Back in the swing of things

So I haven't posted in a while....I've been a busy busy girl. Just wrapped up studying for/taking the GRE, and as soon as that was done I moved into the new apartment and commenced classes. Whew, senior year I'm sure will fly by but it's already exhausting me. Ochem is not my friend.

Anyway, so with the move into the new place is a new chance for decorating! Yay! Our aparmtent has lots of big big BIG white walls and, of course, white they must stay. The scale of the walls makes decorating difficult, as none of us broke college ladies can afford large-scale artwork that the space calls for. So we're trying to make do and find other solutions. Here are some pics I've used for inspiration:

Since we have no money for one big piece of art, we settled for a collage look of a combination of posters and artwork that we have all collected through the years, like the one above and below:

To bring more color into our otherwise-hospital-white apartment, we have a giant pile of pretty patterned pillows...

And a project in the works: Making giant colorful balls to hang from the ceiling made of a collection of paper-tissue flowers glued to styrofoam balls.

It's not exactly House Beautiful, but it's at least College Beautiful :)

Concrete....everywhere?

As I was browsing through my saved photos files, I noticed a theme: I like me some concrete indoors. I think it's the dark blue/grey color and the unique texture and depth it has....anyway, take a look:


I absolutely LOVE this fireplace. So simple. So good.


How cool is the variation of grey on this wall?

Built-in vase. Nice.

I think this might actually be steel, but the concept is the same. I like how they incorporated a structural necessity into the design so it looks like it's meant to be there.

My Dream House: Master Bedroom Edition

Aaaaand my favorite part of the house to design: My bedroom. As with the livingroom, because this area of the house would get heavy useage, I'm not quite happy with everything I've picked out here, but hey, if it's a dream home, it'll change as I get new ideas, right?

I'm going for a somewhat dreamy, sophisticated room that I really relax in .

Here's the color palette I'm thinking of:

Pretty pretty elegant purple with grassy green for accents.

I also like this darker eggplant-y color....a whole bedroom painted this color might be a bit much, so maybe I'd stick to accents in a darker purple too.

I've been in love with this Tord Boontje light fixture since the second I found it. Against the dark walls, I would probably get it in the white version.....it casts the most beautiful shadows!


A big white armoire is a necessity for all my clothes....

....as is a giant, slightly ridiculous mirror. I don't usually like super girly or Victorian styles, but this really really appeals.

I really like the simplicity of this headboard with the one beautiful photo....

But I also adore the idea of using a tapestry or giant cloth from my travels as a headboard. Maybe I can combine the two ideas somehow?

Lately when I visit antique stores I've been really into antique handkerchiefs. Maybe I should start a collection and display them like this over my windows....

I want to keep the room clutter-free, but I have a lot of books, so I like this idea of putting a shelf over the door to reduce clutter.

For bedside tables, I like these simple shelves. They could fit a tiny little reading lamp and whatever book I was reading at the time, plus an alarm clock and not much else. I'd probably have to make space for the old letterpress blocks I just found, though....I like how the letters are displayed on this one actually.

A comfy couch to sit on when I put on my shoes and a shelf for displaying meaningful photos is a must, of course. I like everything about this picture except those pillows...

So now all that's lacking really is a rack to place clothes on as I try stuff on in the morning and take it off at night, and a vanity to hold my jewelry, perfume, etc. Still on the hunt for those....

So this pretty much wraps up my dream home. Hope you enjoyed....I know I would if I actually lived there :)

My Dream House: Bathroom Edition

I realize that a big beautiful home like my dream home would have multiple bathrooms. However, the bathroom is one area of the home that really does not interest me in the least. Therefore, in general here's a post of how a bathroom should look in my eyes.

Another strange thing about bathrooms for me is that they are one of the only places where I would choose serene decor over cheery and colorful. So enjoy this departure from previous posts:

I want a big old steel tub that sits on the floor. It would be hooked up to a shower so it's multi-purpose, but I just really love the look of this one.

I want this cool glass that has water constantly running through it. Either this, or once at a bar the bathrooms had this glass that was clear until you locked the door, then it turned cloudy. That was pretty acceptable too...

I like the really simple appeal of this sink. Not too practical, I realize, but the idea of it is nice...

And while I personally would need a large vanity, perhaps the idea below would work in a guest bathroom: I love the idea of not having a mirror in the bathroom. Maybe you could put one inside the "You look marvelous" chalkboard so it's still useful, but really, who needs that early-morning shot to the ego?? :)

My Dream House: Kids Room Edition

Kids rooms should be fun, cheery, and a place for their imaginations to run wild. Therefore, in my dream kid's room, I'd start off with a slightly less vibrant shade of this orange:



I'd cover one of the walls with blackboard paint so the kids could draw on the walls, no problem.



I like the rustic simplicity of this daybed, plus the fun cluster of poofs and lanterns on the ceiling.



For storage, add in a shelf with a colorful collection of large baskets where they can put their toys (dream world, remember?). A shelf filled with fabric-covered Clementine boxes is a nice cheap alternative, especially since kids tend to destroy things so a DIY option might be smart...


...and a fun place to hang clothes, like this mismatched tree


Even lighting can be fun in a kid's room. Take this funky pendant light, for example....


....and these lanterns made from food cans.


A fun mirror brings lightness into the room too. Although a full-lenth mirror would be better, for all the times you play dressup and want to see the beauty of Mom's favorite lipstick all over your face.


A nice last touch is this children's rhyme on the wall.

My Dream House: Library Edition

Library Time. Because every deluxe home needs a good library.

I don't like the cluttered look of overly-filled bookshelves, but I have a lot of books. Therefore I'm going for more of a "reading room" appeal--cozy, sunlight, and relaxed. Bay window seat required, of course. And a library ladder, like the one Belle has in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

So here's my vision: Non-traditional library--I want a room that looks like a relaxed sitting room but upon further inspection, you find books....EVERYWHERE....

Here's the beautiful, muted color palette I'd incorporate:

In my head the room is rectangular, so two of the parallel walls will look like this:

One of the walls has a door in the middle of it, with skinny builtin bookshelves flanking the sides and big art pieces on the wall spaces outside the shelves (imagine this photo as though they were on the same wall and not on a corner):

The other wall is dominated by a large bay window with a comfy window seat and colorful cushions piled high. The windowseat walls will have built-in shelves for the books I'm currently reading...Can't find a photo of what I'm mentally picturing, but trust me. It's cool.

Then from the ceiling by the bay window, if it didn't look too weird, I'd put a shelf of sorts for candles, like the one against the wall in this pic. Because really, how amazing would it be to read by candlelight while lounging on your windowseat on a stormy night??!

And if they are needed, I'd put curtains made from vintage flags around the window, so you can pull the flags over the window if you want a little privacy.

THEN for the other two parallel walls:

I'm thinking a nice low bench-style bookshelf on the floor of one entire wall.....

Then, because there is all that wall space from having low bench bookshelves (which I'd cover with cushions perhaps instead of using it as a display ledge), I'd put a myriad of photos, artwork, and pieces collected from my travels on the wall above the benche shelves.

Then against the other wall, I want a beautifully simple, rustic fireplace. I'd make sure that it was big enough so that the top of the fireplace itself is a shelf.

I'd put my favorite books of all time on that shelf and hold them in place with some super amazing vintage bookends...

Then on the shelf on the wall behind the fireplace, I'd hold my collection of antique globes....

On either side of the fireplace I'd put cabinets, where some items would be on display and some would be tucked away from view to hide clutter. Also I'd retrofit one of them to hold wine, because really, who doesn't love reading with a delicious glass of red wine? These are nice options, although instead of paint I think I'd want pretty, warm, rustic, natural wood:

Then I'd put a big fluffy rug (where I can lay on my tummy reading books all day), like this sheepskin...

....in front of the fireplace with a pretty carved trunk for a table, like this:


Around the table I'd place big huge comfy brown leather chairs and couches....here's a good example:

I also really really love the supple drapey effect of this leather piece over the simple chair, so hopefully I could work that idea in somehow:

Wow this is bad. I just got SO into these ideas that I imagined for a second that it was real. Sad!