Its a dog's life

Its a dogs life - Goldie is ready to party and play. She is trying to entice us with the lovely appealing tennis ball. Its true what they say man or beast - one woman's treasure is another's trash. And so it is with rooms in one's home.

Now that summer is upon us, it feels like time to refresh and renew.
Time to party in the garden or have friends over to enjoy the moment.

The kitchen is the heart of the home. which puts me in mind of Decor to adore's salute to Mom's and the rebirth of the apron - delightful post - and here below some fabulous vintage aprons from Jessica Steele

Remember when you are dressing your kitchen for success it all depends on what you are planning - Kitchens for show obviously require all the trimmings. And if money is no object you can have what your heart desires :

Like this picture below found on a search for a fabulous kitchen on a BBC show - a fridge filled with champagne. I am sure Robin Leach would be overjoyed! as they say - "Sweeties, its essential to show off the detail - the more expensive the better "

If your budget runs to much smaller options then sometimes you have to "make do"
or just do what you have to make- delicious foods.

I have discovered since living with a very talented & accomplished cook - that what counts is not the tools but the skill of the worker. When I cook I use all the pots and dishes, and when lovely hubby works his magic - he hardly uses any pots.
however a big part of being in the kitchen is how it looks.

Recently I had the opportunity to prove my prose.
A friend had a kitchen that she was upgrading only with new stove, dishwasher and microwave.
The rest would be fudged with the lovely illusion of color. Old black and yellow appliances swapped out for silver & white.
below kitchen before

Her last attempt at color, had not been as successful as hoped for.
Choosing color can be traumatic
So she called me in to roll the color dice.
I was delighted to get involved. I am better at color than cooking!

Besides coming up with color for the walls and cabinets, I also told her to save the handles and repaint the dated bronze silver. Since the floor was staying, I took that into account when we decided on the new look. the cabinet doors were removed and the hinges replaced with new silver ones. The lights were replaced with more modern ones from Ikea. Other than that it was paint & elbow grease.
below kitchen before

My last instruction was to paint the ceiling silver.
Well, my client is a brave soul and although she was nervous, she went for it. Bravo!
Now she says the silver ceiling is the icing on the cake. Even lovely hubby noticed the ceiling.
The result is smashing! Inviting warm and very much a reflection of her taste.
The family love the new look.
The food is the same delicious fare, but the surroundings are more palatable.
below kitchen after:

Paint does a body good. and
It does a kitchen wonders.
below another shot of kitchen after:

so my lovelies, its time for me to lay my head down, dream of treasures for my kitchen.
Its all in the details.

Enjoy

Romantic endeavors

"Sleep, perchance to dream" as Shakespeare declared - every creature needs a place to lay their head.
Like Goldie, who is curled up head resting on paw pads, to create a soft pillow.


Indulge the Romantic you
The Bedroom is a great place to get away from it all.
Basics include a good bed, excellent lighting and perhaps a chair to curl up in.
here are some ideas mixed up with some Home and Garden photographs from the Conde Nast collection:

Scenic designer William Riva transformed his child's bedroom into an enchanted forest for the holidays. Otto Maya photographed the exquisite area for the December 1955 House & Garden.

Be bold in the bedroom- color is an easy way to create a mood
Use the apricot heart of a rose you love, or a deep inky blue sky that brings peace floating to the surface.
A painted ceiling can be magical.

Items for a man's bedroom

A series of men's bedroom accessories, including wool blankets, a hanger, a pencil cup holder and an ashtray, were photographed by Geoffrey Baker for the January 1948 House & Garden.

Fabric is sensual
Not just color here, but texture, pattern and type of fabric can be used to changing the space dramatically & create mood:
Use behind the bed, to create statement. Cover a headboard or drape from floor to ceiling.

Rochas bedroom

The September 1950 House & Garden, - the bedroom that couturier Marcel Rochas designed for his wife and himself. André Kertész photographed the room, which features wall murals in the style of the eighteenth century, a high ceiling painted light blue, and a bed draped in icy blue-white satin.

Texture & color add DRAMA!

Bedding that coordinates, ties the space together.
Avoid too many pillows or lots of small items.


Size Counts.
When choosing your bed frame the scale of the piece should be taken into account.
Dont crowd the space. Leave room for walking.

Understand your needs:
eliminate clutter and pare the space down.
Less clutter means more tranquility.

Unify
Paint all the pieces of furniture one color to unify. Reduce the clutter to clean lines and simple elements. Make sure the furniture is comfortable.
Organize your essentials with containers like baskets or trays.

Speak to your romantic soul.
Art is an important element in a bedroom. Hang pieces that are joyful and nourishing.

The cover of the May 1935 House & Garden was a vision in violet. Anton Bruehl photographed the still life of pansies.

Inspired to change with small change

Back in the USA ..my mind is teeming with color and ideas.
I am inspired to make changes after seeing all the incredible ideas and clever artistic creativity in South Africa. Country of my youth, and it is very seductive, still.
Looking at this porch at a sweet spot in Kalk Bay - what a clever idea to wrap fabric around the columns.

How about these fabulous cushions & cover to add some pizazz to your living quarters
lively pillows and some fabric and clever stitching on what appears to be a gray blanket.



Flowers or leaves in an interesting container is another easy way to add energy and prettiness to your home, using the penny jar. see the garden roses and cut flower mix in the watering can.
Clever tricks with paint is another cheap way to add new energy.


This photo above creates a pretty look that is easy to recreate at home, and adds style for pennies on the dollar. I spied this tray at the Biscuit Factory in Salt River.
What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday.
You can create this look with ease using stuff around the house and fill in with a visit or two to a thrift store or a garage sale.

and how about a few new tea towels, not just for trays, but you can create cushions, place mats, cover a pot - I found mine at the biscuit factory at one of my favorite bloggers stalls.
What a treat to meet Heather Moore, in person, check out her blog selling all her lovely stuff - and because I was a reader she kindly threw in a pin - I chose a bird and I love that pin- I am wearing it and it makes me smile. Check out those amazing tea towels and bags & more.
Heather was so cool, and friendly. too bad I got there when everyone was closing up, so I missed out on a slow walk through the stalls. However I did get a chance to stroll through lots of other shops and spend a lovely time in the food market.

Summer Weeds in burnt butter - teatowel

and shop for more amazing items of Heather's.

With clever repurposing of what you have, with some judicious shopping where needed, you can turn your living space into a space that welcomes and embraces you.

Love the home you have, get started on creating that new space with old things today.

Makeover and repurpose, with Art that moves you

A key element of a space is the art.
More important than the actual content - and I hope you choose art you love, is the how where and why of hanging art.

Hang art at eye level - its there to be enjoyed and should be part of the rest of the stuff in the room.

When you have lots of small pieces place together to make a big impact - just we did here above at a Move-in makeover (the client moved in and we set up the furniture, the art the accessories - place looks fabulous in a few days of moving)

You can group photos of family or photos of your pet or pets.
Here is a classic family photo - Goldie is ready for touring and partying - a perfect picture to usher in the warmer months.

Using found objects or creating your own is another way to liven the walls. I am always on the hunt for thrift store art, interesting signs or even items from nature. There are not enough walls or time, for all that creativity that awakens and awaits...

I took this photo below in an old diner in San Francisco. You could do a series of interesting restaurants, or a row of food or pictures of plates or utensils. In fact in this restaurant, the most fascinating part, for me, was that they have plates from The Whitehouse china collection. What a feast for the eyes. I did try take some plate photos, but they did not come out well.
However plates grouped by style, type or color can also work as wall art. As can kids art, labels, collections or travel shots. Be creative, and enjoy the process, as well as the effect. Even if you are not arty, photos are a great way to find your style.



Below, in a client's home, we grouped a handful of small oils to make a statement. The top picture shows the wall before, with the original art group. The middle oil is large and none of the work is set to advantage.

In this photo above, the After, you see the same wall, with the small pieces artistically placed, to give a richness to the space. The furniture and art now work in unison, to reflect the style of the owners.

In this client's home below, we placed a large Chagall poster on a wall to add drama & color! Previously the wall had been empty, and this poster had been hiding behind a screen. Because the piece is large, and this is a corner that does not get much use, we could drop the artwork low, to really change the feel of the room.


Turns out that dog walking is good for humans too - who knew? I can enjoy the color and form that nature provides, when I take Goldie out for her constitutional. Of course to her, every blade of grass and leaf, tells a story about what four legged creature has passed by, and lifted its leg or brushed against, leaving a trail of smells that seem to delight, and inspire her black wet nose to twitch and breathe in deeply. On one such journey I caught the branches of this white tree against the blue sky. Already leaves are budding where the bare white arms once posed. Actually its pretty funny, me holding the camera, for the perfect shot, while Goldie tugs on the leash, in a hurry to get to that next sniffing pole or to roll on the grass in pet abandon.another one of my passions, or is it obsessions? is food, I love to look at food, taste it, and enjoy it. The best part is taking pictures of all that delicious food - group a bunch of your photos or tear out from magazines and frame or create a collage. This was the waffles my daughter made from scratch in our waffle machine we acquired way back when. I think the waffle maker has been used about twice. But the waffles were absolutely delightful, and I love the contrast of the blue plate and the waffle with berries...looks good enough to eat.
I leave you to ponder on what is on your walls and why. Now that spring is around the corner, perhaps it is time to refresh your nest with new art. Rotate your pictures to change your point of view. Get rid of the pieces that you really don't like.

Art is life, life is art, live a little, with art to inspire you!



Note :I will not be blogging for the next two weeks, but I am out looking for new inspiration.