Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Time Travel Thursday at the Brambleberry Cottage
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Stroll Thru Life

Creating The Perfect Console/Sideboard Vignette

2013-05-10T17:09:00.001+12:00

Most of us have at least one console/sideboard in our homes and they give us the perfect opportunity to add some interesting accessories such as, a beautiful piece of china or glass, photos, artifacts, vases etc to create a vignette. Sometimes it can be hard to decide what you might want to display and often I change my displays introducing new items and placing old ones away. If you don't have anything special to display, there is nothing more cheering than an oversized vase full of fresh flowers. To help you on your way to creating a perfect vignette, I have put together a few tips and images to inspire you.

Start with your main piece. eg. a special vase, bowl or sculpture etc, this will be the"anchor" to work around, it will help if this is your largest piece.

When creating a vignette using an odd number of items is far better than using an even number. Three items on a small narrow top will work better than four. If you look at image one, you will see they have used four items on the top of the console, however with the mirrors above and the stool below they total 7 items and all combined create the overall look. It is not just about the vignette on top of the console in this example but the complete look.

Group smaller items together but make sure you don't add too many pieces as the idea is to create a little piece of art with your display not a lot of clutter...remember less is best. There are exceptions to the rule though.

Work from back to front layering your items. Think about colour, texture and pattern, although they don't always have to compliment each other, sometimes a contrasting statement piece can look stunning.

Make sure you stand back and view your vignette from different angles, have a play around with the display until it looks and feels balanced. If one item doesn't work then try replacing it with another item or remove it altogether and take another look.

Using different textures can create interest such as a beautiful piece of glass and maybe something else in wood.

Using a large mirror behind your console or a piece of artwork can add instant drama to a plain wall.

If you hang a painting above your console, make sure you hang it at least a foot above so that your vignette doesn't impose upon the art, unless you want the item to become part of the art as can be illustrated by the beautiful transparent glass vases in image 4 below. The delicate glass vases are a perfect match in colour for the artwork above and almost appear to become part of the painting. If you are interested in learning more about art for your home, you may be interested in reading this post "How to select the perfect artwork for your home".

Image sources:

1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8

I hope you have a little inspiration from this post to help you create your perfect vignette. Have a wonderful weekend, mine will begin with a trip to La Cigale French market (my weekly veggie shopping and latte treat) and if it's not raining then maybe a long walk along the seafront with Poppy.

I will be sharing this post with the following link parties:

I should Be Mopping The Floor

Rain On A Tin Roof

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Time Travel Thursday at the Brambleberry Cottage
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Stroll Thru Life

Take One Mink Sofa - How To Be Creative Around This Colour

2013-05-02T22:33:00.000+12:00

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "Take One White Sofa" and discussed how to creatively introduce colour into your home by way of accessories. One of my readers responded to this post, "but what if you don't have a white sofa, what if it's shade of mink, what colours could be introduced?". I have created some Olio Boards and sourced some interiors using this colour either in furnishing or paintwork, to hopefully help with this dilemma.

Mink can be various shades from brown to grey with a slightly mauve or pink tinge so depending on your shade, from light to dark, this can greatly affect the colours that will work with it. Mink is considered a neutral, cool colour and works well with earthy neutrals, however, without introducing various textures and pattern this colour can appear flat. A neutral interior can go from ordinary to fabulous by layering textures and patterns as can be seen in my mood board below. Different materials and textures can create a more interesting monochromatic interior. An example of a fabulous neutral interior can be seen in another recent post sharing a fabulous Manhattan apartment.

So, your not a "neutral" kind of gal/guy and you want to introduce colour or warmth to your mink sofa, you might want to explore the use of other colours such as subtle shades of yellow, pale blue, pink, deep lilac or even lime green. Remember if you are introducing pink with blue undertones then your adding a cool pink, a warm pink will have peach/ blush undertones.

What are your thoughts on the second image below. The sofa is mink with grey/brown tones but the designer has introduced soft pastel colours and striking pattern into her design. A pale shade of Aqua blue is on the painted walls. The rug introduces strong pattern, however, it is softened by some of the more subtle shades in its design.

Image three is probably my favourite, the matching mink chairs work beautifully with the reflective glass coffee table. A soft blue/grey has been introduced by way of the cushions on the white sofa adjacent and a touch of gold can be seen to the right, overall the design has a formal but comfortable feeling.

As you can see by the images above, mink comes in many different tones and shades. However, If you have an item of furniture or walls in mink, I hope in some way I have been able to help. I think my personal choice would be to take the neutral approach and go mad layering with textures as illustrated in my mood board above.

We hope you have had a great week, we had a burst of Autumn sunshine again and Poppy and I have
been soaking it up on long walks along the beach.

I will be sharing this post with the following link parties:

I should Be Mopping The Floor

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Time Travel Thursday at the Bramblerry Cottage
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Stroll Thru Life

Inspiration No. 8 - French Inspired - Interiors & Recipes

2013-04-28T16:53:00.003+12:00

I've had a busy week trying to sort out more of my mothers furniture, my home currently feels like "The old curiosity shop" and I simply have to start moving things out so I can move forward. Due to this extra work I had little time to post last week and missed out on my regular weekly inspiration post so I've been rushing around the Internet the past few hours to find some great inspiration for you. I wanted to focus on a French theme today, interiors, food and even a fabulous brocante tour in France.

French style is easy to re-create, it can be opulent or country depending on your tastes. I myself prefer a simple country look, probably as I have a small cottage with little space. However, I also love opulence and if I had larger rooms I may choose to bring some opulence into my bedroom. Whether you choose to have a small corner of your home in this style or a whole house, I have sourced some images that should help you on your way...

Images via: 1 |2|3|4|5|6

If you love antiquities, country fairs and France, Sharon at My French Country Home has just hosted her second Brocante tour in France and has another tour organised later in September 2013. You can read about day 4 of the current tour and see more images using the link above. The tour includes a French cooking lesson in this lovely kitchen below. visits to fairs, local dealers and accommodation is in an 18th Century château in Normandy.

If you are interested in finding out more about the tour, please visit "here" or use the link above.

And now for some yummy traditional French recipes....

Cherry Clafoutis - Recipe can be found at Gourmet Baking

Creme Brulee - Recipe can be found here

French style may not always be exactly the way we envisage, my last post featured a typical Villa on the French Atlantic coast but its interior was quite a surprise and certainly there were mixed feelings about its interior. If you missed this post, You can read more here.

I created a French feel to my bedroom with the simple addition of some old weathered shutters...Read more here.

We hope you have found lots of inspiration, I'm definitely going to make the Cherry Clafoutis. I would love to go on the Brocante tour too but NZ is such a long way from Europe, but who knows!

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Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
A Stroll Thru Life

French Interior - Ile De Re, France - Traditional & Contemporary Twist.

2013-04-24T16:18:00.001+12:00

This lovely French home is in Île de Ré on the French Atlantic coast. The interior of this traditional French home is filled with lots of unexpected surprises and the garden has "real panache". A mix of both contemporary and antique furnishing and artwork, with twists and turns, each room has a completely different feel, I'm sure no one could get bored living in this fabulous home. Which is your favourite room?

Image sources via Trendland

We hope you've had a lovely weekend, were suffering the rain now in Auckland after our longest hot summer ever and I'm not looking forward to what might be a long wet winter :(.

Eclectic Style & Colour In This West Hollywood Home

2013-04-20T17:27:00.001+12:00

I'm taking a break from a complicated post to share an amazing interior belonging to Cuban born, Carmen Lopez. Carmen has been an avid collector ever since she left her home in Cuba and her current Spanish deco home of the past 23 years is a true reflection of her style. I always say, "a house is just four walls, but a home is what you make of it". Your home should be a reflection of your personality, life, travels, and Carmen's home is a truly a reflection of hers. You can read more about Carmen at the end of this post.

Photography - John Ellis.

I've been fascinated by Carmen's home and her wonderful sense of style. Not only does Carmen have a great eye for mixing colour and pattern, she also has some clever ways of displaying such as her jewelry collection and her fabulous silver display, although I wouldn't want to be the one having to clean it all that silver.

We hope you've enjoyed this post, you can read more about Carmen's house and details of her paint and drapery colours along with more more images at Traditional Home.

Inspiration No.7 Neutral Theme - Upcycling, Sweet Treats, Interiors & More

2013-04-16T12:55:00.000+12:00

In a recent post "Boring Beige, Never!", I featured a fabulous neutral interior in an interesting Manhattan apartment. Continuing to steer away from colour for a moment, this weeks inspiration starts with a great idea from "An Oregon Cottage", a plain drum lampshade has been cleverly upcycled using natural twine. With a little help from Pinterest, keeping to a "neutral" theme I discovered more crafty ideas. Some free labels from Vinnie Pearce a fellow Kiwi blogger, a few recipes with earthy colours but definitely sweet tasting and some inspiring interiors.

Quick links to recipes and projects can be found at the end of this post.

4. Ferrero Rocher Brownies

5. Sea salted chocolate caramel tart

6. Chocolate & Cinnamon Meringues

7. Free labels for your eco friendly home made products

Quick Links:

1. Upcycled Lamp from An Oregon cottage ...Instructions here

2. DIY sweater pillow how to by Brassy Apple...DIY instructions here

3. Great idea for upcycling crates into an innovative bookshelf, image via...Pinterest

4.Ferrero Rocher Brownies from Sky Blue's Kitchen....Recipe here (scroll down page for English)

5. Sea Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart from Sprinkle Bakes....Recipe here

6. Chocolate and Cinnamon Meringues from Carnets Parisiens....Recipe here

7. Download these free label templates from Vinnie Pearce Blog...See details and download link here

8.Image via Pinterest

9. Image via Pinterest

10. Image via Pinterest

Sharing with the following link parties:

The Style Sisters

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
The Style Sisters

We hope you've been inspired, if you love neutrals, you can visit my Pinterest board to see lots more inspiring images.

Fabulous in France - A French Interior

2013-04-14T17:42:00.004+12:00

Sharing a pretty villa in Antibes...

See more images of the villa and its garden at JJ Locations

Take One White Sofa - Creative Ideas To Bring Colour Into Your Home

2013-04-10T15:53:00.000+12:00

Sometimes it's hard to know how to bring colour into our homes, it's akin to myself beginning with a blank canvas for my paintings. As an artist I call it, "White Fright", you stare at a blank canvas and although you may have ideas or even planned it out fully in your head, its still kind of scary to put that first stroke of colour down. Today I want to help you get over the fright and illustrate how easy it is to bring colour into your home and being able to update your look easily without spending a lot of your hard earned money.

I believe that you should start with a neutral palette, a white/ivory leather, fabric or natural linen sofa for me is a safe way to go. Keep your wall colours light such as colours from the Resene "Whites and Neutrals" range. Strong colours such as blue/red/pink etc for a sofa or wall, can quickly become dated and remember when it comes to purchasing a sofa it is one of the most expensive furnishing items and you will be living with it for some years down the track and possibly it will move with you to your next home. Eeek! I hear some of my readers saying, but I have kids or I have a dog and so its impossible to have a light coloured sofa. There are ways and means around this, either don't let your dog go on the sofa (who's the boss), or put a nice throw over the area he/she is allowed to sit. When it comes to children then I wouldn't advise a white sofa, however, as the majority of my readers are empty nesters, then why not white and light and when grandchildren eventually arrive, plan for lots of throws.

For me a home is about accessorizing you can purchase the most expensive sofa, chairs and coffee table and place them in a living area and it may be functional but without accessorizing it will not have any life. You have to bring your room to life by layering pattern, texture and colour such as below and this need not be expensive. If you can sew a straight line, you can easily make your own cushions from short ends often available from designer fabric stores at reduced prices or buy from some of the fabulous small businesses on Etsy.

Illustrating ideas with images, in this first image a static white sofa has been brought alive with the addition of colour, texture and pattern. One thing I would like to mention at this stage is, DON'T buy a 3 piece suite, they are so old hat now and often the chairs are completely over sized. Put your money into a really good sofa and buy two good chairs that compliment, you won't regret it. and remember, "matchy, matchy" is out!

Image sources: 1| 2| 3|4|5|6|7| 8

I will be sharing this post with the following link parties:

I Should Be Mopping The Floor

I Should Be Mopping The Floor
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday

We hope some inspiration came your way.

Kitchen Makeover for under $120 - Decorating Tips, Plus How To Style Your Kitchen For Selling Your Home

2013-04-07T10:19:00.001+12:00

If you follow my blog you will know I have been spending the past 6 months leisurely re-decorating my mothers house which has just sold pre-auction and over the next few weeks I want to share some of the room makeovers and styling tips, when presenting a home for sale.

I took a dated kitchen in my mothers 1960's weatherboard house and gave it a mini makeover for the price of some paint a few accessories and some hard work and here's how;

Decorating steps for kitchen cupboards and woodwork:

Lightly sanded back all the woodwork including windows, doors and insides of cupboards
Applied primer/undercoat to existing woodwork that had previously been painted
Applied a "sealer" to cupboard doors which had previously been stained
2 white undercoats on top of the sealer because I was going over a dark colour
Using a medium sized roller I applied 1 top coat of gloss enamel, I used a water based paint for speed and ease of cleaning brushes, however I personally prefer oil based. I used Resene "Alabaster" which is a soft white
I matched the ceiling colour to the cupboards (Alabaster) but would normally use a brighter white for a kitchen ceiling.
Previously painted walls were wiped down with sugar soap and then given 2 undercoats and a final top coat of Resene low sheen "Rice Cake". Rice cake is a safe neutral white with a slightly green/grey undertone.

When it comes to styling, I've included some simple tips below. With my mothers kitchen, on the open day I added some lemons to the large white fruit bowl and some lovely smelling Rosemary from her garden in the French jug. I used mainly pieces from my own home, and a few smaller items I bought such as the black and white tea towels. If I was a professional stylist and had the furniture, I would have used a small round white tulip table and a couple of Louis ghost chairs at the end of the kitchen, not having such items at hand I simply added a pretty black wrought iron tray stand.

I'm sharing a before photo but please bare in mind that the state of my mothers kitchen (before), is due to the re decorating of her house, items are scattered around which normally would not have been there. I had to add this as my mother would be horrified at the mess on the benches. I wanted you to see the previous dark wood doors that drew the eye, giving the appearance of a narrower room. Overall the new look appears more contemporary, lighter and brighter with the illusion of more space. All achieved with the use of paint and some styling. Any potential purchaser can live easily with this makeover, until they decide to replace it completely.

Kitchen Styling Tips:

Keep the colour of your kitchen light, shades of white work well as they help create a sense of space and will lighten up a dark or dingy room
Replace old kitchen handles with something more modern (I replaced some dated ceramic knobs with polished steel knobs, this way I did not need to drill more holes)
Remove any frilly or overpowering window treatments, including net curtains. Keep windows bare if possible to create an uncluttered, clean look to the kitchen
Make sure your windows are spotlessly clean prior to open homes
If you want to introduce colour use a few accent accessories but keep to a minimum. A large fruit bowl, a few accent mugs. Personally for styling a kitchen that is going to be viewed by potential buyers, black and white looks stunning.
Be careful when using very bright colours such as red as in an all white kitchen they can overpower and not everyone may like red.
Don't over accessorise - remember, less is best
Use a scented candle to eliminate paint smells. Unless it's the middle of winter, make sure all the windows are open when potential buyers go through
We all know that freshly brewed coffee is an inviting smell

A friend of mine recently styled a small kitchen for a property. Again a black and white theme was followed by adding a few accessories such as the black canisters and glasses in the little open cupboard, the white lantern on the bench and the wall art. Little touches that bring life to an area without cluttering it.

Decorating Musts:

Always use the best brush you can buy, the finish is only as good as the brush you use, you don't want hairs in the paintwork or poor application
A really good cutting in brush can cut down the need for masking tape if you have a steady hand
Use a sealer first on raw or varnished wood. Note: this is not an undercoat
Use a small/medium fine roller when painting cupboards or doors for a faster, stroke free finish
Clean stainless steel with detergent to remove grease then wipe over with baby oil applied to an absorbent kitchen towel for a perfect shine. No need for expensive, nasty supermarket chemicals, baby oil works every time and gives a fresh smell.
If you are painting over wallpaper and there are little areas that are not stuck down properly, use a simple white pva glue that will dry clear
If painting over wallpaper in a kitchen area, first use an undercoat and then use a water based paint suitable for wet areas
Vinyl wallpaper is best removed, however I did paint over some vinyl paper in one of the bedrooms and it is perfectly ok, as long as you prep the surface before hand by using a suitable sealer
Don't forget to paint the inside of the cupboards, you don't want someone to open the doors and see aged paintwork, it will spoil the overall effect and appear as if it was a rush job

A home that has been styled will always be far easier to sell than an empty house and so often worth the small expense it may cost. I will talk more about how to present your house for sale over the next few weeks.

Sharing this post with the following link parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Creek Cottage

At The Picket Fence

Next week I'll be sharing the makeover of the sun room, repainting and a little styling gave it a fresh new look.

Boring Beige, Never! - Fabulous Neutral Manhattan Apartment

2013-04-02T20:08:00.003+13:00

Lately I've been featuring interiors from from neon to pastel and even orange, however, today I want to share an apartment with a lack of colour but definitely not a lack of creative design. When one tries to work with an entirely neutral palette it takes skill to create something interesting. I was instantly drawn to this Manhattan apartment for its wonderful sense of style, balance and interesting accessories. An neutral interior which is far from boring because of the clever use of textures, furniture and interesting accessories.

This light abundant living area has a definite feel of nature about it. At first glance it may appear there is a little too much going on but if you look at the second image you will see that every piece has been carefully placed to maximise space in this open plan living/kitchen area. I believe this interior evokes luxury, from the rich chocolate brown hardwood floors to the Zebra striped chairs. I love the layout of the kitchen, its spacious central island with plenty of storage space. Don't you love the clear glass pendant lights above the kitchen island, they work wonderfully in this interior as your eye is not just drawn to them but also beyond. I haven't seen any light fittings like this in New Zealand so if your a regular reader and know where I can get some of these, please leave a comment.

I keep looking over and over these images as each time I spot something different. An eclectic mix of accessories that may have been gathered from the owners travels, or cleverly selected by the interior designer, and they all work fabulously together in this monochromatic scheme.

original images via Nest Seekers

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Happy Easter & Some Easter Images

2013-03-29T18:02:00.001+13:00

Hi everyone, I will be taking a break for a few days to be with family and to move things from my mothers house as I have just sold it. It will be a sentimental weekend for lots of reasons, my last weekend to spend time at my mums house and in her garden, a home filled with many childhood memories. I will be back early next week and meanwhile I wanted to share some pretty Easter images.

Image via Pinterest: 1 |2|3 4|5 |6

We wish you a safe and wonderful Easter break.

Orange + Velvet = Wow!

2013-03-27T13:40:00.004+13:00

I've never truly been passionate about the colour orange and when I was given the gift of an Italian, orange sweater, I didn't want to seem ungrateful, so I kept quiet it was not my colour and slowly but gradually it made its way to the back of my wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, I do like orange visually, I mean who cant resist a juicy ripe orange, or those beautiful Autumn leaves. Usually we're drawn to orange for its vibrant warmth but often feel a little scared to use it in our decor, however, after recently discovering the most gorgeous, deep orange, velvet cushions and falling totally for them, I am now in awe of this colour.

One cushion (pillow as my American friends refer), was an exquisite "touch me", rich, vibrant burnt orange velvet, the other the most beautiful orange and blue velvet cushion with an oriental design of trees and if I remember rightly, a pagoda. I grabbed the patterned cushion almost in a frenzy, rushing to the counter to find out the price, (the price tag was not to be seen on either cushion). I was quick to find out why possibly the prices were not showing, they were a whopping $300 each! Maybe they were in such a rush to show them to the world, they forgot the tags. Regardless I can't stop thinking about these cushions and even went to bed dreaming about this perfect couple, unfortunately, dreaming may be the closest I get to snuggling up to them. As much as I would loved to have taken them home, these plush, to die for, exquisitely made cushions with their plump soft feather down saw me wave goodbye to them because they were definitely out of my cushion price bracket. I didn't have my camera on me at the time but will try to get a photo of them this weekend if they are still in the store, meanwhile I wanted to share my new love of orange and velvet by gathering a little inspiration for you...

Image sources: 1|2|3|4|5|6

Orange is obviously still a hot colour this season and seems to have carried over from Tangerine Tango Pantone colour of last year. It may not be Pantone choice for 2013, however I discovered Dulux have made it an important colour in their new 2013 palette and it features in several shades in their "Blur" palette. Colours such as Radiant Orange, Kings Canyon and Bright Delight are paired alongside pinks and purples. Personally I prefer to mix it with blue as I feel the contrast really brings out the richness of the orange. Somehow velvet and orange seem the perfect compliment for each other, what do you think, would you bring this colour into your home and if so, how would you do this?

Stylish Scandinavian Blogs

2013-03-22T11:36:00.001+13:00

A few weeks ago I discovered a number of Scandinavian blogs through NIB, I truly fell in love with the design style of these bloggers. I have always felt Denmark and Sweden have been ahead of most, for their contemporary home ware and furnishing designs and there is no doubt in my mind that the same goes for their bloggers. Scandinavian bloggers are fantastic stylists and photographers, clearly seen by the wonderful images I discovered.

Today I want to share some beautiful images from a few of the blogs I visited. I could have continued blog hopping all day long, knowing that each blog would be as beautiful as the other, but had to stop somewhere, so although I may have visited your blog, if you don't see any images of yours here, it's merely because I limited myself to 6 blogs and 6 images, they were all equally as wonderful and I know there are far more out there just as deserving. So when you have finished looking through these images, I encourage you to take some time to visit these stylish blogs, English translation buttons should be found at the top of their pages. Links to the blogs can be found at the end of this post.

1.NIB
2.Sven Garden
3. Fabelaktig
4. Anette Shus
5. Draumesidene
6. Shine Design

We hope you've enjoyed these wonderful images and having a truly wonderful day, wherever you are in the world.

Inspiration No. 6, 2013 - Neon Love, Easter Ideas, Interiors & More

2013-03-18T16:35:00.004+13:00

Hi everyone, after a few weeks of loving pastel and stumbling across these pretty neon, glittered eggs from Tori Jayne, I started to look around for some more neon inspiration. I'm not particularly a fan of neon, however, I am only one opinion and it does have its place even in interiors. I have found some free printable gift wrap, interior, DIY Easter ideas and a recipe I thought fitting as neon...

Quick links to recipes, craft instructions and image sources can be found at the end of this post.

Quick links:

Neon glittered eggs from Tori Jayne....Instructions here
Neon puffy decorated eggs from Make and Takes...Instructions here
Neon dyed eggs from The Winthrop Chronicles...Instructions here
Neon Printable wrapping paper from Funky Time...click here to read more and download paper
Tablescape via Pinterest
Neon Pink Doily and tye dye table setting via Pinterest
Neon interior via House Beautiful
Four Poster Neon Bed image via Decoist...photo by Nicolas Matheus
Yellow desk image via...Pinterest
Interior image Pink diamonds and yellow sofa, via Pinterest
Collection of neon art, Image via Pinterest via The Design Files... photo Brooke Holm
Julia's Cinnamon Toast flan from Kitchen Confidante....Recipe here

Hope you have enjoyed this weeks inspiration. If you missed last weeks post, you can catch up... "here" or if you want some more Easter Inspiration... read here.

Sharing this weekly inspiration post with:
The Dedicated House

Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy Little Lady
What to do Weekends at Crafts A La Mode

Contemporary Interior Behind A Victorian Facade

2013-03-15T16:03:00.002+13:00

Lying behind the exterior of a typically English Victorian house, lies a contemporary surprise. An eclectic mix of modern and Mid Century furnishing with the odd homage to its Victorian era and a neutral grey palette which works wonderfully. The open plan kitchen/dining/family area is large at 16 metres long with glass doors that lead to a lovely garden. The surprising interior retains its period features such as the fireplaces and ceiling cornice, yet other areas of the house have been completely modernised. A house truly full of surprises and I love them all.

This interior is available for film/magazine shoots, more images can be seen at JJ Locations.

I hope you've enjoyed this weeks interior as much as I've enjoyed sharing it. We seem to be in the middle of an "Indian summer" in New Zealand with our temperatures still high and no sign of rain on the horizon, so as you can imagine its hard to spend time sitting at the computer.

Have a great weekend.

How To Select The Perfect Artwork For Your Home

2013-03-12T15:11:00.003+13:00

As my mind is starting to wind down after completing my mother's house which is now for sale (before and after shots I will be sharing in a few weeks time), I am beginning to think about my art again. I have a huge canvas beside me 3/4 finished and another smaller unfinished work on my easel, both begging for attention. With art on my mind, I've decided to share some of my thoughts about art and interiors and some important points to remember when seeking art for your home.

Firstly, art is a very personal choice, one person might love nature and flowers another figures, while another may prefer contemporary or abstract works. There is no right or wrong in selecting the "style" of a painting. An abstract painting can be perfect for an 18th Century villa just as much as a 20th Century. However there is a right and wrong when it comes to choosing that painting to enhance your decor with regards to its size, colours etc.

A painting or artwork can be a focus in your home to catch the eye as someone walks into a room, or it may be a subtle part of a collection of art and accessories in a room. Personally I like art to be a statement piece and without it "over" dominating a room, I like the art to be as large as possible.

From an artists/designers point of view I have created a check list to remember when purchasing and hanging a painting to compliment your interior.

Don't make the mistake of hanging a painting too high or putting a small painting on a large expanse of wall. Make sure your chosen art is the correct size for the wall area.
Art should be hung at "eye level" with eye level being the centre of the painting.
Rule of thumb, large wall, large art or a collection of smaller pieces covering a larger area
Don't cover up your painting if hung above a console by putting large items in front of it, (an artists nightmare). When I sell a piece of work I want it to be on show in its entirety.
Take into account your colour scheme, try to compliment the overall scheme of your decor by choosing accent colours that work with your art as can be seen in the images below.
When hanging the art, remember to to take into account the space for a picture light above if you choose to have one.
Ask if you can loan the artwork to try it in your house first. Often artist/galleries will allow you to try the artwork prior, especially if it is a large investment.
If you can purchase direct from the artist and they are not solely gallery represented you should be able to purchase at a lesser price as most New Zealand galleries add on a minimum of 40%. The artist will only receive around 60% of the purchase price less tax on a gallery sale.
Don't hang paintings in direct sunlight, this can still fade a watercolour even if the best quality paints have been used.
If you do purchase a watercolour, make sure the artist has used "artist quality" paints, you don't want to spend a lot of money on a piece to find you may have a very pale version or, gasp!...a white piece of paper in a few years time. Yes I have seen this happen, people buy art at a local fair and then find that 5 years later it has faded to near nothing from the damage of light and the use of cheap watercolour pigments.
Remember if your art is framed with glass you will get reflection, so personally I prefer oils or acrylics without glass in light filled areas. Large pieces of art are far better chosen without glass, a lot of watercolour artists who want to paint larger, turn to oils because of this reason.
Don't think that using "non reflective" glass will be the best solution, it may avoid reflection, however, non reflective glass will dull the colours of the art and personally, as an artist I would never use non reflective glass.
Last of all, if you are buying art on line, please ask the artist if they use "artist quality paints and canvas", you want your painting to last longer than a lifetime.

Rather than selecting images where the work is incorrectly hung or doesn't compliment its surroundings I have selected images I feel work perfectly. Photo No.2 the work is slightly too high but this is because there is molding on the walls which determined the height of the picture. However I love this art and feel its absolutely perfect for the style and colours of this interior.

Unknown artist

Artist - Patricia Larsen

Unknown artist - Interior design by Tiffany Eastman

The painting below is hung low over the console, however, if you look closely, there is an obvious reason as the ceiling height is limiting. I would normally not place items in front of a painting, however the green lamp and other accessories cleverly compliment these particular pieces of art work as they have a lot of white background.

Paintings by Miranda Skoczek

The art below is actually painted directly onto the wall, I think it looks fabulous. I would not screw wall lights into a canvas but its perfectly fine in this respect and they reflect the style of the beams. Is it my imagination? I feel the light on the left hand side of the screen is slightly higher, possibly an optical illusion.

Below, paintings in perfect harmony with their surroundings, you can catch a glimpse of my Lily painting, "Inspiration" hanging on the stairwell of this lovely Auckland home.

The art in this NY apartment below, breaks all the rules, however, each individual art work has been hung to compliment the whole expanse of wall, creating a sense of each piece being part of one large art work. I think this is extremely clever, don't you?

Before I end this post, I just want to add that a true artist will use only the finest quality paints, canvas and brushes which increases costs. I can purchase a cotton canvas of 1 metre x 1 metre, ready made in an artist supplies store in New Zealand for around $35. However, I actually choose to pay $300 + for the same size canvas, hand stretched in Belgian linen as it not only will last more than a lifetime, it gives me the perfect surface to present my work. I also use brushes that cost me over $100 each, my fabulous blending brush cost me more than $200. You may gasp at this but the difference they make to my work is phenomenal and if cared for they will last many years.

I hope you've managed to find some helpful information and inspiration, for selecting and hanging art in your own home. Next month I am going to show you step by step how you can create a modern contemporary piece with absolutely no artist skills that will look fabulous in any interior.

If your not familiar with my own work you can see some of my sold works at my website. After an absence of painting the past 2 years because of my mothers illness I am beginning new works next month.

I will be sharing this post with the following blogs:

Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy Little Lady

Image sources 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8

Inspiration 5, 2013 - Pastel Inspiration, Food, Interiors and Crafts

2013-03-10T18:42:00.000+13:00

I'm still in love with pastels after my Easter Inspiration post and consequently this week found myself drawn to all things pastel, food, interiors and crafts. On the yummy side of things this weeks discoveries, include, Banana Gelato icecream, pastel swirl cake and a simple Rice Krispie recipe, I've also found some pretty pastel interiors. Plenty to peruse, so take your time to browse through. You will find "quick links" to instructions and recipes, at the end of this post.

And now for some pretty pastel interiors...

Interior image sources:

1|2|3|4|5

Quick Links:

We hope you had a lovely weekend, we had the prettiest blue sky today, not a cloud to be seen. I spent the morning walking round the bays but not actually entering the "Round the Bays" run. I returned home and had a big clean out of my studio and a bit of a re-shuffle. Poppy is paddling around waiting for her dinner so I better get this post published quickly before she starts to get annoyed with me ☺

If you love pastels and missed last weeks Easter inspiration post, you can catch up...here

I will be sharing this post this week with:

NIB

Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy Little Lady
What to do Weekends at Crafts A La Mode

A newly discovered Norwegian blog called NIB

Maximising Space In a Swedish Apartment

2013-03-07T13:17:00.002+13:00

I often feature Swedish interiors on my blog, I love the sleek, contemporary, uncluttered look of their rooms, the way they maximise use of small spaces is amazing. When I discovered this lovely apartment in Sweden I instantly fell in love, it is homely and uncluttered, with a gentle mix of styles that work wonderfully together. I think my favourite area is the kitchen/dining, I like the introduction of pattern by way of the upholstery on the chairs. Often pattern is something we don't see so much of in Scandinavian interiors but this one has surprising little moments such as the blue star bedspread.

One thing that fascinates me about apartments such as these, is although they may be small compared to New Zealand/Australian standards (I believe we have larger houses than most)...eek! no offence, but this is something I have read. Certainly our average home is larger than the British average home and far larger than most Scandinavian homes (excluding Denmark)... Back on track, these smaller Swedish apartments appear to utilise space to their maximum, visually appearing to have more space than they really do. They have simple storage and smaller bathrooms, yet there is absolutely no clutter to be seen, everything has its place and they are still able to define living areas. You may be very surprised when I tell you this apartment is only 90 square metres with just 3 rooms. Sometimes I think the more space we have, the more we feel we have to fill it and this is what attracts me to an interior such as this.

We hope you've enjoyed this lovely apartment, images sources are from Fantastic Frank. It has made me decide to start a little "de-cluttering" in my own home this weekend.

Easter Inspiration - Pastel Love

2013-03-06T10:06:00.002+13:00

Easter will soon be here and I've been looking for some inspiration to share. Dreamy whites one of my favourite blogs, with the most beautiful photography, shares with her readers how to dye chicken eggs with natural dyes. Would you believe that red cabbage, boiling water and vinegar is used to make her robin egg blue ones. See how to do this yourself and how to create other pretty colours over at her blog.

Quick links to images and instructions can be found at the end of this post.

& a couple of Spring/Easter tablescapes...

Quick Links:

More pretty Easter inspiration can be found on my Pinterest board below...

Sharing this Easter inspiration at the following link parties:

Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy Little Lady

Spring Florals - Designers Guild

2013-03-04T15:26:00.000+13:00

I'm running away from New Zealand's official first day of Autumn to bring you Designers Guild new Spring floral range, Seraphina. I absolutely adore their fresh designs, imagine how one could bring to life a blank canvas with a few cushions or better still, use one of their fabulous wallpapers behind your bed.

We hope you had a lovely weekend, don't forget to catch up with this weeks weekly inspiration if you haven't already. This week has a touch of gold, interiors and how to apply gold leaf...Read more here

Inspiration No 4, 2013 - GOLD - Interiors, Food, DIY

2013-03-02T11:00:00.004+13:00

Inspired by a post on Cush and Nooks last week, entitled, "Touches of Gold", I wanted to share a little more gold inspiration, food, interiors and some diy projects. While I was living in Brunei, I got a little fed up with gold as it was vastly overused in the opulent homes. I was fortunate to visit the Istana (Sultan of Brunei's Palace), a few times where I discovered gold was definitely OTT, it was everywhere, including 22kt gold plated taps in the bathrooms, even little shuttlecocks had been dipped in gold and were used for feet on some designer chairs in their private gymnasium. Another affluent woman I knew had gold poured into the foundations of her home when it was being built and yet another had paid a professional to fly out from Australia to apply gold leaf to all the intricate mouldings on her ceilings. So as you can imagine I was a little fed up with gold at the end of my 8 years living there, however, now I am back in New Zealand and leading a normal life again, my love of gold is gradually returning and I've found some to share with you.

Gold leaf tutorial from The Creativity Exchange...Step by step instructions

Another step by step tutorial, gold leaf, paper mache bowls by Kelli Murray....Instructions here

Transform cheap tea lights with gold tape you can purchase similar tape here... Efco Creative Washi Tape - Gold. Image source Pinterest

Robert Kushner uses gold leaf in his unusual art works...See his more colourful floral works at DC Gallery

Food for thought....

With Easter on the horizon, edible gold leaf Easter macarons from...Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Top your favourite desert/trifle with a little edible gold leaf, it looks fabulous on chocolate cake too - Image source

Note: Gold leaf used for food must be of the edible type. I have placed some links for purchasing gold leaf both edible and for decor use at the end of this post.

And lastly, some Gold inspired interiors...

Grey & gold kitchen. if you love grey you may be interested in my last post... How to decorate successfully with grey

Interior images via 1|2|3|4|5

You can purchase gold leaf for both food and decorating items below:

For home decor - Speedball Mona Lisa Gold Leaf Starter Kit
For cooking - Edible Gold Leaf for Cakes & Chocolates 25 Leaves 23kt

Sharing this weeks inspiration with:

Show and tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy Little Lady

At The Picket Fence

Have a wonderful weekend

Decorating with Grey - How To Successfully Use Grey In Your Home

2013-02-27T11:06:00.000+13:00

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 tone upstairs in the master bedroom. At this point in time you will have to forgive me that I cannot remember the shades but I will find out and update this post later.

When thinking about introducing grey into your home, you can either use it on your walls, or alternatively introduce it by way of furniture or accessories. If you decide on a whole palette of greys you can easily introduce an accent colour to change the mood One such colour that works wonderfully with grey is yellow. The opposite to "grey skies" is "sunny skies" and we all know the sun is associated with the colour yellow.

I think a lot of us may shy away from grey, as I have already said, associating it with being dull, however, it is a colour that is far from dull if the correct tones and accents are chosen correctly as can be seen in the collages I have put together below. What is important is the "tone" of grey we choose for our interiors. The lightest tone of grey on walls still allows a feeling of spaciousness and can brighten a dark room, dark grey on a wall, however, may become oppressive. If dark grey is used on one wall alone, for example behind a bed, it can evoke a wonderful feeling of drama and romance. Remember when using a dark grey next to a light background, it will make that area appear much nearer and a small room even smaller.

Today I want to show you some perfect accent colours that work with grey and also share two very different grey interiors. The first interior is an apartment in Sweden, behind this dark exterior lies a light, airy apartment with a touch of masculinity. The second interior has definite country feel, both of these interiors are "tone on tone" meaning they are a neutral palette of grey tones with no accent colours, although the apartment does have an accent colour of green in the living area by way of a few accessories. I want to illustrate how grey can be used in both a contemporary or traditional interior and look far from drab.

Image source

This second home is located in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, again tone on tone, however a completely different style of home.

More images and information about this lovely home can be found at Atlanta Homes Mag

Grey can be used to create many atmospheres, from feminine to masculine, traditional to contemporary and this can be clearly seen by the introduction of accent colours below. See how it works beautifully with pink for a child's nursery, creating a light, bright but ultimately feminine and cosy nursery. Cleverly added textures such as the rug and velour chair bring extra touches of interest to this palette.

Image source

Accent colours that work wonderfully with grey are...

Grey & Yellow

Grey & Green

Grey & Pink

Grey & Blue

Grey & Red

Tone on Tone - Grey on Grey

I think its clear now, when using grey, it's not the colour itself but how we choose to use the colour. Its tone/shade, how much grey we introduce, the accent colours we combine it with, all must be thought about collectively and creatively. If you were to choose grey what accent colour would you choose or would you stick to a pale tone on tone palette, what would work for you? Resene alone have 50 shades of grey. If you have grey in your home, I would love to hear how you have used it and if you've never liked grey, have I converted you?

Images used to create collages, via Pinterest.

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