Just a quick note to show my redesigned IKEA drawer. Unfortunately it’s no longer in their range, and I have no before-photo, but I found a pic here: It used to be black-brown and had black metal handles. I painted it ‘tie white’ and the new handles are made of the following: A vintage leather belt ($5 cost) cut into pieces and 14 new screws ($2). I used the old bolts and the pre-drilled holes.

More DIY to follow. Happy week!

Another project is finished! Some weeks ago I brought this traditional old ‘kitchen couch’ back with me after cleaning out Grandparents’ house. I figured a kitchen couch would do equally well in a bedroom. Unfortunately I have no before-pic, but it had its original pine look, was bit dirty, and was wearing some worn reddish fabric. I painted it with Farrow & Balls White Tie (Estate Eggshell finish) and dressed it in some bits of fabric I like (patterned upholstery fabric & three slices of corduroy). Here you can also see our final wall paint chioce! After trying out 11 different hues plus a few own blends we settled for Farrow & Balls Matchstick. The paint was very pleasant to work with, and above all, it is an amazing hue! The formerly Stockholm-white and dull room now shifts from a neutral beige to bright sunrise to inviting sand...Enough now, back to work. Have a nice week!

thrifty chic. Interior style on a shoestring is a book by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell. Unlike this spring’s fresh new book Undecorate, Thrifty Chic has been around for a while, both as a book (from 2009) and as a (partly overridden) concept. This beautiful book is packed with re-ideas. It shows you how to “reuse and restore, revive and revamp, and recycle and reclaim”, in order to create a stylish yet individual home without spending a small fortune.

As you can see already by the cover, the overall style is relaxed country – and vintage charm is all around. The concept of thrifty chic (and same meaning related concepts) is highly sustainable. Inspiration on how to paint up a tatty old chest, cut old curtains into cushions or give an old chair new life by means of some fabric – will never grow old and mossy. Reusing, restoring, reviving and revamping are things creative people have practiced for centuries and that – nicely enough – will contribute to less consumption and environmental destruction as it includes being cautious with both money and property. As if that weren’t enough, this book is pure beautifulness. It’s friendly written with lots of insider advices. This is one of my favourite photos from the book (photography by Simon Brown):

Gorgeous. All these furniture and stuff came from auctions, thrift stores and local sales.

The book has a feature on colour in hallways I found really interesting too (p.34-35), and some beyond lovely photos of thrifty bathrooms. See p. 118-127 for more pics and great advices on 2nd hand sanitaryware, etc.

It’s a must-have in the design book collection!

I just finished my remake of an old sewing box: A really ugly, scraped, brown and green painted one, bought last summer at a flea market for five bucks. It has been tucked away awaiting better times but when I got a spare paint sample from Henen (of Farrow & Ball’s Downpipe) an idea was born and it got to see light again.

I dispatched the lid and painted it first a round of plain blue and then almost a round of Downpipe (I left out some areas in the back and on one side just for the fun of it). Finished off with some lace around the opening. I keep my sewing tools in a very manly, practical, compartmentalized toolbox – while this box now got a second life as a keeper of flowers in front of the balcony. In Spring I will fill it with pelargoniums.

Take just anything you like, mix it together, assemble, glue and – pcch…..just spray it! Like in the lovely creation above via Sköna hem or the cake dish below made of different parts of old china and candle holders, via the DIY-show Äntligen Hemma. Easy picey. Your own design is the very best design.

Aren’t chairs and stools the funniest decor pieces of them all?! I think so. In our kitchen we have a table by the window for fast breakfasting chews whilst watching the traffic on the bridge outside. To sit on, we got 2 IKEA Bosse stools. Bosse is small and handy, seat has a hole makes it easy to move. Here’s what I chose for personalizing our Bosse’s: the cool pale-blue hue havsbris (“sea-breeze”) and the warm light sand-yellowish hue strå (“straw”) from the Alcro Design Collection. Painted with a twist.

I’m not influenced by the Olympics and the roar popular hat, I promise..!! But I recognize the colours are hot these days (at least in my home country :)) There’s plenty of inspiration around, I got mine from images of browsing past. Think I fell for the light yellow colour on the cover of the book Cheap Chic (an excellent book btw) and various funny stool and chair ideas blogged, such as paint company Beckers’ inspirational photo via the blog Husligheter and Chair Personality Socks from Charles & Marie via High Fashion Home Blog. And not to mention the lovely Wood & Wool Stools. Imagination is the only limit when it comes to chairs and stools!