Admiring...
Today I am admiring this cafe/bakery by Terence Conran called Albion Caff in Shoreditch, London. I have watched Terence Conran's work for some time and he just pulls off the great combination of simplicity, classic and recycled. The overall effect is harmonious and with great details, including the red outdoor Tolix chairs, vintage hanging pendants and golden syrup containers holding the nakins and cutlery.
New Work - Joinery
Here is a joinery unit that we custom designed for my client's living room and it was installed about 8 months ago. It really has come up well. The white keeps it simple and classic, meanwhile the timber edge on the shelves ties in with the existing timber details and floor.
Remix It for Girl's Bedroom
- The walls will be painted Sherwin Williams 6710 Melange Green. Sherwin Williams 6766 Mariner will be used as an accent.
- Pendant light from IKEA.
- Window treatments from Walmart.
- Bedding from Bed Bath and Beyond.
- Desk from IKEA.
Have a great day!
Adding Interest With Stripes
I have a good friend who absolutely can't stand stripes however, so I apologize to her in advance for having to endure this post!
Source: Canadian House and Home Photo: Andrew Grinton 
Looking for Inspiration
Here's one way that I research for inspiration - if I like particular photos or interiors in a magazine, I look up the photographer's portfolio on the internet. These photographers capture some fantastic houses and usually there are more images of the same house, which didn't make the cut for the magazine, on their website. The photos above are by a photographer called Melanie Acevedo. Have a look at her work here.
Adding Some Interest With Surface Graphics
As you probably know, vinyl graphics are big right now and there are a variety of sources. However, when I saw these on the Totally Tabletops blog I loved them and wanted to share them with you.
All of these images are from whatisblik.com and they have a lot more options, including some fun things for kids rooms. Check out their website and online catalog.
Have a great day!
New Work - Exterior
Here is the house before...
And here it is after. We kept the colours simple and painted out all the details in white. We used a dark charcoal on the doors (need to take a picture of that next time) to give some depth and contrast.
New Work - Soft Furnishings
I am slowly taking photos of previous jobs to update my portfolio and get ready for my new website. Here is a job from about 2 years ago where we did soft furnishings, joinery, carpet and drapery. It's still looking good - we kept to neutral colours as the clients was keeping the existing wall colours. These existing wing chairs were re-upholstered and updated with new cushions. We also added the shelves in the niche behind the chairs to create more storage.
Mixing It Up - 1
Family Room BEFORE
The key to this transformation was proper furniture placement. It's a little hard to see in the before photo, but the sofa blocks entry into the space and the two leather chairs are "lined up" to the left of the sofa further blocking entry.
The new arrangement feels cohesive and inviting, and allows for easy movement in and out of the space. We did not move the desk, but after arranging the rest of the furniture it becomes a functional secondary space rather than a focal point.
Family Room AFTER
Because I couldn't stand to end the makeover without art behind the sofa if there were any possibilities in the house, I asked the homeowner one more time if there was any art that she hadn't mentioned. She told me that the only other thing that she had were these black and white prints that were sitting on the floor in the husband's office, where they had been since they moved in several years before. She wished they WOULD work in the family room because they really liked them. :-) As you can see, they work perfectly in the space! Both husband and wife were happy that these prints, that were favorites of theirs, were finally going to be on display and enjoyed by everyone.
If you're wondering where the TV went, it is in the lower right hand corner of the after photo(angled in the corner of the room).
I'm happy to say that they love their "new" family room. We were able to reuse what they already had, stay within their budget and do it all in one day. Now they have what feels like a new space to them that they will be content with for a while, while they are saving to get the new furniture that they really want. A very gratifying makeover...
Edit: 8/9/09 - I'm linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Sunday Inspiration
Bedroom Inspiration - 2
This sleeping porch by Phoebe Howard is amazing! Even though most of us will never have a sleeping porch, this is a great lesson in using a wide variety of textures, rather than color, to create an interesting space.
Have a great day!
Have a great day! Pillow Covers
Source: Pottery Barn I'm loving the fact that they're selling so many pillow covers now. I makes so much more sense! I like being able to just cover pillows that I already have. It keeps the original pillows intact in case you ever want to reuse them and you don't have to store them somewhere. Also, if you really don't like them anymore you can just cover them up and won't have to try to find a way to get rid of them. Of course, if you sew, you can always make your own... BUT if you don't sew here are some options:
