Jumat, 27 Februari 2009

Great and Small!

Smart Small Spaces - How to make them work! Metropolitan Home's March issue has a great spread on furniture for every little room. "From stylish storage to sleek sofas, the new products gathered on these pages are all you need to make the most of miniature spaces." Designing a small space definitely has it's challenges and making sure you have the right pieces can be overwhelming. However this article demonstrates some great storage solutions from convertible beds, nesting tables, small seating, storage shelving units, benches, and more. Because when it comes to small spaces we need to make the most out of our space, making sure that every piece has storage ability and functionality. Ikea has also come out with some storage solutions, I hate resorting to Ikea, but it is true they do have some cool pieces. You will find ottomans that have some great storage space and sofa's that can lift up to be able to store things underneath. Create & Barrel also has some very interesting pieces that would be great to add to any space. Don't be afraid of small spaces, they can be a very fun challenge to have! Plus there is so many more options in furniture to be able to accommodate your needs now a days. Planning ahead is the first step and figuring out the true functionality to your space is very important. If you take one step at a time you will be fine, but have fun with it!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Kamis, 26 Februari 2009

Luxurious Home of Shahrukh Khan

When I saw these photos of Shahrukh Khan I have doubted that these are the photos of Shahrukh Khan's luxurious home Manatt. Because I saw some of his interview and there were no such kind of interior decorations.

But however people keep saying that these are the photos of Shahrukh Khan bungalow, so I am posting these photos for you guys.

Just have a look -

Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT from outside
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT TV Room
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT bathroom
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT

Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT Drawing Room
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT Dinner Table
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT Bed Room
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT second Bed Room
Shahrukh Khan Bungalow MANNAT Swimming Pool


Ikea hacked studio space

Katie recently hacked a work space and shares it with us.



She says, "We used Faktum base units for the desks, a yellow kitchen work-top (sorry can't remember the name, it was a bargain corner find!) and the Vika Amon desk top with Vika Curry legs (this has a Faktum unit too, it was cheaper!)

The curtains are made from two Ikea duvet covers, the same pattern but different colors. And the large storage is a wardrobe (another bargain corner find!) I've used the Glis children's storage boxes for my haberdashery supplies as well as for pens and pastels! The large shelving unit is Ivar which we painted with emulsion. I love the adaptability of Ikea products and always find it best to tackle the store with an open mind, which will quite often save you some time and cash too!"



Rabu, 25 Februari 2009

The Neglected Laundry Room.

One of the busiest rooms in the house and usually the most unorganized and cluttered space to boot!! For most of us it is the main entryway in to our home. So why is it that we Neglect the Laundry/Mudroom and dismiss it for what it truly could be? A great functional space! House & Home's March issue does a great piece on a fresh new look for your Laundry/Mudroom with just 7 steps. "Their Makeover of the Month". Now these steps can be used in any house, because lets face it most Laundry/Mudrooms are all the same. With a better layout for functionality there is a much better chance that your space will stay organized and clean, and who isn't looking for that! The issue also illustrates some great storage pieces that you can find at Canadian Tire and for a great price! It just keeps getting better and better! In general the H&H March issue is very good, but definitely take a peak at the Laundry/Mudroom section, because don't forget the tax man is helping with the bill this year, and this type of update to your home falls completely under the Home Improvement 2009 tax bill! "The program offers a tax credit of up to 15 per cent of renovation costs over $1,000, up to a maximum of $10,000 in renovation costs. The maximum benefit is thus 15 per cent of $9,000 or $1,350. " http://whitewashco.ca/ideas.html
So this is the year for that dream Laundry Room, what are you waiting for!!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Your version?

I had lots of fun revisiting some of the old hacks in this earlier post. So here is more. Scroll down the original post to view the new versions.



Bill's Ordning ceiling lamp





Philip's vinyl stopper





Scott's Lack TV unit with sliding doors





Blund bear monogram





Decoupaged Fira chest





Alicia's faux-apothecary Fira craft cabinet 





Ruby saves her old chair





Double workstation, reinforced!





Expedit wine bar





Akurum shoe cabinet for lots and lots of shoes





Amy's lots of photos wall collage





Scrapbooking the Apa toy box





Cushion cover handbag



Skylar to Cappiccinini

An accident and an old shell lamp turns out to be a Cappiccinini, a term Pinky coins for her new lamp.



The frame of the Skylar lamp (can't find the link), after a gust of wind tears the paper lamp shade, is given a second chance at life with a shell lampshade.





The accident




The new lamp


See more of Pinky's Capiz shell lamp.

Selasa, 24 Februari 2009

2009's Quick Design Palate Overview!

What does 2009 Design Palate look like? Well this year we are really starting to see simple colours, but colour is still there. What I mean is that you will find rooms that are very muted and simple with the same shades of colour, however there will be a small splash/accent colour that will add character to your space. The last few months of Style at Home magazine illustrates this design style. Showcasing rooms where there main colours are grey and white, and then small touches of soft blue is added to give it a bit of warmth. So this year you are not going to find a lot of colours put together like we did in the past, three to four at the most and out of those four will be in the same shade, the simpler the better. However, at the same time I am contradicting myself because there is a new movement arising when it comes to design. A 50's twist, were you will find old patterns with funny lively colours modernized, over scaled pieces and a play on mixing a ton of patterns in one space which will be mixed with old prints and antique furniture. Very fun and flirty. However if you want this look you have to be very committed to it and go over board to achieve it, but when done right it does look good! You will also see a lot of PURPLE this year, which is very fun and romantic, so play it up with some small accent pieces in a room to add the 2009 Design Style to your home!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Making an Effektiv TV stand

Sarah needed a TV unit in her bedroom and found the Effektiv wall cabs perfect for it.



She says, "My husband and I bought a Malm bedroom set, and needed something that would work as a TV stand since the bed is so low. We had really limited space (due to the layout of the room) and everything at Ikea is around 42" long. We ended up buying an Effektiv wall cabinet, added the doors with frosted glass, and some capita legs, which brought it up to the perfect height, and perfectly sized for our 32" flat screen!"



Senin, 23 Februari 2009

The Think Green Widget

"Did you know that recycling one aluminum can will save enough energy to power a TV for three hours? Did you know that 14 recycled plastic bottles yield enough fiberfill for a ski jacket?
Waste Management’s new Think Green widget will show you the rewards of your recycling in real terms. Simply enter how much of each item you’ve recycled and instantly see the effects of your recycling in terms that relate to your lifestyle." http://www.thinkgreen.com/widget

A great site to answer all your Green Questions!
http://www.thinkgreen.com/home

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Your version?

Aah, what's life without the "New and Improved!" Over the months I've been receiving different takes on some hacks featured on this blog. Some are prettier, some just different ways of achieving the same results. I'll be uploading a few throughout the week. Check out this first batch. Scroll down the original post to see the new versions.



A prettier helmer cluster





Dog bowl for a really tall dog





Laura's loteria Rusch clock





John's PizzaLoader





Lauri's toilet roll holder headphone stand





Web server in an Emu





Brian's door stopper monitor stand



Screen printing exposure unit with a Vika Artur leg

An Ikea trestle leg makes a useful tripod for Carolina's home screen printing unit.



She says, "I wanted to do screen printing at home and needed an exposure unit. But since I am not very good at building things, I took an Ikea table leg (Vika Artur) and screwed two 500W lamps on it. The Ikea table leg was on special at $10 I think and the lamps cost around $15 each (found them at the Rona, for all you Quebecers out there, a hardware store). The length between my screen and the lamps is 24 inch which is perfect for screen burning. I have placed my coated screen on the tray, under it there's a foam cover with black paper, over it there is the transparency and a cheap frame glass ($20 at Canadian Tire, this was more expensive but I wanted the frame for something else). For now, I only did a time test. And with a white mesh small screen cover with speedball emulsion, it takes 5 min to burn my screen. I pretty happy about my end result."





Jumat, 20 Februari 2009

What's cooking?

When I saw this play kitchen I could only say "Wow! Lucky baby." This is from Lisa and it's hard to believe that this is her first hack. It sure gives all hack newbies hope.



She says, "This is my first hack, first blog attempt and first creative project ever. It was made with the Vika Furusund."



Ikea play kitchen

DIY play kitchen



The shopping list is pretty extensive. The Ikea Furusund forms the frame of the unit. The handles, knife rack and magnetic containers are also from the yellow and blue box.



children's play kitchen

kids play kitchen

Little girls' play kitchen

Ikea play kitchen

children play kitchen

Ikea play kitchen

Ikea play kitchen

Ikea play kitchen

Don't you just love the faucets?



See details of Lisa's play kitchen on her blog.



Related hacks:

- Cooking for kids

- Play kitchen for under $200