I thought I would take you on a house tour of the beautiful Santa Monica home of one of my favourite designers, the extremely talented Brooke Giannetti from www.velvetandlinen.com. I have been following Brooke’s blog for the last few years now and it has inspired me in so many ways. I share many of Brooke’s design aesthetics, most of all her love of Swedish antiques, rustic textiles and industrial touches. She and her husband Steve, an architect, own a fabulous interiors store in Los Angeles called Giannetti Home and they collaborate on a number of architectural projects together.

You would think this country/beach cottage has been around for years but believe it or not, they designed and built it themselves just 8 years ago..

Her garden is so full of life and colour and I love her front porch, it’s so quaint!

This is Brooke’s hallway. I love every single thing about it. Beadboard panelling, Swedish antique sofa, Mora clock, (similar to the one from the Somethings Gotta Give house!) white painted staircase with timber treads and I looooove the antique clock face on the stairwell. So much character in one small space!

Brooke has made a few changes to her home recently as she felt it no longer reflected hers and Steve’s present style so here’s a few Before & Afters!

This was her kitchen before…very pretty, feminine and shabby chic!

I love how she has fixed glass cabinets to the window frame, so she still has storage/display space without blocking out any daylight..soo clever!

And after a few subtle changes…

I love the changes that Brooke made in here, in particular the simple nickel cabinet hardware, the teracotta potted herbs, the linen sink skirt, the beautiful antique wooden sign over the window and I love how she has displayed her white crockery with antique breadboards and vintage silver trophies on her open shelving. It’s such a fantastic contrast of materials. Here’s a close up…

Here’s a view from her seating area into the kitchen…

Absolutely love the industrial touches in this kitchen. When I saw Brooke’s kitchen for the first time, I immediately decided I wanted industrial style pendants over the island in my kitchen! I loove the lab stools too, I’m still looking for the perfect ones for my kitchen but I want mine without a backrest…will do a post on that later!

On to the seating area which is just opposite the Kitchen….the before..

I love the more muted tones and shades in the after pic and I love the more simplified non-frilly linen upholstery on her sectional sofa. I think the little ‘book nook’ on the left hand side in front of the window, it’s such a cute feature in the room and on the other side she has a work desk with more built in shelving. It’s such a great use of space in these alcoves.

A gorgeous pair of antique Swedish chairs with the original tattered upholstery. I want them!

Next up….the Conservatory:

The dining area is on one side of this light-filled space and Brooke’s study is on the other. I love to mix chair styles at a dining table because you can add so much character, texture and colour with different fabrics and materials.

Here’s Brooke in her enviable home office!

I would give anything for a cabinet like this! It is just PERFECT! So is the antique Swedish chair with torn upholstered seat!

On to the Living Room:

Beautiful linen upholstery and subtle touches of pale blue create a really soothing relaxing space. I love the unusual grouping of a vintage trunk, vintage suitcase and metal table that act as the coffee table. I love to use unconventional pieces for occasional furniture. Who says it has to be a table? As long as it has a flat surface, it can be anything! You can really add interest to a room by using unusual quirky pieces like this. (More on this later!)

Dining Room:

Check out those antique doors either side of the Swedish cabinet! Instant warmth to a white and grey space.

Moving upstairs…here is the Master Bedroom (seen before in my previous post on “Dreamy Bedrooms”)

The Master Bathroom

How gorgeous is this bathroom? Brooke & Steve have their own sinks at either side of the room and the claw foot tub takes centre stage in front of the windows. The burlap panels on the windows are so rustic and warm, this is one of my favourite fabrics. I adore that tufted stool too!

Here’s a close up of the beautiful antique cabinet next to Brooke’s sink.  Again we see a vintage silver trophy, this time acting as a vase and some beautiful bottles. The mirror opens out and conceals the medicine cabinet!

Soo what do you think of this house? I would love to hear what you think!

I will be showing you some pictures of Brooke’s beach house in another post, it is incredible!

Have a nice day