Isn’t this polka dot bathroom just to die for?
Look at all the reading material there on the shelves — now imagine slipping into the tub with a magazine and staying there until it reaches t-shirt weather. Perfection!
And how about that sink. At first glance, I actually thought it was another storage box, but no. Loving the way it’s framed by even more polka dots!
(via)
The whole empty frames thing has been much derided as lazy or ghetto or less-than-creative, but I still like it and think it can be a whole lot of fun if hung in something other than a grid. The look works especially well if you have some nice frames that will stand out on their on. Conversely, you can play around with frame orientation until you find art that you like that also fits into your budget.
Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, but I think that in this case more is more. The empty frames being so colorful doesn’t hurt one bit. (via)
This pic strikes me as belonging to the waiting-on-art camp. The perfect silhouette? Artwork scrawled on construction paper by tiny hands? The perfect print, perhaps? (via)
Empty frames framed by other frames? It’s a little odd, but all right. I like how the gold frames find a friend in the little lamp with the golden shade. (via)
You don’t need to go crazy, especially if your empty frames are larger and particularly striking, like these.
Of course, it’s not like you have to commit to keeping all your frames empty forever. Mixing empty frames and frames containing some kind of image is the moderate (and now quite popular) way to incorporate empty frames into decor. (via)
Raise your hand if you’ve had quite enough of winter, thankyouverymuch. If you’re not raising your hand I’ll have to assume it’s warm where you are, you’ve just gotten back from a long and warm vacation, or you can afford to keep your heat cranked all day and all night. None of these conditions apply to me and mine so I am ready for summertime to arrive, even if it means chilly (but not cold) blustery days and a glut of April showers before the truly warm weather shows up. Here are some pics of summery gardens that may help you last out the winter!
(photo by epSos.de)
(photo by Fr Antunes)
(photo by Margaret Anne Clarke)
(photo by Crinklecrankle.com)
When I first saw these numbered stairs at Restyled Home I was taken by them. It seemed like such a cute idea and a simple way to spruce up a stairwell. You’ll never again forget how many stairs it takes to reach your second floor, and you can teach your little ones their numbers every night before bed!
Adorable, no? But do you like it? Would you number your own stairs, either inside or outdoors?
As a DIY project it would be simple enough to do. Most of the how-tos I’ve seen suggest using paint and stencils, but you might just as easily use peel and stick house numbers or the sturdier metal house numbers that need to be affixed with nails.
You could even paint on a “runner” to frame your decorative numerals. After further consideration, I still like the idea, I just don’t know if I’m as ga-ga for it as I was. There’s a part of my mind telling me that I’d tire of numbered stairs after not too long a time.
I was all set to post about a cute little crafting project that lets you make a ‘please remove your shoes’ sign because, hey, no one wants beach sand or road sand tracked all over their floors. But as I was poking around the Intertubes wondering what else I could include to flesh things out a little, I happened upon a much radder DIY project that is as cool as the other was country-ish.
I won’t say this is an easy DIY Pacman couch project — think woodworking and upholstery shaping, not Mod Podge and a couple of minutes with a cordless drill. But for those with the time, energy, space, and materials money to give it a go, I say try it! Then (whether or not you’re successful) send me a link so I can feature it here, of course.
How adorable is all this stuff from Ninainvorm? She makes cute and colorful ceramics, screen prints, collages, and more, then sells them in her Etsy store way out in the Netherlands. Shipping is as expensive as you might imagine, but if your goal is to brighten up your environment, perhaps it’s worth it?
She says: “I make these name plates as a custom order for children and grown-up loved ones. I use the most beautiful vintage plates from my large vintage plate collection and then add screenprinted images & cut the letters of the name by hand out of colourful ceramic decal paper. Then the plates are fired in my kiln on a high temperature. The result is a unique, personal, sustainable and very cheerful plate.”
She says: “A beautiful medium-sized (contents: about 0.65 liter or 2/3 mugs) vintage 1960s design teapot, redecorated by me with my screenprinted lots of dots pattern in 6 colors. The vintage teapot is still in a very good condition, only some of the glazing on the handle feels a little bit rough, which isn’t something visible but you can feel it a little when you rub it with your fingers.”
She says: “Each set contains the six different postcards that you see on the pictures. In my other listings you can see detail pictures of the large prints that these postcards are the smaller version of.”
She says: “A beautiful medium-sized (about 7.5″”/18 cm diameter) vintage plate to which I added my screenprinted spirograph image. The plate is quite old, but still in a real good condition. This plate is fired on a high temperature and is therefore fit for daily use or to put it on a wall as wall art.”
As if you couldn’t guess, her life is just as colorful as her creations. See more at
her blog, which is well worth a visit!
Nothing new, patchwork furniture is often the purview of crafters with leftover fabric scraps and quilt-happy grannies. But is it chic? Can it ever be? Squint Limited thinks so and churns out colorful bespoke chesterfields, lampshade, and even dressers, all wrapped in a mix of contemporary and vintage fabrics. Oh, and period furniture styles that just pop when upholstered with bright, cheeky prints and bold colors.
Squint Limited’s pieces are made in England and upholstered traditionally, with tied springs and hand stitched seams. Each design is priced individually depending on the final mix of fabrics used, and a selection of sofa shapes can be made as bed settees. In other words, this ain’t your granny’s couch, and you’re going to pay more than she did for one. But, oh, aren’t they divine?
I grew up playing with two reddish-orange wooden horses, painted with colorful stylized tack, but not knowing what they were. A lucky click later, and here I am, remembering with fondness my dala horses. Known also as dalecarlian horses (or dalahäst in Swedish), these very pretty ponies entered into existence as toys for children, then became emblematic of Sweden. Whatever you want to call them, I think they’re absolutely lovely. Here are just a few examples of how your might integrate a dala horse into your family:
