Special Guests

Remember when I mentioned I had some special company over a few weeks ago? I didn't want to jinx it so I kept mum but now its safe to reveal. The incredibly nice Annie Werbler of Apartment Therapy came over to feature Brooklyn Limestone with a full on house tour on Apartment Therapy.

With the exception of one misinformed comment and some tv hating, the comments have been really sweet. Phew! I don't think the sensitive amateur designer in me could take too much bashing. I'll keep my fingers crossed it stays that way :)

And speaking of special guests, I have a guest series for you Im really excited about. As a hard core house porn and blog addict, I'm always looking for ways to feed my both addictions at the same time. Starting Monday, Im kicking off the "My Favorite Nook" series where I've asked some of the most stylish bloggers to share their favorite corner/room/spot. And luckily for me, some of them actually responded!

While I love a good design mag, nothing is quite as wonderful as seeing a personal real life space along with the story behind it. So I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did!

I asked each contributer to answer the following questions:
1. What/where is it?
2. Why is it your favorite?
3. How have you made it your own?
4. If you could change one thing, what would it be?


A big thanks to those who were kind enough to share. They are none other than the fabulous:

3 men and a lady
Freckles Chick
Isabella & Max Rooms
Ish & Chi
Jeremy and Kathleen
La Dolce Vita
Lavender & Lilies
Oh Brooke
Rambling Renovators
Visual Vamp

A few are coming next week with a few more later this month. If you like the series, please let me know. I'd love to keep it going!

Buon Giorno Roma!

If you noticed I was absent from my duly appointed blog rounds last week, then you might have guessed we weren't home. You guessed right! We were away enjoying the fabulous city of Rome!


Even though the timing coincided with Valentine's Day, this wasn't a romantic trip. We took our teenage niece on her first trip to a foreign country. While we had both been to Rome before, there was so much more I wanted to see. Once we arrived, we hit a bit of bad luck - our niece got a stomach bug - so we didn't hit as many of the sites as I would have liked. Regardless of the hiccups, Rome was even more beautiful then I remembered it.

We picked an apartment hotel this time and loved the feeling of having our own little flat in the city. As an added bonus, I loved the style of the place.

I'd never think about orange and green looking good together but it really worked here. I loved the chevron floors and if I could have taken those chairs home with me, I would have!

Speaking of taking something home with me, I fell in love with this painting. Any chance anyone recognizes it? I'd love to buy a reproduction.

I searched high and low for something like it but came up empty handed.

Ok, enough about that...lets get to the sites!

One of my favorite things about Rome are the amazing sculptures that are everywhere. You can't walk a block without being astounded at the beauty of it all right in the middle of a very bustling, modern city.
Every little side street held a new view.



On Sunday morning, I headed out alone to check out the Port Portese flea market. I wasn't lucky enough to find much worth buying but it was an interesting walk with plenty to browse.



And of course no trip to Rome is complete without a mosey to Vatican City.
Even if you aren't particularily religious, its hard not to be wow'd by the sheer majesty of the Vatican and the history of its musuems.


And when I wasn't oogling some ancient ruin or spot where Michelangelo stood, I tried to soak in as much of Rome as I could. It's a very tourist friendly, multi-faceted place. I hope we get to return one day.



Like my photos? You can buy select prints starting at just $6! My favorites from Rome as well as the other trips I've blogged about are available now. Click here to browse.

Master Bathroom Renovation: From Useless Space to Bathroom and Walk In Closets

When I was writing this 3-year recap of our home renovation, I realized I hadn't taken any photos of our master bathroom. Not that anything earth-shattering has happened in there since, but it just seemed wrong that it didn't have its own post. Particularly as it's one of my very favorite spots in the house.

 

Master Bathroom Before the Renovation

To refresh your memory, it didn't always look like this. It didn't even start out as a bathroom. We took this windowless room next to what became our master bedroom and turned it into a master bathroom and his & her closets.
 

Insert renovation montage music here.

 

Master Bathroom Renovation After

So why do I love it so much in here? First off the idea of having a master bathroom that only my husband and I use is pretty fabulous. It's our private sanctuary. (Neither of us had ever lived in a house with more than one bathroom before so this is the high life!) Another perk is having my very own medicine cabinet. All my lotions and potions just for moi.

And if that weren't enough, I heart the thermostatic shower. No need to futz with the hot and cold until its just right. The temp is always perfect with just a quarter turn.

Another detail I'm so happy we included in the master bathroom reno was adding a between the beams skylight right over the vanity. Its a little thing but it makes a big difference.

And finally, this little orchid we picked up at Ikea a few weeks ago. I have somehow managed to keep it alive thus far! No one is more amazed than me about that.

Eventually, I'd like to add some art to the left-hand wall. But I haven't yet found something just right yet. Any ideas?

If you liked this master bathroom renovation be sure to check out my Black and White Bathroom Mini Makeover!