Jumat, 31 Juli 2009
And the winner is...
Kamis, 30 Juli 2009
Preening like a Peacock
Rabu, 29 Juli 2009
What to Give When Your Friend's Expecting
Selasa, 28 Juli 2009
Week Thirteen: Closing
Can't Decide Which Eyelet Curtains To Use?
If you can't decide which colour or pattern of curtains to use why not take inspiration from interior designers who are using the fashionable mix of bold colours and patterns to create striking interiors which have non-matching curtains!
The idea may seem rather bizarre, however with careful planning and incorporation of the same fabrics for cushions and using a mismatch of textures and patterns stunning trendy designs can look very effective in many styles of homes.
Using white as the wall colour and natural wood flooring gives you the opportunity to mix and match the colours of your soft furnishings. To make this style look effective opt for colours which compliment each other and are within the same colour hue range, otherwise it may simply look odd and unbalanced.
Use the same two colours as accent pieces is also a great way to bring the room a sense of cohesion and trendy chic elegance. Choose colours which inject vibrancy for maximum effect, along with a variation in furniture from different style trends.
The wide variety of colours and patterns of ready made eyelet curtains enables anyone to try this funky style within their home, not forgetting that if the curtains come in pairs you automatically have a replacement replica pair to use whilst the others are being laundered! Alternatively you can use the image image if you have a room with windows at opposite ends of the room.
I admire designers and people who dare to be different simply by using a new way to make their living space stand out from the crowd!
Image: Belle Maison
Senin, 27 Juli 2009
Discount {and Giveaway}: Inglenook Décor
Jumat, 24 Juli 2009
{New to Me} Dabney Lee at Home
And the winner is...
Contemporary Designer Recliners
Orbit Contemporary Designer Recliners
I am not usually a fan of recliners. The traditional overstuffed giant recliners tend to be a white elephant in a room. So needless to say I was very happy while researching seating for a media room to come across these contemporary well designed recliners by Darlings of Chelsea in the UK. They describe this recliner as: "One of their best selling recliners which reclines, swings, swivels and orbits to your desire"....and it claims to be "seriously comfortable".
Dakota Contemporary Designer Swivel Recliners
The mechanism for these contemporary designer recliners operates by leaning back on the chair and using your body weight to hold back.
What do you think?
Would you have one of these seriously fun contemporary designer recliners in your home?
Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
You Can Never Have Enough Storage, Seating or Cheap Cushions!
I always think that you can never have enough storage space, seating or cushions as such I embrace the idea of combining these with open arms!
Window seat are always a great idea in older styled houses where there is sufficient depth on the window sill to enable you sit or lean comfortably against a cushion, if they have built in storage so much the better!
Making use of space in today's modern homes has to be on many people's agendas. With house prices still very high in most parts of the UK, finding a home to enable you get your foot on the first rung of the house buying ladder is becoming increasingly difficult. The houses or apartments you may be able to afford are going to be the smaller ones, irrespective of their age.
However, restoring an old Victorian terrace or choosing the type of design you want in a more modern house is all part and parcel of transforming you living space into a place you can call home. Putting your individualism into each room can be fun and does not have to cost a fortune or look tacky!
For first time DIYers a great project would be to make additional seating for when you have guests and incorporating much needed storage. A simple box style construction made from MDF or ply would be suitable substantial to take people's weight and the top can be simply painted and have lots of cheap cushions placed for comfort, or the more adventurous may like to add a padded bench cover. This can be achieved by buying a block of foam, most suppliers will cut it to size for you, and either making a fabric cover which can be put on and off, in much the same way as a pillow slip, or simply drape it over and tucked in underneath!
Be inspired and make the most of the space you have!
Image: Alkemie
Kamis, 23 Juli 2009
In the Pink with Jamie Drake
Rabu, 22 Juli 2009
Thinking 'Outside Of The Box' Can Produce Stunning Interior Designs
Interior design is all about finding styles of décor and furniture that you like and are comfortable living with! You may wish to emulate designs, themes and topics which you see in magazines and blog posts as these can give you brilliant inspirational ideas!
Thinking outside of the box is a great way to have a unique perspective on the type of style you want. Be brave and add quirky touches will not only make your home very personalised it can also give you a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Up-cycling or recycling is a design trend which is becoming more and more in-vogue and whilst I don't want to harp on about the recession, finding treasures from junk and salvage yards and adding a lick of paint or altering them to compliment your own design flair can be immensely satisfying!
Take a chest of draws; an object which can be used in any room for storing anything you like, not just clothes and look equally as trendy in a all styles of both traditional and modern homes. Leave looking a bit shabby and worn if you like the shabby chic interior styles, add tie backs of assorted colours and you have a practical and very trendy piece of furniture!
Painting old furniture has also seen a revival in the last couple of years, which again allows your imagination to work over-time! Stencilling maybe somewhat outdated, however you could try your hand at decoupage or simply paint the piece in a vibrant gloss colour to compliment the rest of your décor.
'Old Parisian' is another design style which is similar to shabby chic! Paint furniture white and then distress the edges to give it an old worn look, use in combination with soft blue and the results can be stunning!
Image: A Life's Design
Selasa, 21 Juli 2009
LoftLife Magazine
For those of you who haven't checked out the magazine LoftLife Magazine - The Loft Style Guide to Life in the City, it is a must read. And I don't say that only because I am on their 'Board of Experts' - the Editors and Creative Directors at LoftLife Magazine are top notch. Their style and editorials are fresh, relevant and timely. Last fall Kyra Shapurji, Managing Editor and Linden Hass, Photo Editor of LoftLife Magazine paid me a visit at my office in Vancouver to firm up a feature they were doing on favourite shopping spots of mine and a few other Design Professionals in Vancouver. Linden Hass shot a few pictures of me and the drawing below is what resulted.
I love the illustrations for LoftLife Magazine done by the talented Graham Smith from San Diego. He illustrates the masthead and the Panel of Experts for LoftLife Magazine. This month LoftLife Magazine is going to be on national newsstands: Borders, Barnes and Noble, as well as Hudson News. So pick-up your copy and read their articles. In the current Summer 2009 issue of LoftLife Magazine I particularly like:
- LoftLife - Allure of Amsterdam: Dutch Design Beyond Droog. (I am lusting to visit Amsterdam)
- LoftLife - Paper or Plastic? (really gets you thinking and hopefully acting)
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
Win a Blissliving Home Pillow!
Senin, 20 Juli 2009
Vacation Part Two: Ireland
Jumat, 17 Juli 2009
Vacation Part 1: London
Kamis, 16 Juli 2009
Odi et Amo Discount: Emilia Ceramics
Beautiful, As Well As Chic Ready Made Curtains
For me ready made curtains really are the next best thing to sliced bread! They are so easy to hang and are available in incredible colour ways, designs, patterned and plain fabrics as well as being available in different sizes and weights of fabrics to suit each room of your house.
Used on their own they are effectively beautiful, team with a roller or Venetian blind and you have an instant window dressing which also offer privacy from prying eyes both day and night!
Selecting the style of window dressing is a fundamental part of achieving an overall sense of balance and cohesion to a room, irrespective of its size. If you are looking to add height to a room opt for curtains with a vertical pattern or stripe as these will automatically drawn the eye upwards.
Use light or neutral colours if you want a small room to appear larger and rich dark colours if your are after a more sensual or warm and cosy look.
The design trends of the year are focusing on using natural material with clean lines in modern and contemporary styled homes. Plain neutral colours with wide stripes or bands of contrasting materials such as faux suede or faux leather, across the top third of full length curtains offer a very chic and stylish look, more especially if they have eyelet headings as these can be simply hung on stylish curtains poles of either natural wood or in-vogue polished metal effects.
Be inspired by designs such as Harvard curtains which offer a trendy and non-fussy look to add a splash of colour to your window dressing or alternatively use sheer fabrics such a voile, silk or organza for a simply stunning window treatment.
Image: Charm Hill Interiors Blogspot
Rabu, 15 Juli 2009
Knock, knock...
Selasa, 14 Juli 2009
Valentino: The Last Emperor
Valentino: The Last Emperor
"What do women want? They want to be beautiful!"
This is the motto that Valentino has based his life on.
This weekend I went to see the movie Valentino: The Last Emperor for the second time. It has finally arrived in Vancouver. The first time I saw it I drove to Seattle because it wasn't out here yet. It is one of the few movies I have been to in my lifetime that everyone in the theatre clapped at the end. I was moved to tears as the great maestro Valentino took a bolt of his signature red fabric and started draping it over a live model, creating and sculpting the design for a new dress. He truly was the Master of Couture, a dying breed in the times we are living in. Valentino: The last Emperor is a documentary that was filmed over a two year period chronicling Valentino's life work. It is a must see, not only for the view into the life of a great Master of Couture but also for the great love story it is.
Valentino: The Last Emperor
Valentino's 5 Pugs who go everywhere with him. This picture is taken on his private jet.
Please let me know if you have seen the movie and what you think about it by leaving a comment.
Official Web-site for Valentino: The Last Emperor
A 56 minute Interview by Charlie Rose March 2009
Valentino: The Last Emperor Movie Trailer: Valentino: The Last Emperor
Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
And the winners are....
Boost Your Morale With The Colours Of Summer
The colours of summer are a great way to boost your morale and inject vibrant colours into your living space. Interior designers are going against the 'grain' and using clashes of colour with great effect!
Bright and airy rooms cannot help but make you smile and feel happy! As many people are feeling gloomy due to being made redundant or struggling to make ends meet, having vibrancy within your home is a great tonic to lift your mood and inspire you to try new ventures.
Whether that be a complete change in career or the decision to start your own business. Keep positive and there are many ways you can make the most of hidden talents you never even knew you had!
I'm not implying that everyone should become interiors designers, far from it, but whilst you have time on your hands it is the ideal opportunity to get round to finishing all of those niggling little decorating touches you never quite got round to completing!
You could simply move your furniture round to give a completely new and refreshed look to you home, add cheap cushions and throws in beautiful colours which bring touches of different colours into your home. Think of stripes which may in some ways remind you of circuses, seaside fun and gorgeous colours of natural flowers which are prolific in many gardens at this time of the year and have these as easy to hang tab top curtains or in a rug.
Open the windows and let the smell of the rain or freshly mown lawns fill your home with natural cleanliness may be just the pick up you need!
Image: Belle Masion23
Sabtu, 11 Juli 2009
There's still time to win!
Times, Trends And People's Perceptions Have Changed – Thank Goodness!
Times are difficult for many people, from all walks of life and in a variety of different ways as the credit crunch is making life pretty bleak for some, whilst others are struggling to hang to their jobs or working in places they would rather not be.
As such, finding peace and tranquillity at home is essential, irrespective of how old you are, whether you live on your own or have a partner. Homes are what you make them and whilst spare cash may be sparse there are some great ways you can add some great style to your home without it breaking the bank.
If you can't afford or simply opt to only have one curtain as your window dressing, you have different ways you can choose to let the light in, which is a great way to add quirky yet practical fun to your living space!
Sweep it back to the right or left of the window, depending on where the most light is coming from and how much heat you want to let the sun bring you and hold in place with tie backs or simply gather it together in the centre and hold in place with a length of ribbon or contrasting fabric.
You don't even have to have wall to wall carpeting any longer, as plain floors with rugs are more in-vogue than the latter, and where in the past those who couldn't afford fitted carpets where considered by some to be those less well off, roles have reversed and in today's world plain and simple is definitely hip and chic!
Image: Vintage + Chic
Jumat, 10 Juli 2009
Optimum Optimorum 4: Mirrors
Rabu, 08 Juli 2009
Rammed Earth Walls
Rammed Earth Walls
I recently returned from a road trip through the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is the home to a budding Wine Industry. I was pleasantly surprised with our stop in Osoyoss to visit The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort. NK’MIP Winery Resort is a four-season aboriginal tourism resort destination that features deluxe accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre and full-service spa.
It was a feast for my eyes to view the walls of the Cultural Center from the parking lot at Nk'Mip Winery. I was struck by the beauty of this facade that looked like a giant slab of the most sumptuous marble. On closer inspection and inquiry I was informed it was built with "Rammed Earth Walls".
Rammed Earth Walls at Nk'Mip Winery and Resort also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé
(above left) Notice how thick these walls of rammed earth are - approximately 20% thicker than standard concrete walls. (above right) The rammed earth walls are formed in layers of approximately 6" thick , which gives the walls a beautiful horizontal variegation resembling quarried marble.
Rammed Earth, also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a type of construction material. Pisé de terre (rammed earth) walls are an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and more natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth walls or pisé de terre walls buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.
The basic recipe for rammed earth walls starts and ends with plain old dirt.
RECIPE FOR RAMMED EARTH WALLS - Soil about 5 litres Water - Water about half a litre - Cement 10 percent - Pigment 1 percent (about 1 tablespoon)
The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth walls is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired height of the rammed earth walls is achieved. Forms can be stripped off as soon as the form above is begun, as the compressed rammed earth walls are self-supporting immediately. Most builders of rammed earth walls use pneumatic rammers to compact the earth within the forms.
Deep inset Window detail in Rammed Earth Walls Nk'Mip Winery. My Dad and me.
Some interesting facts about Rammed Earth Walls and Rammed Earth Walls Construction:
- Rammed earth walls are 20 percent thicker than most concrete walls so it is better insulating against heat and cold.
- Rammed earth walls improve Indoor Air Quality because of the simple finish of exposed rammed earth walls have no toxic finishes.
- Rammed earth walls are so solid that they boast superb acoustics and rank with the best in terms of fire resistance.
- Because rammed earth walls don't rely on wood the structure will never rot, nor will it be host to carpenter ants or termites.
- Rammed earth walls evolved in hot dry climates, where wood is too rare and precious to be used as a building material.
- Rammed earth walls have been the standard in house construction in Southern Europe and the Middle East since biblical times.
- None other than the Great Wall of China, or at least most of it was built of rammed earth wall construction.
- Does anyone know why it is called Rammed Earth Walls?
Great Wall of China - Rammed Earth Walls construction
Rammed Earth Walls
Rammed Earth Walls Construction in Residential Bathroom with a Stump window
which was made from the base of a tree that was growing on the house site.
Rammed Earth Walls
Iron oxide layers have been added to these rammed earth walls in sedimentary layers with inset of abalone.
Above 2 photos or rammed earth walls Terra Firma
Rammed Earth Walls 
The Rammed Earth House Walls Book available at Amazon
Details the construction of building homes with Rammed Earth Walls construction technique.
Additional Resources on Rammed Earth Walls Construction Wikipedia Rammed Earth Walls Construction Terra Firma Rammed Earth Walls Builder / Why Rammed Earth Walls in Construction? Walls of Rammed Earth Rammed Earth Walls DIY Rammed Earth Walls Construction Nk'Mip Winery and Resort, Rammed Earth Walls Cultural Center Rammed Earth Walls Construction Diagram You Tube Rammed Earth Walls Video Images Rammed Earth Walls
Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design, architecture, and travel,
as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
Optimum Optimorum 3: Accent Tables
Natural Colour Variations Are Mesmerising!
There is something mesmerising about this room, I'm not sure whether the aspects of symmetry or the juxtaposition of the way the objects have been arranged.
In a way this rooms creates both harmony and cohesion with the identical mirrored windows with the sheer voiles placed three quarters of the way up to the height of the tab top curtains, the positioning of the mirrors which in turn extends the length and symmetry of the room or the chairs which almost appear to be standing guard over the room, daring you to step beyond into the more personal space in front of the fire place.
It some ways it is confusing to look at, whilst in another it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. What I do love are the natural colours used along with the subtle injections of green, another very natural colour.
A clever room design which one would feel somehow 'not quite at home with'!
Inspiring? Yes, definitely.
Suitable for all homes and people, definitely not!
It would be the ideal and in some ways quintessential country manor style home, which although many people may aspire to living in, as it depicts such a peaceful, tranquil setting, it reality it is not the 'average' person's home interior design style.
It has the personal touches in the choice of objects placed on the mantle piece and a tempting bowl of apples, which I would be 'scared' to take and eat and for the apples are not for eating, purely to add to the natural green into the room!
So why did I select this room?...because it fascinates me in a strange and wonderful way, which is the whole point of good interior designs, it makes you want to keep looking!
Image: Desire To Inspire
Senin, 06 Juli 2009
Optimum Optimorum 2: Table Lamps
Kamis, 02 Juli 2009
Optimum Optimorum 1: Dining Chairs
Rabu, 01 Juli 2009
Vacation and Prizes
Breakfast Room Inspirations
Modern Kitchen Design & Decorating
Modern Kitchen Design & Decorating
Elegant wood kitchen design
Modern Mobile Kitchen Concept
Modern Mobile Kitchen Concept
Modern Mobile Kitchen Concept
Modern Kitchen Design & Decorating
Modern Kitchen Design & Decorating
Elegant wood kitchen design
Modern Mobile Kitchen Concept
Modern Mobile Kitchen Concept
