Beauty & utility of using broken tiles

Broken tiles can look amazing! If you have broken tiles no need to throw them away. You or someone else can create beautiful and useful spaces with them.  It is great when such value (& beauty) is created from what some might consider trash.

Broken tiles add a lot of character and an easy-going, relaxed flair wherever they are used.

I posted about broken tiles before. If you'd like to see more broken tile inspiration, just search "broken tiles" in the search bar on the right column.

Sources: Top image, middle image, bottom image

Live on porches and patios

I am a fan of life outdoors. Eating, sleeping, a coffee break, a conversation...etc, almost any activity can be improved by taking it outside, and covered porches/patios/balconies extend the time you can stay outdoors by protecting you from the sun when it's hot and from rain and snow when it's not. Front porches are especially great since they increase curb appeal. They also improve neighborhoods and bring neighbors closer together in my opinion. Plus it's fun to raise your glass as people go by!

Image sources: Top image, Image 2, Image 3, image 4, bottom image

Fantasy

Top image from life1nmotion.tumblr.com, bottom image from hippyness.tumblr.com

Super easygoing cabin

Just looking at these images is relaxing, and make no mistake, the humble setting & materials have a hand in that effect, too. It would not be as relaxing with super polished fancy stuff. Keep things simple and enjoy life!

Images from gardenandgun.com

Beautiful ≠ fancy

Don't get sold on the idea that fancy and pricey things are more beautiful.  Most often they lack sincerity, and in places & in things (just as in people) nothing is as beautiful as the simple and the natural.

Top two images from apartmenttherapy.com , bottom image from pinterest.com/kvideagirl

Broken tiles outdoors

Creative and great looking use of broken tiles outdoors. A cool way to make something beautiful with stuff that's otherwise headed to a landfill. It's pretty cool in itself to see signs of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and creativity around!

Top image from myhomeideas.com, bottom two images from custommade.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

Cool & unpretentious is a hard combo

Great images portraying an unpolished life with natural and minimally processed materials (or ingredients!)
Notice the lighting, the counter, and the rough wall in the bathroom. Everything about the patio shot with the hammock is great, the ingredients, the bread, and the cutting board are cool in the 3rd shot, and the flooring, the brick wall, and those double doors are really nice in the bottom shot. Enjoy!

Images from BrownDressWithWhiteDots.tumblr.com

Lakeside cabins and a Mediterranean patio

Images from alexxandra81.tumblr.com

Natural stone paths and flagstone patios

These are some amazing looking examples of stonework, and the casual spirit in which they were used in goes so well with the non-uniform and unpolished nature of the stones. Like in that pool image, don't you just love the foliage growing through those stones?

Images from houzz.com

Beautiful outdoor shower & stone patio

Whether its a Mediterranean patio or a tropical outdoor shower area, natural textures and colors, (like the stone walls, flooring and flagstones in the images below) and of course plants, make everything more beautiful, and give their surroundings a rich character.

Images from beaudelish.tumblr.com

Deciduous vines for shade & patio cover

Building an open pergola and using deciduous vines for shade makes a lot of sense. They look amazing, if you use grape vines you get delicious fruit for free, and they give you shade and help cool your house in summer (when you want it) and give you and your house the warmth of sunshine in colder months. Also, did I mention they look amazing!?  

Top image from patioman.hubpages.com, image 2 from houzz.com, image 3 from houzz.com, bottom image from villastjames.com

Homey home & patio

Casual and cozy place with lots of inspiration; some color, natural textures and materials, access to outdoors, and easy-to-maintain stuff always make life better!

Images from EspacioLiving.com

Container gardening - poolside

Container gradening has some pros and cons... for example it's harder to set-up automated watering schedules, and might have to occasionally replant, and move to bigger containers as the root-ball grows bigger, but its also easier to move around depending on temperature or light needs, you don't have to worry about the plant spreading too far, or regretting placement as the plant matures... But never mind all that, the shot below is fantastic!

Image from SouthernLiving.com

Casual landscapes and an amazing shower!

Amazing shots of easy-going exteriors... That green roof and the shade"sail" (or cloth) are amazing. Fabric is always an effective, practical, and inexpensive way to create shade and it has a great casual look.  And that shower... not the most attainable set-up but there's definitely some inspiration there!

Images from JordiCanosa.com

Rustic patio with stone walls

Relaxing cozy bedroom and beautiful patios with natural materials all in the same house? Not too shabby! I love the stone walls and the white paint on the door and window trims.

Images from style-files.com