Not fake

I've been searching for a way to bring a little green to my mantle.  The issue is that it doesn't get consistent light throughout the day. I put plants there and talk real nice to them, but they still die.  Which meant I would need to either 1. purchase cut flowers for that space every week, or 2. come up with an alternative. 

I love me some topiaries, they can be so many different things in so many different spaces.  They can be country, modern, outdoors, indoors, herbs, candy, small, tall and the list goes on.  You name it, it can probably be made into a topiary.  

The while light issue in my family room helped make the decision for me, I didn't want to go totally fake so doing preserved was the best option.  Plus, I never have to remember to water them weekly so they cant die on me.

I'm loving these death proof plants in my house so far.

Slip 'em to me

Designing in the city (namely my own apartment) sometimes can get tricky.  Often those odd shaped family rooms or even bedrooms make it difficult for seating options.  People always make room for a sofa or love seat, but other seating is the hard part.  That's when designers have to get creative.  I'm loving these armless side chairs/ slipper chairs,  they provide seating but don't completely take over a space with chunky arms.  They aren't the choice for everyone but when it comes to picking a chair that has arms and blocks your pretty city view or one of these babies, I'll take the latter.

 

 

Top to Bottom- Barcelona, beige, pink, orange with contrasting piping, blue stripe, tan with teal legs, houndstooth, white slipcovered, green with brushed brass (my FAVORITE)

 

What do you think, would you take 'em or leave 'em?

Trimmed

I FINALLY got my new curtains iron and hung in my family room.  Word to the wise, the Ikea RITVA curtains shrink a ton AND they are a massive pain to iron.  Other than that, I have no idea why I was wasting my time trying to fix my curtain oops months ago.

I got the white ones and they aren't too white or too ivory, they are just right.  In other words they don't make my dirty white sofa look awful- they actually match pretty darn well.  They are IKEA so of course they aren't lined, but I'm actually happy about that.  The more light into my dark apartment, the better!

They have been up for a few weeks and I've been enjoying them immensely.  I'm just getting restless again.  Restless to try to give them a little makeover.  No dye this time, I learned my lesson the last time I got restless, this time I want to add some trim.  Look how pretty a little trim makes these panels

BHG

 Caldwell Flake 

Eileen Kathryn Boyd

Grace Happens Nursery Drapes

Mona Ross Berman

Jenny Wolf Interiors

Now one other little issue- I need approximately 25 yards.  That's a lot of dough if I'm picking out expensive trim.  So the search is on for pretty, inexpensive trim.  Wish me luck, I need it.



cozy time

There is nothing I want more than to curl up by one of these and catch up on all the magazines and books I have stacked up to read.  While its January 12th and we have yet to get snow this winter- this rain is nasty!

Rain, rain go away come again some other day!

Oh and while I'm on my dream trip,  I'm dreaming of being curled up with one of these

yes, please!

(all photos from Pinterest, my favorite time sucker.  Follow me here)

Curling up

mmmmm, DELISH!!

LOVE this space.  I just want to curl up in one chair (with the hubby in the other chair of course) and get to reading this stack of magazines I have waiting to be cracked open.

Too bad the forecast calls for 80 degrees this weekend, this library would be the perfect place to spend a cool fall evening.  Screw it, 80 degrees or not its STILL Fall in my mind. 

Curling up on my couch wins, since I don't have a pretty library like this one.  Sad face.

But, HAPPY FACE that it's Friday! 



PS- THANK YOU to everyone for all the amazing art recommendations yesterday- I knew I could count on my readers to point me in the right direction!!


(source: Nuevo Estilo design by Isabel Lopez-Quesada)

She's got legs

Usually I am drawn to bright and bold colors, but when I saw this first image I fell in love with this house. 

Its the table that got me- oh my those LEGS, I am drooling!

Now that I look at this space I could totally live here.  But, I'd add some bright window treatments, bold pillows, some fun artwork with colored matts and other pops of color with accessories.  Sounds fun, right?

(photos from El Mueble)

Lots to look at

This space is delish.  My eyes keep moving.  The stripes, the wood, the leather, the bright blue, those pillows, that mirror.  I just keep finding something else I love.

I also love that this space is one the hubby and I might agree on.  He gets his leather sofa, and I get everything else.  I mean, that's how it should work right?

(designer: Mónica Penaguião)

sew updated

Can you tell I'm tapped out on coming up with cute title names? sorry.

After I made my ottoman covers I decided it was time to make new pillows for my sofa too.  Since I already had the sewing machine out, it was now or never.

I got this fabric awhile ago and it was just waiting for this project.  It's kinda like a thin scarf material, so I needed to back it with fusing first, and then I got to work sewing piping and backed the pillows with a bright orange cotton fabric.

Ta-da!

I love that they have some pink in them, bringing in some of the color from the new ottomans.  They also have my favorite ORANGE, as well as some teal to tie int he walls, some navy to tie in the zig zag pillows, some neon to get my neon fix, and a mix of other pretty colors.

don't mind the bookcases- they need major HELP.

See my cute little monogrammed Lucite bench there- I just love it.

So there you have it, the new look of my family room. 

My husband asked how long we will be living with this look, I told him not to worry he will have another look to enjoy in about 3-6 months. 

its not easy being...

...GREEN

I've decided that I need a little green in my life. 

Here is the color scheme in my family room now- minus the rug, couch and other little things in the space, this is the general feel.  I need some green, don't you think?

I went through my inspiration files and found all of these green images to be calling my name

Yes, yes and YES!!  I am obsessed with all the colors and patterns and textures here.  I love everything about this room (well I take that back, minus the album covers above the windows- I could do with out those)

Just a hint of green here

Green on the stool and green on the couch, speaking of I really like the color of the couch here

Pretty country entrance- I NEED that green chair

Pink and green- such a pretty combo here

Green couch, I think I've covered that I love green couches already.  That's right, here is that post

Animal print AND green- I need it

Forget the green chairs, how about that view??

I really would LOVE an apple green velvet wing back chair

but since that's not in the cards right now (unless one turns up on craigslist magically ) I thought I would start with a few accessories.


How about a pillow?

YES, I think that is what I need

And so my search for the perfect apple green pillows starts. Want to know where my search ended about 10 minutes later? MY CLOSET!

Old cashmere sweater that I shrunk, Buhhhhh bye

and coming soon...new cashmere pillow!

(just as soon as I get the sewing machine out)

Sources: Country Living, Decorpad, House Beautiful, Palmer Weiss, and unknown (don't hate me, i'm sorry), and chairs from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams