Home Reno - Week 27

No, our home reno is not finished.

The master bathroom is not done yet, but since the reno is long overdue, we decided to move in!

Yes. No kidding.

Since the house is still in mess, here's a glimpse of my bedroom only.

Not bad, eh? 

Yeah the truth is, the other half of my bed  is cluttered with unorganized clothings and other random stuff :p 

Home Reno - Week 23

Lighting galore!

The lamps are mostly installed, yet the contractor haven't provide the light bulbs for the standard downlight *sigh*. The following are lamps designed and provided by me.. Except for the Ikea lamp ofcourse. 

These birdcage lamps are literally made from regular birdcages and light bulbs. The stripey shadow from the cages looks nice, don't you think?

We bought this string spotlight on sale at Ikea a long time ago, while we're still living in Singapore. I love how the light hit the wall surface.. It's a faux concrete wall, btw.

This group of bare light bulbs suspended on black cables is so simple and honest, and that's why it looks nice. The exposed brick wall complements the lamps, together they give strong visual of industrial vibe.

While I'm pleased with the lighting, there are other problems that give me a bad headache.. An aluminum door that's wrongly executed and turned up as a window (doh!), flawed floor tile that has been changed many times and finally fixed but only to be flawed again by the kitchen contractor (double doh!) and many other things that haven't finished while it should have :(

Industrial-style Restaurant

Some time ago hubby and I went to a mall and notice this restaurant which has industrial-style written all over its interior design - and just like that, we're smitten by it.

Are we considering to apply this style to our home? Well, it sure fits well with the raw finishing I'm after, not to mention my husband will have excuse to 'display' his car tools, off road & camping gear etc. Yeah right, the next thing we know we'll have an auto service/ warehouse for a home :p

That's why I don't want to get carried away. I put some Industrial accents here and there, yet the overall look will be eclectic. A beautiful mess, at the very least :)

a bath to remember

Taken from my trip to Jadul Village, here I share the details that I love from one corner of the open air bath.

House Tour: My Dream Cottage

I was browsing Apartment Therapy as usual when stumbled on this.
Oh how I would love to live there...

This is exactly what I want my dining room to be, outdoor, with string lighting and greenery around.

Indoor swing! Minus the fireplace (it's already summery hot here all year long) and the dogs (I'm more of a cat person) :D

Open hanging display of pots and pans. A very simple storing idea. Yet still doubtful about the dust and visual noise that will occurred.

Outdoor theater! Oh my..


You can see the full post and pictures here.. go ahead and drool with me. 

Starry Night

To the space and beyond!

The boys have a star shaped night lamp and I put a hand towel under making them look like a shooting star. Then hubby mounted the boys' swimming boards on their bedroom's glass door which kinda resemble space rockets :D

I heart Tealight Holders

I heart flickering candle lights!

Why?

Simply because they're so versatile, effortless turn any room ambience to a warm, cozy and even romantic feel. Moreover you can easily move them about in any formation as needed, and the most exciting part is ofcourse the pretty candle holder which can double as home decoration even when the candle light's went out.

However lately I'm crazy about tealights (you know, those small candles inside tincups) coz I find them easier to maintain. Just pick some tealight holders and put it in any room you want, such as in the bathroom for a long relaxing spa-like bath, in the dining room for a candle light dinner for two, in the bedroom for that romantic night, or in the outdoors for a festive bbq dinner.

Well, wanna try the ideas in your very own home?

Easy.. just go to Feathers For Nest - Home and Decor Online Store where you'll be spoiled for great choices of tealight holders which are a perfect addition to any space!

Small Decorating

So you are living in a small space.

So am I.

So your guest bedroom is a small multifunctional room, or even doubles as a storage room. Or maybe it's your own bedroom which fit as described.

Fret not, because you can still make it as welcoming as any boutiqe hotel room with just a little effort of decorating.

Here I'm using my ol bedside table (or you can use your dressing table or any small table available), with some scented candles, vase, faux flowers and potpourri. I just simply arrange the flowers in the vase with some potpourri in it. From this basic arrangement I can make a few decoration with quite a different flair.


This first one is simple yet fresh, neutral but not dull. It reminds me of a sunny morning breeze :)



The second has more dramatic effect, just by lighting the candles ( I LLove how candle light makes a room) and throw a sheer fabric for the tablecloth. Very suitable for that romantic night you want to create ;)

Living Large in a Shoe Box

OK, so maybe I'm a bit exaggerating here.. but how else do you call a living room with just 3 meters wide? :D

If you stuck in the same situation, look at the bright side. Such a small space can foster your creativity in creating the most of it, make you appreciate it even more.
And here are some tricks I've learned in dealing with small spaces:

• Shiny surfaces

Start with the floor. Even with the not-so-expensive ceramic tile you can get a sleek look, just choose the smooth (untextured) glossy ones. If you have no choice but to deal with rustic tiling, or if you choose to have cement flooring in the name of minimalism, a throw of light or bright coloured rug will make a good diference in no time.

On the wall, you can hang mirrors to make you room less cramped. But be careful in placing those mirrors, because if you place it in front of a clutter, it'll only make it worse. And don't overdo in installing floor to ceiling mirror if you don't want your room ends up looking like a gym studio.

• Burst of colors

One of the classic rule to decorate a small space is to give it light color. Most people then take it literally and paint all their walls white or beige. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's a fine line between save and boooriiing :D

It wont hurt to pick your favourite color and put it on one of your room walls, make it a feature wall. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see how it comes out.

• Good lighting

In a small space good lighting can do wonder. To create an intimate atmosphere you should add some mood lighting apart of the general ones, and don't forget about the task lighting too.

Do consider recessed lamps for ceiling in small rooms to create more sleek appearance and open feeling throughout the room. But hanging lamp is still a good choice to define certain areas, such us above the dining table.

• Less is more

Again, it's just a small space, so you can't have too many things inside it. Remember it's important to always have a negative space inside a room - an empty wall, floor, corner. If you are a collector but having a trouble in displaying your collection in your small space, it's better to have them save in storage for a while - which means an adequate storage is a must :)

Bourgie Lamp

Now this one's definitely a hot item. Kartell's Bourgie Lamp.

With a touch of baroque design on it's modern sleek transparent polycarbonate, this piece is on the rage of many designer item collectors - including me? well I'm just admiring its timeless yet classic design though :)

In addition to the transparent and black color available, now it also comes in the new gold shade. How fancy is that.

Let There Be Light

I'm a self confessed lamp tramp, yes I am. Thanks to my spouse and Ikea for that :D

Have you ever realized the power of a good lighting in a room? If you answer 'yes', then welcome to the club. But if 'no' is your answer, then you might want to read on below.

Lighting in a room works the same way like a make-up on ones face. If it's done nicely it can accentuate the good features, making it look even better. But sadly it works the other way around too. In short, lighting can make or break the room.

Here's a "Lighting for Dummies Short Course" for a quick reference :)
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/furnish_with_light/fwl_start/index.html

Which one is Which

A good design is not necessarily an expensive one, that's what I always said to myself everytime I'm drooling over some designer pieces.

Like when I found this Lampan table lamp in Ikea that resemblances the Take lamp from Kartell. Well you can't compare the quality ofcourse, but to get the pretty much same look for a fraction of the cost - now THAT's smart.




Yet if you are an avid designer piece collector, this may not be a good option. But if you are a young family with small children in the house, than this is a way to lighten up your home in style without breaking your budget for sure.

Now, can you tell which lamp is Kartell's and which is Ikea's?




Hint: just rollover your mouse on the pics :)