Tag: How to

Sometimes the simplest of things produce the most amazing results. We’ve gone a bit mad for our latest creative craze: leaf art prints.

This little DIY is so easy to do and the results are seriously effective and useful too.

There’s an undeniable trend for jungle prints and rain forest chic taking over interiors at the moment, so why not bring the botanic look to your walls?

All you need is a plain white sheet of paper, some spray paint, a small branch with some pretty leaves and a wide open area outside.

Once completed you can frame the prints, add them to a gallery wall or even just tape them up with some fun washi tape in nice colours. Instant art!

A few handy little tips:

• use a good quality spray and seek out nice colours
• hold the can a good bit away from the leaves as you spray to avoid it blowing away
• definitely, definitely do this outside because the fumes can be pretty intense and actually quite dangerous too
• aim for a soft spray and don’t over do it, a little goes a long way
• experiment with different styles of leaves
• dont spray the entire page, leave a proportion white for a more gradual look

Create a decorative yet functional glass cabinet space….

Glass cabinets in the kitchen can be a difficult one when it comes to deciding what to put in them. As everything is so visible glass cabinets can sometimes become a space with no function as we tend to fill them with pretty decorative items that are rarely used.

A creative and decorative way to use these glass cabinets while adding a little french nostalgia to your kitchen is to store your dry goods like cereals and pastas in vintage glass storage jars. These storage jars can feature decorative script lettering embossed into the glass along with a pretty metal clip lid for added decoration.

Using glass jars for storage is a quick and easy way to create a beautiful yet functional glass cabinet interior.

TOP TIPS

1. Fill the jars with different coloured candy or snacks for extra creative and fun look.
2. Select a jar with little decorative details e.g: the vintage Le Parfait glass storage jar which has decorative script lettering embossed into the glass with metal clip lid, the little extra detail is visually appealing.
3. Add different colour spices, lentils and different shapes of pasta to each jar to create an interesting and exciting display.

OUR FAVOURITES

1. IKEA do a great range of storage jars for display in an array of different sizes – one that we think works well is the KORKEN jar.
2. KILNER do a fantastic range of glass storage jars with the metal clip lids – these are available from most woodiesDIY stores.

City gardens are a lot more feasible than we realise but living in an apartment in the heart of the city often means compromised space, and little or no outside space and we often overlook the potential of small patios or balconies.

But who could blame us? In Ireland especially, balconies and gardens may only get used on the one week of the year the sun decides to show its face.

But that’s where we’re going wrong – because you don’t necessarily need an endless supply of sunshine to make your outside spaces super comfortable and functional.

Some cosy, waterproof furnishings, pretty lighting and lots and lots of gorgeous greenery can easily make a beautiful, relaxing, chill out space.

Here is a collection of some seriously gorgeous city garden imagery we’ve found to inspire your inner Gardner:

Use interior pieces like rugs and cushions to bring warmth and a soft, ‘residential’ feel to your balcony space.

Gorgeous textiles will be key for creating a warm space, that you’ll want to use all year round.

In lieu of flower beds, use old suitcases, shelving or bespoke pieces like the one above to create your own fabulous floral displays.

Adding texture to a wall is one of our favourite tricks – create a feature wall with dimension and movement.

During the warmer months there is nothing nicer than al fresco dining, so consider investing in an outdoor table and chairs.

Cluster plant pots and trees of varying heights and styles to create a full, colourful corners.

Create your own minature green house with some enclosed shelving – how pretty (and practical)!?

Tiles, tiles, tiles – We are tile crazy, so no space goes untouched! Outside spaces can be utterly transformed with a tiling installation. Be it on floors, walls or even a feature installment, tiling will have serious impact!

Our Ranelagh Residence garden uses a bespoke table made from an unused door on trestle legs (and don’t let the word bespoke fool you – this cost next to nothing to make).

We hope these gorgeous images and ideas will inspire you to get out into your garden, balcony or patio and start enjoying the space.

Have you tried a small garden make over? Or do you want to but have something holding you back? Hit us up with your stories or any questions you may have – we’d love to hear from you.

Make your walls pop…

Walls are the foundation of a room and their potential is generally overlooked.

Hold off on grabbing a fan deck to choose a paint colour and embrace your walls as your canvases with creative alternatives.

There is so much versatility with walls. Through progressive approaches, walls can bring in a wondrous wow factor to any room.

Escape into your ideal atmosphere with graphic murals. We utilized this technique in our DFS Ideal Home Showhouse kid’s room using cloud imagery to elicit both a fun and an ethereal ambiance.

This dreamy look attracted a great deal of attention and really inspired people at the popular Dublin event last Autumn.

It’s particularly nice to incorporate these murals into a child’s bedroom, as there is no limit to how playful and fun they can be.

With high quality creative design, screen printing, and digital printing there is nothing standing in your way of making your walls tastefully phenomenal!

We also used 3D panels in the DFS Ideal Home Showhouse, which truly transforms rooms into extraordinary spaces. Texture and pattern spectacularly invigorates environments through impressive structuring.

These routes of wall decor are inventive and accommodating: they have invigorated the practice and allure of wall art with the potential for the manifestation of truly original wall art ideas.

Subtle, yet bold, striking, and progressive- wall candy as such will make any room appear out of the box in the best possible way.

TOP TIPS:

1. Go all out and cover all four walls with patterns or just choose one wall to add a trendy touch

2. Showcase your originality with bespoke graphic murals

3. Continuously bring visions to life and foster creativity by using blackboard paint and chalk

OUR FAVOURITES:

1. 3D Panels are a Dublin-based company offering an incredible selection of 3D wall paneling; from trendy geometrics to elaborate patterns, your walls can be completely transformed with these tactile structures.

2. Wall Art are an award-winning wallpaper and wall mural company with a collection encompassing everything from incredible urban skylines to intricate floral designs.

3. Flavor Paper has an amazing selection of geometric, floral, and personal bespoke wallpaper; this funky company offers digital murals and a variety of materials to choose from to make any wall pop.

We’re completely loving the soft grey tones combined with tranquil pinks in the image above. The dynamic wall paneling seen on Haute Living is a great example of a unique,  modern approach to wall paneling and creates the perfect backdrop for clean, contemporary furnishings.

We also really love this watercolour splash design from The Creative Blog. The gorgeous inky blue shade brings colour, movement and interest to the overall design.

So be a little daring! Walls are usually a blank canvas screaming out for some love and attention.

By doing something out of the ordinary to your walls, you’re allowing yourself the perfect backdrop to create something a little spectacular.

Bringing the exterior in…

Over the last few years bringing your interior out to your garden to create an additional ‘exterior room’ has been a big trend.

This year the trend is being flipped on it’s head. Why not bring the natural element of planting into your home with some playful planting?

The fresh and vibrant feel planting brings to interiors not only brightens up the place during these dark, dull months but also has a positive impact on your mood and productivity.

Playful planting in our Ranelagh Residence – Use furniture pieces as planters for fun displays.

If like many of us you are not blessed with ‘Green Fingers’, don’t worry! There is an amazing selection of artificial plant on the market. Layering these with a couple of real plants will give the authentic feel you are looking for without all the hard work.

Playful planting in our Wicklow Residence – Use planing in front of windows with exterior planing to blur the lines between your home and your garden

We love using an eclectic mix of different plants; cacti, succulents, ferns and bamboo to add depth and texture to our planting.

The rich mix of greens with pops of colour, add drama to a space creating a focal point in the room with the organic shapes lending themselves to a new form of art work for your home.

Get creative and think outside the box when it comes to planters, just like in your garden this is a great opportunity to make a bold impact. One off pieces of furniture can make a great home for some of your plants.

Or if your looking for a strong statement, create a full wall of planting with tired cladding, or a fully shelves wall with greenery cascading down it.

TIPS:

1. Layer different types of plants

2. Play with scale to make planting more interesting

3. Think outside the box when choosing planters

Get your real greenery at Woodie’s and artificial goods at Urban Plant Life!

Playful planting in our Smithfield Residence – Use planting in front of mirrors for extra impact!

Christmas is just around the corner

Just over a week left before we all gather with family and friends to share joy, gratitude, and love over a Christmas feast. That also means there is only a few days left to decorate our houses and make our home magical.

Here at KLD we decided to try our hand at some handmade paper decorations in an effort to make your decorating easier!

So try out these DIY Christmas decorations. Making your own decorations is a fabulous creative outlet through the harnessing of unique design. and simultaneously impress people with your efforts…

A. Christmas Origami

MATERIALS NEEDED:

– Scissors
– Glue
– String
– White A4 sheet
– Patterned A4 sheet of your choice
– Gold or silver shiny A4 sheet

Step 1: Print one of these template on either a white A4 sheet or a patterned A4 sheet.

Step 2: Cut around the outlines. It will define the shape of your Christmas ball.

Step 3: With a needle, pierce a hole where on one of the face. Put the string through and make a knot.

Step 4: Score along all the dotted lines.The dotted lines represents where you bend the template to give it a 3D shape. Score it with a cutter or a needle will make it easier to bend the paper.

Step 5: Turn over and lightly bend along scored lines.

Step 6: Using a glue-stick glue each flap into place.

Last step is to decorate your tree with these fabulous homemade shapes!

B. Paper Snowflakes

With the Christmas tree decorated, now embellish door knobs or windows. Try paper snowflakes to hang around the house. As noted in the previous tip, use the ever so simple yet elegant white paper. Or go a shinier rout, like a gold or silver A4 paper.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

– Scissors
– Paper of your choice
– String and a needle

Step 1: First step is very simple. From a A4 or A3 sheet (if you want a bigger snowflake), cut a square and fold it in two to make a triangle

Step 2: Fold the triangle in half again, then into thirds.

Step 3: Cut around the edges of your folded paper any way you like, then open up the folds to reveal your snowflake.

Step 4: With a needle, pierce a small hole at the edge of the snowflake and put through the string. Make a know and hang it wherever you feel like.

If you are feeling inspired take a look at some of our other Christmas posts, Christmas Cards & Festive Graphics & Wrapping Delights!