Kids rooms are a great place to push the boundaries of color and whimsical touches.

Painting an old bed with a new fresh color is a great way to bring new life and to personalize a room .

Check Craigslist and Kijiji for old pieces to re-paint , make sure they are sturdy and have a pretty shape for a girls room. Clean lined and sturdy for boys.

A small mural is a personal touch that any child would love.

Of course a canopy is always a welcome touch for a little girl.

Stripes is a great way to compromise , my child chose orange at the time , not being a big fan of an all orange room , I decided to temper it with the use of pink and orange , much easier to live with , we both got a choice that we could all live with .

Turns out it is one of my favorite wall finishes .

Try turquoise and white , pink and green , two shades of any color will do.

Whether just on a feature wall or all around the room it is a great treatment.

What a transformation a few coats of paint can make , I painted my dining room table black , the contrast makes for a striking mix .

I wanted to allow light into the basement staircase . I cut out some drywall to see if there were any studs in my way , and luckily there were none, so the hole could be . Where could you use a little bit of light ?

Is an island the solution to your kitchen issues???

Well I can't answer that for you , however it was the solution for my kitchen . I opted to build a large eat at island in place of the four seater table that we had lived with for 2 years since we have an ajoining dining room with a generous table I didn't feel I was loosing anything . It offers first of all visual appeal , as well as a large work surface , loads of storage and a comfortable spot to eat meals.

The work top is solid pine boards that I simply edged with pine chair rail to give it a great detail edge , we all distressed the top by beating it up with saws , chains , forks , which was a lot of fun for my oldest daughter to lend a hand to. I then stained it dark with a few coats of walnut stain , three coats of varathane , it has been a great addition . In hind sight I would have made it an inch small which would have allowed for a solid butcher block top from Ikea . My dream counter top would be soapstone though .

I used these glass doors from Ikea , they were clear so I frosted them to hide the contents inside .

It was a family affair .

Here are some during the build shots .

Creating a beach style ensuite

Starting with the right colour was key to the success of this crisp clean look . The colour fittingly is "beach house " by Debbie Travis , a great pairing with the fresh white I used to paint the standard golden oak cabinets .

New lighting replaced the movie star make-up strip style lighting. Two mirrors replace the large slab mirror.

Towel hooks in place of a towel bars.

A pretty place for special things.

White and blue scheme beckons to the sea side feeling .

Adding salvage legs from a table that was 100 years old gives the vanity some needed visual interest .

The apron front of the soaker tub was clad in bead board and edged with marble to bring a plain tub into a custom feature .

There is still work to be done , bead board trim will wrap the room and will be painted white , as well as a new pretty faucet will be an added touch as well as crown moulding. I will make sure to show you when those improvements are made , all things in good time , there is no need to rush .

Getting all dressed up for the holiday's

I have made a few changes to the dining room space yet again , I decided to stripe the walls just on the dining room walls , just to enhance the detail , it really warms up the space .

A few festive and glittery ornaments to say Christmas is near .

I also added what I refer to as a scrunchie to my chandelier chain , a little fabric never hurt when adding personality to a fixture .

I am very pleased with the stripes , where could you add stripes ?

Dining room make-over

• I wanted to break down all of the changes that took place to transform this dining room from bare and dated , to a classically beachy style.
  
  • The most obvious change is the colour of the table and chairs , I hesitated painting this set for a long time , it was given to me by my mother and it was a very good quality piece . This was a very country flavoured piece , I would never go out today and pick a piece with this finish , "honey pine" so paint it I did , I now cherish this piece as one of my best makeovers .
  • the chairs fabric is also changed , as well I added upholstery tacs to the seats,for more style.
  • Recessed panelling which is my favourite style of wall trimming.
  • Paint colour , reflecting pool by CIL
  • the swinging door was added a charming feature.
  • the wall accessories
  • the two decorative brackets around the window area
  • the striped rug Dash and Albert
  • the ribbon added to the leading edges of the draped
  • new curtain rod
  • new window casings
  • wall sconce lamps

  Lots of work but not lots of cost still equalling lots of style.

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Design plan

Click buy now to order yourself a one room design plan , I will work with you to come up with a detailed plan for you to work from so that on your own you can create a wonderfully warm and beautiful space that reflects your personal style .

Sometimes all you need is a fresh eye and a plan .