Of course I finally caved and let them go right before they became hot again. Ugh. I have the worst luck sometimes, like when I really thought WebTV was going to be the next big thing. But I digress.

I’ve been absent from blogging for a few months, mainly so I can focus on a complete redesign of the site and the business, which will include lots of new items.   I thank everyone for a great year, and as your gift for being good boys and girls, I present to you the Magical Aluminum Tree Forest:

I rarely see a black –esp.high gloss– kitchen that looks so bright and chic, but I suppose this particular eat-in kitchen gets away with it because of its adjacency to so many windows.

And of course, there are those lovely white Panton S Chairs.  I love that the organic curves of the chair complement the clean lines of the dining table, the pendant lamps and that glossy black cabinetry!

The rest of the home is actually quite eccentric, save for the bedroom, which is as graphically decorated as this space (with a deeper color palette).  Plus, I think the home owner has a thing for black lamps…

james braund, via desire to inspire

The space was photographed by James Braund, who has a brilliant portfolio.

Found via, Desire to Inspire.

In this kid’s bedroom, Union Jack is used an art piece, continuing on the patriotic color palette of red, white and blue.  Bonus points for that white Eames Aluminum Office Chair!

via decor pad

Betsy Burnham’s Union Jack Dresser, which, when mixed with these other prints, looks really quite tasteful.

via decor demon

In this eclectic home, featured in last week’s DesignNotebook, is The Rug Company’s Jubilee Wall Hanging, designed by Lucinda Chambers.  Love the pop of yellow in the pillows, ottoman and Eames RAR Rocker!

modernica, via desire to inspire

These FLOR tiles are Born in the U.S.A but they’re a chic and graphic throwback to the Union Jack, aren’t they?

via flor

And if that is all too much for you, then a couple of throw pillows will do the trick!

driven by decor, via elle decor

Have a great weekend watching the Olympic Games, everyone!
Go U.S.A.!!

via curbed

via Curbed

It’s often a mix of MCM pieces with some contempo/neo-trad thrown in for good measure,  tastefully mixed prints and patterns, and the home owner usually just has an eye for collecting vintage pieces with a bias towards MCM.

So, here’s a round-up of Quirky Mid-Century Modern homes:

Let’s start with this living room.  With its Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, it has loads of color, yellow Foo Dogs, a glass coffee table and a zebra print rug.  You can never go through with zebra or cowhide.

via estate eclectic

I clearly never tire of Eames.  Here’s a yellow Eames RAR Rocker in a colorful living room, with mostly yellow accents.  It’s an adorable mix of mid-century modern and vintage pieces that make this space great.

modernica, via desire to inspire

This space leans a bit towards retro, what with that orange refrigerator, but I love the color and playfulness of a copper Poul Henningsen Artichoke Lamp and William Platner Table and Chairs (orange!).

via porterhouse designs

This is quirkiness subdued.  Yellow Panton S Chair + white secretary desk + cute floral accents?  Very understated.

via hosue of anais

Finally, there’s Kyle DeWoody’s apartment that was recently featured in Vogue. That was the inspiration for this post.  It’s certainly not everyone’s taste, but her eclectic NYC home has pieces I’m sure everyone would love.

via vogue

So what do you folks think about quirky mid-century modern decor?  Yay or nay?

From the Eames Lounge Chair and Noguchi Coffee Table to the Konstantin Grcic Stacking Chair…and the cowhide rugs!

I love it.  It’s a little weird, but it works.

the living room

via Desire to Inspire

What do you guys think?

Here’s the dining room, with spectacular views of the garden.  The set includes a warm, wooden table and a Model 48 dining chairs by Finn Juhl.  The space is complemented by a set of Poul Henninsgsen Artichoke Lamps.  I kind of like how they’re separated by the steel beams…

dining room

What I love most about the home is that it’s so modern in its mix of materials — stone counter tops, glass walls, wood wall panels, tile and marble floors — as well its eclectic mix of mid-century modern and contemporary pieces.

But enough about that, let’s look at the pretty pictures, shall we?

A William Platner Lounge Chair and Ottoman + Arco Lamp are accented by Ikat floor pillows and a huge area rug.  The stone fireplace is amazing.  I want.  I have to say that for all the stone and concrete in this house, it’s really quite inviting.

sitting area

A Serge Mouille 3-Arm Standing Lamp is always a winner.  I’m not really crazy about animal print (I do make exceptions for cowhide), but I don’t hate this zebra ottoman.

sitting area

home office

Love the accents of gold lighting here in the foyer.

the foyer

What’s also interesting about this home is how modular the spaces are.  Normally I find that to be very boring, but when you have shag rugs, flotsam wood accent pieces, warm lighting and subtly mixed prints/patterns, it gives these spaces a lot more personality.

the bedroom

See what I mean by modular?

the bedroom

So what do you all think of this home?  I love it!

All images c/o Freshome, via Osborn Architects.

via curbed

You can view more of this monstrously boring kitchen over at Curbed.

I saw the following listing on Curbed, and my immediate gut reaction was “Ewww” and “Luann De Lesseps was right, ‘Money can’t buy you class.’”  This space is terribly gaudy, chintzy, jacquard-y, and overall, it’s just tacky.  It’s much too much and a lot for the eyes to take in all at once.

via curbed

That said, the rest of this $72 million (!) home is actually tastefully decorated.  Luxurious, but not too much.

Take a look at the foyer, for example:  it’s gorgeous!

via streeteasy

Shame about that sitting room, though.  This place could have been great.

Curbed, via Streeteasy

Anyhoo, it’s almost the 4th of July non-weekend, so to honor that, here is a bevy of beautiful homes featuring red, white and blue color palettes and accents.  This classic American color combination happens to work well, when done in an understated manner.  For example, an all-white loft with blue and red pieces — used sparingly — is patriotically chic.

via homedit

By the way, this beautiful apartment was built in Athens for a French politician.

Here are a handful of other apartments with the red, white and blue color palette.  This red kilim rug and blue Eames DAW Armchair add personality to this all-white bedroom.

via design tripper

All-white Scandinavian apartments can sometimes look too modern and sterile, with their monochromatic rooms and teak MCM pieces, but this red rug and various blue accent pillows really brighten up the place.

auction decorating via skona hem

This space is a veritable gallery of mid-century modern and contemporary pieces.  The white loft features mostly white pieces, like the Barcelona Daybed and Chairs, with pops of blue, seen in the painting, and red, seen in the Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair.

via arch deco

Can’t get more classic American than this:

hgtv via fresh quince

Have a great 4th of July!!