Home Decor: Painted Floors

Tired of the same old flooring options?

Well here's an idea that you may not have seen or thought of before...

Painted floors!

I'll admit, when I first heard of this concept it seemed a little crazy. But, I have come across some beautiful painted floor designs that have really blown me away. What a unique and creative way to add a bit of character and color to your space! Many of these floors were painted with a base color coat, and then a more intricate design was simply stenciled over the top.

I'm not sure exactly how to process works, but fortunately Design Sponge has provided a great tutorial for all who are interested to learn!

Photo Credit: 1.Design Sponge, 2. Design Sponge, 3. Mary Macdonald via Domino, 4 & 5.Sunny's Goodtime Paints

Fabulous Finds : Take 3

Another Monday has arrived and I hope you like this weeks fabulous finds!
I was particularly excited about the vintage alarm clock I found on Etsy, and if you follow the link you will find that the seller actually has a variety of vintage clocks and watches that are equally fun!

Well this week I have something fun to look forward to...my husband and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary on Friday! I can't believe 5 years has already gone by, it feels like we just got married a couple months ago! Hopefully we will be doing something fun...we are sort of last minute planners if you can't tell.

Anyone else doing something exciting this week?

1. Sunshine Dish Towel - West Elm $9.00
2. Vintage Alarm Clock - Etsy, Clock Work Universe $29.00
3. Carved Wood Platter - Target $20.79
4. Latte Bowls - Anthropologie $20.00
5. Eiffel Jewelry Stand - Urban Outfitters 28.00
6. The Views in Santa Cruz Photo - Etsy, Diem Design Photography 20.00

Wall Decor: Chalk Board - Take 2

Remember when I showed you all of those awesome chalk board walls? Well, although we couldn't actually paint a whole wall with chalk board paint (because we are currently renting), my husband and I got creative and came up with a fun solution.

We happen to have a whole lot of empty vintage frames, collected from thrift stores and yard sales. There is one fairly large frame that has been sitting in our closet collecting dust. But, after seeing so many fabulous chalkboard walls, we came up with the perfect solution for it...create our own framed chalk board.

I really think the chalk board idea is genius. Not only do you get a handy place to doodle and jot down notes, it also creates a unique wall decor solution. I really like the look of chalk boards used kitchens and thought it would be quite functional for jotting down recipes and meal ideas. So, I decided to hang ours on the back wall of our kitchen...I love how it turned out!

Although I hung my chalk board in the kitchen, this idea would work great for any room. I'm actually thinking about doing a smaller grouping of 3 to hang in my little boys bedroom. I thought it would be fun to let him draw his own art on it, and kid art always turns out so cute!

This Framed chalk board took very little time and money to put together, for the tutorial click below!

Inspiration Thursday : Natures color pallet

Choosing a color pallet can sometimes be the most difficult decision when designing a space. I will usually look through books and magazines for inspiration. Yet, I sometimes fail to notice the natural color pallet right in front of me.

This photo was taken from a blossoming tree branch in my backyard, I love the soft pink and champagne hues, both sophisticated and chic. Perfect for a little girls bedroom, perhaps?

Anyway, you get the point right? Next time your in need of a color pallet don't forget to look out your window, you may just be surprised at what you find!

Fabulous Finds : Take 2

Happy Monday!
Time for another round of "Fabulous Finds."

Its the beginning of a new week, which means back to business as usual at our house. The weather has been looking quite nice here in New Mexico... between 60 & 70 degrees with Friday at a high of 76 degrees! I'm excited to spend some time outside with my little man, and I'm also excited about some fun projects and posts I've been working on, hope you are too!

Well, here are some of the fabulous home decor/kitchen & dining finds I have come across lately (remember everything is $30 and under!)...

1. West Elm, Modernist bowls & Mugs $8-$10.
2. Saladerie, Fine Art Photography $25
3. West Elm, Owl Measuring Cups - $19
4. Anthropologie, April Fools Apron - $19.95
5. Urban Outfitters, Color Etch Letters - $10
6. FishboneDeco - Etsy, Vintage Polaroid - $28

Get Inspired Thursday : Spring

Spring is in the air, and that means those gorgeous colors that somehow got lost through the winter season are coming back! With the weather starting to turn around, I have been thinking a lot about outdoor spaces and wishing that I had some outdoor furniture to enjoy or use for entertaining. Good thing garage sale season is starting, hopefully I can find some!

Here are some charming outdoor spaces and lovely table settings, that will hopefully get you inspired to start re-decorating for spring!

Photo Credit: Top begbicycles 1&2 decor8, 3,4,&5 housebeautiful, 6 westelm, 7. lanaloustyle, 8 housebeautiful, 9 decor8

Fabulous Finds

Happy Monday!

I would like to help you get your week off to a cheerful start by presenting "Fabulous Finds." 

Here I will be posting my fabulous home decor/kitchen finds from various websites. 

If you are fairly frugal like me, you will love that everything below is priced at $30 or less!

Many of the items posted are from Etsy or are listed on sale at other websites. So, if you like any of the fabulous finds act fast, because I'm not sure how long they will be in stock.

Below the photos you will find a link to each item listed, have fun browsing! Oh, and if any of you have a favorite website or Etsy shop where you have also found fabulous items for the home please share them with me, I would love to check them out! 

Photo Links: 1.Crane Mobile - Etsy, 2.Bird Pillow - Etsy, 3 White dish set - CB2, 4.Blue Frame - Etsy, 5.Curtain tie back - Urban Outfitters, 6.Faded rose rug - Urban Outfitters

Decor: Recycled Magazine Art

We were so excited when we found a great way to recycle all the old magazines that we have laying around our house and create art at the same time. Here is one that my husband did recently. Those of you that are from or familiar with the Puget Sound area might recognize the scene. It is the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (before the built it's brother) and the Olympic Mountains in the background. My husband and I grew up near Tacoma, WA and having this art in our house make us feel a little like we are back home in the beautiful Northwest. We miss it so much!

If you would like to try some recycled magazine art for yourself:

1. Start by going through your magazines and cutting out similar colors and grouping them in stacks.
2. Find a frame that you would like to use (you can find a lot of frames at thrift stores with missing glass, these work perfect)
3. If the frame has some type of board in it already you can create your art right on it. If not, find a piece of matte board and cut it to fit the frame.
4. Come up with an idea and sketch it on the board. Abstract magazine art would also be very cool.
5. Get a glue stick and start cutting shapes and gluing them on the board. Usually your idea will progress as you create your piece of art. The original idea for the one above was nothing like it turned out. Have fun with it. You can always cover something up with more magazine if you don't like it.
6. (Optional) Cover you art with some type of protective clear coat like a spray on clear enamel.

Home Decor : White Done Right

When you stumble upon a space with white walls, furniture, or accessories its natural to think...boring! For the longest time, I thought walls that were painted white were completely bland and I had come to the conclusion that people who owned white walls were simply afraid of color.

Yet, over the past few years I have definitely been proven wrong.

It is my new thought that when done right, white can be just as, if not more appealing than a room full of color. Perhaps, this is because of the calming and simplistic feelings a white space can bring, while still giving a glamorous and contemporary feel. I really can't pinpoint a single aspect of why white spaces work out so beautifully...all I know is they work, when done right of course.

I have slowly been accumulating examples of interior spaces that exemplify the theme of "white done right." I would love to create a space like this. Although, I like so many different design themes its hard for me to stick to something!  If your looking for a way to simple yet enchanting way to add a touch of serenity to your space, try white!

Here are some examples to help you along the way...

Photo Credit (1. atlantahomesmag, 2. blog.alicelanehome, 3.knackstudios, 4.apartmenttherapy, 5,6,&7. elledecor, 8. apartmenttherapy)

Get Inspired Thursday!

I often find that gathering inspiration from things like photos, fabrics, magazines, knick-knacks, and art work is the best place to start when trying to design a space. I often look through books, magazines, and of course blogs to collect pictures and ideas of things that I love. That way, when I'm trying to select a color pallet or need a decor idea for one of my stark white walls, I have a starting point or a look that I would like to re-create.

So in honor of this concept I would like present "Get Inspired Thursday" where I will be posted my favorite inspirational finds for the week!

Charming Baby Nursery...

This week I stumbled across the most amazing nursery I have ever seen over at Lay Baby Lay. It makes me want to re-do my little man's nursery entirely! This oh so charming room was designed for a girl, but with a few accessory changes (mainly switching out the pink for blue or green) I think it could work perfectly for a boy too.

Photos by laybabylay.com

Chair Spotlight: Eames Rocking Chair

While earning my bachelors degree in interior design, I took a couple of courses where I studied both historical and contemporary architecture and furniture. Through these courses I developed a love for designer furniture, especially pieces by Charles and Ray Eames. Their furniture draws you in with it's eye catching yet simplistic deigns.

One of their more popular pieces is the Eames Rocking Chair which is gorgeous to look at and can add so much character to any space. The only problem is the real deal costs a pretty penny, just under $500 per chair, Yikes! I have seen a few knock-off's though that run for a little over $100 (like this one).

Someday I will own one of these, but for now I will enjoy these photos, hope you do to.

Photo credit: 1.changerdedeco 2 inhabitots, 3.cocomale, 4.oldbrandnew, 5.fourwallsandaroof, 6.homes.ninemsn

Home Decor: Vintage Desk/Table How-to

Here is the How-To I promised for the charming and inexpensive desk.  If you would also like to do the shelves, go Here to view my past How-To on the craft shelves (the same process and materials were used).

Note: This plan will make a table that is 4' long 30" high and 20" wide. If you need a different size you will need to alter your materials accordingly.

Home Decor: Simple Vintage Desk/Table

Big things have been going on at our house this week.  And by that I mean I finally convinced my husband to help me out with a rather large-ish project. The other day, I was sitting at our dinning room table, eating my morning cereal starring at our big blank wall and an idea came into my head. The empty space would be perfect for two things I was desperately in need of....a desk/work area and additional storage space.

So, what did I do?... I sketched out my plan (see picture below) while the idea was fresh in my head, then I pinned it to the wall for my husband to see.

He luckily agreed to help me with the project and yesterday that picture turned into this...

Pretty close to the original drawing right?

Well, I think it turned out great! I was so excited when it was all complete. I have had unpacked boxes of various tableware and decorative items sitting in our hallway waiting for a home, and they finally have one!

I know your dieing to see more pictures, so here you go...

We took step by step pictures of the whole project. 

So if you want to build your own similar vintage style desk, click here for the tutorial!