DIY Project - White Painted Floorboards

I love my home.  I love my life.  I love white.  I love girly, pretty stuff.  I do NOT love orange pine floorboards circa 1988 combined with yucky second-hand stained timber furniture from the charity shop!  It's one thing to have a house full of beaten-up vintage beauties, but it's another to have a house full of 'soon to be shabby chic if only I could be bothered to pull out the paint and could find an additional 10 hours in my week' cut-price bargains!

Finally, after years of talking about it, we painted our floorboards white... HIP HIP HOORAY!!!    Did I mention that we rent?  Did I mention that we didn't ask for permission first?  Did I mention that we also have a cat living here illegally?  We are such naughty decorating, pet-owning delinquents, painting walls in bold colours and renovating our kitchen without whispering a word to our landlord!  We are officially insane but we have so much fun.  Never mind the fact that if we ever leave this apartment we will need to spend a solid fortnight returning it to it's former, innocuous glory.

The process was hell, I won't lie.  Hideous beyond all words and imagination.  My handy husband, in his infinite wisdom, decided to use a tiny belt sander to strip the floor - it took hours and hours and hours, leaving us all covered in layers of the finest sawdust you ever saw (tip: hire a floor sander and damn the expense!).  There were small toddler footprints of orange crud caked onto our carpet for weeks!  While in the throws of decorating dementia, I decided to 'pretty up' my tired old desk before falling in a paint-splattered heap, declaring to never ever pick up a paint brush for as long as I lived.

But the results are totally worth every harrowing minute of renovation angst.  Our studio space is now bright and light and oh so stylish that it takes my breath away some days.  

Our journey...

Leo and Daphne Cat (the illegal immigrant) doing a final inspection

Our beautiful storm blue feature wall - this is my husband's side of the studio!

Hard at work sanding - this took FOREVER and nearly resulted in divorce!

At this point I was hyperventilating imagining our landlord knocking on our front door

The Monkey eating dinner amongst the chaos, totally unperturbed!

The goodies for my desk makeover

My new work space, complete with pink desk and white floor - honestly, it feels like sitting in a musk-flavoured, candy-floss cloud of happiness!

For the floors we used:

White Paving Paint

For my desk I used:

Milk Paint in Marshmallow from Porters Paints finished off with bees wax.  Milk paint has a beautiful rustic, chalky finish that was traditionally used in Shaker style furniture.  It is made from milk by-products mixed with powdered oxide pigments to produce a wonderfully subtle palette of soft colours.

Milky White Interiors

White paint is my antidote to all the world's ills.  Today I felt the need to become immersed in the luminous serenity of some milky white interiors to regain my sense of self.  Chandeliers, teepees and giant bunnies... can you feel the calmness wash over you?  Its pure magic I tell you!

x

Images

Buttoned Headboard

This stunningly beautiful winged headboard from The White Company is my current favourite.  I love the way the gentle tapered edge gives just a suggestion of cocooned comfort without appearing too overbearing.  So elegant.  So wow.  So want it x

Timber Clad Vaulted Ceiling

I'm about to call it a day... read my little boy a story... cook some nachos... curl up on the sofa with my love... but before I do any of that, I just had to share this gorgeous ceiling detail with you.  I love the scale and proportions of the space, the cladding and the cozy window seat.  Heavenly I say!

Wishing you all a snuggly Saturday evening!

x

Image from here

Decorating Master Class - How To Select The Right White Paint

One of the most common questions I'm asked as an interior designer is, "which white paint should I use"?  It sounds so simple... how hard can it be?  You select white, white or white... right?  Wrong!  Choosing the correct shade for your walls is probably the single most important decorating decision you will make.  Not only will it set the tone for the entire scheme, but it will effect every other component of the interior.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT RIGHT WHITE PAINT

Step 1: Choose a tonal family

There are hundreds of different shades of white on the market so you need to narrow the field.  Broadly speaking, whites fall into three main categories: pure whites, warm whites and cool whites.  When you look at a colour chart, you will probably be instinctively drawn to either cool or warm tones... on the whole, warmer tones work best in more traditional interiors while cooler tones suit a more modern space.  The pure whites are great for trim (architraves, skirtings, doors etc).

Step 2: Look at shades in-situ

Once you have figured out which tonal family suits your needs, start picking out particular shades that you like and then paint a test patch on the wall... this is a critical step as different lighting conditions will have a tremendous impact upon the look of the paint.  If you are choosing colours for a new home that has not yet been built, order large brush-out samples from the paint manufacturer (large A4 sized colour chips) and look at them in similar lighting conditions - you will be amazed at how different a shade looks in a big piece!

Step 3: Create a colour board of all finishes

The easiest solution I have come up with throughout my years as a designer is to select everything at once... choose carpet, tiles, timber colours, laminates and other key items at the same time as you choose the paint.  Never choose anything independently.  This way, you can change things as required once you see them all laid out together... believe me, it's far easier to alter a paint colour (of which there are endless options available) rather than change a carpet colour that you love.

My Current Top White Colour Schemes

I have specified these Dulux colours for recent jobs with stunning results.

Warm White Colours:

Left: Hogs Bristle Quarter Strength P14D1Q (walls)

        Fair Bianca Half Strength PW2S6H (trim)

Right: China White PCWC8/73571 (walls)

           Natural White PCWF5/73711 (trim)

Cool White Colours:

Left: White Duck Half Strength P16B1H (walls)

         White on White PCWF8/78065 (trim)

Right: Grey Pebble Quarter Strength P14B1Q (walls)

           Vivid White PW1H9 (trim)

 

HAPPY PAINTING!

P.S. If you would like further advice, please don't hesitate to contact me for an online colour consultation.

Photos by me

Words

Silver, white, girly, fluffy, marble, pattern, glass, heaven

Happy weekend

x

Image from here

Interior Inspiration

This image captures the very reason I adore interior decorating...

Look at the way light and fabric has been used to create a magical fairyland of wonder.  At the heart of all design, should be the desire to turn our world into a more beautiful place.  The splendour of sleeping in such a divine space would fill up your soul and leave you feeling like one of God's own angels.

Always, always strive for beauty in everything you do.

Happy weekend everyone

x

Image from here

A Perfect White Interior

I just love the feel of this gorgeous house in the UK - what a perfect canvas to add little personal touches to. My favourite space is the lounge room below... the geometric shape of the architectural detailing surrounding the bay window is stunning.

photo from here

It's a Cowgirl Thing

I blame my country upbringing for a rather macabre fascination with sun-bleached animal skulls. As a kid, I used to roam the hills looking for the perfect, bone white specimen. There is something so appealing about the use of the skull in this interior... it adds a sense of authenticity and drama... the hurricane lamps are the perfect accompaniment, heralding a time spent camping out on the range under the stars.

Images from here

Perfect Pair

I have a secret dream that involves my architect husband and I collaborating on some grand interiors business venture that will enable both of us to utilise our design skills while working together. When I discovered that Atlanta Bartlett (see last post) is married to designer Dave Coote, I felt strangely encouraged and more than a little envious! One thing that is very clear about the Bartlett/Coote partnership is that they obviously share a very similar design vision.... something that Andre and I might find challenging - he likes natural timber and owns a black Eames chair... need I say more? :)

Sleepy Head

No surprises that I have been daydreaming about sleep... I keep fantasising about snuggling up on a huge king size bed with beautiful white linen and a sea of plush quilts for company! I'd be quite content in these rooms :)

Foster House

I absolutely adore this kitchen. The layout, detailing and proportions are perfect and the beautiful high ceiling prevents the solid structural components from appearing too heavy. The giant clam shell is a stunning addition... I can see myself cooking up a storm in this kitchen, no trouble whatsoever!

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A little slice of heaven for a Friday... enjoy!

I spent so long looking at these images that I could totally imagine myself living in this house. I could feel the floorboards under my feet and the summer breeze coming through the french doors - it is such a peaceful, serene environment - the white painted vaulted ceilings and exposed beams give it a cathedral-like presence, a place where the worship of the very simple things in life can be conducted :)

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