Easy Ways To Make The Best Use Of Space In Your Smaller Home

A smaller home comes with its limitations. These are obviously the amount of room you have to manoeuvre and the space you have. However, that doesn’t mean that they have to be any less loved. Sometimes, if your home is feeling claustrophobic, it just takes some décor tips to open it right up. If you don’t have enough space, perhaps you need to redefine your storage. Or choose different equipment to do the same job as smaller bits. If you have a small home and you desperately want to love it, keep reading. These tips we’ve collected should help you.

Add dimension

With a small home, especially an apartment, you don’t have the luxury of adding space. A conversion or extension might not be in the books. So the key lies in illusions, in making things look bigger. How you do that depends on depth and natural light. One excellent way to do this in the home is make use of mirrors. Big mirrors add dimension to the home that in turn makes it look bigger. It won’t give you any more space but it can make you feel better about the space you have.

The kitchen

The kitchen is one of the more difficult rooms when it comes to having a small one. It’s easy for it to feel overwhelming, especially if you leave things lying about. Reduce clutter when you’re cooking and try keep things tidy as possible. Use smaller appliances like fans from Stove Fan Reviews & ONLINE SHOP or mini-fridges. Magnets can also be great replacement for knife blocks.

Add storage

The magnet is just one of the examples of how you really give yourself more space in the apartment. Or rather, how you learn to use more of the space you’re already using. Wall hooks and cork boards can be great places to put things and papers that normally go in drawers. Use the inside of cupboard and wardrobe doors by adding hooks that can hold more. There are lots of great storage tips, but be prepared to think outside the box a bit with them.

Bright it up

The one thing that people hate most about small homes is how light can seem to get lost in them. Maximise the amount of natural light that gets in the home by using sheer curtains or thin plastic blinds. Position your lighting above your main furniture so you rid your house with as much shadow as possible. Wood floors are reflective and tend to hold light much better than carpets, too.

Build it in

One more way to think about storage is how you actually store your furniture. When it comes to a smaller home, sometimes the best trick is to build it in. A lot of installers can build things like beds into your wall. If you don’t have the money, you can do it yourself. By making your home part of the furniture, it means you need less floor space to hold it all.

Buying The Most Appropriate Contract Furniture For Your Café

One of the key points to running a successful café is to ensure that all of your diners and guests enjoy their experience. From the moment they book, or first walk through the door, to the second they leave, you want to ensure that they enjoy every minute. Not only will this help ensure that you can charge reasonable rates, but it will also help to ensure that you always have full occupancy for your tables and seats.

Not only will your diners come back for more but they will be more inclined to share their positive experience. In the modern social media climate, this not only means that they will let friends and family know of their positive experience, but they are likely to leave positive reviews on social media websites. Check ins, and local business reviews, are becoming an integral part of managing a modern business, and this means that you have to pay even more attention to every detail, including choosing the most appropriate, comfortable, and functional furniture options that are available to you.

Furniture may sound like a dull consideration, when designing and fitting out your new café, but it is important. The tables and chairs that you choose can play a major part in determining how appealing your premises look, the type of atmosphere you offer, but also whether you are making the most of the space that you have within your premises. You can even introduce any branding and café design colours that you have in order to ensure an even greater experience.

One of the more popular options in modern cafes is the use of banquette seating, especially when combined with a booth style layout. Essentially, you can create booths through the addition of fixed bench seating, and this seating can be cushioned and upholstered so that it is comfortable and attractive looking. This style of layout typically also enables you to make the most of the space that you have available to you, while providing every guest with enough room and a comfortable place to sit and eat.

Banquette seating is only one option available to café owners, but it is a popular choice. You can create traditional or contemporary designs, provide standard or luxury seating, and you can choose from a spectrum of colours to match your décor, your art, or the theme of your premises. You can also choose from a range of dimensions, including booth seating that is designed for two or three people, while opting for short, standard, or high backed chairs.

To run a successful café, you need to ensure that you get everything just right. From the curb appeal that pulls your diners in, to the price of the food and drinks that you serve, you need to entice diners, ensure that they want to stay, and then encourage them to pass on positive reviews of their experience. The furniture you choose is only one part of the equation, but it is an important part.

Atlas Contract Furniture provides contract furniture for commercial and retail businesses, and has a large selection of banquette style seating for businesses to choose from. Make the most of your space, and offer comfort and luxury to your guests.

Finding your decor style

Have you ever looked for similarities in rooms you are attracted to in magazines or online?
That's one of the best ways to determine what you like for your own decor.  If you don't know where to start here are several suggestions to set you on your way to finding your personal decor look.

Develop a vocabulary for your style by looking,  comparing  and recording

Initially you may not have the words to describe  why you are attracted to a space or why you find it interesting, but you will over time if you do enough looking and comparing.

1. Start with some rooms you  you don't like at all. 

When you have about 10 or so look at them and decide what you don't want in a space.  This is just as important as what you do want.

Here's a room that doesn't  particularly ring my chimes because it has too much glitz and materialism.  It reminds me of  a woman who has on too much makeup and bling,  but there are lots of people who love a glam look.  I'm not judging, just saying it's not for me.

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 2. Have a category for rooms that you like aspects of.

     It might be the furniture or the fabrics or layout.  It could be how it is accessorized. It could have one thing you like or a number of things.  Identify what you like and don't like.

Caleb Anderson 

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You can be attracted to a space and not like all the components of it. I appreciate that this space is dramatic and artfully conceived.  Dark wall colours are not part of my aesthetic nor is traditional decor, but I find myself drawn to this space. Why?

• mix of  some traditional and modern (furniture and art)
• accessories in vignette combine colour, texture, form and  different styles
• the perfect intersection of chair back with art  making the chair an integral part of the vignette
• there is nothing cookie cutter about this space; it's totally individual /unique
• the variety in the vignette arrangement takes my eye back again and again
• it is the opposite of what I like usually (light interiors, clean lines and more minimal look) 

3. And most importantly find rooms you love.
 

 Here are some spaces I love from recent pins on Pinterest.

Room #1

House and Home

 This room couldn't be more different than the one above!  It is a space that I think is timeless even with the bold tile choice.

Here's what I like about it:

• simple geometric patterning in neutrals 
• simple lines in flat panel doors
• mix of open shelves with doors to provide some visual relief
• mix of wood,  white and geometric to add interest 
• this would be in style for years

Room #2 

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There are similarities to the kitchen above if you really look. Here's why I find this appealing:

• mix of warm wood and neutrals
• a room has to have at 3-5 different patterns for me to find it interesting
•  a touch of the outside is important to me (plants and wood) 
• lots of textures
• pared down but inviting because of the rug and the pillows

Room #3

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Such a great space:

• white, black and wood
• it looks like a well composed abstract painting
• very geometric in layout, especially the vertical window and cube lights
• the mirror connected everything visually 
• like how the sink is like a piece of furniture, not hidden
• this is a unique space

 Establish a MY STYLE and NOT MY STYLE boards on Pinterest 

I find it useful to have one board on Pinterest that focuses on my style. I am selective in what I put in there and often go back and delete things until I am left with what I find pleasing. If you don't want to have it open for all to see, set up a secret board and record negatives and positives without insulting anyone!

Find your look/style by doing quizzes online 

The Decorist 

This is a short quiz and was spot on for my style when I completed it.  You have to provide your email address to get your answer. 

7 Quizzes to check out 

There's a range here from Houzz to Lonny and  Better Homes and Gardens. 

I hope these simple suggestions will help you define your decorating style.  We are all unique and that's what you should aim for in your home.   Go for it!

What's hot on my Pinterest?

  Analytics are always interesting when you keep a blog and they can provide insight into your readers likes and dislikes.  I keep a close eye on my blog analytics and also Pinterest. While I look for patterns of pins on Pinterest there often aren't any, but last month was a little different.

 Do  these images  indicate what is popular on Pinterest or do they reflect what I like personally or both?

Here's a selection of  my most liked/repinned pins in order of popularity from last month:

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 What we can say ...

• clean lines are evident in all designs
• versions of gray are very popular paired with lighter walls
• texture is a dominant feature especially from wood and brick
• lighter woods are used to add texture and warmth
• contrast is an evident characteristic 
• nature is present in fruits, plants, woods

That's what Pinterest told me last month. Of course I know what is popular on my feed is influenced by my own aesthetic.  If I pinned all glamorous space some of these would be at the top of the list.  But that won't be happening any time soon.  I am not a glamorous type of gal. 

 Are you influenced by what you see on Pinterest?  Do you what you see changes  how you design your home? 

How To Sell Your Home Quick

When it comes to selling your home, it can feel like a lengthy process. The idea is simple. You want to sell your home as quick as possible for as much money as you can. It’s the homeowners dream. But sometimes you can be your own worst enemy when it comes to house sales. So here is a simple guide on how to sell your home fast.

Clutter will put potential buyers off.

A cluttered home will always put a buyer off. When you are looking for a potential new home, it’s important to be able to envision what the home would be like with your belongings in it. When someone else's clutter is everywhere, that can be difficult to do.

Clutter also gives off the impression of a mess. Your home may not be messy at all but that is the perception you could be giving your potential buyers. The best thing to do is declutter your home as much as possible. See it as a head start on packing. You could box it all away and store it ready for moving into your new home.

A bit of remodelling could go a long way.

I appreciate that spending money could be the last thing you want to do. But what if spending some extra money on your home could gain you some extra money in your home's resale value. Your home remodelling could just be your kitchen and bathrooms, or some other spaces in your home. A kitchen and bathrooms are both rooms that can sell a property. It allows a new buyer just to move into their new home without the need to do the remodelling themselves. Just remember that you are not remodelling for your tastes. So bear in mind that a neutral finish could be the best outcome.

A neutral decor will always be more appealing.

When someone is looking round a potential new home, it’s important for them to be able to see the home for what it is. The room sizes and how their furniture would fit. This will always be more achievable if the decor wasn’t distracting. Bright walls and flashy wall paper could distract your potential buyers. Of course, it’s important for your home to have personality. But when it comes to selling your home it may be worth re-decorating some parts of the house to a more neutral colour. This will also give off the impression that the house is a place that someone could move into straight away. Without worrying too much about what needs to be done.

A clean home is a saleable home.

Lastly, it may seem like an obvious point but a clean home will always be more saleable than a home that could do with a good dusting. When selling your home, it provides you with the perfect opportunity to give your home a thorough clean. This means dusting skirting boards and cleaning windows.

I hope this guide helps you achieve a sale on your home quickly.

Beautiful Bathroom Design Ideas for 2016

Are you looking to renovate your bathroom this year? If so, then you might be thinking about looking at this year’s bathroom design trends. We’ve had a look through several expert opinions and found that nature and minimalism are the key terms going into 2016.

Ignoring the fact that nature and minimalism are always the best key terms in design, here’s a quick guide we hope will inspire you.

Introducing wood

Wood might seem like an odd element to use in your bathroom. But think about it. All beautiful, modern houses use a lot of wood in the design. Why not use it in the bathroom? And it’s not like wood doesn’t have a history of sanitation. You may link marble and ceramic with being easy to clean, but wood has many hygienic benefits. Did you know that wood has naturally antibacterial properties? It’s why it’s used so much in kitchens. The best chopping boards are all made of wood because the substance doesn’t harbour as much dangerous bacteria.

Nothing adds more colour and depth to a room than wood. The trick is to ensure it’s properly coated. This being your bathroom, after all, there will be a lot of moisture. You need a water-repelling coat, like a decorative oil.

Keeping it cool and calm

Minimalism is spoken about often around these parts. There’s nothing that helps you relax more than a minimalist design. Clutter, superfluity, mess - leave that for the outside world. People forget about this, but the bathroom is often a relaxing place. One of the main reasons is probably the lock on the door. It’s a room that becomes exclusively yours, if only fleetingly.



Minimalism works perfectly with wood or lightly coloured tiles. This fancy tile from Tilemarkets can bring forth the clean and relaxing vibes your bathroom needs.

Bringing in nature

Surely the running water of your shower would be perfectly complemented by bringing in more elements of nature? As mentioned before, wood is a great addition. If you’re looking to do some big renovation though, you might want to look into installing more windows. Bring in some more natural light.

If you have the space, bring in a plant. You want something simple. A garish bouquet of flowers won’t be appropriate. A simple green and white aesthetic will serve you well here. If you do want to be slightly more adventurous, you could consider getting a small citrus plant. They’re easier to maintain than you may think and grow beautifully indoors. Just make sure you have a lot of natural light in the room.

Putting function first

A beautiful design that doesn’t put function first isn’t a beautiful design at all. Usability is the most important thing about your bathroom. A single inconvenience can tarnish the entire thing. You may want the bathroom to be spacious, but if that means you’re installing a sink that’s too small, then you may want to rethink your priorities. And beautiful decorative materials won’t mean much if they can easily give way to damp. Remember the put function first and aesthetics second.

Bring on the green

St. Patrick's Day gets lots of attention where I live because so many of us have Irish roots.  While the partying and music happened last weekend, I'm doing my own bit today by recommending green as a colour to consider in decor if you like to bring the outside in.  When someone says they hate green, I'm  flabbergasted.  How can you hate the the most prominent colour in nature?

You can have a little green woven in with any other hues and it always looks good.  Think plants.  Is there any room a plant doesn't work in?  Or you can have a green statement piece or green accessories mixed with another colour.  The possibilities are endless when you think about the variety of greens and the proportion of use in a space.

A green statement piece 

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A green velvet sofa is daring and this one sings because of the white walls and light artwork above it.  

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This is still a statement in an otherwise white room,  just a more subtle one. 

Green  furniture and accents 

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I am more drawn to yellow greens like the ones in this space.  Love the leafy references in pillows and romans.  This much green needs the relief of white walls.  I would like to see more of the blue green as a stronger punch of colour.  

Just a hint of green in a neutral space 

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Just the merest hint of accents of green with plants and branches can liven a white space. This little amount of green only works well in very light space. 

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You can weave  a little more green into any neutral space and it can either sit back and  quietly warm it or...

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say, "Look at me, I'm the life of the room".  I'm particularly fond of this colour scheme and the use of texture in the space. 

I guess you've figured out from my photo references that I like green with white and gray.  It's the fresh punch that intrigues me, and for that you need a quiet background.  There are other ways to work  with greens  using lots of black for instance, but then the room gets too shouty for me.  Are you a lover of green?  

Feel Like You Need A Better Home? Here Are 3 Ways To Get It

A happy home environment can work wonders for your general enjoyment in life, and should be a key priority for everyone. Whether you’re living by yourself, with friends or your partner and kids doesn’t matter. You deserve to feel comfortable at all times.

If you are feeling underwhelmed by your priority, there are ways to improve the situation. The key is to analyse your options and find the best one for you. Here are three possible answers to your prayers.

Move 

It might sound a little drastic, but moving is certainly an option worth considering. Perhaps your life situation has changed through a change of job or birth of a child. Or maybe you just need a change of scenery. The exact circumstances are irrelevant. What matters is that you make sure your next property is perfect.

One of the best ways to make those dreams come true is to have things built to your specification. Beach house architects can turn those visions into a reality. Let’s face it, any property you buy through traditional methods will need a lot of modernisation. This is the perfect way to ensure that you move straight into one that’s right for you.

You will need a little patience. But in the meantime, you can occupy yourself with selling your existing property for the best price possible. Getting the right deal here will obviously increase your options going forward. What more could you want?

Make Space Count

One of the most common reasons for needing a move is that the home has become too small. As your family grows in size and numbers, you could find yourself needing more space. If moving isn’t viable, it’s imperative that you make use of the available options in your home.

A loft conversion can instantly provide the space for a new bedroom or office. This guide will help you achieve the very best results with this job. You should know that it will take a little time, but the rewards of getting it right are truly outstanding. The project will add value to the property too.

While you’re at it, make sure that the garden and other external areas are being appreciated too. A simple deck or patio can add a whole new realm of possibility. Embrace it, and you’ll be amazed at the impact it brings to the property.

Increase Security

The family home is your castle, and you should feel like royalty. The only way to achieve this is by protecting your property. Fail to do this, and you’ll never feel 100% happy with the home.

This can be achieved through better CCTV and alarm systems. Meanwhile, automated gates and intercom facilities can also boost the safety. It’s not just about protecting your family and your assets. You’ll also gain the emotional security. This will improve your relationship with the home greatly, which will brighten up your entire life too.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. A secure home is a happy home. Do not forget it.

Interior Design Tricks That Will Make Your Property More Homely

As the saying goes, your home is your castle, which is why comfort needs to come first. There are homeowners that plump for style over substance, but style comes a distant second in the comfort stakes. If you can’t sit at home and relax, what is the point of sitting at home? The only problem you may have is transforming your home into a haven. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it is going to take a lot of time and effort. And, if you don’t have the correct information, your home will stay the same as usual.

Thankfully, you have come to the right place. Below is a list of ideas that will make your property much more homely than before. All you have to do is follow these simple tips, and you will never be uncomfortable in your house again. Enjoy!

All About The Furniture

The furniture is the main part of your home. It is in every room from the living room to the kitchen and bathroom, so it needs to be welcoming. The trick is to buy furniture that you like because of the comfort levels and not for the style. You could generalize and say that you should buy fabric because fabric is more comfortable. However, everyone is different, and you may prefer leather instead. Also, consider the size of the pieces that you buy. Don’t buy furniture that is too small because you won’t fit comfortably enough. With regards to comfort and furniture, bigger is better.

Accessibility 101

Still, you need to make sure that the furniture leaves enough space to get around easily. If you can’t move for the furniture, you can’t be comfortable. Comfort isn’t just about lounging around on a sofa all day long – it is also about ease. Try and arrange the furniture so that it takes up enough room, but also so that it doesn’t get in the way. It’s a tricky balance, but it’s one you need to get on the money. If you don’t take up enough space, your home will look bare. Is it all too confusing? If the answer is yes, you should check out http://ift.tt/Kir4FR. The link will give you real life examples and lots of inspiration.

Fabric Works Wonders

Fabric, however, does work on the walls if you don’t want it on your furniture. The texture of fabric is incredibly warm and instantly warms up a room. As soon as you walk in, you feel at home. The actual temperature might not increase, but you will think that the room is warmer. And, because you think it, it becomes true. A great example is throw pillows on the sofa. But, wood is also a fabric in interior design circles for the reason it is deep and warm. So, try a nice wood coffee table in the center of the room instead of a PVC or plastic version.

Color Scheme

Talking of warmth, nothing adds warmth like the color scheme. The great thing about the color scheme is that it is easy to incorporate, which makes it your best friend. All you need is a brush and a few tins of paint, and the house will look completely different. Better yet, it’s cheap! Pick colors that are deep as they add the most warmth. Purples and reds are a good choice, as is a deep yellow. If you want to be clever, you can go for cream. Cream is easy to paint over if you don’t feel like it adds the warmth or color that you want.

Personal Accessories

Your home, like a human being, should have its personality. At the least, it should embody the people that live in the space day in and day out. Otherwise, it will look like a blank canvas that is cold and bare. Your best option is to add little accessories that have some meaning to you and your family. For instance, you could use family pictures and portraits like a lot of families. Or, you could go a little unconventional and choose a theme that you all enjoy. A traveling family can put up a map of the world and mark the places they have visited. Or, a musical family can use instruments to fill up space. As long as it is symbolic to you, it is going to show off your property’s personality.

Go Eclectic

One way to personalize your home is to make it unique. Uniqueness is something that very few homeowners cherish nowadays as they want to copy their look from a magazine or a neighbor. But, uniqueness is what stands out from the crowd. An eclectic mix of choices is always a good idea if you don’t know where to start because it’s random. Randomness, by definition, is hard to replicate. As such, it won’t look like a generic cut out from a magazine. And, because you have picked the choices, it will imbue a part of your personality.

DIY Decorations

To take the point above one-step further, you can make decorations and put them up in your home. After all, what is more personal than something you have created? Although the artsy homeowners among you will love the idea, it isn’t just for you. Anyone that has a small budget and a spare couple of hours can participate. All you need is something to spark your creativity and your memory banks. One awesome tip is to use paintings and pictures that your children draw, but only if they are good enough!

Focal Points Are Good

A focal point is an item that grabs your attention as soon as you walk into a room. In the bathroom, it is usually the toilet or the shower as they dominate the landscape. However, you can choose whatever you want as your focal point. The logic is that you can build the room around your focal point of choice. When you finish, your house should be littered with items. And, the focal point brings all of them together and ties them up in a nice bow. You can create a comfortable home without focal points, but they make the process much easier. Remember that focal points don’t have to be massive to work. They can be colorful or even subtle as long as they catch the eye. A focal point you may not be aware of is curtains. Curtains add texture and warmth to a home thanks to their style and material.

Invest In A Smart House

Are you trying to work out what ‘smart house’ means? It’s simple: it’s a house that you can control via your laptop or tablet. For example, you can sign up to an app that lets you control the temperature of your home from anywhere in the world. That way, you never have to be cold again when you haven’t been in all day. Another great smart home feature is the security feature. Again, you can buy security features that let you control the security of your home from you iPad. One quick look at http://ift.tt/1LpM39A will tell you everything you need to know. The gist is that you connect to your home through the app. Then, you can react and limit the damage if anything goes wrong. After all, there is nothing more comfortable than knowing your house is safe.

Au Naturale

Most people like to leave the outside firmly where it belongs – outside. But, they are missing a trick because parts of the outside look good inside. It is the contrast of the colors and the vibrancy that makes it work. For instance, plants and flowers are always a hit, especially if they are bold and dynamic. Any plant or flower will do as long as it has these qualities. These touches add a cozy and organic look that lots of homes lack. Sadly, these homes also lack the comfort that the outside can bring into a property. Also, it’s a cheap way to decorate without having to spend a fortune. Result!

Rugged Perfection

When you hit the shops, you will look for the newest pieces in the pile. Why? You look for new things because new is another word for best. However, new items are also a little cold and lack personality as they aren’t dated. They haven’t been through the ringer yet, so they don’t have any stories to tell. To avoid this, go for pieces that are a little worn. Their battle scars are a sign that they will add a unique element to your house. It is called rugged perfection, and it is a desirable trait in every property. Obviously, make sure the item is worthy of your money. Otherwise, you will have to spend your cash on a replacement as soon as it breaks.

Every property should a place of comfort because your home is where you go to relax. Now that you have these tips, there is no excuse not to make the transition. Honestly, it will be the best one you ever make.

7 Tips for creating a DIY summer house

March is the month when my heart beats a little faster because spring is on its way and opening our summer place begins to be a reality. Each year at this time I plan what the coming year will bring in repairs and DIY projects.  This post summarizes some of our past projects and how they have come together to create our special place. It is modest and quite ordinary looking when viewed from the outside, but  we have a million dollar view, and an interior that reflects our interests and skills.

 We are perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on the Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland and through the seasons we see icebergs, seabirds, whales and beautiful full moons.  One October I even saw my first display of the Northern Lights. Come along for a virtual visit to Ryall's Seaside Home and Studio.

View outside the studio window mid summer

After the storm

Full moon over Bonavista

It's a magical place and it hardly matters what goes on inside, but over our years here things have evolved to reflect who we are and what we think is important.  While some things happened because of  circumstances and individual interactions, many of our decisions were based on principles we considered important for us. Perhaps you will find them helpful if you are starting on a summer house adventure. 

Look outside for colour scheme inspiration 

Before we ever put plans on paper, the colour scheme  was etched in my mind because of the time I  spent in the community when I was younger.  The inside is a continuation of the outside - ocean, pink slate, meadow, beach and fog. It goes without saying that you need to do all the painting yourself!

 The slate helps tie the colour scheme together and references the  prominent hills visible from most of  the windows.   I choose  purple (taken from the slate) for an accent wall behind the cabinets  and on the wall behind the dining table. I'm not fond of accent walls, but I felt the room needed a bit of energy, and paint is always an inexpensive way to create effect.  I also used colour blocking as a way to transition from room to room and create visual interest in this small space.   To me it feels like a walk on the beach with the slate hills backing the ocean. 

Decide what's important

The whole  floor plan revolved around the placement of my art studio to avail of north and east light. That left our kitchen area very compact, centrally located but quite functional given its size. There is also a built in buffet opposite the kitchen and additional storage in a pantry closet.  Our splurges were the slate floor and the butcher block counters, so the cabinets were built on a shoestring budget using shelving laminate and doors purchased at a salvage store.  They were finished with a colour wash and varathane.

The  wood floors are local spruce stained with the same wash, and protected by five coats of water-base varathane. They have held up exceptionally well considering we never remove our outside footwear. 

After 13 years the cabinets started to turn very pinkish  and I repainted them this past year with Benjamin Moore's Advance in Winds Breath  (one of my favourite dirty whites).  At the same time I painted out the accent wall and promptly changed  it back.  It just wasn't the same space without it.   So much for refreshing my decor. 

Designing Home: Kitchen cabinets BM Winds Breath 

Decide what you can do yourself

 You would be surprised what you can do yourself with a little help from You Tube!  Make a list of the things you are willing to do and get yourself educated if you can't do them already  We laid our own tile and slate, put down the wood flooring and finished it, painted every room and made  and installed the door and window trim.  That was all before we started to make or alter furniture. 

Use your skills to create unique pieces 

  

Everyone has interests and skills that can be used to create individual, unique spaces. Use them in your own space. My friend is a quilter and when I go to her house, that shows.   Our particular skill set is art, stained glass and carpentry. My on-site handyman/partner created the  beautiful stained glass  over the refrigerator to let light from the porch area flow into the central kitchen.  His handiwork continues in the dining area. 

Designing Home: Table from reclaimed wood

The table  and bench were made from lumber salvaged from a hundred year old building being demolished.  The dining area is across from the kitchen and the purple accent wall continues.  Our mid century modern chairs were saved  from a trip to the dump when a local company was renovating their offices.  You can probably tell we are not interested in perfectly matched sets of things.  

My frequent trips to the beach has resulted in a soaring sea glass collection. Apart from storing it in a large glass jar, I wanted to highlight the range of colours and shapes in a sampler.  You can see the end of it under the painting. The stained glass piece beside the window is reminiscent of the various ocean colours outside the window.  The driftwood came from a local beach. 

Consider function first

I still can't believe I bought this sofa and chair! It is cuddly, puffy and brownish - not at all what I am attracted to. Function won out over all my aesthetic beliefs. I gave up on my dream of a white slip covered sofa as not conducive to gardening, wood working, hiking and painting.   This one was durable and cheap.  I'm learning to like it.

The trunk was built by my father when I was a teenager; he was a thrifter too. It is a coffee table, storage space and ottoman all rolled into one.  

Use your interests to accessorize 

The most interesting objects in your home are always the ones that reflect the interests and individuality of the people who live there.  Going to a big box store might give you lots of options and showcase interesting objects, but  without connections your purchases will look flat and sterile. 

This vignette sums up our summer lives and connections.  The lamp is a cast off from my daughter, and it needs a lighter, textured  shade that will come in time.  The antler was picked up by a friend on a hike along the hill that backs our house.  It sat outside for years and is bleached and subtly coloured.  I love the rhythm of it with the other natural references on the table top.   The jar contains large shards of pottery collected from  beaches in the area.  The carved sea gull is a pal for the ones that constantly swoop outside the window. The assemblage was created from bits of wood from beach walks over thirteen years, and we love our local birds, trees and wildflowers.

From pussy willows to a boot remnant each object on this  studio table has a connection to me. The books reflect my art interests.  My sister gathered the pussy willows for both of us.  The starfish is another ceramic love, and the colour, texture and shine work nicely with the natural materials around it.  A visiting friend was  beach walking and found the plastic glasses frame and the side of an old leather boot and gifted them. Their presence reminds me of the changes that the passage of time creates in the world and the importance of friendship.

Look at old things in new ways 

 This table was left over from the days when covered tables were all the rage. I quite like its broom handle style  legs and I love circles.  Obviously it had things going for it in my mind. I used left over paint from the house and tape to create a bullseye pattern;  the pattern adds a little punch of energy wherever I place it. It's not all savings in our house, fine craft and original art are my weaknesses. Remember the adage above, decide what's important. 

The dresser in our bedroom was purchased at a second hand store.  I described its transformation here.  I just knew it would be spectacular in gray.  Warning:  Sometimes new hardware can cost more than the original purchase.  The lamp was remodelled from another second hand purchase and it's transformation is in my previous post. The beach assemblage is one of my current pieces. 

Designing Home: Bedside table from hotel furniture 

When we built the house, a second hand store we frequented had a whole stock of night tables from a hotel that was being refurbished. They were solid wood, right down to the dovetailed drawers.  Unfortunately they were a harsh brown with a laminate top and black metal.  Look what a little re-visioning can do. Stix primer will adhere to anything, and spray paint is my go to for metal. 

Designing Home: Repurposed louvered doors  

Our main bathroom didn't  have any storage, but it had a small alcove area.  We reused  the top half of  louvered closet doors  from out town house to create a cabinet for cleaning materials, supplies and extra towels etc.  It also provided a place to display more of our objects from seaside life and travels. Check out more louvered door ideas for summer homes in this post.

Designing Home:  Studio table from computer desk 

My studio is an accumulation of bits and pieces of altered furniture to suit my needs.  My painting desk is an old computer table with a rolling cart pushed under it for storage. Over the years the  table top became stained with paint so I covered it with a vinyl adhesive. It is so much more restful than the black one.  Its placement  under a window allows for optimal scenic view and light for work.

Designing Home

This table started out as one of two built -in night tables for my daughter's bedroom over twenty five years ago.  It has had three lives since then.  It was just the thing to bank each side of the futon in my studio.  Love furniture you can paint especially for an informal summer look.  I also like the extra storage for books and the large top for display and some handy storage.  Our two hats kept falling off the closet shelf so now they have a new home. 

Designing Home

A friend asks for your help and you come home with a gem.  This old stained glass window was headed to the dump, but my husband knew it would serve some higher purpose.  We removed the broken coloured glass and replaced it with clear textured glass and added mirror to the middle pane.  It is one of my favourite pieces in the whole house.  

And there you have it, 13 years of re-inventing materials to create a relaxing, cozy, budget friendly summer house. 

Pesky Problems That Every Home Could Face

Our home is our castle. It is the place we go to relax and unwind after a hard day. The place we make memories with our family and loved ones. But our home is always at risk of things going wrong. A lot of the time these problems are unavoidable. If only we had a crystal ball to tell us when they are likely to occur. These pesky problems listed below are the ones that are likely to occur when we least expect it to.

Heating system breaking down in the winter.

It’s almost guaranteed to happen on the coldest day of the year. Your heating system decides that is the day to break down. If you have a further dose of bad luck, this will happen on a public holiday when it’s difficult to call someone out to fix it. There isn’t much worse than a cold house.

Of course, we can’t predict when that is likely to happen. But there are few things we can do to avoid the situation as best we can. Having your heating system regularly checked and serviced is a great place to start.

Oh no! There is no hot water.

Much like the heating system breaking, this is likely to happen on a cold day when you have somewhere to be. One minute you will be happily having a wash in the shower. The next an ice cold blast of water hits your head and shocks your system.

It would be nice to avoid this situation if we can. So making sure all your water works is in tip-top condition once a year is a recommended habit to get into. It would be advisable to do this just before the winter sets in. With icy weather causing pipes to freeze, it’s best to make sure they are all in good working order.

Unavoidable flooding in the home.

Flooding can be one of the worst things a home could endure. Sometimes there is very little warning. A flooding incident in the home can cause a lot of damage. Not only to the items in the rooms but to your decoration and the house structure itself. Mostly, people who are at risk of flooding in their areas will be aware of it. But it doesn't change how devastating it can be.

Other than having sandbags at the ready and moving as much as you can to a higher floor. There isn’t much else you can do to avoid these situations. However call a local water damage company to try and help restore your home after the event.

Infestation of creepy crawlies

Finally, the last pesky problem your home could endure is an infestation of creepy crawlies and pests. Things like ants, a wasps nest or a collection of flies can dampen how you feel about your home.

The best thing to do is find the source and try and get a professional in to help remove any nests that have been created. It isn’t always a nice thing to deal with. But it can be quite easy to resolve with the right help.