Spring is finally here (yeaay!) and I have put together a pretty, spring themed living room idea; to help celebrate all the wonderful things that happen during this lovely season. What gets me most excited in Spring, is seeing the fluffy bees, newborn lambs, sprouting leaves on the trees and of course the flowers!  What do you love about spring?

I’m truly loving the pastel colours and decorative patterns that I’ve selected for this moodboard.  With peach, I’ve combined mint green, pink, coral, khaki and brown tones. They look so fresh against the white background.

Most of the items for this look are plain, and to break up the blocks of colours, I have added a floral wallpaper pattern. Some people are afraid of patterns, but I just love them! Too much pattern can look chaotic, but a little bit is nice and can bring some personality into a room.  It is all about balance. If you decorate one wall with a patterned wallpaper, then you can save some pennies by just painting the remaining walls. I’m all for budgeting, whether that be cutting down on unnecessary costs or doing a bit of DIY. In my spring themed living room idea, I’ve included a side table, which you can make yourself. It’s so easy to make and you can find out how to assemble the DIY side table for the livingroom by clicking here.

DIY side table for the livingroom

All the other furniture pieces you can find on Pinterest

You can find so many ideas on the Internet to help you redecorate your home. I have posted a number of ideas on my blog, ‘Modern Retro Living Space‘ and ‘Retro Livingroom Interior‘, where you can get tips ranging from ultra-modern to classic retro. In more ways than one, sprucing up your home provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase your creativity. There are endless how-to’s on-line and in magazines. Some of them are simple, and some require specialised equipment, such as a bandsaw, to help you create really intricate and fabulous pieces.

Firstly, it’s important to understand the use and features of a bandsaw. Screwfix, a UK-based multi-channel retailer specialising in hardware products, describes it as a tool that helps the user cut straight or irregular shaped lines meticulously. In short, having this power tool allows you to be as imaginative as you can. So when it comes to redecorating or re-purposing your home’s furniture, you can go down an unconventional route and come up with simple conversation pieces like a bandsaw side-table for the livingroom.

Choosing a Pattern

To create this avant-garde furniture, you have to start off by deciding on a pattern. You can opt for an abstract piece or even go with a mid-century side table like the one on Sugar and Cloth. After choosing, print out your preferred patterns on two 8 ½ x 14 papers. Use spray adhesive to stick these patterns on the wooden panel, and then drill four line-up holes in the waste area for the legs.

Cutting Process

Cut through the outline (including the legs for drawers). Conversely, if you opt to have drawers – start with ½ inch off the back part of the box, followed by the top four drawer slots. Do the same on the front side. Once you’ve done these, it’s time to drill 1/32nd through the front pattern lines so you’ll have a guide when sawing the drawers.

Finishing Touches

Using a bandsaw, hollow out all the sides, as well as sand the interior cavities and the inside faces (both on the front and back side). You then have to glue the front of the box back to the actual body before attaching the back part. Put the final touches on your side table project by sanding the outside crevices to ensure a smooth finish.

Have fun and I’d love to see what you make!

Emma Jayne x

Have you seen Loaf’s latest spring and summer 2016 furniture range? The furniture launch was actually back in February , just a few weeks ago, and on show were so many wonderful, new things. What’s more, the colours and fabrics are to die for!! I have my eye on their luxurious, blue, velvet sofa. In fact, I am featuring it in this blog post and have combined other beautiful pieces to create an abstract, living room decor concept.

I wanted to create an abstract art inspired living space, with bold colours and a variety of textures/patterns. For this living room idea, I have featured Loaf’s Bagsie sofa, which looks great with their Mojo table, and little GEE desk lamp. Along with these, I’ve combined yellow, patterned curtains, an abstract floral print (one of my own designs from my shop on Etsy) and a multi-coloured, glass vase. The whole look is vibrant, arty and definitely on trend.

Abstract livingroom decor

1_ Abstract floral print
2_ Little GEE desk lamp
3_ Bagsie sofa
4_ Mojo table
5_ Patterned curtains
6_ Glass vase

(Cabinet image taken from Pinterest)

Don’t you think the whole abstract living room decor is lovely?  I love mixing old with new and the look has a slightly retro feel. Also, I have put together primary red & blue with a warm brown and a few pretty pastel shades. The lighter shades tone down the primary colours, giving a relaxing feel, which is what you want in any living room!

If you’d like to see more of Loaf’s furniture, then check out their website.

Emma Jayne x