Tag Archives: INTERIORS

Lounge | Before & After, and finding the perfect standing lamp

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That beautiful capture of the pooch Frankie Blossom and I was snapped by the ever incredible photographer and gal pal Heather Liddell. All other photos by Blackbird.

Artwork by Blackbird | Couch from Big Save | Tassel Cushion by Blackbird, | Tweed Cushion from Jamie Kay | Cream cushion old Country Road | Sheepskin from Lapco | Hide on floor from Lapco | Coffee Table by Blackbird & Co | Marble Vase old Country Road | Candle by Curio Noir | Shibori Cushion by Blackbird | Day bed refurbished by Blackbird & Co, covered in fabric from The Fabric Store | Cane chair vintage, Thrift store find | Grey Rug, vintage off Trade Me | Leather Moroccan pouf from Let Liv | Rubi lamp from Let Liv | Linen Look curtains are DIY with Drop cloths from here  | Sideboard, vintage off Trade Me | Driftwood Candle holder by Blackbird

Nearly one year on, and it is incredible to stand back and see how much we have done, and how far we have come. With most of the major projects done, we have the hallway and spare room to go. Can you imagine, a finished house!?! Amazing.

So here it is, in all her white on white glory ( Sorry to all the unpainted wood fanatics,  she was a mess under there ) . We adore living in this space, even with a dirty pawed dog. The floors are in Resene white in Enamacryll gloss, which wipes up in no time. And the walls in my favourite Resene Black White. White on white really gives the most amazing canvas to display all your treasures on. 

Now for that lamp. After searching high and low and finding others too modern, too vintage, too small or big, I found her. Rubi, the standing lamp by leitmotiv from Let Liv. The perfect clean lines with a nod to mid century. Perfection. Tying in nicely with our absolute find of the year, the 5th Avenue couch in leather from Big Save. 

Yep, we are pretty chuffed with how she turned out, and we must’ve done something right cause we made the cover! 

You can read more about our lounge by grabbing a copy of the latest Homestyle Magazine

Until Next time

BlackbirdBLOG-signature

Bathroom essentials & Ecostore giveaway ( CLOSED )

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When it comes to bathrooms, these are undoubtably my ‘must-haves’

 

Practical but pretty  |  And not just pretty, organsied. For me, they day starts better when everything is in it’s place. But with such a small bathroom and limited storage how do I be practical and pretty?  Fog Linen wire storage, thats how. Available from www.fatherrabbit.com . On the subject of pretty, this sweet little dish from Houston Design Co is the holder of everything that needs a transitional home, from rings, to bobbie pins it’s the handiest thing around. Available from www.houstondesignco.bigcartel.com .  And finally, no bathroom is complete without the addition of Turkish cotton towels, light weight but luxurious. Perfection.  Available from www.ottoloom.co.nz

Calm & Serene  |  Like the bedroom, I believe the Bathroom should bea  restful place. A place to collect your thoughts in the morning, or unwind in the evening. And nothing does this more than a delicious scented candle, Midnight Orchid from Ecoya is at the top of my list. Available from www.ecoya.com . Finally, being honest, nothing screams calm and screne to me than a beautiful clean space. Ecostore is the practically only product we use. Not only do the work a treat, they smell amazing and are ‘free from all nasties’ triple tick in my book.

 

The lovely folks at Ecostore have been incredibly generous and have one  Pamper Pack up for grabs! Inculding Hand wash  Body was, hand and body moisturiser and soaps! All you have to do is head over to Ecostore and tell us your favourite bathroom product in the comments below!

Winner drawn at random next Monday.

 

Good Luck!

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature

MAKE IT | shibori wreath

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As I mentioned in my Driftwood Centrepiece DIY, I am trying for a simpler christmas. This year as well as a foraged wreath, I decided to turn my hand to shibori dyeing and make a wall hanging that can last the year as well as the festive season. Plus, a nice alternative for our allergy prone friends!

Once again, this is such a simple idea that has such a big impact. Here’s how to do it..

YOU WILL NEED | Dylons Blue Jeans dye, Water, Salt, String, Metal Bucket, Rubber Gloves, 1m squared cotton, linen or other natural fibre material ( polyesters, and even mixes do not take the dye well and the result is a patchy or dull colour )

I decided to rip and leave the edges raw on mine, but this would be the time to hem if you wanted to.

First off, take your piece or material,  and fold in half, then half again. This will give you your middle point,  pinch the corner and shake the fabric to loosen the folds. Decide how big you would like your ‘wreath’. I chose 30cm from the middle. Once you have decided, measure to chosen point. Holding it firmly, begin to wind your string around tightly. The wider you wind the string the wider the ‘wreath’. Now you are ready to dye! Follow the instructions on your specific dye packet as they may vary. I kept mine submerged for 45 minutes, occasionally turning and moving it. Once dyed, ring out the excess water and dry somewhere out of the sun. DO NOT take the string off until the fabric is dry!

And your done! Time to hang it and enjoy!

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature

MAKE IT // brass curtain tie back

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The master bedroom is getting there, and one of the last things I wanted to do was to make some sheer curtains, to add privacy and to give it all an extra lux feel. Who doesn’t love a little glamour in the bedroom ah girls?

First job was finding the perfect fabric. Something that fell beautifully, was sheer, but opaque enough and colour perfection. Of course my dear friends at  The Fabric Store were beyond helpful and amazing and found perfection amongst their rolls of fabric.

Next, I needed to make the tie back.

Here is how I created mine.

ONE

 

YOU WILL NEED //

A brass swivel eye snap hook, Available at your local hardware store.

Cream cotton cord, I got mine from my local Emporium.

Scissors.

Needle and thread.

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METHOD //

Measure loosely around your bunched curtain, double that measurement and this is the length of your cord.

Next, pull the cord in half, with your two loose ends in the middle, loop the cord through the eye of the snap hook, using a cow hitch knot.

Finally, Take your two loose ends, overlap and stitch the needle through both. Loop around, stitch again, repeating until the ends are secure and won’t pull apart. At this point, if you don’t want thready ends, use a long length of clear tape and wrap it around the join.

 

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And you’re done! Simple, cost effective and looks bloody grand, Tick, tick, tick.

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature