Christmas Decorations | paper solids

This year, inspired by many wonderful images on Pinterest, I've been doing most of the Christmas decorations myself. I found on Minieco, the templates for several paper solids, with snowflake patterns or the little mountain with snow on top, and decided to give it a try. 

I printed the templates on white cardboard, but also 'cleaned' some of the solids and printed them in colourful cardboards (...and by colourful I mean grey and a very faded pink). The 'x-mas pressie' is just a white cube with washi tape around it, to make it look like a wrapped present. I hanged some of them on a bunch of twigs and got myself a - like Emil likes to call it - little freakish Christmas tree. The rest I'm saving for the real Christmas tree, which I'll be getting today... hopefully!

It was very simple to make this, though a bit time consuming, but I really like the result. 

photos by me

for the solids templates with the patterns go here

for the white solids templates:

white cube

white octahedron

white icosahedron

December

December is here...

I'll be busy all day working on my Christmas decorations, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek.

I am trying to keep the Scandinavian look - simple, black and white - for which I've been gathering inspiration on my Christmas board on Pinterest. Now, all I need is the weather to be consistent with the style and cover everything with a white mantle of snow.

all photos by me

Notebooks and Rubber Stamps

I'm so excited! Today I'm going to vote in Denmark for the first time. I only found out I could already vote 4 days ago, when I saw my voting paper in my mail box. So in these last few days I had to pester Emil to explain to me all about the different political parties in Denmark and to translate their programs on their web sites. It was actually fun!

So today I just want to share some quick home shots of my new notebooks and rubber stamps.

I was experimenting with them having in mind some possibilities for x-mas decorations.

And no! ...I'm not too old to play with rubber stamps!

all images by me

Christmas Inspiration Board

Maybe it's too soon to be thinking about Christmas decorations. But I like to start putting them up on the 1st of December, and I want to have a plan. Well not really a plan. Something like inspiration guidelines. That's why I started a Pinterest Board called | Christmas Inspiration | .

I'm going for some neutral tones and bits of green (a discrete green, and mostly with plants). Also, If I don't feel too lazy, I'd love to make some of the decorations myself. Last year I hanged my own Advent Calendar and some other black and white prints and I really liked the effect. So I've been collecting some more ideas for DIY's that I just may try this year. In paper, or yarn...simple things, nothing to tricky. 

all images via Pinterest

Even though I love Christmas - it's without a doubt my favourite time of the year - sometimes the whole thing can be a bit overwhelming. I think that decorating my home following these guidelines will help me keep some of it's usual tranquillity. Especially if it snows...cross my fingers and hope!

If you like the style, you can follow me on Pinterest and stay updated as I continue gathering ideas. 

Cork and Marble Coasters

Last week I decided to paint my sofa table. It is a sorry, ugly, excuse of a table, but it's sturdy and I have no budget to replace it any time soon. So I decided to paint it all white (it was a disgusting yellowish wood colour) hoping that it would, somehow, 'dissolve' into it's surroundings. And it actually worked. It's still an ugly table but it annoys me a lot less now.

Of course, after going through all the trouble of painting it, I started thinking about something that I had no need to worry about before...coasters! (I swear I can hear my mother laughing right now)

So, yesterday, as I was roaming through the supermarket, I spotted these cheap cork coasters and decided to get them and then think of a way to customize them. Now, imagine my surprise, when this morning I see this marble coaster DIY on April and May blog. It's the same cork coasters and they used a marble adhesive foil to make it more interesting. 

project and photos by April and May

And it doesn't have to be marble. This would work with any other type of adhesive, even wall paper. A few samples of a cool wall paper would be enough. Another idea, if I decide to keep the texture of the cork, is to paint it with a water resistant paint. The options are many and easily changeable, which is always good.

Hope you like this little DIY project. Have a nice day.

Tendency: Clothes Rail

To plan your outfits for the next day or week, or simply as a decorative element, an open clothes rail has a strong presence in interior styling these days...and it seems like it's something to last. So today I want to share some of my favourite clothes rails, based on the current tendency of decorating with geometric shapes, and a few inspiring examples on how to style them. 

via Annaleena design

via Klemens Schillinger

via +tongtong

via +tongtong

via STYLIZIMO blog

via Vosgesparis

via BODIE and FOU

via BODIE and FOU

Hope you liked it... Have a great weekend everyone!

Hally’s by Alexander Waterworth Interiors

After seeing some of these images circulating on Pinterest and Tumblr I decided to share with you Hally's, a recently opened deli in London, and a project by Alexander Waterworth interiors. 

An eclectic mix of decorative pieces, reclaimed materials and soft tones create an inviting and homely atmosphere. You can even get some DIY ideas for your own home, like the dip dyed chairs in different pastel shades, or the vintage looking jars for condiments with chalkboard painted labels. And who doesn't love those white washed brick walls with the carefully styled wooden open shelves? It's definitely a place to visit, next time I'm in London (I've already been on Google maps to see where it is located!).

all images via Alexander Waterworth  interiors

Industrial Wire Cage Lamps

I love it when I spot beautifully styled interiors with a few Industrial Vintage details. 

Even the most modern of the homes can be enriched with a few pieces from another era.

Some of my favourite pieces are these Industrial Wire Cage Lamps, they look great everywhere!

So here's a little round-up, hoping it will inspire you.

via Wo&Wé Collection

via: 1 | 2 

via: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

via: 1 | 2 | 3

via: 1 | 2 | 3

Have a great weekend everyone!

Indoors Garden

I've been working on a Pinterest board called [ Indoors Garden ] and I'm loving the atmosphere it transmits. It's fresh and full of good ideas for having plants inside our homes.

Here are some of my latest pins. 

Hope you like it!

all images via Pinterest

Kitchen tile niche

 Today I'm loving this kitchen, with it's black and white tile niche and the green details of plants and the baby's chair.

all images via Stadshem

Hanging Glass Frames

I'm always looking for original ways of displaying wall art and creating a gallery wall and I just fell in love with these glass frames I found on Loop the Loop. 

image via Loop the Loop

Warm Wood

One of the things I love most about Scandinavian interiors is that it frequently involves the use of light, almost white, wood. You see, in Portugal that is not so common, not traditionally anyway, and as a consequence the interiors feel  very dark, heavy and grave. 

But motivated by the wonderful gift I got from my mother-in-law for Christmas - the limited edition of the Eames Hang-it all, in black and walnut - darker woods have been growing on me. I still don't like the somber atmosphere of a home fully furnished with them but I really love it when it see it applied with moderation, in details. 

In a black and white space, a piece made of wood like walnut can create a warm and at the same time a more refined look. And, even though it is something that still "scares" me a bit, I'm finding that mixing different types of wood, with very different tones, can bring amazing results.

image via Christian Woo

photo by Prue Ruscoe   .   via The Names Agency

photo by Sveinung Bråthen   .   image via Klikk bolig

image via Stadshem

image via Wall&Decò

photo by Anna Kern for  Skona Hem   .   found at The Style Files

image via Designspray       .       image via Republic of Fritz Hansen

images via Analogue Life

What do you think? Do warmer woods work for you?

Pale Hues - Pastels

Today I welcome Mari with a great post about the use of pastel colours in our homes!

Hi, all! It's Mari here from Arcadian Home blog, a lovely place to find lots of interior design inspirations. I'm so excited to be visiting with you at Life as a Moodboard to share a guest post about the possibilities of decorating with pale color palettes with rooms that show off appealing pastels in paint, furniture, lighting, table decor and much more. For your pastel decorating dreams, I've pulled together some of my favorite pale spaces. We hope they will inspire your own interior projects. Please enjoy!

This photo shoot brings together a charming mix of pastels. It's a dreamy representation of the softer side of color.

Here, neutral background colors make even pastels pop. It's a subtle use of pale hues. A velvety pink Swan chair and a caramel Egg chair and ottoman are stunning.

Pinks, grays and soft grapey hues give this chic bedroom a calm soothing feel. The ragged edge where paint meets unfinished white creates a lovely cloudy look. This delicate glass pendant light is perfect. (I'm imagining one on the other side of the bed.)

A little sitting area shows how well pale icy tangerine sorbet plays with other colors. This is a lively palette with pops of bright yellow on the verge neon.

Pink is a lovely color choice for the walls of this classic space with white fireplace and painted white wood flooring. It's quite stunning with the lemony yellow clawfoot tub.

Chairs in pink, yellow and blue are lovely around this pale wood table. It's a quirky little design touch to add a single black chair to the pastel mix. I love the look of the white pendant lighting above the table.

This cozy eclectic living room is quite appealing with lilac carpet and soft buttery yellow sofa. Bits of homey pattern can be seen here and there.

A white on white kitchen and adjoining dining space get pops of pale blue from lovely (and iconic) Panton chairs. I have always considered white to be the most beautiful color for this iconic chair, but these pastel ones have me reconsidering that idea.

Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6| 7 | 8 

What are your thoughts on these pastel rooms? Leave us your comments below, and be sure to visit our website for more home decor, lighting, and interior spaces!