My Masters Outdoor Room Makeover

Sponsored By Nuffnang and Masters Home Improvement

Righto, I've been living in this 'made-over' outdoor space of mine for a week or so now, thanks to Masters Home Improvement, so I think it's time for me to share with you my new favourite living space in my home!

Here's a rather woeful 'before shot', featuring 'woeful niece'.....

... and stinky soccer boots...

 Here's the after!

Finlay and Smith 'Romeo' Chairs

Oh how I stalked that Masters website, waiting for their 'new season' outdoor furniture stock to come in, hoping that the most coveted 'Romeo' outdoors chairs weren't the last on the delivery truck for the new season! 

Late last week they finally arrived and I pounced! I ordered them online immediately, so as not to miss out, just in case hundreds of people were stalking along with me, but I arranged to pick them up from the store to save on delivery costs. I wanted to spend every last cent of my Masters vouchers on pretties.

Behold their magnificence! (Ref: FF, 2010) 

They are wrought iron, solid as and, at $135 each, a fantastic quality buy.

In deciding what I would purchase for my outdoor room makeover, I kept in mind that it all needed to be portable as we move lots! My furniture choices also had to fit into any design aesthetic I may be embracing in future digs.... Hamptons, French Provincial. Once I spied the classic lines of the Romeo chairs and saw that the included cushions were piped!, I decided that a leafy French Provincial courtyard dining area was the go...... somewhere nice I could blog from in the mornings too!

I decided on a 4 seater table setting, mainly due to the small size of the area.... but also keeping in mind that anywhere I live in future I would always be able to use a classical 4 seater setting.... in another courtyard or down amongst the fairies in a pretty garden.

I went to town with the pots. 

I needed to draw the attention away from the underwhelming fence, not highlight it with anything.

Pompeii Pot Maya Medium

I snapped up a few of these beauties, in which I potted the instant hedge plants and the lavender and herbs, all from Masters. They are fabulous pots in real life... textured and rustic.

Sicily Ancient Brown Pot

.... and I couldn't resist these either!

Del Terra Dutton Table

I picked up the table for $69! I didn't put a cloth on it in the photos so you could see it's detail. I chose it for it's price and curves and the fact that it is simple in style and doesn't take any focus off the chairs. It's solid too!.... won't blow away in our summer storms!

See the white filigree, round, clay thingy? That's a solar powered table light. It has a solar panel on the top that you leave in the sun and as soon as the sun sets, it turns itself on! You can choose to set it to either white or rainbow colours. The rainbow colours are a hit with the offspring.

Solar Filigree Table Light

I found the elegant 'half mat', near the door, at Masters too.... $10! Perfect size for a little courtyard. It hasn't made it to the website yet. More and more products are being loaded up every day as they arrive in store. 

The patterned dinner plates were $3 each from 'Earthborn' (current sale stock) and the glass dessert bowls, dinner plates and place mats are my own. They were originally from Wheel and Barrow. The napkins are from 'Thea and Sami', Thea's Marine range, hand printed here in Brisbane. The navy floral cushions are from 'Fabric Traders', who also have an online store HERE. The beige linen and paisley cushions are from Cape Cod Designs (that would be me). So is the iron side table, hurricane lantern and the floor cushions (Cape Cod Designs, moi). Flowers were from 'Stem - Flowers and Beautiful Things' in Graceville.

So there you have it, my new 'Outdoor Room'. Thank you so much Masters for giving me the opportunity and the vouchers! to make over my dull courtyard. I have an inspiring place in which to blog and a cool spot for our summer dinners!

And in breaking news, the winner of the $500 Masters Gift Voucher was chosen by Masters, from my short list of three. It is Karyn, who wrote:

Karyn is going to use her Masters voucher to finish her powder room and outdoor patio area.

Karyn finally chose the Del Terra Steel Cushioned Dining Chair Set to finish off her outdoor area. 6 for $280! HERE.

And for her bathroom, she is going to wallpaper with Vintage Art Wallpaper.... $49.97/roll....

.... gorgeous!

.... hang this beautiful mirror.... $149, HERE....

... and finish with some stylish fixtures, HERE.

Hooray for Masters. I'm totally hooked. So many quality products. They have everything you need to improve your home. Here's their website if you need to start shopping now. It's such an site easy to use.

Herbs are happy in their new sunny spot.....

.... and so am I!

Cheers! 

Office Before And After

Look at this beautiful office makeover that I found over at Emily A. Clark Interiors.

Before...

... during...

Isn't it gorgeous?!

A coat of paint, fabulously styled bookcases, a stunning pendant light, a beautiful lamp, a mix of old and new furniture, a rug .... and of course great bones, with decent crown moldings. 

I seriously love this room.

Sigh!

Check out the rest of Emily's gorgeous home over at her blog, HERE.

School holidays are in full swing here, but my little one is engrossed in a 3 day computer animation workshop, with Day 2 just about to start. That means I get another 2 days in which to get all my work done this week. I spent yesterday unpacking newly arrived pallets of my Custom Hamptons Pendant light #theglamour. I have heaps in stock now....well stocked for the next few months anyway!

Have a great day!

Quite Simple Really

Look at this simple room makeover I found over at House and Home.

A bit of wallpaper, a new rug, bedside and bed linen (with styling)... some funky lights and 'Bob's Your Uncle'. It's not rocket science. 

I love 'Before And After's' like this.... proves that if you break it down, step by step, you can achieve a room with 'wow' factor... or in this maybe 'awww, isn't this sweet factor'...

.... and as much as I don't like the wallpaper on it's own... it works for this room. What do you think?

PS. I bet those lights were highly affordable, accessible and in plentiful supply.... unlike said hemisphere.
Just sayin'.

Happily Ever After

I just love it when my customers send in real life 'before and afters' of their renovations. I pour over their photos and feel like saying at the end of it all ..."and they all lived happily ever after".

Have a look at the magnificent transformation that 'Kerry' project managed! Kerry bought my custom Hampton lights for her kitchen. Check out the befores.... above.

.. and the after. Bit of a difference, hey!

Love the door!

Sorry about the quality.... lots gets lost in enlarging and lightening.

What a transformation!

This one I couldn't lighten without severe fuzziness. 

Looks like a beautiful character home, where the character has been rescued!

Look at the picture rail. Love.

........and the bathroom before.

....and after.

Love the floor tiles and I might add, Kerry has magnificent taste in windows and doors.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us Kerry. You did such a great job!

Happy Thursday!

P.S. Those stunning kitchen lights of Kerry's are now in stock.... overflowing in abundance.....bursting out of my shed. Please email me if you want some. I can send them out straight away.

Now This Is What You Call 'A Before'

Remember this beauty? 

Well my friend 'K' found some photos of it in it's 'before' state. 

They were taken in 2008.

Built in the 1900's.

On 1000sqm, up on a hill, with sweeping views.

Sigh.

If you look really closely at the first photo of the 'after', the first photo in this post, you can see they kept the arched window theme.

Look at the windows on the porch to the left, in the first photo.

Nice.

Wow. Original.

Who lived here? What was their story? 

A generation passed.

I see 'work' in them VJ's. 'Lotsa work'.

Check out the fruit! Last minute prop! Hello banana.

Wow, now that's what I call 'original'.

... and the bathroom tacked on the back in later years. 

I bet the outhouse was still somewhere in the back yard too. 

Spruced up in the 1950's perhaps? That's a real 50's colour.

Now I've really got to get inside and see the after. I bet it's gobsmacking. Just going on how beautiful the exterior is, I reckon, inside, the new owners would have done her proud. My friend did mutter something about it having a Great Room with pressed metal ceilings. Maybe I should put a little note in the letterbox, saying "will bring cupcakes.... passionfruit ones.... from the Bulimba bakery.... the best in Brisbane". 

Happy Friday!

PS Oh, I am reconstructing my new blog roll, after losing it when my blog template was changed. If I have left you out, sing out and I will add you back on. I had been collecting blogs for years so off the top of my head, I can't remember all who were there!