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A home decor ideas blog... Anyone can make their home more happy.
I picked up a Canadian built Queen Anne desk from a used furniture store in Oakville called Moveline Liquidations. You can find some very good quality wood pieces at Moveline for a great price. I went to the store with the intention of picking up a Queen Anne desk that I could paint out white. I wish I had a before picture! Instead, I was able to find a picture of a King Ed desk from the store’s website. It has the exact finish as the desk I purchased.
Original:
I sanded the desk a bit with sand paper and then painted it out using white furniture paint (paint + primer in one). I used a roller and paint brush for this project depending on the area of the table I was painting. To add a bit of flare to the white desk, I used a gold leaf paint pen around the edges. Easy I swear…anyone can do this.
Front view:
Back view:
I’m happy with the result, but even more happy that I was able to recycle this beautiful desk and give it a new home. It’s still a work in progress however. I may add a coat of polyurethane to prevent scratches, get a custom glass top made, add some funky printed paper underneath and perhaps install a new knob. I’ll keep you posted!
I added this to Houzz.com yesterday. It’s a little space in the hallway with a console table, mirror, candle and some food for thought as you pass by (creative home decor right?). The quote featured in the white frame is by Robin Sharma - thought leader and leadership advisor. What I enjoy so much about framing a quote – which is handwritten on card stock but you can type and print as well – is that the quote can be changed as you please. You just never know when you are reading something and another set of words leaps out at you.
By the way, the quote reads: ‘True bravery can happen only in the face of fear – if you aren’t afraid, then how can your actions be brave?”
And a couple of other great ways people have framed some inspiration!
Many of us are hesitant using bright and bold colour within the home, yet playing around with it outside seems a little less risky – take for example, the different colours you can spot in your very own garden. So I ask then, why not play with colour in your outdoor living space? On my modest and petite outdoor set (but charming nonetheless!), I simply used bright placemats (the brightest I could find) with a matching candle rested in the middle on an ornate candle dish. Voila!
Ahhh….and then there were two (therefore, room for a table runner and wine! Yup, the table runner is from Easy Summer Table Decor Part 1!)
Just a glimpse of the lounge at Spa Savanna, Montreal.
On a girls trip to Montreal this past March, we pampered ourselves with a spa treatment at Spa Savanna (great spa by the way). Besides the much needed massages, we were able to tranquilize in the dim-lit lounge filled with chaises along the walls, soothing music and comforting scents, oh and green tea of course!
Stretched out on one of the chaise lounges, I thought why not create a space like this at home? Imagine bringing in spa elements we associate to relaxation into our very own homes?
I came home seriously thinking about this concept and actually considered executing it within our basement family room but it didn’t quite happen. I guess in the end it didn’t seem “practical” (sigh). But I haven’t given up. Maybe I won’t have a room with multiple chaise lounges but I will find a little corner in this place where I can fit at least one, and yes, it will be a retreat I can enjoy more than once or twice a year!
I’m interested if any readers have created a “chaise corner” or space in their home? If so, please share! Here are a couple I found on Houzz.com that are really cool…
Prior to moving from our condo to our house, the first thing I started to shop for before the big move was a shower curtain for the main bathroom. I found one online at Simons.ca with the combination of colours I had imagined. It was neutral and airy, perfect for the natural stone tile on the bathroom floors, interior of the shower and part of the walls.
I was anxious to open the package when it arrived but nonetheless, it completely met my expectations and more. Not only were the colours spot on, but the fabric of the shower felt light and soft, similar to the feel of linen. But what I didn’t know at the time, was how this shower curtain would become the starting point or essentially the inspiration behind paint colours and decor applied throughout the home in the coming months. I figured if the original designer behind this curtain thought these colours worked well together, I would be safe using the same combination in other areas!
When you are particularly drawn to something (as insignificant as it may seem), don’t ignore it. It may be the beginning of many things to come.
It’s hard not to buy random things (stuff we don’t need) these days isn’t it? Well, in an effort to avoid collecting too much stuff that I probably don’t need and creating clutter (who wants to see that everyday?), I thought it would help to be reminded of the things I do have.
Women love jewellery which means we love to buy jewelry. But ever think that you already have something that goes with that black dress? Probably not. So often we forget about the things we already own simply because it’s stuffed at the bottom of a drawer or sitting in a purse for some odd reason. How about putting your jewelry (maybe not everything but your key pieces) on display for yourself so that everyday before you head out you can grab and go?
Check out the pic. A three-tiered platter turned into a jewelry display. Unlike the traditional jewelry box, everything is exposed drawing your eyes and hands straight to the right piece for the day. It also acts as unique decor for your bedroom or bathroom!
Here are a few other creative ways you can display your jewelry:
In the midst of having some time off to “reflect” on all things work and life, I had the chance to take a real look around the new home my husband and I so diligently worked towards making our own in less than a year. When I take it all in now, I can’t help but to feel quite proud of us for using our very own hands and hearts to create a space that reflects our little family (we have a naughty one and a half year old Schnauzer/Poodle). If I were to try and explain our home using adjectives I would say it is modest, peaceful, creative and somewhat ‘naturesque’. Perhaps others don’t think these things of our home but we do, and that’s what matters most.
If I think about the process involved in making our home a reflection of my family, it started with a passion to make the space a calming one. Next, I looked a long time for inspiration through seeing what others (experts and non-experts) have done and taking a note of things I liked the most. Houzz.com and Style at Home magazine are great for this. I then tried to identify our style (although I’m still not sure I know what it is – maybe transitional and a bit rustic?). Finally, the key objectives I wanted to achieve in our home style combined with other key factors played a big role in bringing everything together:
a) Flow – As our home is a side split with each level somewhat exposed, it was important to have consistency throughout the house.
b) Colour – Wanting to use neutral colours and earth tones to bring the outside in as we have a mature lot with big, old trees that could transcend nicely within the home.
c) Budget – Money played an important role of course. I would be lying if I told you Ikea and I are not good friends! But having to stretch the dollar made everything a bit more fun and drove us to be more creative (refinishing old furniture for example or painting our old brick fireplace rather than getting a complete face lift).
I didn’t follow any formula for creating the space we can call ours. Everything sort of evolved on its own through my determination to create a space that we could enjoy living in, day in and day out. Next to work or school, we all spend most of our time at home and whether you live in a 550 square foot condo, a basement apartment or a 4500 square foot custom home by the lake – you have the ability to make your space ‘yours’ – a true reflection of you and in that I would hope a place you can find comfort and happiness. Believe that even when money or time (full time jobs, raising a family, etc.,) isn’t on your side, you can make this happen.
Through this blog, I would like to share with you some of the things I’ve done in my home and also write about topics that may inspire you as you create a space of your own. I’m not an interior designer or decorator, I simply followed my heart and hope that you will too (and share your stories of course)!
