Home Renovations

I have a feeling I've mentioned home renovation dreams a few times before, but we've finally taken some steps towards making our dreams a reality. I have browsed Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration in recent weeks and months, trying to find the perfect flooring for our apartment. 

When we bought this place 6 years ago, we replaced the existing carpets in the bedrooms with matching floorboards that already existed in the living area. I wasn't really happy with the colour of the floorboards, but back then it felt like an easier option that replacing the entire flooring. Now that we are finally replacing the floors in the whole apartment, it feels like a huge responsibility to make the right decision as to what colour we should go with! 

I will forever dream of beech, oak or fir timber floors, but for a few reasons we will go with a much cheaper option, laminate. There are so many options available and it seems like the quality can vary a great deal as well. I am getting quotes and measurements next week and hopefully will get the ball rolling fairly quickly on this. I can't wait to show you the results! 

Spring Detox - Home Edition

I've been decluttering our home for the past couple of years, item by item, room by room. I had a lot of props from my food styling days, just gathering dust at the attic. There were piles of cookbooks I had hardly read, dishes, craft supplies and everything else. With the arrival of our daughter, the baby stuff quickly started accumulating, along with toys (although I always kept them at minimum), sentimental items, etc. 

I am and have always been a minimalist and too much stuff gives me anxiety. My husband, on the other hand, is reluctant to part with anything and I am forever trying to find a balance we can both be happy with. 

I love Marie Kondo's approach to decluttering and although my tidying up process started long before I read her books, I was really inspired by her method. It was quite easy to decide what items I wanted to keep and what I donated, sold online or just had to throw out. I kept track of all the items I departed with and it ended up being well over 400 items altogether!

Although I feel the process of decluttering is a continuous one (especially with a child in tow), I have reached a point where I am content with the amount of stuff we own. The whole process made me more conscious about buying new things as well as appreciating the things I really love.

Have you decluttered? I'd love to hear your thoughts - leave a comment here or feel free to contact me via email, on Instagram or Twitter.

Read about my non-toxic cleaning methods here. More green cleaning tips over at Biome.

Graphic By D

I am absolutely in love with this Light Stones IV print from Graphic By D. It brings the much needed change in to our living area and fits the space perfectly. Go check out the other prints on Dorothee's website, there are heaps of different styles and colours available. I am planning a few more small changes here and there, so stay tuned!

I am off to Life in Style this weekend. Looking forward to seeing some new-to-me vendors and products, but most of all getting tons of inspiration on the way. Have a great weekend everyone!

From My Office

A rare moment of peace in my "office". A Saturday afternoon well spent catching up on emails, blog posts and whatnots. I hope you are having a lovely Valentine's Day where ever you are!

1st

We celebrated our daughter's first birthday this weekend. How time flies!

Have a lovely week everyone!

A New Year

Starting a new year organising and decluttering our home. It feels like a detox for the closets!

Wild for Wallpaper

Here's an idea I've become a little bit obsessed with of late: wallpaper in our hallway. This room is (obviously) the point of entrance in to our apartment and one I'd like to make a bit more interesting. It's a smallish space with beigy-grey walls (this colour, to be exact) and off-white/cream build-in cupboards and a desk. I am not sure why choosing the perfect wallpaper to cover just one wall in this space feels like such a major commitment. Also, if you've ever searched for wallpapers you know what a colossal task it is; there are literally thousands to choose from with a huge variety of prints, textures, finishes and colours available. I feel dizzy just thinking about it.

When I was little, my parents let me choose a wallpaper for my room. I remember how I loved browsing the big folder with wallpaper samples and how fascinated I was with all the pretty patterns. I ended up choosing a light pink paper with white clouds on it, not such a bad decision even if I think back to it now! For our hallway, however, I think I have to go with something a bit more mature than that; elegant and timeless even.

I don't want anything too colourful or bold, that's just not our style. I also don't want the print to be too small because I'm afraid that in such a small space it might end up looking too busy and clustered. I am drawn towards grey and metallic prints, like this ones from Florence Broadhurst. 

Floral 100 FBW-BO90

I have been absolutely obsessed with Erin Gates' new book 'Elements of Style' (more of that later) and amongst a ton of inspiration I saw this beautiful Katie Ridder 'Leaf" wallpaper covering one wall of a powder room Erin designed. 

Another grey, but very classic design is this one by Sandberg. I think this is going to go on to my Top 5 as it is definitely timeless and one I can't see myself getting bored with anytime soon. Porters Paints here in Sydney also has a good selection of classic designs, along with Eurowalls (their Nordic Home collection is especially pretty and not just because of the name!)

Hygge & West have a great collection of wallpaper, including prints by Rifle Paper Co. Very on-trend, yet classic, like this grey 'Diamante' by Laundry. This print to me is borderline busy, so it might not be a real option, but something to put in the 'someday' files.

And then there is Vallila. They have some really pretty floral prints, but how cools is this one! I know, it's not exactly timeless (or is it?), but there's something so whimsical about it that I love.

The search continues! I will give you an update when I've made a decision, but it might take a while! In the mean time, please let me know of any other great sources of wallpaper and I'll add them on to my (long) list of bookmarks - thanks! 

DIY Faux Leather Wall Hanging

I am always looking for new things to hang on our walls, but rarely feel like spending too much money on a piece of art I might end up getting bored with in a few months. I've wanted to make something for the longest time, something like this seemingly simple piece, but deep down I knew I could not pull it off. I know I'm not a painter, but perhaps I am a bit of a crafter, so I thought of creating a wall hanging using some of the metallic faux leather I picked up on a recent trip to Japan. I love working with faux leather fabric; it doesn't fray so you don't need to hem it, especially if used in something like this that doesn't get fiddled with too often. This fabric is quite readily available in all major craft stores, but I've even ordered some on Etsy. There is a great array of colours available so it is easy to get carried away! 

As a background I used a canvas I had picked up from a discount store ages ago. I thought of using a scallop pattern to create a bit more interest and the material I used added an extra layer of texture. You could use a variety of colours and/or different materials to create a more interesting look, but I wanted something quite subtle to hang atop a dresser in our guest room. 

I cut the pieces using a stencil and drafted a rough sketch on the canvas as a guide. Double-sided tape was great for attaching the pieces and way less messy than hot glue! Adding fabric around the edges of the canvas gave the piece a more finished look. 

I'm quite happy with the result and I can't wait to try making another piece with different shapes and colours! 

Updated Workspace

Updating my desk with bright accessories and pretty stationery is a great way to keep the inspiration flowing! Add a bunch of pink roses from the growers markets and I'm all set and ready for a new week.

PS. The gorgeous black and white woollen throws (peeking from a basket under my desk) are now on sale at my online store! Check out www.pikkukota.com for more information.

Polka Dot Love

A girl can never have too much polka dot in her life, am I right?

Happy weekend everyone! x

Spring Inspiration

This week I'm inspired by spring and all things pretty! Hope you're having a lovely week!

Bathroom Styling

A couple of new things in the bathroom and the overall look is a bit more colourful, glam and girly. I am obsessed with Australian brands MOR and Glasshouse at the moment; their products smell amazing and feel luxurious without being overly expensive. 

Large rattan hooks (in natural colour) are sold at my online store www.pikkukota.com

Inspired By - Pink & Gold

I am obsessed with pink and gold at the moment and my work space, the ever changing mood board of mine, is reflecting the latest craze. I am the first one to admit my love for pink and now that I'm desperate for some colour in our home I try to incorporate it with our current decor. I love the pop of colour and golden accents add just the right amount of glamour in to the space. 

A Quest for Colour

I'm done with the black and white look and on a quest to add some colour and patterns to our home. I'm starting quite conservatively with these water colour cushions. I love the subtle hues and the unsymmetrical splashes. Although I don't mind winter in Australia, these colours remind me of spring to come. 

Saturday Morning

A cup of coffee and some online shopping on a Saturday morning.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

* Leather iPad case and woolen cushion cover are from www.pikkukota.com

Easy Bedroom Fix - Night Stand and Bedhead in One

I have looked for yonks. but I can't seem to find night stands for our bedroom that I'd be happy with. They are often too bulky and have too much or too little storage. They are too low or too high and end up taking too much space on both sides of the bed. I have tried so many different options and looked everywhere for perfect pieces, but with no luck. Now I have finally found a solution: a shelf above the bed that works not only as a night stand but also as a bed head. And it takes no floor space! I'm really happy with this simple and ridiculously low-cost fix!

Rainy Days

Autumn is finally here and the weather has been quite grey. It's been lovely to spend some time indoors though; having a cup of tea and getting cozy with a magazine. 

Have a lovely weekend!

1kertaa2 woolen throw and cushion covers are from my online store.

Hallway

I needed to do some serious decluttering in our hallway. There is ample storage, but somehow everything always ends up on the table. I love the clean look and I hope it will last!

Have a nice weekend!

Muuto Favourites

Here are a few of my favourites from Muuto. Wish you a dreamy weekend! 

1kertaa2 - A New Textiles Collection Available at Pikku-Kota

I'm so pleased to announce a new textiles collection available at my online shop Pikku-Kota!

Finnish brand 1kertaa2 has a beautiful selection of high quality knitted textiles made in Finland and designed by duo Piia Kalliomäki and Marika Lehti. All 1kertaa2 products are made of 100% wool and have a soft luxurious feel. They are easy to take care of and have a modern, sophisticated look.

Available at Pikku-Kota are the following 1kertaa2 products (with more products hopefully available soon!)

Rihmat - throw

Kylä - throw

Kihlat - cushion cover

Sormus - cushion cover

All images in this post are by 1kertaa2