interior design – findingtimetowrite

Friday Fun: You Don’t Need a Palace…

I’ve often said I don’t need much more than a little cabin or hut to house myself once the boys leave home. Although I might need another cabin or two just to house the books…

All you need in one small parcel, from tinyliving.com

A rather classy, high-end vision of the cabin, with amazing windows. From dorisleslieblau.com

It clearly doesn’t work for a couple (actually, for a single person with an occasional guest), but everything is neat and has its place. From TinyHouseMarketplace.com

An old barn feel to this tiny, but practical cabin – it even has a fire extinguisher! From tinyhomesbuilder.com

Finally one that satisfies my book cravings… from decoholic.com

Friday Fun: Life at the Top

What would life be like if you had high enough ceilings to fit in a mezzanine? Here are some suggestions of how to go about planning and decorating.

Industrial loft decor, room enough for a bike without tripping over it, from DesignMilk.com

A 1950s vibe to this decor, dog not included though! From Yatzer.com

This one seems to stretch over several floors – and we have books at last! From Wit and Whistle.

This feels more down to earth – and of course we have books and clutter too. From DorisLeslieBlau.com

As long as everyone keeps really quiet around the house, I could live with a mezzanine study. From pinimg.com

But my Prize of the Week goes to this cabin in the woods in Poland, which is a reader’s paradise. From LivinginaShoebox.com

Friday Fun: ‘Twas a light…

… that made darkness itself appear a thing of comfort. (Robert Southey)

I dislike and fear the dark winter months, but luckily, working from home means I can go out for a brisk walk at lunchtime and actually see some light outdoors. For my escapist images, I chose the wonderful play of light and shadow inside houses.

What a hallway, with light coming from all sides, from Pinterest

Now this is a bath I could spend hours in… from twuss.com

Speaking of scenic and light-filled bathrooms, this Japanese-style bathtub in a Brazilian home has me dreaming, from casaclaudia.abril.com.br

The interplay of light and plants intrigues me in this Asian house from sohu.com

Just imagine waking up to this every morning, from Curious Doodle.

It doesn’t always have to be bright: the shadow patterns are fascinating too, in this office entryway from Marie Claire blog.

Friday Fun: White Sofas

In a galaxy far, far away, before I had children and cats, I used to have a white sofa and I followed a blue/turquoise and white colour scheme. Now I can but smile at the uncomfortable lifestyle of people with white sofas – they clearly don’t sit on them much! Although each of the rooms below has something that appeals to me, for once I will focus on their flaws (sour grapes, anyone?).

Very long white sofas are perfect for placing all your guests in a row to admire the view. From casalibrary.com

If you can get them to turn their backs on the view, you might even have a conversation. From casavogue.globo.com

Maybe don’t paint your walls and shelves the exact shame shade as your sofa, or you may find it becomes invisible. From crismatec.com

Perfect symmetry at a distance – for those strained family conversations. From Elle Decor.

You can get away with anything when you have a window and a view like that. From iping.com

No words! Just, wow, just the place to feel cosy when you are on your own. From onekindesign.com

Friday Fun: Travelling the World of Interiors

I’ve always been fascinated by interior design from different countries. In an ideal world, I’d want a house or two on each continent, decorated in the traditional style. Is that cultural appropriation? Well, I certainly would feel more at home in any of these environments, rather than that same bland magnolia or silver decor that I so often see in houses for sale on Rightmove.

Indian-inspired interior from Architects’ Diary.

Moroccan blue and white will always undo me, from Pinterest.

Not sure where in the world this is, but it seems faintly Sri Lankan to me. From sacred-dwelling on Tumblr.

Chinese bedroom you can order from 3D Export, apparently.

The minimalism of Japanese traditional homes, from pufikhomes.com.

Dining room in Bahia, from planete-deco.fr seems fairly simple, traditional.

But then there is also the prospect of modern Brazilian decor, especially against that backdrop. Studio Arhtur Casas, from archdaily.com

Friday Fun: Turquoise to Lift the Spirits

When life and all those around you give you the blues, you can respond with a similar but much more cheerful shade of aqua. Turquoise is a mood lifter for me, hopefully for you too!

You can go the full turquoise paint treatment, as in this room via Architectural Digest.

Or a mere accent of the colour on your tiny balcony, as shown in Designrulz.com

It looks fresh and fun combined with red in a child’s room. From Pinterest.

Or quite classical with white sofas. From Impressive Interior Design.

This reading corner would keep me cool on the warmest of days.

But it’s at its best when you combine with a seascape. From Southern Studio.

So that it melts into the view, as in this house on the Turks and Caicos. From House of Turquoise.

Friday Fun: How I would furnish my house if I could…

Today’s escapism is more down to earth – pieces of furniture that I would like to own some day and that could really take my home decorating style up a level. As you can see, I have rather eclectic tastes, so they might not all go well together!

Modern Italian bookcase design – for an endless space, from archiexpo.com

Memories of balmy evenings sipping cocktails – British colonial style may be problematic in origin, but it does look lovely. Photo credit: Tom Harper.

Scandinavian sofas and that ceramic stove, from Dmarge.com

One of my favourite collections (Naturaliste) from one of my favourite shops in France: Maisons du Monde. Just like a museum.

That large white display cabinet has been on my radar for the longest time. I wish I’d bought it when I still had the chance, at Maisons du Monde.

Dining table for long dinners with friends, from estiloydeco.com

Friday Fun: Open Windows

Hmm, I wonder why open windows and escape are top of my mind at this moment in time… Here are some houses that really do not need escaping from, to keep you relaxed and dreamy.