Large Nightstands

Know what I love? Big ol' nightstands. Don't you? Just picture one or two of these babies next to a great four poster bed. Don't I just have a great imagination? If only some of these things would actually happen. I had this great plan of slowly buying furniture and storing it before we build or buy a home. And then...I considered the fact that we can't buy furniture for a room that doesn't exist when we don't have the dimensions. Details, schmeetails. Guess I'll just go back to imagining. Imaginations don't care about dimensions. Or money. It's my safe place.

image from Traditional Home

image from Kristy Lee

image from Atlanta Homes

All About the Accessories

Accessorizing or styling a home is definitely the bringing-it-altogether component of a room. Styling is what gives character, personality, quirk, and depth to a space. It takes a space to the next level. Unfortunately, styling is what scares a lot of people or at least leaves them at a stand still. Clients often tell me that they have a hard time bringing a room together. The good news? There's nothing to be scared of. Chances are, you have a lot of items around your house that you could use. The more random and unique, the better! Here are a few quick tips when styling:

1 | Choose items that represent you, have meaning, or that you love.

2 | Remember the tall, medium, short, layer, layer, layer rule. Check out this post for more deets.

3 | Take your time. This is the hardest one for me. I have a tendency to want to hurry and "finish" a room. But, at the same time, I want to love the items in it. Don't buy items to fill a space, buy items to make a space represent you and your aesthetic.

image source unknown

image from Frog Goes to Market

image from Style at Home

[kreyv of the day]

image from HGTV

Mixing Prints | Rules, Schmules

A lot of people are scared of mixing prints. And, as with most other things in design, the "rules" are more of guidelines, and at the end of the day, all that really matters is that it looks good to YOU.  If you don't believe me, and you're still a little scurred, here are a few of my tips:

1| If you're not sure if your prints match, try matching your colors. Monochromatic prints will definitely work, and luckily, most fabric lines produce several patterns in the same color, so the work is already done for you. 

2| Find a print you like, and then pull one or two of the colors to find a coordinating print. For example, try starting with a floral print, then add a geometric print in one of the colors from the floral print (i.e. stripes and florals or dots).

3| Think about the scale of the print. Usually, a small scale print pairs best with a larger scale print, and large, contrasting prints (and colors) work well, too. Lots of small scale prints can be too busy and can overwhelm the eye. 

4| When all else fails, don't think at all, just mix as you please!

image from The Hunted Interior

image from Interiors by Lisa Kahn

image from Project Nursery

Desks as Nightstands

The best part about moving is getting a new space to decorate. If there was an even better part, it would be going out and buying a bunch of new stuff. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.  My brain is swirling with ideas of where I might put some of my existing furniture pieces. This is a little bit tricky since I haven't seen our new home in person. I am most likely way off on the spacing and size of every room, since I'm totally guessing. 

I have LOVED my Parson's Mini Desk. It fit perfectly in my little nook in our bedroom...in this house. Chances are, we're not going to have that same little nook in the new place. I definitely still love the piece, and I want to incorporate it, so I think I am going to put it next to our bed. I won't use it as a desk again, but rather as a nightstand. Hopefully, it will be perfect. My back up plan is to use it in Stella's room in between two twin beds, which would for sure be super cute. Of course I would have to buy another headboard, bed, and bedding, so let's hope that plan A works! Or, maybe I don't want it to work. Hmmm...and the swirling of the brain continues...

image from Melanie Turner Interiors via 2013 Atlanta Designer Showhouse

image from Lonny

image from Alice Lane Blog

[color kreyv]: Moss Green

First of all, it's May. May, people!! May! Can you even believe it? Where is the time going? Second of all, let's discuss moss green: gorgeous, fresh, timeless, and I'm going to spell colour like the Canadians, because it looks rich like the colour moss. Need I say more? 

image source unknown

image from Sisse Jonassen via Design Sponge

image from BHG Centsational Style

How to Create a Vignette

When I design a room, I start with the big things: the rug, furniture, window coverings, lighting, etc. The last step is the styling. Styling is what pulls a room together and gives it personality. (Think of it as the jewelry, scarves, and killer stilettos of an outfit.)

Vignettes are a great way to style a room. Every room in your house probably has a vignette or two (or three), whether you know it or not. A vignette is just a display or arrangement. Whether or not design rules exist is debatable, BUT there are definitely certain arrangements, layouts, and designs, that are more visually pleasing. Here's one easy way to create a vignette:  think tall, medium, short, layer, layer, layer.  I actually don't think about "rules" when I design, but when I think of my own house or clients' homes, I find that I've subconsciously used this formula again and again, just because it looks right! Of course, there are several ways to create a vignette, but this way is a great place to start, and it always works!

image from Lilypad Cottage

image from Better Homes & Gardens

image source unknown 

image from Apartment Therapy

Linking up at

Mom on Timeout

[color kreyv]: Navy & Pink

I've never been much of a pink kind of girl, with the exception of my neon anything phase during the fourth grade(i.e. shirt clips, bobbles for my hair, layers of socks--scrunched, of course, etc.). But that's different. You have to wear neon when you have crimped hair. That's a no-brainer. This pink, though, with this navy...come on. It's just beautiful. Like, totally.

image from Decor Pad

image from Jennifer Eisenstadt via Domino

image from Brian Flynn

Holy Gorgeousness

Raise your hand if you want this ridiculously incredible, insanely gorgeous, amaze- balls, I'd give my left kidney for, dresser. Are you all raising your hand and shouting, "MEEEEEEEE!!!" at the top of your lungs? Yeah, me too.

image from Traditional Home via Alice Lane

[color kreyv]: Kelly Green

You know how I'm addicted to interior design? Well, this may or may not come as a big shock to you, but I'm also addicted to clothes. I love clothes. And shoes. And clothes for Stella. And shoes for Stella. I see something I like, and then I just obsess over it. So, there I was innocently looking for kelly green interiors, when up pops these seriously awesome kelly green pants. And now, I have to have them. Darn you, Pinterest. I blame you. I mean seriously, I thought we were better friends than that. Here I am trying to stick to my budget, and you just willy nilly wave something irresistible in front of me. Don't worry. I'll forgive you...as soon as I find and buy the green pants.

image from Coastal Living

image source unknown

image from Decor Demon via Houzz

[color kreyv]: Tangerine Tango

Pantone has announced their 2012 color of the year: Tangerine Tango.  It's not red, it's not orange.  It's right in between, and it's just right! I love it--especially as an accent color.  And, holy cow, how awesome does it look with bright white?! Don't answer that, I already know the answer: VERY. AWESOME. It's bright; it's happy; it's Tangerine Tango, baby!  What's not to like about that?
On an unrelated note, today is day three of my husband's stay-cation. I am loving having him around, but it's going by way too fast. We need to get something Christmasy in before he has to go back to work. Shopping? Yes, please. His idea, not mine.  I know you don't believe me, but it's true. He likes to take me shopping for my Christmas gift.  He has some crazy notion that I am hard to shop for. Wonder where he got that from. In my defense, he is just as hard to shop for as I. (Ok, not really.)

image from Livet Hemma

image from Beach Bungalow 8

image from Midwest Living

The More the Merrier

I am loving the look of multiple tables as opposed to a single coffee table or nightstand. It looks so comfy and homey, right? It's a great way to give your space a lived in, layered look. I will admit that the first space looks like an accident waiting to happen with a little one, but by the time I have a house that I can decorate any way I want, I most likely won't have a little one. Geez. That's depressing in more ways than one. I'll have to make it up to myself somehow. Hmmm...what could I possible buy to fill the void of no babies? Beautiful, non childproof furniture, that's what! Wow. I already feel better.

image from Angus Fergusson

image from Casa Sugar 

image from Little Green Notebook

Loser

Luh-hoo-zuh-her. I am so glad that last week is over. I was such a loser. I was sick to my stomach all week. Each morning I would wake up thinking that I was over it, but alas, I was not. I'm still not completely well, but my body has no choice. I'm not going to be sick anymore. I got absolutely NOTHING done, and on top of that, I was mother of the year (again). Actually, I am being a little bit hard on myself. I did accomplish some things. (Don't be jealous that I was so productive even when I was sick.)

1) I successfully went a full week without washing my hair. That's a LONG time. Even for me. Even the hubs said I had reached my all time greasiness.

2) I accidentally made a payment using an account that we don't use. Yup. Thirteen HUNDRED dollars overdrawn. I'm sure the bank totally bought my story. I don't care if they did. I told them if they didn't remove the overdraft fees we were switching banks. I can still be sassy, even when I'm sick. (Big loss for them, I'm sure, since we hardly use the account.)

3) I think I wore the same PINK lounge pants for five days straight. Not as cool as my greasy hair, but still an accomplishment.

4) I put Stella down for a nap, but I think only one of us napped. I found her having a good time in her crib. With no diaper. And wet sheets. She was putting on her pajama pants commando. The diaper she took off was still completely dry. (Does that count as waking up dry?)

5) I didn't cook and couldn't have even if I would have had the strength to do so. I've never seen our fridge so bare.

See? Who said you can't get anything done when you're sick. I managed to be sick, be a great mom, and look fabulous doing it! (I made you kind of jealous, didn't I?)

image from Skona Hem

image from HGTV

image from Casa Sugar