The Interior DIYer
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I recently watched the Channel 4 documentary ‘Graffiti Wars’ which detailed the long graffiti battle between Banksy {no introduction necessary} and Robbo – one of London’s oldest graffiti artists. The interview and facts seemed to tip in one artists’ favor. This show reminded me that I’ve failed to splice more of my favorite graffiti I’ve come across from my somewhat worldly travels. So I’m sharing them and their stories …

Be still my beating heart – my ultimate graffiti find. We were in Vienna for two days, and on our second day we were killing time wandering the residential streets before our flight home and all of a sudden, we found this. Words still escape me at our luck. I think poor Robbo is getting longevity confused with worldwide success and using graffiti to its full potential of making a point …

 
R2D2 on my way to college {left}, and some thoughtful Maser behind the Bernard Shaw pub in Dublin {right}.
 
Kitty love found on the walk down to the city center from Sacre Couer. Paris, France.
Life size application, Dublin {left}. The weeks leading up to both the Queen and the Obama visit to Dublin, every manhole, electricity box and grate were tagged with either this yellow wrench or a blue bolt. It supposedly was to ensure no one tampered with them – ie, planted bombs in or under any access point during their visit {right}. 

Poster on Bachelors Walk Quays, Dublin {left} and some stenciling at the foot of a bridge, re: Billy Goats Gruff {right}.

 
Dublin, 2007. I used this image as my main inspiration image for my very first project in college {left}, and some monkey business somewhere along the Luas tracks in Dublin {right}.
I enjoyed the colors, but not the atmosphere – Prague. Underground walkway to the main train station. 

Funky love on a sidewalk in Niagara Falls, Canada {left}, and last but not least, a mighty tempting sticker on the outside of an electricity box in Dublin {right}. This is an album that is ever expanding, as is my love and appreciation for {GOOD} graffiti.
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You won’t get board

Something I really want these days is a blackboard wall. My mind goes into cartwheels with all the crafty things I could do with a chalkboard wall …

    

How amazing is this visual behind that headboard? I am completely taken with the idea that with a chalkboard wall, you can change the design of your room. I am immediately flooded with ideas for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and birthdays. How cute would it be to have a personalized birthday banner that, don’t get me wrong, bunting is great, but could be drawn in 10 minutes? Enchanted Christmas wallpaper. Or even better, monsters crawling up the walls for Halloween? The ideas are flooding in.

Why not paint blackboard paint directly onto furniture? Placed on kitchen cabinets in a quirky way to easily label your cabinets. No excuses now for misplaced items! Also, it’s a great idea for shopping lists in the kitchen since items are constantly added and taken off and there’s no better way to save some paper while you’re at it too. It is also sheer coincidence both these pictures have little furry side-kicks.

 
Admittedly, my living room would resemble something much closer to the above should I paint the walls with chalkboard paint. Monsters, body parts, kittens and random weird stuff go down very well in my household when it comes to scribbling. 

If you find the idea of painting an entire wall with blackboard a bit overwhelming, you can opt for these alternative chalkboard stickers on a much smaller scale. They still work just as well, but won’t take away from your space. Either way, I’m chalking it up.
Linkage: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
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A little less conversation, a little more grey

I’m slowly easing my way back into a normal routine now that I’m officially finished college! I have my BA in Interior Design and am happy, and also a little bit proud of myself for sticking with it to the end – four years of studying at night and working full time. And sometimes no sleep in between.
For the first time in what feels like an age, I have time for myself! And my first of many projects going on at the moment – my living room. I had painted two {overdone} focal walls in true marble by Crown Paints – I adore this color, but it’s a touch too dark for my east facing apartment and I’m up for a change. I’m going for a much lighter, calmer grey all over and have been searching for some inspiring images. 
I also would like to point out that grey is not a depressing color. Well, as in the weather we experience here in Ireland, yes it is, but on walls, hell no! Grey makes everything else in the room POP! It’s an amazing backdrop and should be experimented with. I adore seeing more and more grey walls out there. 
Enough typing. Onto the images.

   
    

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.