black & white day 4 (and a Pinterest project)

Before I show you the amazing black and white room for today, let me also invite you to take a look at a great Pinterest collaboration board from Molly over at The Waffler. Molly's cool idea was that bloggers collaborate in furnishing this amazing SoHo Loft:

If you'd like to join in the fun, or just check out what furnishings and accessories I've pinned to this board, along with other great pinners, go to the SoHo Loft Pinterest Board. And check out The Waffler- it's super cool.

OK, now for the ooh and ahhh image:

This room is by Johanna Flyckt at Vintage. The small bits of black ground the otherwise light and flowy and soft room. I love the casual elegance of the full-length drapery in the doorway, contrasted with the black industrial pendant lights and stool. And of course the rustic wood is amazing. Lovely room.

trend to try: concrete walls

Maybe its my crush on industrial style, but lately I'm loving the trend toward concrete for interior design. It's moving from the floors to the walls and ceilings now. It adds a minimalist cool factor and is organic, especially paired with wood or other natural elements. 

Alexander Stutz via Commune

Mitri Hourani via Marie Claire Maison

source unknown, via Shelterness

vosges paris

Elle Decor

via Micasa

Mark Dubios, via Architectural Digest

Martha Sturdy via House and Home

via Urbinlivin

via Loft Life

Christoph Roedig via NY Times

Is this a trend you would try?

eco-chic product roundup

First up, Sit and Read Rug Chairs, made from mistakenly over-dyed rugs hand-stitched onto wrought iron frames. By Sit and Read and Still & Co. 

I'm loving these modern drum shades from Inhabit that are created from fabrics that are made from 100% post-consumer waste. 

I also love these great upcycled pallet bed and sofa ideas from Style It Chic. 

And finally, isn't this bamboo alarm clock so cool? This and other modern bamboo products by Lexon. 

recycled copper kitchen sink

IKEA wallpapered chair tutorial

Thank you all so much for your atta girl's on my IKEA chair hack that I posted as part of my office makeover project.  This was a $20 chair from the clearance section of IKEA that had been scratched and marked up on the seat. I had lots of questions on how I covered it, so here are the steps. So easy! 

1. Use an allen key to unattach the backrest. 

2. Trace the back onto the backside of the wallpaper you want to use (twice, one for each side). 

3. Cut a little larger than the trace that you made, with scissors. 

4. Use spray adhesive to glue it onto the back side.

5. Use a sharp utility knife to cut along the edges of the chair to get the wallpaper nice and neat. 

6. Repeat for the front of the back rest, and the chair seat. 

7. I used just a touch of semi-gloss polyurethene to go over the wallpaper, to make sure that the edges didn't fray from use. Don't use too much, as it will wet the wallpaper and bubble it. 

8. Use a pencil to punch the holes in the chair back where the screws go, and then screw it back onto the chair. 

9. Voila! Show off your pretty chair. 

what does vintage really mean?

Design Sponge

Have you noticed that all things "vintage" is selling for a mint these days? But do we really use that term in the right way in every instance?  I know I throw the word vintage around without really thinking about it and it got me thinking: what is vintage, as opposed to antique? 

Mod Pieces

It's generally agreed that an antique is at least 100 years old or more. Think stoneware crocks and wing-back chairs. Think handmade, from real craftsman and artisans. 

Honeycomb Creative Co.

Vintage seems to be a little harder to pin down. Some sources claim anything between 20-80 years old qualifies. So I guess that awful heart-shaped pine step-stool that I toll-painted hunter green in 1992 is vintage? Ha! I don't think I'd get rich putting that on e-Bay! 

Vintage Seekers

I like the definition that Lucy Evans, co-founder of Vintage Seekers, gives: 

"To me, vintage means classic design with enduring appeal. It's what falls between antique and contemporary. A vintage piece is original, authentic and between 25-100 years old." (courtesy Living Etc.)

Schoolhouse Electric

  There are also different kinds of vintage, from farmhouse ( milk crates and baskets), to kitschy (bold groovy colours), to elegant (white linen tablecloths), to industrial (architectural salvage). 

Vintage Seekers

When I think about the kind of vintage I'm drawn to it's modern minimalist - pieces by mid-century modern designers that were mass produced and available to all. Classic and simple.

nest goodies

Then again, I might classify my '80s Strawberry Shortcake collection as priceless vintage! 

What does vintage mean to you?

is it Spring yet?

Ok, ok, I know it's only February, but I feel ready to add a touch of Spring into my home.

 Do you change up some of your decoration according to the season? Are you ready to go from this:

Llamas' Valley

to this?

Stylizimo

Edda's

Sunhome

Apparently I was already feeling the need for natural elements inside the home back in December when I wrote a post about bringing the green inside. Check out some other inspiring greenery filled-spaces here.

Come on March...or May. 

one room challenge - week 6 - home office reveal

Phew, six weeks went by fast! I have to give it to Linda at My Crafty Home Life for sparking this blogger challenge to finish a room. I'm pleased with how my office/library turned out, and it has been so inspiring to watch the transformation of my other challengers' rooms. You can go back and watch the progress from the beginning here. 

So my design board kept me on track with the white-with-pops-of-colour-industrial-comfy plan for my office. 

The "before" was a rented beige empty room. I painted the walls white, added a white desk, shelving and storage credenza. And I mixed old and new, like vintage wire baskets for magazine storage with a new knock-off Eames armchair.

I abided by sustainable design through creating artwork with leftover materials, and papering a damaged chair I already owned to make it new again. 

I added personality through industrial hanging lights, a vintage poster of my favourite travel spot, and a colourful mood board. 

And I made this a budget project by creating a great daybed and making my own corner headboard. 

To see my room progression from the beginning, hop here. Hope you find some inspiration from this and the other rooms in this series. Be sure to go check them out! 

My Crafty Home Life

Living Savvy

Dutch. British. Love. 

(A Lifestyle Thing)

House Four

Insideways

Taylor Morgan Design

Nana Moon Shop

Trapped in North Jersey

The Pink Pagoda

Rue de Emily

Kim Macumber Interiors

Nicole Scott Designs

Saved by Suzy

Thanks Linda!

the allure of imperfection

"To be perfect is to develop expanding imperfection". ~ Ethylios

Perfect can be, well, boring. I love pretty magazine and blog pictures, but I'm drawn most to those that are imperfect and interesting. After all, people aren't perfect, so why would we try to make the homes we live in perfect? They should be a reflection of us, with all of our beautiful and alluring imperfections. 

Take, for example, this mirror that my brother made as a gift for me years ago. It is my most favourite possession, because it is perfectly imperfect. The barn boards it is made from are weathered, and there are flaws and cracks, which make it even better. Don't you think it is much more interesting than a store-bought perfect mirror? 

An inspiring blogger, The Nester, is celebrating perfect imperfection - hop on over to enjoy more beautifully imperfect projects.