Decor

Home Decor Ideas: Using Reclaimed Old Windows

I had no idea there were so many project ideas for old windows. The creative people below have done everything from recycling them as room dividers to creating furniture pieces.

Camouflaged

Reclaimed windows make great looking room dividers. Check out the rustic charm in picture (1), or the floor to ceiling reclaimed patchwork window arrangement in picture (2) from Dezeen.

If you take the time to replace the glass panels of a old window with mirror plates, you could end up with a gorgeous rustic mirror – just like in picture (3).

Decorating With Old Windows

Old windows make for great wall displays because of the sectioned glass panels. Each panel can be used to display photographs (4), or a kitchen menu board (from The Knot) (5).

Ashlee over at My So Called Crafty Life used cork tiles, chalkboard paint, and chicken wire to turn an old window into a kitchen command center (6) (Ideas for Setting up a Family Command Center in the Kitchen).

How about using an old glass window pane as a piece of canvas – just like what Kate and David did for their wedding in picture (7) – from The Knot. Other craft ideas include using old windows to make a backdrop for a coat rack, the one in picture (8) was made by Nadine.

Furniture Remix

Who knew you could upcycle old windows into DIY furniture pieces. Some other things to do with old windows include turning them into a coffee table like the one in picture (9) by Oh Glory Vintage. Then there is the homemade rustic kitchen cabinet by G. Collins (10).

January 22, 2014 in Decor, DIY

Home Decor Ideas: The Sharpie Touch

Sharpie pens, those colourful and popular markers. Who knew there would be so many different home decor DIY projects that you could do with them. From using them on your walls, tableware, to rugs and lamps – here are the Sharpie art ideas that inspire me.

Black and White Home Decor

Ceramic is a popular choice for adding the Sharpie touch to. The black on white creates a striking combo. You’ll want to use an oil based Sharpie, this way you can put your final piece in the oven to seal in the drawings. That is what Lova did over on Sweet Paul to create the mug artwork seen in picture (1). Or how about grabbing some air dry clay to create your own little home decor pieces – and then decorate them with a Sharpie (2).

If you get sick of using tableware, how about going out and grabbing some stones. With a black Sharpie you can create your own Zenstones. Check out the cool Sharpie designs by Judy on Arty Judy seen in picture (3).

Sharpie on Fabric

Fabric is another popular material for making Sharpie crafts. Create your own DIY slip cover seen in picture (4), or how about crafting your own fantastic doodle-icious napkins (5).

Over on A Subtle Revelry you can see how taking some time to write out a favourite quote, poem, or song line creates elegant scripted pillow cases (6) – the perfect focal piece for your bedroom (How to Create a Romantic Bedroom: Pictures, Designs and Decor Ideas). The same can be done in the kitchen. In picture (7) Becca from Blue Cricket Design gathered all the things her family were grateful for and wrote them out on a table cloth – just in time for Thanksgiving.

Sharpie Ideas For the Ambitious

Here are some big ticket items that were a little surprising to see the Sharpie touch added to. First up is an area rug. It took some effort, but taking a plain rug (with stains) and transforming it into a geometric printed piece looks like a worthy upcycling project, by A Nest For All Seasons (8).

How about taking on this Sharpie idea? Use a paint Sharpie, a gold one, on a plain white wall to create your own designer wallpaper. That is what Mandi did at Vintage Revivals to create her geometric designed, DIY sharpie wallpaper seen in picture (9).

On Your Side Table

Check out Dream Green DIY to see how Carrie was able to easily add some dimension to a side table using a gold Sharpie. It is very subtle, but highly effective (10). And over at Better Homes and Gardens an ordinary table lamp has had the magical Sharpie touch applied to it too – seen in picture (11).

January 17, 2014 in Decor, DIY

Creative Coffee Table Decor Ideas

For me, the simpler the better when it comes to centerpieces and coffee table decor ideas. Let’s start off with the main piece in the space – the coffee table..

The Coffee Table

The coffee table itself can be a decor piece. If you go with something unique like a trunk, a reclaimed and upcycled spool just like in picture (1). Or how about a reclaimed window, a pallet coffee table (2), or a wicker one (3). Now most of the focus will be on the coffee table itself so you won’t need to do much when it comes to the centerpiece and the decor on top. For more creative ideas have a look at my post here: Creative Coffee Table Ideas.

Decorating Ideas for Coffee Table Centerpieces

The less you do, the more each of your decor pieces will stand out. Here are some ideas on what decor pieces to use:

1-3 Coffee table books. Make them books that are meaningful and inspiring to you. It is your living room and you will be coming face to face with these books everyday. A lot of people will think of what will look good for when people visit. Go with what’s meaningful to you.

Candles, housed in glass or ceramic lanterns (5). There are also floating candles and battery powered ones. If candles are your thing, have a look at creating a modern candle arrangement – using different colors and heights (6).

A bird cage can be used to house a plant or candles. Check out my post for more ideas and pictures using bird cages around the house here: Home Decor Ideas: Using Bird Cages.

Plants: The design and color of the planter (and even the plant) you use can set the style of the coffee table space, check out the different styles in pictures (7) and (8). How about using vintage bottles just like in my post here.

Clutter Free Design

The coffee table is one area where clutter can build up. So try and keep things organised and clutter free here. Even when it comes to your decor – try and keep the number of pieces down as much as possible. Check out pictures (9) and (10), where trays are being used to group together and frame the few decor pieces on the table. A tray is a must have as it really creates a well designed look on the coffee table. Wicker baskets also work. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

January 16, 2014 in Decor, Living Room

Home Decor Ideas: Using Bird Cages

There is something special about adding a bird cage into the decor mix of a room. I’m not sure what it is yet, maybe it is the informal bohemian vibe, the Victorian feel, or what it represents? Either way, here are some fancy bird cage decor ideas to use at home.

Light and Flight

One of my top choices for using a bird cage would be for lighting. One way of doing this would be to use a bird cage to house candles, just like in picture (1). Or how about stuffing a bird cage with a strand of string lights, aka the Bird Cage Lamp, to create a nice soft glow in the room (2) (3).

Up on Display

If you can find a gorgeous vintage bird cage, say on Etsy, then this would make a great decor piece in itself. Check out the decorative bird cage sitting next to a potted plant and a vintage mirror frame in picture (4) .

Or a simple decor arrangement would be to put some old antique books inside a large bird cage – just like in picture (5).

On the Wall

Don’t forget you can get wall mounted bird cages, which are half the size of the normal standing cages. There are also stands and flat racks that are in the shape of a bird cage. The flat ones can be used to hang up photographs – seen in picture (6), or to hang and organise your jewellery in your bedroom.

With Some Plants

Birdcages make great housing for plants (7) (8). Or if you are looking to create a centrepiece arrangement, a bird cage can be used as an elegant accessory just like the table centrepiece in picture (9).

And outdoors, a bird cage can be used as a hanging planter or bohemian decor piece (10) (Ideas for Vintage Garden Decor and Outdoor Accessories). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10