Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
When you’re sorting out your lighting please, please don’t just run down lights throughout the house. Take a little more time thinking about each area and the best light for it. There is nothing intimate or welcoming about downlights and a dining table should be both. Pendant lighting, on the other hand, ensures that the focal point is the table … drawing you to it.
Image from www.homes.ninemsn
There are thousands of amazing pendants out there if you want to make a statement.
Some images below to inspire…
Image from www.awelltravelledwoman.blogspot.com
Image from www.diychichome.com
Chandeleirs are a great choice for the dining room. Elegant and beautiful, they can complete a more formal look. Or, when teamed with distressed walls and metal chairs as they have been here, you get a groovier, informal feel.
Image from www.houzz.com
Love the idea of overhead candlelight!
Image from www.niceroom.tumblr.com
I don’t love the direct light you get from an exposed globe. But these types of industrial globe pendants do look amazing, and mulitples can look even better.
Image from www.gallery.apartmenttherapy.com
Image from www.browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com
Image from www.desiretoinspire.com
Image from www.none.com
Open plan homes are the norm now so your kitchen and dining will often share the same lighting plan. That doesn’t mean they have to be the same. I love how they’ve paired a chandeleir with a porcelain pendant here…very cool.
Image from www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com
A dining table is one of the largest pieces of furniture you’ll have in the house…so it’s worth putting a bit of thought into it.
Image from www.restorationhardware.com
Straight legged tables aren’t bad by any stretch, but if you want this big part of your house to have a bit of character, then have a look at the legs….
Image from www.restorationhardware.com
This Grand Baluster table from Restoration Hardware has gorgeous, voluptuous turned legs. Notice how they’ve used chairs upholstered to the floor? You don’t have to team a turned leg dining table with matching chair legs (if anything…please don’t).
Image from www.uktv.co.uk
It can work beautifully in a shabby, vintage way. But if you don’t want the shabby look, then it’s best to let the table legs stand on their own (couldn’t resist sorry).
Image from www.girlofistanbul.tumblr.com
Love the teaming of industrial metal chairs with the solid turned legs here.
Image from www.restorationhardware.com
Detail on legs doesn’t mean they have to be ornate, these fluted ones above have a really elegant line to them but not too much detail…
Image from www.restorationhardware.com
And these chunky ones are fabulous, and far from ornate.
Image from www.decodir.com
Or… you can go two legs, with no detail at all. An unpretentious and solid look….
Image from www.interiordesignhouses.com
Trestle table legs are very simple, and can go from country to contemporary depending on the colour.
Image from www.ballarddesigns.com
Or you can have some real detail on just the two legs.
Image from www.worldmarket.com
So if you’re thinking of buying a dining table…go beyond the basics…it’s worth it, you’ll be seeing that table a lot over the coming years.
Image from www.housebeautiful.com
The problem with most dining suites…is the suite factor! If you have a 6 – 8 setting, then you have 6 – 8 of exactly the same thing grouped in one spot. I’ve mentioned how much multiple chair legs do my head in..but the sameness of dining chairs is also pretty boring.
Image from www.room-galleries.myhomeideas.com
Vinatge wooden chairs really lend themselves to the mix look. Painting up a set of wooden chairs in different fun colours really makes an impact.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Or.. have different style chairs, but paint them all the same colour. I love this approach.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Covering dining chairs in a mix of fun fabrics is another way of avoiding blandness…
Image from www.emmas.blogg.com
Having a variety of chairs around your table doesn’t have to be a full on vintage look. Having fun with a real diversity of retro chairs looks amazing and doesn’t take you down the shabby chic route.
Image from www.google.com
Love this grouping.
Image from www.polkadotmagazine.tumblr.com
Having one bright, statement Eames chair always revs up a mix.
Image from www.seesawdesigns.blogspot.com
Or… if you want variety in colour, not style… then try a group of all Eames chairs, but in different colours.
See www.mattblatt.com.au for coloured Eames replicas from $69.00.
Imager from www.westelm.com
And West Elm have some great scoop back chairs in a variety or colours and patterns from $80.00
For an at home or on-line consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
Image from www.house8810.com
If you love a retro look then your kitchen is a great way to introduce your new theme.
Image from www.blog-craftizine.com
Retro kitchen accessories are readily available and add a great splash of colour to a bland kitchen.
Image from www.nicoleshicole.blogspot.com
Bright cannisters always look great, but there’s loads of other cool retro pieces you can use from aprons, biscuit tins to vintage posters.
Image from www.houseofturquoise.com
Your main pieces of furniture in a kitchen are your dining table and chairs so here is where you can make a big retro statement. Some images to get you going…
Image from www.kitchendesignideasworld.net
Love the red checkered table cloth.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Image from www.countryliving.com
Image from www.apartmenttherapy.com
And the old formica tables are fab!
Image from www.retrorenovation.com
Image from www.shootfactory.co.uk
Image from www.houseofturquoise.com
And then of course there are the big ticket items. If you’ve got the cash these old style fridges and stoves are gorgeous.
Image from www.goodkitchen.com
Love the pale blue and chrome!
Image from www.houseofturquiose.com
And old vending machines are a very cool addition to a kitchen.
Check out www.retrotogo.com www.mattblatt.com.au www.vamptvintagedesign.com www.thesecondhandshop.com.au and keep an eye on ebay for all things retro.
Image from www.thedailygreen.com
Melbourne’s wintery gale force winds means our power keeps going out…so I thought I’d blog on candles and fun holders.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Old jars are an inexpensive and pretty way to get some light going. The jars are also very effective at keeping the flame going in a windy environment. Hanging them at different levels throughout the room as they have above is a fab look.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Or…if you can find a vintage etched jar the look is even better. Search second hand stoes, antique shops and www.etsy.com for similar.
Image from www.etsy.com
Image from www.etsy.com
These sweet little jars from etsy have blackboard paint on them…making them perfect for dinner party place names. This is a very simple thing to do… buying them seems a bit of a waste!
Image from www.pinterest.com
Vintage candlesticks and candelabras are a favorite, with their gorgeous detailing, but generally informal feel.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Image from www.pinterest.com
Check out ebay and etsy for loads of vintage candelabras.
Now for a few cute little DIY ideas…
Image from www.pinterest.com
Such a simple idea…and so pretty.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Same idea…and I think even cuter.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Paper luminaries are as simple as paper bags, sand and candles…gorgeous inside or out.
Image from www.manolobrides.com
Or, just group a variety together…candles en masse always look pretty.
Image from www.homelife.com.au
Image from www.pinterest.com
Image from www.pinterest.com
Lastly…I love this wee owl! A similar one can be found at www.roseandgrey.co.uk
Image from www.velvetbrown.co.uk
Another great thing making a comeback, is the tablecloth weight. What’s fab about these are how many different looks you can have with a very practical accessory. Love these stone hearts from www.velvetbrown.co.uk .
Image from www.thegreenhead.com
These twine balls from www.thegreenhead.com are gorgeous. Such a fun outdoor feel to them.
Image from www.mollieandfred.co.uk
They don’t always have to be country cute… Tablecloth weights can add a bit of bling to your dinner party. These ones from www.mollieandfred.co.uk and fab, as are the very contemporary silver tear drops below.
Image from www.shinyshiny.tv
And these black rose weights from www.theroseshack.co.uk are such a romantic look for a garden party.
Image from www.theroseshack.co.uk
Or… you could go totally country and DIY it…
Image from www.inbloomeventdesign.blogspot.com
Or keep an eye out at your antique shops for sweet vintage ones like these…
Image from www.sign-maker.net
Or get inventive… (this is my favorite).
Image from www.pintrest.com
Visit our on-line shop…click on http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/
For an at home or on-line consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
The style overview today on French Provincial I’m kind of doing under duress. Retailers are flogging this and it’s everywhere!! I predict that there are elements of this style that will go the way of Monet’s Waterlilies in the 80’s. Shoulder pads and perms were not the worst crimes of that decade. Impressionism is a beautiful, spontaneous style of painting and it was positively raped … remember the very stylish “block mounting”??? And it’s happening again, a beautiful style is being wrecked and diluted. Yesterday I saw an “antiqued” French Provincial wall clock in a $2 store. Now, if you think you’ve spotted a bargain with that…you’re dead wrong. Get it home, and away from the toy topped pens and feather boas and it’s going to look exactly as it is…cheap and nasty. So many shops are filled now with over sized Eiffel towers, metal bookends that spell livre and literally hundreds of candlestick holders that it’s a real turn off.
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
But…ignoring the recent bastardisation of this look…when done well this is one of my favourites.
French Provincial is a style of architecture and furniture from the provinces in the 17th and 18th centuries. A rural simplification of style far from the grand and ornate designs of the French court at the time. Elements of the style can also be called rustic or named from the actual districts like Brittany or Normandy. There is a lovely informality in this look…a simple charm that is warm and welcoming.
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
The furniture usually has a finish that clearly shows the grain and texture of the wood, or has a worn painted effect …in a provincial inspired house you won’t feel compelled to use coasters! Beautiful tall armoires and over stuffed couches, large ornate mirrors and gentle pretty fabrics are the better examples of the provincial style.
Image from www.frenchcounrty.co.uk
From an architectural perspective the most recognisable elements of the French Provincial style are French windows or doors where there are multiple smaller windows set into the full length of double doors.
Image from www.ee-houseing.com
Other elements are stone fireplaces with heavy beams above serving as a mantle, rough or distressed plaster walls, old shutters and doors full of character and history.
Image from www.rustique.com.au
As with any style…the trick is to use the elements that work for you and play well with your other pieces, rather than slavishly follow the style to the nth degree. A sweet French lantern on a vintage bedside table teamed with a pretty toile style duvet cover is a great look in a bedroom. And a gorgeous vintage armoire will look amazing in pretty much any room, whilst also giving a lot of storage. In the kitchen and the dining rooms…pewter, silver and old enamel feature prominently.
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
The colour palette for provincial features blues, greys, stone, flax, pale greens, and weathered reds. More sophisticated looks focus on all whites or monocrhromatic schemes.
Image from www.shapeimage.com
For some amazing furniture and decorative pieces and not a single mass produced eiffel tower or bookend, check out www.frenchcountry.co.nz and www.rustique.com (Provincial furniture with a pulse!).
Following are a few cool images of the style…enjoy.
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.katrinascottdesign.blogspot.com
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.theshootfactory.co.uk
Image from www.theshootfactory.co.uk
Image from www.rustique.com.au
Image from www.rustique.com.au
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Image from www.frenchcountry.co.nz
Visit our on-line shop…click on http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/
For an at home or on-line consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
Paloma’s Nest is a gorgeous site with handcrafted modern “heirlooms”. She has a really cute range of wee things for very special occasions.
Image from www.palomasnest.com
Image from www.palomasnest.com
How geat are these egg place card holders? I may have to have an easter dinner party…
Image from www.palomasnest.com
Image from www.palomasnest.com
These hand stamped christmas ornaments are made of white ceramic with silver grommet detail and cord for hanging…and they’re gorgeous! Bit of a giveaway that they’re made in Texas…
Image from www.palomasnest.com
Image from www.palomasnest.com
Image from www.palomasnest.com
These, I love, love love! For little ones bithdays, these wooden party hats and crowns are fab.
Image from www.palomasnest.com
And these tiny text tiles are a beautiful way to finish the wrapping on a special pressie or to attach to a dinner serviette holder.
Visit our on-line shop…click on http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/
For an at home or on-line consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
Ria FitzGerald has worked as an interior stylist in Melbournes inner east for the past twelve years.
Now based on the Bellarine Peninsula, Ria continues to offer in-home styling consultations for both the visual and the practical elements of your home, renovation and colour consulting and event styling.
Rias work can be seen featured regularly in Home Beautiful Magazine.
\"The I want I want I want! blog is a weekday (ish!) update with reviews of the best online homewares shopping, styling tips, peeks into my favorite homes and commentary on design, interiors and art.
Hopefully you will find new products, designs and ideas to inspire you to make your home the most fabulous place it can be!\" Ria x
