Red Bedroom

Continuing the red theme, here is a bedroom which is so over-the-top it is untrue. Click the image to increase the size - the details show up more.
Throw things together and then some more! You either love it or hate it.


Subscribe Today!

Red Kitchen

Red can be quite a scary over-powering color but here, in a kitchen, it is shown off beautifully. This kitchen has a lot of natural light flooding in through the windows, the dark worktops help to ground the high color and the chandelier...is just great!!

Subscribe Today!

Red Lounge

If you have just moved into new accommodation and your sofas appear to have seen better days then here's a tip. Measure your sofas without the cushions, length, breadth and width ways. Add on a few inches up to 6 inches either way to allow for tucking in, etc.

Decide on a color and whether you suffer from skin irritations or not - you don't want to buy a wool blend if you are allergic to wool! 

Consider if you want to have hard or soft fabrics. Take a picture of your room and of the sofa - if you have a digital camera or camera on your cell phone then no need to print your images - just take your equipment with you!

Head on down to your local fabric store - and choose a washable fabric.

Adorn your sofas!

Easy, reasonably priced and when it gets scuffed you can throw it into the washing machine.

Oh, and if you would rather avoid the 'house of ill repute' look of a red bulb (which I love, incidentally) then use colored shades, soft tone bulbs and dimmer switches. Candles also add to the cozy ambience. 

Bedroom - Neutral

When I moved into my apartment my aim was to not clutter the place with trinkets and baubles and so I decided on key pieces and only purchased those. For four months I lived with the bare essentials: a bed, 1 sofa, a chest of drawers, and a small occasional table. 

That was a great experience and ensured I brought into my home only the furniture that I really needed.

My bedroom is calming and peaceful -  like this one but with less furniture!

My Dinner Party

Finally, I have agreed to have a dinner party for 3 of my dear friends. I have decided to keep it small and as I am redecorating my house, have decided to hold it in my apartment in the city.

Unfortunately, due to my culinary past, my amigas expect much from me and I aim to please!

Here is my provisional  menu:

Welcome Drink: Granita Champagne

Canapes (see above image)

Starter: Crab Confit with vinaigrette

Main course: Duck on a sweet potato and parsnip rosti with, asparagus and cranberry and orange jus

Dessert/Pudding: Raspberry and Marscapone cream with Almond Tuille biscuits

Selection of cheeses and a variety of homemade savoury biscuits

Wine will be served throughout the meal - both red and white. Coffee will be served at the end of the meal.

I have tried to do items which can be prepared well in advance and so am able to spend more time with my guests. 

Hopefully they will enjoy my menu - expect some images here of the food sometime after the dinner party on 24th October. 

Any suggestions??!

Subscribe Today!

Eco-Living

I sometimes wonder how future generations will live. [Click the image for a larger view.]

I am fascinated by this idea. Will we be more 'eco-focused'? Will beauty and aesthetics be enmeshed with practicality and an awareness of our environment?

You can read about this fascinating project here.

Do you like it?

Subscribe Today!

Window Box

I lived in a small apartment for a while and yearned for a large garden yet living in a big city often meant I had hardly enough time to breathe never mind tend a garden. I decided that I would bring a little bit of greenery inside and outside my home. First I decided to utilize my window sill as much as possible without detracting from my kitchen. I bought a small terracotta trough with a matching waterproof tray and planted tomatoes, Tigerella, actually. Beside that I grew mint, basil and parsley - because they were easy and I used them a lot. I had a tiny area outside and added a few pots with hostas and lavender.

Would you believe: Now I have a garden that is far too big I remember that small space with fondness!?

Why don't you leave a comment?

Wooden Floor

Nothing beats a solid wooden floor in terms of beauty, style and feel. Carpets are fine but can look very grubby rather quickly, are expensive and need replacing after a certain period of time.

In my last home I had beautiful hardwood floors and in my current home solid oak floors have been installed and the old carpet consigned to the skip! I truly love it although if you are in a cold area you might want to consider having underfloor heating as well as your wooden floor.

The initial expense is worth it and the value it adds to a home could be more than 10% if completed properly.

Oh, well - on with the rest of the house! 

Do you like it?

Bedroom

This is an excellent example of how to manage a small bedroom. This room is long and narrow yet it has a very large bed which doesn't overwhelm the space. The high ceiling, brickwork and light-fitting, which adds a very slight sense of drama, work together very well.  

Do you agree?

If you like this post then Share it with others by clicking the Share button below. Thank You!

Wallpaper and Flowers

If you are someone who goes the whole hog then you will appreciate this combination - the bold and the beautiful!

I think this could work as an accent area, that is, on a wall or small area of the room - behind shelves possibly. There's a certain shabby chic feel to it and this is easy to achieve. Be careful with the pattern as you wouldn't want it to overwhelm everything or make a small dark space even more so.

 A beautifully simple floral arrangement works and you could use pale yellow or white or red.

Subscribe Today!

Outdoor Lighting

Am I the only one to think there are less BBQ parties happening than before? The recession seems to have affected the number and frequency - but I could be wrong.

Last week I attended a small, intimate BBQ and the outdoor lighting was very similar to these. The glow cast by them was truly lovely and I found myself transfixed - wandering around checking every detail! 

Subscribe Today!

Sink

I have tried to feature sinks which are unusual and this is an example. Approaching this sink in someone's home, preparing to wash your hands... your thoughts would be??

Watching the water flow from the tap, over your hands and down the plughole. Interesting.

What do you think?

White Bedroom

Although it might not seem so, but it takes thought and restraint to  keep a room white. 

A relative of mine has a living room which is primarily cream and ivory and I initally  felt very tempted to recommend splashes of duck-egg blues and pale greens just to add some interest. But after spending some time there the need disappeared. Using pale colors can be so soothing and if done well it can work.

Waking up in this bedroom must be glorious. 

Toilet Seat

Usually I showcase items that I like for various reasons. Here is an example of the opposite.

The toilet seat rates very highly on my 'yuck-factor' scale!

Taste is personal but the overall effect is one that is not pleasing.

Subscribe Today!

Drain House

Would you prefer to spend a night in a drain house or in a tent on the same patch of ground?

Such an unusual bedroom space. I think spending the night here would be such an experience. Do you agree?

Subscribe Today!

Living Room - Art Deco

Cool, classy and chic. This room oozes nostalgia and the art deco period is one I am particularly fond of. The craftsmanship evident in so many items from that period ensures longevity and high prices. What do you think?

Dining Room-Office

If space is at a premium and your dining room must double as an office, utilizing the walls as storage is a very good idea. Just bear in mind that if you have guests the last thing you want to do is move bulky files and other office-related paraphenalia. Buy a filing cabinet from bargain stores or garage sales and after preparing the surface, paint a colour which blends into your decor - use the cabinet to store your out-of-sight items. 

Follow Me! and be automatically updated - see the right hand column.

Mosaics

Kaffe Fassett is someone I have been in awe of since receiving one of his needlework kits as a gift as a teenager. His bold eye for color never fails to thrill and challenge me. Here he has created a wonderful entrance to his studio - I think it works beautifully and recommend you wander around his site and notice just how many mediums he works in. A confident artist.

Subscribe Today!

Bench

I love this practical work of art by Hugo Franca. He uses trees which have naturally fallen over in the forests or have been left over by loggers. He allows the beauty of the wood to dictate his furniture creations. Beautiful!

 Subscribe Today!

Dining

This is a great example of how easy it is to create a space for eating. A simple wooden, inexpensive table can give you a great template from which to add chairs which don't cost the earth.  Choose mismatched chairs and coordinate them by recovering them with fabric and a sturdy staple gun.

Make an uncomfortable bench comfortable by adding padded seating. 

A great space which links the kitchen and the dining space.

Subscribe Today!

Bathroom

I have promised myself that my next house build will have one of the bathrooms looking just like this. Shower curtains will not do in this ambient environment. I love it!

What do you think?

Subscribe Today - why don't you?!

Chairs

These chairs seem appropriate: celebratory, functional and beautiful to behold. Joel Escalona Santos has managed to create these glass fiber chairs that will work well in any modernist setting.

Do you like them?

Don't forget to have a wonderful year!



Subscribe Today!