04 Thursday Oct 2012
Posted in Advice & Inspiration, Everyday Design
Terrain is one of my favorite shops, even if its to browse around their website and look at the all the goodies they sell. Being a designer and a photographer, I truly appreciate the gorgeous images they showcase and the beautifully styled still life’s. I wanted to share some images I felt were perfect for fall and true representation of autumn harvest style.
These can inspire tons of decor ideas for weddings, parties and even holiday dinners. I included some color palettes as well. Enjoy!
04 Thursday Oct 2012
Posted in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Leo Parker
Tags
Bed Sheets, bedroom, color, comfortable living, cushions, decorating, Explore a Theme, Focal Point, furniture, Headboards, interior design, Knick-knacks, living room, paint, pillows, rugs, Statement Lighting, swivel uk, throws
Give your living space a whole new lease of life with these easy and inspiring ideas.
Statement Lighting
Create dramatic, contemporary interiors using statement lighting. Lighting is the key to creating the right ambience and mood in a room. Opt for a large floor lamp to illuminate your living space, pulling everything together and giving the eye a focal point.
This super chic Arco Lamp replica, based on Achille Castiglioni’s iconic piece takes its inspiration from street lamps and the long stem enables the lamp to project light up to 8 feet from its sturdy marble base. A fantastic example of affordable designer lighting.
Create a Focal Point
Make one wall a feature. This rule can apply to almost all rooms in your home but works extremely well in the bedroom. By painting one wall a vibrant color and the other white, this creates a focal point in the room. Add to your focal point with some well-chosen designer furniture.
Place your bed up against this wall to create a modern and stylish look. Alternatively use wallpaper to exaggerate space, making it lighter and brighter, due to its reflective qualities.
Bed Sheets
For a modern, fuss-free and sophisticated bedroom opt for crisp white bed linen as your bed is the focal part of the room – an easy way to update a drab interior. Add cushions, plenty of pillows and throws for a more lavish look.
Lick of Paint
To create a calm and relaxing boudoir, try your hand at home decorating using soft pastel colors to achieve this effect. This creative process can be very therapeutic so will set the tone for the room from the beginning.
Headboards
If you are not enamored by traditional wooden headboards, a fresh take on this would be to make your own. A painting or photo collage is a great alternative and will create a bespoke, modern mood in no time.
Knick-knacks
Surround yourself with things that make you happy – old photos, books, inspirational objects to create a really homey feel. Not only will it make for a more cheerful living space but will feed into your subconscious which in turn will lead to a happier you.
Rugs
Add a bohemian element to your home with a rug. Bright colors, bold patterns and interesting textures are great for injecting a new lease of life into a living area.
Explore a Theme
Explore different themes and tie together a room by adopting this theme throughout the whole area. An example of this would be a quirky, retro sixties vibe. Mix bold geometric wallpaper with funky details with an Eero Aarnio BallChair replica for a cool look.
Written by Leo Parker
01 Monday Oct 2012
Posted in Advice & Inspiration, Everyday Design
Tags
canada, honeymoon, island, map, memories, preserving, prince edward island, traveling, trip, vacation
I am always thinking of ways to capture memories. Whether its a book of photographs, a shadowbox or jars full of little treasures, its important to me to preserve these memories forever. Our honeymoon on Prince Edward Island was simply spectacular. I wish we could have stayed longer.
I took tons of photos and plan to create a digital album but I wanted something that showed all we’ve done while we were here. So I found a map I liked of the island and marked each place with a heart we traveled to as well as what we did. I plan on including it in the digital album as well as our wedding scrapbook.
This is a great way to display any trip or vacation in your home. You can print it and frame it or include it in a scrapbook like I am going to do. Something like this also makes a nice gift for a couple. I hope you are inspired by this idea and create a little map of your own travels in the future.
{click on the image to see a larger version}
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Sarah Atkinson, The Home
Tags
bedding, bedroom, budget, charity, color, color schemes, decorating, duvet covers, furniture, interior design, Linens Direct, painting, pillows, redecorating
There are many ways to bring a new lease of life to your home without breaking the bank. If you’ve been considering redecorating but are wary of the costs involved, these tips will give you plenty of inspiration to help you achieve a new look on a budget.
Add some color to the walls
A lick of paint is one of cheapest yet most effective ways to bring a room up to date. You might want to consider creating a bold statement wall, painting an entire room with a vibrant, intense shade or using several colors to incorporate a stylish two-tone theme. As you can pick up tins of paint cheaply from your local DIY store, you can regularly update your home without spending too much.
Update your bedding
Redecorating doesn’t have to involve buying new furniture. If you want to bring a fresh feel to your bedroom, try choosing some new duvet covers and pillowcases. They’re available at reasonable prices from online retailers such as Linens Direct, meaning that you can easily embrace the latest trends or change your color schemes. You’ll be surprised at just how different your bedroom can look after making such a simple change.
Give existing furniture a make-over
There’s no need to throw out your existing furniture. Try giving your existing pieces a make-over by having them reupholstered with a new material. This could change a boring old armchair into a statement piece, with very little investment. If you’re looking for something a little less permanent, buy a few colored throws and experiment with different looks according to your mood.
Visit your local charity shop
You may find that you can pick up plenty of bargains at a charity shop that will help you to transform your home. Look out for items such as pictures, mirrors and photo frames that have been previously loved but could look fantastic in your living space. You might decide that they need a coat of paint or varnish to make them look new again, or you could pick up some pieces that look stylishly vintage just the way they are.
With so many ways to update your home on a shoestring, it’s not surprising that more and more people are choosing to get creative rather than splashing the cash. By trying just a few of these ideas, your house will be looking brand new for a price you never thought possible.
Written by Sarah Atkinson
The Design Inspirationalist 