Colour and pattern on the streets As I have often said inspiration for creativity is everywhere we just have to keep our eyes open and sometimes look at things in a new way. Last week while out in downtown Ottawa with my kids I saw a good example of this. A fun,colourful tour bus which I just had to take a picture of. Looking at the combination of colours together reminded me of the graffiti I had seen in Toronto earlier this year. Again today while out fabric shopping I saw beautiful silks with colours and patterns swirling together. Sometimes you can use these inspirations to combine colours in your home on the walls and as accents like lamps or pillows. Other times I think to use fabric and paper literally, as art framed or stretched over canvas. Over the years I have bought many unique note cards and have displayed them in frames. The other night we went to drive-in bingo and I was looking at the bingo cards and all the colours and we laughed as we tried to think of the Benjamin Moore paint colours they reminded us of! It doesn't matter where I go design is always on my mind! Inspiration like the above examples can lead to rooms as beautiful as these below.... What inspires you?
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Well everybody this week I have a plan! I am going to make my office into a multi-purpose space. I am a big scrapbooker and card maker and have a basement dungeon craft room. I am tired of trying to inspire my creativity in a dark,dreary space and have decided to bring all my supplies up to the real world and use my office in another way. I guess I'm not doing enough work in it! I have some storage space but not really enough so a trip to IKEA is in order. Any excuse and I'm there. They have great reasonably priced shelves and containers. There are also purpose made craft storage items available at places like Michael's. However these can be more expensive so look around your home and use something you already own in a different way. I have cups and small plant pots I use for pens and scissors. Small items in ice cube trays and even a shoe holder for some supplies. Be creative and make your creative space fun and interesting! My room is a work in progress but as soon as it is open to the public I will post it! Until then check out these great examples. They are filled with colour, style and cool ideas. Here is a closer look at some storage ideas, if you have any of your own let me know.... Don't forget to leave your comments............ SPEAK NOW!
Some design trends have been around for hundreds of years and yet we still find them current and trendy today! One of those that has timeless appeal is MONOGRAMS. I have seen examples of it in all kinds of stores some close to home and others in my magazine world! Originally the monogram was used only for Royalty and then it moved down to other nobility. Only homes with the rich and privileged in them would have monogrammed chairs, linens etc. Nowadays it can be used anywhere and on anything. I have seen initials on the walls, in frames, on towels,dishes and even lampshades. Here are some great accessory ideas I have found. Putting a monogram in your room can be as simple as a peel and stick decal which can be removed easily, or use a stencil to add that special touch. I used my own version of monogramming in my house several years ago by adding wooden initials for my kids names in their bathroom and I still have them up today. Add your own personal touch and put a monogram in your life!
While out and about today I scored a new book for my collection by inspiring designer Kelly Hoppen. It is one of many books she has written showing the world simple yet chic and classic design sensibility. She is a hugely successful South African born British designer based in London, England. She has been in the business for over 30 years designing luxury homes, hotels and restaurants and now also has a range of stylish furniture, accessories, wallpaper and more. Another of her accomplishments is running her own design school to which people clamor to learn from one of the best and she has recently created an app for Iphone's and Ipad's keeping up with cutting edge technology. Kelly Hoppen books- worth a look! over and over and over! Kelly's interiors are made up of classic furniture pieces, a soothing colour pallette, multiple textures and elegant finishings. Many rooms with dark woods, light walls and soft furnishings. Everything seems to work cohesively together with nothing jarring but still interesting and appealing. I have always found her style to be timeless but at the same time current. She combines Easterna nd Western aesthetics. Take a long look at these amazing spaces she has created! Here are some examples of her home furnishings available on line and in stores in England. Finally if you have a spare 4000 pounds or $8,000 you can attend her one week intensive design course in Notting Hill in the heart of London. If I win the lottery it`s on my wish list...........
In my last post I mentioned a wallpaper that I had been hunting for and finally found with a cool graphic birch tree design. Well I have always been a fan of this black and white tree and the image it creates. In my opinion it was made for using in interior design and it doesn't look too bad outside either! I searched around and found it used in many ways, not just on paper. Take a look at these different examples.... As well as the amazing wallpaper I fell for there are many wall decals available which can easily be put up, moved around and removed when you want a change. Which in my house is often!! Another way to get these cool images is to to hire a local artist, or even an art student looking for extra money and experience to paint a mural covering a whole wall. You could try your hand at it yourself freehand or rent a projector to put the image up on the wall and then fill in the detail or attempt it on a smaller scale on a canvas. I'm lucky as I have a good friend and great artist who is going to make me something for my family room going in pride of place above my fireplace. It's based on a print by Marimekko as seen below. I will post it when it's ready for it's public debut! Take a look at these spaces using the birch tree, obviously I'm not the only fan,there are more like me out there somewhere! |