Lighting

feb 24

Small budget big ideas!

By Lisa Colours, Flooring, Furniture, Good ideas, Interior styles, Kitchen, Lighting, My work, Patterns, Plants, Wallpaper No Comments

We all have big ideas when we want to renovate but it’s the tight budget that cuts the dreams down.

Creativity is key to renovation problems! It may just solve all your problems to achieve your dreams, even though you may have a tight budget. Through good planning, creative problem solving and a well-trained interior designers eyes (which may down the road save you from horrible costly mistakes as well) can look at a challenged area and create it into something more fun and functional to be in and work from. And we all know that a practical and functional space just makes life so much more easy and enjoyable. Am I right?!

I find the tighter the budget the more creative we have to be.

This latest project RoomDesign has been working on involved space planning for several rooms in this apartment, re-inventing the kitchen and dining area, material choices, soft furnishings, lighting and colour scheme. The client did have a tight budget and wanted to prioritize a new plan for her small kitchen area that before had direct access into the bathroom!

She as well wanted a space with personality and something that packed a punch. Well we did that didn’t we? The wallpaper!

By moving the door to another area and taking away the wall between the dining room and kitchen, it gave better opportunity for a floor to ceiling storage cupboard and made a more inviting social space. The kitchen comes from Ikea and with great help from a super clever builder he helped us build the intricate cupboards and draws to maksimize every centimentre of the wall. The client loves this area and spends the whole time here.

And don’t you just love the wallpaper?! Its called Botany Banana designed from Lemon in South Africa and can be found via Photowall.no

Palmekjøkken

Pic credits Gunn K Monsen

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Making the most of a Small Bathroom

By Lisa Bathroom, Black, Colours, Flooring, Good ideas, Lighting, Mirror, My work No Comments

“We are a busy family of 5 in need of help with reorganizing of Storage space, new space planning and modernizing of our existing bathroom. High in the wish list is a bathtub to wash our big sized dog after trips in the woods.”

Conquering small bathrooms can be challenge when lacking in storage, organization and in need of modernizing. The clients were open to something different, not the normal white, to clever spacing planning and have good storage possibilities which was all very important for the active family.

We decided to take away a little bit of the entranceway creating a possibility for a shower nook in the bathroom without sacrificing the otherwise small floor area in the bathroom.

The wall between the bathroom and a little laundry room was removed. We added sliding wardrobe doors in black glass to reflect light and create a more spacious feel.

We were lucky that the window could be moved enabling better placing of vanity and mirror cabinet.

The clients loved the idea of darker walls and lighter floors. This gave the bathroom depth and created a unique feeling to the room.

Maximizing space and cleaning up all clutter with a mirror cabinet, matching wall storage cabinet and vanity just gave the extra practical edge to the room. By opening the bathroom more made the bathroom more spacious visually. The oval free-standing bathtub become the hero, or focus point of the room which the clients loved! With the darker walls good lighting was necessary under and over the mirror cabinet.

All it takes is just a few simple changes to the whole space planning of the bathroom area and the family functions much better. This adding value to their life and the whole apartment.

We like that!

All photos gunnkristinmonsen.no

RoomDesign has had the privilege of working on this prosject giving advice on the spaceplanning, furniture, tiles, lighting and colourscheme.

Thanks to the fabulous family in Nesttun that allowed me to help them on their renovation travels!!<3<3

Hugs Lisa xx

nov 06

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New look – stylish and super functional

By Lisa Colours, Fireplaces, Flooring, Good ideas, Kitchen, Lighting, Livingroom, My work No Comments

«We want a home that is stylish and that is super practical and functional to our needs»

There was a definite need for an overhaul in this townhouse in Nesttun. There were two small living and dining rooms, dark and cold stairway and kitchen needed to be more functional and updated for a busy family of five. The man of the house is totally passionate and serious about his fireplace! Here had to be a fireplace that would warm up the house appropriately, stylish and cool to look at and have extra storage to firewood. Where the beam in the ceiling is today in the living and dining area was once where a wall was between the two rooms.

The entranceway and stairwell got a new look by removing the classic two door opening from the stairway into the living area. Rather than a closed-in stairwell being cold and dark, it was decided to remove the doors and open up the whole stairwell facing into the living and dining areas. A sliding glass door was put between the stairwell and entre, creating a more open stairwell connecting more with the living area, spreading more warmth up to the other floors and giving a more modern and functional living area.

A new window, the same size as the others, was put on the side of the house near the corner of the dining area and this allowed for more light and better connection to the terrace outside.

I must say I’m so in love with the kitchen! Its so cool and stylish, loads of storage, all that work space for baking and the little extra sitting area. The white benchtop was suggested to continue down to the floor which frames in the sitting area and adding extra style and finish. The subways tiles over the benchtop to the ceiling just gives a little extra wow factor. Don’t you love it?

roomdesign-3 roomdesign-5 roomdesign-6 roomdesign-15 roomdesign-10 roomdesign-16 roomdesign-23

All fotos : gunnkristinmonsen.com

RoomDesign has had the privilege of working on this prosject giving advice on the spaceplanning, design for fireplace, kitchen and in-built storage for television, furniture, flooring, lighting and colourscheme.

Thanks to the rocka family in Nesttun that allowed me to help them on their renovation travels!!<3<3

Hugs Lisa xx

jan 02

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Some decorating tips for the New Year!

By Lisa Lighting, Livingroom, Patterns No Comments

I don’t know about you but by the time Christmas and New Year celebrations are finished I‘m bursting for a new clean start for the New Year! And that means fluffing around moving the sofa, chairs and coffee tables round, trying new looks with the old furniture.

I’m always talking, at my interior courses, about how to make a room or space more interesting and how important it is to get away from the square-ness of a room no matter the size of the room. Easy peasy decorating tips and tricks will elevate your space in a jiffy!

1) Don’t leave walls bare –this just promotes the square-ness of the room. Adding focal points distract the eyes especially if the room happens to be small. So group together elements they give more power together than if they were alone!

2) Play with pattern and texture. It tantalizes and warms the room beyond belief. It’s the spice of the room.

3) Create different small zones in your room. This enhances and gives depth to any room whatever the size. The picture below is a great example of a small room with different zones. Makes for more balance and harmony in the room and more lived in! Perfect, yes?

stue

Pic via my Pinterest

Have a great day guys!

Big hugs:-)

feb 25

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Library/office/guestroom and tv room.

By Lisa Lighting, My work No Comments

I have been so lucky recently to able to help a couple with two children to decorate their home. A library/office/guest room and tv room for their children in the basement. A comfortable sleeping sofa was high on their wishes because they have many overnighting visitors. Combined with the Zettel’z pendel lamp makes this I think a very cool library/office space.

In the basement a solid sofa plus little coffee table both from Hay were picked out to emphasize and exenterate the modern funkis style of the home. Upstairs a new environmentally friendly rug made of bamboo was chosen under their Barcelona chairs to ground the whole sitting arrangement in their big open living area. And in the entrance way you’ll find the awesome Skygarden pendel lamp from Flos! WOW!

biblioteket

kjellerstuen

25-02-2013 14-52-14

inngangen

flos lampe

Thanks to you Silje and your lovely husband, it’s been wonderful to work together with you on this project.

Have a wonderful day everyone:-)

-Hugs Lisa

feb 03

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Gold+white+purple bedroom

By Lisa Bedroom, Gold, Lighting No Comments

I must say I think it is a bit boring than when two bedside lamps are exactly same. We just need some personality, spontaneity and more fun in our homes. And this beautiful elegant dreamy bedroom shows a wonderfully balanced and harmonious space without any symmetry at all!

gold white purple

Pic found via CreamyLife

Let the sun shine on you where ever you are in the world.

-Hugs Lisa

jan 18

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My favourite lamp

By Lisa Lighting No Comments

From NorthernLighting called Illusion. It’s simple, elegant and practiable.

Pic via my Pinterest acc.

Have a great weekend!!!

-Hugs Lisa

nov 12

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‘Pip’ wallpaper

By Lisa Bedroom, Colours, Lighting, My work, Wallpaper No Comments

There is nothing more refreshing and positive using yellow in a combined guest/hobby room. Get those energy levels running on high! I have just received some pictures from Elisabeth that was so lucky to win a competition of a few hours interior help from RoomDesign, through the used/recycling shop ‘DenGrønneBaljen’ (which is now closed unfortunately) here in Bergen. Many ideas, tips and advice were discussed on how to furnish the guest room into a combined hobby room and some tips with colour and wallpaper for her bedroom. See the results for yourself. I think it all turned out well don’t you think? And by the way for those who love Helge Jordal, check out the last picture – Elisabeth has the most awesome picture of him in her entrance way!!! Thanks for sending the pictures,Elisabeth:-)

fra hennes egen soverom:-)

Inngangen.

Have a fun day everyone:-)

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Layers!

By Lisa Lighting, Livingroom No Comments

If you want to make your home more personal, more lived in, try layering. Using layers of rugs on the floor on top of each other or beside each other, pumps up the wow effect in a room. It’s fun putting different lamps together on a side table but use low watt light bulbs of course otherwise they end up killing each other! Building pictures up together either leaning against a wall or arranged on a wall differently than you normally would. Even loads of pillows in different shapes and sizes are an awesome way of adding impact and personality to a room. Play thats the trick and make your own rules!