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.

Our guest bedroom (work in progress) Part 4!

Thanks for checking back again. Also, thank you for your kind and lovely comments regarding my guest bedroom last week!

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

This week I had planned to show you my niche wall progress but we had a few setbacks. I was planning to install a thin shoe moulding around my niche wall but unfortunately received the bad news from my husband. He told me that there is no way to drill through the niche wall because its surrounding was made of metal. I had no idea and was quite disappointed, to be honest.

I was planning to move on and install these wall mount candle holders on either side of the wall niche on Sunday after I "get my taper candles" on Saturday from Home Depot. 



It seemed that Home Depot doesn't carry any candles in their brick and mortal stores. The candles are only available online. I must have overlooked the details on their website. Another disappointment. 

Of course I can take the measurements of the candles and install the candle holders on the walls in advance but I really wanted to have the candles in place before the installation so I can really visualize the ideal placement. I am planning to do it right and not rush to finish the room.

The night after we got home from Home Depot, I ordered my taper candles online right away after I found a website that sells individual taper candles (most websites sell them by the dozen). It's cheaper so it's all good. Hopefully, they will arrive sometime this week so I can show you the finished wall niche area.

On a happier note, I want to share with you a few updates. My pretty yellow ikat pillow covers have arrived! They were provided by my fabulous sponsor, Fabricadabra. A big thanks to Donna for her generosity! Let's check them out!

Please try to overlook the missing bedding, they aren't here yet. :(

What do you think of my new pillow covers? Aren't they beautiful? I like how the ikat pattern mimics the leopard prints on the pink Dana Gibson pillow. My new ikat pillow covers were handwoven, made with natural dyes and have the same ikat pattern at the back. The quality is quite good.

The size of my pillow covers are 18"x 18". I do not have 18"x 18" pillow inserts at home so I went online to look. Then I suddenly came up with an idea. 

I can always use the 20"x 20" pillow inserts from my other pillows! That way I can save some cash and my pillows would look fuller. Fuller= better when it comes to pillows, don't you think? Win-win!

Since the small closet in my guest bedroom is stuffed to the max (with the old disassembled bed frames and all of our luggage), there isn't a lot of hanging space for our guests so I wanted to get some wall hooks for the room. We used to have a row of wall hooks behind the door but my son made some holes in the wall when he unknowingly slammed the door (with the wall hooks) a few times. The regular door stopper doesn't seem to help in our situation.

To make a long story short, we need some wall hooks. Nice, brassy wall hooks. I have considered using whimsical animal wall hooks but I don't want the room to look too cutesy. I have also considered regular brass hooks and those with crystals attached but I was not sold.

When I accidentally stumbled upon these online, I was smitten!

Aren't they perfect for my guest bedroom? They are gorgeous, brass, whimsical enough without being too cutesy and most importantly, they are solid! A little splurge on my part but they are well worth it for their good looks and great quality!

Remember my bare closet doors? I have considered painting them (and the entrance door) green (a similar color as my nightstands) but I was too lazy taking another painting job. Plus, I really don't want to make the room too dark because this room doesn't receive a lot of natural light. 

However, I wanted to do something about the plain doors. Perhaps I can change the knobs! I have entertained the idea of using pretty, colorful knobs and those pretty crystal knobs but couldn't pull the trigger.

Then, I went to Etsy and found these fantastic drop round knobs. They are not particularly huge or dramatic but I like that they mimic the look of my wall candle holders.

 After and before.

The small change makes the door looks so much better!

 Close up!

They just arrived yesterday. I had no problem removing the old door knob on the left but had a problem with the right one. I waited for my husband to come home from work to remove the old, stubborn door knob. 

After taking the old door knob out, we found out that the pre-drilled hole was slightly too big for the new knob to fit snugly. Luckily, there's nothing the gorilla super glue can't fix so I just glued it in. (The new knob on the right door fits into the pre-drilled hole perfectly, though.)

See how good they look? Design is in the details, right?

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the updates in my guest bedroom. Stay tuned for another update next week! I have a nice surprise to show you!

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

Book review- Decorating The Way I See It!

Recently, I was sent an advanced copy of Markham Roberts book, Decorating The Way I See It, authored by the designer himself and photographed by Nelson Hancock. A special thanks to Meghan from The Vendome Press for sending me this beautiful book!

The eclectic room on the cover is truly interesting and inviting, it piqued my interest right away!

Be prepared to fall in love with the 350 stunning photographs (of about 40 design projects) inside this breathtaking book! Here is a sneak peek.

Photo credits: Nelson Hancock

The designer: Markham Roberts

I can't help but fall in love with this gorgeous book! His brilliant use of colors, patterns and his flair for mixing furnishings in different styles and periods is absolutely refreshing and visually exciting! 

In Decorating The Way I See It, readers were shown the design process of the master designer through a step-by-step guide from basic interior elements, floor plan and furniture layout, color palette, furniture selection and incorporation of objects and art to architecture, landscaping and gardens. He also included his own country house, a nineteenth-century gentleman's farm in the Hudson Valley as an example to illustrate how he puts all the design elements together.

Diverse, layered, effortlessly chic, sophisticated and inspiring, what's not to love about his design approach? I am so thrilled to add this fabulous book to my collection and I know you will, too. A design book I look forward to revisit again and again in the future. I highly recommended this design book to all interior design fans!

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

You can get this lovely 260-pages of eye candy here. 

Renting Guide by Gumtree!

Renting can be really confusing and that is why Gumtree have designed this nifty little eBook for you to download right here. It is really handy and has lots of great tips on what you need to know. Have a look if you are worried about renting a house or flat as all the queries and questions you could possibly have are answered. I wish have had it when I first started renting properties.

For more information visit The Gumtree Blog.

Our guest bedroom (work in progress) Part 3!

Welcome back, my lovelies! I wanted to say thank you for checking back and for all your wonderful comments regarding my guest bedroom last week. You guys are super awesome! 

If this is your first time here, don't forget to check out previous installments by clicking on the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Last week, I showed you some paint chips. Remember these? But I didn't tell you which part of the room will receive the fun paint treatment.

Guess what? It's the wall niche! The color I picked was 560D-7 (Planetarium) from Behr. I thought I would be spending two hours (tops) for taping, painting, paint retouching, etc but it took me almost half a day over the weekend to get everything done.

I think I must have painted between five to six coats to get the coverage I wanted. I did have a few breaks in between while waiting for the first few coats of paint to dry. While I was working on the wall niche, I also installed a new accessory in there (okay, hubby helped me installed it). Here is the results!

Before

 After (still work in progress)

What do you think of the new contrasting wall color? You like? 

This is slightly off topic but it's too adorable not to share. While I was painting the wall niche, my 8-year-old son took a peek inside the room and made a cute comment. He said, "Mommy, you are using the wrong color. Blue is for boys. Pink is for girls, you should use pink. (I told him it would be mommy's room in the future, that's how he got that idea in the first place.) He would brighten up my days with adorable comments like this everyday. :)

Anyway, let's come back to our topic. I am sure you have noticed some bleeding around the wall niche. No worries, I am not going to leave it like that for long. I was about to retouch the unsightly spots using my gray paint but a new idea suddenly came to me. Initially, I didn't plan to do anything about the alcove (besides hanging a faux taxidermy animal) but after painting the area, I felt it looked a little bare and unfinished. It was certainly not the look I was going after!

I was thinking about using a thin shoe moulding to hide the bleeding but most importantly to add a finished look to my wall niche. 

via

I do not want to use a wider moulding because my faux gold deer head is not particularly big. Anything larger will overwhelm my faux dear head, don't you think? I just want to have a thin moulding (something subtle) around the wall niche to accentuate it and let the faux taxidermy be the star!

Speaking of my faux deer head, isn't she fabulous? I love its sparkles and graceful lines!

Initially, I had plans to use my gold moose head that I bought earlier this year (discontinued). Unfortunately, I accidentally broke it while trying to put it back inside its original box after "trying" it on the wall niche. Needless to say, I was pretty sad.

To ease my sadness, I immediately searched for a replacement online (Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, One Kings Lane, West Elm, etc) but decided to get the gold deer head from Z Gallerie instead.

Besides adding a thin shoe moulding around the wall niche, I have more plans for that wall. Stay tuned for another update next week!

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

Guest post- Transform your living room!

Living rooms can be great. They are brilliant to entertain in and they are the best places in the house to sit as a family and talk or share a love of a certain TV program. You probably spend the majority of the time in the living room and so you should make it as special as possible. Two words come to mind when I think about how a living room should be decorated: comfort and style. This is it. Comfort and style.

Let me give you some inspiration with this article.

The Overall Style

We are living in a golden age of design because we have the whole wealth of style from history from which to draw inspiration from. There is Tudor style, New York loft, renaissance France, whichever style that suits your taste. You have to decide your overarching style of the room, or even house before you set about designing it.

Bear in mind whether or not you have an open plan room or an enclosed one as it will effect what styles will work and which would not.

Accent Colors

One of the best things about being human is our ability to perceive many colors. We should use this to our advantage, especially when decorating. Pick a color and stick with it. Having one major color in a room can transform it significantly but only if you use different variations of that color.

If having one accent color in a room sounds boring to you, then you can go for two accent colors. Two contrasting colors can be really interesting. If you do various shades of the same two colors, you can create a really interesting effect throughout any room.

Focal Point

Every room in the house needs a focal point, whether it is a giant aga in the kitchen, an ornate wall mirror in the dining room or a fire place in the lounge room. A room with a fireplace is instantly transformed, and nowadays, you can get really exciting and interesting fire places which specialize in bioethanol fires. Any fireplace will transform the room so look for what suits your chosen style.

Layered vs Simplicity

Another decision you will have to make is whether or not to go for a simplistic, modern look, or a more layered look. Both are tricky to pull off well, although the layered look is harder. Only attempt the layered look if you are very confident in your abilities.

The Mood

Getting the mood right can be a difficult thing to achieve. The colors and the type of furniture you fill your room with will really help with this. Think about whether or not you would like a light and cheery room with white and light blue accents or a dark and brooding room with black, dark red and rich purples. It is up to you and the room you would like to create.