Ah, and so we are – mid December, a few days to Christmas. So how does this time look for me every year?
– overworked (company targets need to be met!)
– cold (though London is surprisingly mild this year)
– sad (missing my family, the more the closer it’s till Christmas as I know I’ll see them soon and want this to happen ASAP!)
– and this year, additionally, stressed out and tired as hell since as always I’m over-ambitious and have decided that I need to be responsible for whole of the Christmas look and feel. The occasion is perfect as it will be the first Christmas at my parents’ new house, so a blank canvas almost. So I’m sewing: tablecloths, table runners (both in 2 sizes!), napkins for 15 people, choosing decorations for the whole room and presents for both my and my husband’s families…
Anyway, I’m hoping all this hard work is going to pay off and deliver the ‘wow’ factor – the color scheme / theme chosen for this year’s Christmas is Gold, White and Glitter: timeless, elegant and very celebratory.
Let me share with you a few beautiful photos that inspired me and maybe can inspire you too, if you’re planning your Christmas last minute.
Modern white and golden wreath with a pinecone and snowflake
Name tag attached to the glass
Golden table setting with ribbon-tied cutlery
Stylish golden table setting
Glamour Christmas hanging ornaments
Twigs and candle decoration
Golden wreath
Glass, candle and roses centerpiece
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I’m also planning to bake and decorate cupcakes, and – another last-minute idea – bake gingerbread in the shape of letters, for a different take on gift tags.
I hope this is going to work out as I never baked gingerbread before!
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No i jestesmy w polowie grudnia. Jak ten okres w roku wyglada dla mnie? Jestem zwykle
– przepracowana (bo przeciez firma musi wyrobic plan)
– zmarznieta (choc pogoda w Londynie jest w tym roku dosc laskawa)
– smutna (bo tesknie za rodzinka, tym bardziej im blizej do naszego spotkania!)
– a w tym roku dodatkowo absolutnie zestresowana i zmeczona jak diabli bo jak zwykle ambicja wziela nade mna gore i postanowilam zaprojektowac cala wizualke swiateczna. Okazja ku temu jest niebanalna gdyz beda to pierwsze Swieta w nowym domu moich Rodzicow i jest duze pole do popisu :). W zwiazku z tym szyje obrusy i biezniki w dwoch rozmiarach, serwetki na 15 osob, wybieram dekoracje no i naturalnie prezenty dla calej mojej i meza rodziny…
Tak czy inaczej mam nadzieje ze wszystko dobrze sie uda i swieta zrobia wrazenie na gosciach – schemat kolorystyczny na te Swieta to Zloto, Biel i Blysk, czyli kombinacja elegancka, ponadczasowa i bardzo uroczysta.
Powyzej dziele sie kilkoma pieknymi zdjeciami ktore zainspirowaly mnie w tym roku – jesli szukacie swiatecznych pomyslow na ostatnia chwile, mam nadzieje ze te pomoga.
Ostatnim pomyslem ktory moze sie przydac to pieczenie piernikow w ksztalcie inicjalow – zamiast bilecikow prezentowych. Sprobuje to zrobic, jak sie uda – pokaze efekty 🙂
I have always loved bubble lamps. They look so light, airy and magical – an absolute stunner in any space. The bubbles can be perfectly round, and the arrangement geometrically perfect, as here:
…or it can have slightly uneven bubbles and be more messy in arrangements, which makes them all the more natural-looking:
Glass bubble long chandelierBubble - metal table lamp (Tischleuchte) from ImpressionenGlass bubble lamp
So imagine my excitement when I went to this Homebase-style shop in Poland and found this gorgeous chandelier:
My bubble ceiling lightMy bubble ceiling light
I loved it, I checked the price, I could not believe it, I confirmed it with a shop assistant (as surprised as I was), and I bought it! Look how stunning it looks in this arrangement from a designer house:
Boston Concept Home 2009 from Apartment TherapyBoston Concept Home 2009 from Apartment Therapy
Since it’s pretty long (80cm) and will probably end up over our bed.
Or the coffee table in the living room.
Or the dining table.
…
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… no, I’m definitely not one of those who never change plans for their interiors.
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Od dawna uwielbialam ‘babelkowe’ lampy. Te regularne, jak z dwoch pierwszych zdjec – ale jeszcze bardziej te z ‘niedoskonalymi’ kulkami wzmacniajacymi efekt recznego wykonania, do tego nierownomiernie rozlozone na plafonie z halogenami.
I, o niebiosa, znalazlam taka lampe w sklepie budowlanym – i to w takiej cenie ze musialam oczy przecierac, po czym szybciutko zlapalam za fraki pania sklepikarke ktora musiala sie wspiac na wieeeeelka drabine po moja lampe – no i jest 🙂 Zobaczcie jak pieknie wyglada w Domu Koncepcyjnym 2009 przedstawionym na Apartment Therapy!
Z powodu rozmiarow (az 80cm dlugosci) zawisnie pewnie nad lozkiem.
Albo nad stolikiem kawowym w salonie.
Lub tez nad stolem jadalnym.
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…nie, zdecydowanie nie jestem jedna z tych osob ktore nigdy nie zmieniaja planow wystroju swojego wnetrza.
Further to my post about vintage, second-hand finds a few days ago, let me share with you what I found in shops on my Polish trip. You know I love a budget find – and all that’s featured below comes from high-street retailers.
One of the super-hot designs of this season – cross-legged side table. I’ve seen it on cover of the new John Lewis catalogue, of the Dream Bathrooms (from Homes & Gardens) too, and inside many recent magazines! I find it so light and delicate – it can visually lift up any sofa it stands next to, and add elegance and subtleness to the bedroom when used instead of heavy bedside tables:
Cross-legged round black glass side / coffee table
Funky retro lamps – white & black – absolutely spot-on for now and for such a good price! Found in the local equivalent to Homebase and consting from £30 for a table lamp, through to £60 for the floor lamp.
The huge wall light from the series is the truly fabulous – it has this designer feel to it which makes it a great statement piece, and it’s so versatile due to the long arched arm – one moment it can be used over a table, another – give you the reading light over the sofa…
Retro eye-ball wall lamp with long swing arm
Another (bargain!) table lamp replicating the eye-ball shape, working well with minimalist, retro and modern interiors:
Eye-ball glass table lamp
Is it only me or does this lamp look like it was made from a jar? 🙂
Funky jar ceiling light
And now – inspired by nature and thus timeless, but fun at the same time, the ‘twigs’ lamp:
Night / table lamp made from twigs
Loads of such ‘wavy plastic‘ designs around, both on high street and at designers, and yet few of them cost £10…
White retro plastic floor lamp
This gorgeous glamour, delicate ceiling lamp with crystals-and-sheer-white-glittery shade will most probably find its place in the yellow bedroom. Under £30.
Glamour white ceiling lamp with crystals
Now to some coffee tables.
This one intrigued me with its lovely visible wood design (check out both the general pattern and the 3 tiles in the middle of the top), its practicality (huge drawers) and its lightness achieved thanks to slim metal legs (this photo does not show off the lifting effect too well). Price: ca. £200.
Wooden chunky coffee table with drawers
This one I love for its functionality and versatility – not only in size and shape but also colour and finish. I adore such items for their aplicability to small spaces, when you need something smaller for everyday, but need space when entertaining guests.
This one is pretty simple, not from best materials either, but interesting enough to have cought my eye… and I had to give it a second look when I saw the price – for £80 you can buy it for a few years or for your rented flat without guilt!
3-tier coffee table
Sleek, linear design makes this chair a great addition to a sharp, elegant home office:
Sleek elegant wood, metal and leather office chair
And finally – what lovely fabric! Believe, when I cast my eye on the same sofa in cream alcantara, I haven’t blinked twice. But this is an example of how the choice of fabric can dramatically influence the look, instantly making it a fashionable statement for the bachelor’s pad.
Silver shimmery L-shaped sofa for a bachelor pad
…believe it or not but this is not all I want to share with you from my trip – there will still be one more buy, and a DIY project we’ve completed in our flat back home.
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Tak jak obiecalam, po znaleziskach ‘z drugiej reki’ – czas na to co znalazlam w polskich sklepach podczas mojej ostatniej wizyty. A bylo tego sporo i naprawde pozytywnie mnie to zaskoczylo – a zgodnie z moim motto, szukalam jedynie produktow w dobrych cenach!
Znalazlam wiele pieknych dizajnerskich lamp – niektore retro; najciekawsza z nich to ‘kinkiet’ z biala kula na bardzo dlugim ramieniu dzieki czemu moze oswietlac dwie strefy – no ale zyrandol ze sloika nie odbiega oryginalnoscia!. Inne inspirowane natura i dzieki temu ponadczasowe (bardzo ciekawa lampka nocna z galazek drzewa), a takze lampa podlogowa z falujacych kawalkow plastiku, bardzo modna w tej chwili – a jeszcze za taka cene?! No i piekny delikatny glamour w postaci krysztalkowego zyrandola z przeswitujacym abazurem, ktory, cos tak czuje, znajdzie swoje miejsce w zoltej sypialni.
Dalej – stoliki kawowe. Piekny wzor slojow przyciagnal moj wzrok do pierwszego mebla, ale tak samo interesujace sa w nim dwie niezwykle pojemne szuflady i metalowe nozki dodajace stolowi lekkosci. Potem trafilam na kilka stolikow ‘warstwowych’,interesujacych tym bardziej im wiecej mozliwosci ustawienia daja (idealne do malych pomieszczen!). No i moje ulubione ostatnio – stoliki ze skrzyzowanymi nozkami, ktore nadaja niezwyklej lekkosci kazdej sofie przy ktorej stoja, oraz elegancji i delikatnosci sypialniom, gdzie zastepuja ciezkie stoliki nocne.
No i jeszcze dwa ciekawe meble do siedzenia – przepiekny, elegancki i prosty w formie fotel laczacy drewno, metal i skore doda szyku kazdemu gabinetowi, a kanapa z niezwyklym lekko blyszczacym szarym obiciem bedzie wygladac pieknie w kawalerskim mieszkaniu modnego mezczyzny – idealny przyklad jak duzo zmienia material, gdyz ten sam model widzialam moment wczesniej w bezowym obiciu z alcantary… wystarczy powiedziec ze nie spojrzalam na niego drugi raz, a ta wersja az wyprosila zdjecie.
…ale ale, to nie koniec relacji z tej podrozy – podziele sie jeszcze z Wami kolejnym zakupem i projektem zrob-to-sam ktory popelnilismy z mezem w naszym polskim mieszkaniu!
I can’t believe what some people are able to do with some of IKEA classics. If you’re up to it, try this out; some of the projects aren’t that difficult (more time-consuming and nerve-racking) but SO amazing! All of them have been found on the IKEA hacker blog.
Malma mirrors made into wall art
From this:
IKEA Malma mirror
To this:
Malma mirrors made into wall art
(Broken) Emmabo rocking chair into stylish deck lounge chair
From this:
(Broken) IKEA Emmabo chair
To this:
Stylish Emmabo deck chairs
Now this is really simple but so stylish! Lack / Vika Fintorp chic entry way / hall table
From this:
IKEA Lack wall shelf
To this:
Chic and sexy entry way table
How ’bout this really simple but prettily customized set of Malm tables aka TV bench?
From this:
IKEA malm bedside table
To this:
Malm twin TV bench with grass 🙂
And one for the arty types out there: A heavenly wall art / tree mural done with scrappings of IKEA fabrics:
From this:
IKEA fabric scrappings
To this:
Tree mural made from IKEA fabrics
Finally, the best in my opinion: Retro FIRA jewelry cabinet …AND… a shabby chic bedside table
From this:
IKEA Fira mini chest of drawers
To this…
Fira retro jewelry cabinet
To this!! The Absolutely Gorgeous shabby chic bedside or side table is a smashing HIT! Congratulatins on imagination and craftiness!
OK – so I’m finally back from my day of window-shopping (well, not exactly – I actually bought some side plates, two books on design and color, and hand cream!). First, let me share with you the furniture side of my IKEA findings.
– a space-saving solution for small kitchens. Also, table top is bought separately so one can get a bigger one if space permits:
Ikea Billsta table and Sebastian bar stools
– one of the more stylish double desks I have seen on the high street (and it is not easy to find a desk for two…)
Ikea BESTA BURS double desk
– an interesting dining table ‘for surfers’ as my husband called it :). Not sure what the name is though…
Ikea oval dining table
– …and that’s how the Bernhard chair looks in reality – was very comfy as well!
Ikea Bernhard leather chair
– nice idea for kitchen fronts – in wide-and-glossy units-dominated kitchens, this vertical beech set provides a welcome change:
Ikea Solar kitchen units
– Now the tricky part – what the hell is this wallpaper / material on the wall? I thought I’ll find it in the online catalogue but there are no matches to ‘wallpaper’ and I am pretty sure it is one, as it reflected light when photographed with flash. Really pretty French country style, with roses and birds… anyone knows?? I attach a magnified view of the design as well. HELP! I see it in my mother’s bedroom and I need it desperately and why oh why have I not asked anyone of the staff?!
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Interior Design inspirations by Indywiduum Design 