Homes decorated with Antiques

Antiques lend so much character to a room..........imagine an all white room and then one rusted old peeling paint trunk in the middle as a coffee table. So many questions around this trunk..........who did it belong to, how old is it, what did it store, did it travel the world. These are things we ask ourselves about our own growing antique collection at home. 

So it was only natural that my decorating style incorporate antiques in the scheme of things. This particular home decorated by stylist Kara Rosenlund captured my attention due to its calm palette and sprinkling of tasteful antiques. 

Today vintage pieces can be found at garage sales and flea markets, and therefore it does not cost a bomb to incorporate them into your decor. These pics will surely inspire you to try them out.

Love the slatted doors used as a backdrop

Kara sells antiques from her travelling shop out of a renovated camper. See the pics on her blog.http://www.kararosenlund.com/

Sisal and fur !!

Who would put an oil painting in their kitchen? I would !! and Kara !!

Kara is a master of Vignettes and actually runs classes in Australia

That Rug..............it is such an unexpected option yet works so well that table.

That turtle shell !!! We had seen one some months ago and hesitated on buying it - our loss !! 

See more pics of this gorgeous home here. All pics via Design Chic.

Happy 2015 Y'All

The first day of the year and have I got news for you ! My husband's company Wilde North Interiors has expanded from Design & Build services to Interior Decorating services too and I will be collaborating with him on that aspect. It was an organic growth for the company - one he has worked really hard on for the last three years - honestly I have not seen a man work more harder or more passionately than him. I, having lived in 14 homes (across 6 countries) was adept at styling homes and so there we were working together on our first Living Room Styling gig last week right after we made the announcement to our customers. Our minds kinda work at the same level on design and I find we are very much in sync when talking shop that I think maybe this is what I am meant to do. 

I will continue to run Sparrow Lyn and try my hardest to produce Art as often as possible but this will also be a big part of 2015. I like being busy and this might just keep me fulfilled. 

This word "FULFILLED" I seem to be using it so often. Are you fulfilled in life?? Is this something you ask yourself? I sincerely hope you are fulfilled or on your way to being fulfilled. 

Its a new year - anything is possible. Wishing each of you a very Happy New Year ! Make it Shine !!

Styling and shooting for a soon-to-be revealed blog post I am doing for Wilde North Interiors

Dried Hydrangeas from my garden

All my decor items lined up for the shoot.......love the colors

Gilded Ram horns

We are really into antlers and already own a pair which hangs in our bedroom that we picked up at a garage sales (gotta love garage sales!). But then I saw this and started pining for it - seriously how good will it look in the middle of a coffee table sitting atop 3 coffee table books............gorjuss I say...............just gorjuss! 

(cannot remember from which blog)

Formal Gardens

This entire summer we have gone back and forth on the plan for the backyard but work has kept us too busy to get started. It's looking like a project for 2012 which is just as well as we have so many ideas for that space. It started with a cabana for the husband and me, then a back deck, then a vegetable garden, on deck fire place.....and several other cool ideas. Yes its what we love discussing.......ideas for creating magical spaces!

I tend to lead toward formal gardens i.e. lots of symmetry, rows and rows, identical plants, tall trees....very French. While this is all in my head I have no idea on how to get it started. It's a good thing it has been delayed to next year as it gives me time to figure it out. Until then I am saving these images for my research bank

Seriously! I cannot get my backyard started and this is on a rooftop?!?!!!

Love the Church in the background 

I say it again....its all about the symmetry 

Courtney Cox's Private Retreat in Elle Decor

I fell in love with Courtney Cox's home and bought the Elle Decor magazine yesterday just so I could pour over every room. What I loved the most was the 'grey' palette used all over and the outdoor decks just blew me away.

The coffee table is made of composite wood and the husband is going to make us one for when our back deck  is ready.  Don't you just love the greys and whites.......so calming.........and the glass wall............so clean. 

This is like deck porn! I mean seriously....can you imagine the view from this place! 

...the concrete table...........love the different zones she has created within a small space...

the black iron edging around the doors and windows......

again the greys and whites.......

You can read the whole feature here on Elle Decor on line.

Inspiration Board - part 2

As I mentioned in an earlier post I was looking for a gold frame to make myself an inspiration board. Found this gorgeous frame in a liquidation store for $6/- and love it's big size. I even love the pic in it, such a pity I will have to discard it. Now just to find the fabric for the inside............definitely something grey. 

Inspiration board

Via the Eclecchicc  Blog

Now that the studio is complete (thanks to the dear hubby) I have been perusing ideas for my inspiration board. I had one earlier but it was just a big piece of foam board that I pinned things on. This time round I want something pretty - where the board itself is a statement piece...............quite like this one featured on the Eclecchic blog. Love the gold trim and the wood carving on top. I might go with a burlap or cream cotton canvas background cover as opposed to printed fabric. Nice no!

A Romantic Loft In Paris With The Spirit Of The Eighteenth Century

Our living room is finally painted white and trimmed with crown molding, high baseboards and golden oak floorboards. The decor I want to keep a mix of French and Industrial. My inspiration is the beautiful loft featured below with just the right blend of both styles.............drooling right now...........

the limed closet doors look gorgeous............

lovely blend of the metal industrial corner table against the gilded framed painting........

my favorite room of all.......everr single piece of furniture is swoon worthy...

such nice wall art........

Via The Essence of the good life blog

..............need a tissue to mop up the drool!!!

Lab Style Decor

Via the 'Oh Hello Friend: You Are Loved' blog

I used to love bright colors....spices...you know rust reds, coral, ochres but in the last 5 years my taste has completely changed and I want everything white, white, white! White floors, white ceilings, white walls and strong pieces of furniture that make a statement against the white. The kind of furniture I am drawn towards is laboratory style...metal tables, rack style shelving, rusted lamps, salvaged wood and anything that has an industrial look to it.

So my D has been working hard to grant me my wish. He has been breaking his back removing the popcorn from the living room ceiling (I don't know why he hasn't given up yet?), ripping up the carpet, then he will install new crown moldings & baseboards and finally will paint the hall a beautiful decorator's white. We are trying out the whites and while we tested Benjamin Moore's Decorators White in 5 patches we found it not as brilliant white as BM's Polar Bear.

Then the hunt for the furniture starts - this is my favorite part.....scouring antique stores and vintage malls for just the right pieces. The above pics kind of tell the look I am going for....only thing missing is my art. Watch this space for pics of the finished room!

Studio life

If I had a studio / loft space this is how it would look........love the greys, whites and lab hardware...the ladder is my favorite.

Pic via the lovely OH HELLO FRIEND blog 

Display your paintings

I have been contemplating how to make best use of the limited wall space at home to display my paintings. I love peeking into other artists homes and picked up this great idea via the design is mine blog. Since I am mostly doing 7x7 and 8x8 pieces this makes a nice setting. With this I can move the entire surface into the basement when not displaying the paintings and more importantly "No holes in the walls". I have a serious aversion to making holes in walls....am constantly asking D to put things up without knocking holes in the walls. He thinks I am crazy! I just don't want to damage a surface.........seems so wrong. Anyhow back to my display - you like?

(via design is mine)

D is going to build it for me....I like the frame around it - gives the paintings one singular border. Shelves allow me to interchange the paintings displaying the  more recent ones (the more I create the worse I think my older art is). This allows me to display my best work.

And did I tell you we are going all white in the living room.....its just the beginning of a wonderful new venture....watch this space.

It's complicated

What a delightful movie twas! Enjoyed watching the lovely Meryl Streep, Alex Baldwin and Steve Martin. But most of all I loved the hacienda style house that Meryl Streep lived in - the decor was absolutely something I would want in my home...every room was tastefully decorated from the cozy living room to the bedroom to the kitchen....I'm buying the DVD and plan to freeze frame and study every room even more. Please tell me there are others like me!