Wasima's Home Tour

Wasima's home is truly a labor of love.  We were introduced to Wasima by Mark and even though this was the first time meeting Wasima, we left feeling inspired and in awe of her passion for design and dedication for making her home uniquely hers.

Wasima's home is a mid century home in South Pasadena, with a beautiful deck overlooking the canyon.  After buying her home, she spent the next few years working with architects, pouring through design details and adding her own personal stories into the decor of her home while still thoughtfully keeping some of the original design elements of her home.  We were amazed how each room or design element had a story behind it and spoke to her eloquent style, her creative talent or her bright personality.

Featured Retailer :: Spruce Apothecary

We love creative, beautiful spaces and our recent trip to Abbott Kinney inspired us to look at retail locations as another source of inspiration.

I came across  the feature of Spruce Apothecary, based in Portland, Oregon, in Remodelista and loved its minimalist decor and symmetrical presentation. I am admittedly a sucker for judging a book by its cover and it's exactly the kind of store that I would be drawn into.







Read more about Spruce and its founders on Remodelista here. Photos by Josh Partee. 

Paula's Home Tour

Paula welcomed us into her cozy apartment with an amazing brunch set-up: freshly-baked popovers, granola and berries, chilled champagne for mimosas and good, strong coffee. Needless to say, it was an amazing treat and served as the perfect set-up to get to know Paula in her minimalist but stylish home.



Can you describe your style for us? 
I do not subscribe to a particular design style, but in the past I tended to really integrate Mid-Century Modern aesthetics.  With this place, however, I went with updated takes on traditional pieces, such as the clean lines on my brown leather sofa or my vintage-y looking rug freshened up with a bright overdyed color.

Rethink :: Shelving

As a professional chef, I loved opening up Susan's cupboards to showcase the assortment of amazing homewares. I love that the everyday, assortment of things that you use can end up being an added design element - it's all about presentation.

I've always been a fan of open shelving (although living in California makes me nervous about what would happen in an earthquake) via SmittenStudio.



A vintage car used to store and showcase homewares via DesiretoInspire.



A lovely white hutch to showcase neutral housewares via MyLovelyThings.

Featured Home: A House in the Hills

Here at Kotimaa, we're big blog junkies because we love finding in creativity and inspiration from people through their own personalized perspectives.  One of our favorite blogs is A House In The Hills from local photographer Sarah Yates.  Her blog is so much more than her photography though, with tons of healthy recipes and inspirational style posts.

Through her blog we were also able to get a peek into her Palm Springs, CA home and can we say we have major home envy?  Everything feels so bright and open and her pieces are beautiful!

That amazing mirror!

Please check out all her home updates here!

Susan's Home Tour

Recent travels took me to San Francisco and I knew I wanted to document Susan's apartment in the Mission. It's great in so many ways: in a prime location just down the street from Bi-rite, Tartine and Deflina (basically all the things you'd want to eat in SF); lots of natural light that floods into a space with built-in character; and most importantly, it's the beautiful and loving home she built with her husband, Andrew.

We Love :: Desk Accents

I just moved into a new office and have been trying to figure out ways to add some fun and functional pieces to personalize it. Similar to homes, I love getting a glimpse into people's office space as I think it's a great reflection on their working styles and aesthetics.

In my hunt to beautify my office, here are some great office accessories I've discovered:


1. Brass Stationery Trays by Muhs Home Perfect for papers, mail, and holding all the small miscellaneous items that we use in the office.

2. Akita Tape Dispenser by Plant and Moss A concrete tape dispenser that feels a little industrial, but pops with a little copper detail.

3. Jonathan Adler Dachshund Bookends Not all office accessories need to be serious, and these JA bookends present the perfect way to add some fun.

4. Wooden Business Card Holder by Masakage Tanno Tanno is a young Japanese craftsman and this business card holder made from Japanese walnut is a classic alternative to traditional card holders.