We Be Chillin'

As a follow up to my last post on Outdoor Decor inspiration, I had the girlfriends over for drinks last weekend and we got the front patio all dressed up for them. I had a bench and two ceramic stools for seating but was desperate for a coffee table. D to the rescue. He found a tree stump which was lying in our side yard. He quickly made me some legs out of iron pipe and fit them on to make me a coffee table............... all in time for my partay. I was clapping my hands like a two year old ! He is a mad genius ! 

The shell is a thrift find and the cushions are all years old and faded, probably time for me to get new ones. Target why have you left us and gone ? just when I needed new cushions ! 

The Engine order telegraph is from D's ship repair company when we were living in Dubai

D made this bench about 2 years ago and it is my favorite place to read in the afternoons.

We found this champagne bucket at our local goodwill and thought it would look great with our boxwood

My hurricane lamps are perfect for this setting......sometimes I wish I could bring everything from inside outdoors.

I'm still pining for an outdoor rug but with the amount of rain we get I think I might just have to paint one on the pine boards. And lastly to find some pretty fairy lights to string up on that big bush behind the bench.

And with this lovely space we are all set for the warmer weather.........whenever it decides to come ! 

Check out our Pinterest boards for more outdoor ideas.

Big hugs

Lynda

How to add color to your outdoor spaces

With the arrival of April I am dreaming of sitting out on my front patio which I call my 'Summer Heaven' and chilling with my favorite book and some iced tea. While trolling Domaine I found some pretty cool spaces that inspire me to add more color into my patio decor. Here are two spaces that I completely fell for.........

Home of Jen Atkin celebrity Stylist which was decorated by Domaine creative director Mat Sanders and Interior Designer Brandon Quattrone:

Those patterned cement tiles......

Always thought art on the exterior walls is uber cool !

Really liked how they have created different zones in one space

This rug and that moroccan table....

The green foliage on the vertical walls is a pretty unique idea

You can see the full article here.

The other outdoor space that inspired me was the home of Diana Agron from the TV series Glee. It's bohemian vibe and bright colors make the space so inviting and cozy. This home too was decorated by Mat Sanders of Domaine

The blue of these cushions is so eye catching

 

Love the idea of a shelving stand holding pottery as opposed to plants

These peacock chairs..............I have always wanted one

You can see the full article here.

Well yesterday I did dress up my front patio as I had some girlfriends over. I was desperate for a coffee table on the patio and you have to see what D made for me..............in the next post !

Check out our PINTEREST Boards for more outdoor inspiration.

Hugs
Lynda

Product Spotlight: Rub 'n' Buff

During our last trip to the US we picked up a new product called 'Rub n Buff'. We found it at Hobby Lobby which I have to say is a huge huge store (not a good idea to visit when you are exhausted). Anyhoo we came back home and decided to try it on my Ram skull. 

The product is a cream that colors any surface you may choose. You rub it onto the surface with your fingers and it adheres beautifully with no rub off. No need to lacquer after either. We decided to apply it only to the horns of the Ram skull to kinda highlight them. And voila ! it turned out just fine. 

It comes in a variety of colors too, here we used Grecian gold which looks like a tarnished gold and surprisingly matches my framed sketch. And now my skull sits proudly in the chevron tray D made for me.

Here are some process pics. Have you tried Rub 'n' Buff before?? You like??

Ram skull in original state of full white

That grey line there is where the skull cracked and we glued it up but I never got round to painting it

Be sure to tape off the area you plan to color in before you start. Being a creamy product it would tend to spill over.

We decided to leave it a bit unfinished by not pushing the cream into the crevices..........giving it a rustic look.

Hugs 

Lynda

How my Conscience became the most expensive tool in my arsenal

There's no denying that I'm a Tool Whore. I try to be up to date on the latest and greatest in the tool world and where money allows, I like to have these in my possession.

Recently one of the guys that assists me, commented on the amount of tools required to finish a project and how sometimes there's that one tool that will do just the one job and nothing else.. He then asked what would be the most expensive tool in my possession. Now, I'm not a fan boy when it comes to tools. I won't buy the brand names just because they have the 'contractor' moniker on it. I'll do well enough with a couple of grades lower. My Ryobi 18 One+ system has been with me 7 years now without a hiccup.

  

So I thought about the question and came to the realization that if there's one thing that cost me more in time and money, it would be my conscience. How so??? Oftentimes on jobs, I run into issues not of my making and not inherently connected to the work I'm doing. If the homeowner is around, I explain the need to rectify the problem before carrying on. If not, I'm faced with the quandary of lost time, or fix it at my cost and move on. Many times, it's the latter. Sometimes customers agree to the fix. Mostly they don't.

And so, Conscience costs me time, money and stress. I should box this and sell this new line of tools. Conscience - You pay a lot, but there's nothing to show for it!!!!

Dhiraj

Fenwick Kitchen Design & Build

Ok so we are still on our high (at least I am - D started a new basement straight after) from the successful Home Tour last weekend and I cannot get over the great feedback we got from our clients, friends and family. Everyone came out to support us and review our work. I honestly did not think this would be such a monumental evening. Thank you to everyone for joining us for the Fenwick Home Tour. We could not have done this without you.......like literally ! :)

The Home Tour included the fully interior decorated Living Room, the remodeled kitchen and the basement design & build. The kitchen got a lot of positive feedback with every single person walking in (and I mean every single person) stopping to touch the back splash. And when I say touching I mean that in every bad way possible.........caressing, rubbing up against, fantasizing..........(oh they will all agree with me when reading this). I had some clients calling me back to ask me if they could 'hug' the kitchen. I say 'Hug away '.........fulfill all your fantasies right here ! lol.

Anyhoo back to serious matters the kitchen was completely gutted and remodeled with new walls, cabinetry, (THE) back splash, granite counter tops, pot lights, 24 x 24 floor tiles, under cabinet LED lighting, heavy duty range hood and custom storage solution for recycling bins. The kitchen was renovated after 18 years and the client was super delighted with the new kitchen. The gorgeous french doors at the other end let in sunlight all day brightening up the space. With the light colored fittings, floors and sunlight this space is one bright and happy room to hang in. 

Here are the before and after pics. 

BEFORE

The gorgeous french doors at the opposite end

The 24" x 24" matte porcelain floor tiles feel soft and warm underfoot almost like carpet.

Behold the wicked back splash ! 

The client preferred to have the TV in the kitchen as it allows her to keep up to date with the morning news while having breakfast.

The client wanted her bins to be out of sight so we built a custom solution inside the drawer to the right of the range. The recycling bin sits on a raised platform bringing all bins to the same uniform height.

You can see more pics of the kitchen on the website as well as pics of the Living Room and Basement.

Contact us if you feel your rooms need an overhaul or you just need a huggable kitchen !!

WWW.WILDENORTH.COM

hugs
Lynda