Make the most of your balcony

I used to live in a quite small apartment of 65 square metres, which I loved, but the first year when it came around to spring I got really frustrated. I wanted a proper garden to go out to! Somewhere to sit and feel the warm breeze, and where I could just soak up the sun. The apartment I lived in did have a balcony, but it looked absolutely awful. The only good thing about it was that it was kind of “boxed in”, meaning it had walls on the sides, and a roof – but it was open in the front. It was a big balcony for a small apartment, so obviously I wanted to make the most of it. The floor was made of concrete and it was way too cold to walk on barefoot, so I decided to put down an outdoor carpet. You know, one of those green ones that gives an impression of grass. I bought a few wooden barrel-like plant pots which I planted some green outdoor plants in, I decorated the whole balcony with big stones around the edges, I bought some black little garden furniture (2 chairs and a small round table), and I even invested in a barbeque (an electric one of course, since you’re not allowed to have fires on balconies). 

All of a sudden I had transformed my ugly and cold balcony to a cosy outdoor summer room. If you do have a balcony, make sure to make the most of it. If you’re not a fan of green carpet you can always opt for wooden tiles, which gives an impression of an outdoor conservatory. Plants always make a balcony more homey, and they give a feel of outdoor life. Try it, and you’ll almost feel as if you’re sitting in a garden rather than on a balcony. 

Now, as much as I wish these were photos of my own balcony, they’re not! These are only photos I’ve found to inspire you lot.

20 creative headboards - that you can make yourself!

Don't you think a bedroom looks incomplete without a headboard? The bed is after all the focal point of the room, and if it looks "empty" it just results in the room looking a bit boring. Buying a headboard for your bed can be extremely expensive though. Sure, there are a lot of stylish options available out there and it might be worth paying a few hundred pounds on something you really like, but another option is to make your headboard yourself. 

There are a lot of different ways of creating your own headboard, and some of the most creative ones don't actually request much handy skills at all. Look around you! If you are just open minded, there are a lot of recycled items you can make into a headboard. Some people opt for old pieces of wood, or an old door as a headboard. Other options are old frames for fire places, wide panel curtains, garden fences, window frames, tree branches, wooden boxes... If you are just creative enough you can use almost anything as a headboard. You could even just paint something on the wall behind the bed to make an illusion of a headboard. 

A few coats of paint, or a bit of sand papering can make something old and worn out look amazing. Have a look and get inspired by my pick of 20 fantastic and creative headboards below.

Scandinavian vintage

Vintage charm with a lively kind of calmness - that's how this Scandinavian home can be described. It's a kind of organised mess with nature as base, and most items have been found in Scandinavian flea markets. It's all about natural materials like wood and linen, and the colours are of earthy hues. It's a romantic style with a mix of a seaside/countryside feeling to it.

When you first enter the home there is a calmness about the interior, but when you look closer you see the lively, and very unexpected mix of odd little decorations. Decorations that say playful, such as the stuffed bird, the old mannequin, or the figurine of Renaissance style checking itself out in the mirror.

Every item in the home seems old and worn out - the old books, the paintings...
The fabrics are all made of linen - some items are embroidered and some are not - and this adds even more of a vintage style to the home. It's a bohemian style of a romantic mess and it's all about the decorations, but the way the items have been placed in little groups gives the place a more organised impression.

The home contains some really odd but charming decorations.

An old wooden door works perfectly fine as a wall decoration.

 This home is all about the little details.

 The chest of drawers is from the 1880's, and it complements the printed fabric armchair. The antique urns are a great addition to the room.

The home includes a number of fantastic flea market finds.

Wall of frames

Decorating is not about everything being perfect. An "organised mess" of decorations can be really charming, if you find the style that is right for your home. One creative way of achieving such a look in your home is to play around with picture frames. Filling a whole wall with frames is a fun way of styling up a home, and don't worry if you can't think of anything to put in the frames - simple coloured frames can be a fun and different asset to a room. One place in the home that many people struggle to find suitable decorations for is the staircase, so why not consider making that a bit more creative looking by hanging up some pretty frames. The frames don't have to match. Actually, in this case, the more different shapes and sizes - the better! Just have a look at these amazing wall of frames below.

 A quite simple style of contemporary and old fashioned mixed together.

Quite similar to the first style, but without the straigh lines. The uphanging of these frames are more of a random style.

 Classic white - a bit of a country style.

 Empty antique frames of different shapes and sizes, painted in bright colours - such a simple way to style up a plain looking room.

 Simple and elegant vintage frames "scattered" on the wall and painted in yellow to match the cushions. I absolutely love this style!

 Antique frames in different gold hues. If you want to achieve this style you can easily use a gold spray paint on wooden frames, and you'll get a similar result.

"Organised chaos". Old battered frames of different shapes, sizes and colours. Can't decide what pictures you want hung up on the wall? Hang them all up!

Contemporary and creative kitchens

Are you thinking about creating a new kitchen, or giving your existing kitchen a new life? If so, the first thing you should do is to look at the latest home trends available. Will any of these particular styles be a good match for your home? Is it a generic style that will stay "on trend" for a long time?

A few trends that are proving to be popular this season include curved shapes, artistic details, vibrant and exotic counter tables, open shelving, decorative lighting, and innovative materials and styles.

This year is all about mixing and matching styles in order to create an individual and aesthetically pleasing look. Materials that are complete opposites, such as stainless steel and open brick walls, can create a contemporary style of a unique look that will certainly add a spark of life to an otherwise outdated kitchen.

Another popular thing this season is the artistic details, which is a great asset that enhances the look of your kitchen. Details such as moulded designs in the cabinets and finishing touches in the shape of curved arty style handles will make all the difference to the look of both your kitchen drawers and cupboards.

Interior designers have revealed a whole hoard of curved embellishments and shapes to the home areas and this doesn't just stop at the kitchen.  The sharp and rigid look of a couple of years ago has been replaced by a softer artier appearance for this season; this includes the likes of rounded sinks, curved benches and islands, and bowed cabinet pieces.