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!

The Mystic Lantern

Lanterns one ancient way of bringing light back when the darkness  has fallen upon us.

Lanterns go back in history to 1500 BC and perhaps even before, they were the only source of lighting created by mankind for many years until the electricity was discovered and slowly but surely lantern lighting was replaced by light bulbs.

In our modern society lanterns are used mostly to beautify or light up the outdoors when there is no source of electricity available.

A great way of bringing the outdoors in, is by bringing lanterns into your indoor decor, and using them as source of lighting.

Play with a selection of lanterns in different sizes, different finishes that would complement each-other, lay them in attractive groupings on a table, a window sill, in-front of a fireplace, on a counter, or kitchen island or just create a cozy grouping in the corner of a room, create a spectacular ambience by lighting your lantern with block candles or tea lights.

Lanterns bring into the modern space a feel of old-world. They come in many varieties of shapes, finishes, textures, colours and sizes, they are a great source of light. Different cultures and countries each have their own unique styles of lanterns. Bring them together in a collage that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Use them to create mood, use them to even save on your electrical bills and save some electric energy if you may.

Lantern lighting will give your room a feel of relaxation and intimacy, you and your guests can enjoy around dinners, great conversations, and gatherings on any occasion. People love the atmosphere around lanterns and candle light, and somehow this mood brings them closer to each-other.

Blessed

It's an Orange Burst!

We all know how long and cold Canadian winters could get, especially if you live them.

If you're anything like me, I personally love hot/warm weather, sunny skies, flowers everywhere, green trees, you get it... Although I do welcome the rain every now and then, and believe it or not some odd snow-flakes every Christmas!

Cold long winters, lack a very important element, and that is colour. So why not change your home around in the winter time if you live in places with extreme winter conditions, to add a little bit of happy note, a little bit of warmth, and a little bit of colour!

This time I have chosen a happy and vibrant orange. Orange is an energy filled colour, it's a power colour, it is also a healing colour, it also stimulates enthusiasm and creativity.

Adding accents of orange in your room will definitely change the mood around, and this feeling of long dragging days will vanish.

Play with it, experiment with small items, if you're more daring, why not slip cover a couple of chairs - slip covers are great, they are versatile, you can remove and wash any time, they also allow you to change things around when you want to without the added expense.

Paint an accent wall, paint is one of the easiest things to do, when you are tired of it, just paint over with a new colour. An accent wall in orange will make the room look really sunny, you'd probably want to paint this colour, in a dining room since it's an appetite stimulator or in a family room or play room!
In Kids rooms add little accents here and there for energy bursts!

Enjoy your Orange Bursts of colour, bring in the sunshine!

Kitchen Delight on the Tight (budget)...

When it comes to kitchen renovations, we all know how these project almost always end up costing a mint.

However, here is one that was done on an extremely tight budget, and turned from litterally a nightmare:














Into a complete Delight:

It was all done on a very tight budget, as the home owner was reselling their home.

Floors were replaced with laminate planks, very nicely finished in the impression of tiles.
The original kitchen cabinets, were kept - believe it or not, they were in great condition the only wrong thing with them was their look and the old dates hardware.
They were cleaned, sanded and painted in a buttery white and that immediately livened up the kitchen.
The walls were painted in a straw colour inspired by the setting of the home in the country.
Counter tops were replaced with a dark elegant laminate contrasting well with the cabinets and the wall and adding some depth.
Hardware was replaced with oil rubbed bronze to tie the look with the wrough iron wall opening and the kitchen set.
A half wall was opened bringing in more light in the kitchen and giving the impression of open space.
Window coverings in a beautiful chartreuse toile dressed the windows in the kitchen while softening the hard edges and adding a homy look, the two bar stools flanking the mobile island were covered in the same fabric to create a cohesive look.

With all these small updates, this kitchen went from drab to totally fab, on a very tight budget, the transformation was a great success and added great resell value to the home.