Vive La France Part deux!

Sorry I've been away.  I've been busy working on a designs for a hotel room refurbishment and a new bathroom, both for heritage listed buildings.

Here is an update on my planter box and awning. 

My black and white awning is up.  Just waiting on the plants to grow a little more before doing professional photos.  My Big Red Geraniums are thriving, thanks to the irrigation and drainage that I included in the design of the window box.   I also get a lot of enjoyment as I dead head them every weekend to promote new flowers. 
Thanks for all the positive feedback.

French Style Guest Room - Furniture Installation day

If you have an interior designer that turns up on installation day wearing heels, then you should be worried.

 

Because I work on project basis we have an installation day where the Journey Home team delivers, unpacks, assembles and installs all the new furniture and window coverings, under my onsite supervsion to transform the room.  Just like on TV.

 

 

Mirrored furniture - you have to be careful , very carefull, my

eight years as a furniture wholesaler are paying off.

Dean installs the Bed crown.

The little things are done so that everything is perfect

AND now and please take note of this  because this is important!,  we remove all the packaging so you are not left with this.

 

 

 

 

French Style Guest Room - Furniture Mood Board

Apologies if my last two posts lacked the excitement that comes with  new products, colour and inspirational images but sometimes renovation is about getting through the hard yards to arrive at a point where design flair beings.....



French Style Guest Room Mood Board

Click image for larger view

As a starting point to the room furnishings it is a good idea to see what you already have.  I had the large ceramic bedside lamps which I've been moving around the house to find a home for and I pulled the chandelier and bed crown out of storage , lucky for me  it is the perfect proportions for this small  room and it's crystals compliment the mirrored bedside cabinets.  Large bedsides are great for keeping harmonious balance with proportion to beds.

 

The French sleigh bed is mahogany finished in a golden oak stain that will age beutifully over time and I've upholstered it in an off white velvet with antique brass studs.  Yes,  I am using white upholstery, its been scotchguarded and I am prepared to be careful.

 

I've chosen to use a fully upholstered chair instead of a timber framed chair to avoid adding another different furniture finish to the room and to help keep it relaxed which is aided by the slip cover.  I will be custom  making a diminutive version because the room can't fit a full size arm chair.

This hall table is suitable as a place for guests to put their nick nacks and do their hair etc  it also has a  shelf for guest luggage and the contrasting timber work provides unity with the  bed frame.

 In addition to mirrored bedsides I have used two large mirrors to bounce light around the dark space, their  white frames contrast beautifully against the olive walls.

It is important to have something soft underfoot as you get out of the bed especially in the cold Canberra climate so a cosy rug is essential.   The room is nearly a square shape so standard rug sizes will leave large gaps on the floor this will be resolved using a custom made rug.  Journey Home can supply custom size  Sisal rugs in a variety of colours and weaves within 3 weeks, Wool and Art silk rugs take about 12 weeks.  Sisal can be made with built in underlay for added softness.

 

The hall table's  lamp has teal glass balls  - I will have to physically check the colour of the glass before it is purchased but so far it's looking perfect and after many moons of research I am very happy with my selections. 

Forgive me if I've raved on, I am so passionate about furnishings.

 

 

6. French Style Guest Room - Let the decoration begin.

 

 

A funny moment on the job .... Some one asked me referring to my bed crown

 

Why are you installing a shower curtain in a bedroom?



Bed crown purchased at Madura in France

You might also ask whether I  am removing that ugly electrical conduit & point, the answer is no because I am avoiding construction costs to this room,  the drape behind the crown will hide this. 

I am elated as  the olive paint colour is applied to the walls, It feels warm & cosy already.

 

 

French Style Guest Room - Renovation problems revealed and solved.

Warning!  Demolition in progress!

The old wardrobe is removed revealing cracks in the walls and cornices.

Plaster will fix that.

demolition in progress

Oh dear! the old carpet has been removed and the floor stained, however there are fuzzy remnants of carpet stuck to the skirting due to the method of carpet installation back in the 60's .



Fuzzy Skirting

To avoid reskirting this room and risk damage to the walls and newly stained floor we've covered the furry part of the skirting with a new timber bead.





New skirting makeover in progress.



Now we have a step in the clean skirting 







Skirting problem resolved.

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



French Style Guest Room - Colour & Fabrics

It is likely that my girlfriends in Sydeny will most likely stay in this room so I definately wanted to create a femine feel so I've gone for a duck egg blue feature colour.  I also wanted to use Olive coloured walls, simply because it is a georgous sophisticated colour.  Who  ever would have thought I would combine olive with duck egg blue, but it really works. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The feature fabric I've chosen  really stood out when I noticed it in the showroom, It  is so beautiful that I was compelled to use it and it forges the colour scheme for the room. 

 

I love to use beautiful fabrics in my designs and for each client's scheme  I hunt down the best selections available by visiting all the fabric houses  rather than relying on an inhouse collection of sampling. It means my clients are getting the latest, most fashionable and most beautiful fabrics for their home. 

French Style Guest Room - building luxury in a tight space & budget

Bearing in mind long term plans to one day turn this bedroom into my dream formal dining room,  I want to keep construction costs to a minimum and do the most of the work with furnishings.  

 To create a new French style guest room my plan is to remove the old wardrobe, polish the floors and paint the walls and ceiling,  I won't restore the current windows or repaint them and I will stick with the original door giving it a fresh coat of paint and new hardware.   

 

To resolve the first mentioned issue of the bedroom's location off the kitchen I do have a space planning solution up my sleeve but I will detail that another post.

Plans for the French Style Guest Room are as follows.




Floor Plan or new Layout.

 

View 1 of new room layout

View  2 of new room layout

 




 

I would NOT recommend that clients squeeze an armoire into such a tight space.  However my guest room is temporary and I am prepared to live with the trade off between extra storage and spaciousness so I am including the armoire in the plan.  I have checked that the armoire door swings will not hit the bed.