via Brava Casa - Photos A. Novelli
A loft in Rome
"This house goes against the rules of good design" says Alberto, architect in Rome, Italy... Indeed, the floor plan of this open spaced loft is quite unusual, with a bedroom behind the dining space, but out of 75 square meter [807 square feet], Alberto managed to create a family friendly loft full of life and interesting details. I have a special crush on the kitchen, with its super cool countertops and industrial details. Now, that's a loft with a soul!
via Brava Casa - Photos A. Novelli
via Brava Casa - Photos A. Novelli
Small Space Design
Since 1960 homes had been doubling in size. For the first time in 50 years the census data now shows a decrease in home sizes. With a decrease in size comes the challenge of adjusting from large spaces to smaller while still having a feeling of comfort and design.
5 tips for small spaces
Have a bench and hooks at an entry way to allow jackets, hats, and shoes to stay together in an organized way.
Make a room feel more open by using glass tables.
Hang a mirror at or above eye level to open up the space without showing clutter on the floor. Hang it across from a window to bring more light into the room.
Create multifunctional zones within a room: a drop leaf table behind a sofa can act as a sofa table, dining table, and desk.
Larger furniture with fewer accessoires allow a room to feel comfortable and uncluttered.
Guest blogger: Tess Johnson
Sponsor du Jour : Westwing
I am very proud to welcome Westwing as a FrenchByDesign blog sponsor. Founded by a former editor at Elle and Elle Decoration magazines, Westwing is the premier French online shopping club for home & living.
Westwing offers its members exclusive home décor accessories and furniture, both from established premium labels and up-coming designers, with savings up to 70% off retail prices.
Here is a selection of Westwing products I’d love to get my hands on and add to my own interior…
See?... Told ya', Westwing carries some pretty cool home decor products. Go have a look for yourself!
Access the Westwing site
* Post sponsored by Westwing - Images courtesy of Westwing© and its retailers
Here is a selection of Westwing products I’d love to get my hands on and add to my own interior…
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| In love with the vibrant summery colors of these hammam foutas By Johanne®. These would look fabulous at the beach, in a bathroom or to show off at the next pool party! |
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| Oh, what a cool idea! I already mentioned that I really like wallpaper as statement pieces on one unique wall. Add some pop in your entryway with this awesomely unique "paint strips" wallpaper from Oh My Wall®. |
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| How many pillows can a sofa or daybed hold to be welcoming and cosy? If you ask me, the more, the better. I am having a serious crush for these Colorique® "ethnic" chic inspired pillows. |
Access the Westwing site
* Post sponsored by Westwing - Images courtesy of Westwing© and its retailers
Monday!
Good mornin' and happy new week! Hope it's a good one... I wish you a happy Monday! Xo, Si-
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| Photo Jonas Ingerstedt |
Special kids' rooms : my Spring picks!
One of my friends asked me to help her redesign her daughter's room, so I've been browsing many kids' related websites lately and I thought I would share with you some cool stuff I found. Can you tell spring is right around the corner? ;-)
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| Basic bookcase turned into a dollhouse, got a pen and some scrapbook paper? |
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| This dot matrix rug is not just a rug, it's floor art! |
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| Oh, the Sven clogs from 1974 are back! Sources : 1. 2. 3 |
Have fun with murano glass beaded wallpaper
Faux glass bead wallpaper makes for a lovely and glamorous look for your wall anywhere in the home. The wall coverings shed beautiful light to give an impact. They give a statement to any space and are available in a wide array of colors. This is an easy way to bring color and texture into your home while making an impression on the space itself.
Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain
The new life of an old Parisian workshop
This 200-square-meter, three-level loft is located in the Bastille quarter of Paris. Renovated with a great respect to its original building and its former workshop spirit, the loft has a trendy industrial vibe with lots of light throughout. I personally have a special crush on the authentic brick wall and the splashes of bright colors.
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via
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| Photos Nicolas Matheus |
Monday color mix : Neon
It's been a while since my last mix, and what better theme to start a bright new week than a good dose of [super trendy] neon... I don't use neon in my home a lot but in small touches, this can be a pretty fun statement, and the "dipped" neon paint effect shown on some pics below is really growing on me...
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| Sources : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 |
Bonjour Lundi!
Hello, and happy new week! Hope you had a fab' weekend and that you're ready for a new work week - can you believe we're already into March? Have a wonderful Monday my dear! Xo, Si-
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| Photo Mikkel Rahr Mortensen |
Saturday Special Treat : l'Odyssee de Cartier
Can this short film be any more French? 2 years of work, six months of post production editing, 4 locations, 3 panthers, a stunning super model, this "Odyssee de Cartier" is truly a gem. A voir... absolument!
via
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Organic Design
Organic design
In today's society the use of organic materials is becoming not just a trend but also a necessity for people with extreme allergies. Many products have “off gassing” that contributes to air quality in the home. Designers are working with organically made products to create a more healthy environment.
Organic bedding made with organic cotton
Organic rugs and carpets made of wool, jute, bamboo, cotton, and hemp.
Flooring made of bamboo and reclaimed wood.
Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints
These are just a few materials you can begin to change when designing or redesigning your home.
Guest blogger: Rebecca Plank
weekend!
Wishing you a fab' weekend my dear! Mine will be both on a winter and spring preparation mode... Winter mode by eating comfy food {after a good run} and reading a good book, "springish" if weather allows by doing some outdoor work to prepare the yard for spring... Ah, I long so much for spring... See you back here on Monday! Xo, Si-
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| Photo Ric Wallis |
Trend Alert : Paint outside the box!
Loving this original trend spotted on many interiors lately... Paint outside the box! In other words, create unexpected borders, ombres {shades}, and effects with paint color, add lines where no-one sees lines... No more conformist rules about painting. Here are a few interiors that celebrate with audacity this trend... Fun, fun I tell you!
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| Imitate the sunlight rays with the use of a lighter paint color |
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| Why stop at the window or the ceiling, keep going! |
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| Invent new lines and shapes, be audacious! |
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| Build a focal point and delimitate two spaces |
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Not a passage anymore, a "Grand" passage now... Sources : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 |
Easy Art
We were looking for a way to do some inexpensive art for kids and teens rooms when we stage vacant homes. These were a breeze to make.Fabric circles made from embroidery hoops and different patterned fabrics.
Fabric squares and rectangles made from different sized canvas stretcher bars and patterned fabrics.
All materials found at our local Hobby Lobby.
I need your help!
I just discovered that the FrenchByDesign blog was nominated on the Apartment Therapy best home design blogs at the Homies 2012, and I need your help. If you could take a few minutes of your day to vote for this blog, that would mean the world to me! Simply click here and then click on the "vote" button by the FrenchByDesign blog name. Voting ends March 2nd, by end of day, so time is running out... Please vote! Merci, my dear! Xo, Si-
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| Access the vote page |
Good Read : The Natural Home
I've had the nice surprise to receive last weekend an email from super talented art director and stylist Hans Blomquist who mentioned the imminent release of his upcoming book, the Natural Home. No need to say that between the stylist's natural eye for beauty and Debi Treloar's immense photographic talent, they got me at the cover page.
Hans Blomquist was kind enough to share with us some pictures of The Natural Home, due for release on April 1, 2012 and available through most book retailers.
As Hans Blomquist puts it himself, "the book celebrates a home where style, through furniture and materials used, is very natural, celebrating vintage objects with patina that aged with time and use [...] The homes shown are furnished in a very spontaneous way... unplanned or un-staged, where the style and setting have evolved with time, where furniture and objects found their place, almost by accident. [...]".
The Natural home is an ode to the "perfect-imperfect" look many of us try to achieve in our home, a look that instantly gives character to a space and clearly contrasts from a "showroom" or catalog home. Can't wait to add this one to my personal home decor book collection... Monsieur Blomquist, merci!
All Photos courtesy of Hans Blomquist - Edited by Ryland, Peter & Small
Hans Blomquist was kind enough to share with us some pictures of The Natural Home, due for release on April 1, 2012 and available through most book retailers.
As Hans Blomquist puts it himself, "the book celebrates a home where style, through furniture and materials used, is very natural, celebrating vintage objects with patina that aged with time and use [...] The homes shown are furnished in a very spontaneous way... unplanned or un-staged, where the style and setting have evolved with time, where furniture and objects found their place, almost by accident. [...]".
The Natural home is an ode to the "perfect-imperfect" look many of us try to achieve in our home, a look that instantly gives character to a space and clearly contrasts from a "showroom" or catalog home. Can't wait to add this one to my personal home decor book collection... Monsieur Blomquist, merci!
All Photos courtesy of Hans Blomquist - Edited by Ryland, Peter & Small
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| Photos Debi Treloar - Styling Hans Blomquist |
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