Creating art work

Over the Christmas break I have been in a creative mood.

I painted over a previous canvas with a new abstract design using blues and whites.

I used the left over paint from the bedroom wall from Laura Ashley.

Adding some gold leaf gave the canvas a real lift.

The new art work is now in pride of place over the bed.

What do you do with old garden furniture?

I've had this set of wood and metal furniture for around 20 years and it was looking tired.

I decided to paint the metal and wood the same colour, a pale grey satinwood from B&Q's

 own paint range.

I also used a white primer first to make the grey brighter.

I had my little helpers with me throughout the project.

After painting the bench in all one colour it looks like a new piece of garden furniture.

It was much easier painting it in all one colour.

What do you think to it?

Do you have any projects in mind this Summer?

White Christmas

Have a white Christmas with Farrow and Ball.

Kitchen inspiration

I came across some great show homes at the weekend.

I love these kitchen designs.

The kitchen was galley style but the units at

different heights and widths made the whole kitchen 

feel very designer.

Two tone cupboard doors also looked great

in a small space without over powering the room.

Country Style Lounge before and after

The design brief for this country style lounge was to brighten up the space.

The stone fireplace had to stay but was making the room feel dark.

By changing the light fittings from 3 single pendants to three 5 arm chandeliers this made the lighting more of a feature and provided much needed light.

The floorboards were painted white as these were in great condition and it was a shame to hide them under carpeting.

Adding cream sofa covers brightened up the room and then by adding mercury glass accessories and a large mirror (which is out of shot) to reflect light around finished off the look.

Renovating your home? Here are the hot design trends for 2017

White and wood kitchens are among the hot home design trends for 2017, according to Houzz.

Houzz, a popular interior design website, reviewed posts by its 40 million users as well as data from the interior design products industry to identify home trends they expect to be at the forefront this year.

According to Houzz, expect to see these trends in homes:

• Pendant lights moving from the kitchen to the bedroom: Hanging pendant lights above your bed or nightstand frees up space previously occupied by a table lamp.

• A mix of white and wood in the kitchen: White is the current favorite for kitchen cabinets and backsplashes, but homeowners and interior designers have been adding in wood accents to warm up the space.

• Walls of tile in the kitchen: While tile backsplashes have become ubiquitous in kitchens, for a more dramatic look, designers and homeowners have been extending tiles all the way to the ceiling.

[App helps you visualize potential new furnishings in your home before buying] 

• Snazzier bar stools: Maybe it’s because this can be a relatively inexpensive way to give a kitchen a modern look without renovating the entire space, but contemporary style bar stools are a top purchase on Houzz.

• Laundry rooms getting more attention: The days of doing laundry in a dank basement are over, at least for homeowners who can afford to spruce up their space. Homeowners are adding light to their laundry rooms as well as more storage and functional space.

• Bathroom vanities created from unique objects: Vanities created from antique chests of drawers, file cabinets and vintage cabinets offer a unique style for your bathroom.

Source: Michele Lerner