Reclaimed wood works

 Old is good. What is old can be new again with a little ingenuity, and I don't mind admitting that the art side of my brain has lots of that.   I think reclaimed wood  is beautiful, and this summer I made great finds on the beaches near our summer house.

Are you wondering how this connects to decor?  Keep reading!

Atlantic Ocean beach wood

 Storm tossed and sea sanded house/shed remnants  were dragged home against my better half's judgement. At the time I answered the strong call emitted by these materials, but  I didn't know why I needed them.  My art often begins with the call of materials rather than with sketches and preconceived notions of a final product.

Not a pretty site/sight

No this is not the home decor section!

Move over hubby,  I am taking possessions of your precious workshed and tools.  Yep!  I know my way around drills, bandsaws, chopsaws and sanders and I discovered construction adhesive will stick most everything together. Drop paintbrushes, fine papers and canvas.  I have a new palette and perhaps a new series for exhibition.

This one is my keeper.

Beach Quilt, Margaret Ryall, 2013, reclaimed wood

 And here it is in the back entry of my summer house.  I have to wait until May to see it again (and take some decent shots of it).

You've reached the home decor part

Stay tuned for more creative moments in my life.  What have you created for your home lately?

Elements of Scandinavian Design

 I have lots of love affairs and Scandinavian design is one of them. I developed this passion in my teenage years when I discovered a book in our local library.  Just to put you in the loop, it was a new book then.  It  is  hard to believe that one event can impact one's design aesthetic for life, but that's the case because  I've woven various elements of  mid century Scandinavian design into every home I've  had.

Here's my take on  the elements of  mid- century modern Scandinavian design and how I've interpreted it in my own home. 

Form

•  function is the priority, and then  form is pared back to its simplest statement 
• materials are chosen for their beauty and longevity
• the lines are clean and  minimal , often with sinuous curves or  very "boxy"
• craftsmanship is flawless
• 360 degree design -  looks good from every angle 
•  prominent use of wood , followed by  plastic and metals
• emphasis on nature and organic forms; bring natural materials in

Scandinavian furniture design

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Scandinavian furniture natural tones

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White furniture on light wood

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Check out  other iconic furniture designs in a previous post . So many well known furniture came from Scandinavian designers.

Colour/Light

• emphasis on magnifying natural light
• white and off- white interiors with blue or blue gray or black
• muted  tones,  restricted to neutrals 
• simple or no window treatments

Colour in Scandinavian Design

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 White colour scheme with light wood

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Neutrals with natural wood

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Shape

•  geometric  patterns, free form / organic and florals

organic patterns

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 Bold geometric patterns 

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Love the hint of blue with the black, white and gray in the  geometric rug.  The pop of blue with the throw is inviting and also creates a sense of warmth in the room. 

geometric patterns

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This is such a crisp but inviting room that is made interesting by using a range of textures and patterns.  I love how the striped rug anchors everything.

Lassen Accessories

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 Texture

• wood is highly valued and  used extensively for floors,  walls and furniture
• natural materials in textiles: linen, wool, cotton, hessian, fur (sheepskin)
• glass, pottery is used for many accessories

Texture in Scandinavian design

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This image shows a simple room with  many natural material in one small space: wool, felted wool, fur , cotton and possibly linen.  And great art to anchor the space,.  Wouldn't you love to sit on that chair?

Natural materials in textiles

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Another chair holding  a selection of cozy textiles that you can choose to cuddle up with. 

 Texture in accessories

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There's nothing like a matte inky black vase and natural elements to draw your attention to a corner or an interesting piece of furniture.  This one is so sleek next to the roughly carved  stool. A great mix. 

Knits in Scandinavian  design

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 Nothing is as inviting as knits on a bed.  All that texture, light colour and cuddle potential.

Space 

• uncluttered,  room to rest the eye
• easy to move around

Open design

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 And here's my  always in transition, uniquely Newfoundland,  mid century Scandinavian look at Christmas!

Scandinavian colour scheme

I like minimal window coverings in a south facing window when privacy isn't an issue, hints of black and natural toned birch with lots of white and gray.

Scandinavian design  with a twist

Christmas decorations without the traditional red or green and my new Kubus 4 candle holder  that is quickly becoming my favourite accessory next to  pillows from my sister who knows just what a room needs.    

Mid Century Danish modern hand crafted

Natural elements Christmas

Margaret Ryall

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What elements of Scandinavian design do you have in your home? 

A nature inspired Christmas

Wooh!  I am overwhelmed with all those over the top Christmas home tours popping up on Pinterest and blogs.  Is it me or have people gone totally overboard  with Christmas decorating? The practical in me rebels.  Where do they store all those new decorations each year?  How much money is invested yearly when one does a complete decor  change at Christmas?  Where is tradition in all of this? 

It's was so refreshing to visit  my sister's home this week and see that nature and thrift inspired much of what she has done to invite Christmas cheer. We both love a good bargain and forage our gardens for materials to decorate.  Some of the objects get used year after year in different ways and a small portion are purchased new.   So come along and see what she has done.....

Christmas Welcome

She  has the perfect roofed entry for welcoming  Christmas decor. A centre layout doesn't hurt either.  She couldn't pass up these  lovely birch pots even thought she went looking for something larger. I love the colour and texture of them. They  are so versatile and  could easily be used inside too on a table or buffet.

 Birch Pots

 A closer view.  The local dollar store had lots of inexpensive ornaments to add to the cedar and pine.

 Berries and Birds

The red tub and a sprinkling of snow adds to this delightful combination of birds, berries, twigs and greenery.  Happy holidays to all who decide to enter by the back door.  That would be almost everybody in the town where she lives! While I was visiting there were high winds and we were afraid the contents  of this arrangement would  end up in the neighbour's yard.  Decorating outside in Newfoundland is a risky business.

Dove with greenery

 And inside a stained glass dove, a gift from us several years ago, is incorporated into  this very simple arrangement of greenery in a basket that gets used every year.  This arrangement also serves a practical purpose - it creates privacy and allows the outside in.   Taken at night this shot shows the inside wreath on the opposite wall,  the bare tree outside and  the neighbour's lights.  I wished I had my camera and not my I Phone for better shots.

 This  versatile candle holder might appear anywhere during the year in her house, but this Christmas it is on the buffet in the dining area. 

 Add a red candle.... 

 

And a $2.00  mini wreath, you guessed it from the local dollar store,

 

 and viola .... ready for Christmas. 

We were wishing there was a third one to balance out the wreath.  Spreading them out a little helped.  That shot never got taken.

 And a lovely 3 D snowflake on a spent orchid stalk.   So simple and so riveting .  Your eye will  follow  red anywhere.   We had great discussion about where  the snowflake should be placed.  We decided to put it on the edge of the vignette to move your eye on to the next thing. Two sisters who are both decorators can spend hours talking about very little (according to family)!

An inviting home and a great sister.  Merry Christmas Vera, and thank you for allowing me to show some of your Christmas cheer.

Simple Christmas decorating

  Margaret Ryall

We all have our Christmas rituals and mine usually start December 1st..  I  always make something for my entrance first.   I am not one to overdo things.  I re-use what I have or forage in  my garden or the gardens of friends. Then I added some LED lighted twigs and silver balls and a hit of mesh ribbon.   The purple connects with my front door. The blown leaves remind me that we are between seasons.

Margaret Ryall

 Each year I allow myself one  or two new purchases and send at least one small bag of assorted objects to a local charity shop.   I'm extravagant this year with two purchases.  I've been looking for a plain wreath to change around each year and found this great one with LED lights  for 25% off at Canadian Tire.  This year the theme is snow flakes and silver... just because.

 

 Margaret Ryall

 This year I embraced our new Target ( very near my home) and purchased three  dark silver vases that you will be seeing around my house through out the coming seasons.  I love repetition in threes as you can see.   A little sparkle with red is refreshing.

   Margaret Ryall

I have a fondness for trays to corral objects into a composition.  This lovely white one was a gift from my husband last year. It has silver leaf leaves and birds on it (see below). 

Candles are always a must at Christmas time and I usually arrange those I have on a tray, add in some flowers and ornaments and call it a day.  I am still fiddling with this arrangement and I may need to invest in some new candles  because these are looking a little worn.  There's nothing like a photo to help you refine a composition.   The finials are going and I must put in one more pillar for a chubby candle.     Love plain white mini carnations because they last forever.

 

 The new  version with finials removed. Looking better.  Every time I pass by I move something!

That's it until December 14 when I usually add the second layer of decoration and put up the tree.

I hope you are putting a little sparkle in your home. 

8 Ways to fill empty corners

The four corners of a room are often a no man's land when it comes to design.  I am not saying that you have to fill up every corner with something, but I am advocating thinking about your space to determine if  it might need to look more "fulfilled". Here are some of my favourite solutions:

Art 

Using Art to fill an empty corner

Margaret Ryall

 Usually you can't walk right up art you place in a corner,  so choose something that can be read from a distance. This lovely matted and framed wood sculpture is stunning for corner purposes.  It brightens up the space, fills it nicely, provides a backdrop for the dark table and lamp base and is a bit of a conversation piece. I was so excited when it was hung on my clients' wall.  

 

 Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

This colourful mid century modern space needs art work to match.   It creates another layer for the space that invites the eye to roam and then return to the equally colourful lamp and chair. 

 Round table and two chairs

Houzz

Round tables are great for corners because they allow you to fill the awkward space and at the same time move your eye around so you don't get stuck there visually. The addition of the lamp provides the third height thus creating a more interesting design.

Tall  floral arrangement

 Jeffers Design Group

 When you have the height why not go for it and use something tall to fill the space.  Again a round table is the mainstay for  this foyer area. 

 Built in bookcase 

Vicente Burin Architects

This beautiful set of bookcases  tucks effortlessly into a corner.  The colour adds to the whole space and the minimal arrangement of objects and books ensures it isn't too busy. 

Chair and floor lamp 

 

 Cravotta Interiors

A round floor lamp behind a chair is a perfect and quite functional solution for a corner. 

 Houzz

In larger spaces the addition of a round table helps to fill the corner and provide variety in heights. 

 A  workspace 

Siemasko + Verbridge

Tidy and interesting  art too. 



  Leslie Goodwin Photography

Or perhaps a larger space to make use of a corner under a stairs.  


 
SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

Large scale vases/urns

InHouse Design Studio

Sometimes you need a certain something to complete a design and these two large scale floor vases do just that.  Imagine the space without them.  

Flüff Designs & Decor

 This arrangement is not in a corner, but it very well could be.  Rather than bamboo you could use birch sticks if you wanted a more rustic look.

 Corner mirror and two chairs

Tydings Design Inc

Love this solution because it expands the space making it seem like it goes on forever. The glitz and sparkle doesn't hurt either . 

Then there's tall plants, built in benches, screens .... The list is as long as your imagination.  Do you have any bright ideas for filling corners?