5 SOFT BLACK AND WHITE SCANDINAVIAN BEDROOM INSPIRATIONS

1) Stylizimo

Inspiration: Matte black wall & a lot of natural lighting.

2) Ollie & Seb's

Inspiration: Two-toned walls, black & white portraits.

3) The Design Chaser

Inspiration: Mixture of patterns & textures.

4) Robmills

Inspiration: Black bed frame & layering of linens.

5) My Scandinavian Home

Inspiration: White walls & black linens.

RUSTIC ECLECTIC, HOME OF EMERSON LEE

I happened to chance upon a friend's home over the weekend. This is what I found and how he had cleverly used warm & cute decors to contrast an otherwise bold yet cold setting to create a unique living space.

Making use of the natural balcony lights to bring in much needed lighting to the living room. The usage of a white curtain further enhances and contributed to the brightness of the living space. 

Note the usage of contrasting material and color choices to create a subtle yet effective contrast to the vast white & grey walls and flooring. The light wood colored seating legs further adds a hint of homeliness to the nice soft fabric sofa. Whereas, the raw black coffee table actually consist of 2 side tables placed together to enhance the background of the light colored seating.

I like how a simple, industrial and raw construction method is used to create this unique dinning set. Whereby, the tig welded legs finished in matte black and wooden planks mounted to create the seat and table top. Minimalist approach keeps the place simple, purposeful and unique.

Ceiling mounted LED spotlights pointed at the background poster of Kurt Cobain.

An otherwise plain wall has been turned into a display shelve again using industrial pipes and wooden planks. Minimal items on the shelves allows each item to stand out on its own.

Raw rubber seeds by itself would have been discarded as rubbish but placed in this unique and rustic ashtray, it becomes a decorative item. Another nice, cheeky and unique ashtray is highlighted below and this one sits at the living room's coffee table.

A special note of appreciation is accorded to my friend Emerson for giving me the opportunity to share with all his nice adobe. Simple, precise, concise and specific.

TRAVEL DIARY: KRABI, THAILAND

Phi Phi Island (a.k.a James Bond Island), one of the most popular island to visit when you are in Krabi. Now, I know that this island is in the "must visit" list when you are there, however I personally think that the place is too crowded and commercialized. If you are thinking of sun bathing, beach games or even a swim, perish the thoughts! The beach area is rather small, it's dangerous to swim around the beach as there are too many speed boats and if you manage to find a spot to sun bathe, pray that you won't be stepped on by other tourists who would be trying to find the best spot to take a photograph. 

If my memory serves me right, all the beaches we visited during our stay in Krabi looks almost the same! So why not take a tour to other less famous island instead. For instance, the Poda Island. The sea water is crystal clear and the beach is not crowded by 100 hundred people trying to take selfies. It's a place where you may actually take out your beach blanket or mat to sun tan, run around and swim your heart out. Definitely cheaper too since the island is not as popular as Phi Phi Island.

Even better if you have an iced cold beer to chug! Or maybe a cold soda drink.

Date of travel: 21st - 24th of February 2014

FEATURE SITE: STYLIZIMO BY NINA HOLST

I have been following Stylizimo religiously for the past few years now. The author, Nina Holst, is probably one of my favorite interior decorator. I was inspired when I first bumped into the site, and ever since then, I find it amazing that black and white can be incorporated into home interior decoration and yet, still achieve a perfect balance despite the fact that these two colors are the most contrasting colors out of the color palette. Here are some images from Nina Holst new home and I must say, I am absolutely in love with it!

We tend to neglect walls at corners of the living spaces, however I think this black corner wall is a job well done. The bold black wall creates a very dramatic effect, yet the matte color softens the wall, while the space is not wasted by converting it into a very stylish book shelf.

The wood element from the wishbone chair makes a nice soft contrast against the whole black and white theme of the home. 

The black kitchen looks ridiculously stunning! Of course the natural lights coming from the windows play an important role in keeping the kitchen bright. Love how the brass kitchen faucet pops out from the black kitchen element.

Here is a very good example of minimal home decor whereby sometimes less is more. I like how the simple Ikea besta drawers are being arranged in a row and used here, for extra storage spaces in the bedroom. Definitely using this idea for my future home!

Images by Nina Holst : Source

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TRAVEL DIARY: OUSE BRIDGE OF YORK, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM

The Ouse Bridge was one of the most memorable landmark among the places I have visited during my stay in Sheffield. The Ouse River is located at the North of Yorkshire, England. Standing at the bridge, overlooking the river, felt so serene. Would love to visit here again if I get the chance.

DIY CHEAP DRAWER ORGANIZER

I must admit that I am not the most organized person on earth. I like stocking up my daily essentials to make sure that I don't run out of the items I need, for instance, tissues, wet wipes, hair products, cotton wipes, etc. 

Most of my stuffs are simply thrown into the drawer (with plastics from the shopping itself) and sometimes it can get really annoying when I need something and had to dig thru the piles of rubbish just to find it. So here is a simply DIY drawer organizer weekend project which cost me nothing. *wink*

Get any shopping bag which you are not using, you may even use higher grade quality plastic bag or even paper bag for this. In my case, I used Forever 21 plastic bag and these shopping bags as I got them for free from previous purchases and I don't re-use them because I don't like the color and pattern. 

Now, you will be surprise at how easy it is to make these organizers. First of all, fold the top part of the bag and hide the bag handle like so...

Tuck in the handle to hide it. At this point you may choose to use a stapler to secure it in place. 

Fold in another round and tadah! You'll get a cute fabric basket. Of course, if you have nicer shopping bags, you may even make it more rustic looking.

Did a pink one as well for a pop of color. 

Paper bag can also be used for this project, you may need to cut the paper bag to half so the organizer will not be too tall. Subsequently, fold the top inwards for a more clean and tidy finish. So there you go, a cheap and simple solution for those of you who are as unorganized as me.