You light up my life

I’m in the midst of a decorating project, and I’ve got it in my head that it won’t be complete until I find an Arco-style floor lamp. The original Arco floor lamp was designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglionii for Flos in 1962. The great feature about this lamp is that it allows you to direct light down to pretty much any area you want, without having to mess around with adding a junction box to your ceiling. The curved shaft is adjustable to three different heights, making it even more versatile. The Italian Carrara marble base comes in white or black, and ensures that the lamp will stay put. Unless you have a large group of muscular men living in your house who will lift it up and move it around for you whenever the mood strikes ;-) Actually, it’s not THAT heavy – about 143 pounds.

The Arco floor lamp can be found in the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and in stylish rooms around the world, like these…

Design by Maris Burgos Design, image via Houzz

Design by Ziger/Snead Architects, image via Houzz

Image via Emerald Cidade

Design by Emily Elizabeth Interiors Design, image via Houzz

Design by Kia Designs, image via Houzz

^{Design by William Hefner Architecture Interiors and Landscape, image via Houzz}

Image via Cococozy

 

Image via Stardust

Design by Neuhaus Design Architecture P.C., image via Houzz

Designed by Stacy Begg | Photo by Michael Graydon | Image via House and Home

Of course, great style comes at a price – one of these babies will set you back close to $3,000.00 CDN. Yikes! Which is why I’m looking for an Arco-STYLE floor lamp!

Image via Comfortable Home Design

Image via Decorpad

Image via Mix and Chic

I’ve had pretty decent luck finding good stuff on Kijiji – hopefully there’s a floor lamp out there with my name on it!

Fab Furniture Friday with Switch Studio

My friend Staci at {inspired by life} recently started a new business called Switch Studio. She refinishes and reupholsters pieces of furniture and gives them a brand new & fresh lease on life.

Check out these {not so great} Befores & {awesome} Afters, starting with a cute little stool.

I’m coveting this amazing chair!

From granny…

…to gorgeous!

Seriously, are you kidding me? How did this schlumpy sofa…

Turn into this?!

And a couple of pretty fantastic headboards…

When Staci isn’t giving old furniture new life, she just might be in the kitchen whipping up some cupcakes or a batch of cookies. And on September 15th, Staci is hosting the second annual Bake-N-Blog party. Click the button below for all the details. Don’t miss out on the baking fun!

This is what I’ll be baking:

Happy weekend!

Man colours

Have you ever wondered how somebody ever came up with paint colour names like Dead Salmon and Atomic Vomit Green and Hamster Cuddles? Think you can do better? Well, here’s your chance! CIL Paint is running a contest on Facebook to re-name colours like Tutti Frutti and Ballerina Slipper with more manly names – the theory being that a guy will be more likely to want to paint if he’s putting Beer on the walls instead of Butterscotch. Frankly, the only way to persuade my hubby to get out the brush and roller and get to work is if the paint TASTES like beer. But who knows, maybe there’s some logic to this.

What’s the grand prize in the manly chip name contest? A manly $10,000 home theater, of course! If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a manly-paint-chip-namer, click here to go to CIL’s Facebook page and enter. Here are some names I came up with just for the heck of it…

Fab Furniture Friday with The Painted Hive

Here’s a great Fab Furniture Friday project that will inspire you to either try something similar or to call a travel agent and book a vacation – or both! Kristine at The Painted Hive found this beat-up cabinet in a gutter:

And turned it into this piece of gorgeousness.

But wait – here’s the best part. The wood on the top had been sanded within an inch of its life, complete with exposed veneer and gouge marks.

Kristine came up with the idea to use wrapping paper to cover the damaged wood. Sometimes problem solving leads to the best & most creative ideas :-) Check this out:

How cool is that?! The map adds so much character, and really makes this cabinet unique.

And the perfect little finishing detail – Kristine created these awesome compass knobs.

Click here to read all about how Kristine turned this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan :-)

If you have a piece of furniture that you’ve built, repaired, refinished, repurposed, reinvented, or otherwise done something fabulous to, send me some pictures and the story behind it, and I’ll feature it in a future Fab Furniture Friday post.

Happy weekend!

It’s all Greek key to me

Image via Body Temple

Now that I have your attention… ;-)

A meander – more commonly known as Greek key design – is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. The name has two meanings: "meander" recalls the twisting and turning path of the Maeander River in Asia Minor, and the “meander is the figure of a labyrinth in linear form” (Karl Kerenyi, one of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology).

Meander pavement in Rhodes, image via Wikipedia

Meanders appeared in ancient Greece in many architectural friezes, temples, and in bands on pottery from the Geometric Period (about ca. 900 to 700 BC) onwards. They were among the most important symbols in ancient Greece, thought to symbolize infinity and unity. Greek vases were likely the genesis for the widespread use of meanders.

Geometric pottery, c. 900-700 BC, image via Art History 2010, Laura Shefler

Today, the Greek key design is seen on everything from buildings to fabrics to jewellery to light fixtures.

Image via Splendid Willow

Love these two fireplaces – subtle but effective.

Design by and image via Fiona Barratt Interiors

Design by and image via Diamond Baratta Design

Greek key looks cool incorporated into a piece of furniture.

Design by and image via Bradley Hughes

Image via Design Elements

Design by and image via Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Beautiful bright green dresser – notice the Greek key motif on the feet, as well as the hardware.

Image via Designer Detective

It’s a great focal point in a room when used as trim.

Design by and image via Cullman & Kravis

Design by and image via Diamond Baratta Design

I’m not usually a fan of yellow, but I’m seriously diggin’ these yellow chairs with black piping. Very cool!

Design by Tracy Murdock Allied ASID, image via Houzz

Greek key looks just as good down on the floor.

Design by and image via Jennifer Flanders Inc. Interior Design

Design by Rachel Reider Interiors, image via Houzz

Design by Palmer Weiss Interior Design, image via Decorpad

It looks great as trim on curtains.

Image via Southern Living

Design by and image via Carol Reed Interior Design

Dress up a valance with Greek key.

Image via Left Coast Luxe

And why not go all the way and hang curtains made with Greek key fabric (love the mirror hung in front of the shelves too).

Design by Amanda Nisbet Design, image via Fashionable Interiors

A little bit of Greek key on cushions.

Image via Decorpad

Image via Design Muse

Image via Aesthetic Oiseau

Image via Bradley Hughes

There are four different patterned fabrics in this space – including Greek key – and they work so well together. None is overpowering, and each makes its own statement.

Photo by Alex Hayden, image via Decorpad

And Greek key on furniture. Love the look of this blue chair.

Image via Splendid Willow

Gorgeous living room. The Greek key fabric on the chair is repeated on the cushions on the matching sofas.

Image via Decorpad

Greek key meets Ikat. Did you notice the trim on the curtains as well?

Image via Hirshfields

Sleeping with Greek key…

Image via Decorpad

Design by Mary McDonald, image via La Dolce Vita

Why not wear some Greek key?

Image via Kentshire

Image via Perfect Wedding Day

Light up your life with some Greek key.

Image via Dose of Design

And this might by my very favourite use of Greek key…

Image via Eclectic Revisited

Strangely enough, although I love Greek key, I don’t have any in my house. How about you?