Stunning Powder Room Seen in Californian Home Design Mag.
No I’m not planning the surgery already, I am just having my annual fit of decorating madness. I am very sensitive to my surroundings. The colour, light and flow of the environment; and of late I am feeling all laden down with badly placed furniture, lack of light and chaotic storage. In fact there is even solid scientific evidence backing up my discontent. I know I am in trouble when instead of seeing a way to solve the problem I just start looking in the real estate pages! I’ve been agonizing over my house for a good few months, not knowing what it was that was causing this feeling of discontent, but I just may have found a solution. Apply the experience I have learnt in other aesthetic areas of my life to this problem.
Just like a good wardrobe evaluation and clear out, I need to start looking at what I have and how I use it. I find myself constantly crashing into the corner of my kitchen table and cursing it for being so big. I dislike the fact that the first room people enter at my house is the kitchen, (that is past the entry hall) always congregating around this large table. So I have been trawling eBay in an attempt to find a smaller table, but it still doesn’t solve my problem of my kitchen being the centre of things. In a huff, I’ve been sitting around making plans for moving to an inner city penthouse where things are all open plan and I have no garden to look after. But I know that still wouldn’t make me happy. (Boy I’m sounding really fussy and spoilt now). And then last night it finally hit me, I really do need to tackle this in the same manner as a good wardrobe re-evaluation and look at how to re work and re purpose things.
There is no good reason that my kitchen table needs to be in that particular room, it was just the way things were designed when we moved in. Like figuring out which pieces of clothing I wear most often, I started figuring which rooms I use most often. It seems that the rooms I use most often though, are not my favorite rooms. Many of them are darker than I’d like, don’t have the best view, or are just plain badly laid out. Yet those rooms that I adore for their light and space are the ones that are left “hanging” in the closet for “good” use., to use the wardrobe analogy. When you look at it like this it makes no sense at all. So I’m beginning to create a plan of attack that involves re-purposing these favorites to turn them into the room I use the most and enjoy spending time in.
Here is where you all come in. While I’m revamping my studio to make it a better place in which to create scintillating posts for you all, I need you to send me your best recommendations. Blogs, decorating sites, renovations recommendations; all the places that you love to go and fantasize over. If the sites are Australian, all the better. I often find things I love on UK sites only to discover that to obtain the object of my desire I’ll have to sell my first born to afford the shipping. So leave me a comment, send me an email or Tweet me your favs. And while you’re at it say a prayer for poor Mr. SKM and his sanity.
Places to increase your dissatisfaction with your home.
I totally relate to this feeling. I’m an interiors junkie with a perfectionist inferiority complex. It’s tough sometimes.
Oh I know this feeling SKM! I’ve been trawling the design blogs for a while now, wishing and dreaming. Here are a few good sites I’ve found;
http://www.armchairtrader.com.au (and she has an addictive blog too http://thehousethata-mbuilt.blogspot.com/ ).
http://www.tdhomewares.com/index.php
http://www.ijustlovethatfabric.com.au/
http://www.mozi.com.au/
https://www.mattblatt.com.au/
http://www.top3.com.au/
http://www.lamaison.net.au/ – the library shelves they sell are spectacular but of course pricey.
This one isn’t house design but they’re Aussie and they sell Remix shoes!! http://retrospecd.com/
Well I think i’ve given you enough to get on with.
Oh I can see how it could be annoying but I think it’s quite old fashioned to have the kitchen being the heart of the home (although I know houses weren’t designed like that women did gather there a lot) I’ve always wanted a Massive kitchen
I LOVE this place http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/look/an-unexpected-le-habitat-interior-montreal-059965
New post up on Marie Antoinette’s personal Modiste.
same site but this takes you to all the photo’s great mix of modern and medieval styles!
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/look/an-unexpected-le-habitat-interior-montreal-059965
Thanks for the shout out babe
Sorry SKM, I just realized you wanted inspiration sites and I gave you shopping sites (see how my mind runs). Here are a couple of Aussie design blogs for you,
http://thelaurelhedge.blogspot.com/
http://cathypentondesigns.blogspot.com/
http://shannonfricke.blogspot.com/
http://liveafabulouscreativelife.blogspot.com/
http://oliveaux.blogspot.com/
Cybill: That is rather funny. I don’t need much help in the SPENDING money department.
As for Retrospec’d, I met up with them at the Sydney Vintage Show and bought a lovely top from them. They are in the process of developing an online store. Yay!
Boldaslove: Anytime.
Rebecca: Yum, now that is some eye candy. The problem is that having the kitchen at the centre of things is that, being a working room, it is always somewhat chaotic and cluttered. I much prefer to have it off to one side where you can choose to entertain there.
K.Line: All this decorating induced self flagellation. Rather unproductive yet we continue to participate. Sigh.
Oh my goodness that wallpaper is amazing. It’s like a kimono print!
CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WITH FENG SHUI, Karan Kingston.This book completely changed my life-and the space I live in! It’s a quick and easy read, and you will be inspired to change your space before you even finish reading it!
When you clear out your space, your mind becomes clear and solutions arise! This became a lifestyle for my family and I, and we are more happy and organized as a result. Less stuff=less work to maintain and clean it! Also, you would be surprised what comes into your life… Every time we decide to get rid of something, (like a kitchen table) we find what we are looking for as soon we commit to our decision.
Every piece of art, furniture or lamp that you decide to keep shines brightly with less clutter around it. Your space will become a showplace that inspires you and your family to be creative and comfortable!
When we cleared out our house, we even became more successful in all others areas of our life! And we didn’t think we even had clutter! We got rid of truckloads and donated to charity. We’ve passed this book around to everyone we know, and we’ve seen it change their lives. Hope this helps you, Good luck:)
Find it on: http://www.amazon.com
what an excellent philosophy! I do tend to de-clutter quite frequently. Having had loads of wonderful and young tutors and babysitters, we just invite them to take whatever is getting run into at the time. I am acquiring at the moment and have taken the decision to put a really comfortable Queensized bed in the attic, as our “second” bed. I know a “spare” bed can be pretty basic but as we will retreat to this when our own bed is invaded, I wanted it to be really nice.
I don’t trawl websites as I find I suffer from enough ennui as it is for other peoples lives. But good luck with yours. And don’t forget that your house gets smaller in the winter. You will be able to reclaim your garden living room in a few months (okay about 5 months)
xx
i LVOE that wallpaper.
i like to draw inspiration from the places the selby shoots. not that everything resonates, per se, but it has a way of showing you intimate, no frills, versions of actual spaces.
http://www.theselby.com