A no-fuss beach house that's relaxing and beautiful

The beach is my favorite place, and I haven't been to one in over two years. If I had any beach house I'd be there now, but this one would be especially nice. It's not your typical blue and white, seashell adorned coastal dwelling, but a chic and modern take that is still laid back.

White walls with the gorgeous glossy floors is so refreshing and pretty.  Gloss floors are easy to clean, too!

The owner chose pink and turquoise over the traditional blue and white.  I think turquoise and pink are a refreshing change.

I imagine the owner has reasons, but I would hang some artwork or a pretty chandelier in the bedroom, and use the same hardwood floors as seen in the dining room.

What do you think?

Read and see more at Adore Home

Not to miss - the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy's Cinque Terre

The second country we visited on my 9 week trip through Europe was Italy. Our first destination in Italy was Cinque Terre, a section of the coast composed of 5 towns. One can either do a day hike along the stunning blue ocean and stop in each village along the way, or there is a train that stops in each town. We stayed in the town Riomaggiore. "The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site." - wikipedia

Here are my pictures from our two day stay and hike in gorgeous Cinque Terre. Let me know what you think or if you've been!

A view of the town where we stayed, Riomaggiore

Another view



Riomaggiore





Manarola is the second town you'll hit if coming from Riomaggiore.


The two above pictures are of Vernazza, which is built out on a jutting rock and has a lookout tower. Before Vernazza (if coming from Riomaggiore) is Corniglia, the only town of the 5 that is not built right on the coast but up a very long flight of stairs at the top of the hill.


You pass through many vineyards on the hike

...and lots of beautiful coastline


Monterosso al Mare, the most resort like town along the trail. Monterosso is at one end, and Riomaggiore, where we stayed, is at the other, so we started at Riomaggiore and finished at Monterosso.



Here's a list of all my posts from our travels that I've published -

Spain
•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
• Galicia - Baiona and Isle de Cies
• Galicia - the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
• Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
• Stunning mountains - Picos de Europa
• Bilbao and San Sebastian
• Beautiful Barcelona
• The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
• Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Lovely coastal and country French furnishings

While in Colmar, a city in the Alsace region of France, I saw this store, Maisons du Monde, from the street and they had a stack of magazines outside the shop. So I picked one up for some train reading material. They have some nice styling, and the furniture seems decent, so I thought I'd share. Can anyone attest to the quality?


- never seen a couch with such high arms!





They seem to carry furnishings in all different styles.

really like the chair.

This would be a great piece for a fine artist!









What do you think? Kinda has a Pottery Barn look to it.
via Maisons du Monde

Two different but beautiful beach homes

Granted, I focused on waterfront homes yesterday, but it's a hard thing to get too much of - so why not some more? The first home focuses on preserving the funky personality of original beach cottages, while the second home is modern in design - but constructed from reclaimed materials...which is closer to your aesthetic?








via Coastal Living









via Notebook