hi guys! i’m back from alt summit, and totally inspired (more about that later!), and I’m also freakin’ exhausted. not only was it non-stop inspiring action, but my two-hour plane ride home turned into 12-plus hours, so forgive me if i’m a little wiped out tonight. i’m going to share some images i’m really loving right now, though — a sophisticated palette that’s also young, modern and fresh. black, white but quite colorful at the same time — starting with this living room from a sneak peek at the upcoming issue of lonny. it’s good to be home with sweet lucy, and i’ll be back soon to share more about what i learned at alt!

i love everything about this colorful bedroom i spied over on mimi + meg (MEG spoke at alt, too!). it’s from a home tour that’s equally lovely at Love the art and color in these images from Interior Magasinet, and photographed by Birgitta Wolfgang drejer.

and how about this bedding via mokkasin from Åhléns? pretty splendid, isn’t it?! and i quite love this geometric nama rococo wallpapered office.

a gorgeous little office via elle decor uk; love this paper pattern as art via tim evan-cook; and some amazing black stained floors finish off this space from alvem.

beautiful bright bedroom via alvem home; and THE PERFECT hallway to compliment it, also from alvem home.

a modern spin on the patchwork quilt via bolig; and lindsey lang pillows via decor8.

i’ve been wishing hard for a new kitchen lately. a bright, light pretty place to eat my breakfast each morning, like this one from light locations. i like my kitchen all right, but the 1930′s yellow and burgandy tiles really put a damper on how i can decorate it. i long for fresh crisp white subway tiles and open shelving…perhaps cabinets with glass doors so you can peek in and see my dishware collection. fun black & white checkered floors, and accents too. anyway, a girl can only hope. here’s maybe what i’d do…

i have loved this little checkerboard tray forever, via rue magazine — i think you can find them at fog linen; a large black vintage sideboard could be striking with all that white; i’d love a little nook to sit with my laptop like lucy chadwick’s via the selby; and a sweet side table via light locations; lovely ceramic cups via le dans la; and chemex coffee is the only way to go if you’ve got the time, via design*sponge.

this turned foot dining room cabinet from west elm is quite nice for displaying all your pretty dishes, too.

one very sweet nook via family living. love the black & white striped cushions.

a beautiful norwegian kitchen photographed by Mary Beth Koeth, via desire to inspire.

i think i need this bon jour print to greet me each morning, too — from edu’s etsy shop.

two very lovely little kitchens from light locations; these vintage cups from oh leander are super cute for my morning coffee; and man, on man i want this piawallén cross tray to serve coffee on.

last time i dreamed of living elsewhere it was new york city. this week, i’m feeling a hankering to up and transport myself to berlin. it’s on the top of my ‘it places’ to visit and sites like freunde von freunden with their home tours of berlin’s most creative residents just increase my curiosity ten-fold. so today, i’m moving to berlin. at least in my dreams…

when i live here, i’m probably going to be a wildly talented photographer (it’s a dream, right?), so i’m going to have a nice home studio office to work from. i’ve decided it will look like this, via alvhem.

i like these minimalist bookshelves via lonny. anna at door sixteen is building some, and i cannot wait to see them completed. i’ll have a cool floor lamp like this one from the home of architects Edwina and Eddie Glenn, via the design files; and just to mix things up a bit, i’d like a vintage leather sofa like this one via the selby.

it won’t be a large place, but it will have lots of unusual nooks, so i think i’ll build out a little loft space for the bedroom, like this one via beautiful home.

i’ll be really proud and happy to be a berliner, so i’ll hang this print via items by design bird; and i’ll ride a bike everywhere, but there won’t be a good place to keep my bike outside, so i’ll decorate around it inside, via the design files; i’ll keep accessories to a minimum so it’s uncluttered and functional, like these photographed for d home by jamie laubhan-oliver.

and there may not be room for a full dining room, but a cute little nook liked this from bolig will work just fine; with a lovely little subway tiled white kitchen like this photographed by paul massey; i’ll shop local at farmer’s markets and specialty shops, eating fresh food daily, via freunde von freunden.

• neon berlin sign.

what would a new year be without me going all kooky and changing my rooms around? i swapped the living and dining rooms around again. yes, again. i was having the claustrophobic feeling that the room was just too scrunchy, so here we go again. i like to take all my stuff, mix it up and use it in new ways, giving the rooms a whole new personality. mostly the same old stuff, just re-purposed for a new look. i think i’ll leave it this way. ha! surely, i jest. that would be so boring, right?!?

some sources for you: modern floral pillows are from skinny laminx. up mountain print is from fine little day. i got the pouf and the sari blanket from fab.com (disclaimer: i get a $25 credit for anyone that signs up from my link and makes a purchase – but it’s an awesome site. one of the very few discount sites i actually find stuff i want to buy. and when you refer friends and they shop, you earn credits, too). flokati rug is from MCMF, and the knoll saarenin table is a vintage ebay find. industrial lamp is vintage.

the little black settee is from urban outfitters. the white rar eames rocker is from velocity art & design. the knoll saarinen side table is vintage from mcmf. the throw quilt is from secret holiday and the swiss cross pillow is from enhabiten. the striped pillow is a flea market find from euro-linens.

these prints are from artist Rikkianne Van Kirk’s shop you sentimental idiot. i love her work and have several pieces. the mattress ticking striped pillows are from belrossa home.

the sheepskins are from black sheep white light. the industrial cart below is vintage from fab.com. the frame was a lovely gift from the 10 cent designer, and the print is by Rikkianne Van Kirk.

i have a LOT of books. lots. this book of marilyn monroe’s last sitting by bert stern is a favorite flea market find. i added wheels to my ikea expedit bookshelf for more mobility (it weighs like two tons).

the sea & the cake print is by sonnenzimmer. the house painting is by danielle krysa (aka the jealous curator). the convex mirror is from west elm, another print by Rikkianne Van Kirk, and santa barbara is by photographer liz kuball at 20×200. cord lamp is by brendan ravenhill, also from fab.com.

i saw this illustration of rob hodgson’s of the catcher in the rye book jacket, and it made me think of new york city. and what it might be like to live in nyc. i’ve never done that, and i’ve always wanted to, at least for just a little while. haven’t you? i mean it’s an experience they say everyone should have, and who knows, maybe you try on the city and it suits you, so you stay. anyway, i started to think what my new york apartment might look like, and i think this may be close. in my head, anyway. a girl can dream.

i’ll naturally have a fire escape and maybe it’s a little bit gritty, so i’ll hang some lovely globe lights out there to give it a bit of cheer. no doubt, i’ll have all kinds of books stacked up below the window sill too, like these hillary walker photographed.

i assume the place will not be on the large side, so i’m gonna need these loft-like curtains to give the illusion of separate spaces. i’ve always liked loved elizabeth roberts loft, and these curtains are perfection. i like how the roll back, like hospital curtains from the ceiling.

and since i’m fantasizing here, there will be a small living room, but with a real wood burning fireplace and mantle and it will be elegant, but cozy for entertaining on new york winter nights.

i’ll probably accessorize with a little souvenir homage to new york, like this one from the pages of domino; and i’d love a huge painting by harold hollingsworth (via design milk); and maybe i’ll get all fancy and new york sophisticate with some fashion books and a glass clouche bell jar, via the glitter guide.

there will be more books scattered about everywhere, stacked on chairs like this shot from hilary walker, and frames leaning against the walls. i like that look.

the kitchen may be small too, but hopefully well organized, via design*sponge; and perhaps have a little eating nook like this one via french by design.

i covet lighting. much like the chairs i collect, i can never have too many lighting fixtures either. and just recently, MCMF turned me on to these amazing edison light blubs — they’re vintage-inspired and they make lighting things up just that much cooler. here’s some lighting i’m coveting right now.

trampoline has some great vintage light fixtures in stock right now, and i like how they look with just the bare bulbs. anthropologie sells the edison bulbs too. this is how they look unlit, and then all lit up, too. pretty, huh? best made also makes this very rad cloth extension cord. i bought this one in black, and i’m trying to figure out a way to rig just a bare edison bulb to it and hang it. any electrical wizards out there with an idea? love the look of this studio with it’s exposed bulbs. what can i say, i like bare bulbs and i cannot lie.

i saw this 1950s vintage black bombshell swimsuit on allen company inc and got all giddy with black and white excitement. how cool would this look just simply hanging in a bedroom, or maybe a bath as a piece of art? i’m feeling bloody well b&w this fab friday and nobody can change my mind.

Blodwen ‘Cegin’ Tapestry Floor Rug; urban outfitters zigzag shams and duvet; shared art print from you sentimental idiot — i kinda love everything in this shop; very rad Vintage Mid Century Sofa from hindsvik; love this look via elle sweden; black & white wall clock via fab.com; Not a Gallery’s WallRounds – removable checkerboard wallpaper; amazing japanese scissors from best made; brita sweden’s wool blanket is yummy (via honey kennedy); and i quite fancy urban outfitter’s Fuji Instax Mini 50S Camera.

something wicked this way comes! well, maybe it’s pretty obvious what i’m up to this fab friday. i actually love halloween and had some pretty crazy costumes in my day, although the wicked witch of the west was never one of them. i suppose these chie mihara’s might make for a fun start to that costume, though. i don’t seem to dress up much these days, so i thought i’d do the next best thing and round up some halloween-inspired holiday decor. boo, y’all!

clockwise, l to r: love this kind of silky spooky halloween get-up; an elegant looking staircase with white pumpkins via houzz; double merrick’s good science print; vintage eclectic fan in hot orange, from ohio picker; vintage ouiji board from ohio picker; 1920′s halloween witch pins from Archipelago Vintage; holm wire pendant lamp via fab.com; howell wingback chair from anthropologie; glitter bats and skull on stand and from west elm; letter file book from three potato four.

• top image – some wicked chie mihara shoes. surrender dorothy!

the much anticipated third issue of Est Magazine is online now. Est is the brain child of Sian MacPherson Editor in Chief & Lynda Evans Creative Director, who have sourced the creative talents of photographers, designers, stylists, writers and trend spotters from around the world to create a magazine with a global style, all wrapped up with inspirational homes from Los angeles to the Hampton’s to the studios of Scandinavia. This issue of Est is Inspired by the streets of Paris, and Dutch interior stylist extraordinaire Anouk B shows you how to work a black and white color scheme. Just my thing!

i’ve got a lot of work to do this weekend, but at least i can do it horizontally. have a super swell weekend, y’all! see you back here on monday!