I came across this great patio on Apartment Therapy and wanted to share it with you all. I truly love everything on this patio and think it all works so well together, even for such a small space.
The wood fence lends a backyard feel, which might be hard to recreate for most condo balconies, but here are a few suggestions on how to get this look.
Start with a fun outdoor rug like one of these from Ikea and West Elm.
From left: Ikea, $20; Ikea, $25; West Elm, $20.
Then, pick out your chairs. Remember that wicker can always be spray-painted to add a pop of colour and personal style to the patio.
From left: Ikea, $90; Ikea, $60; Ikea, $100.
You'll need a place to put those drinks down on a hot summer day, so try one of these round tables.
Clockwise from top left: West Elm, $140; Crate & Barrel, $44 (on sale); West Elm, $84.
To finish everything off, accessorize! And don't be afraid of colour.
From left: West Elm, $24-40; Ikea, $16.
Clockwise from top left: Crate & Barrel, $11; Ikea, $25; Ikea, $20.
If you're concerned about nosy neighbours — or wind and sun — try these privacy shields for added protection. Ikea, $15.
See our Beautiful Balcony Decorating photo gallery for even more ideas.
Photo credits:
1. Apartment Therapy
2a. Ikea
2b. Ikea
2c. West Elm
3a. Ikea
3b. Ikea
3c. Ikea
4a. West Elm
4b. Crate & Barrel
4c. West Elm
5a. West Elm
5b. Ikea
6a. Crate & Barrel
6b. Ikea
6c. Ikea
7. Ikea
My older sister is pregnant with her second child and my Mom and I couldn't be more thrilled to throw her a baby shower this spring. We're both big DIY-ers and the first thing on our list (since we've confirmed the date and guest list) are invitations!
Here are some great ideas I found on Pinterest. If you're not already a frequent pinner, you should really check out the website.
These simple and sweet chevron cards from Jennifer McGuire Ink are adorable and could also be made into postcards for a more casual style.
Nichol Magouirk did such a great job with these custom invites. She created her own pattern for the onesie by using two patterned stamps — plaid and floral — and finished off the outfit with a scalloped collar for such a cute detail.
Everyone needs 'Thank You' cards, but just change the wording and you've got diaper invites. So cute!
I adore the baby animals on these invites. Nicole Heady offers up several combinations for the adorable 'Sweet Baby Stamp Set' on her website.
I can't get over these invites! To keep costs down, they would be great keepsake gifts for the expectant mom. Another version of this idea would be printing the shower details on a onesie. Cute and practical!
For more baby inspiration, browse our Nursery Decorating Ideas photo gallery.
Photo credits:
1. Jennifer McGuire Ink
2. Nichol Magouirk
3. Wren Handmade
4. Nicole Heady
5. Bump Smitten
Now that my fiancé is off studying abroad for his last semester of university, I've decided it's time to make some changes to our condo. Since he'll be done with classes when he returns in June, we'll no longer need to stare at his large overpowering desk. Replacing it with a cosy dining table will suit our done-with-school life much better.
The dining area is immediately visible from the front hall and shares the main living space with the TV area, so I'm looking for a set that won't be visually heavy or too big for the space. Here are few items that caught my eye:
This round pedestal table from West Elm has an airy base and would work well right off the front hall, allowing us to mill around it with ease. I like the chairs, but would prefer a more casual style.
This angled-leg expandable table from West Elm would also work well and give us double the use. By taking out the middle leaf, the table would shrink down to condo size, giving us the option for a full dining size when we entertain. It would also be easy to add two head chairs to a set of four.
Talk about light and airy — this round glass table and clear chair set from Ikea would be great for a small open-concept apartment.
This is another great set for a great price from Ikea, but I'm not sure the high backs on the chairs are what I'm looking for.
Now these are the kind of chairs I'm looking for! These West Elm gems would look sharp around the angled-leg table, now and later. I love the fabric seats rather than hard seats, and the low back won't be visually obstructive.
Stay tuned to find out find which ones I pick!
For more dining inspiration, see our Dining Room Design & Decorating guide.
Photo credits:
1. Arc Pedestal Table, West Elm
2. Angled Leg Expandable Table, West Elm
3. Salmi/Tobias, Ikea
4. Stornäs/Henriksdal, Ikea
5. Grid-Tufted Dining Chair, West Elm
With the temperature starting to drop, all I can think about is warm, cosy and intimate spaces. As much as I love Canadian winters, with photos like these I'm inspired grab a book and dive under the covers for the long haul. Maybe they'll warm you up too:
This space from H&H's special condos issue has beautiful and warm earth tones. The chocolate wall colour grounds the room while accents of green, beige and chartreuse give off great character. The crisp white bedding and abundance of pillows makes the bed feel luxurious and comfy.
Oh, how romantic! A soft sheer canopy along with an imperfectly made bed gives this space a lived-in intimate feeling.
The glamorous chandelier, high vaulted ceilings and well-placed accessories puts this polished room by designer and cookbook author Sophie Conran on of my favourites list.
This look from West Elm is sophisticated and relaxed. A fabric headboard and hits of neutrals soften the industrial feel of the brick wall and view to exterior fire escapes. A pop of colour in the bedding helps keep the space fun and relaxed.
For more cosy inspiration, see our 16 Gorgeous Bedrooms photo gallery.
Photo credits:
1. House & Home Condos 2009 issue, photography by Harry Gils
2. House & Home August 2009 issue, photography by Angus Fergusson
3. Houseandhome.com, design by Sophie Conran
4. Organic Painted Swirl Duvet Cover, West Elm
I am head over heels for the new Rustic Storage Coffee Table from West Elm. It looks like I've finally found a solution to one of my personal design dilemmas. My condo is just over 650 square feet. With a desk, sofa, coffee table, armchair and aquarium in the main living space, there isn't a lot of room leftover for a proper dinning table. And so most nights my fiancé and I have dinner hunched over our coffee table — or better yet, sitting on the floor.
From their 2012 spring collection, the table features this multifunctional level that slides up and out. It offers great hideaway storage, a sleek design made of raw mango wood, and best of all, a dining surface! Perfect for dinners and laptops.
No more hunched over dinners for me!
For more condo furniture ideas, see our Small Space Design & Decorating Guide.
Photo credits:
1. Simplified Bee blog
My colleague Reiko Caron's recent blog post about Christmas cards really got me thinking about what I should do for mine this year. As a child, I can remember sitting around the dining room table watching my mom emboss every carefully placed stamp while she handmade our family holiday cards — eager to get my hands on that glitter. And ever since then, I've always wanted to make my own. So this past week, I nestled in and got down to business.
First things first, I needed supplies. Because this was my first time, I kept things fairly simple, which meant no embossing glitter for me...
I went to Michaels and bought a pack of blank red and green cards and envelopes, a few holiday themed paper pads and stickers. I already had a few things on hand; double-sided tape, a paper cutter, alphabet stamps and ink.
For this card, I used the red and white paper to line the card before placing the tree sticker in the centre.
Here are a few more I made using scrapbooking paper.
I used the alphabet stamps on these cards to spell 'Santa' and 'Noël'. I also monogrammed the backs of all the cards with my fiancé and I's initials, and I'm thinking I'll also add 'X-mas 2011'.
For these cards, I just used the stickers and kept them clean and simple.
This is fun activity if you have small children or love scrapbooking and want to add a personal touch to your holiday cards. If you're planning to make more then 20 cards, I suggest using stamps and colouring them in with markers. This way you can reuse the same image without spending a lot of money.
Be careful when you're choosing stickers for your cards because if you mail them, you don't want them to get damaged because a rhinestone got stuck in the mailing machine. Try using stamps or flat stickers.
Happy holidays!
Still feeling crafty? Try making some DIY ornaments.
Photo credits:
1, 2, 4-6. Jessica Howey
3. Sarah Hartill