hellobeautifulcreatures

This bathroom renovation from interior designer Lori Pepe -Lunché is the most dramatic transformation to come our way in a long time. The dark, heavy, cavelike “before” is my idea of a bathroom nightmare . Even if this room were spic n’ span, it would feel unpleasant. Now that doesn’t mean a bathroom needs to be white and light to be appealing, but there’s just no denying that this is a vast improvement. I love the open layout and the exposed, seamless shower design ; not only does it make the room feel spacious and airy, but it also prevents any chance for clutter (which is my biggest obstacle in the bathroom). Make no mistake: a large renovation with marble tile is an investment. But results like these seem well worth it. Amazing work, Lori! —  Kate Have a Before & After you’d like to share? Shoot me an email with your images rig ht he re! (Low res, under 500k per image , please.) More images and basic steps after the jump . . . Time: The renovation took about five weeks from ...

A London family’s home-from-home in the heart of Van Gogh’s Provence In the heart of the French countryside and near the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh painted over 150 of his most well-known works, a London family has created its perfect home-from-home. The detached house and grounds, re-modelled by David Price Design with a new extension, terraces and fun additions - including a boules pitch - feature an interior inspired by the rich colours of the Mediterranean and showcasing a wonderful, eclectic array of furnishings and accessories, variously inherited from previous owners and sourced anew by the home’s new owners via local Provençale markets, Kempton Park Antiques Market in UK and from holidays further afield. The traditional interiors palette in this part of France has always tended to be cooling white walls , with colour introduced by the furniture and fittings, but the home’s new owners wanted to be a little more daring and contemporary in their treatment: ...

Marrying practicality and style to get the most out of the bathroom, whatever its size, will make soaking up the effort all the sweeter, writes Kya de Longchamps. THE bathroom is a crucial room to get right, but most of us have to deal with a rather small space which can make it difficult to squeeze in those big ideas in styling and luxury. Marrying practicality to good looks is a matter of scaling a good quality suite correctly to the room, making every available centimetre work. Baths — the secrets of scale The bath is generally the largest element to accommodate in a bathroom. Variations in bath design tend to be minor size differences (1700mm or 1800m in length) plus shaping in the shower area to accommodate a wider standing position . A rectangular wall- mounted bath remains popular as it fits well into a niche. Freestanding bath s with straighter sides can slip neatly against even a slender length of wall, but consider something you can sit in rather than lounging full length...

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel and/or flight review. Last April & May, I enjoyed a great holiday in Vietnam, where some resorts far exceeded my sky-high expectations (and rank among the best hotels I have ever stayed at). You can read my trip reports here: Today (August 23, 2017): Review of Vietnam’s most exclusive hotel, Amanoi.  Location: Google Maps Address: Road to Ba Dien beach, Vĩnh Hải, Ninh Hải, Ninh Thuận, Vietnam Hotel website: Amanoi Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso In 2013, Aman brought the brand’s signature sleekness to its debut resort in Vietnam, a contemporary beachside resort alongside a full-service Aman Spa overlooking spectacular Vinh Hy Bay in Nui Chua National Park , northeast of Ho Chi Minh City . The luxury hotel’s polished, slate pagodas peek out from a lush green landscape ; its infinity pool segues into the sea; and its spa rests by a lotus-blossom-dotted lake. Amanoi offers total privacy in beautifully designed a...