Week 5 of One Room Challenge is here and today we will share with you a little sneak peek of the IKEA Billy / Oxberg upgrade as well as our chosen plants for our indoor kitchen garden and some tips of how to keep these plants alive for as long as possible.
IKEA Billy / Oxberg DIY
As you can see from the first image, we have DIY'd the IKEA Billy / Oxberg shelf to look more contrasting by painting the doors black and switching the original handles to golden ones we bought last year in ZARA when visiting London. I have to admit that ordering a white cabinet with white doors was not the best idea, as it was very tricky [read: 'impossible'] to paint the doors so that white fractions of the door frame that hold the glass wouldn't show through when you look at them from the side. I would definitely suggest to order the doors in the dark brown color and then paint them black - the final look will be close to perfection.
As you can see I have filled our brand new cabinet with dinnerware and decoration bits and bobs already, and I have to say despite the mishap with the door painting, I am very pleased with the result. I love the black and white combo and the contrast it provides and combined with white, black & gold kitchenware items it is kitchen cabinet goals. I am still undecided though if I should also install any of our black and white removable wallpapers in it or leave it simple and elegant? I suppose the final decision will be made next week before the grand finale!
Kitchen garden plants
Fresh herbs
To achieve the desired kitchen garden vibe I have focused on three indoor plant options. Firstly as it is nearly summer here and fresh citrus juices [ & mimosas] as well as leafy green salads are the top choice for healthy and nutritious lunch, herbs needed to be included in my office garden. Of course, mimosas are mostly reserved for celebrations, but why not fancy up your everyday office life with super delicious & aesthetically gorgeous blood orange sparkling water, right? [One of my fav recipes!] And just imagine the wonderful aroma of fresh basil leaves.. I find that herbs are also very easy to maintain, because most likely you'll eat them all sooner than they'll stop living. Am I right?
Potted garden flowers
The thing I remember most vividly when visiting London last spring was the blooming garden flowers. They were nearly on every balcony and window sill, and the colors were spectacular! Blooms always make the interior more feminine and somehow emits positive energy as you cannot just walk past them, you need to stop for a while to appreciate their beauty and that always brings out a smile in me. In our office the main blooming beauties are white azaleas as they pair perfectly with leafy greens and herbs, highlighting the beauty of each other. They are quite demanding regarding maintenance though, they thrive at cooler temperatures and out of direct sun which will allow the blooms to last longer. They need to be watered regularly, as they like moist soil, but do not to mist the plant when it's blooming as for some species the flowers can get brown.
Tropical plants
Tropical plants are probably the most popular choice when it comes to indoor plants. They are actually quite easy to take care of [unless it's a banana tree] & they pair beautifully with every interior style. The queen of our office kitchen is strelitzia nicolai [The white bird of paradise] and various species of calatheas. Given that the air has been very dry through the winter season, the plants have survived this period quite well and hopefully will bloom sometime, although I read that it most likely won't happen for indoor strelitzias. Their giant banana tree-like leaves add an immediate tropical look to any interior and are very durable, the only thing to remember is to keep them on the dry side as they don't like extremely wet soil. We are still missing some of the plants though, [as there can never be too many] as well as some decor pieces but I am very thrilled to see the kitchen coming together and can't wait for the final week to share with you the big room reveal post!
- [Kitchen cabinets & counter top installation + handles] - Done!
- IKEA cabinet upgrade + styling - Done!
- [Bubble chandelier DIY] - Done!
- Marble wall mural installation - Done!
- Dining area styling
- Planting - Done!
- Final decor pieces & room styling
- Big room reveal
