Home for Living

Mar 31, 2012

POTTERY BARN DESIGNS FOR SPRING

Today I’m sharing something a bit different. If you have been reading my blog for the last few months, you know that I like “transitional”interiors and exteriors best. Sometimes, minimal traditional really excites me,as does minimal contemporary but I lean toward modern , “less is more”.

Well, I received the Pottery Barn catalog today (I didn’t request it, I prefer online everything), and there were pieces that I’d like to share with you. Try to close your eyes and envision the rooms with less clutter but many of the existing pieces.

So, let’s try to appreciate these photos with the understanding that every store tries to put way too much in every photo, (they sent it to us to buy), but the furniture, rugs and accessories may very well be worth viewing as individual pieces.

And remember, viewing lots of catalogs and home design blogs will give you great ideas for your home design.

First two Bedrooms:

Just imagine this bed with all white linens and no clutter on the nightstand or walls, one interesting piece of art, please.

This bedroom has character, great shutters and beams but too much stuff. Think white linens only and white shutters.

Living Rooms Next:

Remove the clutter on the table behind the couch, less clutter on coffee table and please not flowery pillows, in fact that couch doesn't need pillows, it's soft enough. But individually, great chairs and couch.

Love the couch and coffee table, but the walls are too too busy. And the pillows again distract from the couch.

Top right, that's a great piece! Remove the clutter and have one important piece on it and it would work in both a traditional or contemporary living room.

Great chair and couch but not together. And again imagine this room without clutter on walls and tables.

It's hard to find a great sectional, this one has clean lines, but the coffee table is just too small and busy. And, the clutter behind the couch is distracting.

Entry Hall:

Love the entry hall, but no one would use 3 area rugs. But sisal and jute area rugs are a 'good value' alternative.

Outdoors: Whether it's a patio, deck, pool view or lake view, here are some beautiful ideas:

Great chaise lounges, would improve any deck, and an umbrella is important!

Great 'old world' buffet for outdoor entertaining, could even be used indoors. (Again, just too much clutter).

Fabulous outdoor furniture, but remove all the knick knacks and pillows 'cause it's outdoors and the weather can damage them, and it's just too busy!

Another great outdoor couch for entertaining just imagine it without so many pillows and all the unnecessary 'stuff'.

Love this outdoor furniture and the setting, too bad about those green glass balls and those throw pillows.

Love the chaise lounges and the pillow selection.

Have questions? Just ask above. Or contact me at andrea.halleywright@gmail.com

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Mar 29, 2012

Introducing Typical Bathroom Indian

This is a photo of our bathroom. The bathroom is my least favorite room in the house. Despite the fact that I am quite used to it now, I was recently reminded by some visiting Americans as to why I dislike Indian bathrooms so much.

If you look carefully at the photo, you’ll most likely notice a number of things that aren’t common in American (or even Australian) bathrooms. The number one thing is the set up of the shower. Yes, that’s a shower head at the top of the photo (next to what is the hot water heater). And no, there isn’t a screen separating it from the toilet area.

That’s right folks, it’s a “wet” bathroom! The Americans were simply astounded by it. When taking a shower, the water goes all over the floor, the walls, and the toilet seat — then finally runs down a drain on the bathroom floor.

Now, there are a couple of other factors to take into consideration in this arrangement. Look again and you’ll notice a bucket in the bathroom. No Indian home is complete without at least one bucket and one small “mug” (there will usually be more).

Many Indians, my husband included, prefer to take a bucket bath rather than a shower. This involves filling a large bucket up with water and tipping it over oneself with the smaller mug. This method of bathing minimises the amount of water that goes everywhere. Generally, it will be restricted to the floor, rather than the toilet seat and walls as well. But despite this, there is no avoiding getting the bathroom floor covered in water. Hence, the need for the cleaning implements shown in the bathroom photo. Wiping down the floor is a constant activity.

I must admit, the first time I stayed in an Indian house with a “wet” bathroom (and just a tiny drain hole to one side), I had no idea how to go about using it. I couldn’t fathom getting the floor (and every other surface) wet. It’s just not the done thing where I come from. So, I filled a large bucket up with water, stood in it, and attempted to wash myself. Seriously. Then, I had no idea where to tip the dirty water. So, I left it there! Sad, but true.

The most troublesome thing about the “wet” bathroom is how dirty the floor becomes if water is left on it, and people walk though it when going to the toilet. What I’m really dismayed about, is that in almost every “wet” bathroom that I’ve encountered in India, the shower is positioned closest to the door and the toilet on the other side of it. This means that you certainly must walk across a wet floor to get to the toilet. I just can’t understand why the shower wouldn’t be located to the far side of the bathroom, and the toilet near the door. It would make the toilet more accessible. And keep most of the water away from the entrance. But, no.

So, I spend as little time as possible in the bathroom. I just do the bare necessities and get out. And I never feel very clean after being in there either! But still, at least the bathroom is functional.

DESIGNING YOUR EXTERIOR SPRING GARDEN

Spring is in the air and it’s time to plan your garden.

The exterior of your home is as important as the interior, and now with the warm weather coming, it’s time for appreciating the outdoors.

Whether your goal is to lounge, entertain, dine or simply escape, create your ideal outdoor space.

Create a green welcome with simple plant solutions. Fast-growing vines or flowering plants will quickly cloak walls and soften a wooden gate.

A shady green part of the garden seems a world away eventhough it's really just a few steps from the kitchen and all the hubbub of thebackyard play area.

A welcoming green entrance is always important, whether it's a cottage or a modern home.

Here’s a useful springtime gardenchecklist from Better Homes & Gardens:

▪ Prep the beds.Remove winter mulch or, if well composted, work into the top layer of the soil.Work in some leaf mold or well-rotted manure, too.

▪ Prune. Nowis the time to trim your fruit trees, if you didn't prune in winter. Prunebefore buds begin to break into bloom or you'll stress the tree and get a tinycrop (or possibly none).

▪ Perform basic maintenance. Checkyour stonework for frost heaves. Check and clean the deck now so you don't haveto do it later; make any repairs.

Start seeds indoors. You'vespent the winter reading seed and plant catalogs, now it’s time to startplanting.

▪ Plant veggies. Hardyvegetables, such as onions, potatoes, artichokes, and some lettuces, should beplanted now.

Divide perennials.Before plants have begun spring growth is a good time to divide manyperennials.

Here's Julianne Moore's New York City Garden!

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Have questions? Just ask above or contact me directly at andrea.halleywright@gmail.com.

Mar 26, 2012

SCANDINAVIAN INTERIOR DESIGNS

Today I just wanted to share interiors from a blog I came across on Pinterest, Emma's Blog. Her interiors are very clean and elegant and I thought my viewers would appreciate them.

She started her blog in 2005 when shewas working as a styling assistant on an interior magazine. She neededsomewhere to store all the info on new designers, trends and products. This isnow a place where she shares inspiring photos from the world's best stylistsand photographers, all in a Scandinavian style.

I love white!

Emma Fexeus, is a 33 year oldprofessional blogger, freelance writer and interior stylist.

Her awards include:

Winner of StoraBloggpriset, 2009

Top ten placements on The Times', The Guardian's and The Telegraph's list of the world's bestdesign blogs 2010 and 2011.

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Pinterest Boards.

Feel free to ask questions or contact me at andrea.halleywright@gmail.com

Mar 18, 2012

DESIGN YOUR INTERIORS WITH BUILT-INS

There is nothing that puts your square footage to better use than built-ins. It could be a desk framed within a seldom-used closet or a bookcase tucked into a niche beside the fireplace, or in your high ceiling, built-ins maximize every available inch of your floor plan. They handily transform the dead zones under stairs and below and above windows into functional space and help you get organized by adding new storage options without adding on to your home. You can design them to tie in with other architectural elements in the room, such as crown moldings and wainscoting. Fitted with doors, they help maintain the integrity of your style by concealing modern amenities like computer workstations or a mini fridge in a wet bar.

Built-ins are a great way to add character, function, and storage to a room. Custom, built-in furniture can make the most of every inch of your home. Built-ins are secured to the wall thus saving the usual few inches required with free standing furniture pieces. Their custom nature makes the options endless and the configurations more flexible for your particular space.

Irregularly shaped walls and nooks can become functional spaces with a little creativity and a set of built-in bookshelves.

If you have an awkward kitchen nook, consider banquette seating with storage underneath. No storage for your serving dishes and linens? Add built-in cabinets to your dining room. They can add value and function to almost any room in the house.

Consider the measurements you'llrequire. For instance, do you have a bunch of coffee table books you'd like onshelves? Check out their heights and widths to figure out what you'll need.Remember that books look good stacked as well as standing upright. I recommendhaving your carpenter make the shelves adjustable. Likewise, for cabinetstorage, measure games and other items to make sure they will fit.

As for aesthetics, look around theroom for horizontal lines to line built-ins up with, like mantles. Take a lookat the ceiling mouldings and baseboards in your home, and have your carpentermatch them across the tops and bottoms of shelving units.

Consider lighting needs. You canprovide light from rope lights tucked under shelves, consider art lighting,recessed lighting or you may want to install some outlets within the built-insso that you can incorporate some small table lamps or be able to hide unsightlymedia wires.

Storage is a common problem for most homeowners, but witheffective and clever built-ins, organization is a no-brainer. Because built-insare custom-made for each space, they maximize every square inch of your home.They can turn empty, unused space into hardworking home offices, drawers,shelves, or even entertainment centers. Essentially, built-in storage units canadd hundreds of square feet to your home without the need for renovations.