A Holiday Gift

I have to share my new zebra tray I got for Christmas from my sweet husband.  I love the navy blue color and it's perfect for holding rings, keys, etc.  I photographed it here on my console in my foyer with one of my new lip glosses since it's prettier than my car key :)  I got lucky and have two more of them I can use.  Anyone else get a fun home decor present for the Holidays?

My New Kitchen Barstools

I'm been working on infusing some personality and color into our kitchen.  You could say it's the most recent room that I'm obsessed with.  I know I wanted a pop of color- just exactly what color was the harder part.  I must have considered every color on the spectrum (and given serious consideration to purple and blue) before deciding on yellow.

Something about a nice pop of yellow makes the kitchen feel so much brighter and compliments our maple cabinets, which still, aren't my favorite.  The next step was ordering a bunch of fabric samples and trying to decide which would be the best.  I finally decided on Swavelle/Mill Creek Rossmere Sunshine and Coral Splendor, Citrine. 

One was for the curtains and the other I wanted to use to make slipcovers for our Ikea bar stools.  I was put in touch with Irene from Interior Touches who did a great job in  making custom slipcovers.  Here's the end result:

 

 

What do you think? Step #2- making the curtains!

Making Lamps Pretty...

Lamps are one of those things where the ones I love and are the most drawn to also end up being the most expensive.  I feel like every time I see one I love, the price tag seems to have one too many numbers than I care for.  So instead I've had to resort to alternate ways to shopping for lamps.  I've had some luck finding some nice ones via e-bay and by going to flea markets but more often than not I find my way into Target/Tarjay.  Their prices are pretty reasonable and you can mix and match the shades.

The past couple of trips I've made, I've found some bases and shades I liked decently enough but they needed some dressing up.  I've figured out that by adding some ribbon trim and tassels can do wonders (if not making it a total Betty, than at least a vast improvement- Clueless anyone?)

Here are a couple of lamps where I've added some extra ribbon and tassels.  I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out- especially the ribbon trim.  Never underestimate a spool of grosgrain ribbon and a hot glue gun.  I feel like the ribbon gives the lamp a more tailored, edited look.

Excuse the dark lighting- seems like the evening is the only time I have to take photos.  What are your thoughts- has anyone tried some DIY to make a lamp prettier?

My Obsession with Navy- the Powder Room

I'm probably one of the last people to jump on this train but I've been loving black painted rooms.  When we moved into this house, I thought our powder room would be a good place to try it.  However, our powder room doesn't have any natural light so I thought black would be too harsh.  Instead I went for navy, another color I've been obsessed with.

Next came obsessing over which shade of navy to paint it.  I finally settled on Bold Blue by Benjamin Moore and got it color matched using Glidden Paint at Home Depot.  Here how's it turned out.

It took me a little while to get used to it but I have to say, I'm loving it. It actually came out a little lighter than I was hoping but I think now it's a good choice.  It shows off the white accents nicely and now I'm trying to add extra pops of color.  I got the green and blue chevron rug from Home Goods but still need to add wall art.  Any suggestions for added extra decor?

Head of the Class- The Wingback Chair

For a while, I've been liking the idea of using wing back chairs as dining room chairs.  Specifically, I love the idea of having them on the ends of each table.  The best part about it is you can use old chairs and get them reupholstered or slip-covered in the fabric of your choice. The only tricky part is to make sure the chair seat isn't too low so it's actually practical to use as a dining chair.  I've been scouring Craigslist to find a good pair but in the meantime, some pretty eye candy.

 

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What do you think about using wing back chairs as dining chairs?

Mission Organization- Makeup

I wouldn't stay that I'm an organized person by nature but it is something I strive for.  I feel like it's something I'm always inspired to do but I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start.  I've learned it's usually better for me to start with one thing at a time and then move on to the next.

Bringing me to the nature of this post- makeup.  I used to keep all of my makeup in a cosmetics bag.  It was seriously annoying- I wouldn't say I use a ton of makeup but it took me forever to find things and it would end up stuffed to the rims and I could barely keep it closed.  

When we moved into this house and I saw our bathroom vanity had drawers, I knew exactly what I was going to use it for.  Perfect for keeping all of my makeup and hair brushes in one place and laid out so I could see everything.  The next step was finding drawer organizers that would fit.   I initially thought about going to the Container Store but as much as I love it there it ended up being too pricey.  Then one day I was roaming through Marshalls and I  came across a drawer organizer from OXO Good Grips.  Probably meant for kitchen drawers,  I bought it hoping it would fit.  Lucky for me, it did and even better it was inexpensive (less than $20) and came with separate dividers which I use to separate out my different makeup products. 

 

As you can see I made some dividers larger than others to keep my brushes, hairbands, etc.  Finally everything in one place where I can see it :)

Table Love-

I've been on the hunt for a new dining room table for a while.   The requirements aren't much- something that will fit eight people and that will be large enough to fit our dining room chairs, which are pretty wide (22 inches to be exact).

When I spied this one at Room and Board the other day, I instantly fell for it:

The Pratt Table from Room and Board offers plenty of length and the best part is you can choose the surface.  Out of all of them, I would choose the white quartz top- something about a shiny table surface appeals to me.  It would be the perfect background to have flowers and other table settings pop.  Unfortunately, this table is a pretty penny so it may be a while before I can make it mine.  But in the meantime, it's definitely pretty to look at :)

Some of My Favorite Things: Cinda Boomershine's Home

I've been a fan of Cinda Boomershine ever since I saw her house tour on the knot.  I love her use of color and bold combinations look fabulous together.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Charcoal gray cabinets, marble counters and subway tile back splash? Yes please.  Love the unexpected stripes surrounding the room.

Royal blue and mint green are two colors I never would have thought to put together but they play nicely off of black cane dining chairs upholstered with Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon fabric.  The flowers give a nice pop of pink which ties everything in nicely.

This former greenhouse turned eating nook is cozy and bright with the tufted couches providing a neutral backdrop to the greenery and of course decorative pillows.

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The Great Sectional Debate

If you had asked me a few years ago how I felt about sectionals, I probably would've made some sort of face.  A flashback pops into my head of going to my neighbor's house as a kid and seeing their family room sectional which was humongous and ugly.  Never would I have thought that I would voluntarily own one.

These days I have to say, the look of the sectional has improved 100%.  They're available in several different fabrics and styles and it's a great way to make a family or living room look inviting and less formal.  Here are a few of my favorites:

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Kitchen

My current obsession right now is trying to figure out how to infuse personality to an otherwise plain kitchen.  Don't get me wrong- it's brand new, large and gets tons of light.  But I feel like it's missing something in terms of a pop of color.  Here's what I' ve come up with:





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I've been loving navy lately and considering painting at least one wall this color as it would contrast nicely with the already hanging drum shade pendant and a simple white tulip table.  A marble subway tile back splash would offer a neutral but classic backdrop against the cabinets and so any added color won't compete with it.  Bar stools would be next with a print fabric that would offer a pop of color and tie in with the navy wall.  Over the counter would be globe pendant lights and I've always loved the idea of sunny yellow curtains.