Decor

7 Stunning Pallet Wall Designs

Pallets projects are popular because they are budget friendly. In my mood board post Home Decor Ideas: Using Pallets you can see all sorts of home projects that use pallets: from small projects such as decor pieces to large projects such as building a couch or a bed. You can even create a wall out of pallets. Here are some pallet wall design ideas to get you inspired.

For Storage

Pallet walls are usually built to create charm and a rustic feel in a room. But a pallet wall can also be created to add custom storage. Check out the storage wall in picture (1). This can be done in a home office, by the front door to hang up coats, in the kitchen to hang pots and pans, or in the bedroom as a make shift closet.

Tiana Meggiolaro and Bia Mayrinck

Add Color

A darker pallet wall looks more luxurious. So why not go ahead and stain the wood before putting it up. Staining creates a uniform, distressed and weathered look – just like in pictures (2) and (3).

Bower Power

Cape 27

Or how about mixing pallet wood with other reclaimed wood – just like in picture (4). A few of the planks have been painted to add a pop of color.

Pretty Handy Girl

Backsplash and Angled Pallets

Pallets can be used to create a backsplash in the kitchen or the bathroom. You can see how Circa Dee created their kitchen backsplash seen in picture (5) here.

Circa Dee

For a more interesting wall design, how about creating an angled pallet wall design (6). It is a little bit harder, because you’ll have to cut the pieces to angles instead of simple strait cuts. But it adds another level to the design.

Pallet Backsplash

Garden Wall

Pallets can be used to create a simple garden wall, which you can hang planters from. Picture (7) shows an indoor vertical planter that has been made out of a pallet.

The Brew

The Overall Style of a Room

Creating a pallet wall will dictate the style of your room. Because of the rustic nature of the wood, you’ll want to think about adding rustic pieces in the room to create a uniformed look. Like using a rustic or wooden table, and vintage lighting/antique.

More rustic mood board posts:

April 18, 2014 in Decor, DIY

The Main Design Elements: Simple Bedroom Decorating Ideas

The main pieces in a bedroom, from the bed and bedding to the walls and curtains, can play a big role in how your bedroom is styled and how it feels. These are the areas I’ll be focusing on when it comes to the bedroom decorating ideas below. I’ll be staying away from small decor pieces and accessories, because for me they can easily create a lot of clutter – making the bedroom less relaxing. Here are the main bedroom areas to focus on.

The Focal Point: Around The Bed

The bed is going to be the main focal point in a bedroom. This is because it takes up the most space, and a lot of the bedroom furniture will be arranged around it (side table, lamps). Because this is where the eyes go to first when entering the bedroom, it is an important part in the overall design style and look of the room. There are two main ways you can create a design style here 1) through the bed you use and 2) through the bedding.

The type of bed you use. will help set the design style in the bedroom. You can go with modern looking platform beds, or there are more decorative and traditional style beds such as a sleigh bed seen in picture (1) or canopy beds – ideal for a master bedroom. Have a look at my post here for more ideas and designs: Inspiration Board: Bed Designs, Ideas, and Pictures.

A simple way of styling the bed area is through the bedding you use (2) (3). The colors you use will really set the color scheme for the bedroom. So you want to choose colors that blend well with your overall color palette. If you want to create a traditional style bedroom, go with patterned bedding maybe with a floral design. For a more modern or minimalist look, go with solid colored bedding that has a texture – as the texture adds style to the space but in a subtle way.

Color blocking is also possible with your bedding. You have: the blanket, the pillows, and the headboard. Each section can be a different color, or a different shade of one color. For ideas on headboard designs have a look at my mood board here: Headboard Design Ideas: From Monograms to Fireplace Mantels.

Other decor and design ideas for the bed area include: hanging up drapes or a canopy to create a romantic setting, hanging up string lights for a soft glow, or fitting a chandelier with a ceiling rose over the bed for a formal and shabby chic look.

How To Make Your Bedroom Cozy: Easy Ideas

For Your Feet

A simple way of styling and decorating your bedroom is to use area rugs – just like the bedroom in picture (4). They can add a pop of color to the space, or they can add some style if use one with a pattern or design (chevron, floral). They are also handy when it gets cold as they will keep your feet warm and soften the floor.

The whole floor design can add to the style of your bedroom. Imagine hardwood flooring, or a Herringbone patterned floor. Have a look at my mood board here for flooring ideas and designs: Flooring Ideas for the Bedroom.

Tips for Keeping It Simple

The main pieces and areas in the bedroom, like the bed area talked about above, make a huge difference in the style and how your bedroom feels. Don’t worry about adding in more decorations and stuff. There is already plenty in the bedroom already that can be focused on to decorate the space.

Your Curtains

If you think about it, your curtains play a big role in the design and look of your bedroom. Take a look at how large they are and how much space they take. They might not take up a lot of physical space, but they do take up a lot of visual space – especially when they are closed. What this means, is that the color and design you use will have a big impact of the overall design and style of the bedroom – just take a look at the curtains in pictures (5) and (6). If you use modern purple hookless curtains, you are saying you have a modern style and a purple color scheme in your bedroom. If you go with lace or ruffled curtains with a cast iron curtain rod, you’ll be creating a more traditional and vintage style in your bedroom. For more window treatment ideas and designs have a look at my mood board here: Bedroom Window Treatments and Curtain Ideas.

Quick and Cheap DIY Updates for Your Walls

The frames you use for your mirrors and wall art/pictures can be repainted a new color or replaced to update or change the decor style in the room.

Wall Design

The color of your bedroom walls is another major design element that determines how the space feels. If you go with dark colors, you’ll create a space that feels cozy and intimate. While lighter colors makes a space feel brighter and more spacious. Have a look at my mood board here for a collection of bedroom color schemes: Bedroom Color Ideas: Paint Schemes and Palette Mood Board. Painting your ceiling is another way to decorate the space: Spicing it Up: Bedroom Ceiling Ideas.

You can also get fancy with the look of your bedroom walls by adding some design elements. For example, there are simple wall trim designs, crown molding adds a nice finishing touch, or to break up a solid flat wall there is wainscosting. There is also wallpaper (Wallpaper Ideas for the Bedroom).

Setting The Mood With Lighting

See if you can play around with the lighting in the bedroom to create the mood and style you want. If you want a cozy and romantic space then you will want to avoid using your ceiling lights. Instead use table and floor lamps. Or put your ceiling light on a dimmer switch. If you want to create a large and spacious feeling bedroom then you’ll want to do the opposite. That is, light up the ceiling as much as possible, and all corners of the bedroom.

If you want to create a whimsical vibe in the bedroom, hang up some string lights. Use some LED ones and wrap drapes or light fabric around them to create a soft glow. Another way to add mood lighting in the bedroom is to use a fancy mood lamp, like the one below. These are LED lamps that can be set to a certain color, or fade through different colors. If you have white walls, you can put these mood lamps up against one and completely change the color of your walls. Feeling romantic? Use purple or dark blue. It’s been a gloomy and cloudy day? Bathe your walls in bright yellow or green.

For more bedroom lighting ideas have a look at my mood boards here:

Philips Living Colors Mood Lamp from Amazon

A Clutter Free Bedroom

To create a well designed bedroom you will want to get rid of all the clutter, or at least hide it away. You don’t really need many bedroom decor pieces/accessories. As seen above, the main bedroom pieces such as the bed, curtains, and walls are the major ways to decorate the space. It is best to only have maybe 2-3 decor accessories and pieces in the bedroom. Keeping it to a low number not only reduces the clutter – but since you only have a few pieces, these few items really stand out. So make them meaningful and well thought out pieces.

One quick and simple way to keep clutter under control is to use clutter bowls or trays. Take a look around your bedroom and see where are your clutter problem areas. Do you have a lot of clutter on your bedside table, or on your dressing table? If so, get a good looking bowl or tray (like a wooden one) and throw all the small pieces into it. By grouping these small loose pieces together you create a cleaner look.

For smart and creative bedroom storage ideas have a look at my post here: Space Saving and Stylish Bedroom Storage Ideas. 1/2/3/4/5 & 6

More bedroom design and decor mood boards:

April 17, 2014 in Bedroom, Decor

Color and Style: Living Room Decorating Ideas

For me decor means making the most of the main pieces in the room, not really so much in adding decorations, accessories and small decor items. So when it comes to living room decorating ideas, here are the main areas and pieces to focus on.

The Coffee Table Area

The coffee table is going to a major focal point in a living room. This is because it takes up a lot of space, it is usually in the center, and everything else in the room is arranged around it (the seats, the TV). So the design of the coffee table matters and what you put on top of it.

Coffee Table Designs

Depending on the style you want to create in your living room, try and get creative with your coffee table so it makes a statement in the space – just like the coffee table in picture (1). If you are going for a modern look, then opt for a clean cut coffee table. For a more rustic or vintage style, use a trunk, log, or antique table (2). You’ve got Moroccan style metal coffee tables for a more exotic look. Or you can simply drape your favorite fabric design over a normal coffee table to add some style.

For more coffee table design ideas and a mood board have a look at my post here: Creative Coffee Table Ideas.

Coffee Table Decor Ideas

The next step after sorting out your coffee table is figuring out what to put on top of it. It is better to only go with a few items, as this space can easily get cluttered – you’ve already got remote controls to deal with.

2-3 coffee table books is one way to go. Choose books that you want to see everyday, rather than what would look good to visitors. Other decor ideas include using lanterns, candles, and small plants. One way to keep a clean and well designed look on the coffee table is to group everything together using a tray – just like in picture (3).

For more ideas have a look at my mood board here: Creative Coffee Table Decor Ideas.

The Seating Area

The seats in the living room also take up a lot of space. You can style and add color to your seats through the pillows you use (4). Play with the fabrics – you’ve got patterned designs, or simple but elegant textures. Keep all the pillows the same size or mix up the sizes.

You’ve also got blankets that can be draped over the couch. These blankets can use a fabric design that adds to the style of the room or can be a solid color that adds to your living room’s color scheme.

On the Floor

When it comes to the floors, you can decorate and define spaces with area rugs. For example, putting an area rug under the coffee table helps define that space. The style and and color you use for your area rugs also adds to the design of the room. Choices include: the popular chevron rugs, shag rugs for a vintage style, or Persian rugs for a more exotic look.

Floor pillows can also decorate the floor space and add some informal seating to the living room. Again, the fabric choice you use for the floor pillows will help decorate and add style to the room.

On the Walls

For living room wall decor you have the normal route of hanging up art and photography. Or hanging up a number of pieces to create a gallery wall – seen in picture (5). You’ve also got more structural design elements such as trim, crown molding, and wainscoting that can add style to the walls (6).

The curtains in a living room take up a lot of visual space, especially when they are closed. So the fabric you use can really add to the styling of the space. Even the curtain rod and how you tie back the curtains adds to the room’s style. For a modern look, it would be best to go with hookless curtains, that way you won’t need tie backs as they create a more traditional look. In my Decor Style: Vintage Living Room Ideas you can see vintage door knobs being used as tie back hooks for a shabby chic and vintage styled living room.

Lighting Tips for a Cozy Living Room

Here are some ways to create a cozy setting in a living room by using lighting:

Turn down the ceiling lights by hooking them up to a dimmer switch. Or turn them off and use table and floor lamps instead
Candles are the ultimate mood lights. To reduce the fire hazard the candles can be put into a lantern, or floating candles can be used in a bowl of water. You can also get battery powered candles that look just like real ones – some will even flicker
Hang up some string lights for a whimsical vibe. LED string lights give off less heat which means you can wrap them in a light fabric to create a very soft diffused glow
A lamp or LED strip behind the TV creates a nice soft glow in the room
Look to get a mood lamp if you white walls in your living room. This mood lamp can bathe your walls in a color of your choice, or can slowly cycle through different colors

Have a look at my mood board post here for more ideas: Relaxing and Cozy Living Room Lighting Ideas

Style + Storage Living Room Decor

The goal is to try and get every piece in your living room to add to the decor and style of the space. So even your storage pieces can come into play, especially if they are out in the open. What style are you going for in your living room? See what kind of creative and stylish storage solutions you can use in your living room. Some ideas include:

Using a ladder to hang up blankets and magazines. This can be an old rustic wooden ladder, or a more modern sleek looking one – seen in picture (7)
Wicker and wire baskets add style to a living room
A cheap galvanised bucket can be used as a trash can, to store extra pillows, magazines, or fire wood.
Shadow boxes can be used on the walls
Trunks can be used as a coffee table or side table

For more stylized storage ideas have a look at the images in these mood board posts:

For more general living room storage ideas have a look at these mood boards:

Creating a Color Palette and Living Room Design Scheme

To create a strong design in your living room, you want to try and keep the decor focused. For example if you want to create a blue color scheme in your living room, then you’ll want to focus all of your decor pieces to blue shades, and neutral colors such as white, cream, grey, black. This means taking out decor pieces that are not blue. An orange pillow, a purple area rug and a green picture frame takes away from your blue color scheme. You can have two colors or maybe even three in a color scheme, but you still want to focus all your decor items to the overall color scheme – and take pieces that are not inline.

For ideas on color schemes for your living room have a look at my posts here:

The same also applies for the style of the room. If you want to go for a vintage look, then you’ll want to avoid having modern pieces. Each decor piece that is off the main style you want, slowly reduces the overall style. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

For style related posts have a look at these mood boards:

March 27, 2014 in Decor, Living Room

Home Decor Ideas: Using Pallets

The great thing about getting creative with DIY wood pallet projects (apart from them being free) is that you can make everything from small items (spice rack and shelves), to big ticket home pieces like a couch or a bed.

Art Pieces

Let’s start off with a small pallet DIY project. You can sculpt art pieces out of the scrap pieces of wood. KariAnne from Thistle Wood Farms created the beautiful ‘W’ wall decor piece using pallets as seen in picture (1).

Handmade Pallet Tables

If there is one thing pallets look good remodelled for, that would be coffee tables. Check out the beautiful chevron pallet coffee table made by The Merry Thought in picture (2). Or how about adding a glass top for a less rustic look (4).

In The Kitchen

Pallets can be used to create a backsplash in the kitchen (3). Head on over to Circadee to see the ‘how to’ details. The pallet kitchen island in picture (5) from ELLE looks like a designer piece. The kitchen has a muted color scheme – you have white stools/chairs, cabinets and walls, grey countertops, and black dinnerware. This lets the black island blend in well with everything else in the kitchen.

Big Ticket DIY Pallet Projects

I love finding budget friendly ways of creating big ticket home pieces – like a bed, couch, or kitchen counters. Which is why the DIY pallet bed design (6) (with inbuilt shelving) and the the pallet couch (7) are inspiring to see.

Working Away

If you really want to see the possibilities of what you can use pallets to create, then look no further than the temporary office space of Most Architecture (8). Everything in the work space is made up of pallets – from the desks and staircase to the conference room furniture. Look here for more pictures of the office .

Coming back home, KariAnne has used pallets again – this time to create a scandinavian style work table seen in picture (9).

Hanging Pallets

Lets move to the outside of the house and see what DIY pallet furniture we can find here. These are some epic-ally cool DIY projects – great for the summer time. You have the porch swing by Sheryl (10) and then the swinging daybed by The Merry Thought (11). All made with free pallets.

For more home decor mood boards have a look at these posts: