Please pardon the terrible photo quality (the camera on my phone has lost its ability to focus) but I spotted this festive doorway, cascading with pumpkins and gourds of every stripe, and had to document it for longevity. What a great idea! They did such a good job finding just the right spot of every last pumpkin and gourd. I'm a huge fan of the mini pumpkin myself. We have a little guy keeping us company as a kitchen table centerpiece - and if you get a couple in different shades they just as colorful as flowers, but WAY less expensive and last for months.
Bookshelves and cases are not only the perfect places to house your most prized literary classics (or guilty pleasure gossip rags and romance novels, we won’t judge) but when used strategically they can be ideal design inspiration for your home.A carefully placed bookshelf can stand on it’s own as a focal point and conversation piece. Depending on the space you’re working with, bookshelves can serve to break-up the space and even create a room within a room. They’re a quick way to make any room a bit cozier too, adding visual elements of depth and color. Not sure how to incorporate these hardcover holders into your place?Check out these read-ready rooms.
How important is environment to you? Are you someone that can live anywhere and continue to be your happy, secure, adjusted self? Does spending nights on a friend's sofa for days at a time not phase you a bit? Are you not itching, just a little, to be back home at the end of a vacation?
If you enthusiastically answered yes - that's fantastic. I am not one of those people.
Environment is very important to me, and I get the feeling that it's very important to a lot of people that I know. I consider my home (and I use this term to reference all different types of places, as it can be a very personal definition) to be my place of peace and refuge. It's not that a home should be used as a means for disconnecting yourself from the world, but having a home space that allows you to relax fully and provides you with the resources you need to feel secure both enables and encourages us to enter the world each day with a fresh perspective and plenty of positive energy. Think about it: if your home doesn't allow for great sleep, encourage healthy choices, or promote your mental well-being, how will you have any patience or desire to truly explore the world around you?
This week I'm thinking a lot about the role of environment in my own life, and how I can create the home environment I need to make the most of my time outside of it.
Check out this Clean Sweep Assessment for some great ideas about how to get started - the assessment helps you assess various aspects of your life for achieving optimal energy and developing a strong personal foundation. The section on Physical Environment is an especially great tool.
Everyone I know has a different taste when it comes to beds. Be it a preference for a sturdy brass four-poster, an oak canopy, or a leather covered headboard - there are as many choices as to what we sleep in as there are people to join us beneath the sheets! My favorite style of bed, however, has to be the understated platform. The unfussy nature of this minimal style makes for easy sheet-tucking without overwhelming even the most modest loft. Platforms are also exceptionally versatile, so their the perfect choice for people who like to frequently change the style or flow of their bedroom. Platform beds work especially well in Asian inspired or contemporary rooms, and many serve double-duty by boasting storage space underneath. Not sure how to make this type of bed work for you? Check out these beautiful rooms bedrooms for some serious design inspiration.
Is a lack-luster workspace leaving you without creative kindling? Sometimes a simple change or addition to your desk, studio, or shop can be just the trick to start producing with purpose once more. One such addition is an inspiration board. Your inspiration board can be as simple as an old cork board or as lavish as a fabric-covered board, bordered by a gilded antique frame. The medium is up to you, and the only directions are to fill up the space with photos, quotes, do-dads, clippings, and trinkets that you find inspirational. Maybe yours will have a ballet ticket stub, an old necklace, and a photo from your trip to Amsterdam, or perhaps a bright Japanese candy wrapper, fashion pictures from Vogue, and a postcard from a friend's trip to Mexico. There does not have to be any rhyme or reason to what is on your board, as long as it gets your mind flickering and your heart pattering, you've done it right. Don't be afraid to change out your inspirational items when the time feels right - just as your creative process is dynamic and evolving, so too should your inspiration board be.
I just finished The Year of Pleasures, a novel by Elizabeth Berg, and true to the title, the book was a pleasure in itself. Berg has a beautiful, descriptive way of writing that brings her scenes to life and paints a rich picture of her characters. The storyline is very much for the female crowd, as the main character Betta deals with the loss of her husband by moving to small town in Illinois and learning how to live without him. There are moments of empowerment and helplessness along the way, but never without the simple joys that make life worth the struggle. It’s the perfect read for a wintry day by the fireplace; recommended for your grandmother and grown daughter alike.
Berg’s descriptions had me picturing every little detail in the book so vividly I was ready to run off and move to the Midwest myself. Here are a few pleasures I’ve been dreaming about since flipping the back cover…
Betta is always cooking or baking something for someone, relishing in her nurturing instinct. Even though I’m not one for baking myself, she seemed to find such joy in the process I entertained the thought.
Betta has her bedroom painted pale blue to make the space more relaxing, and I love the idea of a matching the shade with a sunny yellow and bright white.
There are several mentions of antique birdcages in the book, and what could be a more fun and beautiful decoration? My gram has had a large birdcage on her mantel for years, filled with little figurines and treasures. I like the idea of hanging a couple from the ceiling, wound with white twinkle lights like lanterns.
Even bathing takes on an air of luxury in Berg’s novel. Betta would make a production of it, putting on an old album and taking a slow bath, lingering in the warm water. It made me want to do the same, so I promptly picked up a sliver of Hugo Naturals handmade soap and got to it! I have to put in a word for this delightfully scented, all-natural brand that left me skin soft and lush, no moisturizer needed.
You may have noticed from some of my other interior design posts that I gravitate towards clean, simple spaces - but I also love rooms that combine natural elements to create warmth. This living room and kitchen, found on the New York Magazine website, may just be my favorite room set yet. Open and airy yet inviting and cozy, architect Diane Kellog and her husband, writer Neil Burger, have created an exceptionally beautiful and livable space. To see more of Diane's work, check out her website here.
There's something about a bright, white kitchen that sets the tone for a beautiful home. I especially love kitchens with lots of natural light, so large south-facing windows would be ideal for creating a bright, open, and airy space. To me, the more space a kitchen affords, the easier it is to spread out and prep food comfortably and enjoyably. Since space is at a premium for those of us in apartments, the illusion of space and light can be achieved with the use of light and bright colors and framed mirrors to reflect light and expand the perceived size of the area.
Looking for a little floral inspiration? Check out what my friend Donna's done with her beautiful flower garden. She used old bathroom fixtures (otherwise headed to the dump) to make creative flower beds and a major statement. I especially love the use of the toilet next to the shed. You could always paint your fixtures for a pop of color or embellish them like Donna's done with the bathtub (using paint and glass craft stones) to add a bit more visual interest.
I am hanging out at my parents' house during my break from school and while I try not to watch too much TV in general, it's a lost cause here. Their couch is like a snugly venus fly trap, luring me in with it's perfectly sized corner seats then capturing me in puffy layers of cushion. Once you're in, remote control in hand, there are hundreds of channels (plus the instant gratification of On Demand) to scroll through, all on a flat, massive, HD screen. After a day of perusing the endless entertainment options I came to two conclusions. 1. No one needs that many TV channels. 2. If I had to pick only two, I'd stick with Planet Green and HGTV (Home and Garden TV).
I love the shows on Planet Green because the whole channel is dedicated to living, building, and creating in an ecofriendly way. The channel is also owned by the Discovery Network which puts out some of my other favorite channels and shows (Whale Wars, anyone?).
I have also been pleasantly surprised by HGTV's programming lately, which has really "greened up". I was watching Color Splash with David Bromstad yesterday and was excited to see him do an Asian inspired (and earth friendly) kitchen. One of the elements of the kitchen was a recycled glass countertop (made with 80% recycled materials) and I remembered how much I love this look. It's a great way to add brightness or a shimmery effect to any kitchen or bathroom, and the options for color combinations are limitless. Check out these gorgeous options. I am especially fond of the last photo - it looks like smashed up hard candy! I'm always in favor of using candy as design inspiration.
I admit, I am not above hand-me-downs, seconds, freebies, coupons, or the occasional dumpster dive. The end of the school year marks the height of dumpster diving season on any college campus - and if you are in the market for a curiously stained futon, makeshift beerpong table, or a variety of soggy bed pillows then now is the time to strike! But do not worry; for those of us with slightly more discriminating tastes, there is hope. Yesterday I proudly carried a perfectly squat little cube table up to my apartment that had been left by the dumpster, destined to pack a landfill (while its ex-owner, no doubt, went off to buy a newer version of the same product to serve the very same purpose).
Well ex-owner's trash has become my treasure and the little table is now a perfect nightstand for my bed-less mattress. With finals complete and my trip to the East Coast on tap for tomorrow, today will be filled with cleaning, errands, and planning... and maybe a leisurely stroll or two around the local garbage bins ;)
I wound up at the gym during rush hour today; not a treadmill or elliptical machine without a sweaty operator in sight. Yet somehow I scored a major find at the magazine rack - an April issue of Martha Stewart Living! Okay, I may not be a huge Martha fan - her style tends to be a little too Stepford Wife for me - but when the alternatives are a December issue of Star or a copy of Science Times that's missing 13 pages out of the middle... well you'd pick Martha too.
My favorite piece in the magazine was a profile of Susan Lyne's Manhattan apartment. The golden tones are so warm and inviting and set the stage for an updated take on the antique furniture Lyne's inherited. I also love the look of the monotone artwork in mismatched frames, it gives the whole theme a less stuffy feel.
