Mood Board ~ Breakfast at Tiffany's

The other day our cable TV went out, which was a great opportunity to watch a movie. I decided to watch an old favorite, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Like most people, I love to watch it in part for the fashion, but also find myself drawn to Holly Golightly's quirky but glam home every time.

I was inspired to create a version of her living room:

 source

Here is my interpretation of her room:

Her bathtub sofa is now a much more realistic tufted settee. Behind it is a fretwork screen reminiscent of one of the major design features of her room - that fretwork column by her kitchen. The pillows speak to her pink and purple color scheme. We still have a fun zebra rug to add that glam factor, as well as a gold chandelier that pulls from the gold fixtures on her "bathtub." A couple of vintage suitcases could work as a coffee table, or as Holly did, to store the phone... 

What do you think? Anything else you would add to the board?

All other items, vintage, images found on Google images

End of Summer Balcony Makeover

This post is going to feel a bit out of season, when everyone is looking ahead to Fall. But, thanks to end-of-season sales, my outdoor balcony - which I have worked on in pieces all summer - finally feels complete.

I love spending time our balcony, which is always nicely shaded and very private. But, the design wasn't exactly inviting. In the beginning of the summer, it looked like this:

One by one, I started buying some accessories and spray-painted the tired table and chairs a fresh white. What I kept waiting for in order to pull the whole space together, was a rug. Patience paid off, though, as last week I found an awesome Greek key rug in the right size for only $25! Finally, this is how the space looks:

The bench, which we bought last year, came with the green cushion, so that set the color scheme. I already had the chair cushions, which are green and blue, so those were staying as well. I needed something brighter though, so I was excited when I found the long pillow at Home Goods, which brought all of the colors together.

Next, I spray-painted the table and chairs, which also helped to brighten up the space.

Bring in a couple of accessories and the rug, and I am finally really excited to spend time out here!

Talk about delayed gratification, huh? Luckily the weather will still feel warm for a few more weeks, so I can definitely enjoy the space for a little while longer. Plus, for less than $50 for the whole makeover, I am way ahead of the game for next spring :)

From the Inspiration Folder

Another couple of weeks have passed...and what eventful weeks these have been! Especially the last one, with not one but two natural disasters hitting the East Coast. Thankfully we are ok here, but it has definitely been a little crazy! I hope you are all doing fine wherever you live.

House & Home

I promise I do have some fun posts in the coming weeks, including mood boards, my kitchen renovation project, and designer features, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this beautiful bedroom from Canadian House & Home if you haven't already seen it. To start, I love the wall color! It's BM Oxford Gray. I also love all the natural elements and textures in the room. Then, of course, the La Fiorentina fabric in the chair and pillows completes the room beautifully. I like the idea of repeating the same fabric but in different colorways in one space. Would you do that?

Have a great week!

5 Tips to Love Where You Live Now

Lately my husband and I have been dreaming a lot about living in a bigger home. We still enjoy our cozy condo, but at times we wish we had a backyard for the dog, extra storage space, and most of all, a second or third full bedroom. Currently living in a one-bedroom with a den, that sounds like a luxury to us!

Realistically, though, thanks to our "lovely" economy this dream isn't coming true anytime soon. Our plan was to live in our place for four years at most, yet we are three years in and are nowhere near being able to move. After talking to some friends and neighbors, we see this is happening to a lot of us...

Rather than let it get us down, I started to think of what we can do to make us enjoy what we have now. Sometimes all it takes is a little tweaking, both in how we live and in our mentality, to make our current homes work for us. Below you will find some tips that I believe will help. I have already started implementing some of these tips, and can honestly say I am feeling more at peace with our situation.

Jesse Carrier

1) List the Positives

First, I would suggest making a list of the favorite things about your home. This way you can refer to the list whenever those negative thoughts creep in. Here is a peak into my list:

   -  We love our peaceful, dog-friendly neighborhood
   -  A small condo allows us to feel more connected as a family
   -  Less to clean! Plus, no mowing the lawn or shoveling snow
   -  The pretty view of the trees outside our window
   -  A smaller place = smaller mortgage = more money in our pocket!

Decorpad

2) Declutter and Organize

It's amazing what a little decluttering can do, both for peace of mind and in terms of organization. Think about what items you really use or need. If you don't love it or use it regularly, it should go. For example, if you have a small closet, think about investing in just a few wardrobe staples, then ditch that dress that you haven't worn in three years or those pants that never did fit so great. Do the same with the kitchen cupboards, bookshelves, garage, or wherever clutter collects in your home.

My husband and I have a tendency to keep things "just in case," but lately we've started to really rethink some of our possessions. Room by room, we've been getting rid of so many unloved things. Suddenly we feel like our place is no longer bursting at the seams. The condo feels bigger and much more organized!

Decorpad

3) Home Improvement

Knowing that we'll eventually sell our place, it seems smart to think now about what small improvements could add value to our condo. I always think it's funny that people wait until they are ready to sell to go ahead and make repairs or upgrades. Why not do it now and enjoy it?

For us, this in part means our kitchen. While I'd love to upgrade our countertops to granite, given our tight budget we plan on simply adding a backsplash, door knobs, and paint. After that, we are hoping to replace our windows and add closet systems to our coat/hall closet and hopefull mine too!

 New backsplash and possible paint color for our kitchen

4) Reconsider A Room's Purpose

Maybe you're dreaming about having an office but don't have an extra room. Just because the space near your living room was labeled "dining room" on your floorplan doesn't mean it needs to be one. Rethink a room's original purpose, get a little creative, and you'll be surprised at how many rooms can multitask to become exactly what you need it to.

In our case, we have a den/sunroom adjacent to our living room that currently serves as my husband's office and "music room" (he has a huge collection of CD's and a few guitars.) One of the reasons for wanting to move is to expand our family in the future. In a pinch, though, this room could get a door added, some new furniture and a fresh coat of paint to become a nursery. What will become of my husband's CD's is another story...

Amy Meier's Office in Dining Room, Better Homes & Gardens

5) Personalize It

Finally, a way to enjoy the space you live now is to simply make it your home! Our place always feels cozy when we have some music playing and a candle lit. Don't wait for your "forever home" to finally put up a gallery wall of family photos. Anything that makes you feel happy should be proudly displayed, and will only help in making your home feel like the place you are supposed to be here and now.

source unknown

Are you or anyone you know in this situation? Do you have any tips to share on how you are dealing with it?

Birthday Presents - for the Home!

Hi guys, I'm still alive! I can't believe it has been two weeks since I blogged! I swear time during the summer goes by even faster than the rest of the year...

It was actually my birthday today ;) The best part, of course, has been seeing friends and family over the weekend to celebrate. However, I can't lie and say that getting presents isn't a nice bonus when it comes to birthdays. All I wanted this year was stuff to help finish decorating the condo. Wish granted!

I'm getting a little closer to my vision becoming a reality in my living room. Well, my vision has changed a few times, but is still a variation of this (what has mostly changed is the overall color scheme, especially the rug):

One of the most important elements was the lamp, which I've been wanting for so long. I finally got it! I took a pretty bad picture of it, but here it is in the room (please ignore the old, out of scale artwork!):

By, the way, this is the room finally all painted in gray. I love the color in person! It's such a soothing color and has made a drastic difference in the space. The fabric swatch on the left will hopefully become pillows soon. I am still playing around with the final color scheme, but that Dwell fabric is definitely staying.Then finally I'll start my search for some nice artwork.

You might also remember I've been trying to find some curtains. I sadly ended up returning the ones I originally got because they were just too dark. I purchased these curtains from West Elm, and love how they look in the room! I need to take a better picture in daylight, but here it is:

Slowly but surely things are coming together... gotta love birthday presents!

It's the Little Things

I still have a long way to go to truly transform my home into the way I envision it. After recently taking a pay cut, I have had to be even more patient when decorating. Sometimes, though, it only takes some small pieces to make you happy in your space.

I have recently found some fun little pieces that make me smile when I look at them! Case in point, this adorable bunny ring holder :)

I have a small obsession with rabbits, so it was a no-brainer to purchase these little guys when I saw them (at Urban Outfitters.) They work really well on top of my dresser in the bedroom.

Next were these Anthropologie bowls. I have been coveting them since the very first time I saw them. I had been looking for the perfect accent to put on top of my pile of books, so I finally decided it was time to get them.

I couldn't decide on the color, so I bought my two favorites. I am so glad I did, because they worked out perfectly on top of each other, for just a touch of color and pattern.

Finally, I had been searching for something to sit on my somewhat new glass coffee table. I have learned that I don't like to have too much sitting on the table, especially since it is constantly getting used (it practically serves as our dining table) and cleaned, thanks to the glass.

How fun is this giraffe print tray? And it was only about 6 bucks! It serves a great dose of pattern in the living room, and is just the right size for the essentials: an orchid, coasters, a candle, and the not-so glamorous remotes that constantly sit on top of the table despite my best wishes. I have had this for about a week now and it has truly kept the table more organized. It is so easy to move everything out of the way when we need it. I'm very happy with my purchase!

Tell me, what small items around your home are currently making you happy?

From the Inspiration Folder

I just came across this image from the DC edition of Apartment Therapy, and fell in love. The color scheme manages to be so cheery and soothing at the same time.

Southern Living

One of my favorite features is the wallpaper covering the doors on either side of the fireplace. Isn't it such a nice touch?

Have a great week!

Dark, Moody Bedrooms

Last week I was talking to a co-worker about paint colors. She happens to have a north-facing bedroom, just like I do. Despite having done some decorating odds and ends to my bedroom, I find it keeps falling completely flat. That's exactly what she said to her once all-white room. In a room with little sunlight it just doesn't work - it ends up looking dingy no matter what you do.

Hers is now painted a beautiful deep taupe, and she is completely in love with her room. She says it's so warm and cozy, so conducive to sleep. It got me thinking of painting my room a nice chocolate brown. Only thing is I am a bit afraid of dark paint colors! To help convince myself, I've been searching for images of dark, beautiful bedrooms.

Phoebe Howard

Country Living

Country Living

 

 unknown

 Lonny Mag

 Tom Stringer

The Lennoxx

I may go a little lighter like the last photo (above) but either way I think it will warm up the room and provide some much-needed contrast. I still have a huge to-do list for my home though, so it will be some time before I see what this room will become...or if I can actually go through with it!


Do you have a dark room in your home? How do you feel in it?

From the Inspiration Folder

This office comes from a blogger who has modern organic style down to a science. I am referring to Emma at The Marion House Book. Her style is amazing!

While I love her entire home (see a recent tour here), I keep going back to see this picture of her office space. I just love the wallpapered wall, the mix of modern pieces with organic materials, and that fuzzy throw :)

Design*Sponge

I've had offices on the brain as I'm thinking about revamping my own...I will definitely keep this image in mind as I move forward!

Modern Organic Mood Board

Hey guys! I've been a bad blogger...I promised you a mood board last week and never delivered. I swear I don't know where my time goes these days!

Well, here it is: my interpretation of the style I like to call Modern Organic. In this style, I envision mostly clean, modern lines mixed in with lots of natural materials and textures. The overall vibe is carefree and airy, yet stylish.

(click to enlarge)

The colors of my board were inspired by this fun artwork by Lizzy Janssen. I've had it in my inspiration folder for ages, and thought it was the perfect time to use it. From there, I brought in lots of textures and bright accents that complement the art, all in a foundation of modern pieces.

I enjoyed creating this board, as it's been far too long since I've done one! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Moodboard sources:
Sofa, coffee table, sideboard, vase, lamp, plant: Crate and Barrel
Side and dining chair: Wisteria
Rug: West Elm
Dining table: IKEA
Artwork: Lizzi Janseen