Deco crush globetrotter

Parisians, if you’re looking for some place to forget this August dull weather, we only have one advice: le Pavillon des Canaux. This place is not only a bar and a restaurant with an amazing decoration, but it’s also the place to meet! You can practise yoga, work in a co-working space dedicated to new technologies, or attend the shootings of Arte shows. A must-see, a must-go, a must-do: we absolutely LOVE it!

How does it work? It’s very simple, you can choose any room of the house to enjoy a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or a diner with your friends. Every room has its own decoration and is a small world in itself. Our guided tour:

The Coffice

A coworking space with good coffee, a good wifi connection and something which is quite rare: a wonderful decoration!

We fall for:

• The bright coral colour among the monochrome atmosphere;
• The pictures scotchtaped on the walls using coloured masking tape. 

We fall for:

• The large raw wooden table keeping a friendly and communal spirit;
• The large customized armchair and its surprising tints and patterns. 

We fall for:

• The graphic and coloured lamps;
• The DIY spirit.

The dining-room

We fall for:

• The combination of lime green and “duck blue”;
• The retro furniture.

The blue living-room known as “the explorer lounge”

We fall for:

• The motley mix of items and furniture;
• The mix of white, blue and gold. 

We fall for:

• The birdy wallpaper;
• The fake fur on the seat.

We fall for:

• The wallpaper just on a small part of the wall;
• The second-hand and retro furniture.

The Red Lounge

We fall for:

• The old-fashioned atmosphere which contrasts with the modern fluo color on the wall.

We fall for:

• The coloured lampshade framework used as ceiling lights (Watch here a DIY tutorial in English);
• The geometric wallpaper;
• The combination of colours: red and green

We keep in mind:

• The coloured ribbons holding the shelf;
• The same ribbons used as curtain loops.

Ground Floor Restroom

We fall for:

• This punchy green giving a life to the room;
• The checker board pattern on the floor.

We keep in mind:

• One section of the wall is kept white not to feel stifled;
• The yard lamp used as ceiling lights.

Staircase

We fall for:

• The geometric wallpaper on the risers;
• The pattern repeated at the bottom of the wall and looking like cement tiles. 

Bathroom

We fall for:

• The idea of having a drink in the bathtub;
• The bathtub “duck blue” color.

The "Duck Blue" Lounge 

We fall for:

• The combination of red and “duck blue”; 
• The neo-Baroque inspiration.

The Pink Room

We fall for:

• The romantic spirit;
• The two-coloured walls: powdered pink and taupe.

The Guest Room

We fall for:

• These colors ;
• The fake mouldings used as wall decoration.

Kitchen

We fall for:

• The retro decor;
• The combination of geometric patterns

And besides this amazing decoration, I want to underline the following points: the atmosphere is great, the waiters are perfect, the menu is wonderful and the food memorable. In short... go! >> Le Pavillon des Canaux, 39 quai de Loire, 19°. (M° Stalingrad). Map. Open everyday from 10AM to midnight. Tel: 01 42 57 58 70.

Pictures: @awayoflooking-leblog.fr.

DIY

You are in your holiday home or you decided to have ‘staycations’ ('stay at home + vacations') this summer? there is no such moment like holidays to make all this decoration handiwork you don’t have time to do during the rest of the year. Here you’ll find 10 ideas to add to your checklist of the summer! Your house will get better looking and you can start the year on the right foot. 

1. (Re)Paint a wall, a door or a piece of furniture

You have been thinking about painting your bedroom walls for months? You keep saying the dining room table needs to be modernised? Stop waiting and start painting! You have all you need: time, good weather (or almost), and you’ll be able to aerate all day long. Summer is a good time for creativity…

2.      Hang  your frames, ceiling lights and wall lamps which have been lying around for months

Bare bulbs, empty walls... Take the time to hang your frames, your wall lamps and change the position of your furniture. You’ll feel like you live in a new home.

3.  Let’s fix it! Replace the bulbs, level your leaning shelves

Miss DIY Kit

Every morning you wake up with this shelf leaning. It’s been a year now since your wardrobe is jammed? Take 5 minutes to lubricate the wheels, replace the kitchen spotlight and fix all those things which don’t work right. 

4.  Find a sewing machine to make cushions, curtains, household linen and more!

@vintagerevivals

You have meters of nice fabric sleeping in the deepest shelf of your house? Find a sewing machine and make cushions or curtains to adorn your sofa or your windows. How to do it yourself? Nothing easier, you can watch this tutorial for cushions or this one for curtains. 

5. Give your furniture a new life

Tutorial here

Sometimes, changing the fabric or repainting some furniture is enough to give it a new life. This old chair for example, became in a few moves a unique designer piece, so stop hesitating!

6. Transform or redesign a room

Your attic or your storeroom is abandoned? Take time to reorganize the space better by tidying it. Your attic might become a guest room and you might even want to turn yourcloset into an office.

7. Put your things into order and tidy your home

You don’t know where to begin? Start with the 5s methods of our Japanese friends:

1. SORT: Get rid of what you don’t use anymore and throw what’s useless. Donate what cannot be sold (Emmaus, Popular Assistance…) and sell what’s left (ebay, yard sales…)
2. STABILIZE: Tidy and organize your space, use pieces of furniture and tidy tips (see this article full of good ideas).
3. SHINE: Take advantage of this time to clean the room entirely
4. STANDARDIZE or organize your things by creating an intuitive system: e.g., keep at hand the things you use daily. Put in another room what you don’t use every day and place the rest in height or in your garage…
5. SUSTAIN: Keep up with it! Pile up your T-Shirts, keep your hats in your shelf and your socks in the drawer.

8. Look for Second-Hand & Garage Sales

Passing by a yard sale? Go and have a look at it. You might find golden opportunity at a bargain. So-called "garage sales" are usually way more interesting in the summer than during the rest of the year.

9. Customize old/cheap pieces

A customized camping chair by Mat & Jewski

Once you found some interesting objects, try to customize their look to give them a fresh start.

10. Do your major purchases (take advantage of summer sales)

Last but not least, take advantage of summer sales and discounts to make your major purchases of decoration before the beginning of the year.

Have a nice summer J

Selections

The sea, white sand, and water lapping at the ship hull… those are images and sensations we would like to have at home all year long. So, if you like this atmosphere, here are some tips and ideas which might help you to add a holiday touch to your interior decoration.

Seaside spirit

You wish to create a seaside atmosphere? Use natural colours and materials. Find some shades of blue from navy blue and blue-grey to blue-green. To adorn those blues, you can use tints of beige as well as sand, linen and whites.

For the materials, we use sea rush and natural fibres, string, wicker, driftwood or aged wood.

Striped patterns might also adorn your décor. However, be careful not to overload your room. 

Wallpaper Great Wave and Acquario from Cole & Son (approx. 100€ and 190€ each roll).

Seaside Inspiration

Fishing Hut bedroom (Source)

We like:

• The aged wood head-board

3 DIY options:

1. Find some aged wood and  make yourself a head-board
2. Buy a ready to use head-board (e.g. here)
3. Use a trompe l’oeil by putting wallpaper or floors imitating aged wood (here) 

We fall for:

• The yard lamps used as bedside lamps
• The straw hat collection becoming decorative items

We like:

• The  blue-grey colours of the shelf matching the head-board;
• The wicker basket used as ceiling lamps.

A Ship Cabin Bedroom

We like:

• The ultra-simplified style of this bedroom where you really feel like you are in a ship cabin. Once again we can find the aged wood, the straw hat, the stripped patterns and the white colour. 

The Wooden Room

To keep in mind:

• The wooden head-board with a high shelf to save place: aesthetic and practical.

Good ideas for a seaside atmosphere

1. Turn a barge into a sofa

2. Turn a pallet into a hanging seat

3. Use rope to hang your curtains

4. Create a room divider using a ship sail

@727sailbags

5. Use your old oars to create a head-board

6. Build shelves for shells

Check here the seaside selection of MYDECOLAB! 

Fed up with all the noise coming from the outside (traffic/neighbors)? Before engaging any costly judicial proceedings, let's check how we could first improve your home. Our blog collected 10 tips to help you fight the noise.

Home decor, an aesthetic solution!

1. Carpets and rugs

Not only does the carpet decorate, protect and isolate the floor, but it can also soundproof it. Rugs can fulfill the same tasks, although they were first used to hang on walls and to cover couches. They will absorb part of the noises from downstairs and cushion your own furniture. And you will be able to wear high-heels without disturbing your neighbors… You can have a look at our selection of rugs here >>

2. Curtains on windows and doors

A poorly isolated window or shutter roller box will give you some sleepless nights. Besides sealing their joints with silicon, you can first hang thick curtains on them. Curtains on a door will also deaden the noise from one room to another.

3. Furniture

Avoid echoing empty spaces. A massive wardrobe against the wall will be useful in case of loud doorstep neighbors. If you have little room, you can replace furniture by paintings, mirrors, tapestries, etc.

4. The bathroom

You can hear your neighbor’s TV while taking a bath? I definitely can relate! Pipes and bathtubs are among the main sound conductors. Fill the gap under your bathtub with glass wool. As for the pipes and taps, their acoustic performance is always increasing.

5. Look after your balcony

Use your balcony against the street unquietness. No need for a large one, even a small thuja hedge can make the difference. If you do have a green thumb, why not build your own green wall? Check our article on this topic.

6. If (lucky) you have a terrace, a pergola would be another option. You can get one in wrought iron for €150.

Start renovation works

7. Doors

Change doors: soundproof doors rely on a series of layers in different materials (wood, metal). As it is still expensive, it will be most useful in place of your main door.

8. Windows

New generation windows: forget about double glazing, time has come for triple! Well, it’s still a bit expensive… And double glazing will be enough to stop the noise from inside. By the way, make sure it fits your building's style. If your ceiling is decorated with moldings, you might have to sacrifice them...

9. A fake ceiling

A double ceiling will isolate you from your upper neighbor. The plasterboard that make it up are covered with glass wool. But... the real ceiling has to be high enough, and it still costs some €500 for 10 square meters.

10. Bring calmness around you...

The agitation you feel also stems from your environment. Try to 'zenify' your home and put it in order. So you will be less sensitive to the surrounding earsores.

By Lorène Gaudin.