Freedom Styling

Here is a little styling incorporating items from the new Freedom Collection! This theme compliments the family home I am working on at the moment. 

I find the overall feel to be warm, friendly and inviting. What do you think?  I think it needs an accent colour? Maybe a brighter rug! What would you add?

Elle x

Jump over to the Facebook Page for more design inspiration!

STYLE + design + function

What do you do in your down time? 

I can't help but design... and then redesign!

What style best represents you?

Elle x

10 perfect bedside tables

I got a little over-excited and ended up with more than 10...

We all know how exciting it is to find a new home for an item that has been in the corner of the room for as long as you can remember. I have been thinking recently of all the different objects I can use as my bedside table (currently its a pile of Belle magazines!)

The bedside table solutions below show you when it comes to the bedroom storage, no rules apply. Be it an old chair or chest of drawers, classic or retro furniture, a bedside table can be a focal point to your bedroom, or rather contribute to an ongoing theme. It is a great way to add a little bit of colour and express your personality and sense of style.

Here are a few images to get you thinking of how you can make your bedside table more exciting..

My choice is a tree stump in all its natural glory!

Grand Drum in Yellow from Matt Blatt

Wooden Nesting Table by Citta Design

Teca 4 Hole Stool by Globe West

Boracay Hourglass Stool by Globe West

Art School Bedside Table in Natural by Freedom

Do you have any other fun ideas of items that could be used as a bedside table?

Enjoy, Elle x

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-bedside-tables-that-arent-r-138033

http://www.homelife.com.au/shopping/galleries/10+of+the+best+bedside+tables+,20689?pos=6#top

Bedroom on a budget

As requested by one of our first readers, this post is directed towards students who are attempting to design on a budget.

 

What’s the most expensive thing in a bedroom? Right, it’s bed and any furniture you are willing to have there. While you can’t really do it without bed, you sure can without any additional furniture. So let’s start with the essential part of the bedroom, which is bed. It doesn’t have to be expensive or big if you are living alone. Go with smaller modest beds like the one in the picture below. It will save you a bit money for the rest of your decor.



As for other furniture in the room, think about what you really need and what you really don’t need, if you plan to buy some chairs just for the bedroom but do not plan to use them, then what’s the point? A minimalist approach doesn’t take away from the bedroom’s decor if it is done right. Having said that, having a single chair in the corner of a room is a cheap and effective feature for the space.

Use bold colours to brighten up the rooms and artwork with similar colours to create unison. Do not under estimate the power of paint. Repainting your space white will invite more natural light while also providing a blank canvas. 

If your are, however, more into neutral and calm colour schemes go with floral patterned wallpaper in neutral tones. It will not only enrich your bedroom but will also give it a warmer look. Of course, wallpaper is more expensive than certain paints both in terms of price and installation but in the long-run quality wallpaper can serve you for a long period of time.



The pops of colour in this space all work well as they are within the same yellow tones but don't go out a purchase anything that catches your eye. Your space should be built up over time by items you enjoy and have meaning.

Even if you want a calm bedroom be sure to add accents in deeper shades here and there in order to make it look stylish and finished. Get everything out except the most essential parts of the room like bed and a night table or lamp. Thus you can make the smallest room in the house a stylish minimalist room for rest and lounge where nothing will distract you from sleep.



Don't be afraid to try a little DIY. It is cheap, easy and enjoyable to rummage through garage sales and turn old mirrors, frame or wooden pieces into something spectacular.


 

The bed linen you chose should represent who you are as a person. You might think this sounds a little strange but you should not be purchasing something that you don't love. If you aren't quite sure at to what that is at this stage stick with neutral colours. Don't under estimate white linen for starters. But it can always be brought to life with fantastic cushions. See my post on cushions here.

 

Lighting is what finishes a space off, it is a mood changer. Don't be afraid of doing something a little different. See my post on industrial lighting. 

 

Elle x

 

 

 

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Images via Interholic

Styling Tips

1. Be confident mixing up textures: Glossy, matt, mirror and timber add more interest and balance to your scheme.

2. Natural, organic finishes provide the bones for a classic interior, whilst the seasonal brights add a changeable layer. (Especially if you change your mind as often as I do!)

3. New neutrals- Turn everyday into out of the ordinary by using a strong new neutral wall colour. Warm greys are always interesting backdrop. (And by now you all know how much I love my greys!)

4. Don't be afraid of mixing iconic design pieces from different eras to express your unique sense of style. For example; wooden floors, Persian rugs and modern glass tables.

5. Investing in a beautiful piece of art can change the mood of a room and provide a great source of colour inspiration for the rest of your scheme. Art and cushions is where I generally employ colour, it's bold, changeable and refreshing.

x E

great style for less

via Cush&Nooks

Today I finally went into a store nearby that I have been window shopping for months! What a fun shop! It is called 'The Market Collection' and is based on Bondi Beach. You can find them online here. More on them this afternoon, make sure you stop by the Design, Form & Function FB page!

I love the fact that you can still achieve a stylish home without spending crazy amounts of money, if you just think creatively. And this home is a perfect example of that. It's the home of Hilary Robertson, Alastair McCowan, and their son Gus. The family moved from England to New York for Alastair's work. With the high cost of living, the couple used their unique skill set to furnish their new home.

Hilary is an interiors stylist, and Alastair has a talent for rehabilitating all sorts of unloved items, turning them into works of art. While working for Canvas, a line of furniture by Ochre, Hilary asked to be paid with a Chesterfield sofa instead of cash. Weekends were spent scouring antique stores looking for bargains. Alastair bought a trash can for $2 from the Brooklyn Flea, spray painted it and turned it into a wire chandelier for the living room.

Ersatz "French" chairs ($50 for the pair from an antique show) with a few coats of gray paint, 

a layer of shoe polish, and muslin loosely stapled to the seats and backs.

Behind the doors a red metal trunk picked up from an antique store for $40.

The Chesterfield sofa that Hilary got paid instead of cash; the pool measuring board was $40 

at an antiques centre; a leather pouf that has been shredded by the cats hides under a throw; 

and Alastair's wire light shade looks fantastic.

Hilary buys industrial metal bases and marries them with marble tops for her store.

Antique mirrors collected by Alastair line the mantel piece.

This table was a steal marked down from $3000 to $350, and the chairs came from the Antique Garage.

The nightstands were brought over from England and Hilary has outlined them in chalkboard paint 

to give them some definition, and tie in with the black lamps.

The window cut-outs were display objects that Hilary bought from West Elm for $50.

Antique dressing mirrors and plaster friezes collected by Alastair.

The mirror dressing table was $150 at Brimfield.

Hilary found this mannequin at a stoop sale in her neighbourhood.

Alastair embraced the darker bottom floor of the apartment and painted it with chalkboard paint. Everything pops against it including the orange chalk flames.

Hilary has since opened her own vintage store, Mrs Robertson, featuring furniture and accessories she collects for life and work.

You can shop online at Cush&Nooks here.

summer living

It's almost here (somedays) & gone the next... but, summer is coming!

I love the soft colour palette and subtle patterns of this Summer house in Sweden. It is so warm and welcoming and the contrast of the last home we posted in style and theme.

 Created by Andreas and Amelia Lönngren Widell

Images and source via http://www.79ideas.org/2012/07/summer-house-in-sweden.html

Colour + Style + Summer

I wasn't intending to blog this today, but I just couldn't resist posting it when I saw it. It is perfect for summer and love the combination of brave colours and prints they have combined together!

This is a beach house designed by Mona Ross Berman that I discovered over at a the lovely blog House of fifty. The colours, design and the fact its a beach house makes me long for even more. Maybe it´s the longs days I am behind my desk at the office that i need some time out. I do not want to bother you with my thoughts, I am thanking god that I have a very successful business here in Spain, even if I can´t speak for everyone here in Spain, but I am also making long days here, to make sure everything goes and stays well. I am going to print these images and hang them near my desk. I have a pinboard with all things I want to set as a goal and reach in my life. If you visualize them and work hard for it, you can realize it. 

Even the goyard bag is a part in the decoration

How about that view? I can see myself having breakfast eating cereals...

love

Mr.

Father's day is just around the corner so I thought I would put together some great pieces for the home to suit the male personality & then a little something from the professionals. Enjoy!

Two Toronto designers transform their century-old townhouse into a stylish masculine retreat.

Malcolm Patterson and Rodney Smith know a thing or two about style. As design afficionados who work with private clients, dress windows for top retailers and contribute their expertise to TV shows (you can see Malcolm's work on HGTV's Pure Design, hosted by Style at Home contributing design editor Samantha Pynn), these guys have the inside scoop on where to shop and how to pull it all together. They've embraced their own open-concept small space and created a mood of high style while maintaining the comforts of home. Carefully pairing luxe elements with some real deals from the local antique market brings an eclectic feel to their space.

Everyone needs a chair when putting on boots or shoes. Malcolm and Rodney were drawn to the humour in this artwork. Viewed up close, the oversize piece is pointilistic; it's only when you stand back that the image reveals itself.

Graphic lines and strong accents give a small space big presence. The vintage chair was an antique-market find. It took homeowners Rodney and Malcolm about 5 years to find the right fabric to re-cover it.

The cabinetry blends into the exposed brick, making the space look less like a kitchen and more like an entertaining hot spot that flows with the rest of the home. "The mirror just ended up there when we moved in," says Rodney. But it tricks the eye by visually expanding the small space.

Create balanced tension with a mix of soft and hard lines. For sculptural interest, the oval table is paired with the iconic Cord Chair, designed by Canadian Jacques Guillon in 1953. Custom drapery and layered rugs add comfort and warmth.

"Our bathroom is so big you could park a Mini in it!" says Malcolm. The vanity, a repurposed stereo cabinet found at an antique sale, provides storage and is a great conversation piece. Sculptural sago palms make a style statement.

Dark enveloping walls -- perfect for cocooning in a basement -- and oversize lamps frame the teak bed, topped with a blue Hermes throw for a luxe touch. Glowing cubes add form and function: they're both bedside tables and lighting.

Rodney Smith (left) and Malcolm Patterson share their small space secrets.

Style at Home: What's your design philosophy?

Malcolm Never compromise; keep hunting until you find the perfect item. Stick with classic, timeless looks.

S@H: How do you set the mood?

Malcolm We make sure our home feels calm, warm and inviting. We insist on putting dimmer switches on everything.

S@H: How do you maximize space when entertaining?

Rodney We use the kitchen island as a bar, which frees up the dining table for eating. If we have more than six people over, the dining table becomes the hors d'oeuvres table. The trick is keeping the flow going.

S@H: What do you tell clients who live in a small space?

Malcolm You don't need to buy small things. A larger sofa will carry your eye farther, giving the illusion of a bigger space. The same goes for drapery. Don't just cover the window -- do the entire wall.

http://www.styleathome.com/homes/small-spaces/small-space-interior-masculine-chic/a/29968/8

http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/furnishings/marble-coffee-table-match-off/

http://interiorshowoff.com/2011/05/unique-design-elegant-curving-leather-chair-by-verpan/ib_s_basic_copyright-2/

http://wuoohniture.com/classic-brown-leather-plywood-lounge-christmas-single-chair-design/modern-classic-single-chair-sleeper-design

http://dornob.com/cutting-rugs-creatively-shaped-area-carpet-designs/?ref=search

http://www.amara.co.uk/blog/top-valentines-gifts-for-him/

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?start=153&um=1&hl=en&biw=1163&bih=650&tbm=isch&tbnid=M0WWaA8ZJzuMDM:&imgrefurl=http://www.buy.com/th/sofa-sectional-set.html&imgurl=http://ak.buy.com/PI/0/1000/233880999.jpg&w=1000&h=1000&ei=muo7UJicGMiUiAepy4HwBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=117&vpy=314&dur=751&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=128&ty=165&sig=114518638122943269562&page=8&tbnh=139&tbnw=139&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:153,i:247

http://www.likecool.com/cate-Home-53.html