Fresh Christmas decorating ideas

Less than a week before Christmas to get your decorations up.  Here are a few ideas to keep you seasonal decor looking inspired.

Love the outdoor lanterns used on the porch.

 

The orange here really adds an unexpected freshness.
via DigsDigs

Favorite childhood ornaments hang from the stair spindles – adorable…
I love the sweeping effect of the banister garland.

The crispness of the white decorations is so pretty.
via Clean & Scentsible

I would have LOVED these as a kid, and they are super cute.
Learn how to make them at Pink Pistachio.

Christmas Home Tours

Some great Christmas Home Tours you won’t want to miss, they have brilliant ideas, easy crafts, and interesting decor I’ve never seen before!

Red + white Christmas living room + love the wreaths hanging on the windows. Gorgeous home tour @4gens1roof
Pretty Handy Girl's Christmas Home Tour. Pinned for the chandelier color. Shape is just like my brassy one…dark bronze spray paint??? Why not!

 

Beneath My Heart's Christmas Tour

How to Choose Artwork for Your Home

Artwork can complement a room and bring out its best elements, or can completely clash with it and ruin the whole design. Unfortunately, too many people don’t how to pick artwork correctly and end up making mistakes that could be easily avoided. The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert designer to understand how to pick the best artwork for any room. Here are a few tips on how to pick the perfect piece of artwork for your room of choice.

choosing artwork

via simpledetailsblog.blogspot.com via pinterest

Like what you Like and have a Clear Intent in Mind

The primary goal when buying art for your room should be to please yourself, not your visitors. You shouldn’t be swayed by the opinion of “art experts” and only go for a certain type of art simply because it’s the hot thing right now. The best way to know if a piece of art is for you is if it moves you. A piece of art should never be a “maybe”. It should be something you want to see every day and always leaves you astounded.

choosing artwork

via bloglovin’ via pinterest

Don’t be Afraid to Mix and Match

A lot of people make the mistakes of being too matchy-matchy with their room design. While some matching is always good, contrasting colors are better. You also want to mix textures and time periods. If you’re using the piece of art as a focal point, you want it to pop out rather than blend in the rest of the room. The focal piece is the star of the room and should be treated as such. Match vibrant oranges with teal blues, hot and cold, old and new, low end and high end. By mixing various elements, you’ll be giving the room much more personality.

choosing artwork

via booklandia via pinterest

Don’t Go Crazy with the Budget

Let’s be real: unless you’re going to shell out a few thousand on a collector’s piece, there is no need to spend an arm and a leg for art if it’s only meant to be decorative. If you’re a genuine art lover, fine, splurge away, but if you have little knowledge of art, chances are you won’t notice the difference between a $500 piece and a $5,000 one. Online art marketplaces like Fine Art America have art pieces for all styles and budgets. If you want to see their collection, you can visit https://fineartamerica.com/. These types of online art marketplaces make it easy to find pieces that are ideal for your home and within your budget.

And when shopping for pieces, try to get the most out of your money as possible. If your budget is $500 and you have the choice between a 20’ by 20’ and a 50’ by 50’ piece, then I would suggest you go for the bigger one. Sure, the smaller one might be nice, but if you have a limited amount to spend, better go for a statement piece you can build a room around.

choosing artwork

via blog.tagesanzeiger.ch via pinterest

Conclusion

Choosing art for any room doesn’t have to be difficult if you know how to go about it. If you follow the few tips in this article, you should be able to find that statement piece you’ve been looking for in no time.

this post in consideration with Chetty Builders

Modern Farmhouse tour

Modern Farmhouse

Talk about bright and airy!  The overall white walls in this home and amazingly high ceilings say anything but dark old farmhouse.  I would have loved to see images of this home prior to the renovation.  The house is in New South Wales.  The couple fell in love with it’s character and decided to give it a modern coastal feel while paying homage to it’s farmhouse roots.  I’ll stop talking and let it speak for itself.

modern farmhouse

 

modern farmhouse modern farmhouse

Love this outdoor dining space.  The rustic table with the white chairs is dreamy.

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Simplicity at it’s best

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I love it all! How about you guys?

All image via Adore Home Magazine

Inspiring Architecture: Poetry of Place book review

Poetry of Place is one of my favorite books of the year, hands down.  Perusing the book is like taking a tour through some of the most beautiful homes and properties I’ve ever seen, and the photography makes the escape complete.

Poetry of Place: The New Architecture and Interiors of McAlpine (Rizzoli 2017). Continuing the story from his best selling first book, Bobby McAlpine picks up where he left off delving into the heart’s longing for home and breaking the rules of traditional architecture, harvesting what is true to tell your own story.”

Poetry of Place

Below are some of my favorite moments from the book, but trust me, if these speak to you you have to see them all.

Poetry of Place

Poetry of Place
AD, Baton Rouge, estersohn

“This volume features the recent projects of McAlpine, one of the country’s most highly respected architecture and interior design firms, renowned for its timeless houses exemplifying the charm and elegance of traditional and vernacular English, American, and European styles blended with a modern sensibility.” – Amazon description

Poetry of Place Poetry of Place

From Tudor style homes to wooden lakeside homes, the book features twenty homes with the projects explained by Bobby McAlpine.

Poetry of Place

Houses featured include a Tuscan-style horse farm, a Colonial revival, exotic Florida beach house, and a European manor house.

Poetry of Place I know I don’t really have to do any convincing when it comes to checking out Poetry of Place, the beautiful spaces speak for themselves.  You can pick up Poetry of Place wherever books are sold.

Ideas for Expanding Your Home

There is nothing quite like having your own home. Your house is your castle and you are free to make whatever changes you see fit. This allows for all sorts of customizations which add value to the house, but mostly make it more livable. Most people will remodel the kitchen or knock down walls, but why stop there? Adding new rooms or additions to the house will help give it a unique charm, expand interior floor space, and offer new customization options. Here are just a few ideas for ways you can expand your home.

 

First: Consider Your Property Lines

Obviously, when thinking about making an addition to your home, you have to keep the property lines in mind. You do not want to completely obliterate the back yard, and even if that is your goal, taking up too much space can mean no more room to grow in the future. You will want to keep some space between property lines and your home regardless, as this provides room for contractors to work in. Not just builders, but any future contractors you may need to bring in for whatever reason.

Second: Consult with a Professional

When considering an addition to your house, consult with a professional architect. They can take a look at the layout of your existing home and make recommendations to keep your addition aesthetically pleasing while delivering what you are after. Note that we cannot guarantee that everything you want is possible with your existing home, but if it is – a professional will figure it out.

Start from the Back

The most common starting point for additions is to look into the back yard. Patios, pavilions, or a simple entryway in the back can help connect your home to the yard. In fact, depending on how you structure and organize the addition, you may even be able to create the sensation of your home spilling out into the yard. This can be an excellent addition for a kitchen – creating an outdoorsy space to enjoy your meal.

Consider Building Up

This depends on your foundation and local building codes, but other than those there is nothing stopping you from building up. This idea can be especially good if you are running out of room to expand. You have a number of design choices available if you choose to add a second floor to your building. Balconies are popular additions once you have some living areas constructed. It can also be a way to feel on top of the world when working from a home office.

 

Keep Function in Mind

When making any additions to your house, keep the function of these additions in mind. Having an idea of what you want that you do not have will inform your architectural decisions. Let your mind go wild when thinking of these additions, and only take the time to temper them down when it comes time to plan out the addition.

 

Do Not Neglect the Basics

When you are planning an addition to the home, it can be easy to forget the basics. Remember that you want any comforts available now to remain available throughout the home. This means remembering the electrical systems, cable systems, and of course climate control. Speak with your service providers to get recommendations about how to make sure these services remain available with any addition to your home. This is especially the case with climate control – consider a mini-split system so you do not have go through the trouble of installing potentially expensive ductwork. Cable lines should be run to the new room if it is closed in, along with electrical outlets. Though obviously, an outdoor room might do better without if it is not water-tight – consult with your local contractors when thinking about your addition to make sure your new room is as comfortable as the rest of the house!

this post in consideration with adamsairconditioning.net

5 Floor Lamps That’ll Change Your Office Space

Lighting is an extremely important aspect of setting the mood and influencing emotions. Studies have repeatedly shown that workers are more productive in well-lit areas, and that even the angle of the lighting can have an effect on the perception of a room upon entering.

Of course, an office space isn’t just any room – it’s your designated place of business, and is therefore a visual representation of who you are as a professional. As such, a disorganised or poorly lit office space cannot only be detrimental to productivity, it might also negatively affect the way customers and co-workers view your working habits and proficiency. With that said, here are 5 types of floor lamps that can drastically improve your office lighting situation:

floor lamps
1. Club Lamp

A club lamp provides a classy and elegant stand with a conventional lamp shade dimming the light to more tolerable levels. Thus, it’s perfect to have as a desk side lighting component, or to set in a corner to provide moderate lighting throughout the room. This is one of the most popular kind of floor lamps found in office spaces worldwide, and is a particularly popular option throughout Europe. The difference between a club lamp and a conventional floor lamp is often hard to tell, and so checking out some examples of standard lamps to compare can be useful.

floor lamp
2. Torchiere

A torchiere is similar to a club lamp with the exception that the top is open, and the bottom is shaded. This produces the effect of shooting the light towards the ceiling, where it is reflected around the room. Thus, this type of floor lamp is ideal for offices with standard ceiling heights. The style also makes it ideal for home offices, consultation businesses, physical therapy services, and other relaxed settings.

floor lamp

3. Adjustable

As the self-explanatory name implies, this type of floor lamp can be adjusted to various heights to accommodate fluctuating lighting needs in the office. This kind of floor lamp is great for workers who have transitioned into using a combination of sitting and standing desks, and is therefore a perfect companion to an adjustable desk. They’re also excellent for writers, inventors, technicians, assembly specialist, and anyone else who needs full control over close-up, precision lighting.

floor lamp
4. Multi-Bulb

Some floor lamps contain multiple bulbs for a stronger lighting effect, which makes them ideal for larger office spaces. However, in many smaller spaces these lamps can be a waste of electricity and/or excessively bright. On the other hand, you have the option of loosening some of the bulbs to dim the light as preferred, so they’re good to have around when you need flexible lighting options.

floor lamp
5. Tower Style

Tower style lamps are good for providing ambient lighting, with bulbs concealed in an assembly behind a vertical lamp shade that runs the length of the stand. Since these lamps usually aren’t extremely bright, they’re good options to have in creative spaces such as a music or art studio. They’re also good for boosting light in a particularly dark area of the office.

floor lamps

Considering Bulb Style and Other Features

Another aspect to consider would be the type of bulbs that the lamp uses. Many professionals insist on using LED lamps because they’re both energy efficient and more common in office environments. Although incandescent lighting will work to illuminate the space, some studies have shown that blue lighting increases worker productivity. Thus, it may be worthwhile to use special LED bulbs that emit a higher range of blue spectrum lighting. Likewise, depending on the type of mood you’re trying to set in the office, you may want to consider multi-coloured bulbs or coloured lamp shades to radically change the appearance of the office space altogether.

This post in consideration with Pagazzi Lighting

How to Make the Most of Matt Tiles

When choosing tiles for your home, people too often think of plain white, glossy varieties, but matt tiles are a just as good – if not better – alternative to keep your home attractive and practical. As most matt tiles are fashioned from natural stone, they manage to be authentically natural but still sleek and sophisticated. Most commonly identified by the lack of glossy shine, matt tiles are the less typical way to create a natural warm, homely, rustic atmosphere.

matt tiles

Complementary Décor

The natural look means matt tiles are well complemented by mosaic tiles or other natural stone borders that can add luxury and a personalised touch. Alternatively, paring them with glossy tiles can create a contemporary and classic combination that again makes a room more personalised, and utilises the gloss shine that can help a room look larger. Matt tiles do not have this effect, so are best used in large rooms with plenty of natural light; that being said, they don’t make a room look smaller either, so this shouldn’t be a deterrent. Instead, the suggested combination of tiles is ideal. Matt can come in cement, stone, wood, slate or a plain coloured effect, meaning there is plenty to work with regardless of your room’s existing theme. Slate floor tiles are particularly on trend right now and are great for getting that rustic looking home.

matt tiles

Practical Benefits

As matt tiles are much less slippery than glossy alternatives, they are suitable for families, or in rooms like bathrooms and kitchens were spillages occur. This is also useful as they are excellent at hiding dirt, so any food spillages won’t be noticeable to guests at your dinner party before you have time to clean. The low maintenance makes these tiles long lasting in not only homes but businesses too, helping keep home improvement costs down in the long term.

matt tiles

Wall vs Floor Tiles

Given the reduced slip risk and easy cleaning, matt floor tiles are ideal for busy homes with lots of footfall, or with children that may slip easily or make a mess. They are also useful as floor tiles in wet rooms for the same reasons, making you feel at ease when leaving your shower. In terms of wall tiles, slip is also a risk, for example if you try to steady yourself on a wall in the bathroom. Wall matt tiles are most commonly a style feature however, and should help make any home appear natural and sophisticated.

matt tiles

If you are in need of matt wall and floor tiles, head over to Tile Monkey where there are a variety available in different colours, effects and patterns at the lowest price on the web.

matt tiles

A 600 sq. ft. California Cabin Retreat

Stocked with finds from budget go-to’s like west elm and ikea, this rustic retreat was made beautiful on a modest budget. Even the cabin (it’s a rental) was found on craigslist!

The cabin was built in the 1970’s, but they’ve managed to make the wool paneling look fresh.

The chairs are by West Elm.  I have been scouring Craigslist for a similar table – I love it!

 

 

LOVE the chevron poufs – they add a punch of mod to the space.

I could read on this couch all afternoon.

Any retreat needs a well stocked bar. I am a coffee girl above a cocktail girl…so I might have a fancy coffee bar instead.

Read details about the cabin and the pics above on Country Living

Handmaid’s Tale Set

Whether or not you were a fan of Handmaid’s Tale, the use of color in both costumes and the set are amazing.  The house is perfectly on point for the show as well.  I actually wish I had been able to find better photos from the set, so if these wet your appetite I recommend watching the show just to see the home.

handmaid's tale set

The commander’s office is very masculine.

handmaid's tale set

The lighting in the set is also on point as you can see.  It’s dusky and secretive.  Furnishings are traditional which also speak to a major theme of the show.

handmaid's tale set

The wives wear teal and that is really the only pop of color you see used in the commander’s home.

handmaid's tale set

Another shot of the commander’s office.

handmaid's tale set

The kitchen and dining room are my favorite areas of the home, and probably the rooms you see the most of.

handmaid's tale set

I wish I could have found better images of the kitchen for you.  The exposed brick is homey but it also has a slightly industrial feel.

handmaid's tale set

These last two images are the commander’s office again.

handmaid's tale set

Are you a fan of the show?  What do you think of the set?