Work in Progress!

My Powder Room

Has anybody noticed the changes in my blog? Of course you have haha...it is wider, bigger and more colourful. I am coming up to my 100th post and have been reflecting on how my small decorating blog has 'travelled' over the last year. There have been weeks where I have posted almost everyday but then months have gone by and not a single, solitary word...I shall call this 'what on earth am I going to write about that will be remotely interesting'!!!

Anyway, what started me thinking about my own blog, was after reading an article on this subject by Maria from Colour Me happy Not only a great post to read but also the comments from other bloggers are very helpful and insightful. Here is the link...

10 Tips that will take your home design blog to the next level.

Well, I am listening and learning so after much mucking around with codes (I cant believe that I actually learnt how to change my template by changing the html code format) I found a much easier way. Phew!!! and managed to do it without deleting my whole blog like I almost did when changing the code thingie.

So...this will be a work in progress project. Fine tuning the colour format and working out why I have all this empty white space next to my header picture!

Mrs B

Lets 'really' talk about teenage boy's rooms!

Image from Tommaso Ziffer

As you all know, I have this fixation on how to decorate and the design that goes into teenage boys bedrooms. There is very little out there that really inspires me and makes me say wow!!!! gee that is a stunning room for a guy 15 years and above. I literally have hundreds of images of the most stunning bedrooms for babies, children and teenage girls but where are the rooms design specifically for teenage boys and older?

Its like when I go clothes shopping for my boys. The whole floor will have the most beautiful trendy clothing for girls and when I politely ask where is the boy clothing situated, its always in the corner, just a few selections of boring colours and designs, hidden out of sight because obviously boys don't where clothes hahahaha Anyway, a bit off track but the point being is I am determined to decorate my boys rooms that totally not only look fantastic but rooms that suit them and their life style....now this is going to be a challenge, believe me!

So, my question is, what is the most important design element that should be in a male teenagers room. I would love to hear from everybody your thoughts on this to help me kick start this project or quest I should call it LOL

Is it the paint colour, window furnishings, computer (this is one thing my boys will never be allowed to have in their rooms, for a good reason) tv's, desk or just a place to lounge with friends. From your experience, as a parent or interior decorator, what is the most important thing a young man would want in their room. I will be very interested to hear from you all.

Image from Rees Roberts via Desire to inspire

Now this bedroom is stunning! Its the blinds that makes the room....but once again, its for a girl but could easily be a boys room. But, would a boy actually like this room? (take away the girly stuff) to tell you the truth I don't know...that's why I need help to understand what they really need and want.

Picture from It's the little things that makes a house a home

On another note...You may remember that my lovely husband built some shelving so that all my son's toys could have a 'home' downstairs. The inspiration came from It's the little things that make a house a home karla has done a wonderful job in making her son's room more usable and child friendly. She has adapted her son's room to suit his life style...why have a big robe if he doesn't have the clothing to use all that space. So this is what got me thinking....

Mrs B

Sunday Post

I have decided to start a Sunday Post for my blog. It will be about little things from around the house that I think would be great to share.

So first up is my little set of Babushka Dolls you can see sitting on my kitchen bench. As a matter of fact, they were featured in the last edition of a decorating magazine I had been reading. What is special about these dolls is that they have a another purpose....

My babushka Doll that sits proudly on my kitchen bench top...

Opened up, a set of 3....


Each cup has a purpose....



You guessed it, they are measuring cups for the kitchen...starting at '1 cup' right down to a 1/4 cup.

Such a lovely and funky kitchen gadget and great to get friends to guess what they are...most have no idea LOL They probably have been around for a while and nothing new to most readers but I thought they were so useful and cute...just had to share.

Mrs B

The study...before and after

There is something about buying shelving and storage units that doesn't really add up. Most of it is flimsy and only made from chipboard. Yesterday, Mr B got out his handy saw and went to Bunnings to get all the materials to make the storage shelving that was so badly needed for the study robes. What a difference it makes to the rest of the house downstairs. The house was designed with heaps of storage but we struggled to work out where my DS3 would put all his 'daily' toys and how we could keep the house clutter free of all his stuff.

Normally, a family would have a designated kids room for this with everything on display, but I didn't want this type of set up for this new home. I cant tolerate clutter in any form (I grew up in a house of total chaos!) so everything has its place and behind close doors. That is not to say I don't LOVE knick knacks and beautiful table arrangements...I long for it so much but not just yet. So...getting back to the study, this is what Mr B made for me after a few hours...everything has its place for my little boy and all the toys are sorted out into piles of Toy Story, Mens and Cars! he loves it and I feel some order come back to my lounge room.

The Study

This is our study/desk at the moment but the back wall is getting wallpaper in the next few weeks. I had always imagined a silvery blue colour but I will wait for all my samples to arrive. So really this is a before shot as it is not completed to the way I want it to be.

Before shot!

A very uninspiring before shot demonstrating no storage at all...a place where my kids keep their school bags and that is about it.

After Shot

The storage that Mr B built for about $50 in materials. The unit is free standing as the hydronic water pipes are behind the wall so no drilling holes in this wall! It fits all my sons toys that he has for downstairs...so neat, looks great when the door is open but when I pack up the house for the night, just close the doors...........like this (picture below)

Mess out of sight....well at least for a few minutes haha

Mrs B

Happy New Year...So What Have I Done?

Happy New Year to everybody! Like many other people in blogland, I also cannot make new year resolutions as I never stick to them. I would like to think one of my ' must do's' this year is to blog more often and comment and other people's blogs but somehow I just feel dried up with ideas at the moment. There are so many brilliant blogs out there with the most inspirational pictures so this keeps me going and inspired.
So what have I done to my house....not much haha!!!!!! It sounds very cliche but it really does takes time and patience when it comes to making a house a home. My news however, is I have found the wallpaper I love (particularly the price) from Laura Ashley. Strange I have gone for a more traditional look in a very contemporary home, but some of their wallpapers are just so beautiful...perfect for the areas I need them for. A consultant is suppose to come to my house in the next week (for $50) and help me with co-ordinating a few things like the curtains and wallpaper. What I like about this is the fact I can just takes my time in ordering the products. I will let you know what I have selected.
What has been done in the last month is really just some final touches of must haves before the real decorating begins...Last area of landscaping, blinds for upstairs and a few floating shelves for my son's room. The boys rooms are starting to take shape as they live in them and I can work out what they like and really don't like. They both have very strong primary colours...green and red and my little boy, more softer colours like pale blue. The pictures below will give you an idea of what direction I am heading but much more to add, it just takes time to evolve.

So, onto the pictures....

Roman Blinds for the stairwell.

You may remember I had these ideas to have a vibrant print for the blind at the top of the stairs...this is it without the lovely print I wanted. Still looks really nice but to have it in the fabric I had my heart set on was going to be a very costly and time consuming exercise and I had to get something asap as this is where the summer sun rises every morning and the heat was becoming unbearable. Still, it is very beautiful and have had lots of nice comments about the fabric and colour.

New blinds for the upstairs lounge room

At last, our new blinds for the upstairs area. The colour is just so lovely and really compliments the lounge. Also, I learnt my lesson from the downstairs blinds and made sure that the 3 blinds all pull up together at the same time....so they always look even.

TThis picture is with the blinds closed. Oh, yes, the cushion is off center but I couldn't be bothered to take another pic with it straightened!

Son's bedroom

The colours I have selected all work really well together ...I really like the reds and greens and really gives the kids room a contemporary feel without making the bedrooms feel 'babyish' As of yet, they haven't asked for black yet or to stick 'death eater' posters every where (I shiver with horror at the thought!) I must admit, I feel very lucky that I am allowed to decorate my kids rooms without any input from them...such bliss to have it all my way. Will it always be like this?

Red floating shelves from IKEA

Yes another dreaded trip to the 'Carpark from Hell' at IKEA. Melbourne people will know exactly what I mean by this! They have the audacity to charge you parking at IKEA but only have one boom gate to get in and one to get out off. Needless to say the traffic congestion it causes has to be seen. Who ever designed this madness should seriously look at another job. Anyway beside all that, we bought the floating shelves and they look great in our son's room. Still a little way to go before the room is complete, some more red storage furniture, colourful mats and maybe a wall decal. I also want to get some pictures of New York enlarged for our son's room...this will just complete the whole look.

Before Shot...Front garden just planted back in April

After Shot...Garden in December

Just a few landscaping pics, the garden is slowly coming along. Some days I don't think anything has grown at all until I look at the before and after shots. The front garden is developing but still struggling to find a tree specimen tree that can take the winds and extreme temperatures that we have. At the moment we have 3 silver birches and are struggling but still alive. Our beautiful silver princess did not survive even though it was an Australian Native.

Front Garden

Fake Grass

The last area of our landscaping now completed. This was a very difficult area to decide what to do with but with much deliberation and research, top quality fake grass was the way to go. It sounds crazy that in a beautiful country like Australia that many people are putting down fake grass but we have a water crises and cannot water lawns at all...indefinitely

Anyway, either hate it or love it, here it is a suits this area for what we need it for.

Along the fence line we are planting small trees...not sure just yet but a variety to grows up and not out.

A view from the porch area.

Mrs B