did you know the always affordable, and very often ahead of the curve, Swedish IKEA, has a blog? it’s called Life at home or livet hemma in swedish. i’ve been hitting ikea since the first one in california opened in the mid-80′s — we’d make the trek out to riverside, and marvel at the stylish bargains. i like how easily you can mix up IKEA’s Scandinavian pieces with traditional, vintage, mid-century and modern contemporary furnishings for a really eclectic and individual look — even though a million other people may have the same piece. it’s just neutral and cool enough to work.

livet hemma is in swedish, but you can google translate it into almost any language, and you’ll find loadss of inspiration and ideas, and even ikea diy hacks! i like a company that shares how to hack themselves — it’s pretty genius if you ask me. here’s a look at life at home.

Whenever I think of Nicole, I think pattern and color, so this dress ($228) would be sheer perfection. I’d add a quirky pendant ($18) to break up the pattern and balance the top half with navy tights and these great suede navy peep toe heels ($50). Top top off the look in an evening-appropriate manner, this navy sequined clutch ($20) fits the bill.

Enjoy you’re night on the town, Nicole – you look stunning!

until next time, xo erin, design for mankind.

as far as i can translate i think freunde von freunden means something like friends of a friend, or something close. anyhow, that’s kind of how i feel about berlin-based blog freunde von freunden — they feel like friends who inspire me endlessly. and i mean endlessly — i linger and look at their site all day long. i get happily stuck there all the time, and it makes me long for a trip to berlin.

i thought i’d share a few of my favorite images from their interviews and home/studio tours with some creative artists and designers who are pretty inspiring as well. if you haven’t already, check out freunde von freunden. oh, and they have a new book out as well, which will be available for shipping to the states in january. some happy new year news, indeed!

i absolutely love this home of fashion stylist kirsten hermann. effortlessly chic, in that thrown together european way i can’t get enough of, and have a hard time pulling off myself. how do they do it? i like the uncluttered rooms, with very few mid-century modern furniture pieces, and that the focus seems to be on the large format photos kirsten’s framed and displayed like a modern gallery. simple, and perfectly elegant.

• photos via freunde von freunden.

yet again, i find myself on a blog, with no clue how i quite got here. but i could spend a lot of time of les composantes, gathering inspiration for some pretty fun little fall ensembles. this tuesday’s girl, i found myself down the rabbit hole that is les composantes, a boutique & blog all written in french, so i cannot read it, but nonetheless a very stylish place to be. be sure to visit especially since their sale today includes a selection of vintage pieces!

• fall leaves photo via Zee❀Longenecker; azaleas via cori kindred.

my fantastically fun new logo was designed by the super talented artist shanna murray, and her beautiful creation set the tone for much of the design to follow. thank you so much, shanna, you designed exactly what i was envisioning without even having to say it out loud. shanna, you had me at hello.

and the overall concept and magically delicious design and development? yep, some of you may have guessed from my secretive tweets — that our very own much beloved anna dorfman of door sixteen made me the happiest blogger in the land, designing this brand new, bright and shiny blog for me. i literally cried with utter and complete joy when anna sent me the first comp — that someone could get me so well. we may be separated at birth after all — certainly by many miles — but not at heart. thank you anna, for everything i ever wanted (with the exception of the man of my dreams, and maybe much longer legs).

and now — the big reveal:

so, please do have a look around! you’ll now find the navigation bars on the right, so click and discover! everything is still there, but hopefully improved for you to easily find just what you may be so desperately seeking:

• there’s a little bit about me, and my awesome contributors — read about them — they’re talented people you wanna know.

• check out the categories – everything is there, just roll over the categories, click and browse by thumbnail!

• resources – still sharing the most up to dates finds around the web, and beyond.

• there’s a bit about my press, should you find that scintillating reading.

• you can contact me about sponsorship, including discounts for independent designers and mom&pop shops. i love those.

• and, lastly, a way to contact me — i always like to hear from you.

should you have any questions about the new site, or have any trouble (we may have some tiny glitches to work out), please comment below, and i’ll get back to you asap! i hope you like it! have fun and here we go – brand new and improved sfgirlbybay! happy, happy!

i have no idea how i ended up finding this shop, but it’s just so lovely to look at, and with beautiful handmade shoes to buy. i think it was these black oxfords from albert et henriette that first lured me there, and then i discovered her blog, le dans la, and was equally smitten. albert et henriette is in french, but the blog has english translation. it doesn’t really matter to me, though. it all translates to beautiful. it’s like some sublime french country fantasy, no?

• all photos courtesy of albert et henriette.

this week i received a very kind note from a reader, ana of anamu, where she happily reports on flea markets and vintage finds – her favorite past-time. she and her boyfriend have just embarked on an adventure of a lifetime – a move from los angeles to london, and she shared a few posts with me from their recent trip to paris. well, did these ever get me in the mood! i just had to share her beautiful photos and blog with you, too. thanks, ana!

happy friday everyone…stay tuned for some awe-inspiring guests posts…and i’ll do my best to check and share some pics from abroad!

“maybe it’s the time of year, or perhaps it’s caused by my inherent love for colour, but my ‘IT list’ certainly has a summertime vibe to it.  I’m hankering after a trip to Karpathos or Corfu, where I used to holiday with my family when I was younger, so that might explain my love for Greek food and keenness to read Food From Many Greek Kitchens. With crazily busy days, I find time in the kitchen relaxing: the gentle hum of the oven and bubbling water upon the stove give me a chance to unwind from the day. Although, in all honesty, my mum has a serious addiction to cookery books, so I think I might have inherited that, too!”

“We’ve also just moved into a new place in London so I’m enjoying the process of setting up home and deciding where things should be housed. Of course, with a new place comes the perfect excuse for a little shopping, and I’ve had my eye on the cookie jar owl from Anthropologie for quite some time – perhaps now I can justify it?! I’d love to hop on a plane, Sibella Court’s new book in hand, and explore some of the City’s creative spaces for some new props. The ‘geometry of pasta’ tea towel is homage to the excessive amounts of pasta that my partner and I eat, plus I like quirky, graphic takes on everyday things. I’m thinking of framing it and hanging it in our kitchen.

Although I’ve long loved brights, I’m starting to flirt more vintage – I like the sense of history that comes with a piece that’s a little worn around the edges. Most of the items from Three Potato Four, and AMRadio’s Etsy store, have me clambering for the credit card, but these reproduction wire baskets would be especially great for extra storage along the top of the kitchen cabinets. Also, I’m starting to collect old American glassware, so this Mineral Oil bottle would be a good addition.”

“As for the IKEA sofa, well we have a Karlstad sofa at the moment (it’s affordable, comfortable and easy to move between rentals), but I’d like to switch up the covers with their new Isunda Grey colourway.  It was the elongated nature of this flip clock that first caught my eye, but taking a closer look I fell for its slightly worn charm and industrial, utilitarian look. Finally, I felt I had to include this delightful kitchen; yellow cabinets and circus lights strung from the ceiling just about sums up my aesthetic!”

i’ve shared the fabulousness that is the 10cent designer before. here, here and here, and probably elsewhere, too  i’m a big fan. but now miss 10cent, aka calgary-based interior designer lori andrews has a brand new blog, the 10cent designer. yay! not only is lori a great designer, she’s also a fabulous photographer, so her blog is the perfect place to showcase her many talents. she decorates it, then she shoots it – perfecto!

lori shared a recent project with me that’s downright stunning – a new penthouse with a magnificent view of a natural forest preserve. she and her client jill have been working together for years, but her client needs to be budget-conscious, so she and lori work together every six months or so to decide what to tackle next. there’s a great mix of high and low – Ikea mixed with licensed and vintage mid-century modern finds.

This apartment is the culmination of several years collaboration together. sometimes to her clients’ dismay, lori encourages them to remove pieces rather than add them. they joke that she’s part therapist, helping her clients let go of sentimentality towards material goods. but the result of lori’s discerning eye is a look that is eclectic, yet clean, fresh and modern.

The client used to own a large cabinet that housed extra dishes and accessories which stood behind the sofa. lori suggested that instead of a credenza against the wall or a table behind the tufted sofa, the space would look amazing with some very large artwork. This painting is by the artist Leslie Bell.

they continue to collect timeless and well designed furniture pieces. the client picked up the circa 1955 danish desk, by Gunni Omann and the hanging light fixture in the office herself.

for more of lori’s fabulous interiors, as well as her photography and her yummy recipes (oh yeah, and did i mention she’s a great gluten-free cook, too?), follow along with the 10cent designer, and check out her designertweets on twitter told ya she was talented.