Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Sue May.

Hi! I wanted to share this dilemma with you guys. I have a set of two lovely fairly big windows but due to a recent break-in at my neighbor's house we decided to place these awful iron bars. I truly feel like I'm living in a concrete jail.

I've been trying to figure out how to make them less hideous. I'm going to make two plant boxes for flowers and herbs. But besides that I'm lost.

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Leslie and she really needs your help!

I am moving to a new 2-bedroom apartment - with no roommates - and I'm really excited about designing it the way I want. However, I came across a problem that plagued me in my old apartment as well, and which I am unsure how to solve. I have workout equipment - a treadmill, yoga mat, and exercise ball - and I don't know where to put it. Initially I wanted to sort of 'merge' it into the second bedroom, which will be a guest bedroom. But the square footage in there is small enough that I am worried the equipment would crowd and annoy any guest I had staying over in there. Not to mention mar the design. I want the guest room to be inviting. But I just don't know where else to put the stuff. Is there a solution for placing exercise equipment in an apartment where there is no dedicated exercise room? Could I put it in my main living area (a small double parlor) without ruining that design - which will be seen more often - as well?

Attached are pictures of the living room, dining room and bedroom. The living room and dining room are adjacent. None of the furniture in there is actually mine - it's the current tenant's. So we sort of have to imagine there's nothing in there yet. The items there now do help illustrate scale/size, though.

Many thanks in advance for your help!

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Mish, a woman of few words who feels the need for change.

Hi love your blog.  Can I send u some pics of my home? Am so bored with it. Hate try hard or suburban. Love modern. Can u and your readers help with an upgrade. It has good bones. Due for a change need some inspiration. Want to throw a bit of money at it.

I've bought a voucher for a glass picture and I don't know what to put in it.  It's 80x80cm and I don't want to get it wrong. Don't want any family pics.

(Jo says ... It's a customised glass display piece where the image is printed directly onto the glass like the one below.  Except remember no family pics.)

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Donnet who lives in South Africa.

So my boyfriend and I are wanting to make a little dead-space/old bedroom in our house into a home-office. We live in an awesome loft apartment, and it has one really unusual feature - a curved, corrugated roof. This makes it a little difficult fitting things into the mezzanine level. We want to keep the space simple and clutter-free as our mezzanine level is all open plan and our bedroom and 2 bathrooms are up there too.

About the space:
-The space is triangular in shape and approximately 3m along the window wall x 2.5m wide down the roof side.
-It has a beautiful curved window with an awesome view that lets it a lot of light. (If we could come up with some sort of blind system for this window we would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone!)
-One of our bathrooms is right next to the space
-We would need to fit 2 work stations in the space
-There is only one corner with wall space

We would love to get some outside perspective on the space.

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Jackie.

  

My hubby & I (and 3 children & 1 yellow lab) live in Reading, Mass about 15-20 minutes north of Boston. We've lived in our 1901 4-square colonial for about 4 1/2 yrs now.  We love it and there is so much potential with our home - but we don't know where to start. 1st off - all original (dark) woodwork throughout the home. The front hall is huge for a "hall" - its more like a greeting room so we don't know how to decorate it. We have pocket doors, 2 sets of stairs and a fireplace immediatly greeting you as soon as you come in.

We never see a house/woodwork like ours on any design shows and I am at such a loss as how to decorate with it all. Its very warm & beautiful but it can be so dark. Yet everyone tells me not to paint it - none of it. (including my husband). I look in a million magazines and email sites ... Nobody shows anything like our home. It seems woodwork is painted white 99% of the time. We have 100+ yr old woodwork we really don't want to paint (at least not all of it).

The house is a diamond in the rough. I love the home & most of our belongings - its just that I feel right now the house shows more like an older person's house & not a young couples ... I would call our taste Traditional but with a modern twist. Right now between the dark wood & all our antiques/wood furniture - I feel it just looks like Grandma's house! ;0 I want to funk things up...and lighten things up!  I have had 2 different ladies in here to help us & ...well lets just say those are long stories .

We are on a budget.  We plan on:

• Fireplace:  replacing the brick around the fireplace. Maybe go with a deep high shine/gloss green subway tile??? We recently removed the top of the mantle & replaced the small rectangular mirror  w/ a HUGE wood mirror. But should we do art instead? Maybe a sea side sunset w/ pinks & purples in it & a candle or electric sconce on each side?   And  what to do for furniture placement by fireplace? We use the F.P. a lot in the chilly/cold months - but we'd use more if we had furniture by it!
  
• Front door/Entry way - Paint the outside of the front door a high gloss color so when door is open it will look nice in the little entryway. I was thinking black w/ brass or pewter kickplate & new hardware/letter slit, etc. And I'd love to do some cool colorful wall paper in the little front entryway w/ only a narrow & maybe a tall leaning mirror in there?
• Kitchen - Getting ready to do a small addition & entire kitchen/3/4 bathroom remodel in rear of house.  I'm thinking white/cream cabinets, a dark wood island, white subway tiles & wood floors.  
• Dining Room - We have some beautiful Thibaut Damask paper for the dining room. I can't wait to see that up.
  
• Staircase - Runner?  

Other then that - I'm at a loss. I'm OK w/ painting rooms again if you think our colors are wrong.  Hubby will NOT paint any woodwork