Superflossy Superfly Supergraphic

I'm taking a breather from publicly flipping out over the house hunt today, but that doesn't mean I'm not feverishly searching for inspiration just in case we do sign on the dotted line. It's a safe bet that whatever we buy will need renovation. Most houses we like were built in the 70s and have remained in museum like condition -- carpet, faux wood paneling, and drop down ceilings included. I found this sweet little apartment in AD and first glommed on to the walls, then moved on to the floors.

It would be really helpful if I read cyrillic so I could tell you who is responsible for this hottie, but I'm a romance language only kind of a girl. When I see all those squiggly lines, I just want to bust out my calculator and solve for X.

Damn you, American language skills! Who are you people? In completely unrelated news, I think I spy her underpants. Ok, enough with the non sequiturs. Back to the apartment.

Check out those floors! They look like cerused oak, but I'm guessing not since ceruse is apparently some kind of toxic lead based chemical. A two step stain and wax, maybe? Whatever the case, I adore them. Dark and sexy, but not overpowering. Plus I think they would hide dust fairly well. Bonus!

Those chairs... sucker punch to the love gut. I also like how there's no molding in the space -- everything is super crisp and clean, and the paint heightens the arty architectural feel. The floor provides the perfect textural foil.

So good. The color palette is uber unique.

Sorry this picture is wee (and that there's a weird cutoff letter at the bottom of the frame), but check out the spacey bathroom. So awesome.

What do you think about the floors? Do you think an ordinary house could handle this kind of wall treatment? Do you think you could be comfortable in a space like this?

Why isn't this place for sale?

Primary Colors

About a year ago, I went on a strict color diet of black, brown and pale gray, with a smattering of gold to add some pizazzle dazzle. I have to say this house was looking pretty svelte until Ike came along. Now it's been fattened up by red, yellow and blue plastic, and I swear the living room alone has gained 20 pounds. Apparently babies aren't really into drabby neutrals. Who knew? Thankfully the decorating world now says, Hey -- it's ok to binge on primary colors.

Maison Francaise

And guess what? You don't even have to resort to building your home out of kiddie colored Legos to get the look (because if that were the case, I'd already be 50 steps ahead). Remember the slew of Roy Lichtenstein inspired interiors I presented for your consideration? Well, now get ready for a burst of Bauhaus brights.

Richard Powers

Marie Claire Italia

Those crazy Bauhaus dudes were all about form, function, and screaming color -- but no fussy, frilly pants color shall be allowed. Green is about as crazy as party animals Gropius, Van der Rohe and Corbusier, were willing to get, because it's all about heading back to basics. So sit back, strap up, and put your goggles on. We're going on a grand tour.

Met Home

M Design Interiors

A Mondrian inspired kitchen from Apartment Therapy

Met Home

Ngoc Minh Ngo

OWI

Elle Decor

Steve Giralt

No source, but check out that Arteluce lamp.

New York Times

M Design Interiors

Well, dudes? What do you think? Are you ready to inject some hot primary color into your home? Just be careful, because Danger! It's ok to be bold, but with such strong colors, it's all too easy to go overboard. Like, way overboard. Simple shapes and small doses are the best bet for keeping your visual weight under control.

Don't be a color glutton.

Rip Van Winkle

Every year I start off with a new laundry list of resolutions -- eat better, exercise (ha!), make stuff, be cooler -- but this year there's only one resolution that really matters: LEAVE THE HOUSE. Yes friends, I am finally out of the Guantanamo Bay stage of parenthood and IT'S AWESOME. Baby Ike is now magically entertained by salt shakers and menus, and wouldn't you know that mama's boy loves a good bargain. Whew! Thank jeebus he takes after me and not his thriftphobic daddy, because then I'd have to check the return policy on both of them. So, Karly and I took the Ikester out on thrift rounds recently, and I managed to score some great finds with my lucky charm in tow. In the spirit of my house sharing resolution, I snapped some pics so you could bask in the glory of my goodies, as well as in my delicious new freedom.

I almost had to scrap with some chick over my excellent new plant stand, which came from the Salvation Army for $25. Kinda steep, but it's heavy and has a mirrored bottom, and the middle thingie moves. Plus someone else wanted it, so of course that made me like it even more. But it does look pretty smooth with my new tulip chair, which is in dire need of a cushion. One day at a time...

I totally had the Lichtenstein post in mind when I picked up this set of dishes, although Karly says they look like a Bill Cosby sweater... we can both be right, can't we? $30 for the entire set, although I need more bowls. I found some replacements online, but two bowls cost as much as I paid for the entire set. Uh, no.

A closeup of the totally tubular 80s graphics. The Hunny stacked them all OCD like. I'm planning to display these babies on our newly installed kitchen shelves, which I was far too lazy to photograph today. What do you people expect??? I can't shop, and take pictures, AND clean. Priorities, priorities.

I snagged this vintage teapot for $1.99. It's marked Made in Sweden, which probably means it's from Ikea. Still, he is very handsome, no?

Ike picked out a few things for his room, too, like this Red Cross lightbox for $4.99, which is brand spankin' new. The hot gold lion came from Zid Zid, courtesy of Raina; Ike can look, but he can't touch mama's favorite stuffed animal. You can blame Karly for the boa constricted nightmare clown.

You can also blame Karly for spotting this badass giraffe head, a steal for only $4.99. Say what?! Yeah. It's HUGE.

Speaking of huge, these roided out lamps make Lou Ferigno look positively diminutive. I'm planning to give them a fresh coat of white paint from tip to toe, and top them with black shades for my new Bauhaus bedroom. Hopefully my nightstands won't buckle beneath them.

I scored some other sweet stuff, like a giant vintage painting and a ginormous mirrored picture frame (apparently I have contracted a severe case of megalomania), but I haven't found a home for them yet -- by which I mean they're still stacked in the entryway. The Hunny is not excited that I'm back to shopping, not that I'm going to let it stop me from adding to the piles of unused lamps, chairs and frames I'm "collecting."

Doesn't he realize that I have six months of thrifting to catch up on?