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Small budget big ideas!

By Colours, Flooring, Furniture, Good ideas, Interior styles, Kitchen, Lighting, My work, Patterns, Plants, Wallpaper No Comments

We all have big ideas when we want to renovate but it’s the tight budget that cuts the dreams down.

Creativity is key to renovation problems! It may just solve all your problems to achieve your dreams, even though you may have a tight budget.  Through good planning, creative problem solving and a well-trained interior designers eyes (which may down the road save you from horrible costly mistakes as well) can look at a challenged area and create it into something more fun and functional to be in and work from. And we all know that a practical and functional space just makes life so much more easy and enjoyable. Am I right?!

I find the tighter the budget the more creative we have to be.

This latest project RoomDesign has been working on involved space planning for several rooms in this apartment, re-inventing the kitchen and dining area, material choices, soft furnishings, lighting and colour scheme. The client did have a tight budget and wanted to prioritize a new plan for her small kitchen area that before had direct access into the bathroom!

She as well wanted a space with personality and something that packed a punch. Well we did that didn’t we? The wallpaper!

By moving the door to another area and taking away the wall between the dining room and kitchen, it gave better opportunity for a floor to ceiling storage cupboard and made a more inviting social space. The kitchen comes from Ikea and with great help from a super clever builder he helped us build the intricate cupboards and draws to maksimize every centimentre of the wall. The client loves this area and spends the whole time here.

And don’t you just love the wallpaper?! Its called Botany Banana designed from Lemon in South Africa and can be found via Photowall.no

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Pic credits Gunn K Monsen

Making the most of a Small Bathroom

By Bathroom, Black, Colours, Flooring, Good ideas, Lighting, Mirror, My work No Comments

“We are a busy family of 5 in need of help with reorganizing of Storage space, new space planning and modernizing of our existing bathroom. High in the wish list is a bathtub to wash our big sized dog after trips in the woods.”

Conquering small bathrooms can be challenge when lacking in storage, organization and in need of modernizing. The clients were open to something different, not the normal white, to clever spacing planning and have good storage possibilities which was all very important for the active family.

We decided to take away a little bit of the entranceway creating a possibility for a shower nook in the bathroom without sacrificing the otherwise small floor area in the bathroom.

The wall between the bathroom and a little laundry room was removed. We added sliding wardrobe doors in black glass to reflect light and create a more spacious feel.

We were lucky that the window could be moved enabling better placing of vanity and mirror cabinet.

The clients loved the idea of darker walls and lighter floors. This gave the bathroom depth and created a unique feeling to the room.

Maximizing space and cleaning up all clutter with a mirror cabinet, matching wall storage cabinet and vanity just gave the extra practical edge to the room. By opening the bathroom more made the bathroom more spacious visually. The oval free-standing bathtub become the hero, or focus point of the room which the clients loved! With the darker walls good lighting was necessary under and over the mirror cabinet.

All it takes is just a few simple changes to the whole space planning of the bathroom area and the family functions much better. This adding value to their life and the whole apartment.

We like that!

RoomDesign Bad-4RoomDesign Bad-5RoomDesign Bad-11RoomDesign Bad-12RoomDesign Bad-13RoomDesign Bad-15-1RoomDesign Bad-15RoomDesign Bad-16-1RoomDesign Bad-17RoomDesign Bad-19-1All photos gunnkristinmonsen.no

RoomDesign has had the privilege of working on this prosject giving advice on the spaceplanning,  furniture, tiles, lighting and colourscheme.

Thanks to the fabulous family in Nesttun that allowed me to help them on their renovation travels!!<3<3

Hugs Lisa xx

 

New look – stylish and super functional

By Colours, Fireplaces, Flooring, Good ideas, Kitchen, Lighting, Livingroom, My work No Comments

«We want a home that is stylish and that is super practical and functional to our needs»

There was a definite need for an overhaul in this townhouse in Nesttun. There were two small living and dining rooms, dark and cold stairway and kitchen needed to be more functional and updated for a busy family of five. The man of the house is totally passionate and serious about his fireplace! Here had to be a fireplace that would warm up the house appropriately, stylish and cool to look at and have extra storage to firewood. Where the beam in the ceiling is today in the living and dining area was once where a wall was between the two rooms.

The entranceway and stairwell got a new look by removing the classic two door opening from the stairway into the living area. Rather than a closed-in stairwell being cold and dark, it was decided to remove the doors and open up the whole stairwell facing into the living and dining areas. A sliding glass door was put between the stairwell and entre, creating a more open stairwell connecting more with the living area, spreading more warmth up to the other floors and giving a more modern and functional living area.

A new window, the same size as the others, was put on the side of the house near the corner of the dining area and this allowed for more light and better connection to the terrace outside.

I must say I’m so in love with the kitchen! Its so cool and stylish, loads of storage, all that work space for baking and the little extra sitting area. The white benchtop was suggested to continue down to the floor which frames in the sitting area and adding extra style and finish. The subways tiles over the benchtop to the ceiling just gives a little extra wow factor.  Don’t you love it?

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All fotos : gunnkristinmonsen.com

RoomDesign has had the privilege of working on this prosject giving advice on the spaceplanning, design for fireplace, kitchen and in-built storage for television, furniture, flooring, lighting and colourscheme.

Thanks to the rocka family in Nesttun that allowed me to help them on their renovation travels!!<3<3

Hugs Lisa xx

 

5 Benefits to using rugs in your home

By Colours, Flooring, Furniture, Good ideas, Happenings, Livingroom, My work, Patterns, Rugs, Tricks No Comments

Having rugs in your home can make a enormous difference to the appearance, personality and style for your home. Those who never thought of keeping rugs in their house cannot realize the importance, elegance and difference in the overall living and impression that it will make.

blogg-bildepic credit Pinterest

There are many benefits of rugs and I have gathered just 5 of many…

#1. Creates an instant and perfect focal point of colour for your room.

#2. Rugs act as a shield for your hardwood floors. They protect the floor from all kinds of stains and scratches.

#3. They  help to absorb loud noise of radio and TV, as compared to a room with hard surfaces.

#4. Rugs are made up of many different materials that will keep your house warm, thus saving your heating expenses.

#5. One fun thing to do is it can be hanged on the wall. Cool idea, no?

Have a good day all:-)

Hugs og love xx

5 simple ways to add style to Your home With plants

By Good ideas, Happenings, My work, Plants No Comments

Not all people are clever With plants. That includes me! Sometimes we need just a few easy tricks to give a room that ‘wow faktor’. I believe With these few styling tips under they will just give you that little push and inspiration you need. So read on…

1. Group plants for impact! Minimum effort gives Maximum effect. Group several of the same type of plant in a corner or an area in Your living room that needs a little love:-)

group for impact

2. Use height! Make a statemant in Your home With a tree. They give any room Depth, grandeur and creates loads of interest. I like to knock People off their perches when they walk into a room With a big tree in it:-)

plante med høyde

3 Use interesting potholders! There is nothing more fun, and strange, by using a boring old bowl or vase that you haven’t used for yonks. It gives New life to any plant. Recycle, re-vamp or re-invent. Have fun!

use interesant potter

4 Use texture! Plants With different sized leaves and foliage create a beautiful backdrop for a table. The textures they create together as a Group makes a magical statment. They compliment each other in Complete blissful harmony.

use texture

5 Use contraster! Here is where you really can have fun. Try differents sizes, different potholders, different heights, differents coloured greens etc. Mix and match, hard spiky succulents With soft long cascading plants. Play and make an impact!

use kontraster

NB: All pics come from my Pinterest

How was that?! Just a few little ideas to give you that edge to turn Your home from drab to fab With plants in Your home.

Have a fun day…hugs Lisa xx.

Cabin by the sea

By Bathroom, Bedroom, Colours, Flooring, Furniture, My work, Rugs, Wood One Comment

Rita and Arvid tok kontakt with me over a year ago. They owned a little cabin by the sea that needed a makeover. It was already quite old, outdated and because of its location and sentimental value they wanted to start using it with their own family til the sommer months.

Consideration to regulations of houses being so close to the sea, these days,  there was not much allowance for building out. In any direction! There was, though, allowed to build out the small terrasse by the kitchen. Here was placed glass sliding doors to bring the beautiful views and nature outside in.  Cladding out side the house was updated and modernized and at the same time a new terrasse was made at the entrance door. Inside walls were taken away between the kitchen and living room. The bathroom was made slightly bigger by building a little shower nook into the guestroom! Maksimalising the little space there was and a super good idea! There was made plenty of space for the garderobe in the guest room and walk-in garderobe in the main bedroom giving loads of room for extra storage. A window was suggested at the end of the hall in the entranceway adding extra light and giving extra depth to the hallway.

Take a look at all the pic’s under and get inspirert!

RoomDesign has come with advice, suggestions, ideas and space planning to the inside and outside, colours, kitchen design, bathroom design, furniture and lighting.

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Badet.

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Gangen

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Stuen

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Thanks to Rita and Arvid for letting me help them with the renovations to their cabin by the sea.

Hugs xx.

 

 

Join the «Afternoon Tea Party»!

By Good ideas, Happenings, My work No Comments

Thanks to all the wonderfully fabulous ladies that joined me at my «Afternoon Tea Party».

Those who know me know that I just love, at any chance, to have a party! I brought 6 m of linen from IKEA, as a tablecloth, to reach over the two long tables put together. I made sure that I washed the linen first to give it that crinkled effect.

You can mix and match all the tea cups and tea pots, that just adds to the charm of the evening. I made 3 batches of scones Cheese Scones, Date scones and some fresh strawberry scones they were all delicious! Don’t forget to have a small selection of different English teas.

Oh and by this stage have a glass of champagne to calm the nerves  – and then dress the table and then just wait for the guests to arrive. Of course I had to make a Carrot cake as well just for fun.

Don’t worry I have written the Scone recipe half way through the picture book undder. Just scroll down and enjoy!

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Scones

3 cups flour

6 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

75g butter

1 to 1 ½ cups milk

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut butter in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add milk (not necessarily all) mix quickly with a knife to a soft dough. Knead a few times with your fingertips, avoid handling too much. Lightly dust an oven tray with flour. Press scone dough out onto this. Cut into 10–12 even-sized scones. Brush tops with a little milk. Bake at 220 C for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

You can add cheese at the end on top of the scones. Or you can, while blending, add some dates and a little cinnamon and sugar. Or what about fresh strawberries right at the end of blending with a spoon full of sugar before baking?

Eat with cream and jam. With the cheese scones I would spread some butter on the warm scones. Enjoy!

tea party Tea party  tea party styling tea party styling tea party styling tea party Photo credits to the wonderful Gunn Monsen

Have fun and make Your own ‘Afternoon Tea Party’.   Highly recommended:-)

Hugs xx.

Clever ideas for a small bedroom.

By Bedroom, Black, Furniture, My work 2 Comments

Do you have a troublesome storage problem? Is the answer yes? Well you’re not alone!

I was called in for a project to help a family, earlier last year,  looking for exactly to solve this problem. With a baby on the way, the family wanted as much extra storage as possible!!!They wanted bunk beds, extra storage for books and toys, and a double bed for guests and a walk-in closet to clothes!  As you see with the pictures below I think we managed to get everything in.

The hidden away double bed underneath the bunk beds rolls out very easy. The built-in shelves at the end of each bunk gives good space for the books and toys, in easy reach. And the little walk-in closet at the end of the bed makes for easy access to hang all clothes and storage for other things. An advantage with built-in furniture it opens up the floor area for play and games for an active family.

Have to say a big thank you to the fabulous clever John Johnsen, the builder. None of this would ever have been able to do without his positive ‘YES!’ he can fix it attitude. I like to hear a Yes! He’s a good man and would recommend him to anyone wanting home building jobs!

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Practical and functional!  Great fun. You like?!

Have a great day everyone:-)

Hugs.

 

Embracing the ‘Slow Christmas’ spirit!

By Good ideas, Happenings, My work No Comments

What a fantastic ‘Slow Christmas’ evening!!!

It was a wonderfully inspiring evening with 32 interior-happy ladies packed into my office. We discovered and learnt and mastered the whole Slow Living concept! Overwhelming stress and a sense of detachment are very common symptoms of trying to deal with too much in this fast–paced, commodity–filled, and highly technological world. The concept for ‘Slow Living’ directs the desire to lead a more balanced life and to pursue a more healthy sense of well-being in the fullest sense.

We need to slow Down!

We were so lucky to have flower stylist Hilde showing us how to decorate our homes, this Christmas, with more thought and less stress. To re-design and re-use what we find out in nature! Some very cool and creative ideas she had. I was definitely inspired!

gjør ting som ikke koster

happy grouptale01fbgrønt blomsterstjerne på veggIMG_1446fbcandlelight i office

Picture credits til Gunn K Monsen

A spesial thanks to everyone that was there that evening, you are all rock stars!

You all can look forward to the next event!!!

Hugs Lisa.

Let it be a Slow Christmas!

By Happenings, My work No Comments

The world is a fast place, faster now than it was like 10 years ago for instance. So what if this year, instead of spending time out hunting down presents for family and friends and buy stuff they may not even like why not spend time with those people instead?

Let’s slow Christmas down.  Take a walk, drink some warm apple glogg and take in all the lit up storefronts and decorations.  Make Christmas cookies from scratch, go sledding, go to a concert, listen to a good choir and bask in the goodwill and beautiful music.

It’s time to reclaim the Christmas spirit.  Christmas is about being nice to people, sharing instead of spending. Let’s give the gift of time, not Money.

jul slow christmas

Now I’m really excited about this Christmas evening! I will be giving expert advice on all the ins and outs of a Slow Christmas  and I’ve got Flowerstylist Hilde giving loads of inspiration on flower decorating and tips on recycling too up-cycling Things in Your home. There will be a glass of champagne and some small goodies to eat and we all will be knocking in all the Christmas spirit before we know what has happened. Fun!!

Space is quite Limited at my Office this year so it’s really important to act quick and reserve Your Place.

Sign up Direct here…

And I’ll contact you With Your confirmation as soon as possible:-)

See you there!!!