I mentioned yesterday that I’ve been searching the Interwebs for some design inspiration (although an unanticipated side effect of this is wanting to redo our recently “done” downstairs bathroom). During my searching I’ve come across some really cool designs.  Some of these pieces might be better suited to an ultra-modern art museum or avant-garde contemporary loft space, but they nonetheless provide inspiration for creating some similar looks in the everyday home.

How about this concrete vanity in the shape of an ammonite, which is the sea creature that when fossilized creates this unique design:

Or how about these table lamp-inspired wall lamps? These cute lights are expressed in silhouette form, featuring the shape of a shaded lamp atop a real shelf – perfect for placing your glasses or other reading accoutrements – all as a one-piece that’s mountable to your wall…

Lamps not your thing? How about having a rolling fireplace? This ultra modern fireplace can easily face any direction to turn any room into a comfy cocoon for the winter. Just roll it where you want some warmth:

Lastly, this is a more modern take on the wall boxes commonly found in most home decor stores. Instead of the traditional rectangular design, how about funking things up with asymmetrical storage?

Could you see any of these designs in your home?  I really love the sea-shell sink in the first photo, but would worry that this look could date very quickly (after all, we have the 80’s version of sea-shell sinks in blue cultured marble in one  of our upstairs bathrooms).  I could also see building a version of those asymmetrical boxes to install on our walls – but again, are they too cool for school?

Image sources:    sink  |  lamps  |  fireplace  |  boxes

I have very much enjoyed my time visiting family and friends during my extended stay in the UK.  But now that time is at an end.  At the end of last week, I flew across the pond back into the arms/paws of my beloveds.

Over the past few days as I become adjusted to my new time zone, I have spent some time perusing the Interwebs searching for some design inspiration.  I like to think of it as a way to kick-start my motivation to get working on our massive house renovation project again.

But my dear blog readers, searching the Internet can be a very dangerous thing.  The endless sources of design and inspiration offer a vast array of possibilities for creating (and recreating) our living spaces. So even when you think you have finished a space, you might get the proverbial itch to change it all over again. The saying goes, it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind (along with a few other things).  But it takes a strong husband not to murder his wife when she says she has “a few small ideas to change things” in their recently renovated bathroom.  Yes, I’m that woman. 

After posting about our newly madeover bathroom, I realized that there were two things that I wasn’t feeling anymore. 

The tile.  And the vanity.  Oh, and not to mention that the glass vessel sink and faucet have to go because they have impossible-to-remove water stains. But that was from before.  It’s not a new thing.  So it doesn’t count.

It’s not that I dislike the tile and the vanity.  It’s just that after perusing the Interwebs, I have found design elements that I like better.  For example, I much prefer the style of these open-base vanities (with a white-and-much-easier-to-keep-clean vessel sink):

And I also seem to be gravitating towards the simple lines of the board and batten look:

While the tile on the walls could easily be covered with the board and batten, the tile on the bathroom floor would be replaced with the wood floors we will be installing (eventually), giving it a seamless look between the living rooms and the bathroom.

So, help a girl out here…. I am not usually so fickle when it comes to design choices.  I am entering new territory wanting to change things up. What do you think?  Am I crazy to want to redo our recently madeover bathroom?  Are you feeling the potential new looks or do you prefer it the way it is now?

It is a common sight in many modernized households to see flat screen TV’s mounted above the fireplace.  Technology has progressed so much in the last decade making TV’s thinner and thinner (could someone find a way to apply that technology to me, please? Pretty please?!?).  In many homes, the mounted television has replaced the omnipresent mirror as the go-to accessory over the fireplace. Our house is no exception:

I’ve talked before about wanting to get a larger TV to replace our modestly-sized older model.  I know for a fact that Rick would love any TV over the 50″ mark. Whilst that is a whopping-sized television, I have to admit that it would fit the space above the fireplace much better than our current one.  Here’s a mock-up of what the fireplace might look like if we invest in a larger TV:

But here’s the problem.  When the television is not in use, it can become a big black eyesore.  So what are some of the options out there for covering the TV? A quick googley  and a common solution pops up.  Turn the television into a piece of art!  The simplest option is to frame the TV in, making it look more placed and grounded, rather than randomly floating above the fireplace.  Or you can go a step further and cover the TV with artwork of your choice.  It can simply be hung in front of the TV, or you can invest in a mechanized system that, at the a touch of a button, rolls out the artwork when the TV needs hiding, then rolls back in place when the footy comes on.

These systems can be expensive, but there should be a way to DIY this set-up for less moolah.  Another fab (but expensive) option is to cover the TV with a two-way mirror:

Advanced beam splitter mirror technology (which I don’t pretend to understand!) enables you to watch the TV as normal when it is turned on, but when you turn off your TV, it is transformed into a decorative mirror.  I’m not sure if it would be possible to DIY this set-up given the speciality glass, but this solution definitely combines function and style well.

What solutions are you using / have you come across that hide the TV?  Do you prefer the artwork idea, or the mirror one?  Or something else? Or maybe you’re not bothered that the TV is on display when not in use.  Spill it.

A few weeks ago, I managed to score two free chairs on Craigslist.  

They have seen better days, hence the price tag.  Although the fabric is a little worse-for-wear in places, both chairs are structurally sound. When I return from the UK, I am planning on tackling my first furniture makeover by reupholstering these beauties-to-be.  I’ve been on the lookout for some graphic, punchy upholstery fabric to take these chairs from ugghh to aahh-mazing. But so far, I haven’t managed to find any fabric that I really love,  and that is in my price range.  Although I got the chairs for free, I’m too frugal (aka cheap) to spend hundreds of dollars on fabric.  Online fabric yardage guestimators suggest that I might need up to 7 yards of fabric per chair.  At up to 30 bucks a yard, that can get expensive really quickly. 

So, I’m wishin’, and hopin’, and thinkin’, and prayin’, planning and dreamin’ (name that tune!) to find some inexpensive but good quality upholstery fabric.  In terms of design, I’m looking for a modern, graphic and vibrant pattern (no stripes, not too heavy on the florals).   Just like Goldilocks, the pattern on the fabric has to be just right – not too big or too small (too small will make the chair look busy, and too large will make it disjointed). I’m not too fussy on the color, although I’m naturally drawn to teals/blues/turquoises, muted greens, black & white. 

Here are some of the fabrics I’ve come across that have caught my eye.  I’m not loving (just liking) these fabrics, but so far they’ve come closest to meeting my criteria: 

Source List:

1. “Passion” by Amy Butler
2. “Coriander” by Amy Butler
3. “Modern Floral” by funkyfabrix.com
4. “Bauhaus Ring” by funkyfabrix.com
5. “Verisimo Teal” by dunelm-mill.com

source list

source list

Have you come across any good online sites that sell modern, graphic and punchy upholstery fabrics for a good price?  Do you know of some great designers that might meet my meeellions of criteria?  Please spill the beans!

Before you ask. It’s Swedish. For Happy Anniversary. September 1st was our 4th wedding anniversary. Why Swedish, you may ask? Well, to celebrate our anniversary, we took a day trip to Charlotte, NC to peruse that well-known Swedish mecca…. Ikea!

I’ve been to Ikea in the UK a few times and am familiar with their modern (and relatively inexpensive) design. The Ikea in Charlotte has just recently opened and I have to say … the store is H.U.G.E. We spent several hours walking aroung the two story building and I’m not sure we even saw everything. Even though we didn’t buy anything (well, apart from a cheap “to-do” project we found in the as-is aisle – details coming soon), we came away with a bunch of ideas and inspiration of how we might decorate the house in the future. You know. When we actually have extra money for luxuries, such as furniture. And curtains. And lights. Oh, and flooring.

Look at this beauty. This is my dream library. Other girls have dream outfits, dream shoes, dream wedding dresses … I have a fantasy library.

Floor-to-ceiling glass-fronted cabinets with rows and rows of books, flanked by a comfy chair and a cup of tea. Oh Billy, you’ve stolen my heart.

How about these cute table lamps? They come in a range of colors (white, orange, purple, green, turquoise, pink) and at 17 bucks each, they are a steal!

I love the contemporary feel of this floating media storage unit. Best of all, the unit can be customized by adding glass or fabric. Or how about adding some under cabinet lighting for an eerie glow while watching your favorite scary movie?

This cool sculptural light really caught my eye. I can imagine one of these hanging over each side table in the guest bedroom. Having the light source hanging from above would free up much needed side table space – I don’t know about you but I never seem to have enough space on my bedside table, what with the lamp, alarm clock, several books, a few magazines, a bottle of water and other necessary knick-knacks.

I’m not usually a big fan of white furniture (simply because it takes too much effort to keep clean, especially with 5 dogs around), but this sofa table had me at hello. I love how the white pops against the dark brown flooring, and how the glass top and open storage makes this piece of furniture elegant and functional.

Everyone knows that you can get some amazing deals on picture frames at Ikea. Such a simple and sophisticated way to display photos or artwork in this monochromatic and asymmetrical collage of frames…

These funky light fixtures have interchangeable fascias, so you can change the look of light whenever you want. They can be hung either horizontally or vertically for maximum flexibility. I’m thinking that a couple of these beauties might look cute flanking the front door in the foyer. Talk about mood lighting…

After all that inspiration shopping and walking, it was time for a much needed rest. Great that Ikea has an awesome range of sofas and chairs for us to test run!

You have the test the merchandise before you buy it, right?

With all the various renovation projects going on around the house, it will probably be a while until the new library is completed. I am eagerly anticipating the the rows and rows of bookcases filled with hundreds of books, the comfy wingback chairs, plush rug and general sophisticated ambience.  Until then, I will have to do with the stacks of books that are currently littered throughout the house. Imagine my glee when I came across these gravity-defying beauties:

These invisible bookshelves work via an innovative concealed bracket  – after mounting the bracket to the wall, simply slide the shelf between the back cover of one book, stack the rest on top to completely cover, and voila! you’ve got an invisible bookshelf. What a functional, beautiful and inexpensive way to display your books. I’ve definitely put these on my Amazon wish list – now I need to develop a master plan of where I am going to hang them around the house!

This weekend, our task was to change out the foyer chandelier.  We knew it was going to be tricky, not from an electrical standpoint (Rick is a whiz at electrics – is there anything this man cannot do?!?), but because of the two-story entryway.  Before contemplating doing it ourselves, I got a few quotes from electricians.  Given the height and complexity of the task, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at getting quotes for several hundred dollars (in some cases, almost as much as we paid for the chandelier itself!).

So, we decided to replace the chandelier ourselves. We rented 15 foot scaffolding from Home Depot (at a fraction of the cost of the electricians’ quotes – $60 bucks a week). It was interesting trying to erect the scaffolding around the stairs, but after a little trial-and-error, we managed to get the base set (the back set of cross-braces went through the spindles on the stairs).

Once the base level was set, Rick climbed up the scaffolding (there was no way I was going up that thing), and together we erected three levels of scaffolding, all the way to the top of the two-story entry way. At its highlest level, the scaffold planks were higher than the balcony that connects the soon-to-be-library and the master bedroom.

Rick started dismantling the old chandelier by first removing the millions of individual glass pieces. Once they were safely stowed away, he then unhooked the chandelier frame from the ceiling.

During the week, Rick had already spent some time preparing the new chandelier’s electrics. The chandelier frame came in three parts – the large middle section, and smaller top and bottom section – and each section had its own wiring. So, Rick had to splice all the wiring together, and then run it all up the central conduit, which would ultimately be connected to the ceiling. So, after a little more handy work on the scaffolding, the new chandelier was attached!

Next, we tested the lights to make sure they worked (not that we any doubts, of course!). So, 18 bulbs later, we flicked the switch and voila! we had light!

The final step in the chandelier change-over was the laborious task of hanging 500 strings of crystals around the frame.  Poor Rick had to do this task all by himself, seeing as they had to be hung on the frame from the scaffolding. So, I did what I could to help – handing him the crystal strings and documenting each phase of the process.  Even including a brief break for dinner, the whole shebang didn’t take that long, and by Saturday evening, we had a brand new, ultra-modern chandelier….

There once was a young man called Pawel

Who didn’t mind helping at all

Downstairs with the dryer

His pecs were on fire

For help, he’s our first port of call

And when the dryer was done

The hard work had only begun

Transporting the telly

His glutes were like jelly

As a friend, he’s our number one!

It’s been a while since we have blogged on the status of the downstairs bathroom renovation.  We haven’t forgotten this project and have been doing smaller tasks here and there that are not really worth writing a whole blog post in themselves.  Like, connecting the plumbing, painting the vanity, and so on.  I don’t want to reveal too much of our progress … that way we can do a big ‘final reveal’ complete with before and after pics and a full run-down of what we did and why.  In the interim, I will post a couple of pics on our vanity re-do. You might recall me blogging about getting a free vanity from Craigslist. We have since painted the vanity a deep chocolate brown color and splurged on a granite countertop.

Well, when I say splurge, we got a really good deal from a local stone company ($25 bucks/sq. foot including installation). We could have kept the white cultured marble vanity top that came with the cabinet, but neither of us are too fond of that look and wanted something more contemporary.  In order to change the vanity top, we had to get a custom size – the vanity was 42″ in length – and most standard vanity tops come in 36″ or 48″ sizes. So, we were uber-excited to get such a deal on the granite, whilst modernizing the vanity all in one fell swoop.

The new vessel sink and fountain faucet are now proudly sitting atop of the granite. Rick loves going into the bathroom just to turn on the faucet and watch the pretty waterfall effect. So we are now able to wash our hands in the new bathroom, just still can’t actually use the bathroom. Well, unless you are ok with using the hole in the floor AND have a really good aim.  Funnel, anyone? :)

What do you think of our new dining room set? Shopping at the weekend, we came across signs saying that World Market was closing its store in Durham and that everything was being sold at up to 30% off.  Neither of us had shopped in this particular store before, and always open to a potential bargain, we took a quick peek inside.  We certainly hadn’t intended on buying a dining room set, but we found the table and chairs at such a steal, it was difficult to turn down. Luckily, we had taken the truck with us on our shopping spree, so we had the ability to put the (very heavy) table and eight chairs in the truck bed.  When we got home, assembly was quick and easy.  It was really exciting to see the set in situ in our to-be-made-over dining room (which is currently serving as the dogs room when we go out). Even with no flooring, the dubious 80’s chandelier and gothic red paint, I think the dining room is going to be a stunner!  Now, all we need is people to come and visit so we can use it! Perhaps sometime in the near future, my family in the UK might come over for an extra special Christmas holiday break.  It would be magical to have everyone here at Christmas time … )