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The Lifestyle Lady
  • Home
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
  • Decor
  • Editorial
  • Family
  • Food
    • Baking
    • Meal Planning
    • Recipe
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Tag:

remodel

DecorUncategorized

Home Décor & Design

by thelifestylelady June 25, 2018

Howdy Y’all,

One of the questions I get asked most here on TLL is about my home its décor and design. People have asked for a home tour and for me to share how my house is progressing. It is my plan to share with y’all areas of my home as I feel ready to do so. I have already shared my daughter’s bedroom and if you had not seen that please click here. I recommend you refresh your memories because much of the room has changed once again and I plan to share how I transitioned her toddler room to The Little Princess Room it is now soon.

It is not my intention to talk about my home today, but more about design and décor and how you create a style or look for your home. I have always been interested in décor and design – it is in my blood! I have so many memories of my parents remodeling and decorating homes. I vividly remember the smell of paint being burnt off the skirting boards by my mother on her hands and knees and my parents looking exhausted from peeling paint or wallpaper from ceilings and walls. But they did it all, remodeling and decorating our home room by room.  I think they loved it although it wasn’t always conducive to marital bliss. They would change the feel/mood and look of a house and make it our home. Even now, they have scaffolding up as I write this, knocking doorways between rooms, remodeling bathrooms and developing into the roof. Granted they are doing less of the work themselves these days, but when it comes to the design and décor of their home they are not standing still and I have inherited that bug.

I don’t wish to date myself but I remember when most décor inspiration came from books, magazines and some google images. With the invention of social media we are now bombarded with images at every turn.  I think if you are someone who is looking to curate your style in a new home or discover what you like, all this information could be overwhelming. Today I want to share some of my key thoughts on helping people navigate this world or décor and design.

 

  1. Love. This is so important to me, whether you own or rent, your home is your largest investment so you should LOVE it. I am also a proponent of filling your home with items you love. It will become more cohesive and a reflection of your family. There is something magical about being able to touch and see items around your home and for them to evoke memories or thoughts that you are able to reminisce about or share in. It is more sentimental than purchasing something because it subscribes to a certain look. Very few of us are fortunate enough to buy new décor and furniture specifically for each home; most of us collect items as we progress up the property ladder, whether inherited or purchased. If we buy pieces we love we will want to take them with us and reuse or repurpose.
  2. Practicality. Sure, you can look at thousands of gorgeous images and think I want to recreate that, but you have to be practical about the stage of your life. There is no point spending thousands on wallpaper or upholstery if you have small sticky fingers around.  Similarly  there is no point having a polished floor if you are approaching your mature years. Practicality also covers versatility, for many a room has to be multipurpose and that is not always conveyed in the stylized photos of Instagram. Storage is so important and you can never have enough. A home will always look collated and dressed if you have places to put away your things (ie hide the crap!)
  3. Budget. Sorry to bring you down to earth with a bang, but one has to consider this. We can all get swept away looking at and desiring bespoke items but if the budget is Ikea then we have to work within those parameters. A beautiful stylish home can be created on any budget, you just sometimes have to be a little more creative which is more fun. Even if your budget is not limited you have to consider if what you are adding is good value, either in terms of adding value to the price of your home or to your quality of life. Perhaps consider asking yourself if this is your “forever home”, or the place you wish to raise your family. If you can enjoy your investment for a longer term I believe your can let your heart rule your budget a little more.
  4. Fit. If you are in a new home or remodeling your current home and are unsure what direction to take, I always try to be sympathetic to the home’s bones. This is especially true in countries and areas where homes are older. If you have bought a new home (unless it has been modeled on a period style) perhaps cornicing or picture rails might not be a fit. In the same vein, if you buy an older home with period features it is important to modernize with recess lighting and modern amenities. Ripping out older floors and fireplaces is criminal! You can decorate with a more modern taste while respecting heritage.
  5. Flow/Tone. I have lived in quite a lot of homes and the flow and tone is probably one of the most important things I consider when decorating. I like there to be cohesion as you move between rooms. Whether your home is several thousand square feet or a small apartment, if you have a smooth flow between rooms your home will look stylish. How can this be created? Color is an obvious one, if you’re wondering what color to paint your home, go look in your closet and see what color you tend to be drawn to. I may sound crazy but sit in your home and see if colors come to you. Look at possessions you may love, that can inspire a palette. If you are a Pinterest person, look at a board and see if there is a color which unites all your pins rather than getting detail-obsessed by an image. I always used to scrapbook magazine pics and I could see as I flitted through that a palette appeared. Tone is another way; tone through shades of color is obvious but tone can also be created through texture and textiles. I love love love textiles and I plan to do another post all about them at a later date. Similarly, the décor accessories you choose can set the tone and mood throughout the home.

I am by no means an expert but these thoughts and considerations have work well for me to date. As I begin to share my home and some of the upcoming projects we will revisit these points in more depth. If you are in a position where you feel overwhelmed by projects and decisions with design perhaps consider hiring an interior designer. I think their expertise and knowledge can be invaluable as well as providing savings and discounts.

How do you style and decorate your home? Have any tips which you wish to share?

Have a great week friends.

Kx

June 25, 2018 4 comments
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DecorEditorialFamily

Summer Update- Where have you been?

by thelifestylelady August 15, 2017
Hot Summers = First Time Bowler
She got the hang of it fast
Time for a big girl bike
Enjoying our old neighborhood
Vet visit
At the beginning of the summer she was so small
After first visit to the groomer, she did not stay like this long!
Erm excuse me!
Kentucky Derby Fun
Family Selfie!
Yes sneak peak into kitchen progress
Carpet Runner
Progress and I love light
So happy
Color choices
Granny is visiting! Donuts!
Patient Granny helping Anna cycle.
Isn't this how you visit the icecream shop?
Granny reads the best stories!
Happy 4th
Family nighttime selfie
Fourth of July
My pretty American
Erm TLL 2. She knows how to rock the walk.
Im going to be out of a job, she is sampling makeups!
David Beckham 2
Royal Car Ride
Here come the girls selfie not easy.
Her babies!
Church cuteness.
Sunday Brunch Family Fun.
How many monkeys jumping on the bed?
New Year of School
My heart!
I eanred this!

Howdy Y’all,

It feels a lifetime ago that I wrote to y’all and in many ways it is, not simply in time but also in what has been going on in Casa Lifestyle. So where to start.  I am now typing this in my new home, moving is not a phenomenon to me, but this is different because we have bought a home, our first American home. I don’t remember how much I told you about our purchase and I think the level of information is different depending on what social media channels you follow me on! (If the answer is not on all forms, I ask you why the hell not?!) So we bought a house back in March/April and spent two or so months remodeling. A project which I managed, back in my working days this would have been a piece of cake but now I found daunted me a little (will share more in a future post.) I am happy to say that we finished the projects on time, I wont say on budget (because if you know me speculation = accumulation is my moto -lol) In all seriousness the budget increased because the scope increased and honestly we were so fortunate not to be living in the home at the time so it made sense to get works done! Now I love interiors and design but I will say this was a large project and by the end making decisions got frustrating. I am thrilled with the end result and hope to share the transformation with y’all in the coming months. We are settled, there are no boxes and I certainly think it looks as if we have been living here longer than we have. I still have finishing touches to add, which honestly I don’t want to rush, I want to take a breather from all things house for a while. I want to live and love it before I decide what sort of art or chotskies to add for dust collection. If you have time to flick through the slideshow above I share a few sneakpeaks into the transformation.

The rest of the summer has been busy and hot, Little L is growing up at a rate of knots. I’m officially stopping her, she has remained in school for three days a week which has been a lifesaver because we are still making friends and it’s hot here, school has been a blessing. She has taken to the new house super well. She has had a lot of change for a three year old and it blows my mind how resilient kids are. I do think it helped that she had been able to visit the house during works and had a say in her bedroom etc. I think the arrival of Gertie has helped, who has been a total trooper, she is now five months and although we have had one or two more difficult days (she loves to eat underpants.) I can honestly say good outweighs bad and she has adjusted to the new home and garden like the golden gal she is. Gertie will have her own post coming very soon.

My mother came for a visit soon after we moved in, we loved having her. I will try not to hammer on in my champagne life about how challenging it can be with family so far away but it really makes the visits special. Little L and Gertie especially enjoyed Granny time. Just wish she could have stayed longer.

Last week I was down with a ear infection it was a nasty one, I had not had one this bad since my honeymoon. (Yes what a love dampener.) I had a face like a Bo Selecta character and if you have no idea of what I speak, google it. I still cant hear out of my left ear and am hoping it will come back. I mentioned earlier that it is hot here in Texas and I am using that to my advantage, planning and organizing content for TLL over the coming months. I really appreciate you taking the time to read, watch and participate in my things. I am a one woman band and like many of you time is a precious commododity. I love and need The Lifestyle Lady and thoughts for content and replying to comments is never far from my mind. Now life is calming a little I hope I will be able to dedicate some more efforts to her. So please don’t be a stranger are there things you would like to see, get in touch! Above I have a slideshow of some summer pics, please enjoy and I will be back soon!

 

Ta Ta for now.

Kx

 

 

August 15, 2017 0 comment
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EditorialFamilyYou tube

Life Update & Meet Our New Family Member

by thelifestylelady May 8, 2017

Howdy Y’all,

Goodness gracious me it feels like forever since I sat down to write, it has been a while, so sorry. Today’s video gives you a very brief explanation into what is going on at the moment and why I have been a little radio silent. How are y’all? What is going on in your world?

Enjoy

Tata for now,

Kate x

May 8, 2017 1 comment
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ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

Welcome

Hi I'm Kate, Thanks for stopping by my small corner of the web, here at TLL I indulge my love of all things lifestyle, from cooking to travel and fashion to interiors, all served with a healthy dose of British sarcasm. So pour yourself a glass of something delicious, put your feet up and take a nose about. Enjoy Kx

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