Monica again last spring in the same building I had lived in before I bought my house. The previous flat was small - unusably small. 700 square feet of pure hell small. Only one closet, no air circulating through because of how the windows were formed and a bedroom that felt like a cave. Don’t get me started on the washroom. So although this one bedroom one bath flat wasn’t all that much smaller than the house, it felt so much more because the space wasn’t designed well. And therefor, it couldn’t be used well.

But I loved the building that the one bedroom was in, I loved the location and I loved my landlords so when I saw the charming 2 bedroom, 1 bath 1300 square foot flat available, I was a smitten kitten. I had been used to living in a home and this flat felt like the closest thing. So many closets, so many windows, a front door, a back door, a hallway! It was the first home I’d actually fallen in love with, that brought out my style, that made me want to stay in on weekends, that instantly put visitors at ease. I was incredibly happy here but in December of last year I decided to move out. Why? I realised that it was too much space for one person and that the cost of rent versus what I was using wasn’t frugal. Read the rest of this entry »

I was asked by Apartment Therapy, San Francisco to do a home tour of my Carmel by the Sea home. Since I love the site and their home tours, I said yes! Unfortunately, I said yes during a really difficult period for Carmel.

We were hit with severe storms which often left me without power, destroyed a lot of the town, and made the city dark almost 24/7. It left me with little light to photograph and because of damage my flat kept sustaining, left me out of it entirely.

Storm after storm hit until finally the damage to my home and things was so severe that it became unlivable and I had to move out.

Because I never finished photographing my home and because there isn’t anything left to take photos of now, I told Apartment Therapy I wouldn’t be able to participate in their house tours. They liked enough of what they saw any way and recently ran, Alex’s Carmel House Home Tour” on their site.

Although I’d only been in the home a few months and had really only planned to be in it short term, it was interesting to look back on it after the storm and seeing that, despite the lack of time, I made a home. Which proves you don’t need to put in a lot of effort or things to make something hygge. You just need spirit.

I’m not sure why buying a bed is so difficult in both terms of feeling comfortable owning one and then the actual process of selecting one. But despite having lived on my own since 18, I didn’t actually buy my own bed until I was 25. I literally bought on price (I couldn’t spend more than $400 at the time and needed something ASAP). I never slept well on it and when I left several months later was glad to donate it to charity.

Several years ago I had a big discussion about beds as I was determined to buy something that would help me really sleep since I average perhaps only 4 hours a night and some nights I go without. And I’m a huge bed lover sleeper girl so this just isn’t right.

In 2004 I began the search for a bed. After numerous recommendations (from friends, my chiropractor and online) I purchased a Temperpedic from Relax the Back since going in and out of mattress shops felt sleazier than buying a car. Plus, mattress shops wanted $2500 for the Temperpedic - Relax the Back sold it at a regular price plus a 10% discount when I was there.

I should have considered the source when listening to all the raves. I can see how this bed can work wonders for taller, heavier people with body heat - they can sink into it and it really will conform to the body. However, being petite with little body heat, the bed was always stiff and I would wake up even stiffer, tossing and turning every night. The elusive dream bed still kept me thinking.

When I moved into my new flat in 2007, I rang the Four Seasons, Los Angeles in desperation to order their bed (as I was currently sleeping on an Aero bed during the move). I always slept like a baby there, plus several friends had purchased from them with a great experience. However, they told me the manufacturer stopped making the bed that had been used but I was welcomed to come and try their (non flippable) version. But they were book solid for 3 weeks and then it’d be 6 weeks for delivery. I couldn’t sleep on an Aero bed for that long.

I thought of where I had my second best sleep and that was at Chateau du Sureau (in the room shown above). Their beds were Serta made especially for luxury hotels. When I called they were more than helpful with information on how to buy the bed (and bedding) however, their factory was closed for the summer so again I’d have to wait six weeks.

Then I thought about the W Hotel - always good. I did some research on mattresses and with the tips decided I’d go the W Bed Route. I found a coupon code (do a Google Search) that took $250 off so the bed, with shipping and a feather bed was less than $1000. Within three days I had the mattress delivered and was sleeping like a baby. Topped with some Shabby Chic bedding and I haven’t blinked an eye whilst sleeping in months!

Mattress shopping is a tricky, sometimes horrible business. When I looked years ago, going in and out of mattress shops was a far worse experience than car shopping. Brands have different names for different outlets and mattress salesmen will lie to you about everything. So this time, I chose to go directly to the sources of beds I had loved so that I knew exactly what I was getting. And without having to barter, haggle, or wonder, buy was easy, quick and painless.

And the sleep has been that way too.

Update: I stayed a few nights at the Four Seasons, Beverly Regent in March 2008 and just fell in love with their new beds. I think I’m going to have to go for it although they only sell theirs in King Size.

Update II: Danny Seo, the green Meister himself, has an eco-friendly bed available at JC Penny via Simmons. Sounds promising and affordable.

This has been my view almost 24/7 for the past week. So many projects going on, so many site redesigns, so many articles to write. I came to Carmel by the Sea, California for a short creative sabbatical and it’s worked!

I’m slowly working on updating the design and functionality of this site plus I’ve dozens of articles just waiting to be touched up and published. I’m excited because this is a small part of a bigger picture that’s taking place for me in 2008. Everything is slowly, but surely, coming together. I cannot wait to share everything that’s coming up including my upcomming trip to Ireland and then another to France for a special, special project.

So thank you for your patience, for signing up for the emails, coming to the site, emailing me or leaving comments. I do what I do not so I can hear my own voice but because I really believe in the power of sharing and community. Sometimes I hit the mark, sometimes I miss a little but with feedback and support, I keep going. And you don’t know how I appreciate it.

My first few flats were decorated in nothing but Ikea since I, like most people starting out, couldn’t afford anything else. I also had zero style and liked the pre-bought simplicity they offered. But having to put it all together, not having it withstand (all my) moves, plus seeing every piece I owned in every friend’s house turned me off for a while.

However, taking on a vacation rental for a couple of months left me without the built-in bookcases of my regular home and I needed something simple, white, and cheap to fill the space. Step in Ikea Expedit Shelving Unit.

This unit is everywhere from boutique shops to mansions and for good reason; the clean, sleek lines showcase whatever you put in it so friends will ask about your contents instead of “is that Ikea?”

It’s perfect in my living room for my very large coffee table books (and maybe a flat screen TV on top?) but I can see it being in a child’s room with the coordinated boxes for toys. The larger version would be the perfect room divider. And with multiple hacks for this unit (horizontal, vertical, stacked, black, white, with storage cubes or without) there are more options than most generic bookshelves from higher priced stores.

My adoration of this unit won’t be making Ikea and I BFF anytime soon but since the disassembled unit can fit into my car, installation is rather easy and cost isn’t an issue, I might just have reason to get a second unit for the office.

I just read a wonderful article on Renters are Nesters by the lovely Anh Minh and I realised that despite saying this for years, I don’t think I ever really committed to the idea.

Until now.

Every weekend this year has been filled with things to do. So much so that I have literally not had one weekend at home to rest. It’s been filled with travel, moving, packing, moving, guests, working, landscaping etc. For a girl who likes to putter, it has been too much.

So this weekend I made sure that the calendar was bare - no events, no company, nothing to do. Nothing, that is, except to putter.

I’ve done my walk to the Farmers Market, picked up some curtains for the dining room, had my nap after falling asleep whilst reading magazines (I haven’t read 1 magazine in 2 months despite 7 flights!) and just put some tea on. Now, here I sit for the very first time, in my office, at my desk. Oh, it’s good.

Sitting in the office I look out the huge window in which brightly coloured violet flowers cover it and I can see people walking past. It feels so good to have this space and I’m glad I made the decision to get this flat instead of a little studio as originally intended.

I thought that, as a single person, I just needed a studio - after all I do adore small spaces and two of my favourite flats were studios (one in Vancouver BC and one on the water in Seattle WA). So when I saw this very large two bedroom with a long hallway no less, I thought twice about it despite the fact I was instantly smitten with it and it was in the same building I had lived before. I think subconsciously I though a studio was what a single person renting ought to have until I realised that was completely ridiculous - why self-punish?

The two bedroom has a dedicated studio (and guest room, actually, since people always find reason to come to L.A.!), a gorgeous, old fashioned bathroom (with separate tub and shower no less), crown moulding, beautiful large windows (9 in total), hardwood floors, two entrances and a fire place. It’s a home.

This is the first place in years in which I can honestly say feels like me. When people come over they all say, “this space is so you” Even with minimal furniture, the vibe is me. It’s home. I’m here to nest.

I’m not one for collaging but when I looked at my favourites, I noticed a pattern of colours, shapes and things I love but have yet to incorporate into my life. When I was sick last month, I tore out pages of 5 years worth of magazines and glued them into a simple notebook. I realised then, too, that the styles I loved were not reflected in my home.

Because I so often thought about colour, design, furniture, style I thought I was living it and incorporating it into my life. That’s the danger when one thinks to much - like self-help books. You can read, read, read and think you get it, but the trick is to look around and see if you’re actually practicing what’s inside.

I wasn’t.

Though my home is nice, it’s in that nice “it could be anyone’s home” sort of way. I’ve had so many come over and say “I love your house, but it’s not what I expected from you.” After putting together some Flickr Favourites and creating a book of home/garden images I love, I realise how I live isn’t what I expect from me either.

So with taking on a second home shortly that’ll be just for me, I’m thinking very seriously about how my home can reflect me. What kind of statement it’ll make and how it’ll serve me. Thanks to picking out images and actually seeing it instead of just thinking it, it’ll be a lot easier to do.

I remember so clearly the first time my family went to get store bought furniture. It was a huge, huge deal for us and it was only one huge teak table that was cut down to be a large coffee table. This piece of furniture came with us from house to house, always elicited ooh’s and ahh’s and, till this day, is brought up in almost every family conversation.

Practically everything else was a second hand find from an antique shoppe, a friend, an old abandoned home or made. Everything, however, always went well together, was always well made and lasted us for years and years. It was bought or made with affection and purpose which is why, I think, things lasted.

On my own, I continued this tradition of making things or refurbishing. When I moved to the Canadian Rockies I found a very large oak table near a dumpster, took it home, borrowed tools from the local High School wood shop, stripped the table down and completely re-did it. That free find earned me over $1000.00 months later when I moved to New Zealand and obviously could not take it with me (I would have loved to seen that on carry on!).

When I came to America in 1999 I stopped making things for a variety of reasons; it was often cheaper to buy, I wasn’t settled and moved a lot so owning wasn’t a priority, a lot of things in second hand shops were junk, craft stores were in and specialty art shops were out and I didn’t know where to go or what to do. So I just became lazy and did nothing. This is when my minimalist attitude really came forward and I stopped owning things altogether. However, in last year I have slowly begun to buy things for my home (furniture and cookware) but they are all store bought - mostly from Pottery Barn (I do like me some pretty basics). With the exception of my sofa which I had custom made, there is nothing truly personal about my home; no keeps sakes about, no made furniture or found gems. There’s a few art pieces I’ve made lying about but nothing to distinguish my home from the one next door. Although I’ve managed to make a pretty home, I haven’t done a very good job at making a personal one.

Wanting to incorporate antiques, thrift finds and some home made things into my own home has left me both excited and nervous; I’m still a minimalist, still love well made things and still am afraid of both craft shoppes and garage sales. In America now, there’s a huge “craft” mentality that I confess I don’t always appreciate or understand. I’m not a glue gun kind of girl; I’m put off by shows, books or sites that suggest making something cheaply just to have it. I’m old school where I believe in making things well or not at all. I don’t want to half ass my home.

Awhile ago I saw a home decor show that used really cheap fabrics and glue guns to make a room and it really bothered me. It didn’t look good, I’m sure it didn’t feel good and I’m sure it wasn’t going to last (either because it’d fall apart or the people would be sick of it in six weeks). I didn’t understand the purpose of this; why waste money when you could save it for something you loved? Or not be so proud of doing something in two days but perhaps taking four to really make it worth while?

There’s such an emphasis in the US to make things cheaply and also, just to have things. I think this has contributed to the fact that I’ve really hesitated with nesting as it were. I don’t want a decorated home; I want a personal home. But also, I don’t want to do garage sales, huge craft supply shoppes or spending every free moment on Ebay looking for finds. I want to mix something made with something store bought and something thrifted or antiqued. But I didn’t know where to start; reading books often left me even more confused because they’d be all minimalist or all crafty and I’m neither. What was a girl to do who wants some personalisation, some home made, some Ikea or Pottery Barn and some French Antique?

She’s to stop reading books and start focusing on what she wants and then find a way to get it! And assume that it’ll get easier and easier after the first attempt. Thinking this I am reminded of a girl I met when I was 21; fabulously wealthy and always dressed in amazing skirts, I had to know which boutiques she went to. When I asked where she got her lovely skirts she said, “darling, I make them all!” I asked her how she could make so many skirts with so many designs and she replied, “darling, I started with an idea. Then I picked up material. I got a pattern and made one. With one came many more. So start, start!”

So this week, I start my journey into the world of thrift, of vintage shoppes, of looking at things differently, of looking into making things myself and being inspired everywhere. Armed with my notebook of ideas (a list of rooms, what’s in them with measurements, colour swatches), a wishlist of things, an open mind, I, too, start. No longer afraid to own loved things or to take the time to sit and make a curtains if I find fabric I love but not on premade curtains. Not afraid to purchase, perhaps, that French chair that’s been calling to me or going to the lumber yard to make a set of custom shelves that I know I want and can’t find anywhere else.

I confess I’m not going it alone; I’ve actually found some really beautiful and amazing books and web sites that combine my love of clean/useful/minimalist styles with the French/Shabby Chic/Cosy styles. They are:

Creole Thrift (LOVE this), Flea Market Style (has lots of Anthropologie homes!) and French Country Living and so sites many here.

At the store I see girls sewing up things such as a simple tree made out of plain white linen and placing them next to $400 bags. An old beat up coffee table looks stunning next to the brand new $5500 couch. Being around this and reading the book, my interest - and hope - is peaked. I’ve bought the basics for my house (sofa, table with benches, simple wooden bed, desk and chaise) and now with some tools, creativity, and a few good stores I can be on my way to making it my home.