and 90% perspiration ~ Thomas Edison.

Whilst we’re working hard around here trying to beautify our abode, I thought I’d simply post a few pics that are currently rocking my world on the design inspiration front.  Enjoy the random menagerie of eye candy…

Sources: drum chandelier | clock – source unknown  |  map art |   black on black stencil |   board-and-batten bathroom |   floating nightstands

I really want one of these:

What is it?  It’s a little device that wirelessly transmits audio/video signal between your TV, satellite, DVD player, your PC monitor … basically any AV device anywhere in your home.  That means no more unsightly wires running between your electronics like this:

Not good. And if you choose to move your TV or electronics to another room, you don’t have to worry about running wires through floors and walls.  You can even use it to create a wireless home/office surveillance system by connecting with a camcorder or CCD camera.  Still not convinced?  How about being able to listen to your iPod in a remote location without having to run wires from your stereo/docking system to your speakers? Cool, huh?

I’ve already mentioned that I am a crazy person for wanting to redo our recently done downstairs bathroom.  Not a complete (re)overhaul, but just changing out the vanity/sink and maybe changing the walls to board-and-batten.  There’s also a small element that’s been irking me.  The little bin that holds magazines for people to read while they .. well, you know.

Firstly, in terms of design and style, it won’t really go with the (2nd) makeover I have in mind.  Secondly, it annoys me that the magazines don’t really stand up properly.  They kind of list over to one side, meaning that when you do eventually pick up a magazine to read, the bottom edges are all curled over.  Lastly, it is difficult to see the full range of magazines that are on offer in this delectable hotel hole home.  So, I started looking for a replacement that would be sleek in design, store the magazines without damaging them, and let people see the full array on offer. Hello my beauty…

I spied this one from Crate & Barrel.  It ticks all the boxes.  ‘Cept it’s a little to pricey for me.  As lovely as it is, almost 50 bucks for a magazine rack seems a little steep.  For me, anyway. 

I then stumbled across a slightly less expensive version from Umbra…

I love how this one is wall-mounted, which can save valuable space in a small downstairs bathroom.  You can see all the magazines on offer, and when all the racks are being used, it appears as though the magazines are free-floating. And at 33 bucks, it’s a slightly less wallet-stretching price.

Which of the magazine racks do you prefer? Do you have other unique or fun ways to display magazines in your home?

Linking this post up to Show and Tell Saturday:

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

If all goes according to plan, we should have family from the UK coming to stay for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Although it’s not on our list of renovation goals for 2010, we really need to make a start at getting at least one of our spare bedrooms more visitor friendly by November. 

 Until recently, the spare bedrooms have been empty shells… well, apart from a few boxes of junk that we’ve never sorted through since our move in 2009:

A couple of weeks ago, I worked up a inspiration moodboard for this room.

It involves repainting the walls a lovely duck-egg blue color, and bringing in some sumptuous chocolate furniture, with touches of turquoise and silver and contrasting red accessories.  I also talked about having a dark bedspread, but funking it up with some graphic black and white sheets and punchy pillows.  Throw in some modern sleek lined furniture and an architectural light, and we had an initial plan for transforming this blah space.

Well, phase 1 of the bedroom makeover is currently underway. We’ve yet to paint the walls – I think this will make the biggest transformation in the room.  When I return to the States at the end of this month, the search will be on for the perfect duck-egg hue (any suggestions?). We have moved some furniture in to the room, making it decidedly less storage-room and much more bedroom.

A brand new queen sized mattress and box springs has been topped with a simple black bedding set and a few cute pillows.  The bed is flanked by two glossy nightstands (that were bought on clearance, score!).  The generic drawer handles were replaced with some funky crystal topped ones, which I think tie in nicely with the brushed nickel finish of the lamps.  The black bedding is only temporary until I can find a more exciting set like one of these.  I do like the graphic pop of the black-and-white sheets and pillow that peek from behind the more subdued cover.

Opposite the bed, an Ikea Hopen dresser (another Craigslist bargain) is topped by three mirrors found at Target, which are great for bouncing light around the room.  The dresser is actually quite large and so has plenty of space for guests to place their foldable items (the door to the left of the dresser is a small walk-in closet).

A few small red accessories have been placed on the dresser, including the very first photo taken of Rick and I when we began dating (10 years ago – eek!).

So, we’re starting to make progress transforming this room in a more liveable space.  There are many things left to do in this room: paint the walls, lay some flooring, change the bedding, bring in some artwork and figure out some cool lighting.

Eventually, I’d like to think about installing a built-in bookcase in that wall where the roof line comes down (instead of that small door).  It might also be cool to install some window seats under those two windows.  That would add a little extra storage and create a nice relaxing space for our guests to chill with a book or to look out the window at the scenery.

I am still looking for design inspiration for this room.  Do you have perfect duck-egg blue paint on your walls?  How about a great architectural light fixture?  Have you built a fab window seat? Help a girl out here and spill the beans!

In addition to the master suite, we have three bedrooms upstairs.  Well, technically, at the moment we only have two spare bedrooms because one is in the process of being turned into a library (we eventually have plans to turn the attic into a guest suite).  When we have guests over to stay, we usually put them up in the guest room with the adjoining bathroom (this room has been dubbed the “Helen” room in honor of our first house guest, Prof. Helen Haste, last year).  However, this bedroom is no longer usable because of the air handler leak which damaged parts of the ceiling and floor of the Helen room (and not to mention completely trashed the bed!).

Since moving in last year, we haven’t really done much to the second spare bedroom (dubbed the “blood room” because of a dubious stain we uncovered when the carpet was removed). For the last year, it has remained largely in an empty state:

In preparation of sprucing up this room, I thought I’d whip up a little moodboard; some design inspiration if you will…

I’d like to paint the walls a lovely duck-egg blue, replacing the dark mocha color that we inherited in the room.  The duck-egg blue walls will be paired with rich chocolate furniture, and accents of turquoise and silver and a few contrasting pops of red.  I like the idea of having a muted black bedspread, but funking it up with some black and white sheets and some fun pillows.  I love the sleek design of the Hopen dresser from Ikea – it’s actually pretty large so offers plenty of storage space for the unmentionables.  Although this gorgeous leather turquoise chair is way out of budget, I think it is possible to find a similar, much cheaper alternative for this space.  I’m not 100% decided on the lighting for this room.  I really like the architectural lines of the Fillsta light from Ikea, but I am not sure I can quite picture it in the room. I like it, but do I love it?

I am excited to be getting to the fun design and decor aspect of our house makeover.  What aspects of this moodboard catch your eye?  How about that expensive turquoise chair? Are you liking or hating the blue/red color combo?

We’ve been making good headway with our renovation goals for 2010 (read about the goals here and how we are progressing here).  Lately, I noticed that the photo header that sits at the top of the blog is a little outdated and no longer reflects the changes we’ve been making throughout the house.  Here is the original header from when we bought the house and started the blog last year:

In the 3rd photo above we no longer have the outdated brass chandelier in the foyer, having swapped it  for a more modern chrome one last summer.  Similarly, in the 2nd photo above the fireplace in the front room is no longer brown, as it was primed and painted to within an inch of its life during one of our paint partays.  Plus, all that brown chair rail has been removed from the premises.

In short, it’s time for a header makeover.

The new photo banner shows a few of the changes we’ve been making round here lately.  The first photo gives a more comprehensive view of the entire house (taken on a blisteringly hot and stunningly clear blue-sky day).  The 2nd photo gives a view from below of the new foyer chandelier. The third photo shows our most recent acquisition – a steal of a deal found at Home Goods – this mirrored clock currently sits atop of the formerly brown fireplace in the front room.  And lastly, the vessel sink and waterfall faucet are an integral part of our downstairs bathroom makeover. The bathroom reveal will be made shortly – I promise (I know, I know.  I’ve been saying that for months, but I promise it’s coming s.o.o.n).

So there you have it.  A little blog makeover to represent our renovation progress.  I’ll be back with more posts next week. I’m back in the UK again visiting family, so although I am not at the house in the midst of projects, I’ve got a bunch of reveals to show you: the long awaited downstairs bathroom makeover, the dining room and its new trim boxes and the office reorganization. It’s going to be a before-and-after extravaganza.

One of the features that caught my eye when we were looking at buying this house was the stairs in the entry way:

It reminded me of the stairs in the movie Titanic (of course, no where near the scale and grandness of the luxury liner).  The central staircase dividing off in two directions had me at hello (in case you’re wondering, the stairs to the right go to the master suite, the stairs on the left head down the hallway, past the bedroom-turned library, the two spare bedrooms and on to the game room).

One day this week, I was wasting time working hard on the Internet and I came across some pretty cool stairs. How would you like to walk up and down these?

Or these?

Or these?

I think all three stairs are sooo to cool look at, but I imagine I would fall down them pretty quickly!  One way to remedy falling down?  Include a slide!

I think these would work great doubling as a work out tool.  Imagine running up those steps again and again so you can slide back down them.  Fun!  And talking of combining stairs with recreation, I am in L.O.V.E. with these bookcase stairs:

I am seriously tempted to do something like this with the stairs leading to our attic (which will *eventually* be turned into a bedroom suite). Don’t have an attic?  How about these cool stairs leading to a basement.  Think of the storage capabilities!

So, there you have it.  Some stairway design inspiration. Drool at will.

(Sources: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6)

On our day trip to Charlotte, NC to peruse Ikea, we also visited the Southern Ideal Home Show.

Whilst we’re not in the market right now to splurge loads of money on the many great products on show, it was definitely a great source of inspiration. Like these cool glass doors for the shower. At first they looked like they had a metallic covering, but they are made of reinforced etched glass (which come in a variety of patterns).  This set up would be perfect as a replacement for our outdated shower in the master bathroom – the half wall on the left would be where our bath tub meets the double shower.

Instead of replacing your outdated laminate counter tops, how about resurfacing them to make them look like Corian or granite? We came across this great service that refinishes the counter tops and bevels the edges to make them look much more expensive and sophisticated.  For smaller kitchens which have less than 25 square feet of counter tops, this is a much more cost effective way to update the look without the price of installing granite (the at-the-show special price was around 750 bucks, including installation).  However, for larger kitchens, the price went up quite drastically – about $35 bucks a square foot.  Still not a bad price, but there are some places that are offering granite for that same price. And talking about resurfacing, how about this resurfacing texture for your garage floors?  Looks good enough to eat!

How cool would it be to have these front doors? Talk about grand entry!

And whilst I’m dreaming, I can also fantasize about having some lush landscaping like this in my back yard one day…

And finally, the last thing to catch our eye was this system that keeps all the leaves and debris out of the gutter…

I can pretend and rationalize that it was the functional nature of this product that caught my eye … but who’s kidding, it was the cute fishies!

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?