Beautiful Reno with Painted Wood Floors

Painted wood floors - one of my very favourite looks, I absolutely love it ♥♥♥

It gives the impression of a more relaxed lifestyle. It can also make a room look ultra modern, depending on the colours and finishes used.



Do you hate your wall to wall rug? I do!! One thing I can't stand is wall to wall carpeting. In my opinion there is nothing more gross, it collects dust, bugs, and I find it generally very unhealthy...

So, here is an idea, if you can and are in the mood for something different. Paint your floors instead of replacing them...

And here's how:


Pull your rug and dispose of it in a green way please.

What kind of sub floors do you have? Do you have beautiful planks, or do you have an ugly plywood floor?

If you have beautiful planks, consider yourself really lucky as you can just go ahead and paint them with the colour that will match your room's decor.

But before you do however, you need to prep them well. Remove any nails that maybe popping (last thing you want to step on is a nail - it hurts), fills in any cracks if you wish, or you can leave the cracks for added character, sand them very well (no splinters are no fun either), secure wherever the floors are squeeky. Replace any damaged planks. Get your floor ready for painting.
 
 

Then you will need to prepare the wood for painting, clean up all the dust from sanding and use a wood sealer, go to your hardware store and find a wood sealer - they protect your floors from moisture and seal the pores so your paint will glide on easily and as much as possible not get in the grain.

On the other hand if you found yourself with plywood sub-flooring and you really want to get planks, here's an idea for you.

Measure your space's square footage and buy plywood subflooring (buy extra because there will be scrap), cut your plywood in planks in the width of your desire. At your hardware store you will need glues, nails and screws to secure your new flooring (make sure you secure the old subfloor as well before installing the new one, not to end up with squeeky floors after all your hard work).

Then of course comes the fun part of selecting your colours and pattern if you opt to go with a pattern on your floor.

Although patterns add a lot of interest. I tend to stay away from this option for a few reasons.

One of them is when the floor will need to be restored, think about how tedious that would be to go and fix every bit and piece, very time consuming if you ask me. Another reason, is trend, I don't follow trends, as they fade and you're left with something that looks dated a couple of years down the road. One more reason, it becomes limiting if you want to use pattern elsewhere in the room, you have to be careful of the scale and pattern..

So my preference would be solid, or stripes, or a nice border around the perimetre of the room.

Enjoy an assortment of painted floors that I found which I hope will inspire you as well.

 

 Beautiful weathered stripes, give a feel of a space being well used and lived in.
 

Borders are great at giving interest to the floor, defining a space and giving the illusion of an area rug.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this post and found it of help to you with ideas for your flooring project.

Wishing you a beautiful day ♥

Nelly

Lets Have Some Pillow Talk?

One of the easiest ways to decorate your home, is by adding pillows.

Pillows come in the biggest selection imaginable.


Add your favourite pop of colour with just a few accent pillows, mix solids and patterns, and when you get tired and want change, just change your colours..

Pillows come in an abundant array of colours, shapes and textures. They work like magic. In the blink of an eye you can create any feel for a room, from glamorous, to plush and comfy, to sporty, or nautical, the options are endless.

Make your space comfortable and inviting. Pillows give a relaxed feeling to any space, even to the most glamorous spaces, they just make people feel more welcome and invited.


Pillows add interesting layers of textures and colours, making the eye travel and discover, people love touching them.


Use Monogrammed pillows to make the space more personal, and add a touch of unexpected elegance and sophistication.



Add extra seating to your space with some oversized pillows, your visitors will love the feel and atmosphere, they can even be used as foot rests.

I love Pillows, I love having lots of them.

If you can't find what you're looking for to accomodate your decor, there are many places where you could get your very own custom made, unique to you pillows.

Use them, change them, they are the most cost effective way of decorating and changing the look and feel of any room.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips, and photos from my favourite stores, Crate and Barrel, Pottery barn, Restoration hardware, and my very own.

Love and Light
Nelly

Pretty in Pink

Pink is not a new obsession to me as would sing Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, rather it has and will always be my very favourite decadent obsession.

Colour pink brings a lot of gentleness in warmth in a room, with the endless shades you can create any mood you want in a room, from super soft and gentle to wild and extravagant.

Although some people have embeded beliefs that pink is for girls only, this is obviously a false belief and we do see it constantly in the fashion world with the most masculin men wearing pink.
Dress a black cabinet with pink knobs like this one for instant glamour.
Pink is the colour of romance and love, in feng shui they say if you want to enhance your love life or attract love, place rose items in your home, and especially in your bedroom.

An armchair in your bedroom in pink is a very sexy thing to trigger those romantic feelings, or just enjoy some relaxing time reading or just fantasizing.

Have no fear of using pink. It is a beautiful colour to use anywhere in your home.
With so many shades and variations to chose from you can create unique spaces.

For instance create a smaching powder room with a silver and hot pink vanity.
Classic lines, modern finishes and colours and you've got instant wow.

Why not welcome your guests with a beautiful pink sofa in the foyer, or living room, add a touch of fun with bold colours, and instantly everyone is having a great time, sharing laughs and happy thoughts.

Dress a room or a wall with pink wallpaper and bring in loads of yumminess in your space, a classic motif supersized and in bright pink, lifts up the space and shows your adventurous side.

Still not sure about using pink? Then use removable covers, and easy to replace accessories instead.

Pink, is the colour of love and the colour of those who dare live life to the fullest.

Hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I have, wishing you love and pink feelings ♥

Nelly


 

Summer's HIGHs and LOWs

Well what can I say, this year has been my favourite so far temperature wise. I love the heat, I love the outdoors, and I love entertaining.
How about you??

I also love creating outdoor spaces, but sometimes our budgets are not too large, and we look at one magazine after the other at some delightful outdoor sets and spaces, but they come with a not so delightful price tag...

And here is a perfect example, I've always loved this look of a cozy outdoor space with a candelabra and curtains sofa and arm chair, but as you can see the price is a tad out of my league, so I went shopping for the look and similar pieces - check out the difference, for 1/4 of the price you can have the same look.
So if you have an idea about what you love and want for your outdoor space, but think you couldn't afford to get that, I can help you out create the look without the price that comes with it. I'm an expert at designing on a tight budget and proud to be.
Give me a shout and lets make your space absolutely charming and party ready, summer is just arriving.

Have a beautiful day!

The Kid Friendly Space

Does this look like it could be familiar to you?

Do you have kids at home and feel they have taken over the space you all share.
Is it starting to crawl on you, when you finally tuck them in bed, and need a spot to relax, but still find yourself staring at toys and baby stuff all over the place?
Are you embarrassed to bring friends and family over because no matter how much you tidy up and clean up, the space looks unattractive?

Or how about this one, do you have a baby that has started to crawl and stand and you are paranoid your baby might get bumps here and there at the edge of a table etc?

Well then keep on reading as here is where all the good news starts.
First of all, you are not allone.
In this small article, I am going to share with you a few products and tips on making your space kid friendly, and keep your sanity.

Kids are very quick little humans, I've been there and can't count the times where I turned my head to find my son climbing and pulling things where he shouldn't be and he always outsmarted me that way.

We want to keep the space as open as possible but not having a coffee table for instance is not convenient, the space looks like there is a hole in the middle of it, and it is an incomplete space, so here are a couple coffee or side table options:

The oval or round table - great solution for taking care of sharp edges

Another great idea for coffee tables would be to use the storage ottoman, I love those as they act as a foot rest, they are large enough to put a tray on them and use them as a table, and they store away everything and anything you want to make disappear when not in use...

Seating is also a fear, these kids they jump on furniture, they eat and whipe their cute little fingers everywhere. But still this does not justify putting up with terrible furniture that screams ugliness and to top it off is extremely uncomfortable.
I have been through so many homes where the owners lived on very uncomfortable and badly designed and constructed furniture just because they had little ones.
Well, you don't have to do this anymore - the magic word is slip-cover. Whether you invest in a sofa or chairs, even if you opt to purchase for the time being furniture that is not so high end, look for the ones with slip covers, easy to remove and wash and put back on like nothing ever happened. Here are a couple of great comfy pieces that do come with slip covers, or are really easy to sew if you would like a different fabric:

Flooring, bring in natural soil repellent, like 100% wool it is warm on the feet in the winter days, your kids will not be sliding all over the place if you have hardwood floors, it will also protect your wooden floors.
Rugs also define the area and break the space into sections. Wool is a great option, and make sure it is a low pile, as little toddles could end up pulling a shaggy rug to put the strands in their mouth.
Storage and display units - lets face it eliminating the fact you have kids is hard, how much you want to tuck away and remove from sight is totally up to you, but know that from a very young age, kids are creatures of habits, teach them to tidy up before bed time. Use display book cases that can double as storage units as well as display your favourite decorations and memorabilia, use special made inserts to accommodate these book cases, baskets or storage boxes to hide all the little toys, here are a couple favourite of mine:

Last but not least your accessories, try to keep them to a minimum, also try to opt for shatter free objects accidents do happen, even with grown ups but with little ones they are more than quick to pick and put in their mouth whatever they can reach, it is good to keep it as kid friendly as possible.

I hope you have found this little post of help and that you have enjoyed it.

Love and Light ♥

Nelly

Benjamin Moore blue lagoon 2054-40

Benjamin Moore blue lagoon 2054-40

Make a French Connection

There is something magical about France, and everyone who visits never leaves the same.

Last summer, I visited Paris for a few days and it felt as if I had been there all my life.

I was filled with joy and awe by its beauty and this old world feeling taking a trip back in time, with each and every old building standing tall and proud wearing exquisit and unique architectural details.

The feelings and inspirations this place left in my heart cannot be described. Every day I visualize living there soon. And until this day, I keep putting together rooms inspired and filled with French connections.

I day dream of a home office, or study a la Française. Put together in such elegance, you cannot help but feel your absolute best while enjoying a good book, or closing a lucrative business deal.

Lets travel in time and put this room together, and start with this beautiful french inspired wallcovering...

There is something special about dark studies a mysterious and elegant feeling, I love dark walls with some lighter furniture to play against it.
Take for example this desk and chair, pulling out of the wallpaper a colour can set a little tone of playfulness.

Create a mix of French industrial and deco, two worlds meet together in one space.
Like these beautiful 60's rustic french industrial book-cases...

And this very masculin French Industrial inspired reading/task lamp..

Then create a reading corner with an elegant grouping of two or even four French deco inspired chairs.

A tufted leather ottoman that doubles as a coffe table or foot rest..

Add a couple of  Directoire side tables for your books and drinks..

Accent your room with some yellow cushions and crushed velvet golden drapes, this will soften the masculin lines of the room so it feels less rigid

Don't forget your feet need to rest against something soft. With this not French but exceptionally elegant Persian Tabriz area rug,

you are bringing in the ultimate luxury into your office or study, a space where big creative thinking takes place.

I hope you enjoyed my post and wish you an oulala day!