DIY Project: Cane Chair

On the weekend I gave some life to a beautiful cane chair, which I knew had some character under all the dust and dirt and just needed someone to bring out story.

 Here is my little cane chair, which cost me a whole $5! I stumbled across him, at a dainty little second hand shop under an old church near work. As soon as I saw him it was love at first sight. I knew there was something special...

 Cane is quite porous, and loves to drink up a lot of paint. So a good undercoat/prime was required. I did this quite quickly with a brush, it didn't need too much attention to detail.

 And here it is, in all its glory! After googling a bit about the ways of spray painting, I decided to give it a go. It took 3.5 cans (a total of $12) and only needed two coats. I decided to go gloss black for two reasons, because a) it would wear better over time and show less imperfections than white would b) I've been dreaming about a black and apple green outdoor area for our little house. You can see a few fabric samples I was playing with. It's all outdoor fabric, so it's water proof and stain resistant. Pineapples, leaves or stripes? Thoughts?

Here are a little more pictures for you two feast your eyes on. My chevron cushions will do for now until I get some foam cut for the seat and order the fabric once I have made a decision.

What a difference! I am just so happy with it. My hubby was also so excited about it (him being excited about furniture is a rarity) that he went and bought a fire pit to complete our little winter setting. We actually sat out there tonight, wrapped in blankets next to the fire. Thanks to this little chair, this space which was empty has now become a really relaxing sitting area for us. I challenge you to think about the spaces at your home which you don't use. Think about what would make you use that space. Whether it be a armchair and floor lamp in a corner of your home or a chair and fire pit outside... add those key pieces to get the most out of your home.


There are still things to add to this space. They are;


-Upholstered Seat cushion
-Outdoor rug
-Lots of Palms and plants
-Wall art

Enjoy

LauraK x

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Devine room by Samantha Pynn

Oops, it seems someone has stolen something from me... the past 2 hours! What was supposed to be a reasonably early night has turned into hours lost on Pinterest. I'm sure all of you know what I mean, it's like you can't stop scrolling through all the gorgeousness and before you know it, you glance at the clock and your night is gone. Well lucky I don't mind wasting a few hours on serious interior eye candy. The good news for you is that you can now follow me on Pinterest. It'll be like mind vomit. You would probably be quite frightened if you could see my train of thought in a single 'work' day. But nevertheless Pinterest will provide me with a space, to dust off the images and ideas stored somewhere in the back of my 'spider web' brain, so that you can all see the things that inspire and rejuvenate me as a stylist.

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Love

Laura K x

Adding Cushions

Source belle maison

Source: Houzz

Source Pinterest 

Many of us think of 'interior design' as something for the rich and famous. Well this is very untrue today, interior design is all about creating a space, a home (most of all) full of the things that reflect you and your family. 


While many of us love the way our friends have decorated their homes, we all know that nothing really feels like home, except... well, your home! That's because your home is apart of you, it's a place of remembering those silly family moments in the kitchen or a family heirloom that sparks memories of previous generations. 

No matter what makes your house a home, you can be assured that you don't need to empty your wallet doing it. I constantly tell my clients to re vamp their cushions for a quick, room 'pick me up'. Cushions can be as inexpensive or expensive as you like, but no matter the cost they can completely transform that old leather lounge or add that much needed punch of colour. 

I totally love the punch of colour the cushions give the room in the first image! That many cushions in that many colours is only for the brave. I dare you...

Be inspired! Walk into your room with fresh eyes, do you have some hidden colour in artwork? Are you inspired by a Jacaranda tree that you can see through your windows?Pick out a few colours, and draw from them by adding same coloured cushions. You can see how this has been done with the artwork in the second image.

Enjoy

Laura K x

Small Patio Spaces: Making It Work

Today as I was sitting on the lounge reading my new favourite interior design book by the ever wonderful Bronnie Masefau, I looked outside onto my poor suffering patio. For me and my husband, we are on the move a bit and therefore don't own our own home, so this means rentals with small backyards/patios. We are those sort of people who dream for acreage filled with animals! However a little way away from that dream, we understand the importance of making do with what we have been blessed with now. So it's time to get creative and transform my concrete jungle of a patio and strip of grass into my own little piece of garden heaven. These pictures are currently inspiring me to take on this challenge. Don't these spaces look divine? 


Love to you all, Laura. 

Back Again!

Well 2012 is in FULL swing already. Firstly I would like to start out by apologising for my non-existance as of late, although not making excuses I would like to point out that I graduated, celebrated christmas and new year, enjoyed both my birthday and my husbands oh and not to forget we moved house! So as you can imagine I haven't really had a chance to stop. So what lays ahead of me over the next month, finish unpacking my new house and DECORATING the eyeballs out of it. The boxes and all my random ornaments laying around the place have been giving me sleepless nights (well not really but you get my drift). I can't wait till I have everything in it's right place, then it'll feel like home. I'm trying to go for a more fresh, clean and bright look this time. I was inspired by this chic, modern look when I came across younghouselove.com, as I scrolled through all the pictures of their beautifully renovated homes, I knew it's exactly what this new place needs. Although a quarter of the size, I also want my place to reflect a fresh and happy mood. Here are a few pictures of their current home.

To see more of their home or to look at their very inspiring blog make sure to check out their website. 

Now, some things on my mind for my new place are a faux head above the dining table

A wall of art/frames in the lounge...

A beautifully designed entrance way...

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Designing Bedrooms

A bedroom, I believe should be sanctuary, a cosy and homely place to reside especially when times get tough, the weather gets cold and a good book and cup of tea are calling your name.

My tips to designing a great bedroom are;

Chose a style and stick to it

 If you are starting your interiors from scratch, you can start by choosing fabrics first and base the color of you wall from it, then you can select furniture that compliments the color of walls and the fabrics that you are going to use. 

 Save on expensive wall decor, go through magazines, art books or even your child's art work at school and have the picture framed. Not only will you save, you will have a unique picture that is not found on commercial home decor stores.

Use warm flooring on bedroom floors like wood and carpet. 

If your room is small, use mirrors on the walls. It gives the room an illusion of space.

Aside from the typical center light on the middle of the ceiling, use lampshades, pin lights and up lights for mood lighting. These type of lighting gives dark and light patterns of light in the room.

And finally, it is your space, so personalise it, make it unique to you!

Christmas Decorating

Here are some quirky christmas decorating ideas. Happy decorating!