Dining Room Wish List

Olioboard

I'm still here!! Just in case anyone missed me, lol.... Not sure who reads my posts, just know the view count has been going up lately even though I've been missing in action!

I have been caught up in a whirlwind of work, work and more work..... even the days I have off involve some sort of activity. I have been relaxing and catching up on pinterest time today (see images below) and found some dreamy inspiration for my future dining room! For some reason I am drawn to this tropical/fresh lemongrass colour (as seen above on drapes). It is such a great colour, full of life. I designed my dream dining room around a pair hung in my dining room. I added a sisal rug, this pretty pendant fixture, a dark rich table and linen chairs (from Paula Deens' collection) and some prints I fell in love with at WS Home a while back... It has a subtle touch of BWI/British Colonialness to it. I'll add all the pieces to my ever growing wish list! 

Lemongrass drapes against clean, bright walls!

Pretty buffet arrangement.

Stunning mirror and lush green bamboo for above buffet.

Art and plants

(Please forgive the annoying date/time on the camara, it's new and I'm still getting used to it!)

I thought I'd share a few of my favourite new and old things from around my home. It's been a while since I shared anything from my own home so here goes.

I bit the bullet the other day at the grocery store and bought seven bamboo stems from the floral section, combined with a $8 bargain vase from Hobby Lobby I have the beginnings of my Londolozi inspired floral arrangement!! Hopefully mine will grow as lush and verdent as theirs (see previous post).

Then an old favourite, a painting of the Pacific Coast Hwy in California. Hubby and I honeymooned in this area and took a photo almost identical to this piece of art we bought home with us, it brings back great memories of a once in a life time vacation.

Here's an old love with a new. Our home (rental) has lots of little nooks and arches, this one leads to my daughters room and the guest bedroom. The painting is from Greece, of a perfectly set dining table over looking the ocean... I wish I had more of this artists work.. I regret not buying the other two pieces that I loved when I bought this one...

The new is my FREE!!! palm frond!! I love the faux palm fronds for sale at PB, but I cannot bring myself to spend $20 something dollars on one stem, so sneaky me found this one (already snapped from the plant) at our local Mexican restaurant, so really I consider myself to have rescued it from near death in the Texas heat.

This final piece of art hangs in our office, my husband isn't a fan, but since my dad nearly had to trade his sneakers for this painting in the Dominican Republic, I consider it to be extra special! I love the bold colours and shapes, it feels pretty tropical to me, it sits above my daughters banana leaf toy hamper and adds a nice splash of colour to the boring cream walls.

Obsessed with neutral

Olioboard

 I am so obsessed with these interiors from my previous post. I just love the neutral scheme the designer created. It goes to show that neutral doesn't have to be boring. The texture from the rug, carved end tables and woven baskets above the fireplace adds all the visual interest you need to make up for less colour. I think what really makes this work, is the contrast in light and dark with the furniture walls, floor and ceilings. The little pops of greenery add a little more life to the room and lift it as a whole.. I just wanna go here for a relaxing vacation so much that I made a little room plan up myself!! The items used are from a combination of Pottery Barn, West Elm, Kirkland's, Layla Grayce and the Ralph Lauren. Wish I could move in right now!

My Inspiration from the Londolzi Tree Camp - Africa.

Love the zebra ottoman and that cool plant.

The contrast between light and dark is impressive, the life the greenery adds is pretty awesome too!!
Makes me wanna spend $1.99 on some lucky bamboo I saw at the grocery store,
much cheaper than buying a new bunch of flowers every week!!

Safari Chic

Olioboard

I've been MIA for a while, but I'm back!! Heaven help me, Pinterest has me in it's grips!! I have been pinning like a mad woman!! I found this stunning pin from Interior Designer, Yvonne O'Brien.... WOW!! Just visit her website and you'll see why. One of her stunning rooms inspired me to make up a British Colonial / Safari Chic style living room. A few of the larger pieces (sofa and coffee table) are from Pottery Barn. But the rattan chair, basket and mirror are all from Kirkland's!! Who would've known? The chair impressed me for it's style and incredible price tag of $499. Me likey, me likey lot. It also gave me a chance to add some of my favourite zebra print into the mix and this fab. turtle print from Ballard. For more details on where to purchase, click the link above to Olioboard.

On a sort of side note, I was totally wowed by another pin, using half whiskey barrels (old Jack Daniels barrels from Home Depot are $30) as a table with glass over it! My husband and I saw these on a recent trip to HD and I thought they would make a great water garden, but this takes the cake. The only thing was they had a boozy sort of smell to them... I wonder how you'd get that out first?? Maybe that's why they have candles lit on the photo below, lol.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard Design

http://pinterest.com/martynlbullard/
So warm and inviting!

One of my newest favourite designers!! His designs are so layered and interesting. I am amazed by the way he creates such comfortable, yet beautiful rooms. Most of the designs I have seen by him have an exotic edge. The background for most of his rooms is the neutral wall colour, and then layers of pattern, fabric, texture and shapes. What a great eye he has for putting pieces together!

Many designers talk about using something unexpected in a room!!
How about this for unexpected!!

Ralph Lauren Interiors

I found this image on Pinterest, from Ralph Lauren Home, 'Desert Modern.' I think it's my new favorite pin! The art/photo against the plaster wall is absolutely stunning, and someone please tell me what kind of plant that is... I need one! I love the textures, pattern and colour in this photo.. it's just perfect... Here are a few other Ralph Lauren images I pinned and a few from his collection online.

So dramatic!

Luxurious.

Great wallpaper for a BWI style study..?

Or a BWI bathroom?

Boys room, playroom... kids bathroom?

My Pinterest Home

Love the tropical colours.

I am crazy for Pinterest right now! I can dream away for hours over gorgeous interiors, gardens and other great pins. Here are a few of my favourites from my Pinterest House.

A cool spot to enjoy a glass of wine.

Great area for entertaining!

My four year old would love watching Nemo from the dinner table!

A spot for the hubbys collection.

Lot's of green and white.

Fantastic console and art combo.

A little seating area in the bedroom with a great view.

Navy

Here's my entry for a quick contest over at Olioboard (click on link to the right for product info).

It got me thinking about Navy in a whole new way!!

Phoebe Howard

via decorpad

via decorpad

Hey!! How'd he get in here?
My hub, best looking guy in the Navy. :-)

British West Indies Style

You may remember a while back this I posted about a fellow British Colonial / West Indies design lover asking me for some ideas to adorn her beach pad in Florida. Well, she just sent me some updates she made to the room!! Here's my design board above and here's her fabulous room!! I think she did an awesome job, what do you think?

Bluebonnets in Texas

Me and Em

Well, just like my other new years resolutions, I broke the one where I promised to blog more often.... It's been a long time since my last post. I have been busy like a bee a work and am usually too pooped or busy with the family to get on and write. However, I thought I would share a few photos we took on a little nature walk from last week. The beautiful Blue Bonnets and Indian Paintbrush are taking over in the fields near our house and make for a lovely view.

I found a few rooms that remind me of the pretty shade of blue/purple that graces the landscape near us. However, in this case, I think Mother Nature does it best!

My daughter Em

Photos via decorpad

West Indies Style @ Pottery Barn

The first thing I'm gonna do when I win the lotto is head to Pottery Barn and buy one of everything in their Summer Preview.... it's like they snuck into my dreams...... I love everything they have! Especially their new Monaco Rattan Armchair... upon which I would place a Palm leaf pillow, which would sit beside their Hayden side table and then crack open a cold corona with the coolest Parrot beer opener... ahhh.... life would be so good.....

Monaco Armchair

Hayden Table

Palm Leaf Pillow