Interior Design – my new love

A Well Dressed Home is one of my favorite blogs, mainly because I happen to LOVE this interior designer’s taste, but also because I am a lot like her.  I instantly fall in love with things – patterns, artwork, accents to a room – and just as quickly, fall out of love.

Having learned from expensive redecorating adventures, her blog is based around finding affordable alternatives to expensive designer pieces, which in turn grants more flexibility to altering rooms, and changing the look frequently.
Through this blog, I’ve also been introduced to several graphic patterns that I am now OBSESSED with – everything and anything Chevron has been catching my eye – from pillows to rugs, to bedding.  I love the wider Chevron prints, as opposed to the tighter “zig zag” stripes, as a refreshed take on “retro graphic preppy” (Is that a term?  If not… it is now!).  
CHEVRON PRINTS:

How cute are these iPhone cases?!
Chevron Print iPhone Case
Photo courtesy of  Geek Sugar
And can I just say, anything by Jonathan Adler is an A+ in my book!
Photo and tutorial courtesy of  Design Sponge
A fabulous DIY Chevron fabric for the more crafty types
Digital Camera Bag  Dslr..... with messenger strap SLR camera purse,Yellow and Gray Chevron Print by Darby Mack
From the DarbyMack shop on Etsy
This is actually supposed to be a digital camera bag, but I’d use it as a purse for everyday – so cute for spring, and perfect for travel with roomy pockets, and a detachable body strap!
TRELLIS AND LATTICE PRINTS:
Also, I cannot stop dreaming about trellis and lattice patterns.  There are so many variations however, I especially adore them because they are not to feminine.  They are modern and classic without being too hard or too soft.  I keep envisioning gorgeous wallpaper, rugs, and throw pillows in these graphic prints to bring the room alive!
Moroccan Stencil Zagora - reusable stencils for walls instead of wallpaper
From the Cutting Edge Stencils on Etsy
Amazingly enough, the above wall is not wallpapered!!  The look was created using stencils – which is such a fun fresh way to update a room without the hassle of cutting the paper, matching the pattern, making a mess with the glue.  Way less labor intensive than wallpaper AND a huge impact for very little cost!
BOTH SIDES trellis geometric 20 x 20 pillow cover
From PlayPurdys on Etsy
Throw pillows wake up a couch or sofa, and say, come sit here!  They are also one of my favorite ways to change a color palate in a room, depending on my mood, trends, or the season.  My sofa is the color of parchment paper – not white, but not tan.  Having neutral furnature allows me to change the look and feel of the room easily, and so busy patterns and bright colors isn’t overwhelming in our little apartment.  I LOOOVVEEE this pillow with the intricate trellis pattern
BOTH SIDES 20 X 20 Gray geometric pillow cover
BOTH SIDES 20 X 20 Duralee Cherry Red Geometric pillow cover
BOTH SIDES 20 x 14 Geometric lumbar pillow citron
AND THIS ONE TOO!!  Ok, I think I just love them all!

Living Room Transformation!

BEFORE:

AFTER

The curtains in the living room are up, and what a difference they make!!

For a twenty-something, who works in advertising, and makes a modest salary… this is an incredible way to finish a room.  Yeah, yeah, yeah… I really need a new camera other than my iPhone, so these pictures aren’t great, but it paints the picture. You can see how bare and empty the living room felt sans curtains, and how alive it feels with them.

Honestly, I feel like curtains are like eyebrows – they frame the most important stuff, so if they aren’t there, your face (or the room in this case) just feels weird and empty!  Good analogy right?

Also, I firmly believe that there is nothing more elegant than a good pair of silk curtains, and you really don’t have to shell out a fortune for them.  I got these from Bed Bath & Beyond – not so glamorous, but no one else has to know!  They were $50 per panel for $200 total – pretty good for fully lined, silk curtains.  The rods and hardware is from Ikea of all places – super inexpensive ($10 for the rod, and $5 for the glass finial).  Let’s compare prices:

  • On a Budget: $238 Total
    • Curtains: Bed Bath and Beyond
      • $50 each (four curtains)
    • Rods: Ikea
      • $15 Long (one)
      • $9 Short (two)
    • Finial: Ikea
      • $5 (two ends)
  • Money is No Object: $766 Total
    • Curtains: Pottery Barn
      • $120 each (four curtains)
    • Rods: Pottery Barn (includes finial)
      • $98 Long (one)
      • $90 Short (two)

That is over 3x less money that I can go spend on something else that is more important – like a new sofa, or an amazing tufted headboard for our bedroom – it takes a little more time and hunting to find the deal, but it’s so worth it!

The Apartment is slowly Evolving!

Last night, I toiled with my toolbox for about an hour to mount a curtain rod in our living room.  I don’t have an electric drill, so I manually screwed in the mounts which was a huge undertaking, but SO worth it!  The walls in the old San Francisco apartments are made of lath and plaster, so getting the screw secure in there feels like drilling through concrete!

In the end, my gorgeous creme colored silk curtains are hanging – this is a terrible picture – the lights are washing everything out, but they have made a HUGE difference.  I’ve found that paying the extra dollars for the longest curtains (95″ as opposed to the standard 84″) makes the room look taller and feel bigger.  The floor to ceiling drapes give the room a more “grand” feeling – I love it!

Tonight, I am tackling the full wall of windows – I am trying to decide if I should do two curtains, each framing the entire window, or if I should do four curtains – one on each side of each window.  I am going to have to try a few different things here – I don’t want to make it look like too much, but also want to be sure it looks complete. The apartment is slowly coming together to feel like a home – this weekend, I plan to paint the crown molding a sharp, bright white to contrast with the off white walls and make the detail really pop.  I also want to get the art up on the wall, and possibly take off the kitchen door so we can get more counter space in there!

Soo excited for all my mini home-improvement projects!

Yes, Home Decor now makes me excited

Framed Blue Reflections Print

So a few months ago… it feels like years now… I was day-dreaming about our soon to be love nest, and moving into the new apartment.

I had posted that “compromise is like brussels sprouts” and noted how I was looking for decor that reflected both of our tastes – contemporary (a nice way of saying modern) and classic (a more “modern” way of saying traditional), HA!

Well, I had been lusting over this extremely reasonable print by Ballard Designs, and today, I finally pulled the trigger and bought it!  In seven to ten business days it will be mine, all mine!  I will have to post of a picture of it in our apartment that is slowly but surely coming together (slowly being the operative word here).

New Decorating Obcession: Topiaries

My mom has a rule – for every arrangement involving fake or dried flowers, you HAVE to have at least two fresh arrangements.  While this is her rule, and not a universal rule, I think it’s a good one to go by.  Have you ever been to one of those discount craft / decor stores – Michaels, or Home Goods – and thought, “wow, they have some nice stuff in here but it seems kind of tacky”?  Well… its all the fake flowers and fake plants… trust me on this one… I’ve spent some time thinking about it.

That said, keeping fresh flowers on hand can really add up – while you can pick up a bouquet at the store for $10 – $15, they will be dead by the end of the week, so that is a minimum of $40 – $60 per month on flowers.  To some, this might be pocket change, but for me, this adds up to drinks with a good friend, a new pair of shoes, or my annual subscription of UsWeekly.

This brings us back to seeking simple, inexpensive solutions for a fresh look in your home.  I’ve found that topiaries are a great option.  They are small, easy to keep up, relatively inexpensive, and look tres chic!  If that’s not enough, they have 10x the lasting power of flowers, and bring a pop of freshness to any room.  Honestly, if you took care of them, they could last years, but let’s say they cost $8 each, and last 4 months… that will cost you $1 a week for two.  Look how amazing they look!


Photo courtesy of Kate’s Place


Photo courtesy of Home Design 2011

Nesting!

My absolute FAVORITE part about moving is the decorating part.  I swear, in another life, I was an interior designer because I am OBSESSED with design magazines, blogs, etc. My favorite part of every month is when my Home Beautiful arrives… a good glass of wine, and some cozy sweatpants and I’m set! 
As I wrote earlier, Kris and I have opposing tastes in design (he modern, me classic), so I’m on the hunt of furniture that will make us both happy.  I’ve been keeping an inspiration book as I scour the internet for pieces I like, to help “show” him what I think is a solid compromise.
Macy’s is having this fabulous sale right now – free shipping and 15% off any “Home” order.  I was browsing through (because that is just a phenomenal deal) and came across this adorable chair.  
Reviews say it’s comfy, and claim that with an ottoman it feels like you are in a recliner.  Not sure I buy all that, but it has clean lines, beautiful fabric, and does look pretty cushy.  There are several room lay-outs we are considering, but it is just really going to depend on how we feel when we move in.  If we keep my loveseat, and buy a larger sofa to go along the full wall of windows (GORG) then this chair would be perfect – if we opt to downsize and do a sofa and single chair, I think I will have to find something bigger, fluffier, and more sink-into-it good.

Is this the one?!

As I mentioned, Kris and I have been apartment hunting for the past few months.  To cut the story short, it has been an extremely frustrating process.  Rent is at an all time high, and there are very few options right now… BUT… tonight we went to see an apartment, and I think this could be it!!

I can feel myself getting my hopes up, so I really need to take it down a few notches, but I left the apartment feeling so excited, I could barely contain it!  Kris just kept laughing at me – you’d swear I won the lottery.

I can just imagine how lovely this new home is going to be – the living room has tall floor to ceiling windows, and the whole unit gets a lot of light.  We can have dinner parties in our formal dining room, movie nights in the expansive living room, and order in because the kitchen is VERY small.

While we don’t have it yet, I have already started dreaming about the nesting… I can’t wait until the suspense is over and we can plan out our new apartment together.  Kris likes modern and I like more classic, so I think we can find an easy balance with what I am going to call… contemporary classic.

For fuel I headed over to House Beautiful – the epitome (I feel) of contemporary classic.  Some of the homes and rooms are a bit too fashion-y for me, but this magazine truly inspires me to experiment with more colors, fabrics, and textures to create something really interesting… I want practical meets stunning.  Kris wants what I want

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LOVE this slide show…
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/designer-living-rooms

Must remiknd Kris that I am “streamlining” and “exercising restraint” when his bachelor couch goes bye-bye
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/ideas/designer-decorating-secrets-ideas-0511


*Sigh* if only this were our house
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/sophisticated-san-francisco-house?click=main_sr