A Modern Cottage.

As is often the case, I'm very late in writing this post. Remember the whole "no internet" thing? Last week I had the pleasure of photographing one of my favorite Houston homes. Located in the my usual stomping grounds, I have been admiring for a few years now. So a few weeks ago, I drove by and was surprised to see it for sale! Click here to see the listing. Being the house stalker that I am (Yeah, I admit it), I called to see if I could see the interior.
The house was shown in a local magazine a few years ago, but the owners graciously indulged my desire to take some pics myself:) What I always admired from afar was the beautiful color scheme of the exterior. Its very bold but has a Zen feel, especially with the bamboo.

This house is like a wonderful gift in a beautiful wrapper. You know sometimes, you wonder if what's inside is as great as the exterior? I'm glad to say that I was not disappointed when I walked in the door. The decor is restrained elegance with a modern twist. I can say that I haven't seen many homes with such a wonderful attention to detail. Something I really loved were the creative vignettes placed around the house.

Check out the ebony stained floors throughout the house! I know lots of you love them as much as I do.

The kitchen is simple and clean. I think this is one those rare kitchens that actually inspire me to cook. That is saying a lot, trust me!

The large open doorways are a remnant of when the house was a beauty salon. Instead of replacing the doors the owners either left them open or installed heavy draperies from tracks. The bedroom also has a fabulous dressing room that once was a porch.
P.S. The cool framed numbers are from Ebay!

So was I right? Beautiful, huh? One last amazing detail. The backyard is a small garden. Inorder to expand the space, a mirror was installed along the back fence. With the large plants in front, the yard seems to go on forever...without all the trimming that is;)

This Seasons Colour Trends For Budget Decorating Ideas

It is easy to brighten up your home on a budget as well as a great way to bring the latest colour trends into your home!

Classical white combined with one main accent colour is the key to achieving a modern look, Include one other colour which compliments the accent colour for a trendy non-fussy style and remember the ‘no clutter’ rule!

I have to admit that I have a thing about window treatments and use the premise that if the soft furnishing are plain them you should opt for patterned window dressings and visa-versa. A combination of a patterned roller blind teamed with plain curtains is nearly always a winning combination. A good example would be to use plain teal curtains with this beautiful floral scroll blind to make a real feature of the window, which would look particularly effective in older style homes.

Another point to remember is that if you are trying to recreate an authentic Victorian style home not to use brilliant white gloss paint for the simple reason it wasn’t invented until after the Victorian era! Nevertheless, older style homes can and do look very stylish with brilliant white paintwork, walls and ceilings.

Of course the versatility of a roller blind to allow the maximum amount of light into the room when it is pulled up and total privacy when closed is second to none! Fitting a blind inside the recess of a window also enables selected items of personal objects to be displayed without interfering with the blind’s functionality.

The great spring/summer colours of white and teal are ideal for freshening up a room. Looking smart and cool these colours are ideal for a bedroom and offer a crisp fresh look which is perfect for all interior design styles.

Image source: Freshome

Why DVR, Why?!

I couldn't believe my DVR shut off right before this performance! With some searching I
found the clip online. I have to say, I don't agree w/ every choice Adam makes, but this
performance was killer!! It could be that I feel that way, because of how much I have always
loved this song. Adam hasn't been my favoritecontestant, but I admit that he will be TOUGH to beat.
(For all you AI watchers, I love Allison, I feel she's like my alter ego. She always picks songs,
I would have picked...if I could sing like her;) Matt, I find him very exciting and cool,
and Danny, maybe one of the most wonderful voices I have ever heard!)

Guerrilla Preservation

(Look who's back! I apologize for my LONG absence. We went out of town and I assumed
that I could keep blogging, but as it turns out; I had virtually no internet access.
What a nightmare! Thankfully I'm home again).

One of the most fascinating blogs I have run across lately is called "The Kingston Lounge".
The writer's objective is to document amazing but forgotten buildings. The photography
featured on this blog is gorgeous and the interiors of the dilapidated buildings are surreal.
They feel like a view into another world. Just love it.

Several of the photos are now for sale in both limited and unlimited editions.
These would be a great addition to any collection.

Creating Office Spaces At Home

If you are one of the 2 million unemployed in the UK no doubt you have some careful consideration to starting your own business? Or you may have had the brilliant idea of working from home?

Without sounding pedantic there is more to working from home than many people imagine and it’s one of things you either grow to love or simply just can’t bear as it can be quite a lonely existence.

You have to be quite a disciplined type of person to successfully work at home, it’s very tempting not to get dressed until midday and stop just to put the washing on. Before you know where you are little actual work has been accomplished at it’s already late afternoon!

If are giving serious consideration to working from home it is essential that you find a suitable work space or office. It would be fool hardy, in my opinion, to think that you can squeeze yourself and your work station into the broom cupboard! People have tried and usually failed.

Ideally you should have your own office type space either in a room of its own or in a corner of a dinning area. If you have an actual office it can be decorated with homely touches which are not usually found in a business environment such as wallpaper which blends with the style of your home and yet still remain business like.

Creating an office can be achieved on a tight budget. There is no need to have expensive computer stations and swivel chairs. As long as the space has plenty of natural light, cheap vertical blinds so that you can angle the louvres them to prevent too much glare from the sun and help keep the room cool in the summer, add masses of storage space and you can create a work comfortable area that will certainly do to begin with!

Choose colours which will inspire you and brighten your mood without distracting you for the tasks at hand, namely work!

Image source: Bloomacious

My Big Boy

Last week was Liam's 4th birthday, and I can't believe how big he's gotten. I think I've been feeling a little melancholy about it all!
You know, when he was a baby and waking up every three hours, I would think "I can't wait till he gets older and I don't have to do this anymore!" Of course, now every time he tells me not to help him because he's a big boy, I feel a little sad. I also think about how paranoid I was when he was an infant. Is he growing at the right pace? Why isn't he crawling when other babies his age are? Am I interacting with him enough? Blah, blah, blah. He's a perfectly healthy and normal kid, but I spent so much time in a constant state of worry. I wish I would have just had more fun enjoying kissing on him.
So now I can see him maturing more and more everyday and its an amazing process to witness. He learns new things so quickly...some I wish he didn't know. I try everyday to remind myself to not worry about all the things that "should get done" and just have fun! I have to say that there is no other sound in the world like a four-year-old's laughter. I think I'm going to stop now, because I may start crying at my computer. I just wanted to write about my future race car driver or rock star, I'm not sure which. Maybe used car salesman;)

By the way, I thought I would post his birthday invitation. As usual, I was behind on getting them out, so I thought if they were funny no one would get too annoyed. I thought they were funny anyway. If you're wondering I made them using Picnik. I do love that little site!

It's All In Black And White!

Monotone bedroom can create the illusion of both space and grandeur. This fabulous bedroom combines all things black and white with great effect.

I love the chunky bed with the contrasting luxury of the white chaise lounge and the alternative stance of using black for the flooring and door frames to create such an elegant look to this room. The whole concept blends effortlessly together with the paisley black and white rectangular patterned rug placed strategically between the two resting areas.

This look could easily be replicated on a budget. White emulsion paint for the walls and ceiling and paint the floor with black paint which is scratch and mark resistant. If you have an outdated headboard and bed frame this could be either painted black or use imagination and create a fabric headboard which compliments cheap large rugs which can be found online or in fabric warehouses.

The whole room should be kept simple without the addition of fussy ornaments. Opt for scatter cushions to make as the accent pieces for the bed. If you can’t afford a chaise lounge, a large comfortable chair would look equally effective. Use a cheap white throw with a cushion of a different shape but in the same fabric as the one used on the bed.

This room shows no curtains or blinds for the door onto the terrace, however full length sheer curtains in white voile would compliment the room beautifully.

As with all interior design be inspired by what other have successfully created. The dimensions of your room may not be as generous but with a little imagination stunning bedrooms can be easily achieved which don’t cost a fortune!

For image source and further black and white inspirational ideas visit Freshome