Celebrate!

I was the lucky recipient of an invitation, to celebrate the one year birthday of a friends daughter this weekend. The feast was all home cooked & a great time was had by all...

Don't forget to show up for those small gatherings, means a lot to the people around you!!

Natasha

All images via

Morning Java

Yep, this is pretty much what is happening right now... Computer open, Coffee in my cup, Breakfast half way done, and any minute I need to be out the door!

Have a busy day scheduled today... Furniture and accessory shopping, could be fun and fruitful, could be a lot of running around, but hopefully we will find at least some of what we need :)

Natasha

Image via Flickr

Sometimes all you need is a little flower!

... and, well, that day was today :) I bought myself a small colorful bouquet of spray roses. 
I just could not pass up the mix of bright colors; Hot Pink, Yellow, White, Orange and Coral.

Loved it even more when my husband asked who sent flowers... & my answer was "You Did" ;)

Natasha

All images NHH for the Northern Light Blog

(Sunday) Morning Java

Full disclosure...

I have not been to this Melbourne, Australia, Coffee Shop, have not tasted their coffee, nor their deliciously looking pastries, but I would sure like to!! 

I stumbled upon these images of Market Lane Coffee, while looking for just the right Morning Java image for today's post, and decided to post this little series, hope you enjoy! And if you happen to have been there, do tell; is everything as good as it looks??? Coffee, atmosphere, food?

Since I have not tasted the coffee, this post - for me - is about the interior... I love all the natural light, but the raw wood of the farmhouse community table against the white subway tile, really makes the space feel warm and cozy, don't you want to plop down here to share a cup of java with a friend??? The consistent use of the dark green enamel is equally as appealing to me! The light fixtures throughout as well as the Tolix chairs and fresh snow berry foliage... someone has a good eye for "the little things" and the consistency of color!

Yummy!! Love the mix and match cup and saucer, very relaxing, and I am so happy to NOT see a plastic spoon!! 

Where will you be enjoying your Saturday Morning Java??

Natasha

All images via Flickr and Pinterest search

TGIF!

A little Retail Therapy on a Friday goes a long way, when trying to keep your sanity intact... :)

Happy Friday, Y'all!!
Natasha

Image via The Everygirl, Hattie Sparks Boutique in New Orleans

Wednesday Inspiration

Crisp, white, bright, lots of natural light, fresh white orchids and a good mixture of interesting accessories...

I am on a mission to "lighten & brighten" my clients homes, and so far I have a few "converts"! Yesterday a client of mine said "I am so happy you came in to our lives. Now I see the light....!"

What more can I ask for??!

Natasha

Image via Domaine,  Meridith Baer Staging

(Monday) Morning Java

Busy week ahead, so starting the week with espresso might be a good idea ;)

Natasha

Image via Pinterest

Sunday Flowers... sort of.

I have been drawn to beautiful food photography this weekend. This simple white cake with its woodsy feel, beautiful roses and orchids bridges the gap of my regular Sunday Flowers post and my "new found love" of sweets...

... and what's better on a Sunday morning than a stack of fresh pancakes, decorated with fresh berries and a slight sprinkling of powdered sugar?

Almost too pretty to eat, almost!

Look at this layered cake decorated with Lilacs and single petal Roses. Just beautiful! I can recommend this board, as well as this board for more visual yummy-ness.

This past week I had brunch at a very dear friends new home (Hi CHB!), and in her bookcase I spotted  a  cookbook I had not seen before. The book was from Anthropology, (no longer available, trust me, I immediately looked for it) and the photography made me want to dive right in... I guess that's where this weeks inspiration came from! Do you ever pick up a cook book, just to look through the images? Or the amount of ingredients... ??

Do you have a favorite cook book? Do share!

Natasha

All images via Pinterest

Friday crush!

Feather light, black & white....

I want one of these!!! 

Never mind that it's close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside :)

Natasha

Image via Biskopgarden

Mirror, Mirror on the...

Just came across this image of a Venetian mirror, and I just LOVE how it brings sparkle and femininity to an otherwise raw space, filled with natural materials!

... this was the "sister image" and - to me - equally beautiful!

... and that brings me to this mirror at a clients newly finished condo. While the entire space was re-done, a few of my clients "old" things were kept and re-purposed, cleaned or re-upholstered. 

(I just snapped this image with my cell phone, so please no judging on the quality of the image. The shadow-y finish is due to the fact that the image was taken "through" the mirror)

The boarder of the mirror is so beautiful! While I didn't immediately have a plan for the mirror, I just knew I had to keep it. The style was nothing like what I was going for, but sometimes (ok, most often), I find that working in a beautiful old piece, is what gives the space character and life!!

Are you a fan of these mirrors, or have they seen better days??

Natasha

Image #1 & #2 via Skona Hem, Image #3 NHH for the Northern Light Blog

Purple, Plum, Lavender....

So, Yesterday I delivered two chairs to a client, re-purposed and re-upholstered, in purple linen.... I must admit, I was very hard to convince that purple was indeed the color to go with, but the client insisted, so.... PURPLE is was! (I will make sure to share a photo when the project is done)

Well, they came out SO WELL, and the client is super happy with them, in fact she now has me looking at purple in a whole new way! A while back I set up a LOVING PLUM Pinterest board, and I just revisited that board for inspiration, take a peek and let me know your love / hate relationship with this color.

Natasha

Image via cotedetexas

Sunday Reading (on a Monday)

As promised.... & a little late, I have been digging in to this brand new third edition of Niels & Iben Ahlberg's NEW STYLE GENERATION, Nordic Interior Decorating. The Danish version has been out for a while, but here comes the English version for all the rest of the world to enjoy! I am sure you will want to dive right in, once you see these these amazing images...

For those of you who are NSG followers, you might recognize the Luxury Style of Anders Krakau, first featured in GEN.ONE, in this new version. His style is impeccable, his love of Luxury Fabrics is evident, and Anders' eye for display and merchandising is very clear.

I always love a behind-the-scenes-look of how creative people live!

In the new GEN.THREE book for iPad there are super cool features, that allow you to zoom in, enlarge already cropped images for more visual yummy-ness :) ! For example... the image above, in the book, is a tall and slim image, but by working the tech magic, you can enlarge and really take in all the details.. Super cool!! Text is limited - or so it seems - but don't be fooled, you can scroll to get all the info you want...

I have always been a lover of a good vignette, and can find new things I didn't previously notice in almost any image.... and then when you have cool tech options that allow you to get a really amazing closer glimpse... even better!! An other reason you should download this book!!

As in the previous STYLE GENERATION books, there is a large variety of Nordic Interiors to choose from! Dark, masculine and very downtown, to light filled rooms with amazing art and pops of color & design classics...

... to "Simple Vintage" , classic Nordic Style that we have all come to love! Mostly White interiors, punctuated with black, old painted wood furniture and tons of ambiance!!

I am convinced that you will not only appreciate the beautifully photographed homes, all the different styles of interiors, but also the super cool tech features the iBook has to offer! One thing is to have a book in your hands, but when this much attention has been given to technology and how it can enhance the experience for the reader, it's really a win / win situation!!

The MOST exciting part you ask....? You have the opportunity to WIN THIS BOOK, just by commenting below (one chance), follow along on the Northern Light Design FB page (one chance), follow along NSG on FB (one chance).... Just leave me a comment below, and three winners for a free book will be drawn at random, by Monday, August 26, 2013.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!!

Natasha

All images curtesy of Niels & Iben Ahlberg.

Thank you for your patience and willingness to supply amazing images for this post! Natasha 

(Weekend) Morning Java

Loving a well organized kitchen!! 

How is this drawer for a perfect coffee and tea stop??

Have a wonderful weekend,

Natasha

Image via Pinterest (Sorry, I missed the link)

Blog Love!

As someone in the know, I am sure you have heard the buzz about the newly opened Serena & Lily store in Wainscott... Well, there is a new blog to go with that, for all of us who wants to follow from afar, it's called The Story.

Here's to wishing I could visit in person, looks amazing, inviting, fun and very Hampton's! 

Admittedly I am a total sucker for well done displays, and this little color story totally caught my eye! 

There was a great little summer entertaining story on the blog a few days back, makes me want to have a garden party... BUT, considering I live in Florida, we will have to wait... too hot, even in the evenings, too muggy, humidity is thick, and the mosquitos are deadly... :) so we will wait a little!

At the end of the month the new Serena & Lily Fall Catalog will launch, here is a little look behind the scenes.

Until then... Happy web-shopping to me :)

Natasha

All images via The Story by Serena & Lily

Summer...

Does it get much better than this?? Hope you enjoy the last days of summer :)

Natasha

Image via Bo Bedre

Sunday Flowers

Yesterday, before the rain set in, I went to the market, with the intend to pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers.... I was thinking pink, but could really have been persuaded to go with "whatever" looked good. I always have a few orchids in my house at all times, I find that not only are they beautiful, but they really last a long time, so for me that's a win-win situation! However, I was at the receiving end of a beautiful bouquet of soft pink Hydrangeas - my favorite - delivered to my door, about two weeks ago, and yesterday was their last day... so, I wanted to replace them. Well, I came home with organic strawberries, heirloom tomatoes, fresh baked cranberry scones and... no flowers! Just was not my day I guess. 

Do you keep fresh flowers in your home? I know from many years of reading the Anna Spiro Blog that she has come under fire from various people, for her constant joy of fresh flowers, and ONLY fresh flowers in her house... I totally get it though, I have been lucky to have grown up with a mom who had a green thumb and we always had fresh flowers on the table, on the night stand and in the bathroom. Unfortunately, the same green thumb did not pass through the genes from my grandmother to my mom to me, so I must buy my fresh cut flowers... Non the less, I truly enjoy selecting them, caring for them & enjoying them for as long as I can!!

Natasha

PS. Check out the mentioned Hydrangea bouquet and current orchid selection in my home, via  Northern Light Design on Instagram.

Image via tumblr

New on the Virtual Newsstand...

Just in time for a rainy day here in Florida, comes the super pretty Adore HOME August / September issue! 

I was happy to see the Trend Alert page... The Preppy Nautical page was right what I have been thinking, actually, I have just finished a quick office makeover for a client, and this is the exact direction we went in :) The fun knot rope pillow fabric we used in the office. As this particular space also had to double as a guest room, I had custom Euro pillows made of this fabric, as well as a daybed skirt. The space has not been properly photographed just yet, but you can find a sneak peek on the Northern Light Blog's FB page.

(Of cause I just noticed that the only fabric you do not see is the knot fabric.. but you get the idea)

If you are interested... 

I used this lamp as a desk lamp, as the owner has a thing for Chevron. Love how it turned out!! 

OK, so this post was not supposed to be about me or work, but simply a beautifully edited magazine, and clearly I only got you to page 18... :)

I suggest you dive in on your own! Lots of entertaining suggestions, as well as styling ideas, those always have me spying for new combos. The issue is full of fun, festive pops of color and lots of bright and cheerful inspiration. Perfect for a rainy day!!

Happy Weekend everyone,

Natasha

Image #1 & #2 Via Adore Home, Image #3 via Horchow