iwantiwantiwant.com.au Blog

Decorative tiles

Ria — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:00:02 +0000

Image from www.designsponge.com

For those contemplating a bathroom or kitchen update…have a think about decorative tiles. White is handy…but boring. Find tiles that you love…and make the space yours, not anyone’s. Don’t be scared about “matching”…matching is probably the worst thing you could do for any room. Instead surround yourself with pieces and designs that you love…and it will always look amazing.

Image from www.ahappyhabitat.blogspot.com

Image from www.apartmenttherapy.com

Image from www.everythingfab.com

Image from www.fireclaytile.com

Image from www.flickr.com

Image from www.housebeautiful.com

Image from www.isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com

Yummmmm

Image from www.ishtar.com

Image from www.lesapea.tumblr.com

Image from www.picasaweb.google.com

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Image from www.re-nest.com

And these!

Image from www.shabbysugarpinkboutique.blogspot.com

If you’re too nervous to commit to a full pattern then consider sweet cameos. Just a couple of hand painted tiles like the gorgeous Marie Antoinette tile above or the sweet floral ones below will add so much to an all white or all neutral wet area.

Image from www.weallneedchange.com

For an on-line or at-home home consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

Don’t forget to check out our online store and our new range of fab statement furniture!

www.iwanthomewares.com.au

Dining in

Ria — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:59:37 +0000

Images from www.iwanthomewares.com.au

Our newest statement pieces… Four fab vintage dining chairs in a high gloss fire engine red with our signature mix of gorgeous fabrics

Image from www.iwanthomewarescom.au

Image from www.iwanthomewares.com.au

Available from our online store www.iwanthomewares.com.au

$250 per chair or $225 per chair if you buy the whole family.

The Divine Chair

Ria — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:02:28 +0000

Such a well named business!

Image from www.thedivinechair.com

This is a bit of a tease for Aussie followers I’m afraid, with The Divine Chair being based in the States… but the “bold and bodacious” designs of owner Kitty McBride are inspirational for anyone out there on the hunt for the perfect chair.

Image frfom www.thedivinechair.com

With a talented designer eye, Kitty pairs vintage chairs with stunning fabric creating one of a kind art works.

Image from www.thedivinechair.com

I love that beautiful, or quirky, but dated pieces of furniture are given a whole new lease on life. These dusty antiques have been funked up to shine in any contemporary setting…and it’s been done with style, respect for the original piece and a sense of fun.

Image from www.thedivinechair.com

Like me, Kitty names all her pieces … which I also love.

If you’re thinking of indulging in a bit of upholstery..or just want to be wowed…check out www.thedivinechair.com

For an at home or on-line consult email me at ria@iwantiwwantiwantcom.au

Visit our on-line shop www.iwanthomewares.com.au

Light and bright!

Ria — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:12:10 +0000

Image from www.digsdigs.com

Lamps are one of the most important elements in your home. And not just as light sources! Floor lamps are the perfect decorative element for an empty or dull spot and table lamps take up a large amount of visual space whether they’re on or off. So a lamp purchase is one to be considered carefully. Never just buy a lamp because one is needed. That’s how you end up with boring lamps that you can’t in a good, green conscience chuck. Consider the space it’s going to be in, and make a confident choice…you will never regret the purchase of a gorgeous statement lamp…but you’ll almost immediately regret buying a boring one.

Image from houseandhome.com

This year we’re all having a love affair with colour, and the addition of a bright and beautiful lamp base is a great way of injecting colour into a neutral space. Some images to inspire…

Image from www.rrantiques.tumblr.com

Image from www.urbanoutfitters.com

Image from www.decor8.com

Image from www.designsponge.com

Image from www.pinterest.com

Image from www.iwanthomewares.com.au

Check out www.iwanthomewares.com.au for this stunning, one off table lamp and gorgeous shade.

Image from www.iwanthomewares.com.au

For an on-line or at- home styling consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

I want THAT!

Ria — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:25:35 +0000

We’re ready to roll! The first lot of products have all come back from their respective craftsmen and I’m more in love with them than I could have thought.

V. excited to give you all a sneak peek.

This gorgeous Queen Anne bedside has come up so beautifully! The orange will give any bedroom that perfect pop of colour. Better still…the wee drawer has been hand lined with a fab stylised floral fabric. The stunning vintage deco drawer pull is the perfect hardware for this.

Fabulous! Retro cool with Mad Men chic. This 60′s sideboard has been lovingly restored and customised.

This is, without a doubt, the best mirror I have come across. Perfect for giving style to large spaces and style and space to small ones. The only thing missing was colour.

A slightly taller version of the Queen Anne bedside…and with a more sophisticated palette in the beautiful teal blue and the mustard base of the quirky ladies heads fabric. Gorgeous detailed vintage drawer pull!

I think this is my favorite piece. The beautiful shape of the Queen Anne…with that sexy pink and all those gorgeous lined drawers…

Love love love this lamp. So bright and fun. The vibrant mix of colours in the shade will open up any colour scheme enormously.

All of these will be available at the I Want Homewares online store as of tomorrow! Please remember that with the exception of the mirror these are one off designs, so once an item has been sold, it won’t be available again.

Visit our online shop http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/

For an at home or online consultation email me at mailto:ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

Too petite to eat?

Ria — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:19:13 +0000

Image from www.ghoofie.com

Formal dining rooms are a thing of the past…but we still need some designated area for eating. The problem is, now that dining areas are integrated into the kitchen/living areas, often not quite enough space is allocated. If, like half Australia’s population, you’ve got a small dining area, hopefully this post will give you some good ideas to turn that pokey space into a great space to eat and entertain.

Image from www.housetohome.co.uk

Built-in bench seats like this are very effective for maximising floor space. Fantastic solution in a galley style kitchen .

Image from www.buckboardhill.typepad.com

A built in bench seat doesn’t have to stay in the kitchen…they work brilliantly in lounge/dining areas too. I love the mix of bench and chairs…so cool and informal.

Image from www.desiretoinspire.net

And nor do they actually have to be benches… Loving these old diner booths and table.

Image from www.homesandgardens.com

And while we’re exploring alternative seating options… This is clever. Two x two seater couches…now that’s a grown up dinner party. Or a comfy one at least.

Image from www.geheause.com

Of course, bench seats that aren’t built in are also excellent for small spaces. Not only have you lessened the number of chair legs (my pet hate), you can still have them hard up against the wall, and they can slide underneath your table and be entirely out of the way when not needed.

Image from www.geheause.com

Combos of seating can look fab, just don’t have too much action going on with them at eye height.

Image from www.floatproject.com

Stools and benches add loads of interest, but take no space at eye level.

Image from www.littlebitsoflovely.blogspot.ca

Rugs play an important role in small areas. They help delineate the area, and unify the pieces within it. Particularly fond of a hide under a dining table…

Image from www.paloma.blogspot.com

This may look great, but take my word for it … shag should be nowhere near your dining room. That rug is on its way to becoming a petrie dish.

Image from www.homeresult.com

And finally, colour – when used well – does amazing things for small spaces.

Hope you got some inspiration!

Visit our online shop http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/

For an at home or online consultation email me at mailto:ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

Swinging in

Ria — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:37:41 +0000

Anyone else watching The Block? I haven’t loved any of the rooms at all…but I have always loved an inside swing…and the couple who did the boys room put in a lot of fun kid’s stuff including a swing. The key to this working is, of course, space. You want to make sure you have a clear trajectory. Because if you give a child a swing…you can be sure they’ll use it to the fullest!

An indoor swing is about the most effective “informaliser” you can get. It adds a sense of relaxed fun to any space, particularly an indoor one where its presence is unexpected.

How gorgeous is this all white room? So pretty with the addition of the swing, and then we have the room below…

Where the swing and the space are just plain cool.

Here, the swing really complements the space by drawing more attention to the fab ceiling height. Clever and cool.

A few more images to inspire…

And I know it’s a little cheesy, and borderline Anne Geddes, but I love love love trailing vine up a swing…

Visit our online shop http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/

For an at home or online consultation email me at mailto:ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

Images from :

www.ilparaitque.com

www.anna-landebyanna.blogspot.com

www.lushlee.com

www.wetbehindtheears.com

www.peachy-kean.tumblr.com

www.beautifuldecay.tumblr.com

www.apartmenttherapy.com

Narrow hallways

Ria — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:02:56 +0000

Thanks to Jenny Wilson for the request for today’s blog post.

Her narrow, difficult hallway is killing her inspiration…so I’m hoping I can give her some cool solutions!

Let’s start from the ground up….

Rugs are your first port of call when dressing your hallway. The continuing pattern of a runner will extend the visual length of the hallway.

And, by virtue of the border the exposed floor underneath provides,…they increase the visual width too.

The next thing to look at …is what you’re looking at. Make sure there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. So cast your eye op the the hallway and make sure you have a focal point at the end of it.

So now to narrow hallway furniture options. I’m a very big fan of benches and hooks. Taking up minimal space, they give you more practical solutions than most larger pieces.

You can also affix a piece of furniture to the wall…making it both thinner…and more stable for use in a small thoroughfare…. love the piece below!

Wall panelling is enormously effective in adding character to a tiny hallway without taking up space. Not only does it give you texture, it also allows you to add colour and contrast by dividing the wall. Paneling is a great option if your hallway is simply too small for anything.

Next …shelving…. Love it to bits, but be very careful with your placement. If it’s not safe to have it at the right height visually, then don’t have it.

Too high shelving is a terrible look.

Shelving is also a great way of displaying loads of prints. It automatically gives you the flush line for the bottom and depending on it’s width you can overlap artwork as well.

Artwork presented with symmetry, as below, will always lengthen your visual space, so prints and photos are great tools in small hallways.

And who’s to say that a small hallway can’t be beautifully, perfectly overcrowded as well??

If you love the idea of loads of photos or prints, but want to minimize the business…then theme out your frames in white. What I also love about this approach is the white frames give depth to whatever wall colour you’ve chosen as well as ensuring the images are what is drawing your attention, rather than individual frames.

Wallpaper is another fab tool for small spaces. Choosing geometric patterns for space illusion, or sweet florals to soften but not crowd. There’ s no end to wallpaper choices. Or…you can use wallpaper above paneling to add yet another dimension.

And a little bit of wallpaper…cleverly placed, can add both interest and depth…

Or…you can remove all distracting factors and go the eternal favourite of white on white… (love the panelling!!!!)

Having something particularly quirky or cool allows you to rest aesthetically on the one piece…just choose well! It’s coolest when it has a reason …

And lastly…look up! If your hallway is poorly lit of course it’s only going to look smaller. Get the right number of lights…and the right wattage. And remember, the lighting source is almost as important as the light.

So I hope that helped Jenny, let us know how you go!

If anyone else has a request feel free to ask!

Visit our online shop http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/

For an at home or online consultation email me at mailto:ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au

Images from: