Showing posts with label furniture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label furniture. Show all posts

Monday, July 16, 2012

Beach Glass Inspiration: Light Blue, Seafoam Green, Aqua

My husband and I spent the past weekend at the beach in NC with one of my closest friends, Christy.   SO relaxing :)

Staring at the ocean and surrounding views inspired me to write this post....
So thanks, Christy, and thanks to Wrightsville Beach!

Beach Inspired Interior Design

I love the light aqua here....

Soft blue and white dining room....

Bright and calming spaces:


I love how the interiors of beach houses can be overtly "seaside-ish".... generally the colors stay in the sea glass family.

Kind of digging the green kitchen!


These bedrooms are the kind that you would never want to leave.



Some more of my favs:


Bedrooms that make you NOT want to get out of bed!


Pale shades of seafoam.

Bright pops of turquoise are fun too.... I really love how it looks when they are off-set with dark metals, wood, and mirrors.


And my personal #1:
Light blue zebra.... who would've thought?   And it totally works!


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Kitchen Inspiration: Craving Gray & White

I've been obsessed with kitchens lately.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's a combination of the fact that I'm a self-professed food addict/cook, and that my husband and I are starting to look for our dream home.

Either way, I am dying to get my hands on a kitchen reno project! Since 99% of the kitchens that I see in the houses that I've looked at make me cringe, I'm fairly certain that there will be a major kitchen makeover in my future when we buy our first house.

When I say I've been obsessed with kitchens lately, let me be more specific:

Grey and white Bianco Carrara marble countertops, neutral backsplash, stainless steel appliances, glass and wood upper cabinetry, dark wood floors, turn of the century antique white cabinetry with double crown molding and trim.  **SIGH** Perfection.  The kind of kitchen that is elegant and classic, a look that never goes out of style.



I'm very fortunate in the fact that my husband and I share very similar tastes in almost everything, and thankfully, we share the same vision for our kitchen design.

Despite the fact that the very idea of cooking stresses him out, I think he's almost as excited as I am about the prospect of building our dream kitchen.  He is a big fan of anything that looks cool, and is definitely more emphatic than I am about the types of appliances that we should have.  One of the things at the top of his list is a stainless gas range:


I really love the look of mixing in glass-front doors with the rest of the cabinetry.  It really creates interest and lightens up the space, don't you think?  These X front glass cabinet doors pictured below are my fav:


I'm also really in love with the idea of a mirrored-tile backsplash with finial separators like this one:

Amazing, right?  And just think how great it would look against creamy white cabinets instead of gray.  It's also a great way to bring light and depth into an otherwise small kitchen space.  Definitely a must-have in our future kitchen.

And of course, everyone needs an oversize catch-all island:

By the time we find "THE" place to buy, I'm going to have everything so planned out that it will be the fastest kitchen remodel ever!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

10 Must-Haves from Ikea

I'm a huge fan of IKEA.  Yes, their products come with lengthy instructions and take a considerable amount of time to put together.  But their stuff is so cool and cheaply-priced that it's worth it!  I've bought tons of stuff from IKEA (all of which I've been very happy with), but here are some of my current faves:

Salong Vase $4.99
I adore the shaped of this eliptical small bud vase!  It's available in two sizes, and also comes in clear/white.
Kassett Boxes with Lids (2 pack) $9.99
These are collapsable and come packaged completely flat.  They're pretty easy to put together (approx 3 min per box), and even though they are made of thick cardboard they're very sturdy-- mine have made it through 3 moves!

Expedit Shelving $69.99
The Expedit series is probably one of my all-time favorites!  This shelving unit is so versatile and multi-functional.  I mounted mine horizontally on the wall so that it's floating above the floor at sideboard height.  It's overly complicated to put together, but if you decide to mount it on the wall to achieve a floating shelf look like my husband and I did, be prepared for a 2-hour adventure!
Maskros Pendant Lamp $49.99
This pendant light has been pictured in countless designer rooms and magazines, and for good reason--- it's a great conversation piece that adds texture to a room at an incredible price!  This comes packaged flat (so you can order it online), and is not hard to put together - just time consuming.  Connecting it to your wiring in the ceiling fixture is the hardest part.
Hemnes 8-Drawer Dresser $299
The Hemnes series is another great classic.  This dresser is so basic, but it's really well done.  I like the fact that instead of the traditional 3 x 3 classic dresser styles, the four smaller drawers across the top of this dresser add an eclectic look to an otherwise simple piece.

Ung Drill Mirror $39.99
This mirror is the perfect size!  I think it's hard to find mirrors with the right porportions, but Ikea nailed it with the Ung Drill mirror.  I love the fact that it comes painted with a black finish, but you could always spray paint/re-finish it another color.  How fun would this be in a bright color?!
Ljusas Uvas Lamp $39.99
Whenever I'm in Ikea, my favorite part of the store is the lighting section (just go to one of their stores and you'll see what I'm talking about).  The color of this lamp is fantastic, and I also love the opaque glass base & matching shade.
Hemnes Sofa Table $179
The combination of two different cubby hole sizes on this table make it so unique.  Ikea makes several basket series designed to fit in their tables/shelves, so you can buy small storage baskets that fit perfectly in this table.  The size of the table makes it super versatile as well.
Blomster Vase $24.99
My very first Ikea purchase :)  They have different patterns available, but this size/style is my favorite.
Tarva Chest (unfinished) $149
The lines of this Tarva chest of drawers are very simple, but you can do so much with this piece!  It comes unfinished so you can stain it, paint it, or gloss it any color that you want.  You can also change out the knobs to something more decorative for a custom look.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Yellow spaces = happy places :)


Camille Saum, via Traditional Home Mag
Yellow is such a cheerful and happy color.   I think that all cranky people should be required to paint their bedrooms yellow.... it's impossible to be cranky when you wake up in a sea of sunshine every day:)   I'm in love with these sunshiney-yellow rooms, and I especially love the creative ways that designers are using the color.   From floor-to-ceiling monochromatic soft yellows, to dandelion hued linens and furniture, it all works.   Inspiration:
From houseinteriordesign.net
From elle.com

Design by Barry Dixon, photo from Traditional Home
Design by David Herchik
From decorpad.com
(How amazing are these elegant yellow armchairs??)



From dotavideo.com


Photo from Traditional Home, design by David Herchik
Design by Julie Kays,
photo from Traditional Home

Julie Massucco Kleiner design,
via Traditional Home magazine
(ADORE the look of the unexpected yellow curtains in the formal dining room)
From solarnovo.com
By Tobi Fairley

The high contrast between the navy blue and bright yellow is perfect paired with the subtle brown, gray, and cream..... very traditional and elegant!
Max Azria home

Photo from Southern Living