Big Reveal My Painting is Complete!

I've finally finished all of my painting with just a few touch ups required here and there! But I'm calling it a day with the front and back of the house complete as I've got a little busy with work and will call in the professional painters now to finish off the sides of the house.  I will appreciate all their hard work so much more after completing all that painting myself!

I can now reveal the front of the house before and after with a bold change - a red front door!





 

                           Before                         After


I chose Bristol Gloss "Adam's Red" for the front door colour. To get a deep rich colour took about 4 coats but I'm very happy with the result. The door frame and architrave is Dulux Antique White USA.

The main wall colour (weatherboards) is Dulux Natural Stone and the window sill/trim, and threshold is Gloss "Ironstone" (standard Colorbond colour) and the windows are Dulux Antique White USA like the Door frame.

                            Before                                       After

Little Cove Design can provide you with a professional colour consulting service and advise selections from all of the reputable paint manufacturers available. So take a look at the colour page on our blog for more details.

 

I made some cushions from the same fabric as the table cloth from a few weeks ago and treated my plants to new red fibreglass pots and now I can relax and enjoy all of my hard work!

Reveal for the entertaining area out the back is a few weeks away, stay tuned!







Holiday Style

When it's time for a holiday, and you can't have one. Then the next best thing is to dream about one!

What could be more romantic than a snowy getaway? This gorgeous ski lodge may be far away from Sunny Brisvegas, but it congers up images of a crackling fireplace and toasting marshmallows! image blisstree.com

For something closer to home and to escape the Winter chill here's a few places to keep you island dreaming.



Bedarra Island Executive Retreat. Simple! Relaxing!

Pool check, day bed check, romantic suite check Coco Palm Boduhithi


I love the large glazed panels and doors letting in an abundance of sunlight into the fantastic space with open plan living and warehouse high ceilings! Abu Dhabi island villa



 So keep on dreaming, but enjoy the holiday style from your living room!

Retail Therapy! Interesting finds!

Retail Therapy has led me to some interesting finds during the Winter sales!

Happiness in a cup!  I love these new espresso cups I got from Myer! by Revol France

Peter Sheppard Footwear (in the revamped Wintergarden) while having great shoes and bags -  I was good and didn't buy anything yet!  I loved the fabulous lights.  In particular the copper pendant light fitting looking something like this!

To get the look go to Matt Blatt

I love this elegant smaller collection of copper pendants try ebay for stockists

Another coffee shop hit or two!

For fantastic lamingtons and gorgeous fun decor look no further than Lady Lamington!

Lady Lamington in Brunswick Street Brisbane, is like stepping into Alice in Wonderland with a slathering of Veuve branding thrown in for good measure (who doesn't love a bubbly!)  I love the quirky bar and the garden party feel.  Take a closer look at the cleverly painted checker board floor image cafeculture.com.au

Coffee Hit is a great place for a recharge during a retail therapy session in the new section of Carindale Shopping Centre!  It has an industrial feel and a great eclectic mix of seating options from bar seating at communal tables to more intimate lounge seating! image compass fitout

If you're a pinterest addict I have joined the pinning movement  - it has been long overdue! Take a look at the new link on the LCD blog!

Make your own Oilcloth Tablecloth lookalike!

I've been looking and looking and couldn't find the right oil cloth to make a tablecloth for the fourseater table on my front verandah. (It needed protection from all the very friendly geckoes that love to poop on the table each night!)

So I decided it required me to think outside the box!

So I purchased some fabric I loved from Lincraft. (curtain fabric which has a lined backing)

PVC also from Lincraft

I cut them both to size laying the fabric first and then the PVC and voile - a new look for my table.  (with some protection from the elements and the wildlife ie geckoe!)

My painting at the front is also nearly finished as you can see in the background, !very excited! sneak peaks soon!

Cafe Scene

The Cafe scene is alive and well in Brisbane!  While you're enjoying your coffee and cake look no further than some of the best cafe's in Brisbane to catch a fix of great design looks!

Sparrow & Finch Espresso Brisbane city!

This place has a great buzz from the yellow espresso machine to the sophisticated logo and a bustling city feel!

I love the floor tiles!  Get the look from Amber Tiles they have an  Italian porcelain  300x600 tile in Nero Basalto. They have these tiles in two varieties suitable for internal and external use.

The stools I also love!  Get the replica look of the Xavier Pauchard Tolix Stool from Matt Blatt in a great range of colours

Egg Bistro East Brisbane

Enjoy some divine breakfast while taking in the classic old world charm!

        

I also love the courtyard, it has a great relaxed atomosphere and mixes modern and classic styles eclectically.  I could look at the vintage doors all day!

I think the colour scheme at E.B. is the key to it's appeal!  For a similar look try Dulux colours Mocha Magic (P10B5) and Pale Earth (P13B3)

For accurate painting samples please refer to manufacturers colour charts or LCD for colour consulting advice

Bistro (Thonet) Chairs can come in the traditional brown or black or try a bright colour to modernise the look!  

Corner Store Cafe Toowong

This place has a great cottage style feel with an airy courtyard verandah and great atmosphere for a relaxing lunch!

To get the same breezy look stick with light colours, natural materials such as timber decking, simple funiture and for hot QLD summers ceiling fans to keep cool!

Time for dinner? All this cafe talk has made me hungry!

Licenced to Build!

Yes you read correctly!  Little Cove Design is now licenced to build! We will take a collaborative approach working with you to design and renovate your space, whether it's a room or an entire home, office, shop.  We have a unique combination of both interior decorating and construction experience, as well as an experienced and reliable team of specialised trade contractors to complete the work you need.  No job is too small!

We also provide colour and styling services and can provide a digital colour/styling ideas and concept report for interstate customers!

So don't wait any longer to get those renovations underway, get the ball rolling and call us today!

image Word Press

Frame your Blank Wall - Collage of Frames

This post is for a family member who has a large blank wall ready to decorate! I've also been toying with this idea for my very long hallway walls which are also a blank canvas.

Whether you choose, kids artwork, black and white photography, coloured prints or family pics - choosing to frame the same genre is safe or for a more eclectic mix there should still be a common theme or colour scheme. You can also be more daring and try different coloured and styles of frames or for a more uniform look stick with frames the same colour and size.

Here's some framed collages which show some winning combinations!

I really like these prints which have a large white matt to contrast with the black frames houzz

I love the mix of items that have been framed in this living room it's more like an art gallery! image http://marthamoments.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/guest-blogger-david-jimenez-living-with.html

These colourful prints are simple and add a fun feel to this kids space image unknown



I love this breakfast nook, the prints are really interesting and with the zebra print chairs it's really quite zany! image mix and chic

Using all the same style and colour of frame in varying sizes has created an interesting focal point in this room image cococozy

I love this combination of black and white prints in black or white frames with the soft subtle weatherboards behind image Content in a Cottage



This is a pretty combination of patterns and white frames image indulgy

Framed print wall collages can suit walls of all shapes and sizes!

A stairway is the perfect spot for a wall collage and this one is filled with prints with frames in the same tones image sawdustandpaperscraps



An easy way to plan your framed wall collage is to cut out paper the size of all your frames and stick these on your walls temporarily to get the arrangement how you'd like it without the headache of holes in the walls in the wrong places!

Plan your wall collage image thoughtfullysimple

Happy framing!