Thursday 19 June 2014

Never underestimate secondhand..

Before I met my hubby 12 years ago, I would of never gone into a second-hand shop especially for furniture.. I was convinced that when it came to decorating your home, 'new' was the only way to go... (entirely snobby I know!!)

So when I first stepped foot into my future husband's unit and 
not only saw second-hand furniture but antique collectables everywhere.. 
I thought to myself 'I need to educate this guy!!'..

Coming back from our honeymoon, heading home to his now 'our' new home, I made him come into ikea to buy all new furniture.. As we started assembling the furniture and I put on my 'I am now the wife so I will decorate this home' hat and started pulling out his old furniture and replacing with new furniture.. He grabbed my hand.. Stared into my eyes and said 'you realise we can mix the old with the new'.. I was like 'WHAT?! Are you kidding me!' Then slowly he showed me what he meant..

Now.. Our home if full of old and new pieces resembling both our personalities.. And you seriously can not get me out of second-hand shops, recycle markets and garage sales!! 

Here are some of the second-hand finds in our home.. Enjoy..


This is one of our best finds yet.. We spotted it at a dump market.. 
Yep thats right; somebody dumped this!!





We have wooden industrial reels as our bedside tables.. 
They are great for holding all our book collections..




We found this great chest at a garage sale.. 
It came over from England with someone's World War collections in it..




This HMV record player and queen-ann style chair was found at a second-hand shop.. 
We were meant to sell them but just couldn't.. So we found a spot!!




We love this old chest which is at the end of our bed.. 
The way the paint chips off tells a tale of its life journey..




Got to love an old school locker.. This one holds all my wine glasses and bottles..
This and the retro fan where bought from a market..




Our dining table we bought for $20 at a recycle market.. Granted it took a week to sand back and restore.. But we were happy with the end result..




We love a good retro chair.. They have such style and are so solid..
I am yet to recover this one, but this throw is doing the job at the moment..




This is my favourite place in the house at the moment.. I have always wanted a nice dressing table just like the girls in the 1920's!! So I was stoked when my sister was selling this one.. I painted me favourite colour 'teal' and put it with the other queen-ann style chair we had..



I hope this has given you some inspiration and if you don't have the time or the flare for restoring, don't hesitate to check out our shop for some great finds!!









Celebrity style.. Celine Dion's home..

So the other day I was watching The Ellen Show (a very rare occasion trust me!!) and Celine Dion was on showing everyone her home in Florida which is for sale for $73 million bucks..

Oh my goodness, it is gorgeous!! I just had to share it with you.. Trust me you will want to go to the bank the next day and beg for a loan to buy it!! Enjoy..


Here is the aerial view.. Do you see how many pools they have? and that waterslide?!



Here is the front of the house by day.. and the back by night..




One of the lounge rooms..



The kitchen and breakfast room.. Love the couch chairs at the breakfast bar..





Here is the formal dining room.. And again lounges at the table.. Love!!..



This is the main bedroom.. Do you see the plasma on the roof?!..



The walk-in-robe.. apparently this is just a small part of it.. They also have a dry-cleaning rack and a rotating shoe holder to hold her 3000 pairs of shoes.. oh and that chandelier - how divine..



The ensuite.. big enough for two people?!



One of the guest bedrooms.. and balcony with a fireplace of course..




The casual dining room with plasma TV.. Just incase the football is on..



No pool is complete without a built in firepit..



And lets not forget the view.. If you can't find room in the many pools.. 
at least you have the beach to swim in! 



In all fairness though, I really adore Celine Dion.. She is a lovely person, brilliant singer and great entertainer.. And if I had the money she does, I would live in a place like this too.. Hope you enjoyed the tour and arent too jealous :-/















Tuesday 17 June 2014

DIY Day.. What to do with books..

If your are a reader like me, you would also have a large collection of books lying around the home.. And although I do love to give them away or share them around, 
there are some that I just can't let go of! 
So instead of piling them in the corner and letting them gather dust - 
why not get your DIY on and make a creative display with them?!

Check out these cool ideas a on how to give your old books a new life.. Enjoy..


http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/alicia-martin-biografias


1) Make a lamp.. This would look great in a study, reading nook or as a bedside lamp.. 
The caged lamp shade looks great to - very industrial..

2) Make a clock.. You can buy clock mechanisms from your local Spolight or craft shop.. 
Stack 3 books side by side for a stand up clock, lay one book down flat for a single wall clock or gather lots of books and make a large wall clock..

Click on link for details.. 
http://hereinthewaitingplace.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Tutorials





3) Make a handbag.. How cute is this idea.. Love the wooden handles too..

Click on the link for details.. 
http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/book-bag-craft-1109#slide-1




You could also use a smaller book and make a clutch to match!!

Click on the link for details.. 
http://seekatesew.com/buy-diy-zipper-book-clutch-tutorial-gift-kits/






4) Make a table.. I saw this table in the Real Living magazine a few months ago
 and fell in love with it.. A timber top would look great too.. 

Click on the link for details.. 
http://www.blogher.com/9-amazing-furniture-upcycle-diys


Stack some books up and screw some castor wheels on the base..
 Perfect for bedside tables too..

Click on the link for details..
www.friendswiththings.com.au





5) Make a stool.. Perfect for extra seating.. You could also use old magazines!

Source unkown..



6) Make a bedhead or bed base..  You could also make the bedhead with closed books.. 
It would be a great way to add colour to a room.. 

Source unknown..






7) Make a bookshelf.. I have seen heaps of 'book' bookshelves with the books running horizontal but love this idea running them vertical.. The jackered edge at the bottom brings great texture too..

Click on the link for details.. Enjoy..
http://www.sonasafaei.com/tagged/the%20shelf#3744971877




8) Make a feature out of an old chair.. This would be a great talking piece in any room of the house.. Will definitely have to give this one a go!

Click on the link for details.. Enjoy..
http://bookriot.com/2013/02/14/if-you-lived-in-a-world-made-of-books/




9) Make a mobile.. This would be gorgeous for a nursery or children's room.. Made out of there favourite bed time story.. that would be very special..

Click on the link for details.. Enjoy..
http://blog.lovemae.com.au/#





10) Make a planter.. Such a great idea to display on a coffee table or side table.. 
Use bonsai's, cactus's, succulents or ferns..

Click on the link for details..
http://inhabitat.com/gartenkulter-makes-poetic-pots-from-recycled-books/




11) Finally, display them in an artistic way.. 
This counter looks fantastic.. I love how they have used the paper side of the book..
 It displays a little bit of colour without being too over-powering..

Source unkown..



Pile then vertically and horizontally in an old fireplace or wall nook..

Click on the link for details.. Enjoy..
www.freshome.com



Stack them along your stairs to add colour and style..

Source unkown..




Make a feature wall out of them..

Source unkown..




Some very creative DIY options.. Now deciding which one to do!!..


Thursday 12 June 2014

Friday Favourites.. A quilt for your bed..

With the air getting cooler at night, I dove into my linen cupboard to retrieve 
my 'winter' quilt the other day.. Then it got me thinking.. 
Its time for a new quilt cover to celebrate this change of season!!  

So for Friday favourites this week, I thought I would share some of my favourite 
quilt covers which have been released for 2014.. Enjoy..

Crosses.. I can't seem to go pass them at the moment.. and with 2 colour choices (black/white and turquoise) who could resist this gorgeous quilt cover from Myer..





Aztec.. An Aztec print brings such a burst of colour to a bedroom.. I love this quilt cover from Urban Outfitters.. Tea it up with this gorgeous crochet throw and you have a match made in heaven..




White on White - You can't go wrong with a white quilt cover.. And with a lovely textured pattern like this chevron cotton chenille quilt cover from Linen House.. you can keep it simple or add some cushions for colour.. (loving that floor rug too!!)..




Colour - Here is one way to add a 'POP' of colour to your bedroom.. I love this beautifully bright quilt cover from Target.. The colours compliment each other so well and it is reversible!! Double bonus!!



French Floral - I love this modern take on the 'French Toile' pattern from Adairs.. Beautiful blue and bright yellow.. finish it off with these cute 'Wake up' pillow cases - just perfect..




Glam - Add a bit of glam with this stunning emerald green gathered quilt cover from Aura.. throw some gorgeous textured cushions on top and I don't think you will ever get out of bed.. (see the beautiful marine colour below too!!)..



Finally, this geometric flagstaff print from Adairs would make any bedroom feel 'calm and collected'.. with a mixture of gorgeous colours it will definitely help you to wake up feeling happy and refreshed!!..