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The happiest of Fridays to you all! It's supposed to be sunny and warm here for the next few days and I am taking Monday off...so I'm extra excited for the weekend! Ben will be doing a big bike ride with a friend of his, which means I will be doing some shopping, crafting, hanging out with girlfriends, and perhaps getting caught up on the Bachelorette (are any of you watching this season??). Today I wanted to share a super sweet little girls' room that I came across on one of my new favorite blogs, This Little Street. My favorite part is the dot stickers that Audrey made from copper contact paper and used throughout the room. What a great idea! You could make stars, hearts or any other shape as well. I don't have any kids, but I still thought a lot of the ideas in this room (like those copper dots) would be great for any room in the house.
I love how Audrey picked artwork that isn't too childish. I'd put those prints in my living room!
Audrey made these adorable rolling toy boxes out of wooden crates, with casters and patterned seat cushions added. What a cute way to store toys and provide seating! See her tutorial here.
What's your favorite part of this room? And do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?
For more photos & shopping sources, check out Audrey's post here.
26
You guys seemed to like my tips for decorating a rental, so I made a new category called Tips & Advice where you can conveniently find all of my advice posts. I'll start doing these a little more often too--so if you have a topic you'd like to see me tackle, let me know in the comments! Today I wanted to talk about color. Color is really powerful--not only does it make a huge difference in how something looks, but it even affects your mood! You've probably heard how different colors are associated with different feelings: red with passion and anger, orange with creativity and energy, greens with relaxation and calm, etc. But choosing colors is definitely not as simple as thinking, "in my office, I want to feel energized, so I'll decorate with orange." The colors we like are all deeply personal--and what makes someone feel happy might make someone else feel irritated. Plus, there are sooo many different shades of every color. Just standing in front of all the paint chips at the hardware store is enough to make a girl feel overwhelmed! Here are some tips to help you narrow down your options and choose a color palette that is true to you--whether it's for a room you're decorating or a party you're planning. I'd love it if you chime in and share your tips as well!
1. Think of your home the way you do your wardrobe. Look through your closet and see if there are any colors that stand out. If you wear a lot of peach, chances are you'll also like it in your home. Likewise, if mustard yellow is unflattering on you, you might not want to pick a mustard-colored sofa. Think about how you put together an outfit too. Keep your main pieces neutral (like a pair of jeans) and use trendy colors (like bright neon) in the accessories. A favorite outfit can be fabulous inspiration for decorating a room!
2. Remember color theory from art class? Choose complementary or analogous colors to form a pleasing palette. Complementary colors are on opposite sides of the color wheel (like green and coral). Analogous colors are next to each other (like purple and blue). Our eyes are drawn to these type of color combinations--just google "color theory" if you'd like to know more about it. So the next time you're unsure what to pair with your favorite color, try making a combination using the color wheel! It's a great place to start.
3. Draw colors from your favorite memories. There are specific shades that we instantly feel an emotional connection to because of something from our past. For example, you might love the color of the coral peonies from your grandma's backyard, or mint ice cream (your favorite growing up), or the color of the ocean at the beach where you went on your honeymoon. It could be negative too--the color of split pea soup, which you were forced to eat as a kid and always hated, or the pink of pepto-bismol, which reminds you of being sick. These are different for everyone, but I bet you have a few hues that always trigger some memories. Draw from those good memories--that's a perfect starting point for a color palette that is true to you!
4. Pair soft colors with brighter, more saturated hues of the same color family. This keeps pastels from being too babyish, and bold colors from being too "in your face." Think soft pink with fuchsia or mint green with emerald.
5. Don't feel like you have to restrict yourself to just two colors. A lot of people think if they use several different colors it will look messy and chaotic, so they pick two and stick to those. While that kind of a palette can definitely work, it's also really restrictive. And it can feel a bit forced and too perfect without any other colors in the mix. I say, start with a couple colors as your base, but feel free to add other ones that you like as well. A good rule of thumb is to repeat each color you introduce at least three times--that will look cohesive and intentional, not haphazard.
6. Incorporate neutrals to give the eye a break. If you have bold walls, bright rugs, and colorful furniture, it's going to make your eyes hurt no matter how well the colors go together. Use lots of neutrals! Wood, natural fibers, and stone work well as neutrals, as well as white, cream, and grey.
7. Look through your recent pins for color themes. If you're struggling to figure out what colors you like, go to your pins and see if you can find some color themes. From looking at mine, I can tell right off the bat that I'm always drawn to blues and pinks...it's true!
8. Take inspiration from a piece of art or a photo you love. Pull colors from it to use in your house (or party). It could be of anything--a scene from nature, a photo of some lovely flowers, even an old vintage postcard. If you already have a pillow or a rug that you love, that could also be the "piece of art" that inspires the rest of the room.
9. Create an inspiration board to help you visualize how it will all come together. This board could be digital--a collage of your favorite inspirational photos--or physical, with swatches of fabric, paint chips, and magazine tears. Either way, it doesn't have to just be photos of other rooms that you admire...it could be anything to convey the mood and colors that you're going for. I like looking at wedding inspiration boards to get ideas. Even though I'm not planning a wedding anymore, I still get inspired by the fresh color combinations!
10. Last but not least, be true to yourself and trust your instincts. If you've never liked purple, don't try to decorate with it just because a magazine article says it's the newest thing. If you decorate from the heart and pick colors you truly love, you're much more likely to feel at home with the color palette you choose. So no matter how much you learn about pairing colors, trust your heart over your head!
Well, there is a lot more I could say on this topic, but it's getting late and I should probably go to bed!! So I'll let you guys finish up the post. What tips have I missed? How do you go about choosing a color palette?
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21
A lot of the times when I get on the internet, I'm pretty task-oriented and focused on getting something in particular done. Other times, I let myself go where the tide takes me, so to speak. I really enjoy that kind of "surfing the net", and it's how I've found a lot of my favorite blogs and inspiration. When I was putting together yesterday's post, I found the photo with the ball fringe drapes on Pinterest, so I followed the link and found this lovely house tour. I'd never heard of Sarah Sandidge before, so I checked out her blog, Lovely Chaos, and read all about her. She seems like such a warm and genuine person, and of course her house is just dreamy.
Like any good stalker, I did a little more digging and googled Sarah, leading me to this interview, in which she tells the story of her house: I don’t feel at home unless I’m in an old house. Our first two homes were old, but the third one we bought was brand new construction; Jay needed a break from fixing things, so I gave in. I was literally depressed for five years. I used to sit around and look at the thin new trim and fake wood doors and sulk. Seems petty, I know, but I was born to live in old houses. So I finally talked Jay into finding another fixer upper. We decided on a budget and started looking. The house we’re in now was ugly and the layout was really bizarre! There was wallpaper everywhere, paneling, dark wood in too many places, and had an addition on the back that was anything but nice. But when we first saw it, we thought, “Potential!” I love that--and I am so glad they got this old house and fixed it up. It's so full of heart and soul, and anything but depressing. How awesome is that "private" door above?
I love how she put feathers in mason jars on the mantel. What a cute and simple idea!
The photo above is my absolute favorite. The drapes are so awesome--I love the detail at the top--and the green tiebacks are adorable too. But it's really those pillows that melt my heart! I am such a sucker for throw pillows--and all three of those are just perfect. With the sheepskin behind them, this looks like the coziest sofa ever to curl up on.
In my googling, I also found this post showing before and after photos of Sarah's kitchen. You've got to head over and see the before--I guarantee you will be inspired by how insanely better it looks now, with butcher block counters and a fresh coat of white paint!
Speaking of white paint, I love what Sarah said about her walls: The very first 'renovation' was removing the carpet and wallpaper throughout the house. Then we painted everything white. I just wanted a clean, fresh start. A blank canvas to work from. But sometimes people come in and ask, 'What color are you going to paint your walls?' Ummm, well, they already are painted! I feel the same way. I mean, in my case I'm sure part of it is my laziness, since we started in a house with white walls. But I actually think white is so bright and fresh, a great backdrop to layer in pops of color in other ways. Dark walls often make me feel a little claustrophobic. I've seen them look beautiful but they're just not my thing.
If you're like me, you always like to see the faces behind a beautiful home...so here are Sarah, her husband Jay, and their adorable kids, Lula and Diesel!
Do you guys ever do a little internet stalking as well? It's normal, right?? Sarah, I'm glad I came across you and I hope you're not creeped out :)
Hope you guys all have an amazing weekend--I'll see you back here Monday!
20
It can be hard to reconcile your Pinterest-perfect dream house with your reality--especially when you live in a rental plagued with cheap blinds, outdated light fixtures, plain white walls, and (my least favorite) ugly tan carpet. But never fear, renters, there are some things you can do to add some style to your rental and make it feel more like home (without losing your damage deposit!). Here are my favorite tips & tricks for decorating a rental. What are yours?
1. Be patient and resist the urge to buy too many cheap furnishings. I know the temptation is great when your place is empty and your budget is small. But don't just go out and fill it with Ikea or Target, unless you want it to look like a dorm room! It's totally fine to get some things from Ikea--but mix them with pieces from other stores. Your house will look so much more homey and collected, I promise. If your budget is small, don't despair--thrift stores, Craigslist, and flea markets have an abundance of well-made pieces for a bargain (check out more of my budget decorating tips here). And be patient. You don't have to furnish the entire house in one shopping trip. It's worth waiting to get pieces you will love for years to come.
2. Change out the lighting. Don't just deal with the boring, outdated lighting fixtures that come with most rentals. Lights are so easy to change, and they make a big difference (check out Kichler lighting, it’s a great place to start)! Plus, they're something you can take with you when you leave. Just store the original lights somewhere and put them back when you move out.
3. Hang things on the walls. Don't be afraid to make a few holes--that's what spackle is for! Honestly, nothing is more depressing than blank walls. Artwork, photos, and decorative touches are the soul of a house. Add personal touches with your own family photographs. Greater Than Gatsby Lightroom Presets can help with this!
4. If you can't paint the walls, paint some furniture! Not being able to paint is one of the biggest things renters complain about. But your landlord can't stop you from painting your own furniture--and a coat of paint can really breathe new life into your thrift store finds, anyways. Having some big painted pieces (like a hutch, a desk, or an armoire) goes a long ways toward cheering up a blah apartment.
5. Removable wallpaper. If white walls really bum you out, try the new trend of removable/temporary wallpaper
6. Don't wait til you're settled somewhere "permanent" to buy furniture you love. I know a lot of people who have put off investing in nice furniture because they're waiting til they buy a house. They get by with stuff they hate because they're worried whatever they buy won't work in their someday house. But unless you're literally on the brink of buying a house, I think that's silly! Sure, you might not want to get a giant sectional or custom bookshelves that are very specific to the apartment you're renting. But invest in a nice, quality sofa that you love, maybe a bed frame, and a good dining table. Chances are, if you love them now, you'll find a place for them in your future house. Or you could always sell them! But really, just because a place is temporary is no reason why you should live with furniture that you dislike.
7. Use rugs to add color and cover ugly carpet. Wall-to-wall carpet is my biggest pet peeve in rentals. Of course, if you can find a place with gorgeous hardwood floors, get it!!! But if you can't, spruce up all that beige blah-ness with a colorful and stylish rug. I know, you might be thinking that a rug over carpet is a design no-no, but you can make a rug look stylish and purposeful over carpet--as long as the carpet is neutral and low-pile (which most rental carpet is) and the rug is interesting and different enough.
8. Similarly, use drapes to cover ugly blinds. Nearly every rental comes with some sort of beige blinds--vertical or horizontal. Not stylish!! Install drapes right over those to hide them. They don't have to be expensive either. I know I said not too much Ikea, but they have some great basic white drapes that are super inexpensive ($9.99 for a pair!)...and you can customize them by adding your own ball fringe. That's exactly what I did in my living room (except my fringe is yellow)!
9. Store your stuff in "collections" that double as decor. If you're in a small space that's short on storage, a great trick is to group your things so they can be stored in the open and double as decor. The kitchen is the perfect place for this, with cake stands, mugs, glassware, and so many other things that are both practical and beautiful. But it also works in other rooms of the house--like a group of empty white vases displayed artfully on a table, ready to be put to use when the need arises.
10. Fresh flowers & plants. Fresh flowers and plants are one of the best ways to make a place feel homier--rental or not. If you live in an apartment without a backyard to connect to the outdoors, they're even more essential! Of course, dead plants are even more depressing than no plants, so try ones that are easy to keep alive--like succulents, cacti, air plants, and african violets...or buy fresh cut flowers from the farmer's market or grocery store and switch them out when they start to wilt. Trader Joe's usually has a good selection of pretty flowers at fair prices.
I'm curious, how many of you are home owners and how many are renters...and if you rent, what are your biggest pet peeves? What advice do you have for fellow renters to make their place feel more like home?
If there is a topic you'd like for me to share advice on next, please let me know!
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