A little while ago I presented the first room of the original House of Anais - the master bedroom which currently serves more or less as the twins bedroom and combined play area. And now our introduction continues: today it's all about the dining room and living room. They are separate rooms, but as the shelves are open and there is no door, the rooms sort of blend into one, which also makes the house appear larger and airier. 

The style of the house is not that strictly defined - there are elements of country style with oak coloured furniture and floral patterns, yet at the same time there is a lot of modern mixed into it: especially with the lighting and those cream leather sofas. This house certainly has been done with the less-is-more-philosophy, which means that it's extremely easy to keep clean and in good order (I didn't need to do any cleaning for the pictures other than move my laptop and coffee mug from the dining table - aka my home office).

On the other hand the reason why there is so little stuff in common areas (kids rooms are filled to the hilt with toys and could be cleaned with a nice donation spree to the thrift shop, at least that's what I think) is because there isn't that much space and I simply haven't opened most of the boxes yet!

The living room is definitely the best room of the house. The shape of the room isn't perfect for it's rather narrow, but this room is all about natural lights and the views! That green, lush countryside all around: looking at it is the most calming thing I can think of (besides the sea of course). That is the everyday luxury country living gives you, and rain or shine it's still amazing.

And the garden gives you so much -more  just look at the lovely bunch of flowers that our kids picked from the garden, their flower for the mom from their heart. Aww is all I can say!

{You might have also noticed that there is no TV in the house: England now has digital TV system and one needs special equipment for that and our receiver was in some box behind 200 other boxes. But TV has also been removed because our son tested their new rounders bat (sort of English version of baseball for girls, as buys play cricket) and he broke the screen. I am happy to report that no-one has been asking for a new TV as there is so much to do outside until dinner-time every day!}

Fun house hunting - does that exist? Yes, it does, but sadly it applies normally to situations when you aren't really house hunting, but rather browsing and looking for cool houses in nice locations. I've been looking lately inspiration and possible new home site and come across this lovely and inspiration collection from an old historic abbey to towers straight out of Persian fairy tales. Which one would you prefer to live in? 

A fabulous old abbey with ruins of another abbey also 

This one looks like from 1001 nights

A real beauty with lovely grounds 

A great mansion with plenty of outbuildings 

Oh so romantic style!

Pretty in white 

A more rustic style with rose gardens around it 

This one looks like from a fairytale
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I think the Murphy's law applies to house hunting too - you always find that beautiful, perfect house somewhere else than where you are looking to settle in. This week my dream house is located by the lake in the Windy City (Chicago, that is). Oh what a pretty place it is - although I think it would be way too big (meaning I would be scared to stay there alone, and would struggle to clean it alone too...) with its 25 (!) rooms.

Anyway, this house is just so pretty - it's different from the generic house, so full of light, pretty details in ceilings and elsewhere - and fabulous extras such as the very English panelled study and so many lovely balconies and terraces - not to forget the groomed gardens (I'v always had the weakness for a circular driveway with a fountain in the middle) and the lakeside location. A perfect mid-week - and Valentine's day inspiration, for there is something very romantic about this house...  

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A lovely selection of French cheese made me dream of the lovely island of Corsica, which I have always wanted to visit. A light and airy modern villa like this in Corsica seems like a dream come true. Oh lovely house, I dream of thee today...

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I love the look and feel of this loft home which breaks the mold from the exposed steel beam and industrial loft look. Instead this home is light-filled and airy, with a rustic look of old wooden beams and exposed, terra-cotta-coloured brick walls and warm wood floors.

The decor is also more casual, yet one can spot a lot of modern classics in the mix; the owner has managed to blend in more cozy and comfortable-looking pieces and have created a warm home, not just a modern and shiny showpiece house. This house is definitely a home!

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This is one unusual house, and it does make one wonder if the owner has seen one too many zombie movies and decided to create the super-safe haven in case the world comes under their attack...

Anyway, this house is actually architecturally very interesting as it has movable walls and a drawbridge. When the blinds are up and windows open, it is a light-filled glass fronted modern marvel, and I guess when guests are not desired (or the owners are out of town) it comes one big challenge for the local burglars.

...but would you feel safe sleeping in the house and having everything closed, or would it give you a bit of a claustrophobic feeling?

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A hundred-million dollar NY apartment hit the news recently, but not it gets even crazier in London with the $485M (300 m pounds) price tag for a prime location mansion of the late prince of Saudi Arabia - which supposedly already have a shortlist of people ready to buy it too! I also like the location by Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, but I think I rather still have some countryside greenery around me than a public park.

Would you buy this house if you had the money? Admittedly it looks nice from the outside, but certainly like nothing extra-special that should warrant such a price tag...Then again, the house has 60 000 sq ft (nearly 5600 m2) and 45 bedrooms, so maybe someone is planning to turn it into a hotel, in which case the price tag might be more justified...?

Here's the perfect little dream castle in Brittany, northern France. It looks great, is compact in size (400+m2/4500 sq ft) so the running costs aren't astronomical either. It's time for some real castle fancy, as the cute grounds also include a swimming pool, old statues and nice flower beds!

https://www.wellfurnished.com/items/202340 Tuesday Insp" title="Castle fanc Reeta / back to school Monday It's back to school! This fab hook swing gives your kids a great break between homework assignments. So cool & fun! https://www.wellfurnished.com/items/202340 Tuesday Insp" />

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This London apartment is such a beautiful mix of old Victorian English details in the rooms and country French style with a bit of shabby chic decor. The owner used to live in a castle in France, and it definitely shows in the decor.

I can spot some cute pieces that make me think of the Restoration Hardware reproductions - such as the chandelier and the wide-plank dining table. In general, this home is palette of harmonious, light shades and wood combined with splashed of red colour in accessories and fabrics. So chic and comfortable-looking!

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I am at least a little bit in love with this house and it's modern design, pretty location and those hi-tech features built into it. There is plenty of open space (and should be with all its 11000 sq ft/1020 m2 of space!).

Oh, now I am just gazing adoringly to that kitchen and its three (!) brushed chrome islands. That is such an "oh la la" moment, especially when I now have the whole kitchen the size of one of those islands... And of course, as a fan of water features that indoor swimming pool would just be the coolest thing, especially as there is even more in terms of a home gym/spa area. I'll be having sweet house dream tonight for sure...  

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How lovely is this this renovation project in the hills of Beijing - a classic home with a modern spirit, lots of traditional shapes and art all tastefully mixed together. A harmonious colour palette, lots of textures of wood and shades of white. Such a delight with airy rooms and open space and with the light flowing from one room to another!

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Spotted a house so absolutely cute - a girl's dream for real as it is made out of sea shells. I mean literally sea shells everywhere, including for sale in the cute little shops housed in the building. I liked it as I am a confessed sea shell spotter!

They say grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Going across the sea from Finland to Sweden it certainly seems that houses were more detailed and prettier and colours were brighter in Sweden. Either way,these house look fantastic everywhere!

White and grey dominating the interiors, a pale green added to the palette outside. Those are the ingredients for this cute summer house.

Sweet and a bit rustic on the outside, and very Scandinavian contemporary on the inside. Just lovely inside out!

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Here's one opulent house from Calgary, Canada. Impressive for sure, luxurious also. Ample space with 14500 sq ft (1350 m2) and with some interesting design details...

Nevertheless, especially the exterior look is beautiful, inside seems to go a bit too grand a luxurious for me at times, whereas some other rooms look fab - like the fire place room with the modern rocker and the bar with stone walls and dark wood furniture. What do you think about the house and especially the bathroom tile patterns? 

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I think this penthouse apartment deserves a few oh la las. It is just stunning masterpiece of Japanese minimalism (although lot of materials and furniture is Italian made), yet it doesn't feel cold or empty because of all the natural elements. Ultra-modern, but there is that feel of traditionalism. And clearly the house is connected to the modern-day gadgets and have stunning lighting solutions. 

Oh, and did I mention the closets? It beautiful, spacious and look at all those shoes - so easily available yet hidden...I wonder if I could get my kids to hide their toys at the end of day also and be able to enjoy this kind of freedom from excess stuff, yet without having to rid of all this stuff we might sometimes want to use... 

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This house is very beautiful - I like especially the rooms with soft grey combined with black and white - they have a feel of sophisticated Hollywood glamour. And then comes to cute country kitchen and those very masculine blue-based bedrooms.

The high-celinged living room reminds me of Restoration Hardware style, and I like the bit more eclectic figurines on the wall in the more red-toned sitting room. Everything is so coordinated and yet cozy, yet there are some style variations in the house - nice little surprises. The house itself is also impressive and comes with lots of lush landscaping around. A beautiful setting all-in-all.  

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Somebody please find a house like this for us to rent (and furnished too with this sort of cool style). I am pretty sure something similar can be found on the market here, but sadly not in the area where we are looking for and now with the budget we got in hand.

So it's time to dream again, and this is just the right house for it - a traditional style but with a very modern flair, filled with light and with lots of height and open space. Just beautiful!

This lamp is really nice, it looks like some sort of upside-down vegetable

I see them in a real house (see my post yesterday), Zen-looking stone pillows. Looks great!

Great barstools and the island has a fun detail on the base 

So soft and sweet, very girly without being pink. Definitely need to write down this colout and propose it to our future landlord!

Such a classic scene, but the design is quite modern 

This bathroom is very natural and Zen. Like it!

A scee I love. Huge blackboard wall for the kids and Aarnio puppys. Colour and cuteness!

I've seen this life-size horse-lamp in a store. Someone actually has it in their home. Very bold, and you need a big space to house this. Bet this is not easily moved around though... 

Oh wow. Beautiful design. My favourite space in this house

Very impressive entrance. Dark wood always looks good

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Now I don't know what to think. This is a beautifully restored palazzo and the decor in most rooms is just classic mid-century modern pieces - and exactly what I love:Barcelona chair, Eames, Arco lamp, you name it... This home is like a catalogue come live! 

But all of this put together - I have hard time deciding whether these apartments became a hit or a miss. Any opinions out there? Would you like to live in a traditional palazzo decorated in a modern style, or is it just plain wrong to mix detailed frescos with simple modern furniture...?

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I love houses with courtyards, but one doesn't see them very often as they need to be rather large in size. This Chinese house built using the traditional design but with modern interior is a lovely one, and I would definitely love to live in a house like this. It is filled with soft tones, texture and simple lines, yet it doesn't feel cold or empty. 

Some of the great things about this house are the different levels on the ceiling as this makes the house more interesting and less clinical to me. I also love the dark wood floor boards. those contrasting large, white floor tiles and that textures silvery wall - and not to forget the grey silk-covered wall fabrics, which add light and reflection to the room. This is one beautiful house!

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The dream time is on again. This time it is a classic hunting lodge with a home spa and sauna, and nearly 1500 lush acres (600 hectares) surrounding the impressive home. What a beautiful renovation this is, true to the classic style with light colours, with an interior that has a bit more modern twist to it.

Note also the lovely walk-in closet with a fab chandelier and a classic pair of comfy looking padded armchairs. I also like the purple accent chairs in the living room, a fresh addition to the neutral colour scheme. Everything is just so lovely here!

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A home so northern Californian - green thinking, modern design filled with light and exposing a lot of natural wood in beams, floors and cabinets.

This home is an airy dream; simple, yet sophisticated and looks like it would be very comfortable to live in - and it comes with great views too. Just love it all!

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Whites, greys, light wood, rustic accents and quirky pieces. Those are the ingredients this cool London home is made of.

I especially heart those funky lamps one can spot almost in every room - egg shape, star one...just so fab! A house filled with light and lovely designs, both 50s classics and new ones.

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I've spend a whole day house hunting. Yes, there was the luxury of the driver and a couple of agents who organize it all for you, but with a little boy in the tow the walking up and down the stairs (every house has at least three floors) and often carrying him while taking photos for the family it was quite a tiring day (on hindsight if I was in better shape I guess would not be whining so much...).

The houses might be large, but the decor and condition were not that great always (and I realize I am a bit picky here too). We just so would like a modern house and decor, but the style here is more French antique or American lazy boys than modern European or simple Ikea. We are looking for a furnished house, and the process here is such a funny one that one can negotiate with the owner changing carpets to woodfloors, painting and even new furniture that you can go and buy yourself. What a different world!

House no 1 of four in the first complex

House no 2...

...and no 3

Spot the pattern with no 4 - similar designs and a couple of different colours...

Fresh, light Ikea kitchens with all the mod-cons

Loved the neutral colour schemes and sizes of the bathrooms!

Some houses had beautiful details of recessed ceilings and special wood floors or floor tiles

The small garden was such a luxury we didn't have in California - these would fit a sandpit, trampoline,  a BBQ and garden furniture! Oh, and the landscaping can be changed too if you like...

The compund facilies and number of children in the area are also important factors. This clubhouse had a nice store, hairdresser, couple of restaurants, the gym and indoor (as it snows in winter it's nice to have an indoor pool as they give swimming lessons in these too) and outdoor pools. Not too bad I say.