French Country Masculine Bedroom Reveal...

At last I can show you the French Country Masculine Bedroom...

Yes it has taken forever!!!

But this is what happens when one bedroom makeover turns into two!

The pink bedroom has also had an update, but that is another blog post!

So...this is how it looked

before...

And here is is after...

Unpainted wood and a neutral colour palette with black accents.

The first thing chosen was the quilt and cushion.

 the duvet...

then the curtains.

The crown cushion, and quilt are from Wallace Cotton.

The curtains from Briscoes.

An extra curtain was purchased to make a Roman blind for the window above the bed.

 The etching (top picture) is one I have had for many years,  

but the French word picture is from the Etsy.

This etching is so old it has watermarks, 

but I think it just adds to the character of the picture.

 These French place names are inspiration...

For me to visit France one day!

Initially I put this orchid on the side table...

But changed it to another orchid in a cream pot with black detail,

because it had more of a masculine feel.

And moved the flying pig from the Red Lounge...

The black and white framed photos are above each side table...

And if you want to print them just go to:

http://miabellapassion.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/free-mia-bella-gardens-black-and-white.html

 Other accessories in the room were all things I had...

 And the funniest thing is,

this French Country Masculine room has décor pieces from other countries...

 Some gorgeous old English books...

 A French crown and metal filigree ball...

A black and white clock...

And pieces from travels to Indonesia...

 The neutral colours and wood theme continues into the ensuite shower room. 

With more of a beach feel with this original artwork I created many years ago.

 Arabella approves!

In fact, she thinks it's quite a nice place for a nap!

                             Before....                                       And after...

I am very pleased with the way it has turned out.

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#masculinebedroomideas 

Gorgeousness...

Today it is all about simply sharing some gorgeousness…

Enjoy!

Olive Oil & White Vinegar Furniture Polish...

I am still muddling away
on the French country masculine bedroom makeover.

Patch and repairs of previous botched painting session are now complete...

Ensuite bathroom window now painted...

and the floor polished.
The drapes are hemmed, pressed and hung.
All that remains to do is sew a new blind for the small window.

The furniture in this room makeover is to remain unpainted 

in all it's natural wood glory...

and it was well time for a lick of polish,

so today I whipped up a home-made DIY Furniture polish...

Simply made from two ingredients.
Olive oil & white vinegar...

3/4 cup Olive Oil
and
1/4 cup White Vinegar

So as I was mixing this up I thought, wow what a great gift idea...

Hence I got a wee bit side tracked from 

polishing the bedroom furniture!

So here is the polish...

looking pretty 

with label, gauze ribbon, flowers and pearls...

ready to gift!

Anyway, back to the task at hand,

Which was mix the polish and polish up the furniture...

Side tables have scratches...

And now you can hardly see them!

I am having a whoohoo moment!

And it just kept on getting better!
As you can see:

Tall boy chest of drawers,

with water marks, sun damage, and scratches...

Rescued by my DIY olive oil & white vinegar furniture polish 

that quite kindly rehydrated that thirsty wood.

And it was an instant result!

Miraculously blending all those marks and scratches to almost nothingness.
And what was even more pleasing was there was no sticky or oily residue.

How did I not know about this wonderful DIY polish before...

I have always had a love hate relationship 
with this Balinese rosewood vase:
so I brushed my polish on to it, 
and thought...
you are actually quite beautiful!

But can you believe the difference here....

I just don't know how many times I muttered, 
"This is AMAZING!".

And now the carved vase has a place to call home

 in the French country masculine bedroom makeover!

Guess what I'm doing for the rest of today...

polishing all the wood in my house!

:)

Free 'Mia Bella Gardens' Black And White Photo Printables...

As you know, I am in the midst of a home do-up. 

The Master Bedroom is the first room in the house to get a makeover.

I  really liked the mirror idea for above the bedside tables...

So off I went to the shops and found the most delicious mirrors

 , black with a hint of masculine French Country styling.

BUT they were at a horrific price.

It would have cost $120 for two mirrors!!!

OUCH!!!

And as I have a list of rooms to makeover, 
AND I am saving for a house lot of new carpet,

spending that much was just not an option.

So....

I picked up two lovely long black frames with white mats 
($25 sale price for two).

Each frame would hold three photographs each.
 I could have taken images straight from the Internet,
(which I did do for one art piece in the room)
but for these frames
I wanted something a bit more personal.
I saw 'Sarah Richardson designer' do it on one of her 'Sarah 101' shows.

In fact Sarah and Tommy quite often do original photography or art 
when the budget does not allow for Gallery bought!
So...

out came the camera, and I got snapping crazy!

 As I wandered around 'Mia Bella Gardens' and inside the house, I looked for interesting shapes, leaves and flowers.
From the thirty or so photos,

I chose my favourites,

printed them ($6.00),

popped them in the frames,

and hung them above the bedside tables.

Total cost $31.00!!!!

AND they look AMAZING!
:)

As I love to share,

here are the watermark-free photographs.

FREE for you to copy 
(just right click & save to your home computer), 
print and enjoy.

You could use them for card-making, too.
(Note: Copyright applies for professional use, 
so please contact me for permission
via the Disclaimer page.)

And coming soon...
(yes, I know...it's taking forever!)

The big reveal of the Master Bedroom Makeover

where you can see how I used the framed photo prints.

Enjoy…

'French Detail'

'Brugmansia Bud'

'Strelitzia Leaf'

'Fruitsalad Plant No1'

'Five Finger Leaf'

'Leaves'

'Eiffel Tower'

                                                      'Fruitsalad Plant No2'

'Gourd Flower & Bud'

'Fern Furl'

'Birdsnest Fern'

'Fleur de Lis'

 'French Heart'

'Leaf Veins'

'Metal Love'

'Wheel'

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#freeprintables #freephotographicprintables #black&whiteprintables

Latest Furniture Piece...

Now you all know how I adore upcycled furniture,

re-purposing of the tired and frumpy, 

and just plain old boring wood pieces of bygone eras...

Now I don't do so much myself these days, 

and I needed a bedside 
to match the chest of drawers with Queen Anne legs.

had the perfect piece,

and here it is in all its divine glory...

Isn't it cute?
I have a love affair with Queen Anne legs!

I love the gentle curves on the top of the cabinet...

Can you see them hiding just behind the pretties?

And the knob...
 is a hint of bling (of course)...

 A furniture photo shoot is a plain ole good excuse to
share some pretty things too,
like

'Mia Bella Garden' flowers
 and a light-catching mosaic glass ball.

The flowers are:

Chrysanthemums, purple linaria, and the glorious pink blooms of Mandevilla 'Parfait'.
Did you know that this vine flower lasts well in a vase!!
Perfect for little posies as they don't have a long stem.

Here's a quick update on the master bedroom upgrade...
Lime green accessories are gone!
French masculine theme decided upon with
Duvet, quilt, valance, and curtains are now purchased...
Dust and clean of the room complete...
Paint wall touch-ups &
Ensuite bathroom window repaint - next job on the list to conquer...
= PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE!)

I can't wait to show you the end result!

Easter Table at Mia Bella...

This year's table is a simple pastel theme.

With a gorgeous aqua coloured table cloth, 

and pale pink and white spot table runner.

I filled my spotty aqua bowl with pretty pink Japanese anemones, a few pink geraniums,

and white portulacas.

(Did you know portulacas last really well in a vase?)

 Ombre foil-wrapped chocolate eggs to scatter.

 And a cute white ceramic Easter bunny as a centrepiece focal!

Mister rabbit sits in pride of place

upon a large and small mismatched pair of French-inspired platters.

Some loose flowers were scattered, just to add some more prettiness.

And there you have it...

a simple Easter no fuss, but pretty table!

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#easyeastertabledecor  #easterideas

NO SEW Slip Covers...

I kid you not...

NO SEW Slip Covers!

This project would have been the simplest project I have ever done.

From start to finish, it took half an hour.

It would probably have been finished quicker...

But the first pair of squabs covered

I managed to place the fabric the wrong way round, so I had to redo it.

Remember the 'ZIP TO THE BACK RULE', people!

So here is the end result...

What do you think?

Want to know how?

SIMPLY use small safety pins!

That's the secret NO SEW bit.

(I saw this idea on Pinterest.)

You can use a piece of fabric that is cut to size,

SIMPLY (don't you LOVE that word?) place your squab onto it

on the fabric and wrap it neatly.

Just as if you are wrapping a parcel.

And then all you do is...

SIMPLY place the safety pins in strategic positions to hold it all in place!

I used an old duvet cover to cover both the squabs, as I really liked the piping effect,

and I was being frugal, repurposing what I had.

Minutes after the newly covered squabs were placed on the

covered patio couch, the comfort testing team promptly arrived!

"Yes...superb", said Shanti-Rose!

(Remember that you are inspecting my Mamma's NO SEW Couch Covers, and not my obvious addiction to cat treats!) 

"So comfy, and now I am feeling sleepy"...said Tucker!

"Looks good...comfort approved...we've decided to stay!".

Emmm, Tucker and Shanti-rose
 may have couch to people sharing issues, I think!

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#diyslipcovers #nosewslipcovers #slipcovers