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!

Now for the holidays, and not least for New Year’s, many tables need to be decorated -  so I just wanted to forward a few tricks in giving the table that joyous and festive spirit.

The always inspiringly creative gal Underbaraclara has put tealights on the cake stand and in small baking tins scattered around on the table. Simple, pretty and cozy. As placemats she uses something sheer and intricate: cake paper! The odd porcelain and the napkins have a uniform colour scale. Conclusion: You don’t need to spend a fortune to make the table festive! Make the best of what’s around and you’ll get that personal feel that make hearts warm.

We continue the Grandmother-Is-A-Decor-Hero track with this pic from the home of Underbaraclara‘s grandmother. This colour explosion of a house was decorated in times when decor-anxiety did not exist. Interior magazines had not seen the light, let alone interior blogs, and people did not use to put grades on what is ugly and what is nice. Furnished and decorated from the owner’s head and heart. Just as it should be.

Underbaraclara herself (yes, that is her name, Wonderful Clara, highly appropriate!) holds Grandmother as a role model in her own house decorating. Below is a fine example. She has sewn a curtain out of kitchen towels – easy and amazingly nice and summery in an old house or a cottage. And perhaps it is Grandmother herself who has weaved the fine rag rugs that adorn the floors.

Discuss!

Now, let’s start off with the trend 2010 talk with denim. Jeans/denim is ALWAYS in trend, but with variations. Spring 2010 runways showed a a relaxed, worn and bitwise patched style. Below’s Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, D&G, Chloe and Louis Vuitton.

[pics: style.com]

How does this fresh denim style this translate into the home decor part? Well, easier than anything! Who does not hold a bunch of old jeans? Too small, too large, too worn, out of style? I have loads, enough for a fine bunch of pillowcases, lampshades, and even a curtain length. This season’s denim style is perfect for DIY. Make your own denim pieces and mix with brown leather furniture, beautiful lace or some fluffy or sleek material. Or combine denim with something plaid patterned. I think the denim-curtain idea isn’t too bad; with the nicest part of a pair of suspenders or a piece of a belt as curtain tiebacks – It’s great fun to translate clothing into interiors!

Never before has interior design and (clothings) fashion been such close friends. Home decor has always been affected by general trends, mirrored fashion a bit afterwards and partly led its own course – but today the two parts flow in parallel. They are intertwined! An (almost too) obvious sign of the interaction has been the growing number of collaborations between fashion and interior design; with fashion companies going ‘home’. When it comes to fashion-fitting collaborations Boomerang (bottom) and Diesel (the two top pics) are two brands with nice denim or denim-looking home items in their current collections.

Personally, I think the ‘fashion fusion’ is both interesting and enriching. Ideas on clothes outfits and room decor:  many elements coincide. Let ‘em! Denim your house :)