Purple & Gray Condo

While we are on the subject of style evolution, I happened to come across images of a condo that perfectly illustrates how my own style has changed over the years. I just picked up the House & Home Condos Lofts & Apartments special edition, and opened the pages to a beautiful gray and purple condo that would have been 100 percent my taste had this been 2 or 3 years ago.

While I still love it, I know I would have gone crazy back then for the home's clean lines, neutral palette with hits of geometric patterns, and its overall modern aesthetic. 

 
In my last home, all I owned had sleek, straight lines. No curves or ornate designs in sight, much like this condo.

 (I'd still flip for that cozy dining nook any day though!)

For years, purple was my ultimate favorite color. It seemed like everything I owned was purple, and my decor was no exception. Seeing the bedroom below would have made me want to paint my own purple accent wall.

However, these days, I'm suddenly more drawn towards transitional style,  and find myself replacing some of those clean-lined furniture for softer, curvier pieces. I believe my designs will always have a modern influence, but now they may be infused with more classic - and dare I say it - ornate pieces!

The Evolution of a Home - the Home Office

Hello, hope you had a good weekend! Here is another installment of the Evolution of a Home series. I'm going in no particular order, so this week I decided to design the office. This is the place that would hopefully be where I'd work full-time, if my decorating dreams come true!

I already own the bookcase and chair from Ikea, so that was my starting point. Though I have yet to show you, the bookcase currently sits in a corner of our living room, holding all of our books and magazines. I think that is such a great bookcase, that can really work anywhere, so it's a keeper for sure. The chair is actually in an ivory fabric that is no longer sold, but would work just as well with this scheme:

I fell in love with this Romo wallpaper, so it provided my color scheme. The rug and curtains complement it nicely, as do the accessories by See Jane Work, SusiJack and Target. I have a similar desk now, but thought it would be nice to upgrade yet another Ikea piece. This John Lewis desk is unfortunately out of reach for us Americans, but I really like the design and the fact that it has drawers (which mine currently does not.) Finally a pharmacy style lamp would provide task lighting and completes the look.

What do you think?

The Evolution of a Home - the Kitchen Nook

This week I wanted to introduce a new series! As I continue to make (or at least think about making) new purchases for my condo, I've been thinking a lot about what items will truly stand the test of time. Because I live in a small place, I know there is a good chance I will want larger scale items for my next home. Instead of buying pieces that I'll just need to replace, I want to make purchases that will have new uses next time around. So, this series will take you through 10 rooms in my "imaginary future home" re-purposing items I currently own.

First up, the kitchen eating area. I dream of having a sunny kitchen nook for our everyday meals. When purchasing my dining table, I decided on the IKEA Docksta table with this future room in mind. The table goes with my current modern design and fits perfectly with the scale of the room. But here is how I imagine using it in the future:   

I would love to combine it with four Bertoia side chairs and bright yellow accessories such as this striped rug, a fun printed lamp, and pot holders that bring in some green to the kitchen area. 

I hope you'll enjoy the series! What about you, have you made any specific purchases that you know you'll have to re-purpose later?