Gone Fishing

A fishing shack in the Catskills gets a makeover. It went from a 1940s wood paneled cabin, to a light and bright nod to midcentury minimalist design. The owner, head of her own public relations firm, says she favors "style and function over pedigree." I think she forgot to mention comfort and whimsy...yes, that is a Balinese daybed beckoning seductively from the lawn.

{images via The New York Times, more before and afters here}

Southern Exposure: Texas Country Modern

A few years ago, my husband and I entertained the idea of finding/building a little mountain getaway in the nearby North Georgia mountains. We searched far and wide and never did find the majestic view or site we were searching for. But we did have a distinct and singular vision of the type of house where we wanted to set up camp. After spotting this Texas retreat designed by architect Trey Rabke, I feel as though he crawled into my mind and put onto solid land the home that had been dwelling inside my head. I love the way this house blends seamlessly into its surrounding landscape, the use of rustic elements and the simple, commonsense details such as the galvanized troughs turned bathtubs. Great design doesn't have to be elaborate. Here's an example of making the most of modest materials. I'm ready to move in.

{images and article via Garden & Gun}

{more on Lake Flato Architects here}

Seeing Red

I think one of these would make me happy. Very, very happy. So happy, in fact, I might even reconsider the idea of camping. Whoa, did I really just say that?

{spotted here}

Jealous?

Yeah, me too.

{images of this lovely little houseboat, that's right, I said houseboat, via Prue Ruscoe}