Divine Design



Oh look my dream home is finished

Which verandah should I relax on today!

Maybe I will just lay in the tub by the fireplace & dream of grand things

OR  plan a shopping trip to purchase some divine furniture for this lounge area

Perhaps we could cook up a feast while we plan things out...

I discovered this incredible home on the website of AHB custom home builders.

They are based in Atlanta in the USA & they design & construct fantastic homes like this . They have a fantastic portfolio of dreamy homes to wish for!!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

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Television Taboo

traditional bedroom design by Portland interior designer Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

I love how this TV is recessed into the wall, minimising its impact on the room.

Do you have a TV  in your bedroom?

 Its okay if you don't want to tell us, after all, it's certainly NOT a stylish design feature & apparently the dreaded black box messes with your sleep patterns.

This might explain MY poor sleeping habits as we could,nt live without one in our master bedroom. The dream guy & I have very different sleeping habits, so he will watch TV well into the night, whilst I rack up a fews zzzzz's & when he is on night shift I use it to drown out the little sounds that spook me in the night. I am a big fraidy cat!

Image via DIY Show off

Building a frame around your TV to make it look more like a piece of art certainly helps to reduce it visual impact on the room

I don't recall where I found this image, but  you can purchase a system like this where your favourite piece of art is mounted to a mechanical device that lifts up to reveal a TV that is recessed into the wall.

Another perfectly framed black box....

This one really does look classy....

The rest of this room is so stunning, I think you could have built a monkeys cage into the ever so stylish cabinetry & no one would care.

So.....

Do you have a television in the bedroom?

 Is it just cluttering up your tall boy like mine, or have you put the time into making it a stylish, yet somewhat camouflaged feature in your master suite or dare I say boudoir?

I have some wonderful plans for the TV in the master bedroom of my dream house....ssshhhh...don't tell my dream guy, I don't want to scare him, LOL, my ideas list that requires is fabulous handiwork is growing by the minute!!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

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Fancy a Faux Fireplace

Image via wicker & stitch

When we finally build our dream house I really do fancy the idea of a faux fireplace in the master bedroom...

Something to add a little romance to the boudoir

I don't want an actual fire, just the mantle to give a hint of what could be...

Image via My shabby stream side studio

A lovely arrangement of fragrant candles is all the flame I require!

Image via Urban farm girl

Accompanied by a pretty pendant light or chandelier

Image via My Summerhouse

with a mirrored firescreen to add a little extra spark & give it a stunning finish

of course a lovely accent chair would also be fitting in such a romantic space

mirrors really do add that extra bling a girl needs...

Image via Dreamy whites

I know this isn't in a bedroom but still its so feminine & pretty I just had to include it...

Now a bit of the romance will be lost when I place the TV above it, but, what better way to display the big black box...

Image via DIY Show off

Perhaps I could get my dream guy to build a picture frame around the TV to make it look like art & help keep the romantic look of our dream bedroom.

That is IF I can talk him into the Faux fireplace to start with, at least this is a decorating item that can be added to your decor any time, so I can work on this one at a later date. The poor man, lucky he doesn't read my blog, he would know just how many ideas I have for decorating this dream house, he would probably run a mile, LOL!!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx 





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Warm as toast!

Ah, Winter!!!

I would like to think the worst of it is behind us, not that we experience anything to cold here in the Hunter Valley, but it has still been chilly. Especially in the evening.

I love the WOW factor a fireplace can add to a home. Not only do they create a warm & cosy atmosphere in the winter time, they also make a beautiful feature in any room, year round!!! 

If you had a library in your home wouldn't it be lovely to curl up with a good book & a glass of wine in front of the fire....

This stone feature is beautiful, rustic but classic all at the same time...

How about a long hot soak in the tub with the fire to keep the bathroom lovely & toasty, I think if you have a bathroom that looks this incredible, you just know you've made it... This, to me is just the ultimate luxury!

How romantic to have a gorgeous fireplace in the master bedroom...

Some fabulous dinner parties & wonderful conversation could certainly be had in this dining room...

I'm not sure what room this fireplace is in but it is very pretty & feminine, Don't you think?

This patio fireplace would certainly extend your outdoor entertaining well into the cooler months...

This ultra modern glass fire is incredible...

It goes to show there is a place in every home to put a fire place & a style to match.

We are looking at installing a fireplace in our dream home, most likely a gas fueled fire or possibly electric as we will be using bottled gas. I like a nice traditional style, with a lovely mantle that I can dress up.

How about you, do you have a fireplace at your house?

CHEERS

Trishxxx

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Outdoor Style

I am looking for the perfect images of pergolas & outdoor living areas to show to my builder, architect &  my dream guy, to ensure they have the same image of the end result of this dream house. My dream guy has given me complete creative freedom on pretty much every aspect of this house design, but I know he would have a picture in his mind of how it is going to look & I am guessing it is a little different to my vision.

contemporary patio design by san francisco interior designer Michael Merrill Design Studio, Inc

I really love this style of pergola, especially the shape of the upright posts.

mediterranean exterior design by los angeles landscape architect AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc.

I love the style & colour of the pavers in this image. The fireplace & lighting create a beautiful yet cosy ambiance.

We hope to eventually have an outdoor fireplace but it wont be a part of the immediate plan...

contemporary patio design by san francisco interior designer Inside Out- Interior & Exterior Design

I love the fireplace with all the stack stone features & once again those gorgeous posts.

traditional patio design by san francisco landscape architect Pedersen Associates

The pavers, the posts, the white trims, I really do love this look.

traditional patio design by portland landscape architect Samuel H. Williamson Associates

 I will show these to my dream guy so he knows just how to finish our pergola.

patio design by san francisco interior designer Kathleen Burke Design

A wisteria vine growing over the pergola always tends to create an air of  romance, this is something I would love if the climate here allows.

traditional patio design by awarchitect.com

This image is very similar to the colour scheme of my dream house. The beams of this pergola are the same colour as my roof & the main colours of the house & white windows are also the choices I have made. I would prefer my pergola to be white as well, this home appears to have a terracotta tile roof which is really lovely.

patio design by other metros kitchen and bath Pam from diy Design Fanatic

We haven't decided wether or not to render the downstairs area of our house or keep it brick for a bit more interest & contrast.Our builder has recomended staying brick on the bottom as it stands up to the wear & tear of living more so than render. The top story will be built from a thick compressed foam material & then rendered as this has better thermal properties & is a cost effective building method. If it was to be brick I think I would like something similiar to this, what do you think ?

traditional patio design by san francisco architect Doma Architects, Inc.

What fabulous ceilings & hand rails.

contemporary patio design by other metros architect Birdseye Design

Love the paving.

Please feel free to offer any advice or suggestions on my choice of finishes, especially in regard to the choice of brick or render on the lower story. We are looking for a low maintenance home, which is why we have chosen pavers & tiles over timber decking. My dream guy works a lot & I would like his time at home to be about relaxation & family, rather than constant home maintenance!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

All images from here

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An amazing home

traditional exterior design by san francisco general contractor JMA

Location, Location, Location!!!

I think I'm in Luuurve....

 

traditional patio design by san francisco general contractor JMA

Is this the most amazing alfresco area you've seen lately. I can see myself entertaining here year round.     

 It would be lovely to sit in front of the fire sharing a bottle of red wine with friends.

Such a stylish open plan kitchen

traditional living room design by san francisco general contractor JMA

A lovely sunny lounge area

traditional family room design by san francisco general contractor JMA

or a very private sitting room

Is this the fanciest horse stable on the planet, what lucky ponies to reside in such luxury!

JMA or Jim Murphy & Associates are responsible for building this gorgeous home on 11 acres in

Santa Rosa , CA  USA.

 Take a look at their website for a peek at a few more of there spectacular projects.

Any way I'm off to buy a lottery ticket because my dreams just got bigger,

didn't yours?

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Glam boudoir needs ottoman Help!!!

This is a pic of my bedroom at my last house, as you can see we never finished decorating, I hated the blue carpet & didn't want to invest time & money in adding art & other finishing touches until we had a nicer coloured carpet..

At the end of my bed you can see a blanket box....I would like to put a tufted ottoman in its place, BUT, have been unable to find something affordable here in OZ, I'm talking nothing under $1200. Needless to say when I look at US web sites they are only around $400, no one seems to ship such items to the land down under!!!!

WA WA WA, I think I should cry... sniff sniff!!!

ANYWAY, on with the story... I would like to make a cover for that blanket box, something that is removable as the dream guy loves his timber & would have a pink fit if he thought I was doing something, that a man would call destructive, to this matching piece of furniture.

I love this one but realize I'm not going to get that look with a slip style cover, so I thought I could add something that resembles a skirt

Something a little like this round ottoman. To me this looks rather formal, which I don't mind as I plan to hang chandeliers quite low over my bedside tables rather than lamps to dress things up & add a little girlie glamour. I'm looking towards a very elegant, romantic & feminine style boudoir(dream guy has his man cave.... I mean shed ,for his masculine style to shine) I will still be using the same heavy timber bedroom suite. I do love the bed & side tables, so softening them with an ottoman & chandeliers should do the trick, What do you think?

I love the look of this ottoman, it tends to add a soft & cosy feeling to the room.

I would also like to add a mantel piece with a mirror in it like this one, but my dream guy thinks that just looks like an unfinished fireplace, so I have some convincing to do in that area!! I myself think it adds to the romance & glam factor.Although I will also be hanging a television on the wall above that lovely mantle, we still have to live with the practical parts of life, no matter how unattractive they are !

These are my inspiration pics for the bedside chandeliers

Don't you just love it...

This is the chosen chandelier from Beacon lighting

So any advice, pointers or tutorials on making my tufted ottoman cover would be greatly appreciated & what do you think of my design plan for my glam style master bedroom???

CHEERS

Trish xx

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