Court Side

Warmer months ahead means more time spent outdoors, and the idea of a courtyard is especially appealing as it offers privacy as well as an extension of indoor/outdoor living.

The epitome of an outdoor living room, great for entertaining.

A courtyard with a pool.

A very European inspired courtyard, ideal for long leisurely late afternoon lunches.

Another European inspired courtyard, perhaps an entrance to a building that makes a great spot for congregating.

A courtyard garden.

A more tropically eclectic inspired courtyard, with Spanish and Mediterranean influences.

Overlooking vast greenery, a courtyard with a reflecting pool.

The graveled courtyard.

Cozy and casual and well-landscaped.

Images via Houzz and Pinterest.

House Tour: A Contemporary Gem in West LA

A house tour not to be passed up! Having stumbled across this contemporary house featured on California Home + Design's website, a gem of a property located in the Westchester neighborhood of West LA, had to share!



Perfect for hanging out or entertaining, a cozy outdoor space with a built-in fireplace.



A sunny, colorful kitchen.



The outside kitchenette becomes an extension of the house, perfect for indoor/outdoor living.



A chic eclectic vibe for the master bathroom, complete with vintage chairs.



The master bathroom is clean and contemporary with a bathtub that overlooks a picture window, offering a lot of natural light while maintaining privacy with an opaque lower window.



An awesome office with lots of vibrant colors.



The backyard offers great play space for kids.

For the complete story and credits, read the full article here.

The Stoned Bathroom

Beautiful bathrooms bathed in natural stone...

Gold and glam with Carrara marble.

Lots of veining in the marble floors and walls bring color and interest to this bathroom designed by Steven Grambel.

Carrara subway tiles, always a classic.

Silver accents tie in nicely with Carrara marble too.

Stone tiles and a basketweave pattern tiled shower floor make for a more rustic bathroom.

Dramatic black & white: Carrara Marble with Nero Marquina 3x6 field tiles.

One dramatic slab of stone is like a piece of artwork in this bathroom.

[All images via here on Pinterest.]

For more natural stone inspiration, check out some of my images from a recent trip to a slab yard here, here, and here on Instagram.

Playful Play Spaces

Kids need room to play! They also need room for toys, creative work spaces, and plenty of floor space to spread out on. Here are some posh play spaces - for both indoors and out!



Room to hang out - storage, seating, work table...this playroom has it all!

A chic, modern playroom with plenty of floor space.

This playroom has plenty of room for books to display with it's built-in wall shelving.



Accessible, and yet organized, toy storage is a must.



Chalkboard walls are fun! Great idea in painting closet doors!



Or a chalkboard table!



Or even one for outside!



And while on the subject of the outdoors - this DIY project is for a portable sand box, very clever!



Built-ins and a window seat make this a dreamy playroom!

Or let your imagination run wild with creative playroom environments, like a teepee!

All images via Pinterest.

Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas

Earlier this past week I attended the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference, a three day event taking place in Las Vegas. It was my first time ever attending, and I definitely think it's worth a visit!

The show was also presented by Hospitality Design magazine - one of my favorite magazines for all things on the latest in design and architecutre for commercial spaces, such as chic hotels, restaurants, and bars.

At the show I saw lots of cool lighting, furnishings, and flooring aplications. While I didn't have the opportunity to see all that was showcased, I am featuring most everything that I did get to see in a short amount of time. Hopefully, I'll be back in the future to cover more of the show!

Milliken Carpet had some amazing carpets - vibrant colors and patterns!

Really love the colors in this rug from Milliken Carpet!

Eye cathcing lighting from Swarovski and designed by Tord Boontje, the chandelier called "Blossom."

An absolute stunner - this area rug from Swarovski with Swarovski cystals, love love love!

It was neat to see Thomasville and Drexel Heritage at the Hospitality Design Expo as I had just toured the showroom headquarters at High Point Market last month.

Bover lighting, a company out of Spain, had some unique and interesting lighting, much of it with an organic flair.

A pendant from Bover lighting.

A "wall of lights" - stunning lighting from a company called LZF.

A large pendant from LZF where their slogan is "touched by wood."

And a bit of whimsy, gold, & glam - from LZF!

It was good to see Los Angeles based Modernica had a space at the Hospitality Design Expo.

Also, the salespeople from the Los Angeles La Murrina showroom were at the Hospitality Design Expo - definitely going to take them up on their offer to visit the Beverly Boulevard showroom for an espresso!

An exquistie chandelier from La Murrina!

Glass lighting from a Northern California based company called SkLO Studio.

More colorful glass blown from the very cool SkLO Studio.

Newly released from Blu Dot are these colorful powder coated outdoor chairs - retailing at just $99 each!I want one in every color!

Another piece of chic from Blu Dot are these copper chairs!

I haven't seen the movie, but as I was touring the Hospitality Design Expo with CasaSugar, I was told this chair from Philips Collection was featured in the movie "The Hunger Games."

From Atlas Carpet Mills are some beautiful patterned carpets.

Kohler had some great bathroom vanities on display in their space at the Hospitality Design Expo.

While in Vegas, I also attended an exclusive luncheon hosted by Messe Frankfurt and had the opportunity to learn and hear about the company (which also happens to be the oldest company in history for putting on trade shows and events). They specialize in design, gift, technology, & more - related trade fairs worldwide. Messe Frankfurt is also home to the huge exhibitor center located in Frankfurt, Germany and hosts the popular design show Ambiente. Another design show I hope to attend one day!

Thank you to Messe Frankfurt for hosting a great presentation and luncheon!

{All photos by Jill Seidner Interior Design}