Bohemian Coolness :-)

When we first viewed our condo, an idea came to us when we saw the bar. The previous owners had altered what was the builders' bar in the unit, extending it into the living area by a foot or so, adding an aluminum pole and a thick dark brown stained wood bull nose edge.

We have lots of little eclectic things we've picked up here and there on walks. They range from little fossil stones, to tiny delicate bones, gorgeous pebbles and stones, tiny unique pieces of wood, sea glass, quartz, etc. They were in 2 piles all over our apartment floor before lol! We thought, wouldn't it be cool and personal to create a 3D bar surface with all these little natural items.

Decorative cream colored sand, which can be bought anywhere from IKEA to the Dollar Stores, would layer the shallow depth, a piece of beveled glass could be cut to sit on little silicon beads over top of the raised edge, and all the collected pieces from our many hikes and walks could be displayed below. Cliche and tacky perhaps, but for us it would be a personal and beautiful statement about our leisure times, enjoyable memories, and something we share an interest in - nature.

I also wanted to do something with the front of the bar, which is basically just laminate flooring but on the front and side surfaces. We saw ceiling and back splash tiles by Fasade which can be bought at Home Depot. There are so many stunning patterns, textures and tones. I love the Edwardian look ones, the industrial chic style :-)

I mocked up the bar front in Photoshop, using one of the tiles, to see how it would sort of look. Of course, it would not repeat the light condition on each tile as seen in the mock up, but would be an over all lighting condition, which I just have to mentally visualize beyond the mock up image I created. Along with this, John wants to paint that aluminum pole as well, in a dark brown metal paint since he hates it lol! I don't mind it but the silver won't work with the warm metallic tones in the facing we chose.

Of course, we cannot litter the surface of the glass with objects like it is now, or no one would see anything below :-) Once the walls are no longer drab light pink white (if I never see a light coloured wall again in my life it'll be too soon but to each is own) the whole effect will be warm bohemian richness :-) In the kitchen, we are tossing around the idea of a blue with a terra cota combed paint effect over the blue. The living area we want a warm terra cota tone.

A relatively inexpensive project that I can do much of myself :-) and it'll say something about who lives in our space.

from Walmart

extra seaglass from Walmart