Room of the day

Sometimes I see interiors in shelter magazines or on blogs and wonder "does any body really live there?!" You know what I mean, the furniture looks like it's never been sat in, the light colored rug looks like it's never seen shoes (or kids, or dogs, etc.) I feel like my person design aesthetic over the last several years has gravitated from "picture perfect" to a more lived-in style. Take for example this room below. It's oh-so-chic but it really does have that feeling like someone actually lives there, like you can imagine someone curled up on that sofa reading a book and wrapped up in a blanket. . .

via Lonny

Last summer an old friend came to our house for the first time. After walking around our small but cozy home, she said to me "your house is decorated so nicely but it's still so comfortable, I'm not afraid to kick my feet up." I felt like that was the greatest compliment I could ever receive!

What about you, do you lean towards "picture-perfect" or is your design style more comfortable and laid back?

Nov. 2

Wow, can you believe it's November already?! I sure can't. . . I've been a busy little bee lately (as you can probably tell by the lack of posts here on the 'ol blog) but I think it's great when life stays pretty fast paced. Much better than being stagnate, right?! As I mentioned before here, I'm working with an online client in Savannah, Georgia. I finished up a couple of designs for her and I thought I would share them with you here today. First up is the entry;

 

 

My client loves traditional pieces but wanted to mix things up and give it sort of a twist. As you can see I selected an Ikea wardrobe to provide extra storage in the space. I used her existing wood console table but spiced it up a bit with some fun yellow lamps and a modern sunburst mirror. The lattice wallpaper and hanging lantern are my favorite elements in the room and the small foyer table definitely gives the space a formal, traditional feel.

Next up is the living room design. I had a lot of fun pulling together my clients ideas (I kept telling her she really knows what she is doing when it comes to decorating!) and adding a few extra layers to help tie everything together. Here's the floor plan and design boards;

We had to work with her existing sofa and leather club chairs (which I actually didn't mind, both were nice, neutral pieces of furniture.) The artwork framed in gold above the fireplace was also existing, I just suggested adding a couple of other pieces of art to create some dimension. I selected this rich blue paint color (Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore) which will make all the white in the room pop (ie; desk, shelves, fireplace, drapery panels, etc.) My client found two cute bamboo side tables at a consignment shop and I suggested painting them a navy blue color (since they will be situated in front of the white drapery panels.) The fabrics I chose for pillows are all from Schumacher and the cozy rug, parsons desk and lamps are all things she selected herself. I really love the traditional-eclectic feel of all the rooms in this house and it was such a fun project to work on! I'm looking forward to receiving 'after' photos once the transformations have taken place.

If you are interested in my online-design services, you can find out more info here!

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back next week to share some more projects I'm working on :)

Fall Decorating Ideas

Wow, it's like all of a sudden Fall has finally hit. We had the most awesome "Indian Summer" where temperatures were in the high 90's up until last week, but now the breeze has picked up, the weather has cooled and I'm busting out my cold weather clothes. . . It's time to finally embrace it! Here's some creative and cute decorating ideas for your home and porch for this fall season;

via A Country Farmhouse

via AKA Design

via HGTV

via Wedding Bee

via Centsational Girl

via Sadie + Stella

via Feeling Lovesome

via Etsy

via BHG

via unknown

via HGTV

All of these ideas are simple and affordable ways to make your home feel a little more fall-ish. I love that you don't have to spend a lot of money to help transition your decor into the fall season. "Shopping" outside for branches, twigs, leaves and acorns is one of my favorite ways to bring in some free fall elements into my house. Also, decorating with pumpkins is a super cheap and fun way too! I love some of these fun painted pumpkin ideas and I think I am going to give this a whirl this year.

What are your favorite ways to decorate for fall?!

Artist Spotlight: Cozamia

Nancy Ramirez is the talented artist behind Cozamia, which is a website that sells fine art prints created digitally as well as through traditional mediums. I first spotted this beauty on Pinterest and had to see more for myself!

I love the way Nancy Ramirez describes her artwork. . . "My work combines pretty fragments of colorful abstract paintings or elements of existing photographs which I rework digitally to create something new. There's always a happy element of surprise that I experience when combining organic, hand painted work with the more rigid conforms of digital art." Nancy also claims that if you enjoy her art work, then there is also a good chance you enjoy decorating with color and surrounding yourself with pretty things! I think I am particularly drawn to her art because of the way she styles her photos of the pieces she has for sale on her site.  Her take on decorating is very fresh and modern and I would love to incorporate her work into one of my design projects! Take a peek at some of the prints she has available to purchase;

While browsing through the Cozamia website's gallery I noticed a piece of artwork that I have seen before. . . Naomi Stein of the blog Design Manifest used the Marilyn Monroses print in her bedroom, which I absolutely adore and featured here on the blog a while back;

Don't you just love this girly, bohemian style bedroom?!. . . To see more of Nancy Ramirez's art prints available for sale, visit the Cozamia website here.
 

Project Sneak Peek

I'm working with a new online design client to help redecorate several rooms in her home. When we first started chatting she described her style as "traditional with a twist". I knew right away that this project was going to be super fun! Here's the design plan I came up with for the dining area;

As you can tell from the floor plan, the dining area serves as sort of a "walkway" to the hallway. Also, there are no windows in the space, so lighting was super important. We decided to go with a settee, pedestal table and smaller scale chairs in order to maximize the narrow space. The mirror is an existing piece that my client already has and I love the way it will look over the settee! This room serves as both the formal and casual dining areas, as well as where the youngsters in the family gathers to play games, draw, etc. I love the way this design came together and am so excited to see the room take shape!

Beni Ourain Rugs

Hand woven by people of the Beni Ouarian tribe and other neighboring tribes in the mountains of Morocco, these wool rugs feature a simple black diamond shaped pattern woven into a cream foreground. Originals can cost thousands, but you can find look-a-likes just about anywhere. These rugs have been popping up everywhere these days and I love the look of them! Don't they just look so plush and pretty?! Here's some inspiration photos to show you how you can bring this eclectic look into your home!

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle

via Elle Decor

via Living Etc.

via West Elm

via Traditional Home

via Living Etc.

via Unknown

via Palmer Weiss

via Elle Decor

via Elle Decor

via Matchbook

via Decorpad

via Apartment Therapy

via Elle Decor

If you are intersted in purchasing one of these stylish rugs, here are some "copy-cats" that cost a fraction of the price of a real Beni Ouarian rug;

Rugs USA, available here

West Elm, available here

Pottery Barn, available here

World Market, available here