A Reader's Home Tour: MB's Spectacular Dallas Home

I love looking at beautiful interiors. I know that's no news to you and if you're reading this, you probably do too. Perfectly executed rooms that are expertly photographed make me positively tingle with glee and my blood pressure has been known to literally soar at the sight of these. Yet, perhaps, what I love even more is a beautiful real home. One that is decorated over time, layer by layer, with artifacts of a life well-lived. Welcome to just such a home. These gorgeous photos are of mb's house. Or, as I know her and some of you may as well, Marybeth. I love it when I see a comment left on Head Over Heels preceded by mb. I know it will be something insightful or funny or both, and always special.

Marybeth is a long-time reader and I knew she had some major style. She's a painter, wife of a hotelier, mother of some incredibly talented and equally beautiful daughters. So it really comes as no surprise that her home is a an amazing amalgamation of beautiful objects, expertly arranged, and so very livable and inviting. I was thrilled when Marybeth agreed to a home tour and have been ogling all the details since the photos started to arrive.

The architectural details alone are something outstanding...the plaster walls, pitched ceilings and beams, the saltillo tiles, and beautiful woodwork. However, it's the evidence of a well-travelled life that has me transfixed. The gorgeous blend of textiles and patinated finishes, a little chinoiserie alongside American and English antiques, and above all, the stunning art that make for a perfectly eclectic home. Yeah, I said it, eclectic. I think the word has become taboo in design circles, and yet that's what this home is. Thank you Marybeth for graciously sharing your gorgeous place. If I'm ever in Dallas, expect a knock on the door.

{all images generously provided by the lovely Marybeth}

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}

Architect in Residence

We've been in our home for a solid decade now and while that seems like a long time for our young family, it really is no more than a sneeze, a blink, a flutter in the grand scheme of things.

This home however has been standing since 1967 and is still inhabited and enjoyed by its original owners. The home, designed by well-known California architect Ray Kappe, sits on a hillside adjacent to a creek and if the views from the multiple floor-to-ceiling windows are any indication, the setting is a veritable verdant escape. The house itself is a symphony of wood, concrete, and glass constructed over seven levels which are in turn attached to six concrete towers. In our era of seemingly disposable everything, I love the idea that this beautiful, timeless home is still being enjoyed by its now 80-year-old designer and is as inspiring as ever.

{images via Dwell, read the accompanying article here}

These people are sooooo boooooring. Yaaaawn.

Of course, I jest. Nothing at all dull or yawn-worthy about this family of four. But then what would you expect when a furniture designer/shopkeeper combines talents with a stylist by trade. Effortless boho chic, that's what you get, via the dynamic duo of Mark Tuckey and Louella Potter. Be sure to visit this Aussie's site for gorgeous rustic modern furniture and a gallery of beautiful images.

{photos via the never boring Louise of Table Tonic, whose eponymous online shop, by the way, is a treasure trove of boho-chic-fabulous goods!}