Trunk Coffee Tables

When I was younger, I babysat for a family that had an old wooden steamer trunk as a coffee table. I loved that! It was the perfect place to store blankets and boardgames and it added a lot of character to the space. I've noticed that using a trunk as a coffee table is still going strong:

via Pinterest

via Style by Emily Henderson

Cassandra Lavalle via Coco & Kelly

via Lonny Mag April 2010

^ Love this lucite option!

via Peppermint Bliss

So you can imagine how excited I was when I left my house yesterday to bike to work and found this baby right outside my garage tipped upside down and left for the garbage man:

Being the hoarder lover of all good design opportunities that I am, I immediately dragged it into the garage and wrote my name on it in the dust. It needs some TLC but who doesn't love a good DIY project? You can't really tell from this crappy iPhone pic (I was running late for work by this time okay?!) but it's a gorgeous navy laquer. Once the gold bits are all shined up (and reattached..ahem), it's going to be a real showstopper. I still can't believe my luck! I've always referred to the alley behind my garage as 'garbage alley' but maybe treasure alley would be more appropriate?

And don't worry, I biked extra hard and made it to work with 2 minutes to spare ;). Sometimes you can have it all folks!
Don't forget to enter my Sleep Mask Giveaway going on now!
xo

Defending White Appliances

I grew up in a house with a country kitchen and white appliances, so I'm a bit nostalgic for them.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some stainless steel appliances. But, every now and again I feel a bit sorry for the bad rep white appliances have been stuck with over the past decade or so.  What does everyone have against white appliances anyhow? I've heard them called 'outdated'..but I'm not entirely convinced.
After all, there are also some real head turners on the market today that look contemporary due to their clean lines and design. Nowadays, white appliances can be sleek, shiny and slim, perhaps making you rethink your next appliance purchase.

via Design Maze

^ I first fell back in love with white appliances during this episode of Sarah 101, when Sarah and Tommy used white appliances to blend quietly into the cabinetry. Love the crisp lines of this oven. Can you believe that white range hood?

via Style at Home

^ White appliances seem to work best with white cabinetry, as they blend in nicely rather than stand out. Also, having the fridge 'disappear' into your cabinets allows other details to shine!

via pinterest
 
^ I'm personally not a fan of the floors in this kitchen, but I love the way the white appliances allow the room to mix metallics, both silver and gold, in an even and balanced way.

via Style at Home

^ This one might be my fave of all. The appliances look relatively standard and affordable, but don't detract from the room's beauty one bit! In fact, I think that the greys in the Carrara marble backsplash stand out more than they would against a similarly grey-toned stainless oven.

Truth be told, I'd still probably choose stainless steel nine out of ten times, but it just goes to show you that sometimes sticking to a classic is, well...classic! Poor white appliances need someone to stick up for them now and again (plus, I think finger prints might be less noticeable!).

I wonder if avocado green or harvest gold will ever make a comeback. My Babcia (Polish for Grandma) still has one of those beauties.

What do you think about white appliances?