Transform Your Walls...Even When You're Renting

Sometimes I look around me at all the little houses built on top of one another and each is just a tiny pod on a little square of land, but each contains a life or a whole family's lives and all of their happy and sad memories and daily ups and downs. When you buy a house, you literally get a tiny piece of earth to make into your own little oasis; a place to live your life and sometimes to escape from life for a few hours. That's what decorating means to me; it's a way of expressing yourself, getting back to yourself, setting the scene for the way you want to feel when you come home at the end of a busy day. To me, the walls are what are most important; of course the choice of furniture is important as well, but the walls are what the house is made of, they are the largest part of the house and they form the backdrop for everything that is contained within them. Walls are often overlooked, which is sad because it changes the entire atmosphere of a room. Just imagine what a difference a sunny yellow would make to a previously magnolia kitchen, or consider the ambience of a cosy navy living room warmed with brightly coloured bohemian ethnic pieces, as opposed to the same room painted in a drab, greyish off-white.

My hubby and I have been living in the first house that we bought together for more than two years now and redecoration is far overdue. Renting was such a pain because of having to live with bare walls painted in just another shade of white and we couldn't put up any pictures or photos. I always thought that the moment we moved into our own home I would immediately paint the whole house in beautiful colours and hang lots of pictures, but life got in the way and here we are two years down the line and we still haven't gotten round to it but now is the time, so I've been considering our options and it turns out the possibilities are endless!

I recently came across a wonderful company called PIXERS. They make wall murals, prints and stickers that can transform any space; from the home, to restaurants, to offices and hotels. My favourite designs have to be the rose wall murals; they are just so gorgeous and romantic and would look amazing in a feminine home office, dressing room, guest bedroom or even in a lounge or entryway.

Wall murals are especially great in nurseries, kids' bedrooms and playrooms and really add a lot of fun to the room. They would also work well in play schools and day care centres to make the space friendlier and more inviting for the little ones.

Another one of my favourites; bamboo in the bedroom. It just creates such a serene, zen atmosphere. What a difference it would be waking up in a bamboo forest as opposed to seeing bare walls first thing in the morning. This would put me in such a good mood for my day, it seems so calming and rejuvenating.

And lastly, imagine coming home after a long hard day, kicking off your shoes and relaxing next to the Seine with a large cold glass of  white wine...That's what I'm talking about - you can recreate the view and atmosphere you want to come home to.

What sets PIXERS apart is that they have the largest catalogue on the internet with over 30 million images. They offer full customization of their products and allow customers to return any purchase within 356 days! Plus, I love the fact that they use only eco-friendly materials. You can really personalise your space by having any photo of good quality printed as a wall mural, wall decal, canvas or poster. You can even upload your photos from your computer, Facebook or Instagram directly onto their website: http://pixersize.com/your-photo. They recently launched an application to give customers even more possibilities, for example, to design your own wall mural photo collage. They collaborate with several large image banks as well as a team of great designers that provide them with exclusive designs. When it comes to mounting the murals on the wall, large murals (over 123-135cm) are divided into multiple equal-sized sheets. Installation is fast and easy, especially if you choose PIXERStick wall murals, which are reusable and self-adhesive; you just peel them off and stick to the wall. PIXERStick wall murals stick to any flat surfaces, don't leave any traces after peeling off the wall and maintain adherence for many years - perfect for decorating a rented place. They also have a brand new line of made-to-measure modular furniture, called TETREES, available in hundreds of colors that you can design by yourself within a few minutes. Shipping is free for all orders over £200 / $200 / 150€, which includes worldwide delivery within 7-10 days.

All images courtesy of PIXERS. 

Visit http://pixersize.com for more information.

Warm white: The secrets to successful all-white decorating

Warm white by contemplatingbunnies

Some say white isn't a colour; I disagree. I think it's one of the prettiest colours when you work with the characteristics of the colour to create something beautiful. All-white decorating can be tricky as it can look a little cold and sterile, but with a bit of careful planning, it can also be very soft, sensual, pure and feminine.

The trick is to incorporate plenty of texture and softness:

• An exposed brick wall painted white, as pictured above, is divine and adds a wonderfully warm and tactile element to the room 

• Create some visual interest in the room with some stand-out pieces, such as the chandelier pictured here or eye-catching artwork to avoid giving the space a flat appearance, which is often the case with monotone decorating 

• The easiest way to add softness is by adding lots of luxurious soft furnishings, such as a faux fur throw, chunky knit blanket or textured rug

• Pay attention to lighting to create a soft glow and ambiance; candles and various types of fairy lights are always my first choice, but a few well-placed lamps with fabric lampshades will also do the trick

• Incorporate a muted neutral, such as beige or soft grey here and there just to subtly break up the white and add some definition

As you can see, all-white decor can be very romantic, luxurious, rustic and even warm, it just requires some attention to detail. I'd love to hear from you if you have some more ideas about how to create a cozy white living space!