Organizing For Your Lifestyle

Inspiration, Lifestyle, Organising, storage, tips

ORGANIZATION

Being a pretty obsessive OCD organizer, (mainly due to a lot of ‘stuff’ in my home which if I don’t control results in chaos within hours), I can happily spend hours sorting, catagorizing and decluttering areas. I find this a really calming thing to do, whereas to others it might seem like hell.

I always thought that this was my own personal madness, as I can get itchy when I see clutter. But I recently read a new book by Jane Stoller called ‘Organizing Your Lifestyle’ that delves deep into the psyche behind organizing, and which explains what the benefits are as a whole to your life. With the clutter controlled, there is more time to actually ENJOY YOUR LIFE! I don’t usually read self-help books, but ‘Organizing Your Lifestyle’ is a really useful hybrid as it offers both practical advice as well as explaining the psychological benefits of organization.

391596

Plus it is a realistic book, as I do not have the patience to look at everything I own and murmur in the latest fashion ‘But do I really love it?’ Of course I love it, I love all of it and am never, ever going to be a minimalist! But I can be a tidy and organized maximalist, and this book has excellent tips on how to evaluate what you have and how to look after it all so you have more quality time on your hands. It also makes you look hard at things so you can let some of them go without regret.

USEFUL ADVICE

Some of the tips are really useful, I loved the wardrobe section on how to store and look after items. Like most ladies, I own more clothes and shoes than I realistically have cupboard space for. There are great tips on how to look after and store things so they are not creased, crumpled and hence last longer. If you think of the hefty financial outlay that we females spend on clothes, it makes sense to make them last.

Traveling away? The book has great ways to make packing less stressful, and without the dreaded over-packing that I usually do so I end up with a massive suitcase full of clothes I don’t even wear on the trip.

The book breaks down areas of organization, so it can be something you can ease into this is a new process and makes you shake in your boots.

You can follow Jane on Twitter where she has motivational tips to keep the spirit going.

Dream Living Room Plans

Decorating, Ideas, Inspiration

I have been looking at a fabulous website called Arhaus who are based in the USA, and am seriously wishing they would open a shop in the UK, (hint, hint….). Their collections are really beautiful, very classic, and I would snap up a lot of their items, especially the furniture, in a flash to use in interiors.

I have based the room around artwork by Fin DAC, who produces huge scale street mural artwork around the globe. I love this image, and used it as the inspiration for the room. It would look amazing as a huge piece on one wall, and he sells via online galleries so I am after one now… although I may have to save up a bit….

ebjzxoouw2-asixnklyi_1082139883

Having recently completed a grey, black and orange dining room, I am still slightly obsessed with these colours and was immediately drawn to the sofa and daybed in the Clancy range, they are both traditional with the buttoning but have lovely sleek modern lines as well. Plus, (and this is key for me), I really hate plumping up base cushions of sofas, so this is a dream design for me!

ac04ea2e2be4d1c5dec32f7269b51725 clancy

Continue reading →

Most Hit Posts of 2016

before and after, Decorating, DIY, Flowers, Ideas, Inspiration, Makeover, plaster, Soft furnishings, tutorial

Today I have been looking back at last years blogging, sometimes done a bit intermittently I must admit, and noticed that the most popular posts always seem to be the DIY ones, so here is a round up of the ones that still get the most hits, and I only hope that as a result there are many Ikea hacks, Plaster Flowers and No-sew curtain pelmets floating out there now! More DIY ideas coming soon as I tackle a spare bedroom in the coming months.

Click on the photos to take you to the posts and tutorials…

DIY Plaster of Paris Flowers

No-Sew Curtain pelmets

Ikea Hack Bookcase

Ikea Hacked Bookcase

Slate Effect Painted Fireplace

Moppe Drawer Makeovers

Using Moppe drawers as wall art

Retro Bedspread Repurpose

accessories, before and after, Colour, Interior Design, interiors, recycling, Soft furnishings, Upcycling

Not quite sure what is going on with me, but my recent redecoration of the dining room with pinging accents of orange, has created a need for hunting out more orange bits and pieces ready for the festive season. Tablecloths, candles, candles and so on. This is quite a hard colour to source, especially with good quality table linens. I never even liked orange much before I did this room, so finding things is quite hard as I don’t even have a mental stash of where I have seen things in the past that are appropriate. With Christmas approaching I also wanted to spend as little as possible as there is lots of other shopping ahead to do.

This is my earlier bamboo chair makeover

Some serious hunting for a table cloth online resulted in either horrible poly cotton banquet plain tablecloths which headed into neon territory, or 100% Irish linen dyed to order at eye watering prices. I also looked at buying fabric directly, but I kept choosing the most expensive fabrics and £120 a meter is not really budget-friendly. I also need an ENORMOUS tablecloth, as at Christmas I have my cunning extra large tabletop that comes out of storage and sits on top of the existing table. It seat 14 easily, and in the past I have had to either make cloths for it or adapt king size bedspreads. All were tastefully neutral, and not at all suitable for the colours in the room now.

I needed something to ping, and this is the sort of orange colour I needed. Really pumpkin-like.

And lo, along came ebay. I have not used it for a while, mainly as postage has got so expensive in the UK that people seem to have stopped selling on it so much. But I started to hunt for anything orange, and then this original 1970’s St Michael (M&S) bedspread appeared tucked away in the bedding section. It is woven damask in shades of orange, perfect for a pop of colour, and looks like something from dressing a 70’s TV sitcom. And Reader, I bid immediately. In fact no-one else bid on what looked frankly pretty awful in the picture, so I got it for a song. Here it is, looking a bit grim and dated on ebay.

bedpsread-jpg

It turned up yesterday, and actually it really works in the room!

It is really bright orange and yellow with lovely fat bullion fringing. It works with all the other soft furnishings in the room. And it is massive and will easily fit the Christmas table top.

Until then, I have used it in the corner of the room on a round table, replacing a ‘tastefully beige’ one. It would not work anywhere else in the house at all, but it does suit the dining room scheme. Job done, total cost £8.50.

Before

After

Ikea Hack – Bookshelf Unit, Part 1

Decorating, DIY, Interior Design, Organising

PLANNING:

Yesterday I was over at my sisters house. She has been working really hard recently on decorating, de-cluttering and generally removing the ravages of children over the years. She has a sitting room with a newly installed woodburner, (she enlarged the fireplace and taught herself how to lime plaster to help install this, bravo!), and her style is very boho. Lots of indian/ethnic furniture, kilims, fabulous battered leather armchairs and artefacts. The room is skinny with a low ceiling, and not much natural light, so it ends up like a tunnel with dead space at either end.

There are two very long alcoves either side of the fireplace, and one is very underused – in fact it is crying out for something more. So I suggested some sort of storage combination so she can get all of her stuff like LP’s, DVD’s, books etc into one dedicated place. Budget is an issue, and we always like to get creative and avoid shelling out a fortune where possible. So I came up with an idea for an IKEA hack that we will be making this week. Here are some very fuzzy images of the room and alcove, apologies for the quality!

Using an extended KALLAX as a central piece and two Billy bookcases either side, plus wood mouldings to revamp the front areas and to create some grandeur, we should be able to come up with a lovely break-front bookcase that will store a huge amount of things, fingers crossed! As the room has generally dark furniture we are going to use white Ikea units, but paint the backs of the shelves in a dark grey to highlight whatever ends up on the shelves. We will also paint everything else in white once the mouldings are attached.

The KALLAX units comes with great square baskets available made in rattan and palm leaves, so in some shelves clutter can be hidden in these.

SHOPPING LIST:

So here are the basics we will be buying:

Two skinny Billy Bookcases

One central Kallax unit

One Kallax to add on top of the fiest one for the central section

Mouldings will be detailed with vertical rises like this:

FlutedTrim

And the top pediment moulding like this:

mW1Ad59d3WrJ0xl3SvBjucQ

The base will also have a small skirting added to finish off the piece:

wooden-floor-skirting-250x250

Continue reading →

Easter Flower Ideas

Decorating, Inspiration

These brilliant ideas come from Catriona Summerhill at Homes & Gardens.

DAINTY EGGCUP DISPLAYS

Hollowed-out eggshells make naturally beautiful containers for the smallest of flower arrangements. Selecting blue hen’s eggs adds a pretty touch to this simple idea, which requires just a few hallmarks of spring, such as delightfully scented lily of the valley and tiny sprigs of blossom. The diminutive displays can be used to brighten any corner or as a lovely addition to the place settings at your table. Choosing eggcups with an Easter theme will add to the charm.

STATEMENT PIECE

For those looking to bring character to their Easter celebrations, experiment by filling a vintage wire cage with a bed of moss, speckled quail’s eggs and a floral arrangement displayed in a ceramic bowl. This design can be easily customised with flowers to suit your decorating scheme, while the eggs can be replaced by chocolate ones for guests of all ages to enjoy.

POTTED EASTER BULBS

No special flower arranging skills are needed to create a display of fresh potted blooms, so children can be easily involved in the project. Planting up a selection of spring bulbs, such as muscari and anemones, in attractive pots is a great way to make the season come alive indoors. The pots can also be tied with ribbon and presented as Easter gifts.

SCULPTURAL DESIGN

For an eye-catching seasonal arrangement with a contemporary edge, glue stems of pussy willow around a plant pot and fill with a tightly packed assortment of coloured tulips so they are just visible above the top of the pot. To complete the display add thin branches of blossom, which will be held in place by the tulips, to give the arrangement height and introduce a modern, sculptural feel.

TABLE DECORATION

If you fancy bringing a touch of whimsy to the dining table, why not try this artful display using a selection of freshly cut garden flowers. Choose blooms in soft, complementary hues, such as pale pink roses, deep pink astrantia major, miniature white narcissi, vibrant green viburnum and black and white anemones. Trim the stalks so the flowers sit happily in a selection of pretty eggcups and tiny vases, then intersperse with stems of pussy willow and foil wrapped chocolate eggs. Water daily for a long-lasting centrepiece.

Great Bookshelf ideas

collecting, Inspiration

I saw this post on House & Garden and there are some great ideas for displaying books here:

Get organised: stylish bookshelf ideas

From brilliant bookshelves built into stairs to floor-to-ceiling libraries, these bookshelf ideas for living rooms, the study and beyond are just as inspiring as the tomes that fill them. Fancy creating a clever book nook of your own? We have bookshelf ideas for every room of your home, from fitted and floating bookshelves to corner bookshelves (and even colour-coded bookshelves). How novel…

Here are few examples but head over the H&G as there are lots more amazing photos for inspiration.