Interior Design

I have a current passion with the colour grey, the correct spelling of which provokes a little controversy. Some people view it spelled,  "gray", others as , "grey" . Therefore, with little bit of research, I have determined that both are equally correct  and I've therefore decided to continue using "grey" as the spelling common to the Southern hemisphere... Have I nothing better to think about, I hear you say. I always thought of grey as a moody, dull colour just like "grey skies", but in actual fact it is far from it. Last week I caught up with some friends from my pre-expat days, who have just moved into their newly renovated house. They chose a neutral grey palette throughout their 2 storey home and it is just fabulous. No way is it dull or drab, instead, light, bright and welcoming and instantly I was wishing I had used this colour on my own walls. Two different tones of grey were used, one on the downstairs walls and a slightly deeper t...

I have been a little short of time this week, preparing a post on upcycling/refinishing furniture took a little longer than I thought but well worth the time. If you missed this post please take a look and see Olivia's amazing furniture transformations. This weeks inspiration is a collection of recipes, DIY ideas and my current obsession with grey which I will be discussing in a separate post. I'm constantly browsing the Internet and magazines to look for ideas for the home and with the current economy I like to find ways of being able to DIY lovely homeware. Candles in particular are a great accessory to the home but can sometimes be expensive, however, a simple candle from a dollar shop can be turned into something special for your home. Dip dyed candles... Step by Step instructions at Martha Stewart Pre punched paper wrapped around a glass cylinder with a candle inside allows the light to shine through. Note, make sure it is wrapped around the outside of the glass and not i...

Most of us are familiar with the terms "upcycle" and "repurpose" with thousands of interior design blogs posting "before and after" images of their triumphs. Interior designers are also getting in on the act,  sometimes visiting second hand shops and auctions as options to finding that perfect piece and of course, they are not putting on overalls and grabbing the sander, instead they turn to the professionals who can do this work for them. Refinishing furniture with specialised paint effects is quite an art, I found this out myself last year when I applied a French Wash to an old Pine table trying to achieve a distressed, French look. I thought it was as simple as buying the right products and away you go, however, I quickly learned it may be easy to apply the products but it is not easy to achieve the look you require unless you have knowledge and experience of paint techniques and effects.   A few weeks ago on the blog, I talked about how I plan to keep...

A while ago I came across the image below and featured it in a post on "neutral Interiors". I instantly fell in love with the white painted beams and slanted ceilings. Some of you may think, how awful to paint the beams white, however, for this interior, white ceilings and beams are perfect to show off the natural textures in the furnishings such as the rattan side table, wooden coffee table and basket ware. Beams are something I haven't yet had the pleasure of in any of my homes, but I have promised myself when I build that "dream home," they are definitely going to be included. Therefore, for sometime I have been gathering images of beamed interiors.  Today I am sharing a few of the more special rooms with you, if you wish to see more please take a look at my Pinterest board where I have a large collection of beamed interiors... you will find the link at the end of this post. Images sources via   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5| 6 | 7 See more beams on my Pinterest board

Happy Valentines, may your day be filled with love, laughter and happiness.