12 March 2015

My TOP10 redecorating tips & thoughts

A RAINY JAZZ BACKGROUND FOR YOU, MY LADIES… PLAY & ENJOY

RO: E martie si ploua. Pe bune iti spun, abia astept sa vina adevarata-primavara, astept sa-apara acel aer de vara, la cateva saptamani dupa. Inca suntem in plina renovare cu apartamentul si chiar daca am incredere ca in cateva saptamani totul o sa fie alb si curat, chiar acum, trec prin niste momente in care simt ca nu-i mai fac fata. Am iesit pe balcon; port o vesta neagra cu rever din catifea si o pereche de jeansi. Ma intreb incotro ne-ndreptam (noi) si totodata unde se-ndreapta lumea, dupamasa asta. Pesemne ca se-ascund de ploaie, in incercarea de a ajunge acasa. Pentru mine, sunetul rotilor care gonesc pe asfaltul ud pare sa fi devenit unul de fundal in ultima vreme… insa ploaia se transforma in caldura, in timp ce intru in dormitor…

EN: It’s March, and it’s raining. I literally can’t wait for the true spring, or the early summer. We are still under construction with our apartment and I think this whole place will be crisp white and clean in a few weeks, but right now I feel like I can’t handle it anymore. I’m in the balcony, wearing just a vest and black jeans. I’m asking myself where are we heading to (us) and also where are all the people heading to, in the afternoon. Maybe they are all just hiding away from the rain, while rushing home. I constantly hear this vibrant sound of black wheels on wet concrete… The rain turns into warmth as I enter our bedroom…

RO: Trebuie sa sterg praful, sa aspir si sa curat podeaua in fiecare zi. Cateodata stau pe canapeaua din dormitor, cu o galeata de apa calduta in care-am turnat un capacel de elixir pentru lemn in stanga… si cu un mop in dreapta. Si atunci ma-ntreb: de ce? De ce trebuie sa fac asta in fiecare zi si devine un sir nesfarsit de zile care in final ajung blurate-n calendarul meu… Dar mai ales cum reusesc mamele noastre sa se descurce cu toate si sa obtina acelasi rezultat in fiecare zi. Imi vine sa plang cand ajung acasa la ai mei si casa aia frumoasa e la fel cum am lasat-o cu o luna in urma cand i-am vizitat…

Dar se spune ca lucrurile pentru care iti faci griji acum nu vor conta peste cateva luni… Ma bucura faptul ca dormitorul o sa fie gata pana la sfarsitul lunii. Am comandat un pat alb, inalt, care sa completeze inaltimea camerei; acum sunt mai tot timpul pe Pinterest si Houzz… Caut noptierele perfecte si un covor pufos, alb, iregulat. Vreau un dormitor aerisit, care se deschide spre balconul alb, unde poti lua micul dejun si in acelasi timp poti te incarci cu energie, cat pentru toata ziua…

Intr-adevar, nu m-am gandit ca redecorarea o sa ia atat de mult timp, insa ma bucur ca nu ne grabim sa luam decizii pe care le-am putea regreta mai tarziu. Am ales marmura alb cu gri si negru pentru baia principala; avand in vedere faptul ca mai avem o baie, o sauna cu abur, stiu ca ne vom petrece majoritatea timpului in baia principala (pentru cada, fireste) si imi doresc sa fie un spatiu perfect pentru relaxare.

Chiar acum (15:00) tatal lui Raul e in dressing, se ocupa de ultimele detalii (restaurarea ferestrelor si a tocurilor aferente) iar eu imi incarc board-ul “Home” de pe Pinterest cu tot soiul de fotografii si-astept cu nerabdare momentul in care o sa am o casa curata si o bucatarie functionala (long live order in & hip menu!).

Sper ca acest citat sa fie unul veridic, pentru ca va spun in cel mai sincer mod, am nevoie ca toate acestea sa fie gata, in curand. Am nevoie de timp cu el, avem nevoie de timp cu familiile noastre, de relaxare. Vreau sa am mai mult timp pentru blog si pentru proiectele noastre personale, insa acum nebunia asta pe care-o numim casa ne ocupa tot timpul liber, ne fura gandurile si clipele. Cateodata chiar si visele si speranta si nu vad cum poate un zid fara viata sa faca asta. Probabil e si el nostalgic, are o istorie si nu e rabdatori cu oamenii noi si gandurile lor marunte…

Suntem aici de la sfarsitul lunii septembrie sau inceputul lui octombrie si in tot acest timp am aflat tot soiul de lucruri, despre redecorare si despre mine pana la urma. Sper sa va ajute si pe voi cum m-au ajutat pe mine:

EN: I have to wipe the dust, to vacuum and clean the floors every single day. I sometimes sit on the couch in the bedroom, with a bucket of warm water and wood elixir on my left and a mop on my right and ask myself: why? Why do I have to do this every day? And how do our mothers manage to do everything so perfectly. I just wanna cry when I get home and I see the whole house being just as we left it the other month we’ve visited my parents…

But most of the times, the things you worry about right now won’t even matter a month from now, so I have to say I’m happy we’ll have our complete bedroom by the end of the month. This is an accomplishment. We ordered a big, fancy, white bed to match the height of the room, and right now I’m all over Pinterest and Houzz trying to find the perfect french bed side tables and a big fluffy, irregular white rug. I want an airy bedroom that opens into a white balcony, where you can have breakfast and get the morning vibe at the same time.

To be sincere, I never thought it would be so hard to redecorate this space, but I’m glad we are taking one step at the time, because I don’t want to feel bad later, you know… for rushing into plain choices. We’ve decided upon white and gray marble for our master bathroom and since the other bathroom is actually a steam sauna, this will be the place where will will spend the most time in, and I want it to be perfectly aligned and serene.

Right now Raul’s Dad is in the dressing, taking care of the big white window (15:00), the final touches, while I keep up with my Pinterest boards, searching for stuff, trying to see the bright side (large windows, duh!) and waiting to finally have a functional kitchen and a clean home. I guess that’s all I’m asking for right now. Hope this quote is right and all my fears are for nothing, because I need to be done with all this in the next few months. I just want to spend quality time with my loved ones and be able to think more about the evolution of the blog, about our personal projects. Right now I can’t focus 100%, due to this mess I’m calling home… (and now I’m laughing)

We’ve been here from late September/ October and in all this time I found out all kind of interesting things about redecorating and about myself. I hope they will help you as they helped me:

1.

RO: Hai sa incepem cu un gand pozitiv, o sa ai nevoie de el la fiecare pas. Lucrurile pentru care iti faci griji chiar acum, nu vor mai conta, peste cateva luni. Si asa e, lucrurile se schimba, totul arata mai bine de la luna la luna, trebuie doar sa le iei asa cum vin.

EN: The things you worry about right now won’t even matter a month from now – because things keep changing and your place will look better month after month. Let’s start with a positive thought, you need it all.

2.

RO: Trebuie sa gasesti frumusetea in ceea ce te inconjoara si daca redecorezi (masiv) probabil ca deja te bucuri de te-miri-ce-lucruri, care altadata ti se pareau normale. De exemplu te bucuri cand sunt gata perdelele! Perdelele si draperiile sunt atat de importante, iti dau un sentiment de bine, te fac sa crezi in acest spatiu personal, doar al tau, si, cel mai important, draperiile fac din casa, acasa.

Am ales o perdea alba, simpla, din voal si draperii albe, catifelate, insa destul de groase incat sa nu permita sa patrunda lumina, sambata, cand ne dorim sa lenevim in pat. Perdelele au fost facute la comanda pentru ca aveam nevoie de o lungime mult peste cea obisnuita – 3,30m. Doamnele nu au inteles prea bine cand am ajuns acolo si le-am aratat o poza cu fereastra dormitorului. “E prea inalt, dar ce bloc e? Din ce an?”… Dupa vreo ora, croitoresele au gasit varianta perfecta pentru perdelele noastre, varianta care sa nu implice o inestetica adaugare de material, si anume: au intors panza, dupa care am lucrat pe latime. (In general lungimea maxima este 2.70-2.90)

Cautand informatii pe net, am gasit un articol (in engleza) care povesteste despre cum alegem lungimea perdelelor si mai ales ce efect vizual are lungimea lor asupra camerei.

EN: You must find the beauty in it, and you should have already started to be thrilled about random things that don’t make people extremely happy, like curtains. Curtains are so important, they give you that cuddly feeling that this is your secret place, they block out the sunlight when none is wanted and they turn a house into a home. Here’s an interesting article about How to choose the Length of your curtains, and how this choice influences the overall look of the room.

We ordered custom made white curtains (I needed a custom length at about 3m and 30cm) and they’ve been making our bedroom my favourite place in the house for now. I love to write here, where the light is not harsh, but relaxing.

3.

RO: Foloseste piesele vintage ca un statement. Eu am vopsit un scaun vechi de bar cu spray argintiu si acum il tot mut prin casa, incercand sa-i gasesc locul perfect. Am procedat la fel si cu o masuta veche de telefon, lasata aici de proprietari, era maro inchis si am vopsit-o negru mat.

Intreaba-ti bunicii, sau rudele daca au ceva de dat la giveaway (bloggeri iubesc cuvantul asta), cumpara cateva spray-uri metalice de la magazinele de tip Art&Hobby si apuca-te de treaba. Eu mi-am vopsit scaunul un curtea interioara; am asezat cateva ziare vechi pe jos si in mai putin de 15 minute i-am dat un suflu nou. Trebuie sa mentionez ca purtam o salopeta din denim, tricou alb si sneakeri si scaunul era proiectul meu DIY. Da, exista un look pentru orice si tinuta asta poate fi folosita si atunci cand iti zugravesti camera in nuante pastelate, de primavara. Despre asta, mai tarziu.

EN: You can use vintage pieces as statement accents. I painted an old bar chair in a mirrored silver finish and I’ve been moving it around the house. It just looks amazing anywhere. Same thing goes to a little telephone table that was brown and now it’s matte black.

You can ask your relatives if they have any antique or old pieces that they want to giveaway (bloggers just love this word) and get some silver, gold or white spray cans from your local art supply shop and turn the chair or the coffee table, into your personal DIY project.

I painted mine in the hallway using silver spray and lots of old newspaper. I also felt amazingly crafty while wearing a denim overall, a white t-shirt and sneakers. Yes, I have a look for everything and you can also use this one while painting a new spring-ish hue on your walls. More about that later!

4.

RO: Stiu ca o seama dintre voi s-ar mira in fel si chip gandindu-se… de ce ai cumpara flori pentru o casa care inca nu e gata, insa plantele imi insenineaza ziua. In momentul in care am realizat design-ul dressing-ului, mi-am imaginat o insula in mijlocul camerei. Ei bine aceasta insula exista acum si are un finish de oglinda, astfel incat orice ai pune pe ea, arata de doua ori mai bine. Iubesc sentimentul pe care il am cand intru in casa, trec de holul interior si ajung in dressing. Imi dau jos pantofii si vad in fata mea un buchet mare de flori proaspete. Trebuie sa mentionez ca primesc des flori de la Raul, de la colaboratorii mei, insa atunci cand nu am primit flori, merg si cumpar eu.

Daca vrei sa dai un suflu nou unei piese de mobilier, poti comanda o oglinda, pe care sa o fixezi pe blat, insa gandeste-te la faptul ca trebuie sa iti faci timp sa o stergi de praf in fiecare zi. Sunt pacatoase. Stiu, mama, te vad!

EN: I know some of you might think why on Earth I’m buying fresh flowers for a not-so-ready home, but they enlighten my day. When I designed our dressing, I always imagined a big island in the middle, and the one we have right now has a mirror finish, that will enhance the beauty of anything that sits on top. Haven’t tested it per se, but flowers look gorgeous. I just love this feeling of walking down the messy (inside) hallway and enter the dressing, sit down to take off my heels and see a beautiful, big bouquet of flowers. If you want to make your desk look cool and you have the time to dust it everyday, you can order a custom-cut mirror and fix it on the furniture of your choice. But you need to dust it every single day!

With this being said, I also have to admit I receive lots of flowers, from my fiance, from my collaborators (ex Promenada Mall Bucuresti, Avon) and when I don’t get them, I’ll buy them. Fresh flowers delivery for everyone!

5.

RO: Peretii au avut nevoie de atentia unei echipe de profesionisti, renovarile nu fusesera o prioritate in acest spatiu pentru o perioada buna de timp si a trebuit sa luam totul de la zero. Apartamentul a fost construit in 1905, impreuna cu aceasta cladire, care este considerata monument istoric. Avand in vedere acest fapt, nu avem voie sa facem modificari ale exteriorului (balcon, ferestre) insa am putut alege culorile pe care le-am dorit pentru interior. Am folosit nuante calde de bejuri si maro, desi am decis ferm ca mergem pe un look all-white, in Septembrie. Nu m-am putut abtine, imi plac culori neutre insa ganditi-va cat de bine arata o camera inalta in orice culoare… Un verde smarald, un grena intens, un burgundy inchis… Stateam in pat, uitandu-ma la multitudinea de culori pe care o aveam in mana si nu ma puteam decide. Am inceput prin a alege o categorie: European Interiors, marcata cu simbolul unei coloane.

Mi-au placut nuantele, insa imi doream putina caldura asa ca am ales un maro neutru cu putin rose pentru dormitor, o nuanta mai inchisa de maro pentru birou si cea mai inchisa nuanta de maro din acel swatch pentru baia de abur (care mergea perfect cu mozaicul Bisazza pe care il avem). Toate aceste nuante se regasesc pe paleta de la Ambient, in categoria notata cu simbolul unui ardei iute. Voi renevi cu schema de culori cand apartamentul este gata si va aduc si codurile.

Ca un sfat, alegeti-va culoarea preferata pentru zugraveala in functie de sentimentul pe care il doriti de la camera respectiva. Daca rozul bujorilor te inspira, atunci alege-l fara ezitare, iti va insenina viata! De-a lungul timpului am avut o camera: intai portocaliu deschis, apoi in nuante violet (da, da, in liceu), apoi galbena in anii petrecuti in chirie cu Carmen + inca trei dormitoare albe, zburand dintr-o chirie in alta. Mi-am castigat dreptul de a alege o culoare neutra.

Nu uitati: zugravind o camera in alb, mariti vizual spatiul disponibil, o sa va arat cat de curand (posibil) cum am folosit noi albul pentru a obtine un living enorm.

EN: To be sincere, our walls needed a lot of attention from a whole team of professionals. This apartment was built in the 1905’s, so it’s a history monument. We aren’t allowed to alter in any way or modify the exterior (that includes windows and balcony) but we can choose our own colour for the interior. We used warm colours for our home, although we firmly decided for an all-white look in September…

I just couldn’t resist to add a bit of colour. I like neutrals, but just imagine how good would a tall room look in any colour. I can’t stop thinking about emerald green for my office or a deep grena, a dark burgundy… I was sitting in bed looking at ALL those beautifully color-coordinated codes and the right thing to do, by that time, was to choose from a category of colour group: European Interiors, marked with the symbol of a column.

I have to say I liked the hues but I needed just a touch of warmth in our home, and I selected a neutral brown with a touch of rose, for our bedroom, a darker variation of the same brown for my creative space (the soon to be office) and the darkest brown available on that color swatch for our steam sauna bathroom area, since we used brown and gold Bisazza for the Sauna.

Make sure you choose your favourite colours, if peony pink makes you feel good than go for it, it will brighten your day. Over time I had an orange room, a green one, a deep purple one (high school, yes, yes) and later, in my years spent with Carmen, a light yellow on Eroilor and then 3 other white bedrooms. I’m entitled to my own neutral brown in this bedroom. I’ve earned it!

Don’t forget the fact that painting your walls white will make the space look larger. You will see how we’ve used a clean white painting to make our living look extra large.

6.

RO: Ok, dressingul vine primul, chiar dupa salteaua pe care ai plasat-o in camera aia pe care o numesti acum majestic, “dormitor”

(Fragment din discutie: “-E dormitor de artisti, ne place pe jos, e ca un apartament din Paris, cu pereti de caramida, un sevalet, un pat si un studio foto…”)

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Nu-i usor sa te prezinti ca scos din cutie cand de fapt, toata garderoba ta vine in cutii… Insa daca depui putin efort la impachetare si notezi cu markerul ce gasesti in fiecare cutie, o sa iti fie mai usor. Ma simt de parca impachetez de-o viata… Kit-ul de baza include banda adeziva, cutii in diferite marimi, o sticla de spumant si o patura, pentru ca la sfarsitul zilei o sa stai pe vreo cutie, alaturi de iubirea vietii tale sau de cea mai buna prietena si in timp ce soarele apune o sa simti fiorii unui nou inceput. Crede-ma pe cuvand sticla aia de sampanie e bine sa se afle prin preajma. Mai tarziu in noapte s-ar putea sa plangi. Ti-ai impachetat viata in cateva cutii, pentru Dumnezeu!! Pe de alta parte realizezi tot mai des ca te poti muta la Barcelona daca asta iti doresti…

Si dupa ce ne-am mutat si am golit sticla, logic a fost sa ne trezim a doua zi la pranz, si am cumparat doua standere de haine. Am organizat astfel tinutele noastre pe o saptamana, incercand sa rotesc hainele si sa las afara doar strictul necesar. Am lasat pantofii cu toc sa se odihneasca-n cutiile lor si am scos bocancii pe front. Adica in fata standerului. Imi amintesc si acum… Standerul LUI era un dezastru. Arata plans, ca o salcie, sub greutatea jachetelor de piele si din loc in loc, se zbatea cate un umeras alb, caruia tricoul i-a fost smuls, dis de dimineata. Standerul meu, in schimb era bun de pus pe Instagram.

In zilele noastre, avem o camera pe post de dressing si istoria se repeta. Ma tot bate gandul sa-l sun pe tata sa-i spun sa mai comande niste usi pentru partea lui… E un dezastru pe doua picioare, insa il iubesc si-ncerc sa nu ma evapor, aranjand in fiecare zi umerasele. Nu asta-i oare ideaa unui dressing deschis? N-o fi asta promisiunea pe viata: “…promit, la bine si la rau, cu masina de spalat Electrolux, cu uscator integrat sau fara, sa pastrez hainele curate si ordonate in dulap? Amin?”

Te iubesc Raul!

Acestea fiind spuse, dressingul o sa fie comandat primul, fara ezitare, pentru ca ai nevoie de un dulap (sau de o camera-tip-dulap), mai mult decat iti imaginezi! Daca ai avut tot timpul dulap si nu i-ai dus dorul, mergi acum si imbratiseaza-l, sterge-l de praf si iubeste-l, c-ai plange rauri (cum spune Justin) fara el! *sings: cry me a river*

Noi am comandat dressingul de la tata (se ocupa cu mobilier, era si culmea sa apelez la altcineva). El s-a ocupat de tot procesul de proiectare si compartimentare, noi doar am luat mouse-ul si-am tras dulapul pana la tavan, pentru a folosi cat mai bine tot spatiul (3,60) si am ales locuri dedicate pentru genti si pantofi (e un soi de Romexpo, dar cam asta era si ideea)

EN: Ok, it comes after the mattress you trowed in that room you call bedroom now, but it’s essential. It’s not an easy thing to put yourself together, when all you wardrobe comes in boxes, but if you put an early effort into packing things and write on each box before you move, it will be easier. It feels like I’ve been packing since forever. The basic kit includes duct tape, various sized-boxes, champagne and a blanket.

At the end of the day you will be sitting next to your loved one, or your best friend, and it will feel like a new beginning. Having a bottle of champagne next to you is the best thing you can do right now, because you need a lot of positivity and patience to deal with your life from now on. You’ve packed everything in a few boxes for God Sake! You can move to Barcelona if you want!

When we moved it, I shopped two large standers to help me with my weekly outfits. I pulled out my everyday shoes, while letting my high heels in their boxes. Same thing for Raul’s items. We kept rotating the outfits every week or even earlier and I clearly remember how HIS stander was a mess and mine was instagramable… In our days, we have a big walk-in-closet for all our clothes and the history repeats. Keep thinking I will be forced to call my dad and order some doors for his part. He’s a mess, but I love him, and I try not to fall apart and arrange the clothes every other day…

I love you babe!

With this being said, the dressing comes first, this is the 1st furniture we’ve ordered because we needed it. I don’t want to go back. Ever. My dad designed our dressing and we met at our place to talk about it, make it ceiling-high to take advantage of all this space (3,60m) and so on… I also got a special customised place for my bags and shoes (it’s like at Romexpo) and I love it. You will see more pictures when everything will be done. Details are also cool to see though, go on my Instagram, I’ll be posting tonight.

7.

RO: Cand redecorezi e musai sa stai in pat cel putin o data / saptamana, sa mananci salata cu ton si sa stai pe internet, din motive absolut normale, pentru research, dude!

Pe Pinterest, Houzz, House and Garden , DIY Network si Luxury design / the design issues

En: When you redecorate you must be stuck in bed for at least one day/week, eating ordered in tuna salad and surfing the oh-so-inspirational, internet. For obvious reasons: cool research, dude!

On Pinterest, Houzz, House and Garden , DIY Network and Luxury design / the design issues

8.

RO: Un sistem de muzica surround o sa iti lumineze ziua, crede-ma. Vestea buna e ca poti asculta muzica preferata (CD, USB, sau AUX) toata ziua. Sa nu uitam ca acest sistem poate functiona ca o tehnica de relaxare, din moment ce avem atatea mix-uri zen de ascultat pe youtube! Pentru mine e foarte important sa am parte de un ambient placut in spatiul in care imi petrec majoritatea timpului, asa ca am pastrat si Cicas-ul (unul dintre cele trei lucuri pe care le-am luat cu noi, din vechiul apartament: palmierul, covorul de piele si televizorul LG Smart)

Daca va ganditi sa instalati un astfel de sistem, nu uitati sa transmiteti echipei de electricieni sa traga prin perete cablurile necesare pentru boxe. Noi am montat sistemul in aproximativ doua ore, insa a meritat; am ascultat muzica buna pana noaptea tarziu…

Ne-am dorit acest sistem si pentru ca vom instala un proiector pentru documentare in birou.

Am avut un sistem mai mic de muzica si in baie, in apartamentul vechi si ne dorim unul si sauna, insa decamdata ne gandim mai mult la sistemul de iluminat decat la sunete relaxante de jungla…

Doamne! Ce cuvinte scriu pe blog, zilele astea?

En: A surround music system will lighten your day, trust me. You get to listen you your favourite music (from a CD, USB or AUX) all day long. It can also work as a recreational technique since we’ve go so many zen music mixes to play on day time. For me it’s really important to have an inspirational place to write on blog and this room will be my escape. We also kept our Cicas palm tree (one of the 3 things we took when we moved out – the palm tree, the leather rug and the TV).

Make sure you tell your construction team to nest the needed cable tubes in the walls. Raul and I fixed on the sound system; it took us about 2 hours, but it was worth it. (I was just the assistant) We listened beautiful music very late that night…

I wanted to have this system in the office, since we are also going to install a projector for documentaries, and we need that quality sounds. We had a sound system in prior bathroom, in the other apartment and we want one for our steam bath, but we are thinking more about lightning issues now.

Oh, God! What words am I using on blog, nowadays?

9.

RO: Cateodata, cel mai bun lucru pe care poti sa il faci pentru casa ta, e sa investesti intr-o piesa statement: un covor de piele, un set de sase perne din catifea pentru dormitor… Intelegi tu, detaliile conteaza. Daca ai ales sa zugravesti in culori neutre, poti oricand sa te joci cu decorul: arunci o paturica de blana pe canapea, mai adaugi niste perne in print-uri actuale, cateva lumanari si un buchet de lalele in culoarea care te inspira in aceasta perioada. Felicitari, ai schimbat atmosfera camerei, fara a jefui vreo banca!

Investeste in cateva fete de perna pentru fiecare anotimp (primavara, vara, toamna, iarna – aici poti merge pe ceva festiv) – hai ca nu e greu, e ca pe podium: S/S, baby! Inspira-te din tot ce te inconjoara!

Daca nu esti multumita de culoarea peretilor din odaia ta, nu-ti fie frica de schimbare, te costa cam 400ron/90€ si poti folosi tinuta aia de care vorbeam mai sus (salopeta denim).

In plus, iti poti chema prietenele sa te ajute daca renovezi doar o camera. Cate modificari am facut si noi si cat am mai mutat mobila… Nu aveam stare….

Acum ca vorbim despre vopsea, mi-am adus aminte de faptul ca un prieten tocmai a trecut de la portocaliu (flacarile iadului, – spunea) la un albastru foarte deschis si un crem-auriu. Vreau sa vad ce a iesit, parea cel mai fericit om cand si-a planuit redecorarea.

EN: Sometimes you just have to invest in a cool, statement piece like a leather rug or a set of six velvet cushions for your bed. I really like chosing neutral colours for the walls and the floors so I can just trow in there some beautiful pillows, a cozy faux-fur blanket, some candles, a bouquet if fresh tulips and make everything look different without having to rob a bank.

If your home is painted in neutrals, invest in several pillow cases for spring, summer, autumn and winter (holiday themed), and rotate them. It’s like on the runway, S/S baby!

If you want to change the colour of your walls, just do it! It’s not that hard, if your walls have been recently painted (and I mean 2-5 years, with up to date paint) you can start a DIY project. Just find that colour that makes you happy, it won’t cost you a fortune (about 400ron/ 90€ for a small to medium room) and it will make you happy. I’m looking forward to see a friend’s house, he just finished painting the walls and he looks very happy, there’s something in his eyes, a little sparkle…

10.

Raul’s Dad, photographed by me.

RO: LA FINAL, e timpul sa mergem la cumparaturi (da, din nou)! Cumparam o multime de lumanari, uleiuri esentiale, niste sapun de la Fragonard…

Am incercat toate variantele de a parfuma casa si trebuie sa va spun ca lampa pentru uleiul esential + o lumanare pastila e cea mai buna varianta de a obtine un parfum placut, in cel mai scurt timp, chiar si intr-un apartament inalt. Imi place sa amestec ulei esential de flori de camp si Iasomie, pentru o aroma proaspata, dar nostalgica (foloseam ulei de flori de camp in celalalt apartament… Don’t blame me!)

Imi plac si berisoarele parfumate, parfumul de casa de la Toya, Platinum (pentru birou) si lumanarile Ginger Lily.

EN: AFTER you finished everything, it’s time to shop (yes, again)! Buy a lot of candles, essential oils, some Fragonard fancy soaps…

I’ve tried everything when it comes to home fragrances, and essentials oil lamps + simple candles = a lovely scent in an instant. I like mixing wild flowers essential oil with Jasmine for a fresh yet deep inspirational scent. I also love the incense sticks, the Ginger Lily candles and the Toya Platinum home scent (for my office only)

RO:…si-acum c-am spus toate cele de mai sus, parca am nevoie de aer. Carmen a ajuns la mine si cred ca iesim la o tigara, pe balcon. E mijlocul lui martie, ploua (de asta v-am pus jazz) si norii gri acopera cerul. Pana la urma, daca notez progresul s-ar putea sa uit primul capitol din acest apartament. E apartamentul din centrul orasului, pe care ni-l doream atat de mult, apartamentul despre care am discutat in atatea nopti de vara… Suntem aproape si-am sa las ploaia asta fumurie de primavara sa spele tot. Sa duca amintirile departe si sa ne lase un nou inceput. O sa fim bine, curand.

EN: …now that I’ve said all this, I need a bit of air. Carmen just arrived and I think I’m going out for a cigarette. It’s the middle of March and it’s raining, the clouds cover the sky. I might give this apartment a try after all, be patient and write down the progress to forget the 1st chapter. We are moving on, this is the perfect place, it’s our place, and we always wanted an apartment in the middle of the city. We’re almost there. I’ll let this spring, yet dark rain wash it all away. We will be good soon.

Wearing HALF OF ME feminine V vest, in black. Photos by Carmen Grebenisan

RO: Eu sper ca v-ati simtit bine citind al 3-lea post din seria #personal, va multumesc ca sunteti aici cu mine; impreuna suntem mai puternici in fiecare zi si asta imi da avantul de care am nevoie. Se pare ca pana la urma citatul e adevarat, dupa cum ati fost si voi de acord, pe Instagram. Spor si rabdare sa aveti!

EN: I hope you enjoyed my 3rd #personal post, thanks for being here with me,

we grow stronger everyday, as a community, and that gives me the strength I need, to let it all go.

After all, the quote is true, and you agreed on Instagram. Good luck and be patient!