Terrazzo is Back!

I have been trolling the designer's internet to see what are the 2018 design trends. I have found quite a few but I am only here for this one: Terrazzo. The 70s are back, apparently. I love it for bathrooms, patios, kitchens and I love it for furniture. I am particularly into Dzekdzekdzek.com and their creations.

Wall Paper Magic

This looks amazing and amazingly time-consuming. But the result, am sure, will have been magical. 

In one of my Brussels bathrooms. 

I have no idea why some people think wallpaper is old-fashioned or kitch. I wouldn't do every single room in my home in wallpaper but I do love wallpaper in bathrooms, especially.

 I also love these new designs from Cole and Sons and Harlequin.

Greening the Piece

 

 

 

  

 

 

 I don't have a big front yard. And I don't have a back yard. It's basically a townhouse/row house. I am glad about that because I do not do the gardening thing, you know. The only thing I regret about no green space is that my Fred has no place to let loose. So he basically runs up and down the five flights of stairs in our house. It's funny and sad at the same time. Poor Fred.

But even though there is no green space, I would like an attractive front yard and I would like to be able to make a few seasonal or decorative changes. And I was reading the blog Elements of Style the other day and I got to thinking about how you would "decorate" a front yard. I figure a statute would be groovy or a bench. I have baskets of flowers but it would be nice to add some potted plants to the mix. Anyway, I hope you guys catch some inspiration from these pictures in the event that you have a near non-existent front yard as I do.

Images: Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Pinterest

A Cozy Bathroom

Some days I am tired and I don't want a bed. I want a roll top tub and a steaming hot cup of herbal tea. Any of these bathrooms above would do the job.

I know a lot of people love spa bathrooms but I honestly prefer something more cozy, country and warm. Plus I love clutter. These bathrooms, above, look cluttered in the nicest way possible. A big area rug, a potted plant, some pictures on the wall, a chair with a stack of towels on it, a basket, a big jar with Epsom salt or a homemade coffee- brown sugar-cocao fat scrub, curtains or drapes at the window, four or five candles on candle stands of different heights, and more than one mirror to soak in one's vanity-- all things that can cozy up a space that can easily be too disinfected.

Winter Blues

 

I don't think it's fair for me to have winter fatigue because I have been in sunny Florida for almost two months now. But the thing is I am going home to Brussels soon and it's gonna be all gray skies, drizzle, more gray skies. And worrying about whether there are terrorists hiding in my neighbourhood. For. Real. So I am looking for ways to cheer up my little front yard with colour. So maybe some colourful perennials, some hellebores mixed in with some greens and some statement pots of differing heights with uniform colours. Barring the plants, the picture above from Mary Mcdonald's home is a good inspiration. 

5 Ways to Reinvigorate Old Furniture

Obviously I love old, antiques, brocante and vintage furniture. What I do get fascinated by is the way we live today with things from the past. How do we transform them, re-purpose them, dress them up, or simply find use for them, so they sit comfortably with our contemporary, neo-traditional or transitional décor?  I've brought you some interesting vantage points, hoping to help you gather inspiration for old furniture.

 

1. Multipurpose dining room. I have said this before: breakfronts are not outdated and can still find a place in your home. I love that the one below, from Windsor House Antiques, has been done up to showcase a leather-bound book collection, and also china. But the piece of furniture would work just as well in a home library.

From Windsor House Antiques

2.Upholstering coffee table tops. I cannot tell you how many times I have been to the flea market and I see glass top coffee tables with ornate carvings but with the glass shattered. The tables usually go for nothing because of the broken glass. I love Robert Couturier's upholstered and ornately carved coffee table. Definitely one to try.

3. Transform a walled bookcase with  Columns. I also do see a lot of columns in the antique and brocante stores at Rue Haute in Brussels. What I do hate is the random addition of them to the middle of a room for no apparent reason other than to suggest that "I know and bought a valuable piece of an old building". But I do like the way this is used by Bunny Williams. It definitely upgrades a simple "gyproc' built-in bookshelf.

4. Paint and add a piece of marble to a pair of Old Wooden Brackets. Just like the columns, old wooden brackets are always hanging about the brocante shops. You will find a bunch in Troc here in Brussels, for example. I would use this in a foyer, stairway, bathroom, dining room or kitchen.

 

By Designer Margot Austin

 

5. Re-frame black and whites in gilt frames. You can trip over gilt frames at the flea because they are so plentiful. But also, sometimes you find not just empty frames, but frames with ruined art or art that simply does not appeal. Do not walk by. Buy the old art for the frame or the empty frame and make use of it. I love the way this golden gilt frame holds the black and white of Elizabeth Taylor. The juxtaposition makes for a nice visual effect. You can add your own family's old black and whites or find one of a favourite old movie star.

 

 

By Deborah Buck

 

If you have other ideas you can send them to me. Also, if you found the tips useful, please share the post with your friends.

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