If you have not visited Joni Webb's fabulous blog, Cote de Texas, this is the week to stop by! Joni is an extremely talented designer in Texas. Her blog was recently selected as one of the top ten decorating blogs of 2008-9 by the Washington Post. This week Joni reviews the Belgian Style that is so hot right now across the country.
Joni describes Belgian decor as "quiet and monotone .. plain linens .. antique elements – ancient stone floors, beams, marble staircases, and acres of limed wood - everywhere. Textures are a very large part of this style – rough, rustic woods and stone surfaces are played against smooth, shiny crystals and glass."
In our increasing complicated world this is a style to come home, relax and unwind in - serene and almost austere.
Please stop by Cote de Texas and see the entire post.
I have saved it as one of my all time favorites, so do not miss it! Here is the link: http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/01/belgian-design.html
Sure, it has the basics - like margarine, ketchup, four eggs, a splash of milk... oops, and some bubbly (it's the weekend, after all)! Everything else is on a list in my purse, waiting to be purchased. Today was supposed to be grocery day. Technically, I had every intention to food shop; honestly, I had zero intention. Instead, I spent much of the day with my handy man, who took the day off to work on a project (while I tidied up after him). He treated me to a lunch date, which was wise considering what is in the cupboards...
Good enough: AKA macaroni, meat sauce, a dash of Tobasco sauce and bottled crushed garlic, all topped with mozarella cheese. Everyone calls it something different, I just call it easy...
I might even dress it up with some pretty cherry stickers. Then again, I probably won't.
I started with a vinyl rub on from Uppercase Living. If you haven't heard about them, I wrote about the products 
I started taking my own pictures of our son when he was itty bitty -- the baby who NEVER cried screamed like a banshee for his first professional pictures -- so that day I went home, stripped him down, laid him on black fabric, and shot away. I did this often his first year or so:
**This does not work with a two-year-old. :)
It's one of the first things you see when you walk into our home and it's one of my favorite spots. I just added a new one today, and may add one more, but I don't know. I like all the "white space":
I always suggest this kind of wall for weird hallways and stairways. I think it is a beautiful way to deal with awkward spaces like this. The pictures cost me nothing because I print them at home, on regular paper. Love it!
Gorgeous details abound:
Stalking houses is a good way to pass time between basketball games...
...and my girlie even seemed to enjoy it!
Behind that screen is the awkward space, which proves just enough room for Christmas storage."
While visiting 
This home-owner made perfect use of the floor space in her child's room by elevating the bed and using the space underneath for cool storage. Can you say, Ikea storage unit? Brilliant!
It is my all-time favourite home office eked out of a living room, no less! I love it all: the skirted desk area (hiding the ugly elements of an office, no doubt), and the red storage boxes. Even bills would look pretty in those!
According to Jen, "It took me fifteen minutes to quickly put up a bar between the cupboard and the wall and add a hanging shoe organiser from IKEA. "
The toys sit happily in this unit...just waiting to be played with.
This idea speaks to the importance of incorporating built-ins when living within a smaller blue-print.
