Happy Monday All! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready to get back at it! This is an install week for me so I will have plenty of pics and updates to share soon! Also be sure to check out IG to get the real time scoop as we put together bedrooms for two adorable boys.
I am happy to report that spring is a mere two days away. Am I the only one obsessively counting down? I cannot wait to leave the house without boots! This time of year I find myself drawn to particular color combos, specifically blue and white. It feels fresh and bright and very “house from Something’s Gotta Give.” Which, sidebar, is one of my favorites. That house, comprised of beautiful shades of blues, tans and whites, was soothing and elegant at the same time.
Set design from the movie Something’s Gotta Give. Source
Here are some other blue and white rooms that I pinned for inspiration to share with you:
Good Morning All and Happy Friiiiiiiday! I am sure that Spring is right around the corner. It is this time of year that I get fidgety and feel the need to get all the things done.at.once. I mean, yikes, we are almost through with the first quarter of the year! What!? Why is it that it feels like Spring is dragging her feet in arriving, and yet I still have not tackled my Winter To-Do List (doesn’t everyone have lists arranged by season?) Sigh. SO, instead I am going to break things down into baby steps and march forward to Marie Kondo the attic, clean out the garage (again), and reorganize the linen closet before the snow melts and I am free once again to get outside in my flip flops.
Lately I have been working on a half bath facelift, and due to my love affair with wallpaper, have been on the hunt for the perfect print. The ceiling is really tall, so while it is only a half bath, the scale of the room can support a larger wallpaper print (my fav). I have been dreaming of this one, which will play nicely with the current cream colored tiled floor that is not getting replaced:
I also plan to divide the height of the wall with a chair rail and apply horizontal tongue and groove boards like this, just picture it painted gray with wallpaper above:
I have been dreaming of how to implement this look ever since I snapped this pic at the White Elephant during our trip to Nantucket. Yes, I took pics of the bathroom decor….but in my defense it really was that pretty!
White Elephant, Nantucket
I also want to add a bolder ceiling molding because the ceiling height can definitely support that scale, but I don’t want it to compete with the wallpaper and shiplap, so perhaps something like this:
Two: I have started using this lotion for my face so as not to turn into a raisin with the dry winter air. It’s lightweight, doesn’t feel greasy, and the price is amazing! Find it here.
Three: I have been eyeing all things gingham at J.Crew lately, including this fabulous navy (swoon) gingham overcoat.
Four: I just started reading this which is a refreshing kick in the pants. I read her first book and this one has the same no nonsense tone.
Five: This is Summer in a jar and one of my fav scents. I hoard stock up on them when they are on sale (use code YESWAY). It’s soooo good and can be found here.
Good Morning All! As the snow fell outside and everything was cancelled yesterday, I took the opportunity to hibernate a little and got some work done. Several of my current client projects involve the need for the perfect console table, so I have sourced many of late. While there are a myriad of different styles to be found, a common theme for console and entry tables alike, is to keep them compact and styled with panache.
I love this neutral effortless look that includes a beautiful wooden table:
And this Hamptons-esque example caught my attention with the crisp white walls and table creating the perfect backdrop for the blue and white vase to pop:
And finally, I love this mix of layered materials, the wallpaper serving as a stunning backdrop to the simple lines of the table, the carved mirror and the beautiful pair of lamps.
If you are also snowed in and are so inclined to start rearranging your furniture to model these styled tables (or maybe that is just me), this fantastic sketch by Melissa Boyer Interiors illustrates how to pull items together on an entryway table, console or end table like so:
Here are some of my favorite console or entryway tables, all priced less than $300!
Happy Monday All! We are already mid-January- what!? I hope everyone is feeling excited and ready for a fresh start to the New Year. Personally I am so grateful to be working with new clients on some exciting projects, along with wrapping up one of my favorite reno projects to date. More on all of that later because I want to jump right in to 2019 home decor predictions…oh yes, the things we all stay up at night wondering about. Just moi? Ok, well here we go!
First up, much to my personal delight, wallpaper will continue to make a statement in 2019. After a period of “Ick, it’s wallpaper“, it is now a go-to solution to create amazing visual impact in a room. And lately the scale and colors are big and bold! YES!
According to the Pinterest Top 100 searched queries, in the home decor category wallpaper searches were up 401% last year, so you were not alone in searching for the perfect print for your next project. And they are soooo easy to use now so do.not.feel.intimidated. I purchased the one below from Wayfair to apply to the back of a bookcase to create a more custom look (you can read all about it here). Annnnnnnd because it was peel and stick there was no glue-y mess (been there).
Next up… painted floors! They have been increasing in popularity with cool stencils and better adhering paints making it a fantastic DIY project. According to Pinterest Top 100 trends, searches for painted tile and flooring have risen 1276%! Not a typo. Seems that painting it, rather than ripping it all out, has become the new go-to! Here are some inspiration pics if you have a painted flooring project on your To Do List for 2019:
Also, the addition of fireplaces of all types, indoor and outdoor, seems to be on the rise. More and more design plans include them, and I personally contributed to the 763% increase in searches for fireplaces on Pinterest because the fav reno project I mentioned earlier will have a fireplace, which right now looks like this:
I am so excited that this was built from a pile of wood in.two.days. Amazing! Annnnd I may have embarrassed myself by doing an actual happy dance when I first saw it completed…and it is not even painted! I have such an appreciation for carpenters and the ability to create this from a photo and a sketch (the math required alone:). Crazy! Here are some other fireplaces that I found via Pinterest:
Happy New Year All! 2019 is going to be a good one, so get ready! Five days in and some of my resolutions are humming along, while others are let’s say, more challenging. I have committed to writing in the Five Minute Journal I received for Christmas and I love the concept of starting the day with an intentional plan (even if it veers off course at times) and then revisiting the Journal at the end of the day to review how the day went. It’s amazing how that simple act can create focus and remind you how lucky you are #grateful! If you are interested, you can find your own here.
Also….
I love this because it is so easy to fall back on “not enough time” as the reason, ahem, excuse for why things are not moving forward. Been there! So part of creating all the new resolutions is figuring out HOW they will happen so you don’t beat yourself up when you haven’t adequately planned for them. I am working on this so thought I would share because you know, strength in numbers (insert high five here:)
This year has started with a bang, with several fun design projects off and running. First, we decided that because hubby’s office was closed over the holiday for ten days, and we were going to actually be in town during that time, we would do a major renovation of the waiting room. I have mentioned before how much I love the character of this 1800s building and as such, the plantation windows needed a design concept to ensure they would be the stars of the room. To do so, the drop ceiling was removed and the ceiling was raised over two feet!!! A coffered ceiling, new lighting and the addition of a fireplace will compliment the windows and totally change the overall scale of the room. I cannot wait to see the final result!!! Right now it is steadily coming together weekend warrior style, with the painter coming to work her magic at the end of the month. Until then, here is a sneak peek of the ceiling going in:
I also had the pleasure of creating a playroom/study space for two adorable young boys. The playroom is located off both the living room and kitchen, so the goal was clean sight lines and plenty of storage for all their favorite toys and games.
We wanted to keep the existing art table and added four chairs for when friends come to play, along with an easy to clean polyproplene rug to define the space.
Individual desk spaces were established with clipboards to create personal art galleries that could be changed out easily. Also, photos were chosen for each child and placed under the acrylic desk pad to further personalize the spaces.
I am looking forward to sharing with you the waiting room progress, along with some design boards I am creating for E-clients. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to a fabulous 2019!
Good Morning All! Happy Wednesday, Happy December, Happy Hanukkah and happy all things that make the holidays magical! Just wanted to pop in because I have been dreaming of a pink and green Christmas and have found some amazing inspiration photos to share with you. I have been tweaking my holiday decor and purchased more bottle brush trees for my collection. I couldn’t pass them up from the $1 bin at Target and love how they look paired with sparkly candles and poinsettias. Simple groupings of colors give such a fun holiday feel (p.s. I feel like that was such a Buddy the Elf comment)! A little holiday prep is perfect in my dining room with its blue and white curtains and pink punchy rug.
Here are the fun pics I found to inspire you to add a little holiday prep to your home- ‘Tis the Season!
First up, beautiful table decor using multi-colored votives and ornaments. Mix and match colors to coordinate with your place settings.
Source Unknown
Next, some pink and navy perfection with a pop of gold for a colorful mantle display.
Lastly, to decorate your packages with a little holiday prep, check out these adorable gift tags from Southern Hospitality Company….they have many options to choose from!
Happy Friday All! ‘Tis the season of the To Do Lists (yes that’s lists plural). Meal planning lists, holiday shopping lists, and client project lists et al. Let’s.Do.This! Oh how said lists make me simultaneously overwhelmed and happy. This year I am changing things up and slowly decorating for the holidays before Thanksgiving (gasp)! My thinking is that if I deck the halls earlier, I will be able to attend holiday parties, school pageants and the like, and return home to relax and enjoy my own home throughout the season. Bottom line…if it gives me more time to enjoy all the sparkle of the season…it’s a win in my book.
As the annual parade of decorations come down from the attic, I gleefully unpack each item and have realized this year that while there are pieces I continually use as tradition (that the kids always look forward to), I also find the need to change it up by adding a few new items into the mix (I know shocker!). In dreaming up some new holiday decor ideas for our home, I have pulled together a Neutral Noel design board that is comprised of soft metallics, a neutral palette, and just exudes holiday warmth.
Here are some inspiration pics for a Neutral Noel:
P.S. In my last post I included my top five fav podcasts… As I was listening to them yesterday I realized that I didn’t share with you that if you listen at 1.5 speed you get more info in a speedier manner….leaving more time to tackle those To Do Lists:) YES!
Hi All! So it’s been a hot minute since I have been here! Holy guacamole time flies! I have been meaning to write a quick post about Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year, Metropolitan (AF-690), since it was released last month. One of my fav color combos is gray and navy because it is soooo easy to add pops of color to that combo to make the room feel fresh, without doing a complete overhaul. Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy is one of my go to navy paint choices, and it looks fabulous paired with the company’s color of the year. As you may know, the struggle is real to find that perfect gray that will work with various lighting in a room, but Metropolitan is a gorg gray that hits the mark.
Here is a design board I put together with some of my favorite pieces:
Ok, so here we are in the last quarter of 2018. After getting a podcast kick in the pants from the likes of Tony Robbins and Rachel Hollis, I finally set goals for myself with the blog. Guys, I LOVE writing and of course all.things.design. So I am going to set out a schedule for the days I will be writing so that there is 1) consistency- hello! ; and 2) so you will know what days to grab a coffee and join me. Lots of new projects and endeavors on the horizon for 2019, and I cannot wait to share them with you!
Best,
Kelly
P.S. I have been obsessed with podcasts for some time now because while driving to and fro to complete the million errands that need to happen everyday, I can be learning something new! My current top five podcast favs are as follows, in no particular order- Enjoy!
Oprah’s Masterclass for interesting life stories from celebs- so far my favorite has been Cindy Crawford;
How I Built This for fascinating entrepreneurial tales of how they came to be- the Barbara Corcoran episode is sooo good;
Happier with Gretchen Rubin because who cannot use some more happy and Episode 172 discusses tossing unnecessary papers- upcoming resolution anyone?;
Young House Love Has a Podcast with John & Sherry, Episode #90 asks what to do when a project starts to suck- anyone who has done a home renovation can relate!
Diane Rehm have loved her thought provoking interviews since tuning in on NPR. She recently did a terrific podcast on John Grisham and 30 years of legal thrillers.
Hello and Happy Long Weekend All! Woo Hoo! I am so excited to get things done and done this weekend, however the rain has put a damper on some of my outdoor plans. Sigh. In the interim, I am planning out the fun upcoming events we have happening at our house (so I am not back on my heels, per the usual). My daughter and I both have October birthdays, and hubs and I are headed to Nantucket in September.
We are looking forward to all of these celebrations, so I definitely need to address the current lack of wardrobe options. Enter in the Labor Day sales, no longer just for appliances! Below are some of my fav “add to cart” items, along with links to a myriad of deals to be had! If you are like me you get excited, add to cart, and then obsessively mull over items before finally checking out at the stroke of midnight so as not to miss “the deal.” OK, maybe that is just me….Nevertheless it is time for some fall updates and the siren song of coupon codes in my email box is calling to me so away.we.go!
First up, clothing: I am feeling a little meh about some of the newer styles and trends, so I am planning on stocking up on the classics, specifically blazers, because when paired with jeans, completes my fall uniform. One can never have enough blazers (IMHO):
Next up, home decor: As I ponder fall decorating in 80+degree heat, here are some fun finds I sourced from around the web, including this adorable ceramic pumpkin:
I thought these pinecone topiaries were great and can be used right through the holidays. They come in two different sizes, 15″ 3/4 and 19″ 3/4 tall, and if you prefer, the collection also has a pinecone wreath and garland available.
And here is a desk accessory for pencils and pens, but I think it would be an amazing vase for fall flowers. You could group several on a table, or use on its own for a nightstand arrangement, and psssst its’ only $7.99.
World Market, 10% off and free ship, use code FALLSAVE10
Target, up to 30% on most home decor, plus extra 15% on most furniture and bedding (coupon codes in cart)
Happy Shopping All!
Best,
Kelly
*I have no affiliation with Ebates, but do use it and enjoy the savings! If you are interested in signing up I provided a link to which I will receive a referral bonus:) If you create an account and link to yours you can get referrals also. Extra shopping money! Bonus!
Morning and HAPPY Thursday All! I know all of you have been holding your collective breath with great anticipation…what, pray tell will be thee 2019 Color of the Year? All kidding aside, in the world of all things design, it’s a thing. And….drumroll please….. Behr has chosen a beautiful, calming blue, called Blueprint S470-5. Per their release, Behr states that Blueprint, “... is an honest, approachable color that conjures up the blueprints that builders rely on to bring architectural designs to life. Blueprint creates a space where you can build your own reimagined life-—where awareness of what we want to build for ourselves can transform into action”. That seems like a lot of pressure to put on a color, but nevertheless it is a shade that can work with many different styles to create a stunning result.
Behr’s 2019 Color of the Year, Blueprint
Whenever new colors are released I start playing with the tones to find products and fabrics it could be paired with. In this case, I gravitated toward a more neutral fall color palette, using this stunning shade of blue as an accent color like the photo above. Below are some fun pieces to bring in a little bit of the Blueprint feel for fall.
I hope this inspires you to try new colors at home…or at least help to get you in the mood for a little fall decorating. I have been procrastinating on this front, but with a long weekend ahead there are beacoup projects planned, including bringing the bins labeled “FOR FALL” down from storage. I may be most excited that they are labeled, sorted and can actually be found this year thanks to my ongoing operation organization (read: days spent in the hot attic this summer….sorting, sorting and sorting). Onward and upward friends! Bring on the Pumpkin Spice Lattes!
Three: I have been eyeing all things gingham at J.Crew lately, including this fabulous navy (swoon) gingham overcoat.
