Browsing Tag

french decor

Design Your Life

From Man’s Land to Wonderland

01/15/2014

I love Rice DK decor, it’s no secret. I love Wu and Wu tins, Jeu de Paumes books and all the colorful and modern European designs with a flair of kitsch. I cannot get enough. My Lovely Lovely UK collection is still in wrapping because my kitchen is not yet ready for the palette nor have we finished deciding how, why and where things will be.

In this stage of our relationship I am NESTING. Nesting to the max. No I am not pregnant but I believe women are nesters in these stages anyway. Stages of the decision that this is going to be your life together, your home, your family. With that I’d like to say that men can also be nesters as my mister plans and completes renovations of spots in our home without me even implying I want him to. He also asks for my opinion and I ask for his. This is tough for 2 artists with VERY DIFFERENT art styles. I’m saying pop surrealism VS contemporary realism. Think bright color POPs vs calming earth tones.

I believe when you settle down and start a new life with someone else that you are combining your lives into one delicious (lemon poppyseed) cake. You must sacrifice yourself to become unified and to ensure both feel at home rather than one being resentful or stifled. So we begin the road to mixing the 2 styles in one big (pink) Kitchenaid mixer and set it to low speed (while I toss in sprinkles for funfetti cake). I found a few articles on the subject of collaborative design in the home with your partner but not many so I feel it’s best at this point to learn from the adventure. Please join us on our journey to create our dream home from our beautiful house (inspiration and mood boards included!) and the things I learn about designing it with mister.

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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!