West Elm Favorites

For those of you who know me, you know how much I love West Elm. If I could move into their catalog, I'd do it. I received their new catalog this weekend and I cozied up with a cup of coffee and went through and picked my favorites. I then went online and picked out some more!
I'm loving their Moroccan theme. The warm colors are so inviting and make me want to jump right in and sit down.
Here are my favorites.


All images are from http://westelm.com

Who else out there is in love with West Elm? Any favorites??

Oscar Inspired

Happy Oscar's Day!
Here are a few things to leave your home feeling the glitz and glamour style.

Pendant

Champagne Bucket

Tealights

Hurricanes

Sequins Pillows

Tray

A Fresh Coat

I've been wanting to paint the feature wall in my living room for a while now.  We loved the blue when we first picked it and I still do like it since it adds a great pop of color, but after we got our new rug and pillows, I think I was going in a different direction and need to have the wall match the rest of the decor.  The rest of the walls are your typical ivory wall color that you get when you rent an apartment.  I would love to paint all the walls, but since we aren't sure how long we will stay here, it makes more sense to only paint this feature wall for now.  So I've been thinking of a more neutral tone, somewhere in the beige, taupe family.  

These are my initial inspirations:

Inspiration

Inspiration

I brought home these chips from the store and was mainly focusing on the 4th chip on each swatch.They are a little darker and and more saturated than what the picture looks like.  They aren't really the same as my inspiration, but I think a slightly more reddish-green tone would work better in our space.

Top-Benjamin Moore Timeless Neutral Collections
Bottom Row-Left to Right
Benjamin Moore 132,133,134,135,136

I narrowed it down to color cards 133,134, and 135.

My final two picks are 1047 Deer Path and 1040 Spice Gold. 

Now I'm going to go get samples of these two and see how the do on the wall. 

Stay tuned!

Inspiring Spaces

Two things I love: Interior Design and The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Put these two together and I'm a happy girl!
I was recently perusing some blogs and came across Molly Mesnick's and saw a cute post Jillian Harris did about moving in with a guy and how to combine spaces. I can certainly relate to that, but I'm lucky that my boyfriend didn't put up much of a fight about how we decorated our apartment! I've watched Jillian on Extreme Makeover Home Edition and always was a fan of her style so I was excited to see some pictures of spaces she's designed.
I'm loving these two rooms and they are on the of my inspiration board. Both of these really portray the look I'm going for in my apartment and have helped churn some more ideas. Enjoy!
(and if anyone knows what color paint is in the first room, please let me know!!)

1

2

You can read the full post here and be sure to check out the rest of Molly's site!

I Love...

I love this kitchen.  I love the table in the middle of the room.  I love the fact that it has enough space in the middle to fit a giant dining table, with benches!  There is something so amazing about those wide open doors, not too mention a great view!  The black backsplash is something I'm seeing everywhere!  I like how it ties back to the black trim on the doors. Traditional, sophisticated, with a rustic twist.  I love...

Source

Decorating with Books

There's something I love about decorating with books. They add a unique touch to any space while still keeping their primary function in tact. You can put them in so many different places and stack them however you want, something that you could change daily of you wanted. You can organize by color or put of bunch of ones in different sizes together. Keeping books on display is also a great way to show your personality through your decor. The different kinds of books you collect say a lot about who you are and also make great conversational pieces.
All of the spaces below feature books in different ways when styled in a home.

1,2,3,4,5

Here are 3 great coffee table books that I just purchased to stack on a side table and then I will add a few candles on top to complete the look.

All books above can be purchased here

Best Spot in the House (for the week)!

    I wanted to create a post where I show my love for my favorite room (or area) in a house for that week. While I think I can find a reason to make any room, my favorite room, I'll feature one per week and with many different styles.  Don't be surprised when all sorts of areas show up, wine cellars, mud rooms, decks, yoga rooms, the possibilities are endless.
     I decide to start with entryways! It's the first place in a house you will see and while it may not be an official "room" it's the one place every guest will pass though.
Entryways can range from small and functional to elegant and grand, but they all serve a similar purpose, a place to greet your company, wipe your feet, and hold your keys.
     I think it's best to keep it simple. Too many things and the area can begin to feel cluttered. My ideal entryway would include a mirror, a plant or fresh flowers, and a table or console. If you like to throw your keys somewhere once you walk in the door, having a table with a drawer would be a great place to store a bowl that can serve as a catch-all.
While I don't have an a proper entryway in my apartment, besides a 3x3 corner that you walk into, I do love looking at how people style theirs. Here are some of my favorites that I've come across.

1 2 3 4

Bathroom Reno Inspiration

My parent's have recently decided to redo their master bathroom.  They have redone their entire house over the last few years and the last rooms on the list are the master bedroom and bathroom.
When they mentioned that they were going to do the renovation, I told them I wanted to put together some inspiration for them.  My mom is amazing at interior design, she really should have gone into it full-time, so she definitely doesn't need my help at all, but I thought it would be fun to show them what I envision for them. 
Lately I have been gravitating towards white, clean and crisp, but their master bath at their beach house is all white white a few pops and I thought they would prefer to have something different at home.
This picture caught my eye.  I love the color scheme.  It's very classy and elegant and keeps it traditional, which reflects my parents perfectly.  I absolutely love the espresso colored vanity and the wall color.  I think the white and glass accessories really keep it looking clean.  

Initial Inspiration
Photo

I searched for a few more accessories and ideas and settled on this as a final inspiration board.  It's very simple and I think it's perfect for what they are looking for.

Clockwise from top:

Towels

Benjamin Moore - Woodland Blue Paint Color

Apothecary Jars

Drapes

Hamper

Soaking Tub

I can't wait to show them and see what they think (my mom loves that I'm a girl after her own heart!).  Stay tuned for before and after pics!

Weekly Inspirations

My list of things I pine over grows by the day...the hour probably.  Here's a list of what's inspiring me this week.

Gorgeous Pouf

Rustic Mirror

Pink and Grey Straws

Cake Stands

DIY Valentine's Present

Coming up with presents for my boyfriend is always a tough task.  He's not very materialist (it would make it much easier on me if he was!) so I always try to think outside of the box.


He collects patches from every national park he's been to.  Currently they all just sit in a box and I thought putting them in shadow boxes would be a fun way to show them off and a great, personalized Valentine's Day gift!

Supplies:

Shadow Boxes
Stickers, Mat Paper, Glue
Maps (printed copies)

Cut up maps

Boards with maps and mat paper glued down

Stickers added for a little pop

Finished Product!

As you can see from the last picture, the patches weren't added yet (except for one I found lying around).  These pictures were taken before I gave the shadow boxes to him. 

This whole project only took an hour and barely cost much at all!  

I always think that a homemade present goes a long way (don't tell him that, I like my jewelry and shoes!), and these were a great way to show off his collection while still keeping it classy and work into our apartment decor. 

What fun homemade presents have you created??