Inspiration for our living room. / Inspiracja dla naszego salonu.
Full post and pics:
Flat of the day / Mieszkanie dnia
Tag: white
New flat, old flat and other changes / Nowe, stare i inne zmiany
I don’t think I should even start apologizing for not being here for ages… so let us pretend those two months never happened đ
That would be difficult, though, as since the last post:
- we finished and rented out our Polish flat within a week of posting the ad (which is a really good time in our market!),
- both me and my husband started working at different companies (still within one corporation),
- we moved offices to outside of London,
- we moved houses in London to be closer to new offices
- … and yesterday we have become owners of yet another flat in Poland :).
So this is a very exciting time for me and there is really lots going on. I am obviously going to share with you the ideas for the new flat, and can tell you straight away this is going to be tricky, as we want to finish the flat mostly remotely, and as of today there are only bare walls and windows there.
But! First things first, let me show you what we managed to do to our first flat around Christmas; we wanted to make it livable, so that it rents out quickly, on a budget of ca. ÂŁ250:
- bathroom
I guess you’ve seen some of our bathroom, especially the cupboard hand-made by my husband; to our great anger and despair, the glass maker did not manage to do the doors on time so our shelves are still open, but the rest was good to go:
- bedroom
The bedroom, with the furniture set we got for free from a friend, a super-old retro ceiling lamp, and bits and pieces of decorating from my mum, with the only new element of the baroque-inspired white wallpaper to add just a teeny bit of glamour:
To complement the wallpaper, we have used a spare piece as wall art and put it in behind glass, all placed on an old shelf which I finished in a quasi-shabby-chic look. The throw also works the same theme as the wallpaper.
- living room
Now, the living room, and to be completely honest this is the most haphazardly finished room ever đ One feature wall covered in beautiful black wallpaper… though since it was our first time ever wallpapering, the results are far from perfect! Good tip – when working with a dark wallpaper, it’s much easier if you dab the areas on the wall, where wallpaper pieces will meet, in paint the colour of the wallpaper; this way even if your work isn’t perfect, the gaps between stripes will not be as visible as on our wall.
The rest of the room is my parents’ old sofabed under a new throw, a red ceiling light which was supposed to be comlemented with red wall art though we never put it up (don’t ask), my teenage bedroom set, a good old piano, a spare single bed that can be put away depending on the needs of the tenants and an Ikea Lack table đ Plus the really pretty blinds which unfortunately do not show too well in this light – basically when it’s light outside, they seem very pale and creamy grey, but when it’s dark, additional silver elements show as well.
- kitchen-diner
Finally, the kitchen-diner, with the infamous kitchen units which never got properly fitted together (so that the worktop still floats independently of the units, there is no steel strip at the bottom and a millon other sins we committed with it and haven’t tried to make up for yet). Nonetheless we like the kitchen and maybe, some time, in the distant future, we will finally put it together once and for all đ There is also an extra loveseat and armchair in the other part of the room.
- Hall
…and our hall, unfortunately I have a photo only from the time when this ugly carpet was there (with the dog’s bone and toys prominently on display) so try not to notice them đ
So to sum up, this is certainly not the best example of interior design, but we tried to make the place nicer for the tenants than the usual offering but on a minimal budget, and the result was that we rented it out just a few days after we advertised it!
———
Chyba nawet nie ma co zaczynac przepraszac za to ze mnie tu tak dlugo nie bylo, wiec moze zapomnijmy o tych dwoch miesiacach đ
Z drugiej strony byloby to trudne, gdyz od ostatniego postu:
- wykonczylismy i wynajelismy nasze mieszkanie w PL w ciagu tygodnia od dania ogloszenia
- zaczelismy z mezem prace w nowej firmie
- zmienilismy biura
- przeprowadzilismy sie w Londynie by latwiej dojezdzac
- …i od wczoraj jestesmy wlascicielami nowego mieszkania w PL – a raczej wygralismy przetarg i teraz staramy sie jak najszybciej mieszkanie ‘przejac’ đ
Takze ten czas jest bardzo ekscytujacy i na pewno bede dzielic sie tu pomyslami na wykonczenie nowego mieszkania; juz teraz wiem ze nie bedzie to proste gdyz duzo chcemy wykonac lub zlecic ‘zdalnie’ z Londynu, a w tej chwili w mieszkaniu nie ma nic – stan deweloperski.
No ale! Zaczynac wypada od poczatku đ wiec kilka slow o naszym pierwszym mieszkaniu. W okolicy Swiat Bozego Narodzenia postanowilismy zrobic ile mozemy w mieszkaniu by przygotowac je na wynajecie. Niestety czasu bylo malo a budzet juz zupelnie ograniczony (troche ponad 1tys. zl) wiec spedzilismy troche czasu wymyslajac co mozna zrobic by we w miare przyzwoitym stanie mieszkanie wynajac.
Zdjecia powyzej pokazuja rezultaty naszej walki z nieterminowymi sprzedawcami (czytaj: brak szklanych drzwi do szafek w lazience) i bardzo ograniczonym budzetem (czytaj: wykorzystanie naszych starych mebli, mebli ktore dostalismy od znajomych, odmalowanie kilku rzeczy, samodzielne kladzenie tapety ze skutkiem mieszanym – hej! robilismy to po raz pierwszy ok?? – i kilkoma drobnymi nowymi zakupami). Kilka rzeczy dalej nieskonczonych, typu kuchnia (caly czas nieprzykrecony blat i brak cokolow, nieoslonieta sciana i inne takie), te nieszczesne szafki w lazience (szklo to jedyne czego moj maz sam w tej lazience zrobic nie moze, i cholera tak nawalili đŠ ), oraz totalny misz-masz stylow i kolorow w duzym pokoju.
Zdecydowanie nie jest to przyklad swietnego designu ale biorac pod uwage ograniczenia czasowe i finansowe jestem w miare zadowolona z efektu, i obecni najemcy mam nadzieje tez.
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
Christmas coming – last minute ideas / Ida Swieta – kilka pomyslow
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.
—
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!
—————-
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 đ
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Shop finds / Znaleziska sklepowe
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:
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 ÂŁ30 for a table lamp, through to ÂŁ60 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…
Another (bargain!) table lamp replicating the eye-ball shape, working well with minimalist, retro and modern interiors:
Is it only me or does this lamp look like it was made from a jar? đ
And now – inspired by nature and thus timeless, but fun at the same time, the ‘twigs’ lamp:
Loads of such ‘wavy plastic‘ designs around, both on high street and at designers, and yet few of them cost ÂŁ10…
This gorgeous glamour, delicate ceiling lamp with crystals-and-sheer-white-glittery shade will most probably find its place in the yellow bedroom. Under ÂŁ30.
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. ÂŁ200.
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 ÂŁ80 you can buy it for a few years or for your rented flat without guilt!
Sleek, linear design makes this chair a great addition to a sharp, elegant home office:
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.
…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.
——-
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!
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Color without the paint / Kolor bez malowania
Here are some interesting blogs and posts about using color in interiors without paint. I love it cause it’s simply my latest flick – the white walls, that is. This is especially useful also for those renting out their flats and houses, as you usually cannot paint the walls.
…and now to my favorite… the living room by Lizzie Chambers. I love, love, LOVE! Why?
- First – Barcelona chair and ottoman, can any space look wrong with it?? The table is also on my wish list for a long time now.
- Second – soo my palette. All white with accents of bold color.
- Third – the place is tiny! And yet cosy, and comfortable. This layout would actually work perfect with my tiny living room, the long wall substituted for my balcony wall… yes, yes, I can see that!
To see more of her spaces, see her portfolio.
(click on each image for further ideas)
———
Kontynuujac moje ostatnie zakochanie w bialych scianach, przedstawiam kilka blogow i postow o wnetrzach w ktorych kolor jest wprowadzany bez uzycia farby. Jest to doskonale rozwiazanie rowniez dla tych ktorzy swoje mieszkanie wynajmuja, gdyz wiadomo – takich scian czesto malowac nie mozna.
Jako ostatnie przestawiam moje ulubione wnetrze zaprojektowane przez Lizzie Chambers – jest idealne pod kilkoma wzgledami:
- Fotel i podnozek Barcelona. Czy jakiekolwiek wnetrze moze zle wygladac gdy takie cudo w nim stoi đ Stolik kawowy tez od dawna jest na mojej liscie zakupow.
- Biale sciany + akcenty koloru to, jak juz wspominalam, moj wymarzony schemat (przynajmniej na jakis czas).
- No i to jest bardzo male wnetrze! A mimo to wyglada na bardzo przyjemne i wygodne. Ten uklad jest praktycznie idealny do mojego mini saloniku (przy czym glowna sciana u mnie stanowic bedzie sciane balkonowa).
Po wiecej pomyslow, kliknij w kazde zdjecie.
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
First draft of the pink bedroom / Pierwsza probka rozowej sypialni
Three posts ago I let you know that I am about to design a bedroom for a 20-year old, with one constant: pink walls with purple accent. I know also what pieces of furniture Alex has and needs to keep and what else she’d like to see.
Important note: This is an attic room. This software does not support slanted walls, though, therefore I only had to assume it in my calculations… the slanted wall is the one on the left of the rendering (where the bed is), not shown. Try to imagine that if it did show, it would finish around 10-20cm from the window.This is why I have not put any wardrobe etc there – as there simply is no space đ
Here is the first sample of what I am thinking of:
In this version, I tried to downplay the pinky aspect of the room by glueing the Fornasetti – themed wallpaper on the wall opposite entrance to the room. This way the first impression is of a striking design, and the pink is very much in the background. Since the wallpaper has such muting tremendous effect, I allowed myself to bring pink out again with a few accessories.
I have chosen white as the classic color that goes well with pink; this, paired with crystal wardrobe knobs and stylized chaise strenghtens the room’s femininity.
Here are the potentially contentious items:
- white furniture; the set at hand is light wood, so either needs repaining (recommended) or can stay as is, but this will downplay the room from the delicate glamour to a more contemporary look. Handles ideally would be changed to crystal in this version too.
- chaise longue; more expensive than an armchair and also blocks direct access to the window. However, it complements the look beautifully and gives it a relaxed and luxury feel. Will try to use an armchair in the next one, though.
All comments welcome.
———
Trzy posty temu napisalam ze zaczynam wlasnie prace nad projektem sypialni 20-latki. Pokoj ma rozowe sciany z fioletowym akcentem pod skosem. Wiem juz tez jakie meble sa dostepne, i co ma sie w pokoju znalezc.
Uwaga: jest to pokoj na poddaszu, ale niestety program ktorego teraz uzywam, MyDeco, nie pozwala na skosy. W efekcie musialam ten skos widziec po prostu w glowie, ale juz mowie – skosna powinna byc sciana po ‘lewej’ ktorej nie widac na zdjeciu (ta przy ktorej stoi lozko). Gdyby ta sciana tam byla, skos konczylby sie 10-20cm przy oknie, czyli nie da tam sie nic wysokiego postac (w razie gdybyscie sie zastanawiali).
U gory znajduje sie pierwsza probka. W tej wersji staralam sie zminimalizowac wplyw rozu na pokoj, przykrywajac sciane tuz naprzeciw wejscia wzorzysta szara tapeta z wzorem Fornasetti – dzieki temu, ta sciana przyciaga wzrok tuz od wejscia, odsuwajac roz na drugi plan. Tapeta ta jest w tym zadaniu tak efektywna, ze pozwolilam sobie znow wyciagnac rozowy na wierzch dzieki akcentom, jak poduszki.
Pokoj dopelniony jest bialym; dzieki temu, a takze krysztalowym galkom w szafie i stylizowanym szezlongu, pokoj pozostaje bardzo kobiecy.
A teraz punkty potencjalnie sporne:
- biale meble – w tej chwili meble Oli sa jasno drewniane. Proponuje przemalowanie ich na bialo dla uzyskania odpowiedniego efektu, jednak moga pozostac tez takie jakie sa – wtedy niestety stracimy troche ‘glamour’ na rzecz prostszego wnetrza. Krysztalowe galki dalej na liscie zakupow!
- szezlong – wady: drozszy oraz troszke blokuje dostep do okna. Jednakze jest tak stylowy i wygodny i dopasowany do ogolnego wystroju, wprowadzajac element luksusu, ze naprawde szkoda byloby z niego rezygnowac. Jednak uzyje takze foteli do innych probek.
Komentarze wszelkiego rodzaju mile widziane.
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Coastal living, czyli inspiracje morzem
Ah… coast! Ah…Â sea, ocean, lakes and rivers! But how many of us can have a view like that?
With such exterior, it really does not take much to create a wow factor inside the house, as the outside is the main decoration.
However, even if you don’t live by the beach (and you probably don’t), there is anyway nothing to stop you from replicating that coastal look, bringing the feelings of ambience, relaxation, comfort and serenity. I have chosen a few images of beautiful interiors which you can achieve without this amazing view or huge windows. Get inspired with soothing cool color palette, clean spaces and comfortable lounge seating.
…bring light and subtlety to your bedroom:
…interesting twist to your hall:
…add a theme to your living room to liven it up:
One of the reappearing elements of coastal design is the wood panelling. Some of us actually have it in older homes we buy (and actually my parents did in the place they sold just last year), so why not paint it white with this gorgeous effect?
…how about a funny and inspiring kid’s bedroom?
…the most obvious place – the bathroom:
… and don’t be afraid to accessorize!
———-
Na dzis proponuje styl morski. Co prawda nie kazdy moze pozwolic sobie na widok taki jak na pierwszym zdjeciu, jednak nie stoi to na przeszkodzie by ten styl wprowadzic i do naszych domow. Charakteryzuje sie on lekkoscia, delikatnoscia, swiezoscia chlodnych kolorow, a takze wprowadza nastrojowy i zrelaksowany klimat. Styl ten mozna osiagnac nie tylko dzieki chlodnemu schematowi kolorystycznemu (blekit, biel, zielen), ale takze poprzez roznorodne akcesoria, kluczowe dla tego stylu, czyli nawiazujace do wody i natury.
Ten wdzieczny styl mozna zastosowac praktycznie w kazdym pomieszczeniu – sypialni, salonie, holu, czy pokoju dzieciecym. Najnaturalniejszym miejscem jest oczywiscie lazienka.
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Interior Design inspirations by Indywiduum Design 