I’ve been back and forth to San Francisco a few times this week meeting with a client. She has a full home renovation in progress and now that the drywall is up and the walls are painted, we’re in the ‘picking-of-the-finishes’ phase of the design (my favorite!). We’ve been focused on the two bathrooms and for her hall bathroom we chose this porcelain tile for the floor and this vanity in charcoal and I’m so sooo excited to see it all coming together. I love a bold patterned floor tile paired with a modern vanity. I suggested this vanity and tile medley as an alternative, should she be feeling the love for a blue and white combo, but she preferred the above pairing.
I could do this for hours, combine bathroom vanities with bold patterned tile. I love making an statement in with bathroom flooring, it’s an opportunity to have some fun when the remainder of the home’s flooring is something more basic for flow. Just for fun: a few more tile and vanity combos that would look swell together:
black & white star tile / limed oak & granite vanity
brass & marble vanity / blue & white geometric tile
black & white paloma tile / driftwood vanity from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/patterned-tile-bathroom-vanity-combos/
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The more spaces I design, the more I’m convinced every room needs something in it that’s made of wood. It’s the texture and warmth of wood that gives a room depth and character and has become a necessary ingredient in my eyes. Over the weekend, I linked to a houseboat renovation that I love and on closer inspection I noticed the kitchen’s cabinet pulls were wood. A wood cabinet pull looks especially good on painted cabinetry when it’s tied in to the wood tones in the floor, countertop, or room accents. It struck me that wood cabinet pulls and knobs are a gorgeous alternative to metals and one I won’t overlook in the future.
Keep in mind most of these are available in both natural and walnut wood stain!
brass & wood / arc swirl / round beech knobs ellis walnut pull / walnut veneer / square x 2 knob / wood inlay moon pull / groove pull / silver walnut / bird’s eye maple lila knobs / danish semicircular arts & crafts pull / nordic triangle / half circle . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/wood-cabinet-pulls/ What is it about February that is so dreary? Ugh, I’m so over winter! We’ve had so much rain (and snow) which I admit is good for California but makes for miserable conditions. I stay positive by remembering people and nature need periods of dormancy for rest because spring is truly just around the corner. :) Hope you all are staying warm amidst these last few weeks of winter! Favorite links: Hello beautiful – this renovated houseboat in Australia. This may just be the prettiest butler’s pantry ever. Awesome DIY: this mountain scene made of wood. Not just for home, set priorities in your mind with the Marie Kondo method. Related: 17 quotes to inspire you to declutter your life. Sneak peek of a few scenes from the upcoming Downton Abbey film. New study: restrictive diets may shorten your life. Impressive questions to ask in a job interview. Long weekend getaways v. week long vacations, are they better?
Last week I spent a eight days on a whirlwind trip to Australia and the flight is a long one, it’s just under 15 hours from LA to Sydney! For international or long distance flights I have my routine down to maximize rest and comfort. For my fellow travelers, today I’m sharing the kit of supplies I carry with me whenever I’m off to see the world and visit a new country.
watercolor world map by art prints vicky I often take red eye flights and the plane flies through the night arriving in the morning in my new destination, so it’s key that I get as much rest and hydration as possible so I can acclimate quickly to the new time zone and hit the ground running. I recently bought this washable neck support pillow to test on my flight back and forth to Australia and I love it so much more than the standard moon shaped neck pillow I used to fly with. It provides much better neck support and it’s more compact. I wrap it around my neck and it also covers my chin and lower part of my face with the soft fleece so I can mummify myself together with silk eye mask and hoodie. Do not disturb! :) I always wear leggings and a cozy hoodie on a flight, I need my legs and arms to be totally covered and snuggly and I like to cover my head and ears with a hood to shield myself from air vents, lights, etc. This pink cardigan hoodie is my latest favorite for long journeys. I also take off my travel sneakers and swap them for foldable ballet flats for the duration of the flight.
These 7 ½” zip up travel bags are perfect for storing makeup, skin care, makeup brushes, vitamins, medications, etc. I keep them in my favorite carry on and then slip them into a travel backpack when I’m out exploring. I’ve noticed that my lower back hurts after a few hours on a flight so I love to have a lumbar pillow for my back and an extra one for leaning against if I have a window seat. These smaller size toddler pillowcases work well for travel if you borrow an airline pillow.
I love love love this travel sized hydramist it smells amazing and makes your skin feel so good after a long flight. I spray it all over when the plane is descending and it totally refreshes me! I also love these facial sprays, they are nice too. Coughing neighbors? Crying babies? I don’t worry about them because I pack foam earplugs and tune it all out! I know some people like noise canceling headphones but I don’t like wearing headphones while I sleep so I travel with just ear buds for music or podcasts and use foam ear plugs to eliminate noises when I’m catching zzzzs. Guys, this tea tree salve is the bomb! This balm feels great on your skin and smells soooo good, kind of like Vicks Vaporub but better. It lasts longer than a moisturizer and it’s not as greasy as oils. On the last day of my trip I picked up a cold, and this salve was so nice to have so I could rub all over my nose and face and hands for the journey home. Highly recommended!
In addition to all these things, I also pack antibacterial wipes for wiping down my tray table, armrests, and entertainment screen. I bring soothing cough drops for the dry air and a travel toothbrush to use in the bathroom when I land. And I always bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated on my flight and for taking with me in my travel backpack when I’m out and about. I know a few people who love compression socks for long flights but I haven’t tried them yet, have you? Another one of my petite friends swears by this foot sling for long flights, but I just prop my feet up on my carry on that I store under the seat. What’s in your kit for long distance flights? What tricks do you use to stay as comfortable as possible? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/long-distance-flight-necessities/ *This post brought to you in partnership with Lowe’s. One of the projects I’ve had on my to do list this year was a remodel of my fifteen year old daughter’s closet. It wasn’t functional at all, consisting of only one shelf and a rod below spanning the length of the closet. It’s been nagging at me for a long time because she needed a much more practical solution for clothing storage. When it comes to closet design, there are several styles to choose from, to suit my girl I envisioned something you’d see if you entered a cool clothing boutique. I found a set of storage towers and shelves at Lowe’s that would suit her needs just perfectly. Over the weekend, we remodeled the closet and I couldn’t be happier with the result!
My daughter’s bedroom closet is 80 inches wide by 8 ½ feet in height. Not too small, but not a walk-in either. When she was a little girl, I painted the back of it with pink and green stripes, so the closet needed repainted before the new shelves could be installed. To cover the stripes, my teen chose a pale shade of lavender, Sachet by Valspar.
The closet had only a tall shelf and rod, so not very practical for her lifestyle. Like so many teenagers, most of my daughter’s wardrobe consists of jeans, leggings, sweatshirts, and tops, with very few items that hang on hangers, so what she really needed was a lot more storage for folded clothes and less space for hanging garments.
To recreate this design you’ll need two closet towers and six extra shelves, two additional for each tower (the kit only comes with two) and two additional shelves to form the middle section. You’ll also need a rod and rod supports, also available at Lowe’s in their closet organization aisle. The towers aren’t difficult to assemble, the instructions are clear, but it does take time. I’ve got to give Matt credit, he was the one who assembled and installed these for our daughter. Job well done! The towers hang with a cleat system so once the hanger is secured to the wall (make sure you’ve secured them to a wall stud), the towers simply slide on and off the cleat.
One middle shelf is fixed, the other is adjustable. As previously mentioned, I added two additional shelves to each tower to maximize the ability to organize and stack folded clothing.
Also notice the two white hooks I added to the walls on each side, perfect for storing purses, bags, or hoodies.
The two middle shelves were secured with L brackets to the adjacent towers, and Matt cut a basic closet rod with rod supports so our daughter could hang dresses and tops.
I purchased four woven baskets to act like drawers and hold her socks, underwear, bras, and bathing suits.
To hide the interior, originally we were thinking of a curtain rod and curtains (like she had for years) but now I’m thinking no, it’s time to return to sliding doors, that way it doesn’t always have to look this neat. :) I’ll be shopping for new closet doors to hide the interior in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile I can rest assured at least there’s better practicality and some sense of organization happening in this space. These storage towers are such a great option for closets! They’re also available in gray and java wood stain if you’re looking to give your own bedroom closets a makeover with the same products with a different finish.
*This post brought to you in partnership with Lowe’s, all opinions are my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog! from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/teen-girl-closet-makeover/ It’s a wet week here in Northern California, we’re getting a ton of rain and snow so I’m hunkered down indoors and taking the opportunity to catch up on my to do list. I’m also finishing up the remodel of my teen daughter’s closet and will be sharing that soon! Behind the scenes I’m working on a really big project, it’s a new business venture that I’m so excited about but it will take a few months of dedicated effort to pull it off. Despite the mountains of work involved, I’m encouraged by this opportunity, and once it’s ready for public release, I’ll be announcing that too! Meanwhile, here’s just a few links spied around the web that I found inspiring this week:
A stunning home designed in black, white, and varied wood tones. Lovers of lots of white will crush on this Australian family home. What’s the right height? Some good examples of bathroom tile installations. Now this is one great looking RV, don’t you agree? My new favorite wallpaper, just need a place to install it! Amazing talent: this shadow dancer artwork. Results from not caring what others think of you. Have a great weekend friends! . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/weekend-reading-182/ I’m back from my whirlwind trip to Australia! Wow, what a fun time I had! It took me a full day to acclimate, reconnect with my family, and feel mostly normal, it’s quite a long journey. Today I’m back to work! Have you noticed the growing popularity of wall murals? They’re showing up everywhere in room reveals, they’re definitely trending and arguably the cooler version of the painted accent wall that was so popular in the 2000s. Creating a scene that spans the length and height of a full wall is nothing new, in fact it’s one of the most old school installations in design. Think of the painted frescos from centuries ago, intricate mosaic scenes in ancient cities, and wall murals that cities and towns use to capture and display their history. Paint and wallpaper are the most commonly used backdrops in interior design, but a wall mural does something different. It tells a story and sets the tone of a space. Murals can be serene, playful, exotic, or even visually transport the viewer to a different time. Of course one can always hire a local artist to make one’s vision come to life, or you can turn to any number of preprinted wall murals. These are a few of my favorites.
blue pines
What are your thoughts on wall murals? Are you a fan? . from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/trending-wall-murals/ Greetings from Down Under! I’ve been having such a fun time with my brother in Australia, I spent a few days in Sydney and now I’m in Burleigh in Queensland, visiting with my expat cousins. Today we’re vising a wildlife sanctuary then will hang out with Aussie friends watching the Superbowl, it’s becoming a thing here now! The thing I love about coming to Australia (this is my third visit) is meeing the people (always so kind) and discussing the similarities and differences between our countries, and also observing the cultural nuances, phrases, and perspectives. Do you find that to be your favorite thing about travel too? I’ll be home on Wednesday then back to work, meanwhile some favorite links spied around the web…. Love the shelving and open design in this black + white kitchen. Fascinated with these wool textile wall hangings. Things to do on a plane if you’re bored. Great tutorial on how to install cement tile flooring. How to overcome gym intimidation. A brave story of self love. What drawing an X says about your personality. from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/02/weekend-reading-181/ Piglet: “How do you spell love?” Winnie the Pooh: “You don’t spell it, you feel it” With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this is the perfect time to show your little ones how much you love them. Whether as a parent/guardian, carer or maybe even as a grandparent, whatever your relationship with your little ones, it’s always good to find a reason to shower them with love! I feel there is no better way to celebrate this than by decorating the home with some fabulous decorations for the occasion! As usual, I went directly to Party Pieces to find something special for those loved ones in your life! No matter the shape or size of your family, I’ve put together a few little ideas below that will help you create something they’ll love. It may be something simple and understated, such as creating a little display with some pinwheels, a love balloon and some cute hearts, or something to add an extra bit of sparkle such as the rose gold runner and shiny melon-shaped tealight holders, perfect when mixed in with a cute candle holder or sweetie dish! It doesn’t even have to be that big, a few chocolate hearts popped into an organza bag, then slipped into your little ones lunch box with a little note could make all the difference to their day. Perhaps you could include your little one(s) with the decorating? There’s no better way of helping them get excited for the day than letting them join in! How about letting them join in with creating a small family meal decorated with pink pinwheels, shiny balloons, and pretty banners? After all, it’s a day for showing everybody how much you love them, so everybody should be included! Valentines Day Sweetheart Bunting All you need is a packet of plain cupcake cases, some double-sided tape and a length of ribbon in a colour of your choice – For my crafts, I used gingham satin ribbon from my craft box. Firstly, count your chocolates and take one cupcake case per chocolate. Fold each of the paper cases in half and press out flat into a semi circle. Open and pop a length of the double-sided sticky tape inside – attach the ribbon to this then repeat at regular intervals until you have used up all the paper cases. Taking another small piece of sticky tape, place onto the back of each sweet wrapper then press onto the middle of each little “flag” of the bunting. Hang up somewhere sweet for your Valentine. <3 (Another simple and easy idea for your Valentine is to stick some of these sweet hearts onto the front of a homemade Valentines Card using some blutack to ensure a sweet treat for your Valentine – again an easy craft for little ones). I hope this helps you thinking about decorating a little corner of your home for your Valentine(s), and hope it helps you make their day complete, no matter their age! Wishing you a very Happy Valentines Day. X The post Valentines Day with your Little Ones appeared first on Party Pieces Blog & Inspiration. from https://blog.partypieces.co.uk/printables/valentines/valentines-day-with-your-little-ones/ A reader wrote to me a few weeks ago asking about furniture makeovers and my favorite paints for those projects since I used to do a lot of those. I haven’t done so many in the past years but I did turn to an old go-to easy fix product to refurbish a bench. I’ve used spray paint before to give an old piece of furniture a new look (remember this chest and these nightstands) and it’s been almost five years since I revisited this topic so I’m back today with a refresher. The steps are still the same, and I think the products and colors have gotten even better. There’s a 5 x 5’ corner of my studio’s kitchen that fits a small table and chairs where I eat lunch and where I share coffee breaks with friends and family that stop by to visit me during the day. I’d love to have a cushioned corner bench in here someday but for now I don’t have the time or cash to invest in that so for now I decided to simply refurbished an old bench that was sitting on my balcony collecting dust.
I like to use spray paint on smaller pieces of furniture or light fixtures because I know I can get a smooth finish without brush strokes if I follow certain steps. It’s how I got this bench with chipping paint to look new again in a beautiful shade of olive green. Here’s a peek at its condition before I started, notice lots of chipped paint!
You’ll want to sand any piece with chipped paint which is what I did here: I used a coarse sanding wedge then followed it up with my orbital sander where there were stubborn spots that needed more advanced smoothing.
All spray painting needs to be done in a well ventilated area, I prefer outdoors on a semi cloudy day when the temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees. You need a totally clean surface too because moisture or debris can cause cracking or bubbling of the surface. I hosed off the bench, wiped it down, and let it dry outdoors for a few hours before I began.
The key to spray painting is thin coats! I used two cans of Krylon’s Satin Italian Olive, a thin coat all over the first round, a second thin coat in the second round, and a third light touch up, allowing an hour of drying time between coats. The spray paint guns are something I consider totally necessary, they eliminate finger cramping and help you guide the paint along the furniture for a smooth application.
If you encounter a drip here or there, use your finger to wipe it and come back later to touch it up with another light layer of spray. One of my favorite tips, any oil based paint can be easily cleaned off your hands using vegetable oil! No mineral spirits needed. :)
For an even more detailed step-by-step on spray painting furniture, see this post from five years ago, it’s the same process!
Meanwhile I’ll just enjoy my *almost free* olive green bench in my cute little breakfast nook space. Wanna come over for coffee? :) from https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/01/easy-fix-spray-painting-furniture/ |
About MeHi I am Albin Adamski from Brynrefail, I am 32 years old. I always surf web for buying antiques for home decoration. Archives
April 2019
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