Storage | Inside Out

We have a winner

May 1, 2014 By Jennifer

Julian, it’s you!

Random.org picked number 6 so the sixth person to leave a comment was deemed the winner.

Julian’s comment was so appropriate for a Mother’s Day Giveaway.

So Congratulations Julian and keep an eye out for this gorgeous basket which is coming your way.

Rosie Basket The Market Basket Co. RRP $65.00

Thank you to all who entered. For those of you who didn’t win this time, why don’t you pop over to The Market Basket Co website and order yourself a beautiful basket? Thank you to The Market Basket Co too for offering the Rosie basket for our giveaway.

Time for a giveaway!

April 3, 2014 By Jennifer

Yay, who doesn’t love something for nothing? Well not quite nothing. You have to leave me a comment, but more of that later.

One of the catch phrases I hear the most from my clients is “I don’t have enough storage.” You too? There’s always things that need to find a home and what better place than one of these gorgeous market baskets from The Market Basket Co.

Not just practical, they are very stylish too with all the beautiful women of France taking them to the markets or the beach or riding around on their velo (that’s French for bicycle). The good news is, you don’t have to go to France to buy one. They are available here in Australia as a result of Lindy McLeod seeing the many uses of them in France and deciding to bring them home. The baskets are individually handmade in Morocco using traditional methods and techniques and made from strips of woven palm leaves from a species of date palm. They are finished with Moroccan leather handles either short or long.

The lovely people at The Market Basket Co have offered us one to giveaway just in time for Mother’s Day. They would make the perfect gift. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell us what you would store in your basket in the home. As I have too many magazines, I think mine would sit in the family room and be laden with magazines.

The names of those who leave a comment will go in the draw for the Rosie basket which is valued at $65 and comes with a rose material drawstring closure and red leather handles. Winner will be drawn on 30 April and announced here on 1 May.

Good luck! Pop on over to Facebook and follow The Market Basket Co there for regular updates and new releases.

Filed Under: Interiors, Living Rooms Tagged With: Interiors, Storage

Re-Love Project

April 26, 2013 By Jennifer

Well I’ve finally finished giving some love to my 1980’s pine television cabinet.

After sanding, staining, top coating and a little bit of upholstering, the item is complete.

As an Interior Decorator working mostly with families, my plan was to create a piece that would suit a family home. Storage is always a sought after commodity with a growing family, so a piece of furniture that could be used as storage, look good and also be used as a seat would be a great asset.

This little piece would be equally at home in a child’s bedroom, family room or entry.

Now it’s your turn to help the Salvos Stores. As from 9 May, you can bid on this piece and the other pieces of furniture that are being Re-loved by designers across the country.

Check out the pieces here and keep an eye out for the opening of the bidding.

A big thank you to Feast Watson for inviting me to participate in this project.

If you would like assistance sourcing storage furniture for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Filed Under: Children's Rooms, Furniture, Interiors, My Work Tagged With: Budget Decorating, Furniture, Interiors, Storage

Re-loving

April 4, 2013 By Jennifer

Do you remember I featured this little TV cabinet on my blog a month or so ago? I’m re-loving it as part of the Feast Watson Re-love Project.

TV Cabinet Before

The first step was to remove the doors, broken back panel and castors and then give it a good sand. Now I’m not a big DIYer so took some advice from the expert (aka my husband). I tried the electric sander but didn’t seem to get very far. It was a bit big to get into the shelves and didn’t seem to be hard enough.

Orbital Sander

So out came the little iron sander and all that horrible orange varnish from the 80’s turned to dust.

Smaller Iron Sander

Next was mixing up the liming solution. The beauty with the liming solution is you can create custom colours by adding a little or alot of the Proof Tint.

Feast Watson Liming Solution and Proof Tint

I wanted a gender neutral colour so used a little of the black and alot of the yellow to create a fresh, happy colour.

Custom Mixed Liming Solution

A brush and a rag were used next. I applied the solution with the brush and then wiped it off with a rag. The longer you leave the colour on the item the more intense it is.

Solution Applied

Now I just need to give it a top coat, add an upholstered seat and a couple of legs and she’s ready.

Solution wiped off

Don’t forget you can check out the other items in the project on the website. And in just over a month you can join the auction fun and grab yourself one of these restored pieces and help raise funds for Salvos Stores.

Have you renovated a piece of furniture before?

Filed Under: Furniture, Interiors Tagged With: Budget Decorating, Furniture, Interiors, Storage

Don’t Put It Down

September 5, 2012 By Jennifer

Put It AWAY!

That’s one of my favourite sayings. I’m a bit of a neat freak and love being organised. I think it comes from being born under the sign of Virgo. No matter how hard I try I just can’t train the rest of the family to be neat AND organised.

Hamblin Chest – we had one like this in our daughter’s bedroom. Great for all the toys and she could put everything away in a basket when she was finished.

Not putting things back where they belong really drives me insane. At the moment someone (who will remain un-named) did not put the balcony key back where it belongs and we are unable to access the balcony at the moment. Drives me CRAZY!

So it’s no wonder I got very excited when I saw this collection of storage solutions from our friends at Whiteport.

Nantucket Buffet – fabulous for the dining room

And they are all so stylish and reasonably priced. Hop on to their website and check it out. Go, get organised.

Hampden Bedside Chest – love dual purpose storage

I’m going back to look for the lost key. When I find it, I think I’ll put an oversized something on it, like they do at garage and cafe toilets!

If you need assistance choosing storage furniture for your family home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Filed Under: Bedrooms, Children's Rooms, Dining Rooms, Furniture, Interiors Tagged With: Furniture, Interiors, Storage

My take on shopping at Ikea

February 6, 2012 By Jennifer

Last month I visited the brand new Ikea store in Sydney.

Ikea Bedroom

I’m not a frequent visitor to Ikea as the stores, which get bigger and bigger every couple of years, are not usually that close to me geographically. But I was keen to visit the new store in Tempe to check out the size of the shop and to see what’s new.

Ikea Entertainment Unit

When I lived in Hong Kong, Ikea was a staple destination for setting up house. The store was located in Causeway Bay and as most of the residences in Hong Kong were small, one had to be really clever about storage which is something Ikea do really well. Also, most expats were in Hong Kong for a two or three year initial contract, so Ikea products were selected as they were relatively cheap and it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t last more than five years.

Ikea Kitchen with Mirrored Splashback

My recent trip to Ikea, confirmed that this is pretty much still the case. They do great looking items at good prices but I find the quality is just not there. If you’re looking for something that will last for many years, like my sofa, then Ikea is not the most ideal retailer for you.

Ikea Wall Unit

However, I do like the way they set up the rooms so you can see all the components and it’s a great place to visit if you are looking for ideas. It’s also great for kids furniture if you are wanting something to tie you over until they get to the next stage and require (deserve) something a little more sturdy.

Ikea Bunk Bed

And then of course there’s all those decorator pieces at the end of the Ikea stores. Tea Lights, glass vases, photo frames, plates, trays and glassware are all well priced and can add a touch of colour to your home.

Ikea Desk and Stationery Folders

Like all furniture, I think it looks best when mixed with items from different places to give a personal look to your interior decor rather than buying everything from the one place.

Ikea Iron Bed

Enjoy your week.

Jennifer

If you would like assistance creating a unique family home with a mixture of furniture and decor pieces, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Filed Under: Children's Rooms, Furniture, Interiors, Sydney Tagged With: Furniture, Interiors, Storage

Littlest Pet Shops

April 8, 2011 By Jennifer

My daughter is a collector. For the past three years she has been collecting little plastic animals called Littlest Pet Shops.

Littlest Pet Shop Party

They all have names and she keeps a book of their personalities and traits. She will set them up in various locations and groups and they all “chat” away to each other for hours.

It wasn’t until they all sat side by side on my office window sill that I realised we needed a permanent home for them.

I wanted a shadow box but something a little more “girly” than this one I saw on Desire To Inspire.

via Desire To Inspire

Then I found this image over at Decorology. But as she had over 100, this was far too small. So we enlisted Dad’s help.

via Decorology

I worked out how many rows and how many dividers we would need and a box was built. We enquired about framing but couldn’t find the right frame. Finally we bought some framing lengths and a frame was made.

Then we chose a paint colour and after numerous coats to cover the gilt, a shiny pink framed box appeared.

She had so much fun putting all the little guys into their new home.

It’s currently in animal order – you know, all the dogs in one compartment, the cats in another, etc.

But I can see that hours will be spent rearranging them in perhaps height order, or colour order, or accessory order, or…….

If you would like assistance decorating your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person appointment.

Filed Under: Children's Rooms, Colour, Interiors Tagged With: Interiors, Our House, Storage

Window Seats

December 6, 2010 By Jennifer

I keep on finding myself drawn to rooms with window seats.

Emily Gilbert Photography via VT Interiors

Many of the houses around my area have them and they are such versatile little spots.

via BHG.com

Great for sitting and reading or chatting on the phone.

Just as useful in a bedroom from here

They serve as extra storage and extra seating and always look inviting.

Frank Roop via Flickr

I love the wall mounted reading lights in the image above.

Even the dogs love the window seat

Do you have a window seat in your home? You can find more window seat inspiration on my Pinterest Board. If you would like assistance in creating somewhere quiet in your home, contact us to enquire about our colour and design services.

Filed Under: Cushions, Interiors Tagged With: Interiors, Soft Furnishings, Storage

On the inside

August 30, 2010 By Jennifer

Lately I’ve been noticing a number of cupboards with colour on the inside.

This is a great way to add a touch of colour to your home without feeling that the colour may be too overwhelming.

via Luxury iHouse Design

It also creates a great backdrop for the items you are putting in the cupboard or on the shelves.

via DIY Ideas

Australian Architect, Scott Weston is a master of hidden colour and uses it in nearly all of his homes.

Internal Carcass by Scott Weston

An easy DIY project, you could add some colour or wallpaper to the back of one of your cupboards.

via Living etc

If you would like assistance in creating YOUR harmonious environment, contact us for details of our design services.

Filed Under: Colour, Furniture, Interiors Tagged With: Budget Decorating, Colour Combinations, Furniture, Interiors, Storage

Clever Storage

June 9, 2010 By Jennifer

I don’t think we can ever have enough storage in our homes. I know, we all have too much stuff but some of it’s good, or important or has sentimental value and we shouldn’t just toss it away because we can’t find somewhere to keep it.

Messy House via Paintermommy.com

I love finding clever storage solutions for my clients and I keep a file of things I come across in magazines. I thought I’d share them with you. I don’t have credits on many of these as I’ve ripped them out of magazines long before I started blogging.

Often under stairs can be left as “dead” space, but these clever ideas are worth considering.