Lolalina — Ideas For Creative Living

Fresh Ideas from Skona Hem

January 26, 2012

Let’s get inspired with a fresh batch of interiors from Swedish design mag Skona Hem – one of my favorite go-to sources for inspiring homes + styling. Too bad I can never locate a hard copy in my local bookstores! For now, this online peek will have to do…

What a peaceful bedroom (from this home), and so cozy! I want to sink my feet into those slippers and then fling myself onto that bed and never get up! I think this is a great look, with light floors, white walls, a textured rug and layered bedding in solids, stripes, and a botanical print. Smoky grays, chocolate, café au lait, and milk moustache white make for a rich and calming setting.

This living room looks like such a fun place to hang out, don’t you agree? I love the poufs pulled up to the coffee table, sheepskin over the back of the sofa, and silver lanterns clustered on a corner table. The red tones in the rug warm everything up and the artfully askew vintage accessories give the room a more casual, lived-in, bohemian feel.

Oh, be still my heart! Open shelving, white subway tile, industrial lighting, black cabinets? Check, check, check and check! A few aged wood crates, glass jars with grains and pantry staples showing through, and a bit of greenery are the perfect accents. (From this home)

We may not all be able to have giant bathtubs in rooms flooded with natural light (!) but what about adding a few hammam style towels in deep smoky gray, a wood tree stump stool, and a small potted plant? I love it. Noted in the living room: extra frames and art propped against the wall behind the armchair, succulents and a sculptural branch add visual interest, and a sheep pillow adds a note of humor. (From here again)

This reminded me instantly of Tina, and her family’s new home in Copenhagen which has an attic space and white floors. A bit of a challenge, design-wise, but I know she is up for it! Go Tina! I think there is nothing more comforting than a private little space like this, tucked into the eaves, just books and blankets and tea, sigh.

And finally, this is so inspiring to me – not because I would want to replicate it exactly, but because it is so playful. I mean, why not hang antlers, postcards and beads on your wall and use stacks of old crates to house your books? Sometimes we take things so seriously! On days like this, when it seems that magazines from afar are so, so much better than what’s available here, it makes me think I’d like to do a magazine swap. Have any of you tried this? Interested? : )

Have a lovely day, my dears! When I see you again it will be Friday! xo Laura

(all images: Skona Hem)

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Art Styling + Interior Photo Tips With D.S. Brennan

January 25, 2012

in Art

Yesterday morning, one of my lovely sponsors, Diana of D. S. Brennan Photography, came over with several crates full of her work to style and photograph in my home. It was an experiment in styling for me, which is something I am enjoying learning more about (lots of trial and error, let me tell you!), and Diana had some wonderful tips for taking interior photographs that I would like to pass along as well. It’s been a while since I have shared any photos of my own home here on the blog, so truth be told I am feeling a bit nervous about this!

Top right is Diana’s Wise Owl and propped against the wall below is July Butterflies. These particular prints were mounted on wood and ready to hang – absolutely beautiful. I love how Mr. or Ms. Owl seems to be watching over the rest of the artwork and room. :) When you are grouping art, it can be nice to work around a theme. Here, each print has an animal or element of nature in it, from the wise owl to the reindeer, fox on a bicycle, tree home, and butterflies. A theme can make pieces “go” together even if the colors and other elements are different.

Photo Tip: Diana stressed the importance of using a tripod whenever taking photographs indoors. After a quick search on Amazon, I see many options around (or under) $20, so this does not need to be a major purchase. And using a remote switch will prevent any wiggling while pushing the button.

Can I just say, wow? Diana brought along two of her brand-new large format canvas prints from her feather series, and they are perfect statement pieces. If you have ever looked for really large art you love (and that doesn’t cost an absolute fortune) you know it’s not easy. These are fresh, modern, and have lots of texture and detail. After Diana left I realized one of the feather canvases would have looked spectacular hung on the pale aqua wall behind Bixby’s crib. D’oh…maybe next time!

Photo Tip: When shooting indoors, Diana said to always choose one type of light source and block or shut off the others. For instance: only florescent lights, only incandescent bulbs, only daylight. Each type of lighting gives a different color cast to the objects in your room, so mixing lighting types will only make for muddled photos. In these photos we used only daylight; the lamps were all shut off.

I loved the Moth Wings print in my kitchen – it reminded me how nice it can be to prop up small pieces of art in slightly unexpected places. In the top photo is Specimen 162, one of Diana’s signature bird photographs.

Final tip: For those of you who are Etsy shop owners, I highly recommend doing your very best to take a few shots of your products actually in use in a home like we have done above. Of course, clear and direct product shots will serve you well, but I know I prefer to feature shots like these on the blog. So shoot your handmade throw pillows on am English roll-arm sofa, show your crocheted coasters with a mug of warm tea and a tray of biscuits, and put your skull-embroidered dog sweater on a cute pooch lounging on a modern chair.

Well, that just about wraps it up. This was a total experiment for me, I loved playing around with styling and I would love to do more. I realize, though, that it would be quite nice to have more vintage treasures and other props on hand to help with really building up the scene. Hm, good enough excuse to go shopping, I think! ;) I really hope you enjoyed this, and please do go visit Diana on her blog and see her Etsy shop to see all of her work.

{photography by D. S. Brennan Photography, styling by me ;) }

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Intentional Living & Seeking Inspiration in Winter

January 24, 2012

in Blogs,The Sweet Life

Good morning, my dear ones! We had our first real snowfall over the weekend (finally) and everything suddenly feels a bit more quiet. This month I have been doing a lot of thinking about what my intentions are – for my home, my work, my life – I feel more peaceful than ever, and I am so amazed to see many things already clicking into place. I have to warn you, I am feeling chatty and this may run a little long, so if you want to take a moment to fix yourself a warm drink please do that and I’ll meet you back here!

Okay, are we all settled in now? Good. : ) For whatever reason, this past month or two I have felt my vision for the life I want coming more clearly into focus. Instead of vague wants and wishes, I can feel much more deeply what I want and need in my life. In a way, I feel like the hard work I’ve been putting in – to my self, my home, my work – is finally beginning to come together. I’ve found myself easily losing weight and adopting healthy habits like drinking green juice and practicing yoga daily, and then an opportunity that I have dreamed of landed in my lap. For now, I will be taking on just a little more work, but there is the potential to add much more as I have the time, and it has me dreaming of so much more. I can share all of the details with you later, but for now let’s just say that my dream of making a living from my writing is this much closer to coming true. Wow.

Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, I am not naturally a winter person. But the value of a real winter is finally beginning to sink in – it is a perfect time to dream and make plans. And it helps to have a little boy who loves snow – pure joy is infectious! I have been taking this quiet of winter as an opportunity to do a lot of journaling and reading, planning for the year ahead. A few things bubbling in my mind: backyard chickens, redoing our front porch, white floors, a vegetable garden, events with the Alliance Française, weekend trips.

Another thing I have found myself rethinking is my e-decorating biz, which (I thought) I was all ready to launch soon. But now I feel I have a much clearer view of my own personal strengths and passions, and I realize I will need to take a different approach to really make use of that. So, it’s back to the drawing boards. But I’m really, really insanely happy about it because I know what comes to fruition in the end will be in line with my intentions, and it will be sure to be even more successful and rewarding because of it. I am so grateful to my “tester”, for putting up with many months of practice, all of the time spent and lessons learned were invaluable.

Whew, well I have rambled on for far long enough. What about you? It’s been feeling a little quiet around here lately (were all of you at Alt??) and I would love, love, L O V E to have you chime in. What is happening in your life? What are your intentions for this year? Thoughts?

Oh, and if you are seeking more visual inspiration, look no further than the gorgeous and creative Norwegian blog Loppelilla. All of the images in this post come from her inspiring blog, are you familiar? If not, go have a look – you won’t be disappointed! (Thanks to Holly for finding her!)

(all images: Loppelilla)

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A Happy Little Art Collection

January 20, 2012

in Art

Happy Friday my dears! Deep into this January I am dreaming about summer…are you, too? I decided we need a bit of cheering up, so I pulled together a little collection of art that is making me smile today. I hope you enjoy it!

I love that London print so much! I could see all of these in a colorful jumble lining an entryway, couldn’t you? Do you have a favorite? What is warming your heart lately? I’d love to hear from you…and happy weekend, friends! xo Laura

(images: linked to sources above)

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Choosing The Right White

January 19, 2012

in Design & Decor

Hello friends! Have you seen the new White Issue of Gatherings Magazine yet? Heather Spriggs, the founder and editor is such a dear person and her love of vintage and all things pretty shines through on each page. One of my favorite stories in the issue was Heather’s own feature on picking the right shade of white – which is much trickier than it sounds, as I’m sure many of you know!

In the article, Heather discusses the differences between warm and cool whites, and has many excellent recommendations for specific paint colors. You’ll have to see the issue for all of the details, including the sources for the gorgeous paint colors shown above – this is meant to be a teaser, so please go read the full issue on your own, you won’t regret it!

One more article I loved in this issue came from Tina Fussell, another of my favorite people! It was so nice getting to peek into Tina’s home in Copenhagen. She really knows how to use white as a base to build your decorating around, and I always always love seeing what she is up to. : ) If I’ve tempted you enough, you can pick up your own print copy or digital edition to read online right here.

(images: Gatherings Magazine)