Feel the serenity

No words required really...

Image via Coastal Living

Can't you just feel the gentle breeze coming off the water, what a fabulous place to relax.

Feel the serenity my friends!!!

CHEERS

Trish xx

Progress at last

Progress at last on the dream house front, WOOO HOOO!!!!

We actually sat down with an architect yesterday to get some plans drawn up for the dream house.This will take a couple of weeks for the first draft.

We will go through the process of plans & development application to council & hopefully by this stage we will have one or two properties sold & be able to begin building.

We will be going owner builder so it will all happen slowly but from cost estimates so far it looks like we will save approx 30%  on what the two different builders quoted price.



traditional living room design by atlanta interior designer Niki Papadopoulos

I thought I would leave you with a little eye candy as well....Dont you just love this gorgeous room...the rug...those cushions...Oh I love it all!!!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Thank You!

I just wanted to say a quick, but huge

Thank You

for all of the lovely birthday messages from everyone, I felt very special!!!

I was very spoilt for my birthday & will actually be having a bit of a party this weekend to celebrate, so I am looking forward to that. I will have my parents 2 sisters & my brother all in the same place at once. We don't get togethor like that to often, so it should be lots of fun !

My dream guy and the kids took me shopping for my birthday & let me choose my own gift

 (apparently I'm fussy)

& seen as though I have a thing for mirrors at the moment that is exactly what I have chosen.

I found this image at Interiors Online , but I hope to take my own pic to share with you soon, along with some of the other goodies I was spoilt with.

Image via Good Life of Design

I intend on hanging mine in the formal lounge room in my dream house

I'm loving round mirrors over fireplaces, which is where I will be placing my mirror 

Althought they look pretty special in the bathroom as well, from memory I think this may be one of

Sarah Richardson's beautiful bathroom designs.

 Please correct me if I'm wrong!

At this point in time I will have to hang my mirror in my bedroom, but that's okay I will get to admire it every morning as soon as I open my eyes,

placed strategically so I don't have  to see my scary bedhead of course!!

Have a fabulous week everyone & thank you for being such lovely blog friends, I really do appreciate you comments & well wishes

xxx

CHEERS

Trish xx

Contemporary lounging

I love how soothing & inviting this lounge room is, I could certainly relax in here with a nice glass of chardonnay!

These two rooms are designed by Tineke Triggs from Artistic Designs for Living. in San Francisco.
I love the hints of navy & green, they really give the whole room a stylish finish.

Which do you prefer?

CHEERS
Trish xxx

What can you do with Blue?

Some designers & colour consultants recommend that you take a peek into a clients wardrobe to get an idea of the colours they are drawn to, so, I thought I would assess my own  wardrobe to find my style.

As it turns out, I believe this experiment actually DOES reveal the whole colour story!!!

If you walk around my home you will see warm whites, creams, white, black, timber, silver & a dark  blue lounge.

Now peek into my wardrobe & you will see lots of black, varying shades of grey, white, a few brown things, a spattering if red & once again, blue...

As a child my favourite colour was blue...

Aaah! My blue lounge...

We have had this lounge for about 7yrs now, so style wise it is rather unattractive, but it is still in fantastic condition. We will use it in the kids activity room in our next house because it is easy to clean & very robust. Once they are older we will replace it with something a little more stylish

Does everyone with kids or pets, have that piece of furniture they would love to replace, but know its not worth it until the kids have been house trained ?

 

This was my  bedroom in my last house. When we first purchased this house I thought the carpet was fantastic & I have to admit it was great for hiding stains from the kids spills, but, I tired of it very quickly & found myself dreaming of something much lighter & a lot more neutral!!!

It became rather limiting when it came to decorating choices, dictating the colourscheme.

This was my lounge area, no TV & no colour...

Unfortunately I never got to finish decorating so I never had any art on the walls & I would have like some patterned cushions to soften the look.

I have also learnt that matching everything perfectly is why I could never get it to feel right. We had made the decision to move just after I started studying interior design so there was no point in spending anymore money decorating this one.

I really love my square dining table & I am torn between painting my next dining room in a warm white, you know the very safe & usual Trish colour, or should I step out of the box & go for something rich & dark, I do love the darker warm Grey's Or should I call it a dark greige?

This is definitely one of my most favourite dining room images floating around blog world of late!

I love the timber with the grey, its just a matter of finding the perfect shade to go with my chairs. Any suggestions appreciated!

So I guess what I am trying to say is as much as I love blue I think I would like to try adding in something a little different, perhaps to give my current neutral furnishings a bit of a lift!

How ever, I thought I should apologize for exposing you to  my dull decorating snaps by showing you some FABULOUS ways some stylish folk have used blue in their homes... 

eclectic entry design

White is just a magical colour, no matter what you put it with, white always seems to make everything around it look spectacular.

traditional living room design by new york architect Austin Patterson Disston Architects

I love this room, especially the way the piping really gives the white couch a lift, not particularly kid friendly though !

traditional home design by San Francisco general contractor Dijeau Poage Construction

Love the mix of stripes & mosaics in this bathroom

Image via A Tranquil Townhouse

A fabulous example of how to mix up patterns in a room & still have a fresh  & inviting space.

This is a skill I would love to master!

source unknown

This one hasn't only used pattern to add interest but also several shades of blue, I'm feeling inspired to decorate!!!

I really do love this basement!!

image via Apartment Therapy

Art is definitely one of my biggest decorating challenges, which explains why my walls always end up bare. I think the right art really adds the warm homely finish we all aspire to achieve when decorating.

 I just don't think I have an eye for it!

I am open to suggestion on this one!

Image via Willow Decor

I love this very masculine looking room, I think it would be lovely to sleep here & would also make a great space for a teenage boy or beach house!

The green rug really sets this bedroom off perfectly
. Very inviting...

This lounge has several of my favourite decorating elements

I dream of owning a tufted ottoman one day...

A striped rug is always very striking no matter what room you place them in...

I love the use of several patterns & textures, creating lots of interest in a very monotone colour scheme.

I think this lounge area screams WELCOME, come sit & relax...

What do you think?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Relaxed olive

Ive never been a huge fan of the colour green, I don't have any in my home, I don't even wear green clothing, but I am trying to change my colour phobic ways, so I thought I would take a look at Olive green!

 How Fantastic does olive green look paired with crisp white trims & dark timber furnishings

I have to say I have fallen in love with this room, so light & fresh...

I'm really loving hints of zebra in all sorts of rooms, it tends to add a little more character, the olive is a refreshing accent colour in this very neutral space. Don't you just love that wall of glass, what  a clever design idea!

Even though this room is decorated in busy patterns I think the restful colour scheme tends to tone things down a little

Timber & white add a spa like feeling to this bathroom

An ultra modern office that  would probably suit any colour scheme...

A simpler more earthy take on the olive green office!

So after saying I'm not a green person I have to admit I did love all of these images, although I think if I where to use olive green in my home I would stick to accent pieces rather than painting my walls.

How about you, do you find it easy being green?

CHEERS

Trish xxx 

All images here

An amazing home

traditional exterior design by san francisco general contractor JMA

Location, Location, Location!!!

I think I'm in Luuurve....

 

traditional patio design by san francisco general contractor JMA

Is this the most amazing alfresco area you've seen lately. I can see myself entertaining here year round.     

 It would be lovely to sit in front of the fire sharing a bottle of red wine with friends.

Such a stylish open plan kitchen

traditional living room design by san francisco general contractor JMA

A lovely sunny lounge area

traditional family room design by san francisco general contractor JMA

or a very private sitting room

Is this the fanciest horse stable on the planet, what lucky ponies to reside in such luxury!

JMA or Jim Murphy & Associates are responsible for building this gorgeous home on 11 acres in

Santa Rosa , CA  USA.

 Take a look at their website for a peek at a few more of there spectacular projects.

Any way I'm off to buy a lottery ticket because my dreams just got bigger,

didn't yours?

Dreaming of this house

I love this house, the colours, the furniture, the kitchen, the cushions where do I begin.....

contemporary kitchen design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

contemporary dining room design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

contemporary living room design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

contemporary living room design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

contemporary living room design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

 Images found at houzz.com