5 Interior tips from a pro....

...meet Lisa Reid of Room Design

Hi guys!

I know, I went AWOL last week...

I've been back in Norway for a little holiday! Now, the plan was to keep blogging while I was away, but too much fun and a nasty cold left me with little energy spare, so I figured I'd give myself a little blogging break!!

But that doesn't mean to say it was all play and no work!! I spent a lot of time in Norway seeking out inspiration for future posts, but best of all, I managed to invite myself around to the offices of Lisa Reid of RoomDesign for a spot of lunch and a chat!

Click on the image to check out the RoomDesign website

You see: It's been bugging me for a while, as nostalgiecat has become more and more interior focused, that I feel like I am blagging it a bit! I mean as passionate and informed as I feel I am about interior design, I am NOT (yet) a trained interior designer.....and I'd hate to give you guys some dodgepot advice: After all interior design should be fun and creative, yes!! But it is also serious business!!

So I wanted to consult with a professional!

So, when I knew I was going back to Norway for a week, I got in touch with Lisa Reid that runs her interior design and consulting  business from her offices in the center of Bergen and arranged a meeting.

Lisa set up RoomDesign in 2010 with a vision to help people create their optimal rooms, where both functionality and the clients dreams and visions would be equally considered!

I fell in love with this ethos when I first came across Lisa's website, as I feel that far to often the dreams of how you want a space to look gets compromised for the sake of functionality (and it needn't be!!)....and I have been following Lisa's interior adventures on facebook ever since! 

Lisa also runs short interior design courses where she generously shares her knowledge and expertise, and helps people get more confident using colours and finding their own interior style.

Needless to say; I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to see me!

I'd had a feeling we would gel, but had not anticipated Lisa's warmth as she welcomed me into her beautiful offices, where she'd laid out a wonderful lunch spread!

We ate, drank and chatted for more than 2 hours, mostly about interior inspirations and how to create a space that is personal, beautiful.... and functional....and how to achieve a dream look when the budget is tight and space is at a premium....

and Lisa has kindly allowed me to share her top 5 tips when it comes to interior design:

1

Paint the ceiling and walls the same colour

Image from Elle decor Espana

This may sound wacky, and is a fairly new trend that interior designers all over the world is embracing....but it is actually a really neat trick if you are decorating a small space: It creates an optical illusion by diffusing the outlines of the room, making the room seem larger and more cohesive. It looks elegant and is relatively easy and cheap to achieve!
2 Make your furniture dissappear

Image from Entrance

No. of course you shouldn't chuck out all your furniture, but if you have a small space there are a couple of visual tricks to furnish a room yet still make it look spacious!
Lisa suggests using wall shelves and sideboards in the same colour as the walls to make them visually disappear and become part of the back ground.
Another trick Lisa uses often to free your gaze and enhance the feeling of space, is to keep as much of the furniture as possible off the floor. This will make the room seem airier and bigger. Think shelves and floating credenza's...or even a coffee table in glass....The more you can see of the floor the better! Which brings us nicely to Lisa's next point:

3
Layering rugs


Photo by Amy Bartlam via SFgirlbybay

Like me, Lisa is a big fan of a good rug!!
Describing them as "the jewels of the floor" Lisa  tells me she loves the trend of layering rugs!
Adding rugs to a room design will help define the room and the different functions of the areas within it!

 So what's better than one rug?  A few! 

 Here's a few of Lisa's tips on how to get started with layering rugs:

Decide on the size of the area that is to be defined by the rugs, Start with a neutral sisal or jute rug for texture(bang on trend for now!!) as a base, then add smaller, more decorative rugs on top with patterns and colours that compliment each other! Don't make it too matchy-matchy...the point is to bring in different patterns and textures....even shapes...mixing it up to create a truly personal and unique, fresh look for your floors!

4
Level lighting

Image via desire to inspire

The importance of good level lighting of a room can not be underestimated, and like Abigail Ahern, she recommends having between 6-8 different light sources in each room: From overhead lighting to task lights, like a lamp by your favorite chair for reading or a spotlight on a favorite piece of wall art...Good level lighting helps create an ambiance in a room and makes sure no corner is left dark and dingy, ensuring maximum enjoyment of the whole room!
Build up lighting sources on all levels, from the floor and up. Think floor lamps, table lights as well as candles and decorative lamps. Lisa suggests grouping lamps together with low wattage (energy) bulbs on a sideboard...and having one white and one pink bulb will give a very natural light!

5
Fill your walls

Image shows one of my favourite graphic designers, Nynne Rosenvinge's home via Femina

Lisa's last tip is to NEVER leave your walls bare! There are loads of different ways to fill an empty wall, and I am planning on delving further into this subject in a few weeks, but for now, here's a few suggestions:

Display family photographs grouped together, hang a rug to cover a big blank wall space or use wall shelves to display collected items and artwork.

 Nothing makes a space quite like the right artwork!

A big piece of well chosen art is a real statement , that helps bring personality into your room!!

Or how about creating a gallery wall with loads of different sizes art?

Top Tip:If you want to hang a piece of art behind your sofa, but it looks a bit too small for the wall space, a trick is to hang it a few inches off center, so that the negative space next to it becomes "part of the image"(Like in the "pink ceiling" picture above)!

I think you'll all agree that Lisa's tips are great for creating an creative interior that shows off your personality and uses the space to it's maximum....

I adore her commitment to sharing her passion and knowledge of interior design, and her uncompromising desire to achieve a look that suits her client's personality and dreams!

«A room shouldn't scream the name of the designer but more the personality of the client»

-Lisa Reid-

Please check out Lisa Reid's blog to keep up with her tips and tricks, or follow her on Facebook, instagram or pinterest to get inspiration for your interiors

DIY wood and concrete candlestick

So this last week I've been all over everything wooden!

I love the look of wood, it adds an authenticity and warmth to any interior!

So I spent ages trying to figure out what sort of DIY with wood I was going to try out for myself!

In the end, a little and worse-for-wear stump of two-by two that I found in the road (????) on the school run sparked my imagination!

So capturing the trend of mixing materials, I've made this concrete and wood candlestick, and today I'll show you how!

You will need:

2x2" stump of wood

Wood saw

Drill with spade drill bit (size of the diameter of a candle)

Candle

Foam board

Rapid set Concrete or cement

Stanley knife

Tape

Sandpaper

First I sawed my little stump of wood to size, then I Used the spade drillbit to drill a 1cm hole in one end to hold the candle....I also drilled some little holes all around both ends of the wood, so that the concrete has something to grip on to....

Now you may think: Why not just drill a hole in the wood for the candle and leave it like that??

That's nice, but....

There is two reasons why I decided to use concrete to make this candlestick:To capture the trend of mixing materials, but more importantly, to make sure the candlestick would not be a fire hazard! The concrete shields the wood from the flame of the candle!!

SO....

Next up I made a case out of the foam-board that would fit snuggly around the wood:

 I made it about 2" longer than the wood on both ends, and taped it tightly around the wood...

 Then I mixed up some rapid set concrete (cement would also work here!) and poured it in on the bottom half of the wood first....when that had set, I turned it over and did the same on this side.... 

...only this time I set the candle into the wood first, and poured the concrete around it! Then I left it all to set overnight! The next day I removed the foam-board casing, and left to air-dry for a few more hours!

Then I just tickled it with some sandpaper to remove any rough edges....and that's it!

I love the mix of that battered old lump of wood with the concrete "melting" into it... and I am so pleased I managed to give that old stick a new lease of life... The rustic-ness  of the wood is the perfect accompaniment to my Glass and concrete accessories displayed on my living room bookshelf!
I have some more wood based DIY's in mind for the future, but for now I am taking a little holiday, as I am off to Norway for a week! But I am starting to think about Spring....hint hint!!

15 creative ideas using wood in your interiors

Image from improvised life

I have fallen in love with all things wood this week!
I have been spending a dangerous amount of time on pinterest exploring different creative ways to use wood in your interiors, and today I am sharing 15 of my favorite pins.

From simple and rustic coffee table ideas , like the wood-slab table , above, and the easy Pallets-on -castors idea, below for your living room...

Image via vtwonen

To this neat little bedside table from one of my favourite DIY bloggers, Francesca from Fall for DIY:

Image from Fall for DIY

Wood is such a stunning and versatile material: Perfect for DIY projects!

Use it in it's rawest form; Bring in whole branches and twigs....

Image via living vintage co

...make a lamp stand, like above....

Or suspend a branch from the ceiling for a unique take on wardrobe storage, like the branch clothing rack Rae of one of each made, above!

image via wabisabi style

Or how about making use of some tree branches, and make some useful wall hooks, like the ones above?

Image from luxurya ccommodations

In the bathroom , pictured above, they've used a tree-trunk to create a little stool, they've made a ladder from branches to hold towels and used a slab of wood across the bath tub to keep lotions and potions on....ingenious!! Not only is the use of wood here very practical, but it also adds a natural warmth to the whiteness of the room!Beautiful!!



I just love the organic shapes of these stools from Nordic house, and if I ever come across a fallen tree, and happen to have a chain saw on me....I will most definately try to DIY one of these....
LOL!

image from Petit and small

In all seriousness though, there are inspiration for DIY's to be had everywhere!!
How about these gorgeous and simple wooden table lamps, above? Sand back a log, hollow it out using a drill and add a cord kit and a fabulous bulb....and Bob's your uncle!!

Or these wooden coasters by anthropologie, also easily DIY'able...maybe using Plywood??

Image via An ordinary woman

As mentioned in my previous, wood-inspired post HERE, Plywood is very useful when it comes to DIY projects: It's relatively cheap and extremely versatile, but it also possesses that beautiful wood grain effect...Use it to build your own furniture, like those cute hexagonal shelfs ,below, or even just attach some on to the wall, like they've done in the picture above, for an instant and simple  statement with artistic flair!

Image from Luona shop

Raw timber is also an easy option for DIY projects:

Image via apartment therapy

How about making a fun floor-bed/play house for the Kids room!??

Image from Maria Nichols

If yo don't feel confident enough to take on any such structural DIY's, the easiest thing to do, would be to use something you already have,Or a junk shop find, like an old crate or wooden box: Turn it on its end, stick some castors on, and you have made yourself a nice little side table, like the one above!

Image from Carolyns homework

Lastly, I had to include this cute little photo holder from  Carolyns homework....with valentines coming up, this would be a perfect little make for the one you love, non??

If you'd like to see more creative ways to use wood in your interiors check out my Pinterest board wood....it's packed full of inspirational images and links to handy DIY tutorials, so that you can get creative using wood in your home!!

I will be back with a tutorial on a little wood -based project I've been working on next week, so please pop back then!!

Interior inspiration: Wood

Image from Marsipan og smilefjes

This week I've been exploring the use of wood in interiors!

There is something about wood that adds a certain naturalness and warmth to a room...It can transform the most minimalist and modern interiors into something more authentic and organic!

Now, most of us are not blessed with homes that boasts beautiful wooden wall paneling or even floors, like Norwegian blogger Marthe from Marsipan og smilefjes, above, or those amazing high ceiling spaces with wooden beams, below:

Image via Sheer luxe

But with wood, a little goes a long way: And just a few little touches here and there can really add depths and warmth to a room:

Image from No home without you

An old wooden stool, the legs on a table or a chair, a shelf in the corner...even display some stacked wood for the fireplace (below ) or lean some pallet wood up against a wall with a light-chain for a statement, like Finnish blogger Kaisa from No home without you, above!

Image via Home Edit

 In fact, using wood in your interior creatively really packs a punch:

Image via lushome

Why not stack some old wooden crates to make a shelf for storage, like in the image above...
Or for a truly budget friendly option: Use some wooden pallets to make a seating area, like below:

Image via vtwonen

Making furniture, or even used as flooring, plywood (below)is another great way to add some wood into your interiors....not only is it cheap, but also extremely versatile and easy to DIY with....and that blonde wood look is bang on trend at the moment!

Image viaScandinavian deco

Just painting some (ply)wood in a simple geometric pattern, like Diana from house tweaking did, below...will make a huge statement as well as adding that wooden touch to your decor!

Image from house tweaking

And do feel free to mix it up: Old with new , dark with light wood....

Kat Hertzler of maple leaves sycamore trees 's dining area via design mom

....Rustic and industrial with antique....

Image from weekday carnival

...retro with modern....

Its all good! All wood (bar that yellowing pine stuff from the 90's.... UUUGH!)is in fashion right now!!

There really is no rules...whatever appeals to you: If you love a piece of wooden furniture, it will work in whatever style of interior you choose, as it is YOU: Your taste and personality that shines through, but just that little touch of something wooden will elevate the feel of your room and add a certain "je ne sais quoi"!

Stylist: Emma Persson Lagerberg. Photographer: Petra Bindel. For Åhlens. Via 79 ideas and Nordic Design 

...A simple rustic bench in the bathroom will add an instant SPA feeling!

Image from The merry thought

...And an old plank of wood suspended from the ceiling, as seen on The merry thought,  will not only be a functional bedside table, but also a statement with artistic merit.

Image from The Design files

I love that earthiness that wood brings to your interiors, weather its old or new, rustic or modern...it just adds something that speaks to my heart...maybe it's my Norwegian roots??!!
And I am oh'so glad that the fad of painting everything wooden with shabby chic chalk paint is finally veining, and all those gorgeous Mid century modern pieces of furniture can breath a sigh of relief, as they are now back in fashion....veneer finish and all!
I mean , just look at the living room, pictured above, from Aussie artist Carla Fletcher and her musician partner Brett Langsford's home in Melbourne: Perfectly eclectic and bohemian, with tons of personality....and with just the right amount of wood in form of that MCM sideboard,the rustic wooden gem stool and the pale wooden frames on the artwork....perfection!!
In my next post I will show you some more ways to get creative with wood in your interiors from around the web, then next week I will show you a little DIY using a piece of wood I found in the road the other day! LOL :)
Until then, have a great week ....and if you'd like to see some more inspiring interiors using wood, check out my pinterest board wood!