CRAFTY SATURDAY

 Filipa has finally decided to dip her hands into paint and

realize some of her ideas.

I wasn't doing anything, just assisting:

talking her into putting on some old clothes, instead of working in a new Zara dress,

sanding the furniture, bringing the brushes, covering the floor with the newspapers, 

washing the brushes, cleaning afterwards....
But I must say I am very happy with the final result!

The coffee table is being done, too.

 The only contribution to this project from TEA was

BORN THIS WAY scribble on the card box.

restaurant-la-corde-a-linge-strasbourg

More about this wonderful restaurant  HERE, HERE, and   HERE.

I learned about this great interior HERE.

SPRING FACELIFT

·  Clean your home. It's usually the single best way to improve your environment, and it costs nothing. Plus, even a new sofa won't fix a dirty house.

·  Get rid of something. It's free and free-ing. The bonus? Helping your apartment lose weight is a lot easier than dieting.

·  Lay off the shelter porn. Just as ads make it seem like everyone's a beautiful underweight 21-year-old, shelter mags and blogs (yes, us too) often feature beautiful homes that can make your own space seem like it doesn't measure up. Work on learning to love your home for what it is.

·  Paint. Nothing perks up a room like a fresh coat of paint, and the right color can offset things you already own, elevating your whole apartment to a new level.

·  Rearrange your furniture. It's a really effective way to change your outlook on your home, it's free, and it gives you a good workout.

·  Upgrade something. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to buy something new - you can revive an old piece of furniture with a coat of paint, reupholster a chair, or make a slipcover for something.

·  Fix something. You know that drippy faucet, torn window screen, or broken doorknob? You'll feel better once it works again.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

THIS JAPANESE SIMPLICITY IS SO SOOTHING.

Via here

Sometimes I feel..


I think I'm turning Japanese

MY FUTURE HOUSE

My future house  will be an outstanding, unusual, modern building 

made of glass, wood, stone, bricks, clay and some other modern materials.

 No plastic. No swimming pool.

If possible, not squashed between two houses.

It will have a tiny garden at the back, wooden fence, clay flower pots and a wooden patio with some deckchairs.

Sofas should have a lot of comfy and soft cushions. NO dogs.

It should have A LOT OF LIGHT!!! Curtains unnecessary if there is a nice view. Blindes - yes. 

Some built in shelves wherever possible.

 Loggia

Unusual, hidden balconies. Wooden birch or maple floors, at least in bedrooms.

Slide panel doors. Rectangular lines. Roller wheels on all furniture. More wood.

Hidden, practical storage for everything.

Long/wide worksurfaces.

Combination of white color, wood and grey steel. Red and black details.

Hidden spaces and little nooks. Concrete and wooden floors. Electric cords instead of lamps.

Very simple staircase with some storage underneath.

Some unexpected elements.

Direct access to the garden from living room and kitchen.

And again, wood and white color.

CUSTOM MADE FURNITURE...

All of this. White and light.

Loggia, again.

Fancy looking front door with a glass window next to it. A bench near the door, to put down shopping bags while looking for my keys.

The architect who will design my house is DAVID HERTZ.

Any help from THENOVOGRATZ would be appreciated.

To be continued......

Pictures Via here

Some days I dream of downsizing our mini McMansion to a smaller, hipper, edgier, totally cool place.  Something that looks like it was decorated by Sixx Designs and very worthy of Venice Beach or Napa.  We'd wear vintage tees, host weekly wine parties, and do our morning yoga outside on our open air patio.
Then other days I just want a small, quaint apartment on a side street in Florence, Italy, where I can sit on my antique chaises drinking espresso every morning and have date-nights of fresh pasta at the corner restaurant each evening.  We would definitely be regulars at the Uffizi. 

Others days find me dreaming of an island house with all white floors, white comfy furniture, and bursts of color in very unexpected places.  We would live in flip flops, untucked clothes, and always smell of coconut oil.

My dream always involves one happy thought--my sweet family would still by my side helping me to make new adventures, and helping to make music and laughter the source of our entertainment.
And my dream always involves one panic attack--what would I do with all my stuff?  


Above text Via here