“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Bedrooms
My Top Three From Decoration and Design
Last week I visited Decoration and Design here in Sydney. It is held each year in conjunction with the Australian International Furniture Fair and is more up my alley. All the pretty bits that make a house a home are featured in this area of the show. Things like artworks, rugs, fabrics and homewares. So I am keen to wander up and down the aisles looking for something new or different.
Removable Wallpaper
This year I found a number of things. Firstly it was The Wallpaper Company. Not just any old wallpaper but REMOVABLE wallpaper. How cool is that? Fantastic for a feature wall in a colour or pattern you may be worried about. Or for teenagers’ rooms who want to assert their individuality but the parents aren’t keen to do something too permanent. And exceptionally great for those who are renting their home.
The paper is good quality and comes off without leaving any residue so can easily be cleaned or painted over. And another big benefit is that it can be installed yourself!
Rattan Butler’s Tray
Next up was a new supplier of colonial style furniture and homewares, Colonial Franz. It’s always so exciting finding a new supplier and seeing what they have that’s different from everyone else. Colonial Franz has a lovely range of rattan and timber furniture as well as glass and ceramic homewares suitable for a Hamptons or Colonial style home or room.
Occasional Colonial Chair
Timber chairs with rattan backs, hurricane lights and ceramic jugs are just a few of their extensive collection. I’m sure we will be able to use their products in some of our designs as they have clean lines yet a comfortable and inviting look to them.
Anastasia Armchair
Then it was cane. Now I’m not usually a cane lover. Think I spent too many holidays in poorly furnished apartments on the Gold Coast. However, it is having a revival. And when there’s a revival it usually means it has been tweaked and twisted a little to suit current times.
Lyrebird Bedhead
Lincoln Brooks has a wide range of cane, rattan and wicker furniture pieces ranging from exotic lyrebird bedheads to asian inspired occasional chairs and french bistro chairs any of which I’d be pleased to see in my own home. Many of them come in a variety of colours which ticks all the boxes for me too.
French Bistro Chair
So they were my three new finds at this year’s Decoration and Design.
If you would like assistance using any or all of these items in your home, contact us for a consultation.
Recent Projects
Whilst I have been working on my own home renovation, I’ve also been helping a number of clients to achieve their harmonious environment.
We had favourite armchairs reupholstered and placed them in our client’s new bedroom.
Reupholstered chairs
We also sourced an elegant bedroom chandelier and bedside lamps.
New lights and lamps
A client we have been working with for the past 12 months finally moved in to their brand new home.
New home
After assisting with paint colours, floor board selections, generated ideas for the walk in wardrobes, bathroom vanity design, lighting options the clients are now ensconced in their home and look like they have always lived there.
Our kitchen design
The kitchen was designed by us with specifications of door finishes, colours, handles and benchtops.
New kitchen
We also sourced the fabrics for their window coverings and arranged making and installation.
Master Bedroom Curtains
Both clients are absolutely thrilled with their new homes, stamped with their own personalities.
Son #1′s bedroom
Son #2′s bedroom
If you would like assistance with colour and design for your new home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Don’t Put It Down
Put It AWAY!
That’s one of my favourite sayings. I’m a bit of a neat freak and love being organised. I think it comes from being born under the sign of Virgo. No matter how hard I try I just can’t train the rest of the family to be neat AND organised.
Hamblin Chest – we had one like this in our daughter’s bedroom. Great for all the toys and she could put everything away in a basket when she was finished.
Not putting things back where they belong really drives me insane. At the moment someone (who will remain un-named) did not put the balcony key back where it belongs and we are unable to access the balcony at the moment. Drives me CRAZY!
So it’s no wonder I got very excited when I saw this collection of storage solutions from our friends at Whiteport.
Nantucket Buffet – fabulous for the dining room
And they are all so stylish and reasonably priced. Hop on to their website and check it out. Go, get organised.
Hampden Bedside Chest – love dual purpose storage
I’m going back to look for the lost key. When I find it, I think I’ll put an oversized something on it, like they do at garage and cafe toilets!
If you need assistance choosing storage furniture for your family home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Progress on our Renovation
The renovation of our home in Sydney is starting to take shape. For many weeks we would visit the site on the weekend and look at a new hole in the ground.
Laundry Excavation
Then a few weeks later the holes were filled with cement. It seemed to take forever before anything interesting happened.
Laundry Foundations
My office was the first to take shape which was very exciting. I could start visualising myself working away in there.
Inside my new office
Still more weeks went bye as we reviewed our doors and window schedule and made our final selections. The architects had specified certain window sizes and we received a quote for those windows. However, we also sought a quote from another window supplier that we had seen at the Home Show many years ago and kept their flyer. This company provided windows in their own standard sizes. So we reviewed our schedule and worked out that if we went with the windows they could supply as standard sizes we would save about $5000.
Windows and Doors Schedule
The windows were very similar in measurements differing only by a few centimetres. I was thrilled because the money we have saved can now be redirected to putting window coverings in sooner, rather than later! It was an exhausting task checking all the measurements and visiting the supplier to make sure the quality was good and we were not scrimping now to suffer later. But all the windows have now been ordered and the extra time was well worth the effort.
Even the dogs checked out the new extensions
In the last two weeks, the floor has been laid on the bedroom extension and now the frame has gone up. My daughter had great fun on the weekend working out which of the two new bedrooms she would claim as her new room. So now she’s busy drawing up floor plans working out where her bed and desk and bookshelf will go.
Which bedroom will be best?
Once the frame is up you can get a really good indication of the size of the rooms and the layout. It’s so much easier that looking at the drawings.
Suddenly the renovations that have been six years in the planning are now very, very real.
Coco found a little hole she could poke her head through when she was banished to the front and we were out in the new renovations.
If you would like assistance with your home renovations, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Bam Bam by Alhambra
Last week, Alhambra launched their latest fabric collections in Australia.
The Spanish textile company is represented here by Elliott Clarke and I loved seeing the new children’s collection.
It’s really easy to find cutsie fabrics for babies and toddlers but not so easy once the child becomes a little person with their own likes and dislikes. So this collection is a welcome addition to the market.
I reckon a few big kids could use some of these fabrics and wallpapers too. The spots and stripes could be used in a myriad of rooms.
Do you like?
If you would like assistance finding fabrics and wallpapers for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
And the walls come tumbling down
There’s been movement at our house this week in readiness for the renovations.
When we bought the place back in 2002, we were aware it had two extensions that would’ve been completed in the ’70′s.
The house with fibro extensions circa 1970
They were both fibro extensions and this appealed to us mainly because they would be easy to take down. It was preferable than having besser block or brick extensions that we didn’t like.
The guest wing which had fibro walls and added in the '70's.
So this week those add-ons have been removed. Firstly the asbestos removalists had to come in and take away the asbestos. I wasn’t allowed on site to take photos of the men in their moon suits and face masks hosing down the fibro before removing it, wrapping it tightly and taking it away.
House minus fibro
It made the house very breezy.
Guest bedroom without the fibro walls
Next the demolition team came in to remove carpets, windows, roof tiles, flooring and framework.
Now it looks really strange without the extra rooms.
On a prettier note, I spent Wednesday at Designex, the annual architecture and design trade show. Not sure if I’ve been to too many of these now, but nothing much jumps out at me as being new or different. I did enjoy getting up close and personal with the Anna Spiro wallpapers though. They are very pretty and have that handcrafted look to them. All in typical Anna colours too.
Round and Round The Garden Wallpaper by Anna Spiro for Porter's
If you would like assistance with your home renovations, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
How to create an interior scheme from one small piece
I was recently asked if I had designed an entire room around a small piece of artwork or an accessory.
Bedside Lamp bought in Hong Kong
The answers to my questions have appeared on Patricia Davis Browns‘ blog, Dig This Design.
Purple Feature Wall inspired by lamp
You can check it out here.
Mastere Bedroom - not too feminine
Sometimes a piece you love will take you on a fascinating journey and you end up being surrounded by colours and patterns that will appeal for a very long time.
Complementary furniture pieces for the Master Bedroom
If you would like assistance creating an entire room design from one of your treasures, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Beaded Chandeliers
Turquoise Basket Chandelier via Pinterest
I’ve been Ooohing and Aaahing over the basket chandelier for a while now. I’ve only seen images of them in overseas magazines and online.
Scalloped Wooden Beaded Chandelier via Pinterest
They certainly make a statement.
That Turquoise Beaded Chandelier again, via Pinterest
So I was delighted to find that one of our suppliers has just started stocking a version here in Australia.
Small Green Beaded Chandelier available at Inside Out Colour and Design $605 plus delivery 23cm diam x 36cm height
They would look great in a bedroom, over a dining table or in an entry. I can’t wait to use one in a project.
What do you think? Do you like this look?
Large White Beaded Chandelier available at Inside Out Colour and Design $1150 plus delivery 46cm diam x 59cm height
Contact us if you would like to purchase one of these new light fittings or if you need assistance finding the perfect light fitting for your home.
Boy’s Bedroom
I’m always intrigued at the selection of furniture and other interior pieces David Met Nicole have for sale that appear in their newsletter. This week I noticed this fabulous antique chest of drawers and thought how fabulous they would look in a Boy’s Bedroom.
Outfitters Drawer Unit from David Met Nicole
I am currently choosing furniture and fittings for a boy’s bedroom so maybe I was thinking of that when I noticed the chest of drawers. Anyway, I set about finding other furniture items to complete the room and have created a collection on Polyvore.
Furniture for Boy's Bedroom
What do you think? Can you see this chest of drawers in a boy’s bedroom?
If you would like assistance with finding the right furniture for your boys’ room, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Love Rules
With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, it’s time to look at a few items for your Love Shack.
Heart Shaped Truffles
When looking to inject some romance into your interior, go no further than the colour Pink. Red is for passion but pink is for romance. Because of its soft, cosy and romantic nature, pink is perfect for the bedroom. It makes the skin glow and what better place to make use of those flattering reflections?
Pink Bedroom
Putting some romance into your home can also be achieved by pairing things together. In the bathroom, if you have the space, instal twin basins in the vanity. This allows for two people to use the bathroom at the same time and also makes sure your toothpaste doesn’t get mixed up with your partner’s shaving cream!
Twin Vanity
A double shower is another luxury that can be installed if space permits. This is a great time to use different shower heads in each shower so you have the choice of a rain shower or a standard shower.
Double Shower
You could always add a little two seater sofa into the lounge room. This little piece from Jardan would suit any decor.
Loveseat by Jardan
Or you could recover an existing chair in heart fabric.
Heart fabric covered chair
Matching His and Hers sunlounges around the pool or on the patio make a great place to sit and relax and read the Sunday papers.
His and Hers Sunlounges
So once you’ve redecorated to create your cosy little shack, don’t forget to fill the table with candles and flowers and indulge in a romantic dinner for two.
Dinner for Two
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Click on images to be taken to their source.
If you would like assistance creating your Love Shack, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
