Archives for September 2017

Take Back Control of Your Desk – 9 Easy Tips to Help You De-clutter Your Workspace

September 21, 2017

I was going to redecorate the office, but when my eldest daughter had a baby it was set up as a nursery for when my grand-daughter comes to stay, so I’ve had to set up a makeshift area to do my work. The house my family and I live in is nicely laid out design wise but the space is not huge and makes it difficult when you need to cram more furniture into an area that’s already low on space. The logical solution was to downsize the furniture and de-clutter so that I could use as little space as possible. The outcome was that I didn’t need as much floor space as I originally thought I needed. Creating a space in the living room, I ended up buying the malm occasional table from ikea, which is long and slim, and I’m using that for a desk. I already had two of the vika amon shelves that I bought years ago so I slid those under the table for the extra support, which I might add was a good fit. The table was only slightly lifted off the floor by about a centimeter and if I had used one shelf I wouldn’t have been able to do it. It would’ve been just enough to be lopsided and unstable. The table needed the shelves under it for the support so that it didn’t sag in the middle. They are not what I’d call the sturdiest table, and when standing alone it moved quite easily but up against a wall it don’t go far. I wasn’t about to run out and spend heaps of money setting up a makeshift work area. And they make a great option as my kids have a tendency to use this space to do their coloring and crafting and you can wash their texta marks right off the desk. The good news is that because I’ve had to incorporate my office into the living room, I’m challenged to keep it clear of clutter. If you’re like me, you like to keep your things looking as pretty as a picture. So how do you organize your desk space? I’m going to share some suggestions with you, some of which I’ve learned over the years, some which are plain common sense, and some which I got scouring the internet for some good ideas. I swear when I vacuum my…

Droolworthy Laundries

September 12, 2017

I don’t know about you, but it seems as if my laundry is always overflowing with an abundance of dirty washing. Mine is a smallish room with a sliding door that takes up an entire wall which is annoying as well as space stealing, so organizing anything is really quite difficult and finding bench space amid the clutter is even harder. Among the list of upgrades I’d like to do on my house, the laundry room is definitely on my list of must-dos. In the meantime I’ve compiled a collection of laundries that hopefully get you a little excited about spending time cleaning you and your family’s clothes. There is after all nothing quite like the smell of fresh laundry. Enjoy….

White White White….

September 10, 2017

White is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. G.K. Chesterton – Atlanta Bartlett’s At Home With White I love white. I always have. I love how perfect it is, I love how clean its looks, but more than anything when it’s used right, I love how it brings a sense of comfort and peace to a home. Once upon a time white was considered a sterile color to decorate with and was banished to hospitals and ceilings throughout the land. The Scandinavians however were always adept at using white in the styling of their homes, they found endless inspiration in white. And born from it was the idea that design should be functional and simple, yet beautiful and inspired by nature, accentuating space and clean lines, transforming the Scandi look into the art of minimalism and sleekness. Using white for decorating doesn’t end with the Scandinavians. You can use it in a variety of different styles of decorating like shabby chic, coastal (I love love), modern, baroque, rococo, gustavian, and the list goes on. White goes with everything. I’m especially fond of using it with blues, greys, and black. It also looks fabulous with pastels. I love it for its versatility as it’s a blank slate color that you can layer any look over the top of. It has the power to be sophisticated and elegant, inviting and soul reviving, but it also has the power to be cold, empty and isolated, so be careful with it unless a nescient look is what you’re aiming for. White is one of the most abundant colors in nature like freshly fallen snow, pristine beaches, a gardenia flower, twinkling stars in the night sky, and radiant sunlight. It’s amazing how much inspiration you can draw from nature when trying to find ideas on decorating your home. When I was 12 we lived in Robinvale for a while, we lived in a property overlooking the Murray River and it started to rain. The raindrops were thick and heavy and the sun was out making them look like white sparkling diamonds hitting the water. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen and it made life feel magical, even if for just a few moments. Right then I knew I wanted to live in a world…