House Tour {Canadian Family Home}

How refreshingly cheerful is this Toronto family home? I love how the colour pallette of yellow, white and green has brightened each room.

So what's on my lovely list?

* The picture frame wall in the dining room
* The drum-barrel light fitting and DIY headboard in the bedroom
* Louis style chair, which was falling apart but has been lovingly restored to pristine condition - what a find!
* Mosaic tile work in the kitchen - plus it's an IKEA kitchen!

* The living room has been cleverly done on a budget; you would never guess that the sofa is from a garage sale and that it has slip covers over the cushions. And the arm chairs have been reupholstered after being found on Craigslist for $90 - very impressive.


This renovation has definitely provided me with some much needed inspiration for our apartment...Still unfinished! Hope this has brightened your Wednesday much as it has mine :)










Image Credits: Style at Home, photographed by Stacey Brandford

Fabulous Redecorations {On a Budget}

Redecorating on a tight budget can be incredibly challenging to say the least, so when I saw these amazing transformations, all which were made on budgets of less than $1000, I was truly inspired. It really does prove that you don't always need a lot of money to create beautiful interiors.

What I love most about these budget re decorations is that most of the accessories and furnishings are from Ikea. They have some great pieces and can be used as a cost effective way of creating a new look or giving an old room a make over.

Real Living magazine this month features the amazing redecoration by Australian stylist, Tim Neve who was faced with the challenge of redecorating his run down rental apartment on a budget of less than $1000.

Tim does a fabulous job of turning his apartment into a chic haven by using a neutral palette of taupes, beige and white and selecting stylish accessories that really brighten up the space.

I have recently discovered the blog ish and chi and it has quickly become one of my daily reads. Viv is in the process of redecorating her house and her studio redecoration is a standout. I love what she has done to create a gorgeous sanctuary from nothing more than what appears to have been a basement cement room. Her aim was to design a space for her to inspire creativity which I am certain she has achieved!

 

Young House Love is a most fabulous blog and given they were nominated in the Times Online Top 50 Design Blogs for 2009, I am not the only one who thinks so! I love reading about Sherry and John tackling the task of completely renovating their first house - it's incredibly inspirational and the transformation is unbelievable.

Their most recent renovation project was the basement. The complete renovation came in at just under $1000 which is surprising given how fantastic the end result is. I have taken a leaf out of their book and recently bought some of the storage boxes from Ikea. They are a great idea as they are so easily stackable and great for reducing unwanted clutter.