Headboard Help!

Thanks to mom I also got these two amazing Pottery Barn finds! These for the den:





Please ignore the fake foilage - EW! They're very cool in person - promise!


And this big pillow for the rust/ivory/woodsy guest room:



Won't it look fab on the ivory bed with the rust-colored shams?! I can't wait to move - yay!!! And speaking of...

I found this headboard on sale at West Elm: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf677&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1SLEFRN&retainNav=true&cmsrc=IMC1724. I think $130 is a fab price! But then you add $50 shipping... and tax... and it's about $200. What do you think?! I worry it's not high enough....

Thanks, Mom!

I got my first purchase for the new living room from my mom! First, it must be said, she tried to get us the fabulous Payson lamp from Pottery Barn that we thought we wanted so badly. However, we went to see it and realized it wasn't birch... it was metallic! eek! So she gave us a generous gift card instead which more than covered these fabulous pillows! Originally $64 EACH before tax (so $140 for two with tax BEFORE shipping) - they were on sale for $20 each - $34 with the insert so, including tax and FREE shipping, they will be mine (in 7-10 business days) for a grand total of $73.53 - $67 saved!! Thanks, Mom - we love them - and know that we still have more to spend for our new home thanks to you and Mike. We love you guys!!

P.S. I got the red ones and plan to put them on a neutral couch like the one above!

Oooh Another Favorite Color Scheme

Um.... I'm LOVING the darkish brown couch, the choclate accents and the pop of pumpkin orange! I think it's so classic and clean, but fun and casual. I would do without the yellow daisies (random) but I love the lamp to the left, the small side table on the right, the coffee table, etc. I'm also not crazy about the super rustic accents - but what are you going to do? I may steal this!! For maybe the guest room bath rooms!

Got Behind Again... and Den idea!

Sigh - hard to focus on what I want when our apartment complex is being so rude!! Argh!!! I'm so ready to move....

Anyway..



I love the idea board above from This Young House! Yes, I would go with taupe rather than white and yes, my green would be more woodsy than lime - but I heart the simple sofas, tiles, the 4 cubes (with storage) put together for a "coffee table" but that can be broken up for seating, I love the lamp - more the lamp shade than anything, and that PB desk chair is nice! I also think those boxes are neat (could see them on the ladder shelves we bought) - but they only come in green and red. Clearly those won't work - but it gives me something else to look for, right?! Yay! I'm going to try to post some more - I have ideas - just haven't done it!

Loving the Color Scheme

So i'm thinking about rentals now. And so many rentals we've come across have a lot of white accents like those above. We're not really big on white accents, but I think it looks super charming and even chic when combined with this toasty brownish color. I think the contrast is really pretty and could see this color scheme coming in MUCHO handy in, say, an office, den or living room. What do you think? I'd even be okay if it was lighter...

Got Behind... and a Bathroom

So, I got behind on this blog. I think it's because i'm so worried about saving $ and have been dealing with so much at my apartment that it's hard to think about fun things, like decorating imaginary houses. Sigh. I'm trying to stay positive but in this economy it's scary to think about buying a house when people are getting laid off... so much.


But I think I should stay positive and stick to this so when it is our time and we're ready - we'll be ready! haha So... this bathroom:


I think it's amazing! I love the glass doors - so sleek - and the european style handle on it. I love the bench and even the gray. Ilove hte exposed storage - very cool. I love how luxuriously contemporary it feels. I love how the floors match the walls. I just think it's very well done. If it were mine - i'd add some color - somewhere. I would probably go with browns rather than grays. Other than that - fab!

Breakfast Nook Vision

I just LOVE this breakfast nook. Granted, I feel the print isn't really us (a bit too modern) but I get so much inspiration from this room!

What I Like: 4 printed chairs, two with arms, two without, a glass table, metal accents.
What I Dislike: The rug (not in a kitchen), the print on these chairs, the table is a bit too industrial.

That's it though! I really think that in the kitchens we love it would be fantastic to have 4 printed chairs with a large/subtle print, two with arms/two without and a glass table (maybe round) with metal. I think it's fabulous!

Austin Seal of Approval

We went to get my iPhone the other night and AT&T was taking FOREVER so we walked next door to Pier 1 and I showed Austin the bedside lamps I've been eying. He loved them, too! (well love is a bit strong but he said "they're nice" and when probed for more feedback he said "they're cool.") YAY! Now they just need to go on sale because $120 for the pair, while not awful, isn't what I want to spend...

Laundry Room: Likes & Dislikes

K - this laundry room is NICE! I HIGHLY doubt i'd have one this large, and with the awesome sink but hey - here's dreaming, and here's what I like and dislike.

Likes: The three identical baskets, the counterspace for folding, the cabinets for extra storage (cleaning supplies, etc.), the sink (especially that awesome faucet), the hooks (love them), and the chandelier- I think it's fun!

Dislikes: The colors (my w/d is red so I plan to do the laundry room a light taupe color - and maybe even do stripes with an alternating color i.e. chocolate on bottom/taupe on top could look cool); the floor - i would do larger tile and I don't want a rug.

So I think I want a taupe/chocolate fun painted laundry room with large tile on the floor. I probably can't do a countertop over my w/d because I have drawers that go below it. But I'd love to incorporate a surface somehow, that could offer storage space below it. I also definitely want to have hooks. And one thing I think is missing is a dring rack. I'd love to have a permanent fold-out drying rack like the ones at Ballard Designs/Pottery Barn.

Some Favorites are On Sale!!

My Rooms to Go Ottoman is down $100 to $200 - NICE. And my Pottery Barn Red Pillows are down from $50 to $40. So already, all together, I've "saved" $120!! I'm going to go update my living rom post... so excited. I'm trying to talk Austin into letting me get the living room now and putting our current stuff in storage. I'm just over it and i'm worried that by the time we move this stuff won't be available and I LOVE it.

Bathroom: Likes & Dislikes

Well for starters, the architecture in this room is just rediculous. I mean come on - who has a bathroom in their house like this? Or a room in their house like this for that matter?! The shape and beams and everything? Um, no, so anyway - i'll just focus on the stuff in it knowing that no house I buy will look this rustic!

Likes: the simple, natural wood in sharp rectanglar shapes; the orange color with white linens; the grayish pottery on the floor; the shelves with large brown baskets; the light fixtures; and the towel rack - very cool and simple. Overall, I just love the flow - how the colors go together - the feel of the room.

Dislikes: the rug. I don't want a rug that big on the bathroom, or one in zebra print; the hardware on the piece- too plain; the bench in front of the shower - random; the tiny butterfly thing hung there- looks stupid - I wouldn't hang anything there; the flowers on the countertop - don't go with the room to me.

Assessment: I love the white/orange rustic combination with natural wood; I love large brown baskets (to weave chocolate in) and I love the contemporary light fixtures. I would like to have smaller rugs - in a subtle print - and no knick nacks - keep it simple.

Simple Kitchen: Likes & Dislikes

Likes: the stainless steel appliances, how clean/simple it feels, the small tiled backsplash, the glazed over cabinets (don't know proper term), the faucet, the large black/white print and the white dishes.

Dislikes: the lack of color - it needs some kind of color pop; the single chair that looks very uncomfortable; the hardware on the cabinetry (i'm obsessed with European bar pulls), the three teapots on the counter (don't seem to go with anything/the feel of th room/etc.; the countertops are too plain and so is the light fixture.

Assessment: I like stainless steel appliances, a clean/simple kitchen, tiled backsplash, a cool faucet, white dishes, glazed over cabinets, a color pop, numerous/comfortable chairs (a breakfast nook) and countertops that aren't so solid - some kind of subtle pattern would be nice and would add depth to the room.

What do you think?

Organized Spots

I love this little organized spot! I'm all about those pottery barn cubbies - but they're just SO pricy and never go on sale. I think this is super cute and, i'm sure, much cheaper. They just mounted hooks for coats, scarves, bags, etc. - then they put a bench with hidden storage below it for other stuff. I would LOVE to have an area like this coming in off the garage where we could immediate put our stuff before cluttering up the kitchen counters, the dining table, etc. I don't necessarily like the look of this (the blue, the country looking bench in white, the numbers on it, etc.) but the picture inspires me to do something similar - something us - that's functional and makes sense. Love it!