Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Red Hot

I once heard that every room needs something red in it.

What do you think? Does every room need a hint of red? Maybe not every room, but a touch of red certainly adds some interest to the space.

1. Brown and red lamp with cranes. $223.00
2. Armchair with nailhead detail. $999.00
3. Classic wall clock. $24.00
4. Spindle chairs. Set of 2. $189.00
5. Ceramic lamp. $139.95
6. Buffalo check drapes. $49.50

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Blue, Blue Blue Blue Flooorrr

Get it? You're suppose to read it like "Blue Christmas" by Elvis.

Ok, moving on.

I'm talkin' about blue rugs. Blue and white trellis patterned rugs to be exact.

Here are some I found on Overstock:


1. This one also looks great in fuschia (it is mostly navy, with white and pink detail). $155.69
2. My favorite one. $94.49
3. Similar to number 1, but a more detailed patterned. $165.99

These rugs, and other rugs on Overstock, are currently on sale, so go get one!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Up, Up and...to the Ceiling

Would you put a swing in your house? And I don't mean a swing in your basement or off in a corner where you'll probably forget about it. I mean, would you put one in your living room?

 
 
Of course, it's cool! Right? It's not like it's one of those yellow, plastic swings off a swingset. A nice, handcrafted, wooden swing is perfect for a living room. Or is it crazy?
 
I love the idea, and not just for kids, why wouldn't you want a swing in your living room? It's like having your swingset in a climate controlled room.  
 
 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Sittin' Round the Fire

Everyone knows the best smores are made over a fire. Designing a fire pit and seating around the fire pit is key to making a good tasting smore. Okay, not really, but having a good-looking fire pit and some nice seating nearby will make you want to go roast a smore even more.

There are two ideas for seating around a fire pit that I love:

The first is more rustic and natural. Log benches.


Here is a great tutorial from Popular Mechanics on how to build the firepit and the log benches as shown in the image above.

Another option for seating is adirondack chairs. I mentioned a great tutorial on how you could DIY some of these in this post. But, if building your own adirondack chairs isn't your thing, or you don't want wooden chairs, buy some basic plastic adirondack chairs at your local hardware store. Tip: make sure they're stackable for easy storage. The chair pictured below is "Adams Adirondack Chair in Red" from Lowes.


But, here's the fun part, don't buy them all in the same color. That is so boring, and expected. Buy a few different colors. A bright turquoise, orange, a bold red, etc. A group of colorful chairs would look inviting and say "hey, the party's right here."

This is not a sponsored post.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Washable Colors

My favorite bathroom is an all-white bathroom. All-white is perfect for a bathroom because the bathroom is one space where it is important to have good lighting, and white keeps the space bright by reflecting light. A nice blank, white wall gives a good backdrop to whatever you might be wearing that day. If you're standing in an orange bathroom, wearing an orange shirt you probably would be thinking wow that's too much orange, when, really, you're just wearing an orange shirt. You probably won't even be standing by an orange wall for most of the day, heck, you probably won't be near an orange wall for the rest of the day but because you're standing by that orange wall with that orange shirt on, you feel like orange juice. So you go back to your closet and realize you have nothing to wear, partially because you are having trouble finding something that looks good with the orange wall. But, if you eliminate the orange wall. The orange shirt is perfect... and that is why an all-white bathroom is perfect.

Anywho, getting to the point, an all-white bathroom can get a little blah after awhile. So how do we add a little color to the white space. Should we paint the walls orange?

No, the answer is not to paint the walls. The answer is washable colors. Don't grab a box of kids markers either. "Washable colors" means that the color you are adding to the space can easily be removed, and by easily, I mean easier than painting because painting can take a couple of days, at least.

So how do we add these "washable" colors?

Think accessories.

Trying to add accessories to a bathroom can be tricker than the rest of your house because one of first things that comes to mind, when thinking about home accessories, is pillows. And, well, you don't find pillows in many bathrooms.

So here are some options to add "washable" colors to almost any bathroom:



1. Change out a hand towel with a simple print that has a hint of color. The one on the far left is perfect for any bathroom and the one on the right is adds more of a feminine touch. $7.99 each.
2. For a little more color, change out your shower curtain. I love this blue and white print. It is classic, and has a light, airy cottage feel. $24.99
3. Even though this shower curtain doesn't look very colorful, it has pops of coral. This would be perfect if you want to add just a subtle amount of color. $19.99
4. An organic, coral rug would add a summer-y, bright pop of color to a cold floor. $29.00
5. This Ultramarine colored rug add a masculine touch. $19.99
6. If you're really having trouble adding temporary color to an all-white bathroom, change out your soap dispenser to a simple, grocery store brought one that has colored soap. price varies
7. If you can commit a little more than number 6, than this option would be good for you. This is perfect if you're okay with a pale pink color. $9.99
8. Ok, so pink isn't your thing. Add a little nature to the sink area this soap dispenser, well technially it's a lotion dispenser but it will work just as well, and it has a nice little birdy and lots of detail. $19.99

With these choices you should have no problem adding a little color to an all-white bathroom. The least you could do is change out the soap dispenser. Updating one white accessory in your bathroom will add a little more interest to the space.

I find that when updating one thing in an all white space, make sure whatever you're switch out has a little white in it. See how most of the objects in the image above have a bit of white?

Most of the accessories that I picked out would work well together. The second shower curtain (number 3) and the coral rug would especially work well together. But the other objects would also work well together for more of an eclectic style. 

This is not a sponsored post.    

Friday, April 19, 2013

Making Use of a Small Porch

With the weather getting warmer the urge to be outside will be ever-present. The porch is a place attached to many homes, but why don't we spend more time there? It gives a sense of a friendly neighborhood. A nice big porch would be a dream for many people, but how do we enjoy a small porch?

A porch swing is something that can be squeezed onto many porches, what are some other options?

First, it is important to think about what you would be using your porch for or what you would do on your porch? Reading? Napping? Just sitting, relaxing? Eating?

So, here we go. Keep in mind that these options can work for porches bigger than what is it is suggested.

For a really small porch, like, so small you could hardly fit the front door on the porch, a swing would be perfect! Yes, those things aren't just for trees and swingsets. You could hang one of these right next to your door. Think before you swing though. Your porch should be open on the side you would be swinging on. That is very important!

For a swing like the one pictured check out this tutorial from A Beautiful Mess.

For a longer than wide porch, or wider than long, a bistro set would be perfect. Especially if you plan to eat, drink your coffee, or fill out some papers while spending some time out there.




Another option would be an outdoor chaise lounge chair, or two, depending on the size of your porch.


A lounge chair would be a perfect option for the napping-porch. A hammock would be another fantastic option.

When selecting furniture for your porch make sure it looks nice, not like it's portable furniture. So, buy a wood hammock stand to go along with your hammock. A white, plastic lounge chaise or those fold-up bag chairs are not acceptable.
 
If you have extra space, or if these options are not your type, just plop down some adirondack chairs. You could even DIY some of these chairs.

There you have it! Do you plan on spending some time out on a porch during these warmer months?
 
Note: This is not a sponsored post.  

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Spring Up the Table

Eatting off white plates can get a little boring after awhile. What better time of year to switch out your white plates than in the spring?


A spring table setting should be colorful. I love this color combination with the blue, redish coral, and yella. It is a lot of colors, but somehow it all works. I like to keep the drinking glasses clear, because I like to see the color of what's inside. If I did chose a colored drinking glass, I might add a clear glass next to it. But can't ya just picture this arrangement with simple drinking glasses and white linen napkins? So springy.

1. Flatware in "Sunflower"5-piece set. $13.00
2. Detailed dinner plate. $3.99
3. Reminds me of fish scales, placemat. $2.99

Adding flowers to the table would also springs thing up a bit.
 
A round table with a jar of peonies would be beautiful. For a rectangle-size table, line the middle of the table with jar of peonies. Tulips would also work.
 
Image of peonies in jar via interiorcanvas.com. 



 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Hedgehog in the Kitchen

This post is part of a ongoing series titled "Better Basics." Better Basics is about having unique, functional, must-have items.

When you're in the kitchen trying to bake something, how often do you pull out those boring white plastic measuring cups and spoons?

Unless you're Rachael Ray and can just eye-ball how much something is, you probably use those plastic white measuring tools almost everytime. But why are they so boring? Are they white to make you feel like you should not be using them, and that you too should just be able to eye-ball it?

Well, I am not going to be one of those people that is able to eye-ball anytime soon. If I tried to "eye-ball" a 1/4 cup of sugar would end up being 4 cups of sugar. Here are some measuring cups and spoons that even Rachael Ray would be using:

 
Note: Please ignore the awesome job of cutting around these images. You can click on the links in this post for better pictures.

1. Still simple, but with added color. $11.50
2. Who wouldn't want a hedgehog in their kitchen? $36.00
3. Cute, detailed print. $18.00
4. Hearts are not just for Valentine's Day. Yes, those are hearts. (Like I said, click the link for a better image.) $3.60

Now, I know these are more pricey than your standard plastic white measurers, but wouldn't they just make you happier when you're in the kitchen whippin' up a batch of cookies? And, if you search Etsy or check out store cookware sections, you can probably find some cute measuring cups and spoons for a lower price than these ones. Check out this one that I found on Etsy for 8 bucks, doesn't it look exactly like number one?

So, feel free to comment. Which one is your favorite or would you rather stick with tride-and-true plastic white? Or are you a born-to-be chef and do you not even need measuring tools?