Our guest bedroom (work in progress) Part 7!

Thanks for coming back and check in on my guest bedroom progress.

If this is your first time here and would like to catch up on previous installments, please click on the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

To recap, I wasn't quite happy with our art placement situation last week so I enlisted the help from hubby to change from this ..........

to this..........

I am loving my"new" artworks in their new location and the scale feels just right. I think the "new" artworks "ground" the wall so much better and since they are black and white, they don't compete with the faux deer head on the opposite niche wall, a concern which I had earlier.

If you think the fashion sketches artworks look a little familiar, my guess is you probably saw them on my home tour before. They were used as stand-ins in my living room for a brief period and were replaced by a white faux deer head. Yep, I definitely have a thing for faux taxidermies. I just love their sculptural beauty.

As for the previous artworks, I have relocated them on either side of the door.

The coat hooks were removed from their previous location and will be installed at the bottom of the artwork on the left.

During the Columbus Day sale, I bought this delightful wastepaper basket on clearance for $40 plus tax (with no shipping fee). Usually, a decorative wastepaper basket likes this cost over $70, still a splurge for me but a good deal nevertheless.

Isn't it pretty?

In other news, my bedding has arrived. Unfortunately, my duvet insert hasn't arrived yet. I was told that it will be delivered tomorrow. Hopefully, I can show you my bedding once everything is here!

Don't forget to follow along for another update next week!

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services.

How to Create the Perfect Fall Garden Living Space!

A well designed fall garden living space will help you make the most of the last vagaries of the warm and sunny weather, and be ready for the cooler and cloudier short days and long nights this season brings.

Fall is well underway, and we have already started to see the leaves turning from summer green to orange, red, purple, brown, and yellow. These vibrant colors lend themselves beautifully to fall containers, extending the season and providing focal interest to what could otherwise be an uninteresting landscape. Matching the colors to a room in the house or garden can liven up both areas beautifully

Outdoor Living Space

A stylish living space can be created in a garden simply by investing in a garden building tailored to suit your lifestyle. Imagine walking into your own bespoke garden room, a gym, a games room, an office, a bedroom, or perhaps a music room, just perfect for work, rest or play.

Just beginning to explore garden buildings? Then you will likely be amazed by their flexibility, and be excited to discover that, in general, there are no complex building regulations that need to be met, and usually obtaining planning permission is not necessary. This makes them even more affordable and a very wise choice.

Functional or Frivolous

Fall is the season when many birds leave the UK for sunnier destinations and traditionally children fly the nest heading for university, or want to spread their wings and move into their own space and show their independence. With property prices rising beyond affordability for many young adults a great solution is a purpose built garden building. A garden building can be easily turned into a more private abode.

Of course, garden buildings can be used for many other things too. Maybe you need some extra space for visiting guests, an extra shower room, or some extra storage space. The possibilities are endless. For more ideas, take a look at the selection of garden buildings by GardenSpaces. You will be surprised by the selection of options available to you.

Garden buildings bring a dormant garden to life and come in many stylish forms to blend seamlessly with existing garden designs, and inspire new ones. Water features, patios, chimineas, sensory areas, swimming pools, play areas, and outdoor seating can all change and enhance the appearance of a garden. And, the right garden building can ensure optimum use of this valuable space all year round.

Garden Gifts - Five a Day

Finally, why not plant some fruits and vegetables in your garden living space? You can grow everything from apples and pears to potatoes and cabbages! Herbs and spices can also be grown in pots and placed either on your windowsills or in small containers outside. Different foods will need to be planted at different times, however most are harvested during fall, and the range of colors that you will see in your garden before harvesting will truly liven the space.

With so many different ways to transform your garden, which one are you going to implement?

Shaping a Room: The Importance of Color and Lighting!

Maybe you have moved into a brand new house or apartment, or maybe you just want to redesign a room of your home. Either way, when planning your ideal space, there are many different components to take into consideration.Each one says something a little different.

Decide On a Color Scheme

Let us start with the most basic – and most essential component – color scheme. When choosing the hues, you will want to consider the intention of the room. Are you trying to create a tranquil space? Do you want it to be bold and fun?

Yellow

Promoting happiness and optimism, yellow effectively activates the memory and inspires creativity. It is great for brightening a kitchen or work space. You can tone down a bright yellow with darker hued accents. If bright yellow is not your thing, try a paler, earthier shade. This will also appear to open up the space.

Red

The color of passion, red will create a warming, romantic atmosphere in most any room. Red is also known for stimulating the appetite and conversation, which makes it ideal for a dining room. For bolder shades, it is common to paint the largest wall in the room a deep red hue, and tone it down with neutral colors, such as tans or pale yellows, on other walls.

Blue

Known as a harmonious color, blue is ideal for your bedroom. No matter the shade, its calming presence can actually act as a sleep aid. As a bonus, paler shades of blue tend to make your space appear larger.

Green

In all of its hues, green represents balance. It is a healing, soothing color and will add a relaxing aura to any room. If you have youngsters, green also decreases hyperactivity in children. For a captivating space, combine different shades of green within one room and accent walls or décor with other colors, such as pink, grey or magenta.

Bring Your Colors to Life with Lighting

Now that you have selected a color scheme, the next component is lighting. The design will vary, but mixed light sources will create a flattering ambiance.

Living Room

An overhead light is essential in the living room. Whether it is a ceiling fan, pendant or flush mount, you will want to put it on a dimmer to help set the mood. In addition, three of the four corners of the room should have a soft glow focused on an object, such as a plant or art.

Dining Room

Whether used for regular meals or occasional parties, make the dining room table the brightest spot with a hanging chandelier or overhead light (no more than 100 watts). Balance this out with softer, indirect lighting fixtures, like standing lamps.

Bedrooms

Create a cozy atmosphere with reading lamps by the bed. Low wattage is ideal for a warm, soft glow. On the other hand, if you choose tracked fixtures, direct the lights toward the dressing area.

Bathroom

Sidelights for the mirror are perfect when applying makeup, and an overhead light will help fill out the room. Also consider a recessed or flush mount light for the shower.

While there are many other elements to take into consideration when designing your ideal room, lighting and color scheme are the two most important foundational aspects. Choose yours and start planning today!

Our guest bedroom (work in progress) Part 6!

I can't believe our guest bedroom is still not completed in six long weeks! 

If this is your first time here and would like to catch up on previous installments, please click on the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

I know, I know. Our guest bedroom has been moving really slowly. There are a few setbacks and some backorders so I tried to work on whatever I can get my hands on at the moment. 

Last week, we were able to hang some artwork and coat hooks. Here they are!

The big picture!

Since the bed will be the focal point and wall niche area will be the featured wall, I really wanted to keep the closet area simpler so they don't compete with each other. 

Theoretically, it seems like the right decision. However, I am not sure if I like the bare walls and simplicity displayed on this wall. I might switch things up, we will see.

 My gorgeous coat hooks!

I like how the coat hooks looked on the wall. However, I do not like the placement at all. Hubby assured me that coat hooks are supposed to be installed higher for practical reasons. I just thought they look odd. 

To be honest, I am not liking our progress this week and had a lot of doubts. Hopefully, I can find a solution that I am happy with. On the bright side, I made an unexpected purchase last week and absolutely love it. Here it is!

I love its whimsical good looks. Such a cute, fun piece!

I have purchased a few new items for the room, hopefully they will arrive soon. Stay tuned for another update next week!

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services.

Book review- Haute Couture Ateliers: The Artisans Of Fashion!

Thanks to Meghan from The Vendome Press for sending me another gorgeous book, Haute Couture Ateliers: The Artisans of Fashion, authored by Hélène Farnault and photographed by principle photographer Alexis Lecomte.

Besides my passion for beautiful interiors, fashion is my second love so I am especially thrilled to receive this stunning book!

Haute Couture Ateliers: The Artisans of Fashion provides a rare glimpse of fashion's backstage, inhabited not only by remarkable designers but also by lace makers, weavers, textile finishers, pleaters, jewelers, feather workers, leather makers, embroiderers and many other specialized craftspeople.

In this book, you will find excellent photography along with detailed explanations that unveils the exceptional workmanship of these extraordinary artisans in the world of fashion.

Designer: Christian Dior

Photo credit: Sophie Carre

Designer: Oscar Carvallo

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomt

Designer: Marion Chopineau

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomt

Designer: Yiqing Yin

Designer: Stéphane Rolland

 Photo credit: Olivier Buhagia

Designer: Broderies Lanel

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

Designer: Christophe Josse

Photo credit: Dominiqe  Maître

Designer: Broderies Vermont

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

Designer: Stéphane Rolland

 Photo  credit: Oliver Buhagiar

Designer: Nelly Saunier

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

Designer: Yiqing Yin

Designer: Yiqing Yin

Designer: Broderies Lanel

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

Designer: Oscar Carvallo

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

Designer: Broderies Lanel

Photo credit: Alexis Lecomte

These amazing images are just a tip of the iceberg. You will find more exquisite photos in this oversized, 288-pages book! An absolutely delightful book that showcases the intricate and meticulous work of fine craftsmanship in the world of haute couture. The artisan's painstaking attention to detail in this book is fascinating and truly inspirational! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fashion, beauty and creativity. You can get your copy here.

*I have received this book to review for free but the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Guest post- Mosaic tile designs!

Mosaic tile designs nowadays come in a lot of varieties that will surely enhance your decor whether you use them in your kitchen, bathroom, or other sections of your home.

TileDart.com is an online store that carries a wide range of mosaics, tiles, and other stone products. Although the website is relatively new, the team behind it has decades of experience in the tile industry. There are mosaics with a variety of materials, each suitable for certain areas in our homes. The material used in the mosaic tile affects its ease of maintenance, its feel, and its impact on the general decor.

Let us go over some popular materials that are frequently used in home decoration:

Travertine mosaics provide a natural feel to the application area, whether it is your kitchen backsplash or an accent wall. Some models come mixed with glass mosaic tiles and create a truly beautiful design. Buyers should keep in mind that split brick travertine mosaics and tumbled finished travertines are relatively more difficult to clean than smooth finished, polished mosaics. Because of cleaning challenges, split face travertine mosaics are a better fit for accent walls rather than kitchen backsplashes. 

There are also mosaics that come in a pattern layout with travertines of varying sizes. This is definitely an option to consider if you like to have an irregular grout pattern to break the monotony. TileDart.com has one of the widest variety of travertine mosaics, so make sure to take a look before you make your purchase.

Marble mosaics are ideal for the kitchen backsplash area because of the ease of cleaning, thanks to the polished finish in most of them. Furthermore, marble mosaic tile pieces do not vary in thickness. Although this means a flatter layout and the lack of depth, it compensates with the ease of maintenance. 

Marble mosaic sheets perhaps have the widest palette of color variation, including white, shades of beige, gray, brown, and even black. No matter what colors you use for your interiors, you can find a marble color that will fit your decoration. Some popular mosaic sheet types in this category are staggered, mini plank, square, and hexagon marbles.

Another popular natural stone, onyx mosaic sheets usually come in shades of yellow, beige and brown. Although most models come with 1" square mosaics, there are models with rhomboid mosaics that offer a more unique layout. We certainly recommend considering rhomboid shaped mosaics, and Tile Dart carries them in their collection.

Porcelain mosaics are some of the most suitable types of materials to use in bathrooms, especially around the bathing area and the backsplash. Porcelain sheets have an endless selection of mosaic tile patterns, including basket weave, Moroccan, penny, hexagon, as well as more conventional ones like rectangular, square, and subway patterns.

Glass mosaic tile is also a very suitable choice for the backsplash areas in bathrooms and kitchens because of the ease of cleaning them. Furthermore, glass mosaics come in all colors, and is ideal for homeowners that want to add flair to their kitchens and bathrooms. Glass mosaics are generally priced lower than their natural stone counterparts, making them a better choice for renovations with a strict budget.

If you are looking for a wider range of options from a trusted mosaic tile company, Tile Dart is where you should take a look at. Their dedicated sales professionals will lead you to the right product for the right price.

Our guest bedroom (work in progress) Part 5!

Welcome back, my lovelies! 

If this is your first time here and would like to catch up on previous installments, please click on the following links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

The taper candles I ordered online have arrived last week so there's no more excuses for not working on my niche walls! My niche wall area is now completed. Let's take a look!

I am so happy with how the wall niche area turned out. This is exactly what I had in mind for this wall! I also did some paint touch ups around the wall niche last weekend, no more bleeding! 

Ideally, I would get two wall sconces to enhance the wall niche but I would need to hire an electrician for wiring, etc and that would cost quite a bit. To keep costs down, I opt for wall mount candle holders instead. I must have look over 30 options before I decided on this pair. I thought they were bold and fabulous, exactly what I needed for this room!

I found these gorgeous wall sconces on Etsy. They are vintage and have a few markings on them but I still love them nevertheless! They reminded me of classic door knockers, so fancy!

I picked the hot pink taper candles so they would tie together with the pink leopard lumbar pillow on the bed. They have two length options on their website, 12" and 10". While I prefer the taller 12" option (because they look more slender, thus more graceful in my opinion) but in the end, I selected the 10" option because the scale is better for my wall niche. 

A side view of my newly installed candle holders!

I like how these simple additions make this wall area pop!

By the way, remember the surprise I told you? Here's a sneak peek! 

Can you guess what it is? Yes, it is the new rug!

Close-up.

Isn't my new rug fabulous? Initially, I didn't plan to get a rug for this room due to budget concerns. However, I went to RugUSA to take a look anyway. I fell in love with so many of their gorgeous, inexpensive rugs! 

In the end, I picked this rug for its neutral good looks and its fabulous price tag. This 7'6" x 9'6" 100% wool rug only costs me $178.80 after an 80% off discount plus free shipping, how can I resist? A great deal if you ask me!

It took me and my husband a while to "slip" the huge rug under the bed though. The bed has to be disassembled and reassembled but it was well worth the time and effort because the room now looks so much cozier and prettier with another layer of pattern!

Hope you enjoyed checking out this week's progress. Stay tuned for another update next week!

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services.

Feature Walls To Refresh Your Home!

I have always been a fan of the feature wall, because it adds a focal point to a room and really gives you the opportunity to direct the feel of the room. Pinterest is flooded with images of printed feature walls, so here are a few ideas about how to utilize the technique for your home.

Printed Image

This option is very “digital” in its approach, where you select an image that you want to be printed and applied to the wall. You have the flexibility to use any image that you want such as a photo of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, or a serene beach scene, a cosmopolitan city, or maybe a favorite vacation photo.

The simplest plan of attack is to do a mood board so you can visualize the design of the room with your selected image. There are a few companies out there that allow you to DIY the entire process, Pick A Wall for an option, as this is far more accessible than going to a brick and mortar printing store. This is a nice option if you are computer savvy and likes the idea of creating a design plan on a software that allows you to mock up your ideas.

Faux Environments 

One idea I spotted on that website was a printed library image which would be a fabulous idea for a home library. Modern homes often do not have large enough rooms and the average person is unlikely to have hundreds of books to stock the shelves floor to ceiling. A printed wall would be almost the same if you can find the right kind of ambient lighting to create the cozy feel of an old world library.

Living Walls

Call it what you like; living walls, vertical gardens. This is a wonderful way to add a "wow factor" to any outdoor area. Some even incorporate living feature walls indoors in family rooms and kitchens. A vertical herb garden is both functional and aesthetically striking. If you are wondering how much maintenance a living feature wall will take, MarthaStewart.com has covered it.

The best way to find out what works for you is to do your research. Think about how it will look but also how it will function. 

Guest post- How to install a chandelier in your dining room!

Even though it sounds complicated, hanging a chandelier is not as difficult as it seems. Depending on the model and style of the fixture, it may take anywhere from an hour to couple of hours to complete the task. 

Below are some suggestions before you make your purchase to make the chandelier size and style is the right one for your room. 

What size chandelier will I need for my dining room?

1. The size of a chandelier for a dining room can be varied depending on a few factors. The one and foremost important one is the ceiling height. Making sure that you have enough clearance from the dining table is essential. A chandelier should be about 34 inch to 38 inch off the table to allow adequate space.

2. The size of the chandelier can be estimated by adding the length and width of the dining room area. For example if your room measures 10 feet wide by 12 feet long then basically adding these two number will give the approximate diameter of a chandelier. So for this example it would be 10+12= 22 inch diameter will be the ideal size for a chandelier or lighting fixture.

3. To create a visually appealing look for the chandelier, one must make sure that the ceiling box is centered in the ceiling so that the chandelier can hang right in the middle of the table and the room. Some of the older home owners may want to use a swag kit to center the chandelier but this is not recommended if the chandelier weighs more than 15 lbs.

4. Some of the necessary tools to complete installation are;

a.wire strippers
b. wire nuts
c. electrical tape
d. screwdriver
e. needle nose plier
f. ladder
g. blanket or table cover
h. ceiling canopy (usually supplied with your fixture)
i. adjustable chain (usually supplied with your fixture) 
j. light bulbs

5. Move the table out of the way for your ladder. Position your ladder below where the ceiling box is, at a safe reachable distance.

a. Turn off the power from your breaker.
b. Install the ceiling canopy as described in your manufacturer’s manual.
c. Install your chain at a desired height and adjust length by taking out a few links or adding.
d. Hang your fixture on the chain. Adjust the height of the fixture to the desired height.
e. Re-measure the clearance to make sure the chandelier is at the correct distance from the table.
f. Run the wires through the chain all the way to the ceiling canopy. Make sure the wires go through inside the canopy loop. Drop the canopy few inches, this should allow space to make the electrical connections within the junction box. Do not forget to ground your fixture.
g. Insert the light bulbs and turn on the switch to test it out. Make sure all bulbs are lit.

This should complete installing a chandelier in a dining room. Installations can be different depending on the models. Please always refer to the manufacturer’s manuals for your specific model. For modern and chic dining room chandelier designs visit Lighting Paradise.