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Clever ways to repurpose your old furniture

We all have those items in our homes. The ones we’ve had for donkey years. We don’t want to get rid of them but we don’t know what to do with them. Or sometimes it is furniture we’ve salvaged from a recent home renovation project.

Instead of taking them to the skip, why not give them a new lease of life? We’ve handpicked three clever ways to repurpose your old furniture into a new useful addition to your home.

Windows as a Coffee Table

If you’d love to reuse that old window you removed recently but can’t think of how, try this. Make it the top for a new coffee table. Like this one we found, they’ve upcycled a few pallets to create this industrial-style coffee table. Upcycling is sustainable and also rewarding.

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Repurpose an old credenza

Turn your old mid-century credenza into a new statement piece for your home. Although a bit bulky and definitely requiring knowledge of a thing or two on woodwork, you can breathe new life into your old treasure. This salvaged credenza was stripped, sanded, filled, designed and painted. A good amount of work went into it but it is a beauty to behold. The new designs also add the fun factor.

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Step up your décor literally

Not often do you get a ladder take centre stage in the home, talk less of in the bedroom. It can be done with a bit of creativity and vision. Make your bedside more interesting by repurposing an old leaning ladder. This example is perfect for book storage and even holds a spot for the lamp.

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When wanting to repurpose furniture, the options are endless. You can turn old furniture into extra seating, new display units and even wall art.  Inject personality and sustainability into your home by taking on a few new projects, or maybe one to start with.

Fill us in on your upcycling projects. We’d love to see your photos.

Image sources

DIY Network

Apartment 34

Dream Home Style

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New year, new look: Accessorize with style

Taking on a renovation project to achieve your dream home may not be feasible right now. But going for a simple makeover may be the perfect practical alternative. If you’re looking for some ideas, here are fool-proof ways to instantly update your home.

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Let the photos do the talking

Still have the same old photos on the wall? Unframed or framed, curated photos will instantly create a personalised area you’ll be proud of. Create a gallery wall to display new memories, maybe even those from the Christmas season.

Amp up your furnishings

By all means, inject some colour and texture into your living room with new cushions. Go with interesting designs and patterns to create visual impact.

Add some surprise elements

We often fall into the trap of making our decor too harmonious, there’s no interest. Pick out new unique bar stools or a provocative piece of art that will impress. An unexpected colour on a piece of furniture or vase can also make such a big difference.

Breathe life into furniture  

Give your treasured dresser or bedside cabinet a new lease of life. Don’t be afraid to change its colour or fittings. Swapping those wardrobe handles or cabinet knobs for some new shiny ones can be a big game-changer. Good thing is they’re very easy to replace.

These ideas are simple and easy to achieve. What will you do this week to accessorize your home with style?

Image source: Arkpad

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4 Ways to Create a Healthier Kitchen

When it comes to developing a healthier lifestyle, the kitchen is a great place to start. All it takes is a few simple changes to make healthy living a reality. Use these ideas to make 2016 a healthier one at home.

Keep things organised

You’ve decided on the healthy foods worth stocking up. You’ve made a couple of trips to your local grocer or supermarket. Why not give yourself a better chance of including these foods into your cooking schedule?  Rescue them from the dark cupboards they’ve been hiding in and bring them to the forefront.

Out of sight is out of mind, they say. Put an end to storage woes and make organisation your priority this year. Invest in great shelving for your food items, dinnerware and even appliances.  Open shelves provide a great way to keep them within easy reach. The arrangement also forces you to be organised.  That way, you’ll be motivated to eat healthy.

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Bring the herbs in

Indoor plants continue to be a trend in 2016. Fresh herbs are a definite must have. Give your favourite herbs and spices a home in your kitchen so you can add them easily to your meals. You can even create your very own sunken counter garden like this one.

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Go for a natural clean

First things first, deal with unwanted clutter in your kitchen. Get rid of those expired food containers, unsightly items and unused appliances taking up unnecessary space.

Now give everything a good clean. Kick those unpleasant chemical cleaners and disinfectants out and get some natural products in. A cup of white vinegar in some water is fantastic for a natural, non-toxic clean for kitchen surfaces. Lemon juice, baking soda are also perfect natural cleaning agents.

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A simple makeover

Make the kitchen the heart of your home and you’re on the way to healthier living. The happier you are about your kitchen space, the better your eating and cooking choices are likely to be.

Some simple changes can make all the difference. Maybe all your kitchen units are solid but they just need a little TLC. Why not give them a new lick of paint? A new back splash, counter top or wall colour might be all you need to elevate your kitchen’s look. Check out these ideas for great kitchen colour palettes.

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What new changes will you make to create a healthier kitchen at home?

Image sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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Top Interior Books to read in 2016

As we welcome 2016, it gives us the opportunity to look forward to fresh aspirations with a new lease of life. If you haven’t done so already, you can make some new goals today.  Think big and give yourself the chance to see your vision come to reality.

One goal of ours at Moody Monday is to challenge ourselves to innovate more. This will sometimes take us out of our comfort zone but we welcome this. We are eager to learn and find useful resources to help stretch our imagination.

What better way to start off 2016 than with a new book list? If it’s in the world of interior design, we have just the list for you. Read on for some of our favourite interior design books to open your mind up to a world of new possibilities. No doubt your home will thank you for it too.

1. The Tailored Interior by Greg Natale

Offering readers a step-by-step guide of the interior design process, Greg shares how he creates vibrant homes with his bold signature style. Find out more

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2. Bright Bazaar: Embracing Colour for Make-You-Smile Style by Will Taylor

This colour-popping book is bursting with beautiful images and great ideas on how to use colour in every space in your home. Find out more

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3. Sustainable Design Book by Rebecca Proctor

This book opens the door to a world of inspiration from over 200 designers who are taking ecological product design very seriously. It is sure to surprise and educate you. Find out more

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4. Decorating with Style by Abigail Ahern

We love how she makes dark interiors look so luxurious and captivating. Find out more

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5. Style Council by Sarah Thompson

Get introduced to unique interior spaces which celebrate savvy home style in Britain’s ex-council homes. Find out more

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Happy reading and a happy new year! Let us know which ones become your favourite.

Image mention

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Inspiring Designers Part III : Alvin Tjitrowirjo

This week in our inspiring designer series, we pitch our tent in the world of product design. It is unmistakably fundamental to interior design after all.

We recently discovered this gifted product designer, Alvin Tjitrowirjo. He is well known for his mastery of design. Our appreciation for innovative design instantly drew us to his work.

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Photo: Round Table Bench, © AlvinT 2015

Passionate about preserving and protecting Indonesian culture at its core, his furniture brand AlvinT and design studio, AlvinT Studio  skilfully blend cultural elements with contemporary design. We like design which is honest and unexpected and are particularly intrigued by the considered use of natural and industrial materials to create beautiful, high quality furniture pieces which can stand the test of time.

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Photo: Kawong (Coffee Table), © AlvinT 2015

With beautiful ranges of lighting, sofas, chairs and more, spanning three delightful collections, the designs bring a taste of innovation and a real sense of craftsmanship to many a design enthusiast.

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Photo: Kawong (Shelves), © AlvinT 2015

Why not visit their website www.alvin-t.com? There’s more brilliant design to see.

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Photo: Colette & Lola Grand Indonesia Shopping Town © AlvinT 2015

For previous blog posts you might have missed on the series, here are part I and part II.

All images sourced from and reproduced with permission from AlvinT.

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Inspiring Designers, Part II : Prasetio Budhi

This week, we introduce you to another talented interior designer based in Indonesia. Prasetio Budhi heads up Plus Design, the interior design consulting firm which he set up over a decade ago.

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Photo: Le Salon, © Plus Design 2015

His style is particularly youthful, having the ability to combine luxurious elements bringing individuality and personality to beautiful high-end spaces.

His mantra is “to bring world class design to every project”. Embracing more of a classic style in his interiors whether residential or commercial, his ability to showcase interesting design with a contemporary aesthetic is remarkable.

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Photo: Senopati Residence, © Plus Design 2015
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Photo: Jade Boutique © Plus Design 2015

The refined look created in this commercial store displays a creative juxtaposition of dark ambiance with statement lighting. We think his work is undeniably stylish with a refreshing edge.

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Photo: Elite Senayan City, © Plus Design 2015
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Photo: Elite Senayan City, © Plus Design 2015

For more of his interior projects, visit www.plus-dsgn.com. If you haven’t already, also read the first blog in our series, Inspiring Designer part 1.

Image mention

https://www.behance.net/prasetiobudhi

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6 Christmas tree decorating ideas

Food, music, presents, gifts, there’s so much to plan ahead for Christmas but undoubtedly one of the highlights of getting our homes ready for Christmas is decorating the tree. Whether real or artificial, Christmas trees come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and they can provide the perfect avenue to express bouts of creativity.

You can stick to what’s tried and tested or decide to switch things up with your tree decorations this year. We have some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Channel Scandi chic by letting your green tree stand out against the backdrop of grey tones and muted colours. The key to this is keeping  the decorations really simple using pretty icicles, festive accessories and fairy lights.

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Stay in harmony with your living room’s colour palette by sticking to one colour for the tree decorations. In this cosy living room, baubles of different sizes create the right amount of texture and impact

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Image source

Sticking to a green colour scheme, the ornaments provide variety and make the tree anything but boring.

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Image source

You can’t go wrong with a colourful traditional look. Go bold and beautiful with vibrant garlands, baubles, ribbons and accessories.

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Image source

An alternative Christmas tree like this one with a hoop design is an option for those who like to try something unique.blog6_christmas tree

Image source

Have fun decorating!

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Stunning Blue Interiors

According to research, Blue is the world’s favourite colour. With so many beautiful shades, this colour depicts calmness and serenity and is loved by many interior designers and designer wannabes around the world.

Dark blue hues are usually great for autumn and winter. Get inspired by these beautiful blue rooms.

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The blue walls in this gorgeous living room are complemented by the gold and white accents

Image credit: Plum Design

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The statement wallpaper acts as a great backdrop in this blue and grey room

Image credit: House to Home

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Stunning blue wall panels add vibrant colour and accent to this luxurious room

Image credit: Art Ekstrax

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We love the way this beautiful sofa stands out perfectly placed in symmetry with the fireplace and wall art.

Image credit: From Greenwich

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Paired with white, the blue furnishings create a relaxing colour scheme in this bed room

Image credit: LuxDeco

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Simplicity at its best, the colour scheme takes advantage of indigo blue

Image credit: Port and Quarter

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4 Tips for organising your home office

The home office is more popular these days than it has ever been, thanks to flexible working practices and more people starting their own businesses from home.

At Moody Monday, we’re all for owning and having control of your space. Say goodbye to the days of chaos and messy desks, it’s time to make this the week of the organised home office.  Here are a few tips to get you started.

Declutter, declutter, declutter

If you’re not throwing things out on a regular basis, it’s very likely that you’re keeping more stuff than you really need. Like we do with our wardrobes and other rooms in the home, it is important to declutter your home office regularly to keep on top of things. Scan important items, remove old magazines, paperwork you’ve dealt with, excess folders and the like. The saying “Less is more” is definitely true for the home office, you can concentrate on only what is truly relevant.

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Images via Anthony Pepe and Home Designing

Invest in a good organisational system

I have a soft spot for making sure everything has a home. Books, stationery, folders, office supplies, post it notes, you name them. It’s undeniable that we all have different preferences about how particular we are about these things, however some level of organisation is helpful for remembering where things are and bringing a sense of calm and order into your office space.

Make sure you have adequate storage to prevent your desk from becoming messy and untameable. If your home office has evolved over the years, it’s most likely needing a full evaluation to be sure the space is still working well for you. You can either plan this out yourself or hire the services of an interior designer to help you out.

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Image via Intelligent Genie

Choose your desk and chair wisely

In most corporate offices, there is much emphasis placed on ergonomics. It’s usually in the company policies to ensure that employees have the right environment and equipment to do their work efficiently and are also well informed about this. Why not have the same level of care and attention in your home office? Be sure to get a chair which provides all the support your body needs and the desk is at the right height and is well suited to your needs. If unsure about what to do, contact a specialist home office furniture company.

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Image via Neat and Tidy

Personalise with something you love

Whether it’s a family photo, an inspirational quote, your favourite flowers, it’s good to have some positive visual reminders. They can help you to be thankful for the things you’re grateful for and are also pretty handy for those days when you need that extra bit of motivation. . We all know it is important to have the right mind-set to be productive at work.

Your home office should be an expression of who you are and the design style of your home. Be free to show your personality and style with the use of colour, texture and unique accessories in the design of your home office.

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Image via Ultralinx and Style Me Pretty

Your home office doesn’t have to be the usual desk and chair setting in a separate corner of your home, explore the possibility of using what you already have at home to your best advantage. A few weeks ago, we looked at how you can use the space under your suitcase from a previous blog post or it could even be by your bedside, there are loads of options to explore.

Whatever you do, keep your home office organised.

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Chair of your choice

Chairs have been the focus of so many designers across the world. There is a vast variety of designs, styles and textures. Here are just a handful of some unique designs we found. Enjoy!

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Sources (clockwise from top left) : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Which one is your favourite? Let us know.