COMFY HAVEN

I love great DIY ideas and this is one of the loveliest. Meredith and Kevin of  Not So Newly Wed Mc Gees turned an old table into an upholstered ottoman.

For more on how they did it check out their blog...but here are some images of the transformation.

Ines Colmorgen and André Wyst are two better halves, who found each other 7 years ago. Ines owns a children's store. André loves print and  works as an art director for three magazines that are about interiors, product design and illustration for children. When I came across the images of their apartment in Torstrasse, Berlin, I was immediately impressed by its unique decor. I was inspired by the way they had taken little bits and pieces and put them together to make their home shine with personality . They have balanced each other personalities in their decor by creating small vignettes that really show off who they are.

















Images via freundevonfreunden
Fotos: Ailine Liefeld

Don't you love little areas in your home that scream 'you'. Me too. Creating these little spaces or vignette are fun and they add high visual impact with minimal effort.These little vignettes are one of the design world's go-to tricks that lends  drama to a drab corner .

Creating these spaces are one of those things that’s easier to do than explain how. Sometimes you just need to experiment till you get it right.  Some design rules to follow would be vary the height of your grouping and using an uneven number of items. Some items that are usually great to include would be—a nice tray, a glass vase or container, a decorative box, books, etc.  But it is the quirky, unexpected items that give vignettes their personality. Usually when you want to create one, its hard to go out and buy a group of accessories to make the perfect vignette.  Instead, you need to collect little pieces over time that catch your eyes or speak to you.  If you travel abroad and see a lovely statue or a bowl but have no use for it...buy it it might be that unusual piece and completes a collection. It ultimately comes down to how you put everything together, and including pieces that have special meaning to you makes it even better. 

Here is some inspiration...

via Lonny Mag

via Knight Moves

via April and May

via House and Hold

via Cynthia Smiley

via design*sponge

via design*sponge

Last week my family and I visited the Seaside resort of Malu Malu in Pasikuda ( this is a 4-5 hour journey from Colombo, you basically travel straight across the country) .  For many years  Pasikuda has not been safe to visit due to the civil war in my small island nation . But now the area is being opened for tourists and developed very quickly. Pasikudah beach is one of the safest and cleanest beaches for sea bathing in the east coast and is slowly gaining the popularity that has been reserved for Arugam Bay. 

We arrived close to lunch time and received a glimpse of the warm hospitality we were going to receive for the next few days. I loved the delicious tamarind sorbet that was served, it immediately refreshed us as we arrived during the hottest part of the day...and the pretty garlands that were given even to the tiniest of us.

The concept of the whole resort is built around the idea of traditional Sri Lankan fishing village, or “Waadiya” as it is colloquially termed, the simple eco friendly architecture is inspired by the wooden Clad dwellings of a typical fisherman’s hut. The name of the resort  Malu, Malu means fish, fish, this is the traditional shout of the  local fisherman selling their fish. The rooms and chalets seamlessly blend with the surrounding environment each with its cadjan roof elegantly highlights the Sri Lankan culture; modern amenities are subtlety introduced, tastefully combining the old with the new.





The rooms were lovely...and looked like the pictures below for about two minutes before my little 'destructo' had her way in them. The bathroom was probably my favorite part , cement finish, white and gray color scheme, shower area and jacuzzi and very spacious .The rooms are perfect for ' families as they have 'attic' rooms with two or three beds...it is great if you have children. The rooms for my active little 1 year old were not as child friendly as I would have wished. Small gates on  all the steps would have prevented an endless amount of stress.


 p.s The reason you don't see any pictures of me is because I was suffering from a allergic reaction to something I ate before I went to Pasikudah so I spent a lot of time that weekend itching ,  I was a bit swelled up :)

Pasikudah :
Pros: great place
friendly staff
 good service
Cons: They need to make it a bit more child friendly.
-have utensils for children ( you might have to take plate etc for you infant)

Are you struggling with inspiration to decorate your small apartment? This beautiful apartment  is only  40m² and decorated just the way I love: white with pops of color. The owners creative style is reflected beautifully in this stylish apartment. The fact that it is small has in no way hindered  expression of  creativity and personality. I also love the ingenuity reflected in the practical and excellent use of space.

In the Living room , the IKEA sofa is enhanced by the use of floral and solid throw pillows in eye catching colors.  Different shapes and textures have also been  added in the form of the round coffee table , the Fiber pouf, IKEA Camana Rug in chartreuse and the beautiful hot pink and green Designers Guild floor pillow.  The touches of  flowers and plants also adds color and freshness to the room, making the whole design of the living room elegant and timeless.








  
So do you think you have enough ideas to steal for your own small space? I'd love to know how this apartment inspired you.