Having a break ...almost over!

Bedroom

It has been ages since I posted....6 months ago? Nothing is really happening with the house as normal life just continues on. My bedroom is still work in progress, managed to buy the butler style tables for the bedroom and lamps to complete the look. I have also been busy looking at the goodies on Etsy as the Aussie dollar is so high at the moment. The cushion you see was an Etsy buy and just perfect for the style I was after for my bed.

I have been buying the most amazing little paintings from another etsy store but still have to find the perfect frames...always work in progress. Anyhoo, just wanted to let you know I am still here in blogland.

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

Decorating a Modern Home...Finally

So here I am, two weeks living in our beautiful new home. I am finding that I am beginning to be very picky and fussy as to what objects and paintings actually come through the garage door! There have been some 'teething problems' but I am prepared to live with them a little longer just because I love living in the house. I will give you an example...



Our Fireplaces...The house was designed around having two fireplaces, yes I know a bit of a overkill but this was my thing! I love fireplaces and if I could, I would have one in every room. Downstairs is going to be one of those normal gas log fires but upstairs was going to be the 'special one' It is one of those white long pebble fires, not for warmth but purely for looks. Like my chandelier, I have always wanted one. Anyway, today was the day of the installation, no more empty holes to look at. 7am the guys arrived, within 15 secs they told us it was too hard to install because our fireplaces were an inferior brand (Australian made mind you!) and they cant install them. Also there are 2 steel beams right in the way of where the pipes are going both up and downstairs. Mr B rang our builder, he was at our house in 15 mins. The installation guys just went to their next job.
There is no point in getting all upset when these things happen...after all, we are in our beautiful new home and nothing is going to spoil that!

So...What are my decorating projects at the moment! My bedroom will definitely take a while to evolve. The pictures here are what we have at the moment, a bed, bedside tables that can stay or go and our beautiful antique Table. I have a simple white bedspread but will definitely dress up the bed with cushions and a blanket. I am looking for an oversized contemporary art work to hang on one of the walls and also some drapes to dress up the windows. here are some pictures of my bedroom and ensuite to give you an idea of the space I will be decorating.

Main Bedroom



I would like some sheers to frame this window...just to give the room a more completed/luxurious feel to it. We already just had blinds installed in this room.

Ensuite


My lovely SIL gave me this jar (its called something else but I have forgotten the correct name) as a house warming gift. I put my Grandma's shells into it...

Another view of the ensuite...it needs something else with a bit of height, maybe a vase with flowers?......

At the moment, everything is very sparse and I cant wait to get all my pictures, plates and vases into the house. Everything takes time and its amazing how my tastes are changing all the time. I really do only want things that are beautiful to look at or sentimental to be on display.

My next post will be a few inspiration pictures that have given me some great ideas!

Mrs B

A white bedroom?

LivingEtc

Everything about this bed I love. So dreamy and makes you just want to snuggle in and watch telly, read a book or just lie there thinking nice thoughts. What goes into making a bed like this...perhaps beautiful bedlinen, lots of plump pillows, good quality sheets, doonas and maybe some accessories like quilts and blankets folded at the end of the bed. As a person with no training in interior design, I am always fascinated at how beautiful 'other peoples houses' are in magazines. So, here are just a few examples of ideas I have for my bedroom. I know this blog is Decorating a Modern Home and my pictures are of a different style but this is what I want for my bedroom but with a contemporary twist.

LivingEtc

The picture above could very well be my bedroom but with carpet. I have a beautiful sleigh bed, same colour and have just bought a simple white doona cover with white sheets and pillow cases. After that, I am stuck for ideas. I have some bedside cabinets that don't go with the bed but they have a really nice shape. I am not sure what to do with them but thinking of painting them so they could work in my room. What colour......I have no idea so I am open to any suggestions.

I love this wallpaper...I would like it on the back wall where my bed is. I also have been searching everywhere for the perfect bedside lamps. Not sure just yet what style I am after but there are so many lamps out there to choose from. Definitely something to buy after the room is set up.

LivingEtc

I really like these cushions! very different but Wow, what a statement they would make in a simple white bedroom.

LivingEtc

This bed is just lovely! When I get sick of all white, just add a colourful doona cover to change the look of the whole room.

Mrs B

Green doors....

Room colour scheme

I like this colour board, some of the colours I am using for my babies room. The blues/aquas, yellow, green and reds.

Skonaham

A nice bedroom for a teenager (still thinking about ideas for my 14 year old)

Not sure whether dark blue and white would compliment the green doors. Maybe I have to have the right shade of blue for it to work

Sheridan bed Linen

I saw this bedlinen at Myers yesterday and initially I had dismissed it but some of the colours caught my eye. It had all the colours in the colour board (pic above) I don't want the red sheets pillows etc but the yellow sheets are really pretty. I could fold the doona at the foot of his sleigh bed and show off the pretty yellow sheets and a blanket on top...just like in my favourite inspirational picture. What do people think...Will this pretty doona set look nice with the green doors?

Wardrobe Doors

Time to give an update on the progress of my build. Still slow but the good news is, still moving along. This makes us very happy. There is nothing worst than turning up to your build site week after week and no progress. I think we are into our 15th month...3 months over our due completion date. Its amazing how some houses can be built so quickly and easily and others like ours that seem to take forever. My heart goes out to all bloggers out there who are currently building or waiting to build and are experiencing difficulties and frustrations like we are. I know many people are also paying rent on top of a mortgage with slow builds. Others like Stormygirl, haven't even got a starting date even though her land was ready to build on several months ago.

A few friends have commented to us that we are 'too nice' therefore our builder puts us last on his important list of houses to be completed. I am beginning to think they are right. Maybe if we had of yelled, harassed, insisted, argued etc during the build, it may of been finished? That may of been true but sometimes the bigger picture is so much more important. Our builder has done so much extra for us without charging that perhaps he may not of been inclined to do so if we had of played hard ball.

I hate confrontations and still believe you can put your point across without all the dramas. I would definitely be terrible at running a business! Anyway, the doors have been hung and slowly, slowly we are getting there. I cannot see the finish line yet but that's Ok. As long as I am stilled thrilled with the quality of the work then I can be patient for a little longer.

Now let me tell you the kitchen story....l think I will leave that for another post LOL!!!

Mrs B