Design in Lifestyle

Serena Williams won the French Open recently and if you’re a tennis fan, you can admit she is looking great and playing the best tennis of her life.

I love the photos from her win and wanted to create a living room space in honor of one of my favorite tennis players. My favorite, her sister Venus.

The concept.

I wanted to create a living room space that reflected the energy of the moment in the photos but also to create a livable space that others would feel welcome in.

In designing a room, I like huge art pieces placed behind your biggest sofa.

Wall Color

The idea for the wall color is to pull the lightest shade of blue from the painting on the wall.

Other pieces we will bring in the space:

This side table for the books you’re reading for the month.

Placing orchids on the Pill Coffee table will say you care about your home.

The pieces featured:

Luxury Linen Grommet Top 88-inch Curtain Panel from OverStock (can be found in your nearest home decor store) | Benjamin Moore Aquarius | Circa Lighting – Simple Floor Lamp |Giclee Print from HSN | Pill Coffee Table from Phase | Madison Sofa in Navy from Joss and Main | Jordan Arm Chair in Saffron from Joss and Main | Loft Side Table in Orange from Joss and Main.

What are your thoughts on the space?

Aptly called ‘Middle Quarters’, these are some photos from the shoot we had last weekend. This is long overdue if you follow my blog, as I will be documenting the changes to the apartment. Enjoy.

From the patio.

This is in the living room. It will double as a book shelf/place for art.

My table on entering ‘Living Quarters’. Of course, Vogue and Veranda magazines are centre stage.

Rather small living room, in yellow. Rectangular in shape and opens up to the patio.

Welcome to the ‘Magic Room’, the shelf in the living room connects with this shelf area in the bedroom.

Section of the bathroom called ‘The Oasis’.

Love the bedroom furnishings.

The passage way from the living room connecting to the kitchen.

The sexy kitchen.

If walls could talk, they would share the dance that takes place here.

- I hope you like the before photos. Stay tuned.

That’s the question for you this week. Are you scared to try new colours in your space?

I visited the Paint Shop on Hope Road (same complex as Bookophilia) to select some paint colors for my apartment. I assured myself of the colors I wanted a few weeks ago, but the Aquarian needed a change, or better put, I wanted to see what was out there.

FEEDBACK on Paint Shop:

The customer service experience was good overall. It took a few minutes to be recognized by the reps but the gentleman I spoke with seemed knowledgeable about the products and that was refreshing.

So…

…these are the colors I have selected for the new abode. I have always wanted grey for the living room. I selected Benjamin Moore bunny gray. When I see gray in a space I think sophistication and opulence. It seems to be a grown up color too. Right?

Bunny Gray

There is a small passage way that leads to the kitchen and that will be in Benjamin Moor ‘down pour blue’. Another beautiful color and two coats of this paint will do the trick.

When I saw wallpaper in the kitchen, I thought ‘oh hell’. BUT, wallpapers are trending now. In the 2013 decor magazines I have, wallpapers are the new trending wall accessory. Good news, my kitchen has wallpaper which I won’t be removing. I selected Benjamin Moore ‘sapphireberry’ – to complement the wallpaper, which was a wise move.

The bedroom

This is the only space in the apartment I had not considered color for. I thought about going boring, gray but that changed. I need some color. The furniture in the bedroom are white so I opted for Benjamin Moore ‘down pour blue’ as the accent color and Benjamin Moore ‘sapphireberry’ for the other color.

I have read where some interior decorator believe in a different color for every room. I like colors but I wanted the apartment (albeit small) to look cohesive. So I brought the color from the passage and the kitchen (shades of blue) in the bedroom.

Bathroom – More wallpaper

The bathroom has more wallpaper (two to be precise). I selected Benjamin Moore ‘light mint’ which will be perfect in the space. I want to create a spa effect in the space. I think this light color with the fixtures in white can create the magic I am aiming for.

Look out next week for photos from the now ‘boring’ apartment. It looks commercial now, I won’t bother to describe it….grrrrr. Stay posted!

Visit the Paint Shop on Hope Road.