Praise for mismatched dining chairs

Even though it's the norm, I find matchy-matchy dining sets boring and really enjoy dining tables with mismatched chairs that go well together. I also really like the solid wood tables in these pictures; good-looking, easy-going and practical -built to serve its owners well for life instead of with an intention to impress.




Top image source, bottom image source

Dine-in kitchen: Smart and efficient use of space

It is smart to use space efficiently. It is also more environment-friendly, demands less economically, and in this specific example; friendlier, and cosier. Dining and entertaining right in the kitchen makes sense. Gone are the days of separate dining areas for family vs guests. A kitchen/entertaining space like this is more intimate and homey and in today's world we could use more of that. (That steel beam table is a bit overkill but overall, this is a good-looking and a very practical set up.)

Image from bloodandchampagne.com

Simple is good!

Simple is good. It's honest, efficient, practical, & usually economic. It does not cause jealousy or envy, and it does not stroke one's ego, or  belittle someone else's. It's not interested in the status quo. It let's people be, and it leaves more room for joy. Simple is beautiful.

All images from oneclaireday.com

Casual dining

It's easy to be distracted by stuff (like dining furniture, silverware, glassware, etc) in pursuit of an enjoyable dining experience but what really matters most (and a lot harder to have) is good company. An unpretentious setting is not just OK but preferable so everyone can be themselves. Whether it's some flowers in a vase, a potted plant nearby, or a lush garden, let nature provide all the aesthetic touches.

Top image from desdemventana.blogspot.hu and the bottom one is from jellysundae.tumblr.com

Sophisticated casual

Casual decor does not have to be like a dorm room. When done right, casual is sophisticated and mirrors the elegance of modesty and natural beauty.

Images from johanfrancoise.blogspot.com

Stone paths, stairs, & rustic outdoor dining

These images make a great case for natural materials and forms, don't they? They age better, they look better, they're easier to maintain, and take less processing to prepare. What else could we ask for? Btw, the paint job in that patio is really nice, too.

Images from bluepueblo.tumblr.com

Interiors with character (or, random inspiration 2)

The most inspiring interiors are neither the ones that were put together with expensive items, or are organized and anally matchy-matchy in style, or color, etc. The real beautiful interiors have a quality that is hard to easily replicate, they're not formulaic. They are not just for show, they don't seem lifeless and perfect as if the stylists have just left, or empty like a fancy hotel suite waiting for its guests. They are lived in and the inhabitants' lifetstyle added to the room's style. They have character.

Images from brendan-i-am.tumblr.com

1.White 2.rustic 3.colorful -All cozy!

Create warm, cozy, and beautiful spaces whether you like the cleanliness of white, the character of rough & natural materials, or the liveliness of bright colors.

Images from jongenandmeisje.tumblr.com

Homey cozy

These are some great places in my opinion, and what's common between them is little touches of grace, natural materials, and well-kept but showing-some-wear items. I love those bright yellow dining chairs and the Thonet dining chairs.

Images from DesireToInspire.net

Warm & unpretentious

Found a new blog that I'm excited about; WarmDeco.blogspot.com seems to have a lot of inspiring pictures of unpolished homes and casual settings.

Equipale furniture

I love these equipale chairs. The rustic natural materials, naturally tanned leather, and that they are still made by hand as they were centuries ago give them a lot of character -and yes, they are very comfortable and look great!

Top image from an ebay listing by roxx (obviously won't be there forever) and the bottom image from ppebble.blogspot.com

Tasteful!

Whether you have a tiny balcony or an amazing patio, or you have neither and you're just at a park somewhere, food tastes better outdoors (weather permitting!) and the more you eat outside the happier life will be. That first picture is an especially ideal set up for the art of dining al-fresco (a pretentious way of saying eating outdoors) with that great flooring, super cool stone walls and the patio awning put together using unpolished, minimally processed logs.

Images from DelightByDesign.blogspot.com

The good life

Clean, simple, rustic, and easygoing place by the interior designer Sarah Lavoine. Notice the lack of status symbols in or around this place. The exterior shots are great, I just wish there were more of them.

Images from CoteMaison.fr

The Nature House

Natural textures, forms, and colors inside and out, the whole place is put together using minimally processed materials. Very cool place indeed.

Images from fubiz.net

Humble & happy kitchens

These kitchens don't have the newest fancy appliances or thousand-dollar faucets but they're better off for it. Seek comfort and joy, not luxury and status.

Images from an article by Lily Gahagan on Houzz.com

Easygoing & cozy > fancy

Easygoing and relaxed environments are always more interesting and happier than fancy and luxury environments. Relax, get comfortable, and enjoy!

Images from SweeterHomes.blogspot.com

'Soft'ware vs. 'hard'ware

Pretty cool kitchen this one. The exposed beams are nice and I like the fabric "curtain" covers used instead of cabinet doors.

Image from HouseAndHome.com but I saw it on KeenAndFitting.blogspot.com first.

Casual colorful kitchen

An easy-going casual kitchen with some color. I love the linoleum floor. It's low maintenance and practical. You don't need to worry about dropping something and breaking or cracking tiles, and you don't need to worry about grout lines slowly but surely collecting dirt. No grout lines also make them easier to mop and sweep, they're environment-friendly and hey, these classic checkered patterns look great, too. What more do you want?

Image from avotakka.fi but I saw it on DesireToInspire.net first.

Cozy by Ralph Lauren

This is Ralph Lauren's ranch in Colorado. He proves that he has good taste by creating a warm, cozy, and most importantly an easy-going place with colorful kilim rugs, distressed leather, and lots of unpolished rough stones and wood.

That's a cool cabinet below. Simply and honestly put together without any fluff or pretense. RL has the good sense to let it show its age and what it's been through.

Images from ArchitecturalDigest.com