Come on a journey of inspiration & adventure while renovate & restore a beautiful Victorian home 'St Elmo' in the picturesque Hunter Valley, Australia & laugh at a few of our family adventures along the way.




Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Fashionable friends design inspiration

Ive been helping a very fashionable friend with some ideas to add some finishing touches to her brand new home.

interiors contemporary bedroom
                                                                    Source Houzz
She has a very neutral colour scheme & would like to add some pattern & texture to create a stylish, yet relaxed feel to an otherwise modern home.
We are opting for a few feature walls in either paint or wallpaper to give a real WOW factor!!


Bedroom contemporary bedroom
  Source Houzz
Love this pattern...

In the main living  area she was looking at a nice green feature wall with a few pops of a deep red as an accent colour. There is a kitchen, dining & lounge area in this space.
 Everything else is cream with dark timber furnishings & a wall of large windows to let in tonnes of natural light. It really is beautiful already!!!

Ish & Chi: The master bedroom (UPDATE) traditional bedroom
              Source Ish and Chi
I love these wallpaper swatches framed as art. What a fabulous way to carry a theme through the house!

We talked about a possible feature wall in the bedroom & adding a few extra accessories around the room for some added cosiness.

Source The Lennox

We talked about layer picture frames of different heights & sizes she has a lovely sideboard that sits in a recessed area in the dining space of the room. There is a long narrow window that runs horizontally above it.This side board is a place to display treasured family photographs & by layering with different height & sized frames it creates a connection with the window & keeps the feeling of the space casual.  

SR-115 Zebra Black and White Contemporary Rug Network Rugs

Downstairs there is a lovely sunny kids activity area, that is an L shaped room. It is also painted & carpeted in neutrals with a light brown sectional. She would love to inject some fun into this room choosing a nice deep red paint for a feature wall behind the couch & one of the small walls to be painted in blackboard paint, to entertain the kids. I think a zebra print rug would add to that sense of fun.
This one comes from Buyster  & at a very affordable $203.00 I think a wonderful choice for a kids area.

I suggested adding a few baskets around this room for toy storage & added texture

Source Brabourne Farm
 
We talked about a picture wall running down her staircase, this one is particularly glamorous don't you think!
 
Source The DIY show off

I like the relaxed feel of this asymetrical layout as well as the whimsical images!!

At some stage we will head off on a girlie shopping trip, scouring the home wares stores & peruse through some wallpaper books at a local paint store.
Oh how much fun will it be!!!

I really do enjoy playing decorista with friends & I am always very honored to think they would be interested in seeking my advice.
Do you enjoy the opportunity to help your friends to decorate?

CHEERS
Trish xxx




 


Sunday, August 28, 2011

A problem solved

For months now I have had trouble leaving comments on some blogs.
Unless your blog was set up so that your comments where in a pop up window I could not comment.
I would just end up on a never ending loop of signing into google.

I have fixed the problem!!!!!

source The graphics Fairy


When you are sent to the sign in page you will see that you have ticked the box to keep you signed in

WELL

un check that box & problem solved!!!

source Emily A Clarke


Trust me, I AM the most useless girl on the planet when it comes to technology, so this brings me sooooo much relief.
I hope this is of some help to anyone else having troubles...Mmmmmm, perhaps its just me, LOL!!!

source unknown


Anyway, I have some lovely old bloggy friends I need to catch up with & let them know....

I didn't forget you......
&
I still love you!!!

MWA!!

CHEERS
Trish xxx

Sunday, August 21, 2011

A plan at last

We finally have plans together & are ready to submit a development application to our local council to actually get this long awaited dream house underway.

source A view on design

We have been working hard on pricing the whole build. We will be sitting down with some kitchen guys in the near future for some quotes on, not just the kitchen, but laundry, bathroom vanities & a few other joinery items I have been dreaming about( some will stay a dream, I have NO doubt, LOL) but this is definitely an area I am most excited about.
 I have selected the white goods I would like, giving myself a plan A & plan B, depending on how the budget stacks up. I have prices for carpet, tiles, tilers, blinds, now its just a matter of shopping around on these items for the best deal.
Any recommendation's greatly appreciated.

source Tinkaliscious

We have set budgets for all areas of the house, so far some have come in under budget, but others a little over budget, hopefully this will balance itself out in the end.

source BHG

I will be calling on all of you stylish bloggers to help with some decisions & advice along the way. No doubt I will, at times, bomb bard you with questions??????

source Decorpad

You can be sure it will be a very long & drawn out process as we are doing this as owner/builders, whilst the dream guy maintains the all important income source, that we refer to as his day job.
I will be the full time wife, mum, cleaning lady & trades assistant. Apparently I'm not allowed to paint any tools pink & claim them as my own....some men are NO fun ;)

source The Lennox

My dream guy is rather clever with his hands,so we will be hiring very few trades to help along the way, although this saves money it will no doubt take A LOT longer to complete the build.
I am guessing that the whole journey will be the ULTIMATE test on our relationship, we are currently great mates,but we do have very different ideas of how this place should look.
 Originally the plan was that I had total control over the choices involving color scheme & how the inside looked. My dream guy was to have total control over landscaping & his man cave(shed).
 Since he has decided to take on the role of building this fine joint, he now seems to want a little input into things... scoff scoff..., "How dare he!!".
 So fingers crossed, we come out at the end of this with a dream house & a great marriage, he he he!!!

source Veranda

I do have some plans to show you, but, unfortunately I was unable to upload them. Once I sort out this small technical issue there will be a post for sure!!!

CHEERS
Trish xxx

Saturday, August 13, 2011

A fabulous gift & a shopping tip

I am very behind on my blog posts of late & I apologise for my lack of effort . I really do love blogging & have a back log of ideas clogging my little brain at the moment...
The trick is getting the fingers to the keyboard & tapping them out, so here is a little catch up!!

I have been following a lovely blog for a little while now called
Now Ange loves to cook, loves to decorate & has a very stylish home that she & her hubby are renovating It really is a  pleasure following their progress. You should stop by & take a peek!
The lovely Ange is a fellow Aussie blogger from sunny Queensland & she recently hosted a give away, the prize being some gorgeous items from an online store owned by another Aussie blogger & fellow queenslander Jenny from 
Jenny & her husband are also renovating a beautiful old Queensland home & having some fantastic adventures along the way!


This is the fabulous cushion I won..

.

As well as this great Fluer de lys silver paper clip.
Don't you just love it!!
 I was so excited to have won, especially when I found out I was entry no.13, I guess its a lucky number after all!!!

Now I promised a shopping tip in this post & here it is


Jenny's on line store that she shares with her sister Sandy, they have some great products for you to purchase.
 I have my eye on a few more cushions, but I also have a thing for globes so one of these fabulous


world map bottle stoppers appeals to my wish list greatly


or this map cushion

Paris Clock 60cm

or perhaps this beautiful Paris clock to add to my clock collection

Be sure to stop by & say Hi to both of these lovely bloggers if you haven't already & I hope you enjoy

CHEERS
Trish xxx


 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Open concept Vs Galley Kitchens, A guest post

Today is very exciting for me & my little blog as I am hosting my first ever guest blogger!
So please extend a HUGE welcome to the lovely Jennifer!!!

Hi all! I’m Jennifer and I write for Arcadian Home, a site that specializes in home decor, home accessories, and decor trends around the world. I've been writing about home decor since graduating university and have loved it ever since. I'm addicted to patterned fabrics, Jonathan Adler, chaise lounges, old doors, milk glass jars, antiques, and chandeliers. I adore A Dream House for Trish, and I'm honoured to contribute a blog to Trish's fabulous website on vastly different kitchens styles (that I equally love).



Open-concept kitchens versus galley kitchens - which one reigns supreme? Each style has its own home decor pros and cons, and when designed properly, they can each be a wonderful addition to a house. From long, functional spaces to airy sprawling eateries, here's what we love about both open-concept and galley kitchens.

Kitchen Ideas


Whitewashed spaciousness via The Lennoxx


An open-concept kitchen that occupies the entire end of a home takes full advantage of the room's configurations, with a large island in the centre that doubles as a work and eating area.

Kitchen Ideas


A mix of materials via decor8


A stylish contemporary kitchen with both stainless steel and wood works well in this open space - this is a perfect example of where a galley kitchen may falter.


Kitchen Ideas


Smart showcase via Decorpad


Instead of hiding items like charger plates and table decorations, this open-concept kitchen utilizes shelving instead of cabinetry, with three oversized pendant lights perched above an island.

Kitchen Ideas


Lovely with an L via Elle Decor


An open-concept kitchen built into the corner of a house, like this classic country cuisiniere, takes full advantage of the L-shaped layout, with high ceilings and a window that makes the view look like wall art.

Kitchen Ideas


Sunshine and lemons via Kitchen Design


Bright yellow is always a lively hue for a kitchen, and we love that this galley kitchen is open at both ends, with the entryway on one side and a double-pane window on the other.

Kitchen Ideas


Slate and purple via Beautiful Kitchens


Similar in design to the last entry, this galley kitchen opens into a backyard. The soft grey and bright fuchsia backsplash provide a striking contrast.

Kitchen Ideas


A touch of turquoise via Kitchen Design Ideas


A galley kitchen in soft tones, such as light wood, can be amped up with a colourful detail, like simple square turquoise tiles.

Kitchen Ideas


Form and function via Canadian House and Home


A galley kitchen such as this, which opens onto a casual eating area, is both functional as well as visually appealing, with modern cabinetry and frosted glass doors to add to the home decor.



Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home accessories at extremely affordable prices.  If you like this post, be sure to stop by the Arcadian Lighting blog and let us know you saw us here at A Dream House for Trish!

Thank You so much Jennifer for taking the time to write such a fabulous post & provide me with a little more inspiration for my dream house & also for being my first ever guest!!!

CHEERS
Trish xxx

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