Wardrobes | Ideas & Inspiration

Once a luxury, it seems to be standard practice these days for a master bedroom to include an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, and from the start we knew we wanted both in our new home. As with all the bathrooms, the ensuite had my attention from the start, and we made decisions regarding colours and tiles etc very early on. Addressing the walk-in wardrobe on the other hand came up very late in the game, and as such we've kept things simple in terms of layout and design. Using local company Boston Wardrobes, we ended up choosing a basic setup of shelves and rails, and figure we can add to this down the track as necessary. 

Like many women, I love fashion and have 'Carrie' moments where I dream of having a fabulously huge dressing room with rows and rows of shoes and bags and racks of beautiful clothes. Those of you who watched Sex & the City will know what I mean. But in actual fact, the image above really appeals. I love the minimalist orderly style, and the fact that it is both spacious yet cosy. I'd be quite happy to escape there with a book! Although our little walk-in will be modest in comparison, that's okay, because what I ultimately want is a functional space free from clutter, where everything has its place. With that in mind, I thought I'd do a bit of research and think about how I might like my dream wardrobe to look.

Firstly I turned to the fabulous US-based company, California Closets, who have been in operation for over thirty years, and are experts in the field of custom designed and installed storage. If they are in your neck of the woods, then I would definitely recommend calling on them. If not, the site itself offers loads of tips, advice and inspiration. Below is an example of the fantastic work they do. Experts in closet design, find out more here. 

California Closets can help you with any area of your home that requires great storage facilities, including the office, entryway and even the pantry. They also create the ultimate entertainment center, and with today's challenge of organising our DVD players, gaming consoles, cable/satellite boxes, DVRs, flat-panel TVs and the miles of cables that connect them all, I think most of us could do with some assistance!

Of course I also want the kids wardrobes in our new home to be well organised and clutter free. I love this gorgeous nursery wardrobe... 

And here are another couple of stylish walk-ins....

I love the feminine touches here...

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To finish off, I've put together ten ideas for creating a lovely walk-in wardrobe. In particular, I'm coveting numbers 01 & 10 from the Douglas and Bec for Kate Sylvester range. I've already got some Muuto The Dots in oak for the entrance way, but the pretty rose colour (06) has just been released, and with so many colours to choose from, I'm not sure I'm done at just one set! I definitely need some nice coat hangers (04 & 05), the bird lamp (03) is simply divine, and the rest is all about stylish storage, which of course is a must!

Links below images

01 Folding Brass Stool 1.0 by Douglas and Bec for Kate Sylvester

02 Plastic Weave Storage Baskets from Citta Design

03 Areti Aloutte Wall Lamp from Nest

04 Cardboard Hanger set of 4 in black and white from Ferm Living

05 Couture Hanger Pack of 5 in white from Freedom Furniture

06 Muuto The Dots in Rose from In A Designer Home

07 Paterson Large Fabric Drawer from Freedom Furniture

08 Storage Sack by Varpunen from The Minimalist

09 Two-Tone Felt Storage Set from Citta Design

10 All Oak Mirror by Douglas and Bec for Kate Sylvester

Interior Styling | Rustic Bathrooms

As we make the final decisions on the bathrooms for our new house, which are very simple and predominantly white, I can't help but be drawn to rustic styled bathrooms whenever I'm on the internet. There's something about the textural surfaces of concrete and wood that really appeal. The grey floor tiles we've chosen look a bit like slate, and I'd quite like to find a vintage wooden stool, but that's about as close as we're getting to rustic. If you're braver than I am and want to give this look a try, here are some inspiring images, starting with something I'm particularly fascinated with right now, concrete basins.

Concrete vanities create a bit a of drama and look especially earthy against white walls and modern ceiling lights.  

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I love the simplicity of raw wood. Thick cut, rough-hewn timber certainly adds plenty of warmth to a bathroom. To me, these bathrooms above work really well in terms of balance. The natural wood contrasts beautifully with the white walls, grey floor tiles and minimalist sinks, tapware and mirrors. I'm also crazy about large, rectangular counter top basins. If they're doubles, even better! 

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Either freestanding or built-in, a rustic wood bench is both stylish and practical.

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Finally, you can not underestimate the power of a simple wooden stool in adding a rustic touch to your bathroom. So easy to come by on auction sites or second-hand stores, a tree stump would also work really well!

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If you'd like to see more rustic style bathrooms, I have pinned loads to my bathroom board. Have a lovely weekend everyone. I'll see you back here on Monday with an exciting giveaway! 

Bathroom Towels That Wow

Bathroom towels are such an important accessory for the home. We see and use them everyday so it makes sense to invest in quality design that you love. Ever since I bought a Missoni for Target hand towel from Collected some time ago I've been hankering for more brightly patterned towels. If you have an all-white bathroom or are looking to change things up a bit then towels provide an easy way of adding colour and personality, without having to do any major renovations.

Even small details can make a big difference. Gorgeous Missoni Towels add colour and interest to this all-white bathroom above, belonging to Norwegian blogger Cathrine of Trettien.com.

I recently came across this photo series for H&M Home by Yellows Photography. So inspiring, I love both their range of towels and the styling. 

Although H&M Home only ship within the UK, I've found plenty more online finds to include in the following top ten picks. 

Images below links

01 Missoni Josephine Towels from Safari Living
02 Shower Towel by H&M Home
03 Globe Velour Towel Range from Citta Design
04 Hand Towel by H&M Home
05 Missoni Niles Pippin from Tessuti
06 Houndstooth Velour Hand Towels by Citta Design
07 Anorak Kissing Stags Towel from Allium 
08 Pixel Velour Hand Towel & Face Cloth Set by Citta Design 
09 Missoni Jazz Paprika from Tessuti
10 Houndstooth Velour Bath Towel by Citta Design

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday for another dose of design love! 

Interior Styling | Vintage Benchseats

When it comes to dining areas both indoors and out, I like the idea of mixing a benchseat in with the chairs. I know they can be impractical, if say you're in the middle of a dinner party and someone sitting smack bang in the middle needs to get up to use the restroom! But hey, they do look great, and for that reason alone they are worth considering. 

I started out with the intention of sharing all kinds of benchseats but when I began to pick out the ones I'm coveting right now from my Pinterest boards they all ended up being of the vintage variety. I just love the look of rustic wood, especially in contrast to clean, white interiors. Often seen in Scandi-style spaces this versatile piece of furniture works well in different areas of the home. I'll show you how...

At the dining table a benchseat fits in nicely with an eclectic mix of chairs and stools and also adds warmth to an all-white canvas. 

Placed in the entryway a benchseat comes in handy as a place to pop your things and somewhere to sit when putting on your shoes! In hallways and living areas in general, benchseats make a nice alternative to the occasional chair. Add a simple cushion or luxurious sheepskin for texture. 

The one below with trestle legs works well as a low level table in a corner of the living room. An easy DIY option perhaps?

This next example is one of my favourites. Strictly more of a console table than a benchseat due the height of the legs, I love how it fits behind the sofa on the edge of the gorgeous rug. Simple styling with a plant and a few objects placed on top completes the look.

Easily transferable from dining table to lounge, benchseats provide extra seating when necessary. 

The bedroom lends itself perfectly to a benchseat, especially when placed at the foot of the bed. 

Lastly, why not place a benchseat in the bathroom? Shown here next to a fabulous freestanding bath, it provides the perfect home for soaps, candles and a towel. 

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I've tracked down a couple of vintage benchseats from local online retailers:

www.vintageonline.co.nz
www.cintesi.co.nz

I would also recommend checking out two of the best vintage stores around, Mr Bigglesworthy and Flotsam & Jetsam. If they don't have a benchseat you are after, they may be able to source one for you. 

You'll also find plenty of options on the online auction sites ebay and trademe. 

The best thing about sourcing vintage and second-hand finds is that you can often pick yourself up a bargain!

Interior Styling | Concrete & Wood

I find the combination of concrete and wood in interiors really appealing so when I came across the beautiful photo series Where Concrete Meets Wood some time ago, I bookmarked it to share with you. Styled by Amanda Rodriguez, the Stockholm stylist whose work I've long admired, (she was even one of my first Pinterest Picks) the way she describes the two raw materials tells you a lot about how she sees the world, finding beauty in simplicity and the small details that surround her. Usually thought of as being strong and robust, she sees them turned into something fragile: the concrete into warm ash and the wood into light pink powder. Take a look and you'll see what she means. 

Photographed by Elin Strömberg and featured on This Is Paper, you can see the full series here.

Recently one of my lovely readers who is also building a home asked for some advice regarding her kitchen. When she described it as being concrete and wood I felt very excited for her! I immediately thought of these kitchens from my Kitchen Pinterest board...

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The concrete gives an edgy, industrial feel to the spaces while the wood provides contrast, warmth and a rustic touch. 

I'm currently loving this style used in bathrooms. I think it's because I've been looking at lots of white, modern bathrooms lately, which after a while can seem a bit bland and sterile. These however are anything but... 

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Wood and concrete can also be carried through to other areas of the home as these images demonstrate. 

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I'm a massive fan of using wood in the home. You may remember my Interior Styling with Wood post where I showed how wood can be introduced not only through flooring, cabinetry and furniture but also with smaller touches like homewares, lighting and accessories. The same goes for concrete... 

This is actually a very impressive DIY lamp found via Nimi Design. See instructions how to make it here.

This is Nina Holst's second living room. The concrete tea lights and vase look great in the grey themed room, sitting on a rustic wood coffee table alongside a silver Moroccan tray. Have you noticed how often I source Nina's home and styling?! I just can't get enough! If you haven't yet checked out her blog Stylizimo, you must! 

A clever alternative to the real deal, you would never know that this is actually Concrete wallpaper! Designed by Tom Haga, I discovered it just the other day via the lovely blog Sai Zaialism. 

Talk about a dream kitchen! What are your thoughts on concrete and wood in the home?

I'm so excited - we've got our roof shout this afternoon! Things are moving quickly which is great but there are still so many decisions to make. Eek! Look out for another installment of Home Build on the blog next week. Happy Friday everyone.