Dining Room Help!

So I came up with this board yesterday... all day yesterday going back and forth, undecided. I think I really like the idea of mixing up dark wood and birch - kind of a earthy feel but still matches with the house. I want to:

• paint the room the color of the rest of the house
• have a rectangular dining table with 4 white chairs and the two woven chairs on each end (they're bigger/taller than the white ones).
• I want to have one birch side table with a lamp, clear vases and green buds on it
• I want to have one piece of art over the console - we liked this one.
• Other than that - I want a pendant hanging over the table - i've been eying this one at Ikea for a while.
• Lastly, I plan to do a cluster of mirrors on a different wall - but I haven't found them yet. I'm thinking homegoods or TJ for that.

So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Also - do you like this lamp? Austin liked the one on bottom better. What do you think?

Seating Area Inspiration Board

So I was stressing about what to do with the area between the kitchen and pool table. You may remember this post. Anyway, I’ve pretty much decided to do a lounge/seating area. I think we'll use it the most and can eat in there and hang out and we'll have a TV on the desk area - I just like it! I realize this means I’m forgoing any sit-down dining room deal, but honestly – we just don’t use it! And I guess if we have peeps over for dinner we’ll do what we did before – sit at the high table (I’m hoping to fit the high table in the pool table area with our bar stools at it. Anyway – here is the room – we LOVE IT! Click to make it larger.




What do you think? Here’s how much it will cost per my choices:

We already have the bench, end table and white platter. I also want my hurricane vase with sand/candle on the small iron table. But we need to buy the chairs ($280 for 2 including shipping) , the end table ($170), mushrooms ($32), pillow cover and insert ($37), green candle ($7), green apples ($10) and woven tray ($30) = $567. See any where I can cut corners? Or do you think this is a good price? Do you think the mushrooms are heinous? LOL I love them - they're our favorite food! And I think it makes sense because technically this area is in the kitchen so having apples and mushrooms ties in! :) (right?) Anyway, can't wait to see what you guys think!

This Room is Shaping Up! But I need Advice (of course)!

I now have: BED: Ivory bedding with Ivory Euro shams and rust standard shams; the ivory/brown leaf pillow to sit in front of all of those pillows and the headboard! My mom has the double bed so really all that is left for me to buy for the bed is full size sheets (still deciding on a color - wanted rust but they sold out) and a dust ruffle (something burlap/organic looking).

I always had: the bird cage & the chair on the bottom right. I also plan to use this hexagon bamboo night stand that is currently my bedroom night stand (but it a little small for the master to me). Do you think it needs two night stands? I'm thinking no... hmmm where is that bird cage going to sit? The floor seems lame? The desk isn't big enough... hmmmm.

I still need: two brown cubes for the foot of the bed ($100 Target); an awesome lamp (still watching that one but it's still $130 at West Elm); the Ballard's sawhorse desk (Austin is watching the outlet; last time mom/dev checked they didn't have natural like I want above). Also, I want these lamps (two?) to sit on the desk - they're cheap. As far as accessories, I have plenty around the house that "go" with this room, and the new birch sleeves, and I know Mom/Sister could come up with some smart ideas with vase fillers/vases/stuff - they're brilliant! So that leaves the guest room with a full bed, an end table, two cubes for extra seating and a desk/chair. I think that's plenty, don't you? Thinking about being a guest, I think i'll definitely need to put a mirror somewhere. What do you think? And the sawhorse desk will have a TV on it because I plan to scrapbook on it and use the closet in that room (the bottom part) as my scrapbook closet and i'm going to have Austin get one of those wood pieces with wheels to sit my stuff on. Am I nuts? I mean, I know I am but does this make me nuts? Because it seems simply visionary to me but seeing it in writing it's slightly embarrassing, no?! haha K - off track.

Is there enough rust, i.e., orange color? Upon first glance, no.However, my master plan is for the bed that the wall is on (and the fab new headboard) I'll do a rust-colored splash wall (solid, no texture) behind it! I'll just take the sham to Lowe's like the commercial and have them whip me up a batch of paint! If I think it's necessary - i'll do 2 walls, but i'd rather just have the one wall and try to find some rust-colored accents for the desktop and maybe a rust-colored throw for the squares at the foot of the bed. Thoughts?

And if the guest room is big enough... What do you think about this chair in the corner? The chair in the neutral color.... I'm in love with it. And think it goes well with this room. By the way - in case you haven't noticed - i'm obsessed with this room and plan to spend lots of time in it! Also, if we are able to do two guest rooms (still have fingers crossed we'll be able to) this will be the bigger of the two - the green/black will be a smaller room... Thoughts??

K - I need help and I need it pronto. :) Loves!

My Dream Living Room.... Only a Few Thousand Dollars Away...

Click to make it larger...

I'm obsessed with the living room that I worked on all day today!! I just think it feels so warm and fun, but also traditional and rustic with a contemporary twist. It makes me happy! And it's not that expensive. I already have:

• The coffee table
• The armoire
• The side table
• Decorative accents not included above like chocolate brown leather throw pillows, pottery barn trays, etc.

Stuff I need to buy:

• sofa - $400 increased to $500
• ottoman - $200
• leather chair - $500
• two accent chairs - $400
• table lamp - $160 on sale for $100
• floor lamp - TBD (would like to spend less than $60)
• throw pillows - $100 on sale for $80
• birch end table - $200
• wall mirror - $400
• red throw - TBD (would like to spend less than $30

Total: $2,430 (before added taxes & potential delivery charges; also before it potentially goes on sale and before added online rebates or coupons)

So while I don't want to spend $2,430 replacing my current living room stuff - it's pretty good that you can spend just that for a couch, three chairs, two lamps, an ottoman, an end table, two throw pillows, a huge mirror and a throw... I can't wait!!

P.S. My current living room stuff will be spread throughout the house (i.e. couch and leather "video game chair" in Austin's office; chaise in our bedroom; leather bench in the foyer). And, depending on whether or not we get a basement - the couch could go down there if it didn't fit in the office.