A Passion for Vintage Style - Purple Spaces

Hi, I'm Susi from the Arcadian Home Blog where I write about lighting trends and decorating ideas using amazing home decor and light fixtures. In both fashion and décor, smoky purple is a stylish choice. Smoky purples can range from reddish plums to silvery lavenders. The darker shades of smoky purple are often called plum. Whatever you call it, smoky purple makes for a stylish color in decor and decorating.

Smoky purple walls and upholstery give this living room a sophisticated look. Smoky purples can range in hue from deep to plum to lavender, and this vintage round mirror adds a decorative element to the space.

Love the dusty, smoky purple of the curtains in this formal antique filled room. Smoky purple is gorgeously paired with browns and golds in the form of buffet lamps and soft textures.

There is a huge range in colors that fall into smoky purple. Love the purple upholstery on the sofa in this atmospheric room. It has a nice cool grey undertone to the color.

Like most deep saturated colors, smoky purple looks great paired with lots of white. If you paint a wall a smoky purple, offset the dark color with white trim, and perhaps add in vintage bathroom light fixtures for character.

Smoky purple pairs well with metallics in silver and gold. Along with white, metallics in lamps and furnishings can bring light to a darker color on the walls or upholstery.

Smoky purple can also be used as a neutral when paired with brighter versions of cool colors. Smoky purple with aqua has a lot of energy, while smoky purple and navy would be more dramatic.

Some smoky purples are more smoke than purple, like this wall color. Purple tinted grey is a gorgeous neutral choice for walls. Amazing contrast between the taxidermy on the wall and the sparkling chandelier.

Smoky purple, or plum, can also be paired with warmer tones, like pink. Dark and dramatic, plums and smoky purples are sophisticated colors. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of these purple color inspirations? Don't forget to visit our blog for more home accessories and decorating ideas!

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What Is Eco-Paint And Why Is It Important

Green paint or eco-paint as it’s often known is becoming increasingly popular as an option for decoration at home.

Of course, there are a number of reasons why people tend to choose green paints over the traditional sort. Conventional paints are full of VOCs, otherwise known as volatile organic compounds. These are known to cause all sorts of issues with health and the emissions that come from them last for years.

These compounds are added to conventional paint to speed up the drying time and also the thickness and coverage of the item. However, there are plenty of raw and natural alternatives out there that have similar benefits and have been in existence for hundreds of years.

VOCs

VOCs as we’ve mentioned are blended into traditional paints to allow it to be more effective as paint. These cause a number of problems however; the VOCs are bad for the respiratory system and can cause a range of illnesses.

One of the biggest things to look out for when purchasing paint of this sort, is the incidence of paint companies posing as a green option to paint buyers. There are limits to the amount of VOCs that can be placed in paint, however many companies will lower these to relatively miniscule levels and then sell paint as a green alternative. This is not the case and many of these reduced VOC paints still contain a number of toxins and are still bad for health and for those that have to spend time around them.

Green Paint

There are plenty of paints that have low levels of these toxins, though only eco interior paint has none and very little or no environmental impact. These paints are free of all the toxins, VOCs and plasticizers that come in other paints and will not cause damage to your home or the people who live there.

If you are looking for these eco paints you will often find they are accredited by green companies who have tested them to be of the very highest standard and will certify their green credentials. This is something of a benefit and will showcase the differences between these completely VOC free paints and paints that merely have low VOC content and still cause damage.

These paints are often made from foods and proteins found in things such as milk, lime and also plants. The will be non-toxic and are eco-friendly. The paints are tested to the highest standard and in most cases are found to be almost as durable if not equally as durable as many of the traditional paints with high levels of VOCs. These paints can be used in everything from compressors to the end of a brush too.

This means that there is little or no excuse to purchase the alternative. They also don’t cost a significant amount more than the paints with high levels of VOCs, cementing their place as a choice for people looking for paints.

Purchasing eco-paint can really make all the difference to your home, health and that of your family and should be considered for your next project.

James Smith has written a number of articles on eco paint and is a lover of the environment and also DIY and often paints his furntiure using eco-paint and compressor hiren Bestahire.

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La langue d'Ikea

Il y a plein d'outils pour apprendre la langue de Shakespeare ou Dante sous forme de CD, DVD ou doctionnaires et livres de grammaires .

Dès à présent et tout nouvau sur le marché, vous pouvez également apprendre la langue d'IKEA. En effet, pour comprendre une culture ou un univers il faut en connaître la langue.

Le suédois est à la portée de votre souris grâce au site "IKEA in Swedish". Vous cliquez sur la photo désirée et la voix douce d'une dame s'entend. Vous pourrez cliquer à foison pour l'entendre répéter!

Elle vous dira des mots comme Jämka, Marius ...

MesDécoVertes

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Le ciné en 1927 ... un retour nostalgique et coloré

Après des semaines de silence radio, j'ai enfin trouvé quelque chose à partager. ;-)

C'est en fait un petit film, un des premiers en couleurs, montrant le Londres de 1927. Ce film a été tourné par un certain Claude Friese-Green, un cinématographe londonien né en 1898 et mort en 1943. Il est connu pour sa collections de films appelée "The Open Road"  (1926). Il est également l'inventeur du procédé "Biocolour".

Je vous laisse apprécier.



La musique est de Jonquil and Yann Tiersen.

 

MesDécoVertes

via PetaPixel

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Relooking d'un mur de mon bureau

Lors du weekend pascal dernier, le temps était tellement gris que je suis  restée à la maison ...

En fait non, il a fait beau mais je suis comme même restée enfermée pour relooker mon bureau. Dingo, n'est-ce pas?!

Rangement et ordre

J'ai besoin d'ordre pour bien travailler. Et donc il me fallait des étagères pour ranger mes papiers et autres outils de travail ... mais aussi pour mieux disposer mes poteries vintages. On ne se refait pas n'est-ce pas! ;-)

C'est ainsi que j'ai placé des étagères vintage et allemandes de la marque "Element System". Cette marque existe toujours mais mes étagères datent des années 70. Je les ai achetées chez Troc International pour 29 euros. La bonne affaire !

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - Les planches[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - Les barres et équerres métalliques[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - La première pose de la première barre métallique[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - Les équerres posées ...cela donne.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - Le tout posé.[/caption]

Je suis très contente du résultat. Le noir, le bois et le mur vert se marient parfaitement. Une atmosphère vintage que j'adore!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Element System - Le résultat final[/caption]

Qu'en pensez-vous?

MesDécoVertes

Sources Photos: Faites par MesDécoVertes. Demander accord au préalable.

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Le festival du film fantastique (BIFFF) 2013 - Bruxelles

Aller à ce festival c'est vivre une expérience cinématographique complètement différente. On peut dire que c'est aller à la rencontre d'une autre culture avec ses propres us et coutumes.

Rentrez dans une salle du BIFFF et vous pénétrez un univers parallèle. Vous ne serez pas là seulement pour regarder un film comme dans une salle de cinéma classique mais pour le "transcender". En effet, les "grands" habitués du BIFFF apporteront leurs visions et commentaires totalement décalés. C'est comme une deuxième bande-son ! Et donc une nouvelle histoire!

Ce festival prenait ses quartiers normalement chaque année au Passage 44.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="477"] Passage 44 - Bruxelles[/caption]

Après un passage à Tour et Taxis, il a pris possession cette année du Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR).

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="551"] Le Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles - Entrée[/caption]

Oui! Un de nos hauts lieux culturels bruxellois construit par Victor Horta (Mouvement Art Nouveau): Expositions et rétrospectives artistiques, concerts de musique classique, ... y sont organisés.

Mon premier film a été projeté dans la prestigieuse salle Henri Le Boeuf ... Un pari inimaginable mais 100% réussi.


[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] La salle Henri Le Boeuf - Le Palais des Beaux-Arts - Bruxelles[/caption]

Le BIFFF est le festival de cinéma le plus fantastique (à mon humble avis ;-))

A côté des projections de films d'horreur, sci-fi ou fantastiques, le festival est connu pour le body painting et make-up fantastique.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] BIFFF 2013 - Des personnages étranges hantent le Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] BIFFF 2013 - Envie d'une séance de maquillage?[/caption]

Et pour terminer voici quelques photos "atmosphères" de l'évènement:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="407"] BIFFF 2013 - Un hamburger aux oignons frits ... bon par trop pour moi![/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] BIFFF 2013 - La salle de "réunion"[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] BIFFF 2013 - Défilé des affiches officielles du BIFFF, depuis l'année de sa création, signées par de grands noms de la B.D. et autres dessinateurs.[/caption]

MesDécoVertes

Sources Photos: Faites par MesDécoVertes. Demander accord au préalable.

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How To Spot Vintage That's Less Shabby And More Chic

It’s clear that vintage furniture is back in vogue; it can add such character to a house and is often cheaper and better-made compared to buying brand new furniture.

However, like anything else, furniture ages and you need to be careful when buying vintage homeware, because sometimes you can be left with something that is more ‘shoddy cheap’ than ‘shabby chic’. Let me let you in to a few secrets when it comes to furnishing your home vintage style.

Wood

It is possible to get some great wooden buys from charity shops and flea markets - however you want to look out for wooden pieces that have scratch-resistant surfaces, this will ensure that it is as durable as possible. This is easy enough to test before you purchase it – attempt drawing a thin line with your fingernail across the wood to see if it makes a visible dent, if it does then it will be worth looking around for something of better quality.

Also check for veneers — a veneer is a thin piece of premium wood that covers a lower-quality piece of wood. Double-check that the base piece is solid wood or plywood, the only problem with veneer is that it limits the number of times an item can be refinished.

If you can see that a piece is being held together by staples or nails, or whether there is any visible glue lines, this is an indicator that it is not the best quality. You should only choose wooden furniture that has been held together by dowels and screws, this will make it much more durable.

Upholstery

It is easier to tell quality-vintage homeware when it comes to upholstery. More often than not, you can see if the piece is clean, well looked-after and good quality from the fabric. If your sofa has removable cushions, you will be able to have a look inside - good quality sofas will have a block of foam that is wrapped in a protective cover, this is to make it long lasting. It is thought that foam only cushions are much less comfortable and they are also less durable, meaning you will get much less wear from them.

In terms of comfort, the best way to test the feel of the specific piece is by sitting in various spots to see whether you tip or sink.

Another quick handy tip – if the cushions are reversible, you’ll get twice the wear!

However, if you really like a piece that isn’t well-made, these tips shouldn’t stop you from buying it. Just don’t expect it to last as long as you’d like!

Becky is a vintage-lover and often shops in flea markets and charity shops. She also likes shopping for inspired vintage homeware from http://www.nutscene.com/.

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