Monday 31 October 2011

Glass Jar Fancies

If you are like me then you are probably always looking for storage solutions for around your home. To me, nothing much beats the practicality mixed with charm that comes from the use of glass jars in storing anything from food to stationary. Join me as I take you through some of the current inspiration circling the web which is sure to lead you to some quirky and classy storage solutions. 

The pantry is one place that you can really utilize glass jars en mass without it looking over the top.

Pinterest


Welcome to Whimsey

To make finding what you need easier, you can use the wonderful world of the internet to help you find printable labels for your jars.

Forever Nocturne

These lovely labels from Daydream Lily are are great option and they look wonderful.



The office is another place that can quickly get out of control if availability of storage is an issue. Chalkboard paint is another love of mine, have a look back at my previous post here on how to paint your jars with chalkboard labels.

Procrastination Station

Jars can also be a  lovely way to keep your craft room in order. Here they have used old mason jars and a little bit of nifty handy work.


HGTV

Don't be afraid to use your old jars in other rooms of the house too. Why not use them to store your cutlery...

Flowers on my Table

...or in the laundry to hold your detergents and powders. 
(remember to label your jars well and keep them out of little one's hands as when stored in such a pretty way, they may just look good enough to eat).



Stage Tecture

Happy storing lovely readers,

Lauren

Sunday 23 October 2011

Unlikely vases

I adore fresh flowers. As a child I would sneak into the garden and pluck the prettiest blooms I could see and then run to my Mum with a grin from ear to ear as I thrust the freshly picked bunch at her, knowing that we would be able to marvel at the beauty of our garden from inside for days to come.

As a big girl, I am equally as fond of fresh flowers as I was back then, and living in the Netherlands feeds that simple pleasure. The flowers here are amazing and so cheap! I buy a bunch on a weekly basis, and always enjoy arranging them into vases, and particularly enjoy discovering unlikely homes for my blooms…

Via Love Made Me Do It

 Here in the Netherlands, cherry blossoms in full bloom mark the start of the spring. I just adore a stem of these glorious pink blossoms, but am always at a loss as to how to house them as the branches can be quite heavy. The use of a pair if gum boots is ingenious! 


Style me Pretty

Using a battered old tin to hold a bouquet of flowers with similar hues to the tin is creative and very pretty with a vintage touch.

Jessica Laurenxo via The Littlest Things
 
A newer tin (previously a tin of cookies perhaps?) makes just as pretty a statement, especially when using flowers that compliment the colours on the tin. This would look lovely on a bedside table, or on a breakfast table setting in the garden.

Via Pinterest


I love the use of these hanging upside-down repurposed light bulbs to hold a couple of dainty stems.

Via La Gatta Sul Tetto

These sturdier hanging glass jars make the perfect home for a heavier bunch of blooms.





This dainty little hanging vase was cleverly created using a vintage glass bottle and some wire. So simple!

Holly Marder

In my first ever blog post I was inspired by vintage teacups. After writing the post, I arranged a collection of flowers from my garden in one of my own vintage teacups and was delighted with the result!

Trisha Bink Design

Ordinary glass jam or honey jars make excellent vases, and recycling is good for the environment too.

Matthew Topolski via Here Comes the Sun

These vintage soda bottles make excellent vases to hold long stems, especially when grouped together like this.

Dottie Angel via Domestic Nest Diary

This vase was created using a soda can. These days, packaging of products has become so important, and for good reason. When something is attractively packaged, the desire to recycle is so much greater.


Recycling pretty cans and bottles is a great way to store your blossoms. I do the same with the pretty glass Arizona Ice Tea Bottles below and they add a touch of colour and a vintage charm to my kitchen window sill.

From Greenwich via Pinterest

I love in the image above the use of a milk jug as a vase to hold a small bunch of garden blooms. It adds perfectly to a country style breakfast setting.

Enjoy finding creative ways to show off your beautiful blooms!
Love, Holly


Wednesday 19 October 2011

Artful Clusters

The right artwork can transform a mediocre room into a statement quicker than you can say "straighten that picture", but in this age of choice overload how is one person supposed to decide on the right artwork for one's space. Well, maybe you don't have to - why not consider the growing trend of artwork clusters.

Via House of Bliss

Want a great way to display your unframed prints and posters? You could always raid your closet and re-purpose your pants and skirt hangers.


Via Miss Indie Desgins

Prefer a more orderly look? Pair artworks of the same size and artist together.

Via Miss Indie Designs
Via Milk and Honey

Prefer asymmetry? Scrap the last advice and pair your favourite pieces together in any old fashion. The effect is more appealing than you might first think. Keeping to a limited colour palate can help with cohesion.

Via Milk and Honey
Via Luxury D3sign

Now with all that inspiration, you may be feeling your art supply is a little lacking. Fret not, check out the divine prints over at Eye Poetry like these,


or the quirky free printable artworks over at Feed Your Soul.



If all else fails, go and get those digital photos from your last vacation printed finally and give them a home outside of your hard drive. 

Get clustering and indulge your artistic side.
Love, Lauren


Saturday 15 October 2011

Pretty Pale

Though I adore colour, I have a thing for white. And beige. In fact, anything pale hued always seems to draw me in. I could be standing in front of the most beautiful collection of cushions, in all the colours of the rainbow and I bet you any money I would reach out for the cream, beige or charcoal coloured one! No matter how hard I try, the pale tones always win. But isn’t there something so calming about creamy whites? A soothing pale pallet has inspired me to compile this week’s blog.

Mia Linnman via Mlle Magpie



This gorgeous bedroom accentuates the white floor boards and bed linen and soft curtains with brown accessories in the form of a gorgeous vintage chest, some vintage suitcases and a wooden chest of drawers. This room has a French country feel, and is so pretty and relaxed.

Concrete and Dust via Pembroke Hall

Oh, this room is so minimalist, yet so lovely and fresh! I could flop down on those crisp white sheets and never wake up…

Jenn Hannotte via Russet & Empire Interiors

This living room incorporates shades of white, beige and charcoal to create a soothing space that ticks the trendy box, with varying textures that warm up the space. The pale tones are grounded with the camel coloured accessories.

Living etc. via Nest Pretty Things

I love that the only hint of any colour other than white is through the wooden kitchen counter and those gorgeous old wooden pantry doors. The white cabinet in the far right side of the room is a good way to display a collection of white crockery to add to the theme. 

Laura Fulmine via The Style Files

This space is minimalist, but has character and texture thanks to the gorgeous antique writing desk. A perfect place to sit with a pen and paper and dream up something beautiful. A vase full of hot pink St. Joseph lilies would really brighten up this space.

Nuevo Estilo via Desire to Inspire and Department of the Interior

I love this room for so many reasons. The unusual wooden headboard is so stunning and creates a focal point in this relaxed bedroom. Texture is added to enhance the pale tones with the bedspread and cushion. A lovely place to have an afternoon nap after a morning swim in the sea.

Via Desde my Ventana

This is such a gorgeous room and a perfect home office, with those high ceiling and light just pouring in from everywhere. Those are my favourite flowers too. Don't you just love the way flowers can brighten up a pale hued room and add a pop of colour where some is needed? Turquoise is one of my favourite colours to team with white. With the sanded wooden floors, the retro desk lamp and trestle style contemporary desk, this room has a lovely eclectic feel about it.

Faire Houre via Pinterest and Interior Design Musings

Colour is injected into this room via book spines and wooden accessories. I love that the white floors and minimalist colour choices make this contemporary eclectic loft space appear large and looming, while the chunky furniture brings in comfort and style.

Via Sanctuary

I love how wooden floors painted white can open up a space and make it appear so much larger. The pale pallet of this room means that any colour in this room is injected via the accessories. The mish-mash of furnishing styles gives this room an eclectic charm about it, which I just love.

Via Nest Pretty Things

Another example of how white painted wooden floors enlarge a room. This attic-come-bedroom is a truly soothing oasis that I imagine would be the perfect place to let the mind roam and the soul recharge. A few colour pops here and there make the space fun.

Next time you are standing in front of the paint swatches at your local DIY store, don’t think twice as you reach for that shade of beige. A pale pallet is not only subtle and soothing, it also enables you to change the look and feel of your space as the seasons change.

Love, Holly

Wednesday 12 October 2011

"Let's Build A Cubby House"

Was my most frequent sentence as a child. My darling mother always obliged with well placed sheets strung between tables and chairs and filled with cushions and toddler fodder like milk and biscuits. So it is no surprise to me (or likely to her) that I continue to have a cubby house obsession 20 something years on. 


I would have had a squealing fit as a 3 year old to see these wonderful  permanent hidey holes.


And to be perfectly honest, I find myself having to control the urge to squeal even now when looking at these beautiful adult nooks.




I especially love the idea of converting your outdoor shed or greenhouse before hubby can get his greasy lawnmower hands on it.







These delightful constructions will make a sanctuary in any room, but if these ideas are still a little ambitious for your design skills, then you could always start with something a little simpler and a little reminiscent of your (or at least my) childhood.


Happy hiding darlings,

Lauren