Saturday, May 3, 2014

Weekend Favorites

1. A neutral, gold office.


2. Black farmhouse Windsor chairs. A classic.

3. Tips on making a small room feel a little bigger.

4. Finally, have you heard of Helpouts by Google?

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Why You Should Have a Blue Couch


Denim blue couches, you might think: will is go with my decorating style? Will it look too country? Shouldn't I just get a beige couch?

Think about how you dress. If your wear jeans a blue couch suits you (and if you don't wear jeans a blue couch is still a good pick).

Why do people wear jeans? Because they go with everything, just like a blue couch would.

A blue couch is a good way to have a couch that is a color, yet not so much of a color. In other words a blue couch is like moving away from regular, expected beige but not being too risky with a bold color.

Bonus: your jeans will not leave marks!

image sources (top to bottom):
1. Friday Twill $1,195
2. Possibilities Track-Arm $925
3. Possibilities Roll-Arm $745

Monday, April 28, 2014

From last week...

Two cute Easter things I found last week.

1. Easter Bunny Veggie Tray



2. Easter Story Cookies. The cookie end up hollow (like the empty tomb) and there is verse's to read while making the cookies.

Both creative ideas. Save them for next year!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

2 Favorite New Houses

1. Meg moved into her new house. It looks like she and her family put a lot of elbow grease into it the last few weeks (lots of painting). And she had the kitchen rebuilt!
IMG_5981
2. Shawni and her family also recently moved into their new house. She shares a lot of the journey of home building on her home blog.


























Both beautiful homes! Hope to see lots more pictures and home tours in the future!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

White House, Black Shutters

Think of it like accessorizing a house. A traditional, classic white house with black shutters. Here's a few ideas to go along with this style of house:

A cheery red front door...
or a kelly green one.
Hydrangeas and boxwoods.  
Brick, somewhere. Chimneys, paths, porches, wherever. 
A split-rail fence...
or a picket fence (or both)!
Do you like this style house?

Monday, April 21, 2014

HGTV Smart Home

Have you toured the HGTV 2014 Smart Home?

I love lots of things about the house, but I especially like the master bathroom. In particular, the shower and the floor. Yes, weird, I know.
Neutral, beige sandy tones.
Natural stone tile.
Just so relaxing.

Tour the house here and let me know, what's your favorite room?

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Easter Guest Room

So you can't just stop at the living room, right?

Treat your guests (or yourself) to a new spring-inspired bedroom in time for Easter.

Spring Bedroom

Spring Bedroom by designscheme featuring zig zag lights
1. Breezy white drapes $399.00
2. Super colorful patterned rug $799.75
3. Golden and marble and a fun (sun) shape $299.00 
4. Pink pastel and white chevron (perfect!) $180.00
5. Green, like how you want your lawn to be $129.00

Have a Happy Easter!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Easter Living Room

How fun would it be to redecorate for holidays?

For Easter it would be fun to fill your living room with pastels and other brighter, springtime colors.

Spring Living Room

Spring Living Room by designscheme featuring JR by John Robshaw
Wouldn't this be the perfect living room to celebrate Easter in? 

1. A curvy mirror (it's sort of blooming like a flower) to bounce light around $499.00
2. Add more light with a pale blue lamp $450.00
3. Wood brings the outdoors in $299.00
4. It can still be a little chilly, warm up in a yellow throw $19.99
5. Blue and white striped ottoman hides some Easter eggs and picks up on the color of the lamp. $699.00
6. Bold color added to the floor $165.00
7. A light neutral to tie everything together $685.00
8. Purple, gotta love purple $180.00 

Some of the items are pricey, but they can still be great for inspiration. 

Monday, April 14, 2014

Easter Brunch

Food + Decorating, could it get any better? Oh yes it can...add in spring + brunch + Easter!

Here's a pretty table setting that would be perfect for Easter brunch:

Easter Brunch

Easter Brunch by designscheme featuring Royal Albert
1. Simple stripe, frilly polka dots $8.96
2. Carrying the stripes onto the plates. Pink and white. $15.00
3,4,5. Floral vintage mugs $24.99
6. Basic white linens with lace $135.00-$405.00
7. Pastel purple eating utensils $90.00
8. Pink pastel cake stand $70.00-$112.00

When mixing lots of different collections it is important to have something that carries through your personal collection. Here (in the one I designed, above) pastels are used, mainly pink pastels with a hint of purple and blue, white is used as a "grounding" tone.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Bonus Favorite

Last night I found this from the Birmingham Parade of Homes over on Unskinny Boppy.

Here are some of my favorite highlights Beth showed.
Unique chairs (3 bamboo and 1 wicker shown) and a window seat surround a large wooden dining table.
Tall ceilings, neutral colors, open floor plan.

Check out her entire post here.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Favorites from MSN Living

1. I love little cute painted teacups, plates, and bowls but I could not figure out how I would use them... until I saw this.
2. Decorating a small space can be a challenge. Some great tips from this article: light colored walls, lighting that shines at the ceiling and at the floor, a low-back sofa, subtle stripes, add a mirror and more!
3. Spring cleaning fever? Try to accomplish these tasks and your home will be sparkling.
Enjoy this spring weekend! (the cleaning can wait).

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Article I Love: Home Essentials

There are lots of lists of things that people think are "must have" items for every home. But those lists usually don't suit a lot of lifestyles. However MSN has a "Checklist for What Every House Needs" and I think it is a good one. Ina Garten gives a list of kitchen essentials. There is also a great list of desktop essentials and first aid kit essentials.

Click here to view the article.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Beautiful Carriage House

I found this through Dana at Housetweaking, and I had to share.
I love the white walls and how the light shimmers from all those windows. The red-ish wood door adds a little warmth to the cool neutrals. The denim blue couch adds a pop of color and picks up the blue stripe in the chair. 
The glass tiles and the silver finishes carry the shimmer into the bathroom. The decorating elements in this home are very classic and simple.

I wouldn't mind staying here. Check out more pictures and the listing here and why not book a vacation while you're there? 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Things to Look At: Favorites

Some of my favorite fun things I found this week:

1. Kirsten and Erin finished a design makeover this week. Look at this first, then look at the reveal.
I love the floral prints and the round wood coffee table that they used.
2. Remember the office desk ideas I gave earlier this week? Well, I think I really want to paint a lamp gold and this is my inspiration
3. Paint colors are always hard to choose because there are so many options. Designers over at HGTV gave bedroom paint color ideas. I love light blue bedroom walls and neutral toned bedroom walls, which most of the given paint colors are. I am thinking Young Colt (pictured below; suggested by Amy Matthews) would be a good pick for a boy's room.

Have a Happy Saturday!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Advice from PB

A long long time ago I found these three PDF guides (links below) from Pottery Barn on space planning. They are great no-fail guides for basic room planning.

1. Space Planning
2. Living room
3. Bedroom

They even have those grids to draw your room to scale.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Crafty Office Desk Ideas

Desks on Mondays should start off as organized, it will probably look like a tornado by Friday but things can be in order on Mondays, right?

A home office desk (or any desk) can get to be a bit messy, and when you go to an office supplies store to buy some organization items, it is usually expensive or plain black plastic items (boring).

Simple, stylish desk organization ideas:

For bulletin board pushpins:
Use buttons...

For paper organization, use the wall to your advantage:
.
or you could hang just a single wire/heavy-duty fishing line and use clothespins.

Have a bulletin/cork board (to stick your lovely pushpins in). 
an entire wall of cork would be neat...

For a light:
make sure the light provides good light, adjustable arm lamps are good for this.

A gold one would be perfect because the work you are doing is probably worth gold. 
...an inspirational quote would provide a good source of motivation, it doesn't have to be a large print (like above), but could simply be written on a sticky note.

Here's to hoping for a productive, organized workweek!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Favorites

A few of my favorite posts for ideas and inspiration.

great idea to add more storage on a countertop.
Makes me wish it was summer and I had a cottage.

Finally, how cool would it be to have Genevieve Gorder's job?

Happy Saturday!

Friday, March 28, 2014

A Simple Sitting Space

Light, neutral, feminine.
Light and Neutral Sitting Space


1. Put your feet up. $1,619.00
2. Light for late nights. $130.00
3. For reading material. $29.95
4. Soft on the feet. $349.00
5. Store a memory. $9.95
6. Set a drink here. $249.99

Friday, March 21, 2014

Friday Favorites


1. A home with a classic, traditional style.

2. TRADhome spring magazine

3. Meg gives 7 inspirational, motivating tips for being healthier.

Have a good first weekend of spring!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Beach Kitchen

A bright and cheery kitchen at the beach. Who wouldn't want that? If I had a beach house my kitchen would have...

A light to medium shade of blue. Blue is like water, which is required for a beach.

Lots of bright colors with some white cabinets. A colorful rug and a brightly painted island.

Yellow. Somewhere there would be a pop of yellow. Lemons or a cafe curtain. Love the glass backsplash here too. 

Will you be enjoying a beach house this summer?

images (from top to bottom):

Monday, March 10, 2014

A Dining Room to Entertain

When hosting gatherings it would be very nice for everyone to sit at one big table.
This dining table measures 108" x 41.9" and seats 10 comfortably. 

Comfy chairs are a must. Easy-to-clean is another requirement.
These are great because they are a light color so they don't darken the space. It would be nice if they were just a touch darker.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Friday Favorites: Kitchen Edition

"Favorites" is where I share links to some of my favorite posts I found over the week. 

1. Kitchen organization tips from Style at Home.

2. John and Sherry (Young House Love) painted their fridge. And it turned out great! 

Happy Friday!