Year in Review: Inspirational Edition

Welcome back!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you enjoyed some time off to eat, drink and be merry.  We had a nice, low-key celebration at our house.  I whipped up a bunch of our favorite appetizers and we basically snacked all day and night.  It was perfect.

I thought for this last week of 2011 I'd do a series of "Year in Review" posts.  I've got a "DIY Edition" and a "Top Trends Edition" for later in the week. I'll probably even throw in an "Images I Could Have Done Without" edition for some snarky goodness. 

Today we'll kick off the series with the "Inspirational Edition" focusing on just a few of the images and ideas that were most inspiring to me in 2011.  Enjoy!

I love the drama of black walls and this image is one I keep coming back to:

{via}

How glamorous would a home office in black be?  Even though I work from home, I'd wear heels to the office every day if this were mine:

{via}

Although it's probably a beast to clean, this factory window shower stall is my idea of the perfect enclosure.  A classic combination of vintage, industrial chic.

{via}

{via}

2011 will go down for me as the year I fell in love with brass.  Believe me, I was just as surprised by this new found love as anyone.  It was the first time I had seen it used in a way that was modern and fresh instead of looking so 1980's granny.  Some of the images that are responsible for bringing me and brass together:

{via}

 

 

 

Hits of brass from hardware...love it.

{via}

Possibly the best refrigerator handles ever.

Brass used in lighting..

{via}

{via}

Absolutely love brass tables:

{via}

{via}

{via}

Our girl Emily does right by brass at every turn.  Here, she installs a brass foil wallpaper:

{via}

I've got big plans for my home office/design studio in 2012.  These images have got my wheels turning:

{via}

{via}

{via}

Something like Kelly Wearstler's studio space wouldn't be a bad thing..

{via}

Those are just some of my favorite images of 2011.  Check out my boards on Pinterest if you're curious about what else caught my eye this year.