Two years ago I lamented that I wanted to know more about this neighbor’s house in Maine but didn’t want to bother the people who lived there. Luckily, The Boston Globe Magazine did, so I was able to learn all about it and get some great peeks inside here. I knew that house was special, it even made the cover! I just wonder how the heck The Boston Globe managed to find our tiny little island of Spruce Head.

photos by James R. Salomon for The Boston Globe

Sometimes we design bloggers get worn out. We look at so much design all day that it takes a lot to impress us; sometimes nothing seems new. Sometimes I think if I hear “Hollywood Glamour” or “Brooklyn Modern” one more time I might just throw up, and those are two styles I actually like.

Then there are some times when you go on a virtual house tour that gets you really buzzing with excitement again. This was the case when I saw Alysia’s Treehouse by the Lake on Apartment Therapy L.A. Alysia’s decorating philosophy was inspired by The Recycled Home by Sally Bailey. She begged, borrowed, swapped and repurposed. One of the best results was this ottoman she reupholstered with an old coffee bean sack a local roaster gave her.

via Apartment Therapy L.A.

See the entire house tour here.

images via Apartment Therapy L.A.

I grew up in a flyover state (Ohio), and they must be on my mind this week. Yesterday I was thinking about midwestern Seed Bombs, and today I’m taking a virtual house tour in Kansas:

Kirstie Alley was on Oprah the other day, talking about how her first job was being a housekeeper at a wealthy family’s home (she recommends cleaning bathrooms with gallons of cheap vodka), and her second job was at an interior decorator who was high on cocaine a lot of the time. She talked about dreaming of owning this house in her hometown of Wichita Kansas, which was the headquarters of the historical society at the time. She decorated it herself, and there is a fun tour of it over at Oprah.com. Personally, I love the bedroom below, and I love that Kirstie is not afraid of loud, bold wallpaper. The kitchen is beautiful, but because it wasn’t all that large, Kirstie bought the house next door, transformed the entire downstairs into a kitchen, and built a bridge between the two houses. You can see a lot of nods to traditional design and a few moves that seem kinda eighties, but who cares? Kirstie is hilarious and my dad and I sat and watched the segments of her and cracked up the entire time.

all images from Oprah.com

I’m posting these flickr faves a day early because it’s a favorite workspace we missed last week. It comes to us from flickr member lockette. So white. So bright. So ORGANIZED! Those work surfaces and windows make this a perfect creative space. Love the photography too! You can peruse her creations in her Etsy store.

Today I have been admiring this Gastown loft in Vancouver B.C. that I found in our fresh new spaces group on flickr. Thanks so much to flickr member to be, inspired for sharing this! At first, you might browse on by and think “oh big whoop, another gorgeous loft with big windows, exposed brick and beams and huge open space.” However, look closer. This owner really knows how to balance things to perfection. It’s not too rugged, not too sleek. Not too modern, not too eclectic. It’s just right:

This loft strikes a great balance between sleek, modern furniture and some classic glitz; between structural elements like ebony wood cabinets and more worn patinas, like the exposed brick walls and slightly rough-hewn posts. Sticking to the a neutral color palette allows the wide array of textures to stand out.

For more about this loft, link over to this post at To Be, Inspired. Also, this post is hilarious. If you want to learn more about the owner, Sally, click here. She is someone I would love to hang out with!

both images from flickr member to be, inspired, specifically, Ryan. Doesn’t this beautiful photography enhance the palette and style of this space even more? As I watched the slideshow from our group, every one of their photos was obviously theirs.