Parrot on a PorchA Journey Toward the Little Mansion Dream

We’re still in the process of sprucing up our Little Mansion. While we’ve got most of our basic styling requirements met, our next project which we’re still saving up for at the moment are the lighting fixtures. Luckily, we’ll be able to find the perfect kitchen light fixtures, the appropriate mini-chandelier for the dining area and the pendant light fixtures for the living room. We’ve got a little abode but I believe that installing the perfect light fixtures can accentuate and style further the interiors of our home.

So while waiting for the funding of this project, I’m checking out the wide selection of home lighting and light fixtures offered by Echo Lighting Design Gallery for inspiration and ideas. I was clueless at first of the perfect style that can perfectly blend with our ceiling but the online catalog of Echo Lighting enabled me to find the right one. The organized classification and the easy search function of the site are of great help. I believe this Glass Shade Mini-Chandelier in polished nickel finish and crystal shades will be great. The width is 18 inches while the height is 10 inches. As I’ve said, the size is a great concern so this dimension is just perfect. The price is practical and just fair with its elegance and quality.

I wonder if there’s a local store I can buy this frame from.

I just stumbled upon it randomly on google image search.  We are on the lookout for such as we plan to accentuate the hallway upstairs with framed pictures of our family but the picture frames should just be bordered with black.  If we can not scour similar to this, we’ll just perhaps buy individual black frames in different sizes then just plot it artistically.

Here’s one of the two paintings that was gifted to us as a housewarming present for Little Mansion.  It was initially intended to be put up on the living room wall but we’re thinking of putting it in the master’s bedroom instead as we find the other painting more appropriate for the living room.  I don’t have a picture of the second one right now but I’ll upload and share it once we get the framed finished product this weekend.

I’m looking for decorating stuffs that we can doll up Little Mansion with and here’s something lovely and artistic that I just found while surfing.

Family Portraits:

These wall arts can be designed with a lot of artistic styles, in different variations, canvas print sizes, and paper prints. Wide array of framing option are available at Photowow. I would love to order a few pieces from them however, it would be too costly for me, shipping alone (FedEx international shipping). I’d probably just rely on my basic Photoshop skills then have it framed elsewhere, in Central Market perhaps. I love the idea though and this also makes a great personalized gift to anyone whatever the occasion is.

We’re indeed bit by bit getting busier as the house approaches its completion. We’re taking this as our cue to start thinking about dolling up the interiors. Hoping that it pushes through, we might start buying the appliances one by one soon especially that we found an ample space to temporarily shelter the stuffs. Aside from the furniture and appliances, we’re now also looking for decorations like framed canvas prints, ornaments and other trinkets to prettify the inside. My research about canvas lead me to the website of Colour Graphics as I saw this movie canvas of the 1983 movie Scarface starred by Al Pacino as Tony Montana.

Colour Graphics offers stationary, advertising and other business high quality printing services that uses the Full Colour technology. Among their services are banner and canvas printing, Banner stand and graphic display stands, and large format printing. The offer exceptional and artful design services, too. What’s noteworthy about this company is their earth-nurturing commitment that they only use natural, recyclable, re-usable and energy-saving materials without sacrificing the craftmanship of each product.

I’m trying to picture if the Scarface movie canvas will fit and look good in the little entertainment room that we’d have. I’m hesitant because it appears a little bit off. Although it’s Al Pacino and a movie shot, the bath scene itself is kinda inapt. isn’t it?

The facade is what the guest notices first in a house. The outdoors also gives the impression of how and what it’s like indoors. So it’s just right that a house owner also should make it a point that the exteriors are decorated well and designed invitingly. One way of infusing that goal is to make use of elegant Address Plaques strategically located in the garden, by the front door or in the front lawn.

There are several types and designs of Address Plaques. A lot of suppliers abound online but I’ll discuss the ones that I saw from Outdora as this particular online shop has among the widest collection of address plaques. The Wall Mounted Plaque is the most common type and is placed usually by the front door. Made only from rust‑free recycled aluminum and weather‑resistant paints, these can be further customized into a carved stone or artisan metal looks with traditional designs or playful themes as designs to choose from. Inscription options include the house number, the street, your name, or a combination of any of these.

There are also called address lawn plaques which usually have stakes so it can be driven into the ground. A strategically placed address lawn plaque makes it easier for your house to be spotted by guests, service and emergency attendants for food and special services delivery (repairman, telephone and cable installers), fire truck, etc. Some are specially designed as illuminated plaques and reflective plaques for added visibility. Some lawn plaques can also be wall mounted.

A commemorative plaque, on the other hand, has the same material as the address plaques but are used differently. An inscription of a special event or happening can be made into a plaque for memory preservation. Like let’s say for wedding and cardinal anniversaries, memorial and a “welcome family” inscription for the house.

Surely, there are a lot of options for address plaques requirements. Browsing at Outdora is the easiest way to choose the one that fits our requirements best.

How would you want to have this space-saving and functional ironing board in your pad?

It functions as a mirror when the board’s upright then as an ironing board (fondly coined as “kabayo” locally) with a lamp on the side when the board is opened.

Designed by Nils Wodzak, this Mirror Ironing Board Closet is manufactured by Konzept Design from Germany. The price ranges from €200 to €300 (about Php 12500-19000).

Vessel sinks or sometimes called, Glass sinks, are my dream bathroom sinks and the hottest current trend in bathroom design. It is coined as “vessel” sink because it adapts the shape of a vessel. Aside from the aesthetic charm, a lot prefer go for this type because it occupies very less space both width and height wise. It only contains a small sink with vessel faucets and a beautiful stand matching in color and design with the bowl. Another advantage is the control on the setup customization like the bowl and stand can be changed and the vessel faucets can be replaced with a single one type. Shapes and designs come in great variety, too. They make great bathroom vanities and give you a feel as if you’re in luxurious and posh hotels.

It would be nice if our dear Little Mansion can have these vessel sinks for the two bathrooms. Price wise, they’re a little steeper than the regular ones so I’m not sure if our little budget can still accommodate this upgrade if ever.

Wind chimes are one of the most common decors that we first notice whenever we enter a house. Simply because they are usually hung on the door itself or on the outer frame and its cheerful sound as the door opens, greets and welcomes the guest. These chimes come in different styles, designs, sounds and materials. But more than the aesthetic and security purposes they provide, do you know that wind chimes are used as powerful tools in “channeling the home’s energy” in certain ways? They are one of the most widely used Feng Shui tools and the cheapest too as chimes’ materials can be sourced cheaply.

Feng Shui experts explain that chimes can certainly purify or enhance the flow of “chi” or energy in a certain area depending on the location where they are hung, on the sound and on the material they are made of. For example, there is a dark corner in the room which needs to have more energy and attract chi to it, placing bamboo wind chimes would not only attract chi energy but also enlighten and give life to that dark spot. Another one, if the path from the street to the front door is long and straight just like the pathway leading to our Little Mansion, hanging a wind chime by the door (or porch steps) slow the chi down so it enters the home gently.

Here’s another compilation of Feng Shui notes that I’ve listed down for my future reference when I “accessorize” our new home of wind chimes:

1. North is associated with stillness, quiet, and isolation and therefore not favorable for a home’s entrance (north-facing entrance). To counteract this, Metal and aluminum wind chimes can attract more activity and enhance chi in this area.

2. West is sometimes called the children area. A hollow chimes’ sound in this spot can promote harmony within the family, and positively influence the health, behavior and academic performance of children. For those wishing for a family addition, activating the chi area here adds chances of having a child.

3. Northwest is the perfect spot to hang wind chimes when aiming to attract helpful and influential friends or mentors.

I searched on the web for stylish wind chime designs and Outdora has the widest and nicest reasonably priced collection of wind chimes not only for indoors but for the garden and exteriors as well. Here are the ones that caught my fancy:

Goose Rocks Arcadia Wind Chime

Woodstock Chimes of Kyoto

Dolphin Pewter Wind Chime

If my browser and its bookmark functions can just talk, they’d surely complain how I’ve been stuffing them with so much links these days. Links that are home-related specifically. Well, they can’t blame me. As the big day nears that the Little Mansion is fully constructed, I can’t help but collect, browse and peruse sites to get ideas and inspiration that we can apply to our humble abode. I’ve surely blogged and posted pics about our ideal room designs up to exterior furniture. Aunt Angie, who has an interior design background, has also drafted the interior styles for the finishing touches of the house. Now I’ll be sharing a few trinket inspirations that I want to adorn our soon-to-be little dwelling. These will be just options for the mean time as I prefer to see the fully finished house first before I finalize and select the appropriate accessories and embellishments to go along. I also have to consult Aunt Angie if these will blend just perfect with the house’s interiors, size and color.

Vases:
I want something contemporary for the living room such as a Luna ceramic vase by Eero Sairanen. For the dining table, I’ll experiment with these elegant crystal vases from waterford. Their glass works are so explicit and stunning.

Seahorse Vase

Lismore Vase

Irish Lace Vase

Picture Frames:
There is no better way to show off your loved ones pictures other than displaying them in elegant and lovely crystal picture frames.

Clocks:
To cap off that true little “mansion” feel, a Crystal Coliseum Clock will be the perfect piece.

Christmas ornaments:
I know it’s too early to put on and think of Christmas ornaments at this time but since this year will be our first in our own home, only the best decors should be put.