Hot bed of wires…and a shoe box

We live in a tech crazy world! Gadgets galore, some with remote controls, some mobile others not so. An average entertainment unit will house about three gadgets i.e. TV, a music system and a decoder now that we are on the digital broadcasting platform. However, some entertainment units can house up to 10 gadgets!! Yes its possible and yes all are used, well not all at the same time, but are put to use. Heck you pay for the services so using them is not in question.

Now if you like to keep a tidy house, there is the issue of cables/wires that you need to deal with.  By tidy, i also mean even the areas you cannot see, like behind the entertainment unit.

Our unit houses 6 gadgets. However, with the wires running at the back, you’d be mistaken to think we have some sort of robot experiment underway. Those wires drove me nuts every time i sneak peeked or even thought about the mess back there.

Looks can be deceiving…however, there are some wires popping out..bottom right, the white cable is trying to run away from the mess

Hot bed of wires! can you see the dust on that floor??!!

Something had to be done about this hot bed of wires! So armed with an empty shoe box, black tape, masking tape, hammer and some nails, i set on it.

My tools for the day

First step, switch off power. Detangle and unplug all the cables that i could. Fold and tape the extra long ones.

Unplugged…theres plenty more going on in the back…

Next step was to clean the floor. Place the shoe box and start placing cables in there.

In the box they went and it turns out i only needed the black tape and a pair of scissors. 

And some more typing up loose cables. Plugging the power back on to test if all is well.

Well i couldn’t completely get rid of the wires but they are now not tangled up, you can see the floor, it will be easy to clean the floor going forth. Took me an hour and some sweat to do this worthwhile project.

How have you managed your wires? Do share.

Keep it DIY!

 

Bottles up!

My name is Hazel and i am glass bottle hoarder!!  It’s so good to admit it! Anytime i see glass bottles, especially those with fancy shapes or odd sized, my mind goes into a frenzy of the different ways i can use it to decorate a space!

That is what happened when i saw this 5lt bottle of whiskey…

The bottle, Large and heavy

After some soaking, cleaning and scrubbing it was good to use. My tools for the day were plastic rope and gold spray paint.

Tools of trade. Bottle, plastic rope, gold spray paint and some old newspaper to protect the tiles from getting painted.

Tying the bottle with the rope

Tying the bottle with rope was the most tricky part! It was slippery and not getting  as tight as i wanted it to be. It was quite a struggle.  The trick with this project is that you want the rope on tight to keep the spray off.

All sprayed out

It is important for spraying to be done outside where there is good air circulation otherwise you could start choking or getting dizzy if you do it indoors. Be warned!

After spraying leave it outside to dry for about an hour.

Unwrapped!

Well my end product wasnt exactly what i envisioned…i wanted the clear lines sharper. Because i used plastic rope which wasn’t quite tight, the lines were rather blurry. If i was to redo this, and i shall, i would use tape instead. Lesson learnt!

Final step place some dried flowers in it and pop it in any place you like!

Dried flowers

Mine went into the little room

What are your thoughts? Have you tried this before? Outcome?

Keep it DIY!!

Of hotels and beautiful decor- Emakoko

I like discovering new places! One of the things that fascinate me is hotel decor and i shall sure with you the beautiful places i see and experience.

We recently needed some R&R and we chose to explore a nice little lodge at the corner of Nairobi National Park, The Emakoko.

To sum up my experience “a little piece of heaven right at our backyard”!! we definitely did relax. This is a place i would go again and again and again!!

Other than the peace and fresh air, the decor is lovely and homey and welcoming and enveloping….i could go on and on. It was done by Palacina Interiors , a place i have harped on about but never been to. I shall soon tick that off my bucket list.

Enough of my stories, see for yourself….

The rooms. They face the park and have amazing views!!

You can be sure i soaked my self in there with the park in my sights

The bathrooms are spacious and open. The curved wall divides the sleeping area and the bathroom

Different seating areas for conversation in the main lounge. I love the use of earthy neutral colours

By the fireside i sat and warmed…any Paulo Coelho fans in the house?

Simply beautiful

We ran into this guy as we were going in. Not sure what he was telling us with that leg up…

The end….for now

What beautiful places and spaces have you been to lately? Do share.

Keep it DIY!!

Room dividers

Hello DIYers…

Ever considered creating separate areas in one big room or even within a small space such s a studio and you are lost for ideas? Well think no more as room dividers of various shapes, sizes and textures should provide you with a simple, practical and more importantly affordable solutions.

I faced the challenge in our living room which is a wide space and not your ordinary four walls. It has corners, doors and windows that suggested multiple use but it was just that hints.. i was to do the rest.

The living room before we moved in. Not your ordinary four walls…

We needed spaces for different things including a lounge cum living area ad dining area and any other spaces that could be crafted out of it.

What we have today…same angle

The long, white shelf was the central point from which the room takes its various uses.

This long book shelf was my focal point to divide the room to serve various purposes

The shelf served a dual purpose, a book shelf of course and a room divider. Well it was also a nice area to display accessories.

One one side of the shelf is the living/lounge area and on the other, is the dining area.

The shelf is right behind the chair.

The shelf is behind the couch. It was made to fit the size of the couch. This cost Ksh12,000 to have done. Work around it is ongoing…the accessories especially…

Using curtains and rods is an inexpensive way of introducing zones. It is also good since it does not damage a house, this si especially so when you are renting.

There are many other ways of dividing rooms for different functions. Its all up to you to be creative and use what serves you best.. i collected some ideas below.

Introduce texture and other materials in the divider. Other materials i can think of are beads, bamboo, plywood…be creative!

shelves are always a functional way to divide rooms and add storage spaces

There are many ready made dividers out there for sale depending on your space and budget

Which room dividers have you used? Do share!!

Keep it DIY!!

 

Bedroom 2 reveal!

Hello DIYers!!

Its been a minute!! Work and school kind of got in the way. All the same i managed to complete a pending project started in January.

Bedroom 2 paint job remember that one? Yeah well i finally completed what i had in mind…for now. As a DIYer, i never say I’m done. Finished. No. I say, well for now i like it like this….i could get inspiration and turn the whole place again.

So, for now, i am happy with having cleared all the junk. Gave away most of it. Trying to live the uncluttered life….its a project all on its own!!

Within that project was another mini project. I re-purposed the shelving so it can serve more than one purpose. Both as a storage space and as a bedside table.

I used an old storage carton to create a shelve.

Before

The top shelve is in use in the dining area under the console

Measuring

Used some left over wrapping paper

Final ‘shelving’

With some accessories and ta da! my guests will have a bed side table and i shall not need to add any more furniture in the room

That was the project. Now to the room. The yellow paint gives a cosy look and feel to the room. The reading table, a lot of knowledge has been gained here, the red lamp is from Mr. Price Home and the blue organiser from House of Leather. Of course my many shoes need extra storage.

Here is the final look.

And finally the room

Another angle

Any projects you have to share?

Keep it DIY!

Headboard DIY update

Does your bed have a headboard? Was it the headboard that attracted you to the bed? or you haven’t even appreciated your headboard…well until now?

The headboard, though often ignored, plays a very important role in bedroom decor. It’s an item if well utilised can give a room character. It can be used as a central point of reference when designing the room…for example a wrought iron headboard will influence the type of furniture you have in the room, the accessories and so on.

We had an ugly headboard that i always wanted to toss out!! We’ve had the bed for like five years and now i realise the dirt we carry around in our hairs :O. It cannot be cleaned…i tried and it got worse…being a DIYer i thought of ways to make it more pleasing to the eye. The project took about 15minutes to complete and cost less than Ks1,500.

Yes its really bad looking no amount of image editing can make a difference 

I got one of the masaai shukas we had in our old house and used it to cover the dirty headboard.

The masaai shuka was way bigger than the headboard which was fine. Its better to have more than less!

I used thumb tucks and a hammer to pin it to the headboard. I call this hammer the lady hammer..its light and cute in a hammer kind of way:).

My tools for the day- Thumb tucks and a hammer

Pining the front part to the headboard

Complete front

The back

I did not want to cut the shuka because i could use it for something else in future.

Final product! Definitely better than the bare headboard!!

Prop up some colourful pillows and boom! a headboard i can live with for a few more years!

This is an easy way to update your headboard. Its also very versatile, you can use various fabrics with different textures and designs, leather for that clean look, fluffy fabric for that cosy look and feel, velvet to go give it that lush and luxurious look, a bejewelled fabric…. the list is endless, let your imagination run wild!

Keep it DIY!!

Of hotels and beautiful decor-The Royal Livingstone

I was recently in Livingstone, Zambia. A lovely, one-street town that experiences desert like temperatures but contrastingly also hosts one of the wonders of the world; Victoria Falls or as the locals refers to it, Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. Over 90million litres of water go down the falls per minute!

It is a magnificent sight and sound!

As the tourist town of Zambia, Livingstone is dotted with hotels and lodges for all pockets and tastes. Hotels are known for going all out on interior decor to create ambiance of luxury, beauty, serenity you name it. All this for their guests enjoyment.

I was blown away by The Royal Livingstone   . The hotel is built in Spanish Hacienda style characterised by burnt orange walls, beautifully placed accessories and use of succulent plants found in deserts.

See its for your self. I started from the inside out. Images courtesy of me!

Yes even the toilet needs to look nice and ambient! The light above the cistern made a world of difference in this little room that is often forgotten

Ambient lighting makes a world of difference! Don’t you just love the coloured sink bowls? Notice also the three mirrors above the sink and the wrought iron borders. Creativity!

 

This beautiful beads were outside the washrooms. This would make a beautiful and inexpensive room divider.

One of the outdoor seating areas. The lamps and bright stools bring a Moroccan theme to the space

More outdoor seating space carrying the Moroccan theme with the bright cushions

Desert like weather conditions call for succulents. The beautifully arranged pots create a nice entry way. Notice the orange building in the background.

Isn’t that inviting? Notice the attention to balance through plants, curtains, mirror and accessories

Balance and colour. The single cactus in a large pot looks interesting. This was another entryway to washrooms.

This wall would otherwise have been boring but it has been peppered with beaded dolls and a seating bench at the bottom

Beautiful!! This is the entryway to the conference rooms. Everything balances out, the colours and accessories. And yes the carpets are plush! Notice also the curtains that could be closed off to create a ‘room’

Nice display of artefacts on the consoles along the conference rooms entryway. The mirror reflects the light from the opposite side and brightens the space.

The curtains bring in of softness. The curtains can be closed off to create a space with different feel for events such as a cocktail.

Hope you enjoyed the beauty as much as i did!! The decorating principles adopted here can easily be replicate din your home. Give it a try.

 

Keep it DIY!

 

Bulb Affair

I am sure you have had bulbs blow at the most inopportune times and you cursed them! Well, consider it a blessing from now on.

This past weekend i used some obsolete light bulbs to make a creative centre piece for the house.

We received this beautiful ceramic pot as a wedding gift and i was wondering what to do with it.

The pot. I love the size! Not to big not too small

And poof!! the bulb idea lit up!  see what i did there? bulb, lit? It’s a good thing i hoard some items because i know they do deserve another chance at life!

Looks limit could use some excitement

I used what i had in the store. Some gold spray paint.

The gold spray paint

Remember this yummy purple colour from the dining area update? Yes that one too.

The colour is Tri Clover

And viola!!

My transformed bulbs. Lets call them transformers!

You can breathe a new lease of life to bulbs! Don’t throw them out! Even the energy saving ones!! Let your imagination and DIY spirit go to work!

 

Keep it DIY!

 

Wedding DIY

Hello Guys!

As promised, today’s post is about the DIYs i undertook for our wedding.

A wedding is once in a lifetime event (well that statement can be argued otherwise but today isn’t the day) and what better way to celebrate than with a touch of your personality.

I wanted our wedding to be fun, fun and more fun. Wedding planning in an African setting can be a daunting task!! Everyone wants to contribute their 2 cents, most with the best intentions, but for the bride and groom this can drive you up the wall.

I shall therefore give my few words of wisdom having gone through the process.

1. Start planning early- 1 year to 6months is good time.

2. Look for a one-stop-shop venue – moving from place to place is time, energy and money consuming.

3. Have a checklist and follow it through. I am quite organised so i had an excel sheet with various sheets showing suppliers and their contact details, budget, payment schedules, activity checklist and many others.

4. Decide on what items you will not compromise on and stick to it. Having the groom on your side is VERY important at this point! I was not going to compromise on photography, entertainment, food and decor. Other things i conceded to relatives demands, but those 4 i wasn’t budging!!

5. If you can, get a wedding planner about 2 weeks to the D-day, by then you will have all your suppliers and the planner will only be coordinating them on the day.

6. And finally, take 2 days off before your wedding to just chill! And on the D-day ENJOY yourself!! be deaf and blind to anything not going your way!

Ok, advice done. Let’s look at some pics.

This was a one stop shop. The wedding ceremony, reception, photo shoot and evening party were at the same place Stedmak Gardens in Karen, Nairobi.

The layout for the day. All ceremonies were at the same place but in different spaces

Flowers are beautiful. Very beautiful. But they are also very expensive. We opted to have minimal use of flowers and instead went for other ways to decorate the venue. Thanks to the very creative Betsy and her wonderful team at Exquisite Events By You we achieved this! They did all the tents, chairs, tables and decor.

Aisle, Alter

Thanks to having everything in one venue, we were able to reuse some of the items. The ‘Altar’ which was decorated using the paper flowers and these dangly things that were on sale at House of Leather during christmas came in handy!! The ‘altar’, together with the walkway  and the mini columns were also used to house the cake at the reception area.

Cake gazebo and walkway

The programme

We didn’t print programmes, we used the board. Besides who does not know what happens at weddings??? Even if you don’t, go with the flow!!

sparkles

The table centre piece was my major project. I collected about 170 wine bottles. This i did since we got engaged…a year. The bottles needed to be cleaned and have the labels removed. This was done in partnership with the help of friends in the month leading to the D-day. And we hacked!! To make it sparkle, Ms. Betsy from Exquisite added the gold and silver linings at the mouth of the bottle and viola!!

I also made table numbers using manila paper, string, pen and contoured scissors.

High table

There was a mix of black and red charger plates and table overlays. We only used the water lilies and baby’s breath flowers which in total cost Ksh10,000 from Citi Market.

The cup cakes

For the cake i had my friend Selian from Creme of Cakes do the cup cakes for me! Everyone ate a cupcake served with fruit and mango mousse!!

Memorable day

And it was a memorable day for us all!!

Keep it DIY!!

Blog lovin

The internet is the coolest invention ever!! The kids born in the age of the internet also referred to as digital citizens, have no idea how lucky they are! The internet presents us with endless possibilities! such as this blog 🙂 !

Today’s post is about blogs and sites where i could get lost for hours, pages that encourage me and give me inspiration to keep blogging. These blogs and sites have the power to improve my dull moods, make sullen days seem that much happier!

Let’s dive in!

1. www.houzz.com

Thousands and thousands of interior photos showcasing different rooms in the house. And the Ideabook! Genius! You can create your dream home right there! A girl can and should dream!!

2. www.lovepomegranatehouse.com   

Her DIY projects are to die for! Her recipes, creative!! Become the total home maker!!

3. www.younghouselove.com

Well they wrote their last post and said they are moving on from blogging. They have however catalogued 900 projects they have carried out over the last 7 years. Amazing journey!!

4.www.decophotoblog.blogspot.com

Interior decor as we know it today wouldn’t exist without skilled photographers. This blog is all about interior photography, the colours, the lines, the contours, the lighting, composition. I could go on!

The blog is in a different language ( I’m yet to figure out which) but the images speak my language!!

5. www.homedit.com 

Doable DIY projects!! Try them and don’t forget to share!!

6.  Don’t disturb this groove

Her groove should not be disturbed! This blog just warms my heart and stomach thanks to her amazing recopies!!

7. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Interesting articles. Amazing pictures. Inspiring before and after projects!!

What blogs are you loving?

Keep it DIY!