Here are some of my favorite projects made from an IKEA table – can you guess the product??

  From CCS  on Etsy

  DIY project from Young House Love

  Also from CCS in San Diego

Check out this bar created from Ikea Trofast containers!  Built by two students of architecture in Portugal -  Diogo Aguiar and Teresa Otto – the temporary bar was lit with LED lights and would stack away nicely when they are ready to cart it away…

Joe Colombo was an influential Italian product designer best known for his Universale Chair and Boby Trolley, an all in one unit.  He was a visionary of the type of living we would do in the future and in creating modular pieces.  In 1964 Colombo released the iconic mini kitchen which consisted of a cube with all the essential components for eating at home – a fridge, warming area, outlets and tons of storage. 

 Boffi, the high end Italian kitchen manufacturer, has re-released the minikithcen made in corian.  Perfect for the tiny apartments or patio area when space is such an issue.  Or how about in some of the progressive thinking homeowners who do not take up space in their homes with a kitchen at all as they never use the space?

I am on a work/holiday excursion for the month of January in  Queensland, Australia (yes – living a dream!) and am so inspired by the contemporary design in this region. 

While flipping through a magazine this morning I came across an architect who is quickly becoming one of my favourites the more work I see of his stunning homes.  Frank Macchia is brilliant at using building materials in an honest and clean way to create wonderful exteriors and functional interiors that take full advantage of the location they are situated in.

Check out his work at http://www.frankmacchia.com/

If you are not into hanging the traditional Christmas stocking but still want to put up something for Santa to fill consider different ways to hang other things you may find around your house that will still bring on the Yule Tide spirit! 

Colourful things from the kitchen such as an oversized mug tied with a ribbon, a red oven mitt or basket would do the trick.  Or how about raiding your closet for a stunning red purse or pair of tall boots?  And we always have a selection of Christmas bags around during the season…

Christmas decorating the world over automatically brings to mind evergreen Christmas trees and wreaths.  Check out these wreaths that are a more modern take off from the traditional green loop…

I spent a wonderful Christmas in Denmark a few years ago with my husband’s family and felt right at home as they followed so many of the traditions that my own family does.  Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve with a tree filled with candles, paper woven hearts, paper cones of candy and Danish flags strung around the tree.  Everyone circles the tree to sing carols and the children are allowed to eat the candy out of the cones as they pass by.

 I can just hear the brass angel windmill tinkle as we search for the almond in the rice pudding to get the price of the marzipan pig…

Hanukah (which means dedication) is the Jewish celebration of triumph over religious oppression and the reclaiming of the temple on the 25th of December.   While the army was defending the temple they were able to use a bottle of oil for 8 days which should have only lasted one day.  Hence the eight candles on the Menorah and the ninth to light them each night.

 There are Menorah’s available for any decor aesthetic that are beautifully crafted and carry on a wonderful tradition.

I love the smell, look and the whole tradition of going out and finding a real tree for our home over Christmas (and yes, we do it in an environmentally friendly way   But this year we will be gone over the holidays and I did not want to have the worry about looking after a live tree or coming home to ‘un-decorate’ it when Christmas is over.  So, I started searching for an easy alternative…

There are so many options out there for trees now, for any style and size of space.  I thought these ones where particularly great as they could really be part of your home year round with the subtraction of a few decorations!

The New Year is approaching fast and it is that season when every paint company is releasing their trends for the next twelve months.  Due to the unstable economic and global conditions we are still looking to earth tones for the comfort they bring as well as keeping things simple.  Warm greys are  a staple in again this year but are being punched up with a varying strengths of plum and the brightness of a citrus yellow.

Few Paint Companies Colour of the Year Trends:

Benjamin Moore  - Vintage Wine 2116-20

Sico  – Rembrant Dusk 6177-63 and Apple Cider Vinegar 6097-32

Mythic  – Coral Burst 108-5

With Dec now in full swing and Santa Claus appearing everywhere it brings out the love (and stress) of Christmas for me and my family.  I was looking at a typical depiction of the stone cottage at the North Pole while reading a bedtime story and thought – but what if Santa loves modern design???

A crisp white and red decor perhaps with a few shots of black to bring in the boots and belt?  Hmmm, and what would he want his suit to look like?

I just finished a small decorating project for a client with a wonderful art collection – both her own work and pieces her husband has purchased over the years.  We painted out the back wall of the dining room in a soft dark grey to create a great back drop for their gallery and also give the room a sense of cosiness for candlelight dinners.  The rest of the walls are Decorator White by Benjamin Moore and it is all pulled together with the soft gold and nickle accents.  And of course, this gorgeous chandelier (my new favourite) finishes off the room beautifully!

There is something about a bunk bed that is fun to sleep in for any kid – and a lot of adults.  Maybe it is the thought that you are on constant vacation as they are often found at the cottage to maximize sleeping quarters for guests.  Or the knowledge that you have a private spot all your own in a shared room above it all.

 While the market is saturated with great bunk beds in any price range custom built opens up a whole new world of possibilities.  Take advantage of an odd corner, incorporate storage, lighting, colour – whatever suits your home and family.  How cozy to sleep in a private corner made just for you?

I love the juxtaposition of modern and rustic in interior finishes or furniture.  Whether it be a traditional home with grand mouldings and contemporary furniture or a sleek loft with an antique armoire in the living space, the mix creates a sense of warmth and personality in any home.   

A large interior barn style door can provide the rustic charm to a sparse space or a wall of glass and steel to thick trim while allowing for either open concept when slid to the side, or two separate spaces when closed.  With the hardware readily available now you can use almost any material to create a barn door.  Would be very inexpensive to use a slab door painted out a great colour or with chalk board paint for an ever evolving huge piece of art. 

Consider a barn style door instead of a pocket door for a small space or an a easy fix to an awkward opening…

Every women knows what stripes can do to elongate or widen your body, hide flaws or just plan make a statement.  The rules hold true in decorating your home with stripes.  A traditional home will often often have tone on tone striped wallpaper or ticking in soft coverings but what about wonderfully wide bold stripes? 

Use them to make your ceiling feel higher or paint the 5th wall (the ceiling) with a bright coloured stripe for a real statement in any room.  There are so many possibilities of mixing up vertical and horizontal strips in any room.  Just remember to consider the scale of other pieces you incorporate to complement your fantastic stripe!