Velvet & Linen

all cleaned up for the new year

Just when you thought I was all sinked out! Here are a few of my favorite bathroom sinks.

The incredibly talented Anna Spiro  from Black and Spiro as well as the gorgeous blog Absolutely Beautiful Things

was kind enough to give us a tour of her home. I fell in love with her bathroom sink.

It has a bit of an industrial rustic feel to it, but it looks so elegant against the white tiled wall.

I love the mismatched mirrors!

I always find it interesting to turn an old furniture piece into a sink base. 

A simple vessel sink looks so lovely on top of this painted piece.

image by Christopher Drake

A stunning  Swedish painted cabinet in a muted bathroom.

image from Swedish Interiors

This long console makes a great sink with extra space for towels and a pitcher.

image by Christopher Drake

My Gustavian cabinet looks so divine as a sink cabinet in my bathroom, although

Stefan from Lief was horrified when I told him what I was going to do! Oh well.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

I thought this was such an interesting piece. I love the combination of the 

dark wood with the Carrera marble top.

image by Christopher Drake

Skirted cabinets are beautiful and a great inexpensive sink base option.

image Christopher Drake

Another pretty skirted sink.

image by Christopher Drake

This is a gorgeous pedestal sink by Michael Smith.

image from the Lascaux tile website

Michael Smith used a double pedestal sink in this all marble slab bathroom.

image via Cote de Texas

Larry Laslo used this magnificent double pedestal sink in this all white bathroom.

Pedestal sinks work well  in small spaces, like this little bathroom designed by

Gil Schafer.

I love my pedestal sinks in my little bathroom.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

I think this simple clean sink looks fantastic with the Venetian mirror.

Love the open shelves for fluffy towel storage.

Simon Upton Domino Magazine

I have no idea what this piece was originally used for, but it certainly looks great as a sink!

image by Christopher Drake

or what about a simple stone sink ?

image by Christopher Drake

xo

Brooke

i have a sinking feeling

I love big kitchen sinks. I never understood why someone would want a small sink or one that is broken up into two sections. This should only be done if the sink is extra extra large, in my opinion.  I like my sink big enough to stick a whole turkey platter in for a scrubbing.

Country Living image by William P. Steele

Although this sink has two basins, they are both clearly big enough to fit a nice sized

platter. I don't think they make sinks this big anymore, but I'm not sure why not!

Country Living image by Chuck Baker

This is one of my favorite sinks. I'm sure it is old and irreplaceable. Love the color. Love the size.

Country Living  image by Steven Randazzo

I do like how this skirt looks underneath this large beauty. 

Country Living image by Gridley and Graves

My friend, Linda Kennedy gave her farmhouse sink (with my favorite bridge faucet)

a simple natural linen skirt in her Swedish inspired kitchen.

image from Swedish Interiors

I loved the idea so much that I skirted my own sink.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

Jennifer Nicholson's farmhouse sink looks lovely against all of those marble slabs!

We used a similar sink in this French inspired kitchen. The sink looks 

so pretty with the Calcutta marble slab counters.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

A pretty vintage farmhouse sink set on top of a small cabinets looks so charming in this 

all white kitchen.

Country Living image by Keith Scott Morton

The nice thing about large sinks is that you can pair them with different types of faucets.

They look fantastic with these more modern industrial faucets. Wouldn't it be easy to clean my turkey

platter with that faucet!

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

Gil Shafer's stainless steel farmhouse sink adds a bit of an industrial feel to his kitchen and

complements the other steel appliances.

A large stainless sink can even work in a more traditional kitchen.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

This is a lovely industrial beauty. I like those stainless shelves as well!

Country Living image by William P. Steele

This large and lovely sink has been placed inside a vintage cabinet.

So charming.

Country Living image by William P. Steele

The owners of Riviera Maison used  granite slabs for their sink to match their beautiful counter tops.

image from British Homes and Gardens

Here are a few sinks from kitchens that Steve designed that have matching slab sinks and counter tops.

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

image Giannetti Architecture and Interiors

The only thing better than one large sink is two large sinks!

image via MarleyandLockyer

xo

Brooke

a gorgeous santa barbara estate

Bobby Webb is an amazing designer who creates magnificent estates around the Santa Barbara area in California. I have been a huge fan ever since he and Steve worked on a project together in nearby Summerland.

I thought I would share with you images of his own home that he shares with his long time partner Michael Corbett.  Their home was published in Santa Barbara Magazine (one of my favorite lifestyle publications) in June 2006.

Although their estate is close to downtown Santa Barbara, you would never know it when you enter the gates. Bobby and Michael have a large collection of exotic birds, including these beautiful pink flamingos.

photographs by Lisa Romerein

One of the original buildings from when the property was a working ranch sits

next to one of three ponds that Bobby designed. 

Bobby and Michael's Caribbean influenced home sits in a secluded canyon.

One of the many porches that wraps around the main house.

Carved Indian Architectural elements add interesting detail to their home that was completed in 1995.

The dark wood of these pieces look magnificent against the green walls.

Their Hepplewhite-style chairs and dining table were made in England by one of my favorite furniture makers, Elijah Slocum. 

This Victorian fretwork is an example of Bobby Webb's attention to detail.

Two Italian Renaissance chairs make a beautiful seating arrangement in their living room.

Their bedroom is my favorite room in the house. It is tropical elegance at its best.

Sleeping in this bedroom would make me feel like I was on vacation all year long.

all photographs by Lisa Romerein

xo

Brooke

elizabeth dinkel

Recently I was introduced to the amazing work of Elizabeth Dinkel.

  She designed this exquisite bedroom in the Veranda Show House at Greystone Manor in

Beverly Hills. I loved everything about the room: the window treatments, the amazing beds, the

fantastic graphic carpet. 

 

photograph Luxe Magazine by John Ellis

I thought you might enjoy some of the other images from her website

I love her use of graphic patterns. I don't think I would have been bold enough to use a 

patterned wall paper and rug, but it works fantastically. Perhaps because she keeps the colors

fairly neutral down. Love the touches of burnt orange.

 

Another lovely bedroom. Ms. Dinkel uses beautiful window treatments.

Another fun window treatment in a bold graphic pattern works wonderfully in

a child's room.

 

Ms. Dinkel brightens up a classic all white kitchen with green and yellow accents. 

Those pendant lights are fantastic!

This teal green is such a soothing color and works so well with the grass cloth on the walls

and the white desk.

Another example of how well Ms. Dinkel combines different graphic patterns.

the red desk is just gorgeous!

Ms. Dinkel keeps everything classic and simple in this bathroom. She adds interest with her 

wallpaper selection and matching green accessories.

What a beautiful place to sit on a summer's evening. 

 

xo

Brooke