Lively hacienda tiles

Hacienda style tiles are an excellent way to add some color and beauty to otherwise plain areas. The bright colors and patterns help make the place more lively, friendly, and cozy. Since hacienda tiles are well-glazed they hold up to the elements well and are good options for outdoors use, as well.

^ When used outdoors, hacienda tiles' shiny finish creates a pleasant visual contrast with natural textures. That contrast of textures and colors also make hacienda tiles go well with saltillo tiles and rough stucco.

^ Just a border of hacienda tiles around a window add character and color.

^ The imperfect paint job and the huge bougainvillea pair well with hacienda tiles as well.

 sources: image 1, image 2, image 3, image 4

Broken tiles, stairs, creativity, & resourcefulness

I love it when something useful and beautiful is created resourcefully. That's how everything should be created.

Image from salvagesecretsblog.com

"Dreams don't work" stairs

I love the quote and personalizing your space without restraint. You'll be happier in an environment like that than in a soulless but supposedly good-looking space. Funny how as some people grow they start caring more about what others would think rather than what brings them joy (Another symptom of this transition is caring more about the frame rather than the artwork.)

Images from jocundist.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

White summer pool & stairs

Rough and un(der)processed materials always make an environment more relaxing and easy-going -concepts that go especially well with vacations & summer!

Images from TinyWhiteDaisies.tumblr.com - check it out!

Rough wood banister

This unprocessed piece of wood makes a great banister/handrail, and looks really cool, too. There are so many benefits to using minimally processed materials, and the most apparent and the least quantifiable one is the character and style that comes with it. It's goodness that shows through.

And this easy-going living room is from the same house. Not bad, no?

Images from CountryLiving.com