I don’t have a dedicated laundry room and I can’t help thinking that if I did have one of these pretty rooms in my house, maybe I would turn into the Mrs Mop of the Modern World.  Probably Not!

Laundry Room / Home Office / Craft Room / Garden Room.  Why would you ever need to leave this space  Image from Houzz.com 

Chrome pull out baskets, a fold away ironing board and flip down hanging rod make this a very well laid out laundry room.  Image from Houzz.com

You don’t even need a large area for laundry.  Properly organised, the tightest spots can not only look amazing but be perfectly functional.

Image from Pinterest 

Image from my Pinterest Board

Image from Emerald Interior Design

Pretty jars and labels are a great way to pretty up the space.  And if your husband is anything like mine for leaving things in his pockets, you might make a few bob too

Storage jars from Rachel-j Blogspot

This wall decal brightens up an otherwise plain laundry room.

Wall Decal from Karen’s Pinterest Board

And of course there needs to be a place for the little things the Sock Fairies borrow

I’m now on a mission now to organise my laundry area.  How about you, leave an comment and let me know how you organise laundry in your home.

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 Once again I’d love if you would take the time to vote for me in this years awards.  I’m nominated in the Best Lifestyle Blog and Best Blog of an SME.

If you enjoy reading my ramblings, just click on the image below and fill out the online form (it will only take about 30 seconds).

The information you’ll need is:

Tick the box for “This blog is written by someone currently resident in Ireland” and then say something nice about me

Last year I made it as far as the Short List Stage in both categories so I was pretty chuffed as it was my first year to enter.  So I’ve set the bar pretty high for myself this year

As this is the year of The Gathering, a new category has been added inviting all Irish bloggers living oversees to enter the awards.  The Best Blog of the Diaspora is open to all bloggers with Irish roots.  The blogs can be of any theme, and you can enter from wherever you are in the world.  And who knows if you win, it could be an opportunity to come home for 12th October!

Finally if you’re a blogger and you’re also entering the competition, tell me your blog in the comments section and I’ll be delighted to vote for it.

Thanks Karen xx

The post The Blog Awards Ireland 2013 appeared first on Emerald Interior Design.

I love you dad and I miss you xx

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Thankfully the days of the floral sun lounger are long gone. Replaced by gorgeous outdoor fabrics where you can lie back, relax and just soak up the rays.

The new Ionia Outdoor collection from Osborne and Little is just suntastic!

Inspired by the light and sun of the Mediterranean, this collection of fabrics is named after islands in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece.

There are some beautiful vibrant colours in the collection such as turquoise, lime, rust, denim with neutral tones of black, stone and ivory.

The fabrics are suitable for outdoor use being resistant to sunlight, water and mildew. They also have a stain repellent finish so all that sun block you’ll need for our fine Irish weather won’t stain the fabric!

Now all I need is the sunshine and someone to serve me my Vodka and Tonic

If for some strange unfathomable reason you still haven’t liked my Facebook page, click your way there right now    You can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest or visit my Website for details of my services

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Last week the weather here was fabulous.  Glorious sunshine, high temperatures and not a cloud in the sky.  But this is Ireland!  So after 4 days sunshine, rain must follow!

It’s often the case in this country that we only get to look out at summer, so we should at least have somewhere nice to sit and let the outside in.

If you’re considering a kitchen extension, a pitched roof with sky lights will allow in plenty of light, while double doors will offer a view of the garden beyond.

French doors from B&Q

Large bi-folding doors and matching floor tiles inside and out create a streamlined approach to the garden beyond.

One of the principal rules of design life is “less is more”.  Sometimes all you need is a light bright room, a big table,  and a great view to the garden.

Forget the Man Cave, the She Shed has arrived.  How about this for a garden retreat?  Image from House to Home

Now that’s what I call a garden shed.  This Garden home office in Kent comes complete with a Sedum roof and green walls.  I want to work from here! Image from Houzz.com

This modern glass box extension gives a perfect view to the garden.  Image from House to Home

I love the pretty chandelier in this relaxed Dining area from House to Home

A very pretty conservatory complete with plenty of plants, a rustic table and an elegant chandelier.  Although I think a slate or limestone floor would have worked better here.  Image from Pinterest

No words needed!

If you enjoyed this post why not head over to my Facebook page, or follow me on Pinterest or Twitter.  Details of my Interior Design services can be found on my Website

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