painted floors

just a few pictures of painted floors 

from my files...

i like the brown and black and

the simple sunburst shape in the middle.

aren't these floors fun?

they are cottage-y and cozy and colorful.

these would look great in a kids room!

this room gets such a fresh and ethereal feel 

from the white and lavender floors.

this would be a great solution in a space where you
want some pattern and color, but you don't want a rug!

i need this chair.

i just spotted this chair, 

and fell in love.

how cool is it?

i need it...

really, i do.

(are you listening santa?)

more kitchen love

i rarely meet a painted kitchen 

that i don't like.

here are some more beauties i spotted....

this kitchen is the perfect recipe 

for a classic kitchen:

wood floors, creamy white cabinets, 

carrara marble + soapstone countertops

 and just a touch of color.

i am madly in love with 

this grey kitchen.

grey works so well when it is balanced with wood.

another classic white kitchen.

i love the glass front cabinets and the open 

shelf above the fridge.

and the ceiling is beau---ti---ful.

just that additional layer of texture 

on the ceiling is so yummy.

plus, i have serious appliance envy 

for ALL these kitchens.

the dark grey island and the soft grey walls create

a soothing, classic and gorgeous pace.

i'm loving the windows on either side of the range!

this one is so creamy and rich.

and check out the mirrored cabinet doors above the double ovens!

and the double islands.

and the lighting.

there's really a lot to look at here.

love the roman shade and the sconces!

another gorgeous white kitchen.

actually, the walls are white, but the cabinets

are a soft taupe-y-cream. the subtle color change really 

adds dimension and sophistication to this kitchen.

love the stools and the combination of open and closed

storage. this look could easily be duplicated on a budget.

once again, all images found via here.

checkerboard floors...yes, again.

some more scanned images of 

classic checkerboard floors.

i don't care if they're 

stained, 

painted,

tiled,

or whatever!

I love them.

i think they are one of those

rare elements in interior design that can

effortlessly transition from 

country 

to modern 

to classic elegance,

and always look good.

design spotting:tile

pretty tile detail in public bathroom:

this type of detail is a great way to get a 

designer look on a budget.

the wall tiles (which appeared to be  porcelain, but this 

look can be replicated using a ceramic tile as well) 

can be found very inexpensively.

then the accent tile can be used like this in bands 

to create this look.

and yes, people DO look at me like i am insane when 

they see me taking pictures of the walls in public bathrooms.

but i don't mind.

we're all a little crazy on our own way,

don't you think?

sofa steal

as i was hunting for an affordable sofa for 

my clients living room,

we stumbled on this sofa from pier 1.

it's a dead ringer for the sofa that we were considering 

ordering from here.(thanks jenny!)

*if you have a sofa that you need to keep but want to update the look, try getting a loose cover sofa for an instant update.

it's only available in 3 fabrics, and i can't say that

i would strongly recommend it for a room where it will get 

heavy-duty wear,

but it was a perfect choice for this living room, 

which will only be used occasionally.

yeah, i know...upholstery from pier 1.

risky.

we were able to test it out in the store,

and i have to say that i was pleasantly surprised!

it's really sturdy and comfy.

not to mention easy on the wallet and the eyes!

we ordered it in the "taupe" color.

(the cushion is looking all kinds of funky in this

picture, but i promise it looks fabulous in real life!)

when we bought it, a few weeks ago, 

pier 1 had all their upholstery on sale, and they were

also offering a $20 gift certificate for every $200 spent.

sooo, we ended up getting this sofa for right around $540.

the legs are simple and black.

i really love the clean lines of the sofa, and the oversized nailhead trim is a great detail.

and the price can't be beat!

color wheel + kids rooms @ design dazzle

another one of my posts for design dazzle went up today.

it's part of a three part series about using the color wheel 

to decorate kids rooms.

this is part #2: 
analogous schemes.

to read the post, click here.

pretty bath

do you ever see a picture of a room 

that leaves you breathless?

that's what happened when i saw this bathroom...

what i love:

1. the pops of blue...that tiny bit of color really 

brings this bathroom to life.

2. the balance of cool and warm--even though the marble 

has cool undertones, the wood, the rug, the chair, 

and the soft creamy walls infuse this space with warmth.

3. the high ceilings, and trey above the chandelier.

it looks like there is some sort of skylight...

4. the custom vanity looks like it could be an antique.

 there is so much space under the legs, 

which makes the room appear larger.

5. the crown moldings add character and texture, and really 

stand out, even though they are painted 

the same color as the walls.

6. the blue glass lamps are such an unusual and gorgeous choice!

7. the tall doors are the perfect proportion 

for the high ceilings.

8. the shower room is large and gets a ton of natural light.

it also visually expands the bathroom because of the 

glass door and the windows.

9. i like that smaller tiles of marble were used on the floor and the tub face, but slabs were used on the wall...

and i love that the base and the casings around the shower room door and window, and the chair molding are also marble.

yes sir.

this is one

beautiful. bathroom.

images found via: atlanta homes magazine

more fall insipration

one of the blogs i love to read is 

twig & thistle.

kathleen always has the cutest ideas and projects.

here is one of her latest:

a cupcake liner flower tree.

it was inspired by a white cupcake liner tree that

was featured on the cover of martha stewart weddings.

i love that kathleen used brown cupcake liners,

and the gold pumpkins in the background are beautiful 

against the deep brown!

you can find full instructions on how to make this cutie

on paper crave blog here.

here is a peek at a few of kathleen's other projects:

pumpkin candle holders

pumpkin place cards

and even this fall porch scape.

be sure to visit 

twig & thistle for even more eye candy!

fall tablescapes

do you dream of having a beautifully set

 table for thanksgiving?

yeah, me too.

but our table usually looks only slightly better 

than it does on "normal" days.

if i could pull it off,

i would love my table to look like one of these...

love the textures on this tablescape.

and did you see that beautiful, dusky blue on the walls?

delish.

i love the simple and 

traditional look of this one.

this mix of blue + brown + the mustard napkin are 

just beautiful.

love this one.

so much texture, and i love the personalization

on the tablecloth...

and the glasses...

and the napkins.

this would be an easy diy project!

mmmm...natures bounty!

don't you just want to sit here and EAT?

i really like the different shades of green used here.

and these bird plates are really great!

if you wanted the focal point of the table to be the chandelier,

here is one great idea.

and this one is really pretty too!

and just a little over the top.

but i guess that's what makes it fun.

i love the ieda of using roses on the chandelier...

but that would be an expensive and short-lived display.

i loved this idea of bringing in squash for some color.

this would be a great fall replacement for the typical

lemons and/or limes that we usually see in the kitchen.

another cute, simple and affordable solution from martha.

***

do you have a favorite tablescape or idea from this post?

are you going to do anything to make your thanksgiving table 

special this year?