Browsing Tag

cutie book

DIY

Customizing a New Home

08/25/2009

CUTiE BookTurning your apartment, house or beach-side bungalow into a home? I’ve moved a lot only recently. After being smothered in a small-town, for way too long, I was ready for new adventures and surroundings. First I lived with a family in my heart*throb, japan. Then we moved around in Indiana’s capital delicious wonderland city Indianapolis, from downtown apartment to east-side apartment. During the summers, I shack up with my lovely best friend in California and always find new places and friends to love. I’ve found amazing people I want to forever keep in my life (there are still many years for us to end up together) and I knew if I explored to find my own paradise in the US I would be truly at peace with my world. (I still plan to visit Japan always until I finally accept a job there -why don’t you???- and live my dreams)

delicate & sweet a balcony for me shoes in a row

So we’re picking up and moving again! This time to a paradise we fell in love with together, Nevada. Now Las Vegas is a kitschy tourist attraction, mind you, but there are always amazing things going on that you can be involved in, it’s not far from L.A. and the sunshine replenishes your body with Vitamin D as well as inspires your mind to produce melatonin.

The most important thing about a new home is what new whimsical world will unfold as I place items around and attempt to customize my surroundings (this gets tough in city apartments!). In case you need a kick start or just a push in a new direction, enjoy the inspiration and let your home drink it up!

Let’s Get Started!

Need some furniture or decor inspiration? Take a look at the resources listed at the end of the article.
Be sure to hit up local thrift stores and flea markets, you could find delectable art-deco, mid-century and antique goodies to paint/ design for your home for a fraction of the cost of most designer deco. One of a kind items are always smile inducers while lounging in your quarters.

With some sanding and a few coats of glossy enamel you can turn a sad, chipped and rusty 60s wall shelf into a new sleek treasure.

paint it~

Starting to see endless possibilities in creating your ultimate wonderland on earth?

Yummy Inspiration & Boutiques

Urban Outfitters: Apartment
Brocade Home
IKEA
Mason Reve
The Paris Apartment
Espirit Cabane
Jeu de Paumes Books
Three Potato Four
Decor8 Blog
Design*Sponge

Miseducated Articles

A Spare Roomedy
Apartment Seventy-Seven
Pretty on Penn St
Home in South Korea
Interiors of Amelie
Gwen Stefani’s Chic Space
Lala’s Kitschy Paradise

Business Features Self Decoration

Spank! Japanese 80s Revival Fashion

01/20/2009

Spank! fashion! It’s a shop promoting the girly, sweet clothes most of us wore in the 80s and reviving and reworking them into new outfits for fun and raving. The shop is owned and opperated Tavuchi and her cute friends. If you’re ever raving in Tokyo, you’ll surely spot Spank! girls frolicking amongst the colour and lights making everyone’s night a little sweeter.

Spank-a-rama

Spank!

Try this style by pairing frilly mini-skirts and eighties toon nighties. Don’t forget to LAYER, as this is also important. If you view decora (or FRUiTS) fashion you will notice many differing layers. Colour, texture and pattern all differ creating a rainbow of color upon every cutie and toys are used as accessories and more. However instead of the many different decora colour palettes, Spank! uses the soft, feminine pastels of the 80s girl’s fuzzy companions and cartoon favorites.

Spank! Video

DIY

DIY Interior Ideas for Your Spare Room

12/07/2008

Those of us who are fortunate to have a spare bedroom know that figuring out what to do with it can be tricky. More often than not, this room is a sight for sore eyes – full of random “keepsakes” and loads of junk. Either that or it’s a combination of an office and work out area (that just so happens to have a bed in it).

spare rooms

Here are a few ideas to help jump start your thinking process. See if any catch your eye!

An at-home Gym

How many times have you intended to work out after/before work but didn’t end up making it to the gym? Well, a home-gym is a great way to motivate you to work out. After all, it’s hard to get up early enough to drive to the gym and the last thing you want to do after a long day at work is head off to your local work-out facility.

An at-home gym is convenient for many reasons and you’re more likely to use the machinery if you’ve got a nice room designated for such activity!

A quiet/relaxation room

This room should whisper “serene” every time you walk inside it. Paint the walls a muted color that’s easy on the eyes. Fill it will soft, plush furniture, candles and lots of books or drawing/painting supplies. An indoor water fountain would be a great addition, too. Allow yourself to melt away in this sacred space with books, crafts, meditation and even sleep.

A toy room for children

If you have children who frequent your house, this is a great idea. Paint the walls a cheery color and even add some bright/child-like decals on the wall. I remember my grandmother’s playroom had several dresses filled with dress-up clothes, jewelry and accessories. Add a few books shelves and lots of stuffed animals/games. Another benefit of having a special room for children to play in (aside from you playing in the room and pretending you are a kid again) is that the mess stays there. Also, everything has its place so it’s easier to tidy up when they are finished playing.

spare room

A bar lounge

Turn your spare room into a bar/lounge, especially if you like entertaining company! It’s completely utilitarian and inspires you to invite guests, too! Make sure you have seating (be it around a table or casual lounge chairs/sofas) and plenty of sturdy tables to place drinks and food. Create a room that allows people to move freely, schmooze and relax. Avoid placing a TV in this room as it’s not conducive to conversation!

A gaming room

This is targeted to the gentlemen reading, but even a woman can enjoy a game room! Add a pool table, air hockey or a foosball table as your main feature and then add other games, too. Be sure to include a nice table for playing board games! You could go retro with arcade games or old Nintendo or you could jump into the future with more up-to-date gaming consoles (like the Wii). This is great for entertaining and sure to be a hit with friends and family.

A movie room

Whether you’re a movie buff or simply like to watch movies, go all out with this one! If you have the means, purchase a nice television and surround sound system. Add (really) comfortable sofas or chairs that are great for movie-watching and a few tables to set food/drinks. As for decoration, you could go with a genre theme. For example, a 40s theme with lots of movie posters, quotes, etc.

A library

This is great for those of us who always have our nose in a book! It’s also nice for those who wish their nose was in a book more often! Make this room one that you can relax in. Soft colors, plush seating and great lighting. Then, add lots and lots of bookshelves and fill those babies with books! You can even organize the books however you like: by genre, by author, etc. One thing that may be interesting for decoration is framed book covers or pictures of your favorite authors!