After Labor Day and Passing on An Award

I apologize for not posting for a few days. My excuse..Labor Day festivities, back-to-school preparations and problems with blogger. I am also looking for a new laptop as mine has started to slow me down considerably or is it that as I am constantly multitasking and have too many operations going on simultaneously? I use mine for the house and for work. Although I am considering a couple of options I would love to hear from you if you have any great recommendations.

On a more cheerful note, I would like to thank Connie from Salvage Savvy, for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

I am so thrilled! I am a regular reader of her blog where she continues to share so many amazing projects. For example, take a look at her entry table makeover. She makes it look so easy!

After accepting The Versatile Blogger Award, the blogger must:
1. Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in the post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to favorite recently discovered blogs.

7 things about myself which I have not shared on this site before;

1. I attended boarding school for three years.
2. I lived in London for close to 11 years.
3. I love amusement parks and thrill rides (like Disney's Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster)...they scare me and are exhilarating at the same time.
4. I share a birthday with a sister born 2 years later. We had the same birthday party as little kids. We used to cut the same cake, decorated for two. It was fun! The only time we did not celebrate was when she lived for some years in Hong Kong. Now she lives 40 minutes away in Connecticut and we continue to celebrate.
5. I used to play the piano growing up - competed a few times and did several exams. I did not play for many years and now I can play certain tunes by ear but have forgotten how to read music, sadly.
6. I attended an unforgetable, amazing Michael Jackson concert at Wembley Stadium when I lived in London. I am glad I got the opportunity to see him perform.
7. I studied French in school, grew up understanding some spoken Portuguese but do not speak it (wish I could), understand and can speak broken Hindi and took lessons in Spanish as an adult. But I do not consider myself multi-lingual (or should I ?!).

These are the blogs I am nominating for the Versatile Blogger Award;

1. Our Fifth House - I was an instant follower of Carmel's blog when I first visited it. She has a very approachable style and an infectious sense of humor while she shares tips on a wide range of decorating and organizational projects.
2. Just a Touch of Gray - Rachel's blog has been a must-read on my list. She and her husband have been transforming their home into something quite amazing.
3. Saved by Suzy - Suzy has been fun to read from the first day I discovered her blog where she shares the DIY projects she has undertaken, some great decorating inspiration and you also get a peek at her beautiful family every so often.
4. In My Own Style - Diane's site probably has a project for everyone, whether you are new to DIY or craft projects or have been decorating for a while you are sure to find something interesting.
5. The Mustard Ceiling - Elizabeth is a very talented Interior Designer and her posts are always inspirational and educational.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Amalfi Coast Estate turned Hotel

The Amalfi Coast is one of those dreamy places on my list of some day. This estate overlooking Positano once belonged to Franco Zefferelli. It was frequented by noted celebrities from all walks of life including Elizabeth Taylor, Maria Callas, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Laurence Olivier, Leonard Bernstein. It was recently restored and reopened as a hotel. I shall let the pictures speak for themselves.

images via Architectural Digest photos Sally Gall

More stunning images and details to be found at Villa Tre Ville

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Aston Martin Interiors - Where Technology meets Luxury

Something interesting. Earlier this year, classy British car company Aston Martin launched a furniture line in Milan combining cutting-edge technology with masterful, futuristic design resulting in pieces like these which are inspired by the forms and curves of the car.

Steel and wood-framed sofa with supple leather seat.

Chaise constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum; also covered in leather.

Images via here

Amazing construction. Could they be as sleek as they look and comfortable at the same time? I would have to try them out in person. Do you like the look of these pieces?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Wall Photograph Display

How many of us have our favorite pictures displayed in a prominent place in our homes where they can be enjoyed daily? Some of us have a lot stored away on a CD or someplace for "when needed". That was me until recently.

I get asked by many people about the wall of photographs in my kitchen. I wanted to enjoy pictures of my kids up front in the kitchen/family room area. I had a blank wall  - actually, I used to have a picture hung on it, but (as I am constantly changing things around) decided to do something with photographs instead. I use decals in a number of diffferent projects (like here) and I purchased these Butch and Harold sticker frames several months ago from http://wallstickeroutlet.com/. I had decided I did not want to drill holes in the walls and I wanted to try something different, fun and with a variety of designs with one color tying the collection together.

I ordered 2 packs of these and decided it was worth it at $20 for 8 frames in sizes shown above. The hours of pleasure we would all get from seeing these pictures every time we passed that wall would be priceless.  I did have to make larger copies of some of the pictures. I make copies through http://www.kodakgallery.com/.

This picture was taken months ago and for some reason I do not have a direct view of the wall but read on and more will  be revealed. (The wall to the right is not perpendicular to picture wall but is angled toward direction of camera).

I placed the pictures almost randomly although I tried to alternate with large and small. I also started at little-kid-eye-level so all could enjoy. As you can see, I needed at least 2 packs of the frames.

I helped a friend buy the same frames recently for some photographs she wanted to put up. She has a more expansive wall and she was concerned about placement and making the display look more cohesive and planned and not appear to be floating. I suggested we frame the pictures with some decorative tape I would find for her. 

I decided to add a frame to my display too. Again, no drilling holes.

I found decorative masking tape at  my local True Value in a basketweave pattern and thought this would look pretty. I used no measuring aides and proceeded to eyeball a line above the pictures and taped. I decided while I was up on the chair that I would include some of the angled wall on the right too. This way I could enjoy the pictures while busy in the kitchen (which it faces). I then did a double line making a thicker frame so the piece looked more substantial.

After some thought I decided I wanted to add some other tape to the frame, perhaps black, to finish off the border (more interest) but then I came across this striped white/transucent tape by Scotch and went ahead and centered it over the doubled basketweave tape.

More pattern, a little dimension and some sheen!

View from the across the island while preparing dinner (a pendant light in the foreground).



So here it is. My kitchen wall photograph display which I now enjoy every single day. It is sentimental; I see time flying. I have more pictures to add on the right-hand-side.

Decals are great and and can be moved around. And of course, the pictures can be changed, too. I love them; I always recommend them. Do you use decals? Would you use them for photographs?

*Please do not reproduce pictures of my children for any purposes other than to share what has been posted on this site, with my permission, of course. Thank you.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Apartment Living in Auckland, NZ

A side note: This is how we spent Sunday evening.

Isabel taught us a new card game she picked up while at camp this summer. We ended the evening with Monopoly (a childhood favorite of mine). Those flameless candles from Crate & Barrel have certainly come in useful. We survived Hurricane Irene with just a 17-hour power outage but our thoughts are with family, friends and those who continue to endure the after-affects and for others who are encountering loss and devastation of unparalleled magnitude.

This post was scheduled to go out this week in the event of continued power outage. I shall share it with you anyway. This stunning apartment building in Auckland, New Zealand was engineered to utilize natural light, warmth and cool breezes. The floors are built in tiers. Materials used are concrete, glass and cedar. Aluminum and wood also contribute to the overall harmonious aesthetics and green design. The building retains heat in winter and deflects it during warmer months.

Glass panels like sculptures off the facade of the building.

Grid-like landscaped garden.

via Dwell photos Simon Devitt

There is so much appeal to the entire design of this structure, indoors and outdoors. I love that it is modern, contemporary and yet exudes a homey feel and warmth in the design (wooden shutters, lighting, garden) and colors. I could live in such a place, couldn't you?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa