i’ve been trying to figure out what the heck to do with my dining room for a while now. i hung the patrick townsend white orbit chandelier, but since i painted over the black walls, it’s been just looking terribly drab in there – lacking drama! so last night, i got this idea — what if i went pale, pale pink and added some kind of statement piece, as those in the know like to call it (clench your teeth and say it all fancy-like: staaatemeent peeece). so here’s what i’m doing. wish me luck!

i’ve painted the walls benjamin moore’s ‘wispy pink’ – it’s real pretty and adds a light glow to the room. then, i ordered anthropologie’s etched arcadia mural, which i’m going to hang on the wall loosely – like a tapestry. at least in theory, that’s what i want to do — i like the idea of it feeling a bit 3-dimensional. then, i ordered west elm’s grommeted iron velvet drapery panels for the window, and their Industrial Pipe curtain Rod in rubbed iron — it’s got a loft-curtain feeling that i really like, and kind of tones down the idea of velvet, if that makes any sense — perhaps more edgy.

i’m also adding west elm’s souk rug. i’ve been hankering for it since they brought it for the catalog shoot, and had to have one. this will all live with my dining room set, and then, i think i’ll hang rico suave above the buffet — that will be on the alternate wall, across from the mural wall. and the faux white fireplace mantel will live at the end wall. voilá! i hope this works as well as it does in my head!

i got it into my head that i’d like to move the little ikea HÅVET sofa bed that was in my office, out into the breakfast nook, because it gets a lot of nice light off the sun porch, and it would be a nice spot to blog from. so i dragged the darn thing (it was like a dead body) out there to the nook, and i think i quite like it. the office has more space for actually getting work done now, so that’s a plus as well. more on how i redecorated the office space soon.

well, no matter how you feel about it, valentine’s day is just around the corner, and many of you have some gifts to get. or perhaps you’d like to just spoil yourself a bit! why not!? so this fab friday i’m gathering some romantic gift ideas for you. happy v day!

1. i’d love to cozy up with a loved one in this gorgeous upholstered chair photographed by david prince; 2. lisa stickley’s sweet valerie make-up bag is a nice choice for a bestie; 3. i love this very prim and proper girlie BOX BAG WITH METAL CLASP from zara; 4. these are a cute valentine gift idea — jayson home’s little pocket mirrors; 5. completely in love with west elm’s finn chandelier for the light of your life; 6. i’d about sell my soul for this very romantic Siedlung Essen fine art print by Andreas Gursky, via art space; 7. perhaps you need a pretty bauble for someone really special — i’d love to receive quail pond design’s Sterling silver bubble necklace with aquamarines and pink tourmalines; 8. and some festive little chiffon shoe clips from ban.do can dress up any shoe for a valentine evening out.

whoa. that’s all i have to say about the latest issue of est magazine. issue no. 4 of est just knocked my socks off. if i could pin it i would pin almost every single page. if you’re a scandinavian design lover-freak like me, you gotta go look at est — like right now. and subscribe — it’s free! est is just amazing. i’m still processing all the goodness, but had to post about it right this minute.

oh, and on a side note: this Safari Chair by Kaare Klint they featured. i need it — along with a few of these other very lovely items. thanks est — more to add to my very long existing wish list!

there’s no doubt about it, i love me a bit of london. my grandmother lucy was from leicester, england, and i think much of her has rubbed off on me. i love the charm, and the friendly faces, i love the pastel-colored row houses on notting hill’s cobblestone streets. the merry shops, and having high tea. i love the 60′s brit-pop and i love all the history. all of jolly old england fills me with glee. so this week, in my dreams, i live here — in london town. i think the house cat got to the pretty pink sofa, but it’s no less charming, right? a bit scruffy, just like london, but all the better for it.

my london townhome is bound to be a bit quirky, kitchen included. i think a bright pink wall will suit it splendidly, above via fashions designers at home.

the kitchen may well require a striped smeg refrigerator for a bit of modern pop, and perhaps a print of mary quant’s Quant by Quant book via amazon. of course there will be pretty vintage china, via nest pretty things. and how about a fab pink union jack gracing one of my kitchen walls (below).

i think i’ll have loads of fresh white paint and a smashing bit of modern pop adorning the dining room walls, and a pretty staircase too, via marie claire maison. and the living room will be an elegant and eclectic mix of old and new like this one from Eklund Stockholm New York.

the bedroom will be bright and cheerful, and i’ll stash my bicycle for flea market runs in there, just because it looks pretty cute, via stella nicolaisen. and a cozy throw or two will keep me warm on those winterly london nights, from ohleander.

i’m quite certain a black & white checkered bath is needed, via stadshem; along with these funky antique rose bath towels from cath kidston for a bit of feminine fun. and in honor of the queen (and me!) i’ll hang a Vintage london bus sign, from signarama.

i also plan on popping around town in some silver go-go boots, like linda rodin’s via refinery29. if you know where to find these, by the way, do tell! right then, pip, pip…cheerio.

• top photo by carolina romare.

i’m feeling a little bit like i’m running up the down staircase to catch up here after all my time away. there’s no rest for the wicked! but, at least it inspired me. i love staircases, don’t you? there’s something romantic about them, and i remember as a kid, always wishing we lived in a two-story house, instead of our suburban single level tract home. so dullsville! i think there’s some kind of hopeful anticipation to a staircase, always wondering what awaits you at either end.

love everything about this room, and its pretty spiral staircase, via lonny.

how about hot pink staircase. i say, ‘oh yes!’, via kate spade new york; and a spiral version photographed by bruno suet.

a very hot tin staircase (above) and a very mod one (below), both via stadshem.

i love the jet black stairs, via nuevo estilo.

pretty modern staircase via residence magazine; and elizabeth roberts’ home via remodelista.

• top images via the guardian, as seen on automatism; and bettie page via planet soul.

i let a few people loose with chalk at my new year’s eve party. first time the virginal chalkboard wall has been chalked up. i like it. thanks friends.

• sources: rust-oleum black chalkboard paint; vintage knoll saarinen table; pink eames chairs from modernica; vintage and anthropologie candlesticks; clock from crate & barrel outlet; shanna murray wall decal; brookyn rehab porcelain branch; camilla engman print from sebastian foster; oh darling, let’s be adventurers by fife du vie.

chairs. chairs are my thing. the thing i can’t live without, the things i covet. like this pair of awesome eames wire chairs, the very cool looking patio chair from la silla acapulco(i think i could even live with it indoors). and this big hunk of handsome black leather chair from rue and this gray one shot by pierre-jean verger — swoon!

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.

From top: Erasers $2.75 Kaufmann Mercantile; Notebook $2 Kate’s Paperie; Vintage Card Files $47 AMradio; Eco friendly Brush $2 Stubby Pencil Studio; Vintage Desk Lamp $25 Camelotia; Eco friendly Wood Journal $16 Night Owl Paper Goods; Jars $14 Terrain.