Back to Basics with Black + White
January 23, 2013
It’s been far too long since I’ve done anything to freshen up my own home (I don’t think Christmas decorating counts) and I’m feeling a little antsy to switch things up a little bit. The problem is, as with most projects around the home, one small job usually snowballs into several until the entire household is suddenly in disarray. If you’ve ever attempted even the most minor home reno, you probably know the deal! In our case, we want to swap the kids room which means they need to be painted. But then I was thinking (my husband’s least favourite sentence!) that we really need to replace the 1969 windows throughout the house and may as well do them before we paint any walls….and if we’re doing that, we may as well replace the 10 year old stained carpet in both bedrooms…and if we change the carpet we should finally install hardwood on the rest of the main floor…and if we do that, our existing laminate was so poorly installed around our kitchen cabinets and I would loooove to redesign our tiny galley kitchen…which includes another new window not to mention cabinets, hardware, appliances….and oh my word, suddenly a $200 room switch has skyrocketed into a major overhaul!!! Big changes like this are not going to happen anytime soon so I’ll happily just step back and focus on the basics (like sweeping my floor) for now. Speaking of basics, black and white is always a calming staple for design, fashion and the home…
Photo by Karel Balas for Milk Magazine
Alexandra SnowdonWhile I do enjoy black and white, I much prefer it when natural materials and textures are thrown into the mix. And I don’t think I could live without at least a few bright pillows (or throws or rugs) but neutrals are always a safe backdrop for whatever colours you choose to mix in…
Country Living. Photo by Bjorn Wallander.
Shanna Murray Tea Towels for West Elm
This last picture feels so bright with the addition of warm wood tones, doesn’t it? All in all, I’m pretty happy with our little house and how it’s functioned for our family since we moved in almost 5 years ago. I can’t imagine living in a home that I didn’t want to keep working on and improving! Accomplishing it on a very tight budget keeps the creative juices flowing too 🙂
