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? 

Lemon Tart - Show and Tell Friday

 

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  We had a wonderful Christmas and since I've been off work almost a week I've lost track of time and just realized that I need to put up my Show and Tell post today!  Since I'm totally unprepared I thought I would share a yummy dessert I made for Christmas dinner! Luckily I snapped a photo of it with my iPhone before I ate it! 

 

 I found this recipe on

10 Special Painted Santas

Santas are an important part of Christmas decorating  in my house.  Rather than buying them over the years, I've enjoyed creating my painted Santas.  I began with tall wooden  Santas that stood like sentinels on my stairs each Christmas.

Birdhouse Santa

For many years  this family of Santas  provided a great topic of conversation for guests who were eager to see what the new Santa would be.  As time passed, so did  my interest in just a little too many Christmas decorations.  These  Santas now  lie in my storage room lonely, covered in dust, and  reminiscing about better times.  Perhaps they will become the illustrations for  Christmas stories for my granddaughters. 

The Santas that still hold a special place in my heart, and get displayed on my  tree each year, are the small ornamental ones. No material was sacred: slate, driftwood, balsa wood, cinnamon sticks, light bulbs etc. . Today they all sit proudly next to glittery balls, sparkly stars and other finery.  It is never the glitz that people admire on my tree; it is always my Santas. So much for sparkle.

Swedish Santa

Driftwood Santa

Holly Santa

 Striped Santa

Green eyed Santa

 Light bulb Santa

Long Beard Santa

 Slate Santa Blue Eyes

 Santa Don

Cinnamon Santa

What special ornaments hold a place in your yearly  Christmas decor?

More Christmas Decor - Show and Tell Friday

 

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This week I wanted to share some more of my little apartment decorated for Christmas.  I cleaned house on Saturday and had plans to wash my car and take photos of my Christmas décor on Sunday but my daughter had other plans!  Since she turned 21 and is now of legal drinking age she woke up and said "lets go to brunch"  since now she can order mimosas!  I

A White Christmas - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  It's been really cold here this week in Northern California! It was down into the high 20s at night! I know that not be very cold to some of you but for California it is!!!   I was hoping for snow but all we got was heavy frost!

 



 

It looks like a White Christmas in my apartment though!  I decided that even though I have to move in February and I'm a

A little hot cocoa

 



Sometimes it's the little things that you don't normally do everyday that can make you happy!  I don't remember the last time I had hot cocoa with whipped cream on it but for some reason last Saturday morning I just had a craving for it!  Occasionally at work I will have the instant hot chocolate in the packets that you add hot water to but I much prefer to make it with unsweetened cocoa

Vintage and Vogue at Christmas - Show and Tell Friday

 

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I'm breaking my own rule and sharing something that is not from my home for this Show and Tell Friday!  I'm sure you won't mind once you see this lovely shop!

 

 




I feel so fortunate to have this beautiful shop just a mile from my home!  It's always lovely but at this time of the year it is truly breathtaking!

 



 

This dresser above is exactly

10 Ways to use Pantone's Colour of 2014

The news is out and after much  guessing  by designers the world over Pantone has declared Radiant Orchid as the colour for 2014.

2014 Pantone Colour of the Year

 It seems to leave people a little speechless.  Now I am a purple lover and have hits of it around my house, but I lean toward the bluish purples.  Even my front door is BM french violet. I have lavender  front porch cushions  etc.  I wear lots  of purples in clothing.   But this is more pink.

It is a far cry from last year's emerald. 

 If you bought into emerald last year here's a combination of the two.... 

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Certainly colourful.  Notice how white is used to quieten this scheme.

But how to deal with this vibrant pink purple.... 

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 Play it safe and use it to add a  jolt of colour in flowers... Beautiful and temporary.

 

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Invest in a little leather that can be moved from room to room.  

Paint a piece of furniture or a mirror.

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Throw in a daring light fixture. 

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 Buy an accent chair in this lovely hue and connect it with a patterned pillow. 

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Mix it up in lovely patterned bedding. 

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Or on a ceiling or headboard.  Notice the leather ottoman from a previous shot.

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Now we are getting daring with drapes, a bold geometric pattern and peonies.  The dark furniture provides a rich backdrop for this scheme.

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Or have the full meal deal with walls, bedding, drapes, pillows and art.  Thankfully the white offers the perfect foil for the vibrancy.

Did you notice any trends in how it is used? 

And good- bye with one of my paintings that works with this lovely colour

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Margaret Ryall ( In Between) mixed media on canvas, 12 x 36 inches , private collection