10 Cute Nooks at Home | Living Spaces

So we’ve been in our new house now for a month and it’s amazing how much there is to do! In terms of DIY we have lifted carpets, sanded wooden floors, painted two bedrooms (including skirtings – a slight backache nightmare) and hung curtains. And there’s plenty more to come… In the meantime though I’ve started dreaming of a few little nooks – places to retreat to and spend time in.

I’ve seen some great nooks in some houses – from under the stairs sitting or storage space, to an alcove or bay window. I’ve seen cupboards changed into walk in book shelves with a cosy chair, and cute kitchen corners turned into a newspaper and coffee nook. I’ve seen quaint wash nooks in old-fashioned restaurants and quiet outside spaces where wrought iron furniture and potted plants make the place their own. I love a good nook – the whole point is to USE it, and not to simply create it and leave it.

In that vein of thought, here are 10 cute, stylish and elegant nooks that I thought I must share with you 🙂

Cute  Bistro Nook | source madisonhome

Stylish Window Nook | source Pinterest

Nook for Girls | source Pinterest

Nook Under the Stairs | source decoholic

Colourful Storage Nook | source Pinterest

Beautiful Glass Corner Nook | source Pinterest

Bright Outdoor Nook | source Pinterest

A Framed Kitchen Nook | source Pinterest

Adorable Book Nook | source hellobee

Little Wash Nook | source Pinterest

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How to Group Frames Together | At Home DIY

One very easy way of changing up a space is rearranging the way in which you hang photos, pictures, art, mementos and anything else artistic that can be be put in a frame. This includes postcards, decorative paper and even vintage newspaper.

A great way of working out what you’re going to hang, how you’re going to hang, and what effect you want, is to place your frames (sometimes it’s nice to have the same or similar frames, but it can be just as effective having different frames) on newspaper, cut out around them and then stick up the newspaper on your walls in different formations – this’ll enable you to get a good idea of how you want to hang before you drill the first hole!

Frames can be grouped together as a focus wall, as a balance to a room (like a staircase), in symmetrical groups of 3 x 3 in identical frames, or as a hodge podge of unique frames that feature a different piece of artwork or picture in each. It’s really what fits with your overall decor scheme that will give you direction as to how to work out your frame grouping idea.

Here’s some ideas for laying out your frames, as well as some great inspiration I’ve found on the web. Have an inspired Sunday! x

Ideas for Hanging Frames | source – Pinterest

Peaceful Desk Inspiration | source ffffound.com

Dress Your Hallway | source House Dressing

Frames as an Accent Wall | source Steph Modo

Horizontal Picture Frames | source Steph Modo

Eclectic Grouping of Frames | source Steph Modo

Using Small & Big Frames | source High Fashion Home

Framing Scrapbooking Paper | source Casa Sugar

 

Top 10 Wine-Related DIY Ideas

As most of my friends know, I’m an enjoyer of wine – whether that’s quaffing really good wine at wine estates (that always seems to taste extra amazing when doing the swirl & sniff), uncorking a really great wine which has been languishing on the rack waiting for the perfect occasion, celebrating with a newly discovered pinotage at a wedding or other occasion, or simply opening an ‘easy-drinking-pasta-and-prawns’ chenin during the week…

I guess this means that I have ample opportunity for turning the various wine paraphenalia into smart DIY ideas – it’s all ‘reuse and recycle darling’. Soooo as advice to me and to anyone else who either has plenty of bottles, corks & boxes at home, or who simply likes the ‘look’ of wine-related ideas, I present some really cool little DIY tips for converting your wine into home projects x

From Wine Boxes to Box Shelves
Transform your old wine boxes into interesting box shelves! Some paint or wallpaper for the backing is a great idea, plus you can theme them together horizontally or vertically on the walls.

From wine bottles to word art
Take old wine bottles of different sizes, spraypaint them a single colour and then use a stencil or sticker to create a world – really nice ideas for kitchens or bathrooms!

From wine corks to cork sculpture
This might need a little extra work, but get a wire sculpture done for you (or if you can manage it yourself well done!) and then stick or imbed wine corks to make a cork sculpture. Works well as a centrepiece or coffee table item.

From corks to baby cactus holders
Take corks, dig out the inside, fill with a little soil and a tiny cactus slip. You can even add a magnet to the back of the cork and stick it on the fridge for a quirky indoor plant effect 🙂

From cardboard wine box to shoe storage
Store your soft shoes in a converted cardboard wine box – pretty easy! Nice for boys or teenagers who need the space.

From wine bottle to work of art
Take old wine bottles of unique shapes and then paint them in blackboard paint. You can then write on them in chalk or even use tippex for something a little more permanent. Great art installation!

From wine glasses to glass chandelier
A really creative idea, take a collection of different wine glasses (we’ve all got them) and turn them into a pretty chandelier. Use wire and fairy lights to bring it all together.

From wine glasses to girls night in
Take normal wine glasses, dip the stems into paint and decorate the top half with your favourite pattern. Great for parties!

From champagne cork to name holder
I did this for my own wedding! Take corks and either slide in the name tag on the top, or place the cork on the side and attach with glue. Walah!

And number 10 – for fun 🙂

My Favourite PinBoards on Pinterest [Decor Inspiration]

I love Pinterest. It’s been such a great creative outlet, not just for finding great inspiration for house and home, but for giving direction and energy to my blog posts! I have been on Pinterest for a while now – when it was still ‘invite only’ and I have just loved the new look of the site. If you’re on it and haven’t upgraded – do it now! Bigger pins, better experience.

I thought I would share some of my favourite pin boards with you – all to do with home decor, DIY inspiration, clever ideas and some more specifics: kitchens, storage, at-home office spaces. This is all leading up to ‘The Big Move’ and so I’m pinning away so that one day I can use all these great ideas in real life.

Enjoy! If you have some great Pinterest boards of your own, please post the links below in a comment and I’ll be sure to follow your pins 🙂 x

All of my favourite home decor ideas – from couches to prints to frames to vases to ornaments. Anything that catches my eye ends up here 🙂

This is my ‘ideas’ space with great practical DIY opportunities to take something at home and change it into something really beautiful and lovely.

For anyone who ever wanted a home office – regardless or not if you think you’d be productive! – this is my inspiration space for dreaming of working at home.

For all those ‘ah, great idea!’ pins. Some very clever little ideas that look great, don’t appear to take very much work and will make everyone else jealous.

I’m a little bit silly over traditional farm/Karoo-style decor. I love the all-white rooms, the rustic wood, the vintage chandeliers and the homey feel.

Places to store and keep. From shelves to cupboards to containers and wardrobes – this is all about great storage ideas – and where to put those tesky items!

Looveeee kitchens. Anything that catches my eye that’s inspirational, beautiful and looks like a great space for dreaming, cooking and conversation ends up here.

Cute Valentine DIY Ideas | Week of Love <3

This week is one of the biggest commercial weeks worldwide, as millions of people buy flowers, cards, chocolates, cuddly toys and more for the loves in their lives. But it’s possible to get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day without overspending; instead check out these really cool DIY Valentine’s Day ideas that you can surprise your partner with on the 14th 🙂

Here’s a little bit of where Valentine’s Day began (wikipedia):

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius.

Legend states that before his execution he wrote “from your Valentine” as a farewell to her.Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church.

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

I love DIY & craft ideas – check out my post from 2012 for even more Valentine inspired DIY ideas…

I Love Lamp | source Camille Styles

Pretty Bluebird & Robin in Love | source Milton B Sauer

Valentine in the Sand | source Swell Designer

All You Need is Love | source Creature Comforts Blog

Valentine’s Treats | source Picklee

Cosy Up in Pink | source Setting for Four

Cute Arrow Printable | source Camille Styles

10 DIY Projects from Upcycled Wooden Pallets | Monday DIY Ideas

Today I’m introducing guest blogger* Carmen Brettel, who manages and writes for a student loan website helping students find funding for their studies in all different spheres. In her spare time she loves gardening and volunteering at animal shelters, and is sharing with The Good Girls Guide today a very cool DIY post!  Wooden pallets can be used indoors and outdoors in the garden, and are some of the most versatile items out there. From swings to bookshelves, pot holders to benches, check out these great 10 ideas of what you can do with wooden pallets:

Wooden pallets are most often used to transport construction materials, especially landscaping materials like sod, mulch and brick. They’re also used for transporting freight. They often end up piled next to dumpsters behind retail outlets and home improvement stores. However, with the increasing interest in repurposing goods that might otherwise have wound up in the trash, wooden pallets have now become the focus of many DIY projects for your home and garden!

With wooden pallets being so readily available, you can easily make yourself some stylish furniture for almost no money. Here are 10 awesome DIY projects you can make from upcycled wooden pallets to get your creative juices flowing:

Pallet Swing| source 1001 Pallets

Pallet Headboard | Source Home by Heidi

Pallet Bookcase | source Ana White

Pallet Floor | source 1001 pallets

Pallet Bench | source Pinterest

Pallet Garden | source Life on the Balcony

Pallet Bookshelves | source Vi.Sualise.Us

Pallet Room Divider | source If I weren’t so lazy

Pallet Lounge Chair | Source 1001 Pallets

Pallet House | source I Beam Design

There are dozens of projects that you can create out of recycled pallets, limited only by your imagination. You can source the pallets for free, then all you need is a little paint, some sandpaper, some hardware, and some man hours. When you’re done, you will have unique and inexpensive pieces of furniture that will show off your personality and sense of style.

Have you seen any other unique project ideas for upcycling pallets? Share them in the comments!

Carmen Brettel is a writer and manager for www.studentgrants.org

* I love guest posts! If you would like to share your knowledge or expertise on any design, decor, fashion or style trends, please email me on theggguide[at]gmail.com. All posts and included links undergo a review before publishing.

Clever Shelving – Ways to Make Your Mess Disappear

It’s amazing what some clever shelving can do to clear away your junk, collectables, books, ornaments and other odds and ends we tend to accumulate! I’m on a mission at the moment at home to organise, store and shelve items that are currently making their home on top of other items, on the floor, under the table and in our laundry area… I‘m imagining the free space already!

Today I bring you some great takes on shelving solutions – from steel kitchen shelves to mounted boxes, old fashioned bathroom hook shelves to honeycomb shelving! Enjoy and I hope this inspires some DIY 🙂

Easy Kitchen Racks | source Pinterest

Wallpapered Shelving | source Design Sponge

Honeycomb Shelving | source Paper ‘n Stitch

Mounted Box Shelves | source Design Sponge

Metallic Kitchen Shelves | source Apartment Therapy

Old Fashioned Bathroom Shelves | source MarthaStewart.com

Wall to Ceiling Block Shelves | source The Pursuit Aesthetic