I'm Still Here I Swear

After many months of being overwhelmingly busy and therefore unable to do the things I actually want to do (aka thinking about art and books and fashion and decor and writing about it on here), I finally have a reason to sit back and do only the things I want to do.

I got my wisdom teeth out.

And y'know what I dreamt of in my drugged up, post-anesthesia, face bleeding state? BLUE VELVET SOFAS. A couple weeks ago I saw the single most awesome sofa I have ever seen, while wandering around one of my favorite little stores in town. It was tufted, it was velvet, it was the perfect blend of navy and cobalt, and I NEEDED it. Obviously, I immediately pulled my mom over and started into a speech about how "since we're redecorating the family room and the library couldn't we also do the living room? and if we could, couldn't we also plan that redecoration around this undeniably fabulous sofa?" To my complete and utter surprise my whimsical, but admittedly occasionally traditional, mother agreed with my sentiments and fangirled just as hard over the sofa!

We asked the shop owner what the deal was with the sofa (essentially did it have a loving home to go to because we definitely could be that home) and sadly it wasn't actually on sale yet. Though I don't have it in my clutches, I've been thinking about that sofa ever since and have thus spent countless hours finding inspiration for a room that it could live in. We're hoping to make our old living room into a chic music room for my dad (but that my mom and I can really use show off our cool design skillz) which means we could go any number of directions with the style of the space surrounding the sofa.

Here's what we're working with so far:

Since it's a music room, we could go a little more bohemian, pairing the sofa with warm leathers and tons of vibrant prints, layering in wood and gold accents:

Or, similarly, we could go with a whimsical traditional theme, bright patterns over traditional shapes and classic lines:

Finally, we could do a chic and modern style with fun texture, and colors in icy blues and grays, plus lots of goooooold:

Personally I'm quite partial to the bohemian look because what's a music room without plushy, printed floor pillows to sit on and mournfully play guitar? Either way, I'm just hoping we'll be able to get our hands on this beautiful baby soon and finally revamp this room!

Room Tour

I've been meaning to do a post like this since I got home for the summer, but never found a time in which my room was clean and I actually had the right light to take pictures. But! At long last here it is, my bedroom in good old Darien, CT.

It's been through many evolutions since we moved here when I was 8, from the same furniture and linens I had since I moved up to the big girl bed in toddlerhood, to the early tween years of bright neon colors on literally everything, to it's current state of clean white meets spatterings of color plus minor hoarder.

While it's always a bit of a mess (even when it's clean) I seriously adore my bedroom. I find solace and inspiration and energy in this room and the memories that I've saved up here. So, without further ado, here's a peek into my little paradise:

 A recent, but long awaited, addition to hold all my big statement necklaces.

 My absolute PRIDE AND JOY, the biggest and baddest moodboard I've ever made.

Left: The creativity corner, consisting of art supplies, half finished paintings, an old guitar, and all my favorite books from childhood and adolescence.

Right: One of many stacks of books supporting the foundation of the room.

A close up on the mashup of personal photos, handmade items, old jewelry, and magazine tears that is the Wall of Awesome.

Souvenirs and photos from Paris waiting to be scrapbooked and my beloved bag of yarn (note: second stack of books).

 My nightstand and stack 3 of books (these are actually currently in circulation).

My rainbow library/chotchkie collection (and more book stacks that are not being counted).

 My second favorite part of the room, the chalkboard. Updated every few weeks with a new inspiring quote to remind me and all visitors to my abode of the important things in life. (To the left, photos from my high school photography career that I still think are pretty ok).

 A truly excellent 15th birthday gift.

Hoarder evidence... I keep at least one shopping bag from every store I go to.

 Left: The Bed. And yes that is a teddy bear and yes I'm pretty sure I'm cool with the internet knowing about it (pretty sure). PLUS! One of my new favorite magazines, Darling. Check it out. It's fantastic.

Right: Stack 4.

 And finally, atop my dresser, more rainbow books, keepsakes, flowers, and photos.

Dark Room Love

We're in the midst of renovating our house (a much needed bigger kitchen and a new family room yay!) and even though I'm not technically in charge of the renovating, or even the owner of the house for that matter, you better believe I'm giving my two cents on all the design decisions. As a result, I've been thinking about things like paint, furniture, and wall hangings even more than usual. 

 

The current trend on my mind (that I'm almost sure my parents will never OK for any room in our house but that I of course love for any room): dark walls.

 

Rather than making a room feel, well, dark, or small, black, charcoal, or deep navy walls can bring a cozy intimacy into a room. They're also a fantastic backdrop for a gallery wall that really pops and great as accent walls. They're even better if the paint is chalkboard, making a statement wall into something versatile, practical, and creative. While it may sound a little crazy my personal favorite way to use black wall color is in bathrooms. Paired with clean finishes and tasteful touches of color dark walls can make a bathroom modern, unique, and inviting.

 Via Southern Shore Decorating Blog

 via South Shore Decorating Blog

 via Live Breathe Décor

    

via flickr

Nate Berkus Has a Pretty Cool House

So I'm an admitted HGTV addict. I could watch pretty much anything on that channel for a year and still be happy to continue watching, especially anything more focused on the design aspects of home and garden. I've been a huge fan of HGTV Design Star for a few years now, but my latest obsession is Nate Berkus' new American Dream Builders show on NBC. Not only does this show display some amazing design, but all the contestants involved in the competition are already big names in the industry, meaning they've already got some seriously impressive experience under their belt (aka we're talking GORGEOUS home re-models here, people).

I've also been a fan of Nate Berkus since his Target collab days began so I was pretty excited to here that he was a part of the esteemed judges panel for Dream Builders. Obviously all of this means that I freaked out a little when Rue posted this article featuring Berkus' glorious LA home. His style is incredibly distinct, dark and masculine with a unique mix of worn and glamorous details. I love the careful architectural executions of the home and the fact that while everything seems perfectly curated and placed throughout the space, it feels welcoming and comfortable at the same time.

Ugh Nate Berkus just be my friend and decorate beautiful homes with me:

via Rue