Every Spring, when Winter has finally left, I look around my home and feel a bit disappointed.The ground outside is thawing, little bits of color are peeking out, but inside my home feels dingy and cluttered (closed in, tired, and filled with too many things). It happens every year, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Then, within days the garden comes to life; the sunshine is a little brighter, and all of a sudden there are not enough minutes in the day to get things done. I become overwhelmed with things that I “must” do. When it’s really cold, I can’t be bothered to run outside to take things to the garage, so I put them in cupboards and onto shelves, waiting for a warm day. Eventually, after almost six months of this, my home becomes a hodge-podge of orphaned items that really don’t belong in there. Add to this, the hibernating effect of Winter, and my home becomes a candidate for prescription medication. So, this year I’ve decided to do things a little differently. Instead of bemoaning the cold (well, I will always do that really) I have started to Spring clean my house now. I cleaned my kitchen the other day, and pulled everything out of the cupboards. Plonked what I didn’t want into the car, and drove around with it until I was forced to go out into the cold (again) and deliver it to the local thrift shop. Then, in anticipation of a not-quite-freezing day, I collected boxes of “stuff’ by the front door. One day, armed with warm gloves and a coat, I traipsed it all into the garage and put it away, tidying as quickly I could before my fingers started to go numb. Two weeks ago I repainted my counter-tops with new “counter-top” paint (wouldn’t really advise it in the bitter cold, it is nasty smelling and takes a few days to cure). I love them now that it’s finished, but don’t do it with young children or pets in the house with you, it’s very strong, oil-based paint and the fumes take a while to dissipate. Yesterday I went through all of my filing, yes, all of it, and threw away more than any grown woman should have. In lieu of a shredder, I found great satisfaction in setting them on fire (safely, of course), which made the whole process seem quite exciting! This weekend, I will venture into the closet, maybe the basement and even consider painting the Living Room again. I know it seems like I am playing games in order to make it through until Spring, and you’re right, but truthfully, it’s fun to play games in your own home! For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

The other day I fell in love with a curtain. Yes, a curtain! For those of you who know me well, you know that the curtains in my living room are, in fact, cream blankets from Walmart; a solution that happened on a cold February day, after weeks of looking for the “perfect’ curtain. Not my first option, they ended up being what I love the most; hanging casually from old, copper pipes with distressed curtain hooks. In fact, the process was so time consuming that I had no option but to write about it. http://wendyandthebluegiraffe.blogspot.com/2009/05/cautionary-tale-of-curtains.html Anyway, I recently saw some curtains that I loved, and it reminded me once again how difficult it can be to choose them. I think, the first thought should be whether your need is driven by beauty or function? Of course, ideally, everything in life should be a combination of both, but in reality that rarely happens; to get there can take far more time than any of us have. Regardless of why you need them, spend a little bit of time wondering about your curtains before you buy. In my living room, for example, I have three very large windows, each over 10 feet wide. I wanted a curtain that insulated the room in the Winter, but was not so decorative that it conflicted with my need to scatter random pieces of art onto the walls. Hence the cream blankets; they are simple, but warm, and I love the thick texture against the painted walls. Like most things, we can get bogged down in the thought process, but going forward is always easier than we think. Decorating your windows should be fun, just ask yourself a few easy questions before you begin: – Do you want the curtains to be purely decorative – a statement of color or pattern? Then choose with no restrictions. Buy what you love. Remember to open the packet, and hang them up (or lay them out on the floor) before you throw away the receipt. Any curtain will look totally different when it is opened up into a 4 foot by 7 foot panel. – Are they something that you are buying because you “have to”? Be understated/neutral/classic in your decision. For total anonymity, try to match, or use a shade similar to the wall color. – Is keeping in warmth, or shutting out sunlight, important? Spent extra time researching speciality curtains. They may cost a bit more, but will definitely solve your problem. – How much do you want to spend?Be realistic with your budget. Don’t be lured into things you cannot afford. Find your favorite, then see if there is a less expensive option available. – Is your room large or small, ceilings high or low? If it is small, then choose curtains that are similar (or complimentary) to the wall color. Hang them above the window for extra height. Too much pattern, or opposing colors, will break up a room, making it appear smaller. If ceilings are very tall, check the length before you buy. The gorgeous photograph above is from http://searchingforstyle.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html A lovely blend of pinks that are elegant and feminine, without being too “precious”. The curtain is crushed silk. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

Here are six easy ideas to make any home feel comfortable the minute you step through the door. Have a doormat inside and out, they make everyone feel welcome. Buy several large, white pillar candles. Light them, then blow them out. This automatically gives the impression of warmth, and makes a home feel that it is lived in (an unlit wick will have the opposite effect). A blanket draped on a sofa always invites you to sit down, put your feet up and relax. Piles of magazines, catalogs or books are just asking to be picked up and looked at. Get personal. Display something that you love, that reveals (or explains) who you are. A word, a painting, an object? Always have live plants and/or flowers in your home. Their natural energy helps to create a balanced, peaceful environment. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

It’s Friday. It’s raining. I have good hair. I am meeting my dear friend for lunch today, at her house, and I want to take her a present. I don’t have to. I’ve reached that strangely grown-up time in my life where I don’t take a present to somebody’s home unless I really want to (and I truly enjoy being with that person). This does beg the question, why do we go to someones home if we don’t like them? But that’s another story. But it’s raining. And, much as I love her, I don’t want to go out into the rain, to the shops, because I am not even sure what I want to take. As I got ready I thought about the whole idea of giving presents; for some people it is an obligation, a nuisance, and for others it is a joy and a demonstration of their feelings. My theory is that if we want to do things that make people happy then it shouldn’t be complicated (and it should make us happy too). So, with that in mind I started to think about what to take to my friend. Hydrangeas are my first thought. My garden is filled with Hydrangeas of all colors and sizes but, aside from the fact that they are laden with rain, they take up a lot of space on a table and would need a large vase to hold them. I decide to wander around my garden for inspiration (in the aforementioned drizzly rain). I have a Thyme plant on the back step. With frost looming I thought that would be a good gift. My friend loves to cook and eat fresh, organic produce. Perfect. I bring it inside, pick out the dead leaves that had taken residence, washed the excess dirt off and prune it so that it looks cared for. Turns out it looked so happy in my kitchen that I put it on my windowsill, and decided not to give it away afterall. I then remembered I had some more herbs, which I had planted in a half-barrel, in a rather dismal attempt to try and grow a Mediterranean garden. How ironic, it looked like rubbish all year and now, as Winter approaches, it decides to take on some form of fabulousness! I dug up the large, fluffy Oregano and went to look for one of my favorite terracotta pots (I found a pile of old, odd shaped pots just lying on the side of the road years ago, abandoned. I like to imagine they have lived a long, interesting life, squirreled away in some secret garden – maybe even a castle courtyyard overlooking a cliff). I planted the Oregano in one of these pots and put a rock on the side for decoration (in reality it was to stop the plant from tipping out). Found a small china saucer to put underneath it and I was done. It would look at home in anyone’s kitchen. Anyway, after potting my herb plant I wanted to share my ideas for gift-giving (not the Wedding sort, just the everyday, I’m happy to see you, sort). – My first idea is to always shop at home first. I know as I write this that it does take a bit of forethought, but overtime it will become a habit, and you will be surprised at how much you can improvise with what you have around you. I love to bake, but I also know that when I don’t have all the ingredients there are some delicious box/refrigerator items. Brownie mixes (Ghirardelli) and sweet Bread mixes (Krusteaz) are always very good (you can easily add extra chocolate, nuts or dried fruit to these too without changing the cooking time). Don’t mean to be rude, but steer clear of the cut and slice cookies in the refrigerator section, buy a box of pre-made cookies instead. – Check your pantry cupboards. Do you have something delicious that hasn’t expired? (e.g. imported box of tea, cookies, specialty jam, hot-chocolate and marshmallows). Unopened of course. – Flowers or plants from the garden that you can pick (or dig up)? – If I have nothing at home then I do head to the shops, but admittedly I usually spend a few moments before I go, thinking about my budget and planning what I would like to buy. This saves time and stress. – Don’t overlook the beauty of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Find the absolute best you can, put them in a clear cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon (grapes, peaches, asparagus, tomatoes on the vine, fresh cranberries). Miniature fruit is another one of my favorites, especially in the Fall (e.g. lady apples, clementines, forelle pears). – Bottle of wine from your home town (or country) or one that has a particularly funny label on it (Australian ones especially, have a lot of funny names and pictures and are often around $10). – Flowers or plants from the supermarket. Find the most natural looking bunch of flowers there (gerberas, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, tulips etc). Ask for a cellophane floral sleeve to put them in. These keep them fresh, and always make your gift look a bit nicer without being too fussy. Remove any baby’s breathe, ferns, rubber bands, labels or price tags. Cut the stems all the same length. Place back inside the cellophane bag and either take as is, wrap in gift wrap or tie a ribbon around the middle. Fold down or cut the cellophane neatly if it is too high. – Plants. Same idea. Go to the supermarket and pick something natural. Remove any garish decorations, price tags etc (if you need the care label try to hide it, or just give it to them later).If the plastic pot is covered in a foil or paper sleeve that you don’t like, change it. Take it off, put a piece of plastic (or a plastic bag) over the holes then cover with a square of your own wrapping paper. Tie with a ribbon, or, for a quieter look, just carefully tape the wrapping paper to itself so that it doesn’t fall off. Even easier, just take all the extras off, put some tissue in a bag and put the “nude” plant in the bag, letting it peek out the top. – Inexpensive book that you know pertains to that person’s life at the moment (e.g. the funny side of parenting for a mother raising teenagers). – Chocolate, a really delicious bar. Wrap it as if it is the most precious thing in the world. – Daily desk calendar of their favorite indulgence (travel, shoes, handbags…) – Anything that they love (favorite candy bar, shampoo, soap, beer, lip-gloss, Twinkies etc) – A balloon. Who doesn’t love a balloon? Well, you get the idea, the list could go on; but the point is that with just a little time and thought (and not a lot of money) it is very easy to give gifts to people that we care about. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

When I moved into my house, over twenty years ago, there was a lot of tiny floral wallpaper (and contact paper – remember that?) all over the house. I promptly wallpapered over it with a gigantic floral wallpaper, and decided that pink and blue flowered linoleum would also be a good idea (to tie it all together, of course). A year later, I couldn’t stand either of them; the floor came up, and the wallpaper was painted over. I had tried to get it off, but apparently the wallpaper was the only thing holding up the wall; when I peeled off the seventh (yes, really) layer of paper, I could see through to the bathroom on the other side. I am embarrassed to say that I glued it back, stuck on some cardboard, and called it a day. Like a lot of people, my decorating style changed shortly after. We were all a little traumatized by the cuteness of the 80’s, design quickly flip-flopped into a more formal way of decorating, and everyone fell in love with the concept of coordinating fabrics. Plaids, stripes and chintzy florals were the darlings of the design world, cherry replaced oak, and our fabrics just had to match the pre-pasted border in the kitchen. In hindsight, it was a world that quickly wore out its welcome. Too many people followed a trend that didn’t suit who they were, and we ended up with a lot of homes that looked the same; personalities were replaced with burgundy stripes, and an unused formality created rooms that struggled to be enjoyed. Fortunately, trends change, and as we became more casual, the formal patterns still had their place, but happily shared the limelight with more modern ideas. Greedy for more, we now demand that designers give us what we want, and make it affordable. Right now, there is no limit to what we can have, and where we can find it. We are no longer tied to a trend, we can design our homes exactly how we want, and we can still choose to have pink and blue flowered linoleum …. Gorgeous photograph from things-i-love For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #decoratingtrends #Floral #floralfabric #vintagewallpaper #Wallpaper

My kitchen is tiny; I am always dreaming of ways to make it bigger (?) and better. I have done almost everything that a normal person could do to make it what I want it to be, without taking down walls and ripping up floors. I know how I would love it to look, but I am happy to be creative until (if) that time comes. A kitchen is such a big budget item that many of us wait until we are moving, or get an unexpected windfall, before making changes. In the meantime it sits, getting older and more disappointing as we wait for that elusive, happy day. I don’t like that idea. While we are waiting to win the lottery our kitchen is still part of our every day life; it has to be used constantly, so why not try to make it better until our package of perfection arrives? All of these things I have done myself, and I know they do make a big difference with very little effort. Of course, I have to mention knobs and draw pulls first. Changing the shape, texture or color will always make your room look refreshed. Add a decorative mirror to an empty wall (easy to clean, and brings in light and energy). Paint some of the cabinets. If you have a set of cabinets away from the others, consider painting them a different color and giving them unusual hardware. They will look like a separate piece of furniture. Talking of separate furniture, what about removing an upper and lower cabinet altogether, and replacing it with a buffet, dresser or desk that is even more useful (and decorative)? If you don’t like your kitchen anyway, be bold and give it a try! Take down some upper cabinets (not as hard as you think) and install shelves. Or, remove the doors and “pretend” it is open shelving. Your kitchen will look bigger with open shelves. Remove the doors and the central piece of wood off a pair of cabinets to create a nook for cookbooks. I did this, and I know they were oak cabinets, but truly, I love having the books showing and it makes the kitchen far more interesting. (Removing the center piece – with a hacksaw – did not compromise the strength of the cabinet at all). Bring in things that are “un-kitcheny”. Art, curtains, books, lamps and furniture will give your kitchen a personality; it will feel more like a room than just a place that you cook dinner. Grout vintage tiles onto your old countertops to make a more interesting surface that is heat-resistant and looks pretty. If you are not keen on it being permanent idea, then buy a really large marble tile, put rubber feet on it, and place that on the counter. This is perfect for large, hot dishes and for baking on. Remove dated appliques and fancy, wooden doo-dads. Sand and stain (or paint) over any imperfections or, cover it with a picture. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

Many years ago my parents went to the Greek Islands for a holiday. When they returned they decided to paint their newly renovated bathroom a warm shade of terracotta; they were inspired by their trip and wanted to recreate the sunny, Mediterranean feeling back home. They bought the paint, mum went to work for the day, and dad was left to paint the bathroom. When she got home that night the bathroom wasn’t terracotta – it was a very pale peach. Apparently, when dad opened the can he thought it was too dark, applied to the wall it was even darker, so he took it upon himself to add half a can of white paint. The striking orange had become a pastel. My mum took it in stride (or so I was told), hastily changed plans and turned the bathroom into a relaxing spa-like room instead. I think of this story often because putting color on the walls is a daunting task for most of us. The walls take up so much space in our homes that we want to get it right, we don’t want our homes to look boring but neither do we want them to look cartoonish. When I moved into my home I painted every room in the house cream. Because that’s what people did. After a few years I got bored and decided to paint my kitchen green. Not just a light green but a dark, mossy green. The minute I painted it I loved it. My kitchen is tiny and dark but it has been green for over 10 years. I have changed the counters and the cupboards many times since then, but I have never tired of the green walls. After the kitchen I began experimenting in other rooms. I knew that if it didn’t work I could always paint over it. Although my living room is still white, several of my other rooms are now quite colorful. All of them are very small rooms (8 x 10 at best) and all of them have colors that we would traditionally shy away from with smaller rooms. Interestingly enough I found that having color on the walls created personality within the room, the shapes became more interesting and the room was easier to decorate. At the moment I really want to paint my living room. Well, I don’t really want to paint it, I want to decide on the color, then pay some nice person to paint it for me! But that’s beside the point. As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, my living room, although edited, is still filled with a lot of stuff and a lot of color. Its the color that is already in the room that keeps tripping me up. It is starting to resemble a Frida Kahlo painting and I think there is a fine line between eccentric and downright strange. I love Frida’s work but I don’t want to feel that I am living in one. With that in mind I decided that choosing paint would be an interesting topic for this week. The first and easiest option is to go with your gut, choose a color for no reason other than the fact that you like it and want it in the room. If you are making a drastic color change then I would recommend getting a sample of it to try before you commit to the whole room. I know it seems like a lot of work but it is important to see how the color looks in your home, with your furniture and surroundings. Buy a small sampling of the color. Some paint distributors have testers available in the form of a sachet or a miniature bottle (I saw some the other day for just $2.97 each and they had them in every color). These will usually cover a three foot square area. If you don’t want to paint the actual wall with your test color then paint several pieces of paper (even newspaper) and hang them up around the room. While not perfect it will give you a visual reference that no tiny paint card can. Live with the color for a couple of days and then make your decision Also, I hate to say this, but if it is a very dark color you may need to prime the walls first. I did not prime my kitchen and bedroom but I can honestly say I was foolish not to. Both times I had to return to the store to get more paint. To get the true color I had to apply three coats of paint, it took me longer than if I had primed it in the first place. The next color option is always white and cream. Although these are often frowned upon they do have their place (downstairs in my living room apparently). The good thing about these colors is that they are a blank canvas for your home, anything you put against them will stand out. My only caution would be to think carefully before you use bright white paint. The difference between cream and white is subtle but if you use cream (or a light butter color) your home will look warmer. Of course there can always be beautiful white rooms but take extra care in how you decorate them, without the right accessories it can be a bit harsh. My absolute favorite way to pick paint is from something that inspires me. I need to touch or see the color first before I tackle all those tiny paint cards. I need a starting point. My strategy is that when I see a color that I love I will try and do whatever I can to remember that color. I’ll rip the page out of the magazine, pick the flower, photograph the window, write a description, anything. Once I have what I need I am ready to go to the store. When I get to the store I head straight to the color matching scanner in the paint department. These are ingenious; take the item that you have and hold it against the screen, it will analyse it and give you the coordinating paint color. Once the formula has been printed out the store will mix up the color for you. You’ll be surprised what they can process (fabric, old paint cans, flowers, magazines etc). For my kitchen I matched the inside border of a painting, for the bedroom a piece of suede on a quilt that lay on the bed and for my bathroom I took a photograph of the wallpaper in the hotel that I was staying in and matched that. You can begin with anything you want. Maybe the stitching on a pillow is the perfect shade of green, or maybe when you got a special gift you decided that the silver jewelry and the blue box were exactly what you were looking for. Once you start looking to be inspired you’ll be surprised at how much there is right in front of you. The world is filled with color and there is nothing better than something you love to get you motivated. Sometimes you’ll find that an item can’t be color matched with the scanner (eg. a car, the belt on a strangers dress, clouds) but at least you know what you like and how to find it. Knowing what you want is half the battle. I meant to keep this post short but alas I am not very good at editing myself. One thing I forgot to mention was to look outside for inspiration too. Colors from nature always go together and are always, well, natural. Maybe you want some color but are afraid of being too bold. Try shades of green, brown, red or yellow and see if they would fit into your home. Experiment by bringing branches or flowers inside. Anything you can do to create an image will help you make a better decision. As for me, I think I want to paint my living room a very light yellow. I wonder if I can scan a piece of cheddar cheese….. (p.s. yes, you can scan a piece of yellow american cheese). For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

I visited an Art room at school yesterday, and I didn’t want to leave; it was joyfully cluttered, over-flowing with activity, and it smelled of warm crayons. The Art teacher looked so comfortable in her paint-splattered smock, and she welcomed me with such a big smile, that it made me feel like a child again.  Our children’s lives are far more controlled now; school days start at 7:58am (not 7:59am, or you’ll get a tardy slip), they are allowed exactly 1 1/2 minutes to go to the bathroom, and they are driven to sports activities that mandate entire days to practice for a game that is, well, just a game…So, when I walked into this colorful room, it really made me smile. Don’t get me wrong, I know that we all do our best, and we need rules, but we also need permission to be ourselves, at our own pace. The Art room is that place in school; a perfect oasis of mess, in a ridiculously formal environment.  It’s not just about creativity, it’s about having the freedom to discover what makes you tick, and not to be controlled all of the time. Children need to figure out who they are in-between the activities. Some crave organization, with straight, printed labels, and a place for everything, while others like to grow a mountain of stuff that crawls towards you when you open the door. Many want their favorite color from top to bottom, and others just want a place to play with toys or listen to music. (Strangely enough, they all seem to know where everything is).  I am a firm believer in giving children some place to be themselves, and letting them own who they are. And, I think their bedroom is often the easiest place for us to give up control. If I am decorating a child’s (or teen) room, my biggest goal is for them to know that it is about them, and I want to create a space that they will love. Here are some ways to do the same thing with your child: – Pretend to interview them. – Take notes as they talk, really listen, and try not to judge their answers.  – Ask them what they love about their room the most. – What would they get rid of if they could?  – What is missing? And, why do they want that in their room? – Ask them to draw, or write, about their most perfect room. Afterwards, take some time to read over your notes. Decide what you are willing to do, and why/why not? Be as open-minded as you can be. Consider alternatives to what they want. Wait a few days (this shows them that you really do care) and then write your own list. – Offer solutions eg. more, or less, storage and organization, removing an old piece of furniture, storing childhood toys, creating a wall for posting notes and thoughts, painting everything a different color, getting new curtains, having a more grown-up theme etc). – Consider giving them a small budget, and taking them shopping for some new things. Let them  spend it any way they want. – Don’t promise them things you have no intention of doing. – Plan how, and when, you will both work on the solutions. Schedule a start date. – Explain what you cannot/won’t allow (and why).  I know this might seem like a lot of work, but if we give them the time, and show them that we really care, they will learn how to embrace who they are, and create a place that they will always love… Photograph of a Girl on a Swing, by the talented designer, Kate Jackson For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #Art #RoomsforChildren

Well, it’s Springtime here in New Jersey and about two hours ago I became my own worst client. After 6 months of Winter, of looking at the same things day in and day out I was sure that my house was the most boring one on the planet. It seemed drab and in need of a good clean (not my forte). As I wandered around bemoaning how much “stuff” I had accumulated I just knew that my life would not be perfect unless I hired a housekeeper and bought four red chairs for my sunroom. After thinking about my dilemma I had a reality check and remembered what I did for a living. Remembering was just the beginning; it took me a few minutes to realize that it was time, once again, to be my own client. To forget the rules, remember my budget and get going. I tackled the sunroom first. Convinced that nothing could cheer it up, I reluctantly emptied it of its contents. I sipped on a cup of coffee as I looked at the vast amount of furniture that I had removed from such a small room. As I stared at the empty space I realized what I had to do – the sofa and table had to stay, no replacements there, they were a necessity. But everything else could be changed. The yellow dining chairs bothered me; I definitely needed red chairs instead. Unfortunately I had no red spray paint on me so the yellow chairs were placed in the garden while I contemplated their fate. I searched the basement and found a painted, wooded green chair and a plain wooden chair. They would do, a bit shabby but it was a sunroom after all. I put them in and right away the room looked better. The accessories were next. I had so many, but as I hadn’t really looked at them in a while it became clear that many I didn’t like or had been given to me by people I didn’t like (!). So, I put these in a bag to be given away. Much better. I removed a small brown table and replaced it with a trunk from the mudroom. Surprisingly the scale of the trunk looked better than the small table and it changed the whole focus of the room. Pop a plant on it and it would be perfect. I then grouped all my books together, placed them all together on a shelf so that I could pretend I had lofty ambitions of being well read. It gave it a slightly studious but natural look. Added a floor lamp and a chair to create a little reading (or napping) nook. As I went on clearing the room I knew I needed more color in it. A pillow on that brown wingback chair was what I needed. Perhaps a red pillow…………..But I have no red pillows. I searched the house and could find no spare pillows, not even anything that I could make into a pillow. Well, I did, but couldn’t find a fabric that I liked to cover it. You know, as I write this I remember I have some vintage tablecloths in a drawer. Maybe I could wrap one around a pillow and that would brighten the room up? Hmmm, will try that when I have finished writing. So, I pottered around the room, added some plants and was surprised at how nice and fresh it looked. I just needed one more chair to put around the table. Into the garage I went. Found a wrought iron doormat that I didn’t know I had, a piano leg that I had hoped to make into a table one day but no extra chair. As I was leaving, I ducked my head under the door and noticed something red on the shelf. Four red chairs! I had bought them years ago, but couldn’t find a space for them, so I had stored them in the garage (they folded up, so I told myself they were barely noticeable). With far too much excitement I grabbed the chairs and took them into the sunroom. They were the wrong height for the table but it made me so happy that I had found them. Back to the garage they go. As I went back inside I found the small brown table to be too, well, brown, so I looked at my paint collection. I found a gorgeous blue and I started to paint the table top, much to the chagrin of the cat who was just about to sunbathe on it. While I waited for the paint to dry I made a cup of tea and sat in my new sunroom. As I mused, I noticed the floor lamp by the wingback chair……Wouldn’t it look heaps better if it was red? For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

With Fall nudging its way into our homes, I love to settle down with Fashion magazines. To me, Fashion and Home Design are connected. The best stylists know how to balance scale with texture; to create a look that is always interesting, and sometimes provocative. Decorating a home is exactly the same; no-one opens a magazine to be bored, and no-one ever aspires to look at a repetitious, impersonal space. What we look at should always evoke some kind of feeling. The latest Fall fashions make me hyperventilate with joy; a sumptuous combination of rich colors, tweed fabrics alongside ridiculously oversized, girlie taffeta skirts, and accessories that just beg to be noticed. While these looks are often exaggerated, their message can often be applied to our everyday lives. I have attached several editorial photographs. The first one is a classic, retro look, the second, a beautiful study in neutrals, and the third, a playful mix of pattern and texture. If you forget their original purpose, they could easily be used as pieces of artwork, or, even better, inspirational guidelines to decorate your home. Whether or not you love Fashion, pick up a magazine now and again. Notice the way that their photographs are styled. I am sure it will make you think differently about your home. With many thanks to: http://nibsblog.wordpress.com/ for the retro photograph, and two other magazines (whose names I have forgotten) from which I tore out these pages. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

I have friends who can quote something fabulous at the drop of a hat; they even know who said it, and what they say is always appropriate to the occasion. I admire them for this, and I try to remember them, really I do, but two seconds later I couldn’t tell you what it was that was so memorable.  I have quotes scattered around my office, but if I wasn’t able to see them, I often wonder if they would still inspire me? Quotes, are tidy little morsels of words that magically make us stop and wonder, secretly wishing we had thought of them first. Here are a few of my favorites to start off your week …. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” — Bill Moyers “Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.” – Charles M. Schulz  “Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story, not just to sum everything up.” —  Tate Linden “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” — Pablo Picasso “One should never be the oldest thing in one’s house.” – Patsy Stone “Have no fear of perfection — you’ll never reach it.” — Salvador Dali “Good design is a conversation.” – Zahid Sardan “.. our objects, bibelots, whatnots, and knickknacks-say the most about who we are. They are as honest as a diary.” – Charlotte Moss “Be thoughtful, not weird…”  – Jonathan Adler “Home is the nicest word there is.”  – Laura Ingalls Wilder For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #interiordesignquotes #Quotables

Do you remember when Televisions started to get bigger? When we all wanted one, but didn’t want to see them when they were turned off? Their size, and bulk, dominating wherever they were placed? Too heavy for a small table, everyone struggled with what to do once they had bought one. As quickly as they appeared, Furniture manufacturers came up with a solution. The entertainment Armoire; an  even bigger piece of furniture that enclosed our new purchase, and hid it away until we decided to turn it on. Not the best solution really. Yes, it hid the Television, but it created another problem – where to put the new piece of furniture. Entire walls and corners were filled with an often overwhelmingly large, wooden structure. What seemed like a necessity for most homes, became obsolete quite quickly, as Televisions got larger and larger. They also became thinner, and we no longer needed to accommodate their bulk into our decorating plans. Before we knew it, the Television had outgrown the Armoire; it was dismantled, or set aside in a basement, waiting for goodness-knows-what. Many of them were expensive, and still in great condition, so we were reluctant to throw them away. I really believe that we should re-use things if we can. If not, maybe it can be donated, and someone else would appreciate it all over again? But, until you decide what to do, why not try one of these solutions for that fleeting, but usefully wooden, piece of Television history. A perfect pantry or extra storage in your Kitchen. Small closet for a baby. Take the doors off and use it as a bookshelf. Remove all of the shelves, add a hanging rod at the top, and use it in a Mudroom or Entrance hall for coats and gloves etc. Easy storage for games and crafts (leave the doors on?) Put your sewing machine in there, and store all of your threads and fabric. A Home Office. Your computer would easily fit. Cork-board glued to the inside of the doors would be useful, and there would be plenty of space for files etc. Here are a few photographs to get you inspired… For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/