Back in February we discussed using dress forms in the home for both practical purposes (sewing of course) and for displaying favorite items as more of a decorative element. I was pleasantly surprised when an email arrived today from decor8 reader Cathe Holden of Home Grown Logos who wanted to share her newly created dress-form-as-decor with us. Yay! DIY done right!


You can view her entire DIY project from start to finish right here, the finished product is shown above. Lovely job, Cathe!

(images from cathe holden)

I thought you'd be interested in checking out Whitney English Paper and Little Pretty Studio's new collection of hoop.de.doo bulletin boards. Aren't these adorable?


Thanks Whitney!

{update: This blogger wrote about her idea on how to make these in her post back in early March, so if you want to DIY a hoop for yourself -- instructions here. Thanks, Jessie!}

(image from hoop.de.doo)

Come on admit it. You're like me. You like to stalk other people's homes whether on real estate websites or house tours on blogs. Part envy, part curiosity, part "education" but always 100% voyeurism, taking a sneak peek into someone's home is a guilty pleasure. Tate from Strange Closets has fabulous house tours. Every Thursday he takes us on a snoop through some of Chicago's most creative and livable homes. Real people with real style .... OK real people with buckets of style and panache. Check them out here. Oh did I mention the interviews with Chicago's design movers and shakers as well?

my parents just arrived from virginia beach so i’m off to indulge in some family fun and away-from-the-computer time. i hope you all have a fantastic weekend and i’ll see you on monday! until then, i wanted to leave you with a fantastic before & after from conn and john in hawaii (you might remember their gorgeous island sneak peek from june). conn and john found this old stainless steel medicine/dental tool cabinet years ago at the 26th street flea market in nyc. after picking it up for $35 it was stripped of its pale hospital green finish and kept a plain stainless steel. but as conn says “[when] we moved to maui the elements took over and my inspiration was to turn it into a rothko painting”. as luck would have it all three paints conn needed were on sale (2 for $4) so he sanded it down with steel wool, applied three coats of each color and voila! a $10 makeover. thanks to conn and john for sharing!

• anne’s regional roundup: brisbane and additional australian links and artists
• diy wednesdays: homegrown honey video
• new sneak peeks: spruce austin, jill malek, and uhuru design
• before & after: summer’s chair
• must see of the week: patterns from allan the gallant
• paper genius: zoe bradley’s paper sculptures at kate’s paperie
• furniture: new upholstered chairs at chairloom
• misc: new artwork (key prints) from dallas shaw, calling cards from avie designs, faux bois wingchair, zig zag towels, sculptural white lamps, new prints from good shape design
• new ceramics: ceramics from mudpuppy, ceramics from lisa bengtsson

Love or hate the label, there is no one who doesn’t appreciate the comforts of home from time to time.

Briton Jane Brocket, creator of yarnstorm, is a self-described “domestic, but not necessarily domesticated, mother of three.�

She shares her twist on stitching, baking, nature, art, and more in “The Gentle Art of Domesticity,� out this September in the U.S.

It’s filled with quirky, warm DIY projects. Whether she is knitting a tea cozy or baking jam tarts, Jane’s approach and accompanying photographs are always done with touches of wit and whimsy.

Witness this pairing of handmade socks and sweets.

And candy-bar-foil bookmarks for your classic novels.

If you can’t wait until September, check out her daily blog and revel in the domestic wanderlust.

OK, one more. A heart-shaped marshmallow.

Diwali is the time when major cleaning, painting, sprucing up is done and homes are transformed into a special abode for Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)

Rustic. Simple. Divine.

Diwali- The Festival of Lights, of happiness, of celebration, of prayers, of beauty, of prosperity.

It's a day where we pray to Goddess Lakshmi to fill our lives with health, wealth & happiness.

What better way to decorate, bring out those silverware, line the 'Thali' ( plate/platter) with shiny one rupee coins, fill it up with colour powders of your choice, or get creative fill it up with coloured rice, pulses, shells or crystals!

Offer your guests some chocolates, a great alternative to traditional Indian Sweets;-)
Add some fresh flowers & diyas and you have created a super, shiny, silvery & shiny Diwali arrangement!

(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail.)

This has to be one of those impromtu ideas, which just strikes you when you are doing something as simple as making Idlis for breakfast;-)
Serve traditional Indian sweets in one plate of an Idli mould, dry fruits in the other and light oil diyas in the mini-cocktail Idli mould:-)
You have a simple, instant Diwali Decoration ready!

(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail)

This is an out & out traditional arrangement. Beautiful green beetle leaves arranged in a circular fashion with festive, cheery yellow marigolds and pink buds giving it that colourful contrast.

In the center is a mini traditional Kerala lamp lit with wicks dipped in oil. Shiny brass diyas complete the outer circle with their festive brightness:-)


(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail)

This country retreat designed by Pinakin Patel Associates looks so beautiful, serene and relaxing I want to spend a lovely weekend there...actually many weekends there:-)Pinakin Patel graduated in Chemistry but today heads one of India's leading design firms and owns a unique lifestyle store.
"The firm is known for their distinctive interpretation of the clients needs, producing contemporary design from a classic base, juxtaposing yoga and bhoga"

Do click on to read more...

(images from pinakin.in)

Feng Shui literally translates to wind and water. It's the art of placement of furniture and objects so as to have good flow of chi or energy, and nowhere is this idea more important than the bedroom. Even if you don't subscribe to the chi theory, Feng Shui is an excellent tool in interior design, especially modern interior design. Visit the link for the main points of Feng Shui and DIY a peaceful bedroom.