Finally! some update on what is going on decor-wise

My "art wall" is up. (Yaayyy. It's about time!) This project has been pending since march this year. I was waiting to collect a few nice pieces of artwork, posters and such. The wait could have gone on indefinitely but the empty wall was grating on my mind. Come november 2010, I decided it was time to DO something.

Let's look at some befores.

Left: Before before Right: Before

We are talking years apart befores. The one on the right was more recent but temporary.

Oh dear, the making of the art wall was tedious. Look at what I had to work with before even thinking of hanging frames. Moisture attacks(tropical climate and leakages in the rooftop drainage system, which involved the hiring of a mason to repair the exterior concrete ) and chipped paint from ripping off contact paper.

Oh and a hole, yes a hole in the wall when sanding the wall surface. Side effects of moisture attacks=brittle cement. I repaired this one myself (especially since I was the one behind the incident, but shush don't tell anyone hehe) with some cement paste and then primed and painted. It had to be done over a few days to allow things to dry well.

Now I had a good blank canvas again, I fished a few things from my stuffs to fill the empty frames.

Except the teenie bird cage-qui vient de Daiso- everything is DIY. How do you like my shout-out for your blogs?:) Ahh sadly, I'm no graphic designer. You might recognise a home tour featured on Marie Claire Maison? I ripped that photo of a design studio off a back issue. Love it. Also, it doesn't hurt that the colors work well with the rest. The floral motif is actually a fabric, although I've been asked twice already if I did the painting! I wish I wish. The crayon drawing is not actually my drawing, it's an illustration from one of my favorite books, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, with a quote from another of my favorite books-the scene where Darcy declares his love to Elizabeth-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I liked the idea of using illustrations from books and also did this. p.s: Don't worry I didn't massacre any book for the sake of interior design;)

My accent wall color is looking extremely peculiar in this photo, it's NOT pink in real life. Petunia in VIP Satin by Mauvilac is more of a purplish red with pink undertones.

Next, figuring out where to place what...

I traced the outlines of the frames on old newspaper and cut out the shapes to use as guidelines of where to mark the spots for drilling. I went with visible gold toned hooks.

.:Voilà:.

I never showed you the before/after of the battered office table, did I?

.:Before:.

The table was moved to another corner to become a craft station & the shelves repurposed...

Ripping out things can be fun you know. I'm just sayin.

.:After:.


...And here's a peek at what it's used for

And, I'm still not finished with the post...

I posted these on L'Atelier in October.

But I didn't show you something else I sewed with the excess fabric...a bolster pillow!

All photos: LiveYourStyle

That's it for now. I am very happy with the summery feel of the overall look. It will stay put for a while. However, we all know our homes are always works-in-progress. Right?!

Rue

♥♥♥ Go check out Rue Magazine if you haven't done so yet ♥♥♥

All images are from rue

Hello art wall!!!

Via House and Home

I am back from my impromptu 'away from blogging time'. It was good getting away from the computer. Not that I've been away completely, I had to log in from time to time and visit you guys:) You know, to take that refreshing sip! And wow, there's so much going on! We need to catch up;)

Now you might notice a few things about LiveYourStyle and L'Atelier, some old stuffs are gone. I felt that they were no longer relevant to the blogs. Also, updated the links! It was so sad to delete the sweet comments that accompanied these posts though. In my almost two years of blogging, I've 'met' and connected to lots of amazing bloggers. On a fait un petit bout de chemin ensemble. So thanks for your support. It still warms my heart to read your comments. And nothing pleases me more than seeing a new follower who drops a word about how he/she likes my corner of the world:)

Moving on to today's post, Art Walls...

Via House and Home

They are not necessarily about paintings either. Mirrors, Fabrics, Ceramics, Tassels, Keys, basically any Artwork, Photographs as well as beautiful empty frames are great too. The above art wall consists of a painted corkboard.

So, I have this 2m x 1m blank space on a concrete wall that has been bothering me. Been itching to do something about it. I started collecting bits and pieces, an eclectic bunch really. And of course, started hunting for inspiration and tutorials on how to go about hanging them.

Two options:
1) Aim for symmetry& repetition. But that will involve buying matching frames and it might feel too formal for a bedroom.
2) Go asymmetrical& play with grouping. Much as I love neat, I also love eclectic.

Via Elle Decor


Via Coastal Living


Via House Beautiful

Via House and Home


Via Flickr


Via Elle Decor

Via Living Etc

You might want to read these tips for hanging art if you're about to do an art wall too. I would show you pics for mine, but they aren't any yet. Pics or Art wall. There's a paint job I need to get done before I can think of the art wall. I'll keep you updated!

Tropical Art by Vaco Baissac

Showcasing a few designer pieces from the tableware collection of Mauritian artist Vaco Baissac. Vaco is a renowned painter, whose particular style depicts our Paradise Island wonderfully. His latest venture(for he's also moonlighted in Jewelry Designer, Sculptor) is tableware and tablecloth with motifs celebrating our fauna and flora. It results from a collaboration with French porcelain designer Deshoulières.

This limited collection is available locally at the Rivière-Noire outlet of Poncini boutique, but also online! Make a visit at his Tropical Art Shop!

Photos Via Le poisson passe & Credits to L'express Dimanche no 17195

About the artist

"Vaco is the "poisson qui passe" (the passing fish), the Mauritian painter who swims against the stream, and has done so for ever. And amongst us, the others, there are these 2 young hotheads who asked themselves: "hey, but where are you going? Where are you going, you, yes, you?"

The "Poisson", after having swum passed, decided to maybe stay: in your plate, under your plate, on your tablecloth, a little bit everywhere, or elsewhere, or where we like it!

The "Poisson Passe" has stayed. He put his beautiful range of colours on a beautiful range of objects, which you can place around your home, so that you can always have a little of Mauritius , the astonishing Island, in your

sight!"[Source]

The art of decorating with red

Red has guts .... deep, strong, dramatic. A geranium red. A Goya red ... to be used like gold for furnishing a house ... for clothes, it is strong, like black or white. - Valentino

Feature walls...



Via Sunset

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Romantic Red...
Via Sunset

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Via Decorology


The Red Chandelier...
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Via HGTV

Red Accents...
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Via Susan on Design

...from bold to the barely there
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The Red Door...
Via HGTV

...and a stunning outdoor feature wall
Via Sunset

...and a cheery& elegant alfresco decor
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Red is a bright, warm color that evokes strong emotions. Red is associated with love, warmth, and comfort. Red is also considered an intense, or even angry, color that creates feelings of excitement or intensity. For the Chinese, Red is also the color of happiness, luck and prosperity. For more on color, see my post on the ABCD of color.

It is ever so appropriate on this double occasion for celebration, Valentine's day falls on the Chinese New Year! I had so much fun putting this post together, and I hope that if you're already an avid fan of red, you've been inspired, that if you usually shy away from this bold color, you're tempted to give it a go in your future decor projects.

Kung Shee fat Choy, Bonheur et Prosperite, Happiness and Success,
Sharon.