test
Leave a Comment
Perfect Picks: Glitter Guide’s 10 must-reads for home
How is your home library looking? Or your coffee table book collection? Personally I am a huge fan of still having “real books” rather than just reading blogs or browsing magazines on your iPad. (Although I don’t want to turn you off of reading The Unexpected Chic of course :) ) But there is something wonderful about actually holding the weight of a book and flipping the pages, and even being able to make notes with a pencil or bending down the corners of your favourite bits to come back to later.
Here is a collection of 10 must-haves for your home library, on the topic of…home! Jam-packed with exciting tips on interior design, home makeovers, decorating and organization. Just waiting to be ordered and pop through your mail slot into your eagerly awaiting hands, to be flipped through while cozing on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea. Ahhh! :)
I have a couple of these myself, and am preeeetty tempted to order the others I must admit. It’s a pretty well-rounded collection!!
1. Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy
2. Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home
3. Design*Sponge at Home
4. Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease
5. The Nest Home Design Handbook: Simple ways to decorate, organize, and personalize your place
6. Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure
7. The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency–on a Budget!
8. Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love
9. Flea Market Style
10. Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design
Thank you to The Glitter Guide for this list!!
DIY Decor: gorgeous colored mason jars
One of the things that never fails to catch my eye and inspire me in home decor is the combination of light and color. That’s the reason why I am absolutely in love with this mason jar DIY from Lilyshop. They would look so beautiful sitting on a windowsill or used as a tealight candle holder.
TIP: put your mixing skills to the test and try making these in shades of reds golds and browns for Thanksgiving!!
The process is pretty basic: all you need is Mod Podge, a few shades of food coloring, and as many mason jars as you like!
HOW TO MAKE:
1. pour about 1.5 inches of mod podge into your jar
2. add a few drops of food coloring of your choice (pre mixed to the shade you want)
3. give the mixture a swirl with a stir stick or similar item
The color will look pastel but it will dry to be translucent and rich in color like the food coloring
4. swirl the jar gently and roll it between your hands carefully without spilling the glue so that the mixture runs down and coats the inside of the jar
5. set the jar down upside down on some foil or parchment paper and leave it alone until it dries completely
NOTE: Mod Podge is not a food safe glue.
Aren’t they pretty!!
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving all!!
this is my version of a tutorial from Lilyshop which you can check out for more details. all photos are by Lilyshop.
Case Study: Key tips on how 4 small bedrooms became ridiculously chic, plus a sneak peek into my bedroom!
This weekend I finally realised that the weather is really cooling down a bit. I think I’ve been in denial, but yes, it is time to get my autumn jacket out of the cupboard and start wearing it! I got a cute red one earlier in the summer which I’m a little excited to start sporting! Unfortunately the cute little red rain boots
With the cooler weather and some reading I’ve been doing, I felt inspired to really ‘dress up’ our bed again. It’s been in a kind of FLAT state all summer, with just a sheet and basic pillows on it, what with us being ridiculously busy all summer and not really having any time to just laze around, plus the fact that it’s been way too hot with anything more than a sheet on! But I felt a kick of inspiration to pile on the nice cushions again and make it all COOOZY-like. This was just a first swipe but you can check it out below:
our bedroom – still a work in progress!
I know I know, it’s not perfectly styled and the linens aren’t ironed, but I chucked it together in like 3 minutes :) I’ll be using my new tips to spruce it up to true magazine-worthiness at some point soon!
Anyways, moving on to some MUCH CHICER bedrooms, and we will get FOUR KEY TIPS on how you can seriously create a gorgeous look with barely any space to spare…
SMALL BEDROOM TIP #1: Create focus with a headboard
The simple upholstered headboard in an eye-catching fabric really punches up this teeny bedroom! Add a cute little vintage side table (cue white spraypaint!) and a graphic throw cushion, and keep the rest SIMPLE.
SMALL BEDROOM TIP #2: Add statement lighting and smart storage
This room has so many things going for it! There is barely any room to edge around the bed, yet the owner has been super BOLD by going for a 4-poster bed, chandelier and dark ceiling! The ceiling colour makes the eye sense heaviness at the top, while keeping the walls white actually makes them appear to jump outward in comparison. Love the floating shelves as well – way to beat clutter!
SMALL BEDROOM TIP #3: Cover one wall in a bold pattern
The bright graphic pattern on the wall behind the bed draws the eye and gives it a tasty accent to focus on, making the smallness of the space easily forgotten! I love the fur rug too – a little something nice for the toes! Little touches like these are super easy to do, and definitely add that luxe factor to a bedroom.
SMALL BEDROOM TIP #4: Max out the style factor, minimize the clutter
This little bedroom has everything you could want: patterned accent pillows (and a good number of them, with different colours and textures), a stylish side table with a cute lamp, plus an eye catching piece of art on the wall. However, besides that, there is very little! The bedspread, carpet and walls are super simple, and there is no clutter visible in the main focal area of the room (the bed). This creates that luxe feel in a small space!
For exact instructions on how to create a stylist-worthy look in your own space, I recommend this guide, which I found super handy! It’s easy to say ‘that looks nice!’ to a photo of a gorgeous froufy bed, but it’s another thing to actually create that look yourself! The Luxury Bedding Guide makes it pretty foolproof!
Enjoy!
xx
Liivi
Outfit to Fitout: fall fashion translates to beautiful interiors
One of my favourite colour combinations for chic cooler-weather days and sultry evening affairs is black and gold. Every-classy and fresh, this season is seeking simple shapes
A black and gold scheme is a gorgeous and romantic idea
Clean traditional bedroom suite (image)
A fashionable and well-appointed office vignette (image)
Cute eclectic breakfast area (Love the canary yellow thrown in there as well!) (image)
A regal ‘transitional’ dining area – love the carved crown-like tops of the chairs and the monolithic mass of the wood tabletop (image)
An arty condo-size living area with industrial undertones (image)
A clean and fresh mid-century modern style family space (image)
Black and gold would be a gorgeous colour scheme for a fall wedding as well….
How to get the look?? Check out these key buys:
frames – mirror – cubbies – accent chair – cushion – hook – flatware – coffee table – armchair
Outfit to Fitout: My dream colour for Fall 2012 fashion and interiors
A brief return, during a very busy fall…I’m doing my best to keep The Unexpected Chic going! I have a few other projects on the go as well which are stealing time, not to mention my ‘real’ job! Thanks for reading, and keep checking back… ;)
And now – my absolute FAVOURITE colour for fall, and I’ve already been out scouting for key outfit pieces (no purchases yet though)!
You can call it what you choose; wine, burgundy, maroon even. Or sometimes it ranges to a deep raspberry. But I just love it! On dramatic lips, in velvet trousers or a textured blazer, or enrobing a smooshy sofa. It’s romantic, approachable, edgy, and timeless all at once.
Green Genius: Clever and stylish uses for old suitcases!
With my general lack of self control when it comes to shopping and thrifting, I’ve accumulated a number of cool old suitcases over the years. They’re kind of just chilling out in my parents’ basement at the moment, awaiting the day when I have the opportunity to go on a trip with just the clothes on my back and a suitcase only slightly larger than my purse. I think that would require a Sherpa and a few mules to carry the rest of my baggage so that I could look cool just carrying my little vintage suitcase covered with obscure stickers, while they manage the rest of my wardrobe and toiletries.
Until then, I think I’ll try making a few of these awesome projects with my suitcase collection. Possibly a little more practical…. :) plus an awesome way to upcycle used goods into something useful and stylish!
-1-
I love the coordinated monochrome colours and the mirror on top to make this too-easy project look polished! Your friends will think it kind of just ‘happened’ as a natural product of your creative genius!
-2-
So cute and a perfect use for that slightly scuzzier suitcase you wouldn’t actually wanna put any of your stuff in :)
-3-
For the dedicated DIY-er! So impressive!
-4-
Same goes for this one! Check out this link for info on how to make!
-5-
Love this one – very chic for an entry hall or bedside! Very nicely styled as well.
Now that your brain is buzzing with inspiration, go create!! Go now!!
Trend Spotlight: Ombré is my fave on anything and everything
I remember back in the day one year at summer camp we were assigned the project of making tie dye underwear. Why underwear, I have no idea! And of course, our newly dyed projects had to be put out to dry, so we were all embarrassed hanging our horrendously blotchy colourful knickers and training bras up for display for the rest of the camp to snicker about!
This trend is maybe just a touch more refined and a whole lot more modern; definitely worth displaying on the outside of one’s outfit!! And not only that but awfully styley for home decor accents as well!
For those of us not in the know, ombré means a gradation of colour from one part of an object to another, as in a slow fade from say white at one end to blue at the other.
There has been widespread experimentation in everything from leggings to hair but I’m focusing on the homey bits for our purposes!
(apologies, no known sources for the above photos)
Lovely accents for a retro feel.
Or a cleaner more modern take!
A colour lover’s dream when paired with flowers!
Minimalism with a trendy punch!
-1-2-3,4-5-
Effortlessly edgy, no??
Try here and here for some sawweet DIY info!!
Happy weekend!!
Freshly Squeezed: Ideas for a beautiful summer party
While my abode is sadly lacking in the outdoor space department (a smallish balcony with more pidgeon poop than furniture) I can still dream of what exactly I would do if I did have a little bit more to work with! Having said that, don’t let space constraints stop you: a gorgeous summer party doesn’t need much space! Some creativity and inspiration is all you really need.
Picking a colour scheme can be a good place to start. Fresh blues and touches of romantic red look great here. The hanging fabric does wonders for the space and is easy to do!! Check here for some tips.
Alternatively go for no particular colour scheme at all! Mixing lots of fun cheapie pieces in glass and plastic along with some fresh flowers (they don’t need to be expensive!) looks super fun on this table.
Individuality is key! Follow your instinct and don’t be afraid to add personal touches. I love this table setting with vintage looking ginger beer (check out a local farmers market) and games to break the ice!
Homemade treats are an easy way to add a personal touch too!
(unknown source)
If you look closely, you’ll notice that half the charm of summer parties is in their spontaneous, thrown together, serendipitous feel.
Score vintagey fabrics from your local fabric or charity shop, or your mums linen closet! Cottages tend to accumulate some sweet old flowery sheets and things too which I can’t help but think would make the perfect summery tablecloth!
Last but not least, add some sparkly lights like these!
Perfect Picks: The loveliest paint colours of the moment
Personally, I think we’ve had enough of robin’s egg blue and mint green. There comes a time for trends to die and when it starts to look run-of-the-mill rather than run-to-the-store-and-buy-it-right-now we know that time has come!
Paint companies are getting really trend conscious and innovative with their palettes these days and it’s about time we took advantage! Here are some gorgeous shades that are sparking my imagination today:
COOL AND NATURAL
“Museum Piece”
Benjamin Moore CSP-40
DEEP AND PEACEFUL
“Plum Martini”
Benjamin Moore CSP-540
POWDERY AND SENSUAL
“Kept Love Letters”
Benjamin Moore CSP-425
Which is your favourite? Which room in your home would look great in one of these shades?