Kitchen stools, OH the choices!

Whilst dreaming of my kitchen in my dream house, I like to think about the sort of stools that I would have at the island bench.

I am yet to decide whether to keep the island white like the rest of the kitchen, or go for a contrasting colour, you may remember that post, if not, pop over HERE

Image Nathan Egan Interiors

This kitchen is definitely one of my all time favourites, you're probably sick of me posting this image.

I love these stools & always thought they where rattan, but looking at them closely I think they are actually fabric.

 They look fantastic either way!

Image Jennifer Worts design

These stools look like they are perhaps upholstered in leather, they certainly add some serious style factor to an extremely beautiful kitchen.

I guess a big factor in choosing your stools is

"How you want the room to feel?"

I love these more formal styles, but being a house with 4 kids, perhaps I would be best to opt for something VERY hard wearing.

 I think  a more casual feel to this area of the home would suit our lifestyle & family better.

Image via Decor Pad

 Before we move on. I had to show this glamorous trio, don't you just love the nail head trim.

I envision a very stylish women lives in this house.  Wouldn't you just love a peak at her walk in robe, I'm sure it's to die for!

Image via Decor Pad.

Now these industrial style stools would certainly withstand anything my son & his rowdy mates could throw at them, its more the contents of my pantry cupboard I would have to have concerns for, LOL!

Image Massucco Warner Miller Design 

Another more industrial style, "navy" counter stools, I have seen them in a chair as well.

They would definitely tick the box of  "hard wearing" & they have a high back, making them safer for little ones, easy clean, my only question to any of my lovely readers...

"Are they comfortable?"

By the way, this is another kitchen that goes into my all time favourites file!

Image via House of Turquoise

Now these stools are definitely made form some sort of cane/wicker.

 I really like this look & it would be easy to tie into the rest of my decor with the use of a few wicker baskets here or there, lets face it, we all have a few baskets, they're fabulous for storage. Mine contain all of my house magazines.

The only down side I see is keeping them clean. The stools we currently have are timber & wrought iron & I am always wiping food from them, thanks to a messy 3 yr old.

Now I haven't made note of the source of the above 3 images as I collected them before I began blogging, These are the first style of stool I fell in love with. Easy clean, hard wearing & also budget friendly.

 I have seen them in many different timber stains but I really love the black. I have always been a "matchy matchy" girl & in my attempt to break free of my boringness, I think black would be a nice break away from my other timber furniture pieces .

Does anyone have stools like these at home, are they comfortable & do smaller children manage them safely?

So my trusty bloggers, any stylish suggestions are always appreciated, my kitchen will be white with shaker style doors of course. Unfortunately timber floors don't fit into my budget so I will be having a cream coloured porcelain tile thru out, very neutral, so timber black or silver would all look nice.
 Hopefully it will stand the test of time & not date before we move in!!

 CHEERS

Trish xxx

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For the love of Art

A while back I did a post on Dramatic dining ,show casing some lovely dining rooms painted in dramatic colours.

I fell in love with one particular room, the combination of colours , furnishings & in particular,

 the art.

I decided to do a bit of a search at a few of my favourite online Art stores & I managed to find this ...

This lovely piece is titled

"Lepa Zena"

& is by artist Marta Gottfried Wiley

 I was completely amazed to learn just how talented one person could possibly be...

A  sculptor, fashion designer, model, poet, and author Marta Gottfried Wiley has painted thousands of paintings and written over 2, 000 songs .

"Crew I"

 The Lepa Zena is a top seller in China, where the horse symbolizes success, money, luck, and glory. Surprisingly, its success has been parallel with China's ascent to Super Power.

The Lepa Zena is also considered Marta's greatest master piece.

Ah I have renewed faith in my taste for art, after all, I have fallen in love with a master piece

"Cafe Mocha"

Marta owns her own publishing company, Marta G. Wiley Studios

You can learn more about her through her website here, you really should read her bio, its a very inspiring story.

"Ensemble"

She has a huge variety in her work but appears to use a predominately neutral colour palette for her work. She has accomplished so much in her life so far, it makes me wonder if this incredible women ever actually sleeps.

I found a reasonable selection of her work thru online art store

http://www.allposters.com.au/

I am hoping to purchase  the "Lepa Zena" in 101cm x 76cm for $98.00, although there is a smaller size available.

Then I need to decide, does it go in the lounge area, the dinin room or over the stairs...

Ahh the decisions a girls go to make!!!

Do you have a favourite artist or a great affordable online art store?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

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Dwellings

I stumbled across a stylishly talented design firm from Michigan in the US  & I just had to share it with you all

Dwellings inc

 

Dwellings is an interior design studio owned by Laura Davidson

Laura & her team not only help their clients in making the best choice in fabrics, furniture, accessories and paint colors that create a warm and comfortable space, they also assist in designing a new home from the plan  through to completion

This kitchen is divine,

I'm guessing by the lovely fabric covered stools that NO small children live here!!

Dwellings studio is  located in a cute cottage in Grand ville, Michigan, where they showcase a wide range of their products.

Dwellings studio is open to the public & each time you visit there is a new look.

From their portfolio this  Green Lake home was one of my favourites.

I could seriously see myself living in this home, the colour scheme is so calming I think it would be nice to put your feet up & relax at the end of the day!

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Dramatic Dining

Ive always been  a huge fan of light neutral walls, you know the whole white on white ,or timber & white,

 but,

 the more time I spend in the blogosphere the more deliciously dramatic dining images
capture my heart.

Just look at that amazing ceiling & chandelier, this is such a spectacular room.

Images via Houzz

The contrast of this deep purple with white & timber is stunning.

I don't actually know who is responsible for this image, but I love love love it...

The perfect shade on the walls, the mirrored dining table & buffet, the fabric on the upholstered chairs & the warmth of those drapes, I don't know about you, but I really like this dining room, right down to the beautiful horse art work...

What do you think of this one?

Phoebe Howard always does it with style, I don't think Ive seen an example of her work yet that I haven't swooned over!

Image via Things to inspire

Very Elegant,

 I love this dining room, but

elegant

definately isn't a word that would really describe me, so probably not the right style for my laid back home!

Source unknown.

Now this is a dramatic dining room!

Are you brave enough to paint a room black, I don't think I am, even if this does look incredible!

image via House & Garden UK

Perhaps a black wallpaper feature like this would suit those of us with a faint heart!!!

Image via decor pad

Once again, very beautiful to look at , that ceiling is incredible, perfect for showing off such an incredible chandelier. I think the turquoise upholstery on the tufted chairs & curtain trims, really softens the space!

source unknown

I have a big square 8 seater  jarrah table for my formal dining table, its surrounded by 8 matching scroll back chairs, upholstered in a sandstone coloured micro suede. I think a nice medium to dark greige on the walls would really compliment them nicely.

I also love to see a nice sparkling chandelier hanging over the dining table, every girl needs a little bling in her life!!

What are your favourite dining room schemes?

CHEERS

Trish xxx 

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Twins for the kids

I have 4 children & at the moment 2 have their very own rooms, with queen size beds & two are sharing, but when we build everyone will be fortunate enough to have their own space.

 As anyone with kids knows, as they get older they love to have friends for sleep overs.

 How do you set up for the sleep over, do you have a roll out bed under your child's bed, a blow up mattress that tucks away in the cupboard or a set of twin beds in their room?

I thought I would live the luxurious way today & opt for the twin bed scenario, some a little more glamorous then others, after all,

 Dreaming is free!!!

This one has it all, canopies, pendant lights & tufted ottomans. Don't you just love the sunburst mirror.

Oh & that wallpaper!

image via Decor Pad

More beautiful canopies. Love the hot pink with white, very fresh.

Ive used this image before, I am a HUGE fan of black & white. There are quite a few different patterns used in this bedroom but because of the monotone clolourscheme it looks more striking than busy.

Pendant lights & sunburst mirrors in combination with bed canopies appears to be a popular theme.

This bedroom screams total luxury to me.

As far as my kids are concerned this room would only be entrusted to dream child No 2. She is a clean freak who likes her room to look beautiful  & in her words she is often "Editing her space", she likes to create a picture wall using the glamorous & beautiful images that you find on the pages of vogue, especially if it has a Chanel logo. She has a great eye & very expensive tastes for a 15yr old.

Mind you she has gone out & purchased Vogue from the age of 12 just to create these picture walls.

This one is very feminine & french, fit for a princess I say!

modern kids design by new york architect Dufner Heighes Inc

A world map feature wall is definitely one of my all time favourite design ideas. I would love to be able to do something like this in my son's bedroom, which I know he would also be very happy with.

Mediterranean bedroom design by Los Angeles interior designer Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

I like this sophisticated beach style, something a little different than your usual beach decor.

traditional bedroom design by other metros interior designer Nate Fowler

Another fabulous boys room, a nice restful  traditional look. Just what most small men need to unwind !

modern kids design by Los Angeles architect David Hertz Architects, S.E.A. Studio for Environm

A great way to place these beds,  still leaving plenty of floor space for a great play area & all of that fantastic under bed storage makes for an easy clean up.

Does your kids bedroom match the vision you have for the space as well as fulfil the practical requirements for their age?

Have a great Friday everyone!

CHEERS

Trish xx 

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What can you do with Blue?

Some designers & colour consultants recommend that you take a peek into a clients wardrobe to get an idea of the colours they are drawn to, so, I thought I would assess my own  wardrobe to find my style.

As it turns out, I believe this experiment actually DOES reveal the whole colour story!!!

If you walk around my home you will see warm whites, creams, white, black, timber, silver & a dark  blue lounge.

Now peek into my wardrobe & you will see lots of black, varying shades of grey, white, a few brown things, a spattering if red & once again, blue...

As a child my favourite colour was blue...

Aaah! My blue lounge...

We have had this lounge for about 7yrs now, so style wise it is rather unattractive, but it is still in fantastic condition. We will use it in the kids activity room in our next house because it is easy to clean & very robust. Once they are older we will replace it with something a little more stylish

Does everyone with kids or pets, have that piece of furniture they would love to replace, but know its not worth it until the kids have been house trained ?

 

This was my  bedroom in my last house. When we first purchased this house I thought the carpet was fantastic & I have to admit it was great for hiding stains from the kids spills, but, I tired of it very quickly & found myself dreaming of something much lighter & a lot more neutral!!!

It became rather limiting when it came to decorating choices, dictating the colourscheme.

This was my lounge area, no TV & no colour...

Unfortunately I never got to finish decorating so I never had any art on the walls & I would have like some patterned cushions to soften the look.

I have also learnt that matching everything perfectly is why I could never get it to feel right. We had made the decision to move just after I started studying interior design so there was no point in spending anymore money decorating this one.

I really love my square dining table & I am torn between painting my next dining room in a warm white, you know the very safe & usual Trish colour, or should I step out of the box & go for something rich & dark, I do love the darker warm Grey's Or should I call it a dark greige?

This is definitely one of my most favourite dining room images floating around blog world of late!

I love the timber with the grey, its just a matter of finding the perfect shade to go with my chairs. Any suggestions appreciated!

So I guess what I am trying to say is as much as I love blue I think I would like to try adding in something a little different, perhaps to give my current neutral furnishings a bit of a lift!

How ever, I thought I should apologize for exposing you to  my dull decorating snaps by showing you some FABULOUS ways some stylish folk have used blue in their homes... 

eclectic entry design

White is just a magical colour, no matter what you put it with, white always seems to make everything around it look spectacular.

traditional living room design by new york architect Austin Patterson Disston Architects

I love this room, especially the way the piping really gives the white couch a lift, not particularly kid friendly though !

traditional home design by San Francisco general contractor Dijeau Poage Construction

Love the mix of stripes & mosaics in this bathroom

Image via A Tranquil Townhouse

A fabulous example of how to mix up patterns in a room & still have a fresh  & inviting space.

This is a skill I would love to master!

source unknown

This one hasn't only used pattern to add interest but also several shades of blue, I'm feeling inspired to decorate!!!

I really do love this basement!!

image via Apartment Therapy

Art is definitely one of my biggest decorating challenges, which explains why my walls always end up bare. I think the right art really adds the warm homely finish we all aspire to achieve when decorating.

 I just don't think I have an eye for it!

I am open to suggestion on this one!

Image via Willow Decor

I love this very masculine looking room, I think it would be lovely to sleep here & would also make a great space for a teenage boy or beach house!

The green rug really sets this bedroom off perfectly
. Very inviting...

This lounge has several of my favourite decorating elements

I dream of owning a tufted ottoman one day...

A striped rug is always very striking no matter what room you place them in...

I love the use of several patterns & textures, creating lots of interest in a very monotone colour scheme.

I think this lounge area screams WELCOME, come sit & relax...

What do you think?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

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