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The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Home Smell Amazing

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:00:03 +0000

Is cabin fever starting to set in at your place? I can say without a doubt it’s definitely setting in over here. With the arrival of Bébé S in earlier this year, we’ve been harder pressed to get out of the house more so than we are most years. Bitter cold temps = extra bundling + planning. Amidst learning how to finesse our newborn parenting skills, let’s just say we aren’t getting out quite as frequently. As Winter restlessness grows, and Spring cleaning becomes more and more appealing, I thought it might be the perfect time to share the piece I contracted with Curbly & Lampe Berger Paris on late last year on how to make sure your home smells amazing. The post is packed with everything home scent related including: The Psychology of Scents How Scents are Made How Scent & Memory are Related Tips for Removing Unwanted Smells DIY Home Fragrance Ideas What Your Home Fragrance Says About You Ways to Incorporate Fragrance into Your Home Decor So if like me, you’ve got Spring Cleaning on the brain, go check out the post for all ways to make sure your home smells as good as it looks! Think […]

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Christmas 2016: Meaningful Holiday Home Tour

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 13:36:34 +0000

Happy weekend! I’m excited to invite you in for a tour of our home decked out for Christmas as part of The Meaningful Holiday Home Tour, hosted by Laura of Meaningful Spaces! The tour runs Dec. 1st – 4th, so make sure you check out the rest of the homes on the tour with the links at the bottom of this post. Ken and I were traveling for nearly a week, 6 days to be exact, over Thanksgiving, so it wasn’t until this week that our Holiday decor went up. For time and budget reasons, we kept our decor pretty simple this year, by using decorations we already had + mixing in some every day decor into the Holiday spread. The only things we purchased new were the fresh cedar garland and flowers….And of course, those gifts under the tree; those are new too. One of my favorite non-Holiday specific pieces to mix in with the decor is my Grandmother’s plaid wool throw that she passed on to me a few years ago. I love the meaningful, Holiday touch it adds to our otherwise neutral space. As a nod to my heritage, Scandinavian pieces like straw ornaments, angelic candle chime […]

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Upgrade Your Everyday with These Design-Driven Homewares

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 13:00:55 +0000

When you purchase a home for the first time, you’re not just buying a home, you’re also in for several smaller purchases needed to either take care of your home or make it useable, like a lawn mower or maybe new accessories for a 2nd bathroom that you didn’t have when renting. Since purchasing our duplex last year, I’ve tried to put more thought into the things I’m bringing into our home, even for those everyday things like a laundry hamper. I mean if there’s a pretty, design-savvy option within your budget, then why not go for the option with some style?! I think it makes using these typically boring items more enjoyable. Not to mention, if it’s a pretty laundry hamper, then I’m more okay leaving it on display, when guests come over. (Less last minute scrambling for me when trying to hide the full plastic laundry basket!) With all this in mind, I’ve rounded up several design-driven homewares that make great alternatives to mundane daily-use items. Cheers to making our everyday just a little bit more fun! 1. Power Cable 2. Laundry Hamper 3. Japanese Scissor Set 4. Brass Towel Bar 5. Brass Strainer Set 6. Bottle […]

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DIY Wall Vase

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:28:06 +0000

I have probably the simplest DIY on the planet for you today! In fact, you might even consider it more of a styling trick–it’s that simple. Lately, I’ve been borderline obsessed with hanging vases of flowers on my walls, and it all started with this wall vase version a few years ago where I’d adhered a picture hanger to a vase with heavy duty adhesive and hung it on the wall like a picture. It was such a simple way to add fresh botanicals to vertical surfces. Fast forward to two weeks ago where I needed something organic to pair with my DIY key holder, so on a whim I pulled out a Command strip and quickly hung a vase of eucalyptus on the wall. I only had black strips at the time, but I still think it still worked out. (Check out the last photo in this post for a look.) I love how it turned out, so I left the vase on the wall for as long as the eucalyptus would allow. I even made another for my blog room when Mr. Francois came home with tulips last week! The obvious great thing about using removable hanger strips […]

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DIY du Jour: Acrylic Home Accessories

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 16:19:30 +0000

I think acrylic might just be my new favorite material to DIY with. It’s crisp & sleek and always seems to translate into gorgeous finished projects that don’t look the least bit handmade. I’m referring directly to the floating frame and freestanding menu below! Have you given acrylic a shot? What’s your take on the material? If you’re new to working with acrylic, here are 6 DIY acrylic home accessories to wet your whistle! Lucite Bath Caddy || Floating Acrylic Frame || Gold Bar Acrylic Tray || Acrylic Menu || Acrylic Jewelry Box || Acrylic Serving Board Want more DIY’s du Jour? Check out more ideas in this series here! Follow Save Save Save Save Save

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5 DIY du Jour: Weekend Homemaking

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:54:41 +0000

Hey! There’s a long weekend coming up, and at our place that usually means an opportunity to work on projects à la maison. Luckily, there’s nothing pressing like installing a new exterior storm door in 0º weather, totally re-plumbing our tenants bathroom (we hired this one out, thank goodness), or trouble-shooting on the washing machine that doesn’t seem to want to wash. (Yes, all those things have come up in the last 3 weeks. So not glamorous, but definitely part of home/duplex ownership!) In any case, I’ve been scouting some fun, aesthetically satisfying DIY’s du jour to sink my teeth into this weekend. Here are a few lovely ones that have floated to the top. Happy weekending! Furry Stool | Hello Sign | Muuto Dots | Hairpin Plant Stand | Agate Coasters 5 DIY’s du Jour for The Home Follow

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Swedish Candle Wreath DIY

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:23:41 +0000

I’m 50% Swedish + a mixture of Norwegian, Finnish and English in that order for the other 50%. So I always have my eye out for new Scandinavian decor and traditions we can include in our Holiday celebrations. This year I made a candle wreath to hang in the window, inspired by the Santa Lucia Crown, which gives off a warm glow a midst our short Minnesotan winter days. The brass hoop adds modern styling, and the eucalyptus smells ridiculously good! Find the brass ring here, candle clips here, and the mini candles here!To make the wreath, you’ll simply wire eucalyptus sprigs to the brass hoop with floral wire, clip on the candle, and add a leather hanger. Skip over to Homedit for the entire tutorial!Note: While the candle holder is quite stable once it’s clipped over the eucalyptus and hoop, the candle is much more of a decorative component to the wreath’s overall Nordic design. If you do light the candle, watch it carefully. If left unattended it could be a dangerous fire hazard. Follow

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Fast and Festive Pumpkin Votives

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:58:57 +0000

Yikes. Thanksgiving is in two days! Need a last minute table centerpiece? These fast and festive pumpkin votives will have your table dressed and ready to go in 20 minutes. I started by giving my little pumpkins a coat of spray paint in Montana, Color Petrol. I love Montana spray paints because they’re highly pigmented resulting in good coverage and pure, vibrant coloring. (This is NOT a sponsored post–I’m just sharing my experience as I spray paint a ton over here!) Skip the spray paint step if you’re crunched for time. The pumpkins also look gorge in their natural orange or white coloring!After letting the pumpkins dry, I carved out the spots for the votives and lit ’em up! Fast and easy, folks! Find more tidbits on how to rock this project on Homedit. Follow

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Francois Renovates: Progress Update

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:32:42 +0000

This post is part of a larger series called Francois Renovates. Check out the other posts in the series here and here. To be honest, these past few week I’ve been experiencing a bit of DIY renovation burnout. We officially moved into our home last Monday and have been living amongst the construction debris and unpacked boxes for a few week now. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many Subway sandwiches in such a short period of time…ever! It’s cheap, relatively healthy?, and no plate or silverware are required. I swear they see me coming and start in on my Veggie Delight on 9 Grain Wheat before I can even mutter the words. In any case, I’ve just kind of put the blinders on to the craziness at our house and have been trying to keep a good attitude about it all, because this chaos is only temporary. It’s a means to an (oh-so-fabulous) end and we really are so fortunate to be able to do this at all! So the cabinets, countertops and some of the appliances have arrived and things are starting to come together! Yahoo. I can see the light. Follow

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Lattice House Shelves

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:41:30 +0000

Fall is quickly approaching (tear!), so I decided to take a little hiatus from blogging and social media last week to enjoy what’s left of the season–our Minnesota summers are just too short and our winters are too brutally long not to! But I did still work on a few projects, so I guess I didn’t totally shut off. Check out these fun ‘house’ shelves perfect for displaying small plants and curiosities on the wall! Materials: 12″x24″ Sheet of Union Jack radiator cover Scissors Industrial Strength Adhesive Ruler Marker Spray paint Draw a house shape 3 ‘squares’ up from the bottom of the screen, 3 ‘squares’ in from the left and 3 ‘squares’ in from the right. Use a dotted line for the bottom of the edge of the house. Extend the dotted line horizontally to the sides of the screen. Draw a parallel line 1/2 of a square down from the dotted line. Repeat on the other side. Then extend the vertical lines of the house down to the bottom edge of the screen. Draw two notches flanking the apex of the roof. Then extend the vertical sides of the ‘house’ up by 3 squares, and at the top […]

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Timber Side Table DIY

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 16:26:03 +0000

I recently heard that studies show renters (though it’s a must have on their checklist) don’t actually use their unit balconies, which surprised me because Ken and I have always used the heck out of the balcony in all the places we’ve lived. This Spring we’ve been working on making our balcony into an extension of our living room as it’s connected by GIANT sliding doors. So the moment it warmed up we’ve been opening the door and letting the rooms flow as one. And in a 620 sf apartment, it makes a huge spacial impact! I’d been ogling this side table on Pinterest and had a feeling we could make one for our balcony out of a pressure treated (outdoor grade) heavy timber so I recruited Ken to help me make it happen and I LOVE the way it turned out. The key power tool here is the belt sander as it smooths out a multitude of sins: unlevel legs, uneven top, and of course, any rough edges. My favorite detail is the cross-section of the wood rings on the table top surface! Materials: One 6″ x 96″ cedar or pine timber. If you plan to use the table […]

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Minimal X-Shaped Coasters DIY

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 13:19:08 +0000

Hello there and happy Friday! It’s another Homedit tutorial here on Francois et Moi today where we’ve created a striking set of X-shaped modern coasters from balsa wood and a little paint. These playful numbers were inspired by a beautiful set of brass originals. But instead of working with metal, we used a malleable wood for a quick and easy fabrication. (You can actually cut balsa wood with a scissors!) I love the graphic, minimal design, and the way they sort of make you re-think what a coaster needs to look like in order to support your glass or hot pot. Use them individually, or group them together for a trivet effect. Get all the how-to details over at Homedit! And check out more of my Homedit tutorials right here.

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