Lounging

My parents were so great and sent me a pair of Frye's boots for Christmas that I had been coveting! Unfortunately..... they didn't fit too well. Remember I said I always end up getting things for our house instead of for myself? Well I decided to return the boots and get some seating for our living room instead.

A while back while at World Market (that seems to be a theme lately, doesn't it?) I came across this lounge bench:



I immediately thought it'd be great for our living room. I've been wanting something that I can lay out on and read a book and this is perfect (and the price is great). I even did a bit of photoshop-ing and styled it with some pillows:



Once I get back home I am going to pick it up and I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

And speaking of lounging, I've really been enjoying the 75 degree weather here in California. I didn't plan on taking a break from work and blogging but every day I find myself here:



When the posting is light this week, now you know what I'm doing! ;)

California

We're having a great time in California!! Here is a snapshot of our life lately from my iPhone...



I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Christmas Eve Eve

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve Eve??



We are spending Christmas in California (it's supposed to be 75 degrees!) I am so excited about going back! Even though we only lived there three years it still holds a very special place in my heart. We got married there, his family (who is definitely my family too) is there, I started my blog and design biz there...

If I don't pop in before Christmas, I wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas filled with family and love and good food and maybe a great present or two. This really is the BEST time of the year!

Blogger Secret Santa???

Okay, I have NO idea who my blogger secret santa is but they rock! I shared with you my first gift of the awesome silver modern reindeer.. then my second gift came in the mail and it was the She & Him Christmas cd!! Just the day before I got the CD I picked up the little free song card that Starbucks gives out with a She & Him Christmas song on it. Well I didn't need to use it because now I have the entire cd :)

Thanks Secret Santa!



Here are the secret santa suspects:



And the links to their blogs:

4 men 1 lady *** bryn alexandra *** emilyaclark
house of smiths *** the inspired room
isabella and max rooms *** la dolce vita
making it lovely *** you stir me *** thrifty decor chick
tenjune *** lovely little details ***
young house love *** pure style home *** miss mustard seed

Check out Brooklyn Limestone's blog to guess who got who and you can win a prize!

I can't wait to find out who had me! :)

Folding Screen Headboard...?

Yesterday I was at World Market picking up some stuff for clients and I came across this awesome folding screen (going into that store is dangerous... I find great stuff for clients but then I find great stuff for me. ah!)



I LOVE anything and everything that resembles the pattern of a cane back chair.

I thought it would be a really great headboard and at $130 the price isn't bad at all.

But it's a bit shorter than a queen sized bed (what we have in our guest room). Queens are typically 60 x 80. This screen is about 54" flat, so that's 6" too short (3" on each side). That would probably bug me! It would work great for a full, though!

I found these images on Pinterest...

I love this look, I was even thinking it'd be cool to hang a small round mirror on the World Market screen above the bed.


I bookmarked this image in my Cottage Living many years ago, and I still love it just the same!


Here is an example of a screen that is just a bit too short for the bed. Thoughts?


Maybe I'll search on Overstock... or hold out and someday get an upholstered headboard :)

Shannon's House

I have to tell you guys about Shannon. Working at Isabella there is Erin (the owner), me and Shannon. Here is Shannon from when we all went to market:



Shannon and I never get to work together, which is probably a good thing because we would have too much fun... she always cracks me up. This weekend Shannon had a party at her house and I asked if I could take some pics to share on the blog. She said yes!



Shannon has such a cool, funky style. She's never afraid of color. Whenever I am a little hesitant about mixing colors or patterns I always ask her advice! Her new coffee table for this room didn't come in time.. it's marble top with a rustic wooden base... SO cool.



Here is her new family room... I love it!! I love how nothing "matches" but everything goes together. She's really good at that.





She pulled everything from her new painting by Robert Langford. He's a very talented artist here in Charlotte and it was her first "real" piece of art. I think everyone should someday save up for an original piece of art.. it just makes such a difference in a room! I love how her piece seems to glow. Beautiful!



You guys are going to love this part... remember these lucite chairs I found? Well, Shannon was the one who bought them! And she recovered them in laminated Kelly Wearstler fabric. They are PERFECT in her home and I love still being able to see them :)





Thanks for letting me share your home, Shannon!

Living Rooms

I've been dreaming of a new sofa lately.... I think purchasing your first nice sofa is an adult rite of passage and we haven't been there yet.

Our current sofa came with the house that my in-laws owned in California. It looks okay but it's really uncomfortable and small. I had plans of putting granite in our kitchen in 2012 but my gut is saying to get a sofa first... we DO spend every night on it!

My current favorite is Crate & Barrel's Verano. It's soooooo comfortable and deep but isn't boxy.



I've been checking out sofas and sofa colors and living rooms on Lonny and Pinterest...

A Gem of a House Tour

I've been finding some real gems on Apartment Therapy lately. I've pinned a lot of them but I thought I'd share this one. You may have seen it already but if you're like me you won't mind seeing it again!

I just adore the style and decorating of this home. It is chic but simple. I wouldn't mind moving right in!! (Even though Matt and I happily left So Cal we've always said we wouldn't mind moving back, but only if I was a famous interior decorator and our currently non-existent kids were all grown and we were rich and could afford a home like this in the hills. ha!! I know, it's laughable.)





























Yup, I absolutely love every single thing about this home. File it away under my "dream home" file.

Monochromatic

Things are pretty crazy right now! I am wrapping up some projects and busy buy busy.

Right now I am painting a dresser for a client. Her walls are blue and I chose a darker blue for the dresser to create a monochromatic look. I haven't done this before but I think it will turn out really cool!





(Benjamin Moore Advance paint is hands down THE best paint for furniture (and trim) EVER... the picture above is just ONE COAT of paint! It's pricey but well worth it... I'm a convert for life.

Now I'm off to Isabella where we are also very busy!

White Space

In all my graphic design classes in school, we were told white space was the key to good design. Maybe that's why frames with very large mats work so well.



These frames above are from Pottery Barn. They range from $47 - $56 each. Not bad if you want just a couple, but pricey if you want to do an entire gallery wall.

[ lonny ]

Right now I'm working on a gallery wall with thick mats and small artwork. Instead, we are using Ikea Ribba frames and I am going to have the mats custom cut. A sort of budget compromise if you will. I can't wait for the finished product! I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh and speaking of... I snapped these pictures this weekend while watching a rerun of Sarah's House. Even though I've seen every episode, I can watch this show over and over and over.

IKEA KLUBBO Hacks

I think this IKEA Klubbo coffee table is really good looking for the price:



And it's even better if you put some love into it. I've come across some really good hacks!

Jordan from Oh Happy Day spray painted the legs of her Klubbo gold.. WHAT a difference that made!





If you spray paint the legs gold or brass, you could put these casters on it and it would be AMAZING!



Kelly from Simply Kelly turned her Klubbo into an ottoman:



I was brainstorming some other ideas that you could do with this inexpensive coffee table. It would look cool if you had the top lacquered in a color.

Another idea I had was to cover the top in a faux ostrich leather, like this: