here's to sleeping in!

*confession:
i'm not the biggest fan of new year's eve.
i never have been.

most of the time, i am already asleep by midnight.
party pooper, i know.

but one thing that i do like is the idea that

almost everyone sleeps in the following morning!

there's sort of a delicious laziness to that.

so here's to sleeping in 

in style!

i love the stripes, and the chartreuse band on the bedding.

i'm pretty much in love with any room that has a

dose of black and white. 

i especially like the mix here

of the bold graphic, and the feminine toile.

and that wall color is so soothing!

beautiful symmetry.

love the headboards.

great color combination!

i love the trio of benches.

so dreamy.

check out the lucite legs on that bench!

and the creamy white lined with shiny silk

is really stunning and soothing at the same time.

and i love the color of that silk.

i would love to wake up here.

images from living etc, southern living,ideal home

such a beautiful color, balanced nicely with

creamy whites and yummy texture.
*
which bedroom would 
you most want to wake up in?

sources for studio apartment

well hello!

i have had several requests for the 

sources for the furnishings 

in the studio apartment idea board.

here they are!

1 sofa 

2 side table 

3 buffet

4 bookcase  

5 side chair 

6 office chair 

7 desk 

8 floor lamp 

9 coffe table 

10 dining chairs

11 dining table 

13 semi-flush mount light 

14 drum chandelier 

16 headboard 

17 bench 

18 tiled mirror


happy shopping!
even if it's just "virtual" shopping...
it's still fun, isn't it?

love/hate

i have a love/hate 

relationship with real trees.

love the way they look and smell.

love hunting for the prefect tree with 

my little family each year.

hate the mess they make...

this was my floor yesterday afternoon.

the needles were everywhere.

i even found needles in the pockets of my jacket, 

in my my shoes and in my hair!

but i sure smelled good.

i'm loving...

grey + white + gold

images from veranda

temporary wallpaper

this is genius!

why didn't i think of this? 

it's called tempaper, and it is a

vinyl coated self adhesive wallpaper.

it's repositionable too!

i would use the  damask print on the 

ceiling of a powder room.

and the houndstooth would look amazing 

in a hall or even a dining room.

it's run by an aunt and her twin nieces.

how sweet is that?

visit their site here

you can even shop online, 

which i love.

studio apartment

my cute, newly married sister in law and her husband recently moved into a studio apartment in washington dc.  she sent me a floor plan of her new spread and asked for my help.

they really like a warm modern look, and wanted to make the apartment function for many things. they occasionally entertain, as my SIL is a fabulous cook, but they also need to maximize the storage and wanted to create a sense of privacy for the bedroom area.
here's the floor plan:

so, i got to work, and drafted up the 
living/dining/sleeping area of the apartment. 
(since i don't have the drafting program that i normally use 
installed on my computer, i used this free one online.)
when i first saw the floor plan, i initially thought that the best place for the "bedroom" and "living room" would be closer to the window, making the
 dining area closer to the kitchen. 
but here's what i found out after placing the furniture:

there was no room for the couch.

and no sense of privacy in the bedroom.

and DANG, is that apartment small!!

no, this layout was not going to work...

so, i swapped the living area and placed it 
closer to the kitchen, and voila!
 all of the sudden, there was room for a "bedroom", 
and "office",a "dining area" and a "living room".

here's the final floor plan i sent her, 
as well as an "idea board"
 for possible furnishings.

as you can see, i managed to fit in 4 separate-feeling living areas:

the living area consists of:

a sofa, a coffee table, a side table with lamp,

large dresser with tv above, 
a small plant stand, and a side chair

the dining area consists of:

a pedestal table with 2 small chairs,

a long storage bench and a hanging "plug-in chandelier"

(the chandelier which will help define the space.)

the office area:

a desk, a chair (which can be pulled into the main 
living area when guests come over),

a floor lamp, bookcase, and shelves above 
the desk for additional storage.

the bedroom area:

the bed, 2 night stands with lamps,

a privacy panel/folding screen

since their budget is tight, i made sure that each 

of these items is very affordable.

they are from places like, overstock.com, west elm,

 ballard designs, ikea, and cb2.

***

i made sure to specify items that added some 

personality and texture into the space.

I also felt that making things contrast was important.

for instance, in the office area the desk is white with 

very clean lines, so i suggested a 

darker, more traditional chair with a nailhead trim.

 i believe this type of 

contrast can really help

to make a space more interesting.

 i suggested something similar in the dining area:

very modern, white chairs paired with a wood topped table,

with a damask print drum-shade chandelier hanging above.

**my sister-in law and hubby have already purchased the

clear table (#9), as well as a grey sofa (#15), and a bed.

 it may take a very long time for them to

completely furnish the apartment...

(as in years)

but at least they have a plan.

so,basically what i am saying is:

don't hold your breath for the "after" shot on this one.

:)

green with envy

isnt' this fun?

i'm not sure why i like this color so much.

maybe cuz my bestest friend in the whole world

adores this color. and i adore her.

admiration by osmosis?

image from here

black + white

whoa. check out that molding!

there are so many things about this room

 that i find appealing. 

i love the graphic black and white rug, 

the nailhead trim on the chairs, 

the pattern on the wallpaper, 

the mirrored armoire,

the clean, simple lines of the desk, 

the orchid, the lamp....

who am i kidding.

i like it ALL.

this room is singin' my song.

wow. 

this is amazing.

i'm a firm believer that 

powder rooms should be fun and

just a little over the top.

i especially love how the stripes are painted 

on top of all the molding.

so unconventional and

utterly striking.

images via lonny magazine

merry christmas

merry christmas.

wreath ideas for next year

i've got an entire file box filled with pictures that i have torn 

from magazines over the years.

it felt good to go through my "christmas" file and scan some of 

these pictures of pretty wreaths.

can't.stop.

looking.at.christmas.stuff.

just a few more inspiration pictures for next year.

i am constantly amazed at how creative people are!

images from living etc, sarah hogan photography

light whimsy

these are so whimsical.
they remind me of dandelion seeds.

i would love one for one of my daughter's rooms.

found at lonny magazine
thanks kirsten!

the ikea maskros pendant lamp

is very similar.

and only $90

evergreen spheres

i'm really tempted to make these cute little things.

but not this year...

i'm project-ed out right now.

i'll put it on the top of my 

really, really long list for next year.

christmas candy: part 2

more christmas *eye* candy

i'm so glad that i have 300+ 

days to prepare for next year.


images from veranda southern accents & here