Happily Ever After

Christin Siriano

Ok I admit it. I am officially one of the many millions who has become caught up in royal wedding fever!

At first I didn’t think I would fall for it, but the story is hard to resist.  Common girl, meets prince, they fall in love and get married. It’s a fairytale come to life. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, all the classics come to mind.

Disney

Disney

The little girl in me, loves the idea of a happy ending with Prince Charming.

Plus who can deny the appeal of all the gorgeous outfits that Kate or should I say the soon-to-be Princess, gets to wear.

And her Prince also gets his fair share of style.  One day this sparkling crown will probably top his head.

I’m sure this thing weighs a tonne and is worth a crazy fortune.

And even though we can’t afford it, we can however incorporate its rich purple into our decor.

Gracious Home

Caitlin Moran

That last pic is from a house in Baton Rouge, which is where I’m going tomorrow for a wedding.  And although it’s not the royal wedding, it will still be a very special one filled with love and laughter.

Minty Goodness

There’s something so fresh about mint green.

I didn’t really know how I felt about the colour, until my parents brought me my wedding reception outfit from India.

It was mint green and I was hooked. The colour was soft and the pearls and stonework made the outfit, shimmer and dance in the evening light.

It’s a colour that brings about thoughts of pretty gardens and warm summer nights, enjoying a mint julep.

Classic Mint Julep

Add a dash of this unexpected colour in your home and feel the refreshing after affect of it year long.

1stdibs

Graham and Green

the City Sage

Apartment Design Co

Memoirs of a Geisha

As Japan rebuilds from the recent earthquake, designers are looking at the country for fashion and design inspiration, reminding us that Japan is a place of great history, culture and beauty.

Zara

Japan

Inslee

Hillary Thomas

Cobi Ladner

Cobi Ladner

The Blank Canvas

When I was a kid I was obsessed with the sea. Actually I still am! I loved going to the beach and collecting seashells. But since I didn’t really get too many opportunities to actually get to the beach, I brought it to my bedroom instead.

My Mom and I painted the walls turquoise and then she gave me full reign to add whatever other sea inspired touches that I wanted. At the time I thought it would be cool to stencil fish and starfish with bright colours.

My stencil did not look nearly as neat and bright as this one, so sadly or should I say gladly, I don’t have a picture of my artwork.

Since then I have been a bit shy of using stencils again. But they seem to be making a major comeback which has made me question my intial fear of this form of wall design.

And even though I would love to just get someone to come put up some beautifully patterened wallcovering instead, alas it’s too expensive. So I will have to be brave and test out the stencil again. Luckily this time I have the internet to do major research to determine the best and cleanest way to to do it without too many messups.

Good Girl Gone Glad

Jones Design Company

Jones Design Company

Royal Design Studio

Royal Design Studio

Doing a stencil on the ceiling would be interesting, but I”m thinking it will cause some serious neck pain.

Three Men and a Lady

Can you believe someone was patient enough to paint these stencils onto the walls?? After seeing all these gorgeous transformations, I’m motivated more than ever to give it a go! I’m thinking a black wall with a shimmery trellis design.

I’m sure it will take a lot of stress and frustration (my poor husband) but in the end it will be worth it. Wish me luck!

Happy Monday

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Mine was spent catching up on some DIY projects. Check out the Glam in my Home section to see what’s going on.

I”ll also be back later with some design ideas that I would love to try.

See you then!

Rina

The Timeless Appeal of Black

“I’ve been 40 years discovering that the queen of all colors was black.”– Pierre-Auguste Renoir

There’s just something about black that makes you think of sophistication, class and mystery.

And although I probably wouldn’t paint a whole room black, I would definitely incorporate it with wallcovering, accent walls and accessories.

I”m drooling over these super chic rooms!

This room is so unbelievably chic!! Even though it only has a few tones, it has so much depth because of the texture of the walls and carpet.

Doesn’t it remind you of this lovely lady?

Coco Chanel

I am seriously drooling over the Imperial Trellis wallcovering in this pic!! Oh how I would love to adorn my walls with it.

You know when you are in a shop and there is this shirt you have been dying to get, but you just can’t seem to find your size. Then ta-dah there it is! And your heart does a little flutter and all is well again. Well that is how I feel when I see this glam bedroom. I would feel like a moviestar if I could call it a night in this elegant room.

If all this black looks good to you in theory, but you are hesitant to go all the way, you could just do an accent wall.

Or behind a crisp white shelf. Nothing looks more classic than black and white.

Now these pictures are making me feel like I have sooo very much to do in my house still! After looking into the cost of the Imperial Trellis, I decided it was a bit over my budget, so I think I”ll put a black accent wall in the office, with a trellis stencil design overtop. It’s going to be heck of a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end. I’ll post pics once my makeover is complete.

Have a great weekend!

Fresh off the Press

 

It’s a beautiful morning and I am feeling good!

What helps is that it’s a short work week, the latest Style at Home magazine came in the mail and my article about refinishing furniture was printed in the Houston Chronicle! It features a creative Mom who takes old pieces of furniture and gives them new life. Centsational Girl also chimed in since DIY is her specialty.

You can read the article here.

I”ll be back later today with some fabulous noir rooms, so keep checking in!

xoxo

Office State of Mind

I have my home office on the brain. I can’t stop thinking about how to decorate and paint it. I want it to be a creative place.

There are so many ideas swirling through my head!

Mission number one. Find a chic desk. I’m hoping craigslist will come up with a gem.

Number two, a paint colour. I was on board with an orange and turquoise theme, but the hubbie is totally against the idea, so I have now gone to plan B. I’m thinking turquoise with a black accent wall.

Or I could add a wallpapered accent wall.

Next step is to add the fun details like an inspiration board. Check out Kishani Perera’s.

I love this Chinoiserie style board from the Little Green Notebook.

Whenever I have free time, I get comfy on the sofa with a blanket and look through my design magazines. Then I rip out the pics and pages that inspire me and tuck them away into a pretty pink binder.

But I would love to give the extra special pictures, papers and notecards a place on the office wall.

All the little tid bits make the room a little more colourful and tell a story.

I also need to formulate a plan for my bookshelf.  I’m thinking of getting some nice wallpaper behind it to give it some omph.

Studio Ten 25

Let me know if you have any suggestions on how you made your office ultra glam!

Knick Knacks

I grew up in a pretty sleepy little town. It has changed quite a bit since then, but at the time, there wasn’t much to do.

So my sisters and I and the two little girls down the street, came up with ways to entertain ourselves.

We would venture into the backfield to search for tadpoles and build tunnels in the snow.

We also made bead bracelets and other little trinkets like rock people with googly eyes. Pretty cool eh?

Don’t ask me why, but these were pretty popular and easy to make.
Needless to say my taste has changed since then.

Our company which sold these items was called Knick Knacks and it was our first venture as entrepreneurs.

A table was set up on the driveway and the local kids would come check out what we had on sale.

Today the mention of the word knick knacks brings back fond memories of my childhood and gives me a little chuckle!

So today when I was roaming around the resale shop, I couldn’t help but remember knick knacks as I saw these little well… knick knacks!

This cute brass horse would be perfect on the shelf in a kiddie’s room…

…or on a chic shelf like this one in model Coco Rocha’s apartment. Ohhh I just LOVE the bass against the blue!

I also spotted this pretty vintage red candy bowl.

I could just picture it in one of these displays.

I think I’m getting a sugar rush just by looking at all these sweets!

These candies are not only yummy, but also make for colourful decoration.

Next time you are planning a party why not add in a fun little candy buffet bar and incorporate some cool vintage finds.

Or you can do the same for your wedding reception. Afterall what better way to share the day with your sweetheart, than with some sweets?

God Save the Queen

Every morning I wake up, brush my teeth and head to the kitchen for some breakfast.  And that always includes a nice cuppa tea.  Never coffee, just a mug of Tetley with milk and sugar.

I turn on the TV and each morning show seems to be counting down the days till the Royal wedding. Will and Kate.  The hair, the guestlist, the DRESS.

Americans seem to be enamored with this nuptial.

I am mildy amused by it and although I won’t be waking up at the crack of dawn to watch it, I will try to catch tid bits of the re-runs later in the day.

Afterall  I did grow up with a strong British influence.

My Mom lived in London from her teen years till she met my Dad, who was also living there at the time.

Marks and Spencer biscuits, crisps (chips), chips (french fries) and tube (subway) were all part of my vocabulary and so were numerous trips back to England.

In fact, I have even toured the Queen’s very own home, Buckingham Palace, when she opened it to visitors.  Of course it’s a very opulent place with lots of colour, gold and fanfare.

So because of my Brit connection, I decided to take a look at some Brit inspired rooms and furniture.

I love the primary colours of red and blue together on this white chair.

Teo Jasmin

Check out the rich velvet on this chair.

Jane Hornsby

And what’s more British than tea time?  Next time you are at the flea market or thrift shop, pick up some pretty tea cups to put flowers in.

Selina Lake

How about pouring some tea from this adorable pot?  It reminds me of my cutie niece…she loves elephants!

Jonathan Adler

Maybe the Royal couple will get a cake with a strand of pearls fit for a princess.

If you’re not into too much girly girl decor, how about adding a quirky clock?

All Modern

Because every woman deserves to be treated like a queen sometimes right?