Design Star Inspiration

First off, I want to thank Jenny of Little Green Notebook for including me on her Maskros Hack Round Up.  Jenny's blog is truly one of my favorites and it's an honor to be mentioned.  Thanks!  :) 

I don't get a chance to watch too much tv these days, but I did happen to catch an episode of Design Star a couple of nights ago.  Are you watching this season?  In this episode, the designers had to redesign rooms in a bed and breakfast.

I love what they did with the headboard in this room!  So simple and a great way to add color and personality into a room.  Just get plywood cut at the hardware store, get batting and fabric and start stapling away!  

Fabric is a great place to get color inspiration.  You can see how different colors play off of each other and if they look great to you on the fabric, then those same colors will look great in your space too.  I draw the same inspiration from stationary or patterned papers.  If the colors work there, they'll work anywhere. 

I really love the dark botanical fabric they used.  I've always liked botanicals on dark backgrounds like these prints found here.  A twist on a classic idea and I love how it instantly looks "cool". 



(via theevolutionstore.com)

  

New Bedding from West Elm

West Elm is definitely one of my favorite home decor sources.  I especially love their textiles like rugs, bedding, window treatments and pillows.  Here are some of my favorites from their new fall collection.

Enjoy!




Organic Circles in Platinum




Organic Circles in Maize




Organic Ironwork




Organic Swirl




Hand Blocked Medallion Quilt



Inspiration Board for My Little Girl's Room

Here's the inspiration board for my little girl's room.  It's coming together slowly but surely.  I'll definitely share pics once it's done! 

1.  Wildflower toss pillow from PBTeen.  (bought on clearance and discontinued)

2.  Robins Nest from Benjamin Moore

3.  Scalloped Ceiling inspiration from here.

4.  Maskros from IKEA

5.  ABC Print from Petit Collage

6.  Wildflower sheeting from Pottery Barn Kids.  (will use fabric for toss pillows or maybe valance)

7.   Suite Ribbon Drape from PBTeen

8.  ROXO Easy Chair from IKEA

9.  Melamine Bird plates from West Elm

You can check out HOW TOs  for the MASKROS transformation and the ceiling paint here and here.  :)

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet EDLAND 4 Poster Bed

TGIF! Inspired by the 4 poster bed from Monday's post, here's a great one from IKEA. The lines of this bed are so classic and clean that you can purchase this bed and rest assured that it will last you for many years. Here's the EDLAND bed frame for $299. An amazing price for ANY bedframe let alone a 4 poster one.

If you have a large master bedroom or one with vaulted ceilings this is the perfect bed for you. It creates intimacy, coziness and a special place to rest.

Enjoy your weekend and see you Monday!

WHY IT WORKS - A Master Bedroom with a 4 Poster Bed

Sorry for the not so exciting title for this week's post. :) What I love about the design of this bedroom is simply that it looks un-designed. It looks as if it's been lovingly put together over time, with each piece carefully selected and edited.  This room was designed by Michael Penney, one of my favorite stylists from House and Home.

WHY IT WORKS:



(via michaelpenneystyle.com)



• The wallpaper.  I've said it before, wallpaper is back and behind the bed is the perfect spot for something bold.
• The four poster bed.  Love this.  Especially in white, it doesn't feel heavy one bit.  It adds an architectural element in the room and really defines the space.
• Taking risks in mixing patterns.  I really would not have thought the navy striped rug would work with the floral wallpaper, but it does.  Like I said, effortless style.  



 INSPIRATION:

• Four Poster Bed.  Have you ever thought of having ones of these, but scared they would be too heavy or make a room feel small?  Well, here's proof that it can really work.  There are so many new homes that have huge master bedrooms that are hard to work with.  A 4 poster bed is the perfect solution.  And if you just love them , but are still scared... try it in white... it "almost" disappears, but not quite.  :)
• White bedding.  Bedding is such an investment so if you want something that you won't ever regret, go with white with a texture or white with a border.  This one here works so well and is probably why the rug and walls go so well together. 
• Underbed storage.  Here's a great example of maximizing storage under your bed in a nice, clean, and attractive way.  Here's a great option at West Elm.

WHY IT WORKS - Sarah's Guest Room

Happy Monday everyone!  Today's room is a guest room done by Sarah Richardson.  She is one of my favorite designers.  I love her eye for pattern and color.  She always incorporates great prints into her spaces.  This is a simple photo, but still has plenty for us to take away for inspiration.

WHY IT WORKS:



(via sarahrichardsondesign.com)

• I'm loving the wallpaper behind the bed.  It's a great spot for a shot of graphic punch.  Small enough so it's not too scary, but big enough to make an impact. 
• Wall Art.  I thought this was an interesting place to hang art.  If I were decorating the space, I would not hang art below those windows afraid it would be too low.  But I love how it works here.
• Upholstered headboard and white bedding.  I love upholsterd headboards and they are so easy to make.  You can wrap any wood headboard with foam, batting and fabric with a staple gun.  It just makes a room feel so special and plush.  Also... I've mentioned before how much I love white bedding.  Clean and serene.

INSPIRATION:

• Wallpaper.  It's coming back.  I think it's gotten a bad rap for too long.  There are a lot of really fresh, beautiful options out there.  Check out Graham and Brown for inspiration.  *drool*  And behind a bed is a great place to take a risk and experiment.
• Wall Art.  Don't be afraid to hang pieces at eye level.  More often than not, we have a tendency to hang things to high.  Eye level or even slightly below is just fine.  It feels so nice when you walk around a home and see art at eye level, it feels warm and thought out.
• Focal Point.  For any room, decide what you want the "star" to be.  Rug? Curtains? Furniture?  And then let the rest of the room complement the "star".  Too many focal points make for a cluttered and chaotic feeling space.

Inspirations for Boys' Rooms

I have 2 things to share with you today.  First, an inspiration board I put together for a friend's son's room.  We were going for a cool, hip vibe with the color inspirations being gray, orange, brown and touches of blue.  We were also very budget conscious, so many things came from IKEA.  Look below for all the details.

1.  Worldly Gray - Sherwin Williams

2.  Andrup Rug - IKEA

3.  Binth Alphabet Poster

4.  Paper Mache Letters - JoAnns

5.  Ekby Jarpen Shelf - IKEA

6.  Giraffe Print - Etsy shop:  Little Lion Studio

7.  Merete Curtains - IKEA

8.  Barometer Ceiling Light - IKEA

9.  MALM twin bed - IKEA

10.  Orange Ipod Pillow - Etsy Shop:  Craftsquatch

11.  4 unit EXPEDIT - IKEA

12.  Robo Bedding - Land of Nod

13.  FILLSTA Table Light - IKEA

Second, I'm so happy to share another friend's son's room that was featured on ohdeedoh last week!  Aya did such a good job injecting personality and style into her son's room on a budget.  Most of the room is decorated with thrift store finds, IKEA pieces and DIY projects.  Way to go Aya!  Click here to see more!

Hopefully these 2 rooms will help inspire your own boys' rooms!  We see so much stuff out there for girls, but there's just as many options for boys too!

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet EDLAND



(via today.com)


As I write this, Thursday night, the Royal Wedding has yet to happen.  I'm sure everyone will be all abuzz about it by the time you read this.  I won't be staying up to watch it, but I will be catching it first thing tomorrow morning!  There won't be anything else like it!  Can't wait!  :D  So... in honor of the Royal Wedding, I thought I should pick out something a bit more stately and refined this week.  I think the EDLAND dresser fits the bill.

I've liked the EDLAND suite for a long time.  It's a nice departure from the boxy, modern shapes typical of IKEA furniture.  This piece really looks like it has a bit of old world character.  I love the legs and the feminine lines of all the pieces.  So beautiful.  Plus, to really make it look un-IKEA, changing out the knobs with some Anthropologie ones would be so easy!

The 2 drawer dresser here is $199.  I've been considering getting 2 of these for either side of our fireplace in our living room.  What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend!  Praying for a bit of sun....   See you Monday.

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet the MALM Bed

Last Friday, I featured the MALM dresser, and this week I'm featuring a bed from the same family.   I have been fighting off a cold all week and have been incredibly tired.  This week's posts have been all about kids so what better way to end the week than with a feature on a great bed that I think would work fabulously in a kids room or really any room for that matter!  Here is the twin for $129.

I was inspired by a MALM bed make over I saw over at a blog that I love, armelle, the blog.  Caroline did such a great job painting the MALM and transforming it from ordinary to something special!  I think it was the great choice of paint color.  Love that gray!

Caroline also gave some great tips on painting furniture.  Click here to read!

(via armelle blog)

Have a great weekend!  Off to do my 12K on Sunday!  See you Monday!

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet MALM

For those of you who are IKEA loyalists, MALM will be familiar to you.  This is one of IKEA's classic bedroom series.  MALM is like the basic white shirt.  Its clean lines will never go out of style and goes with everything.  On Monday, I wrote about being creative with console tables, a dresser like MALM is just what I'm talking about.  Imagine all the extra storage you'd be getting!

Last week when I was at my local IKEA, I saw it priced at $179, but it also had a "last chance" sign next to it.  I imagine they might be just discontinuing a certain color and not getting rid of the whole line.  If you've been eyeing a MALM dresser, it might be a good idea to check with your local IKEA.  Better be safe than sorry.  :)

Here's some pictures of MALM all dolled up.



(via apartmenttherapy.com)

I love how fabulous MALM looks just by adding 6 pulls!

  

(via ohdeedoh.com)





(via ohdeedoh.com)





(via ikea.com)



Dwell Vintage Collection

There are a few companies that can do no wrong by me.  Dwell Studio is one of them.  I just eat up everything they come out with.  I think their patterns and fresh take on colors are just genius.  Their look is modern, yet somehow classic and timeless.  The downside is...they are definitely not cheap. 
So, I was so excited to see them come out with their new Vintage Collection.  Funny... new, vintage... what an oxymoron!  :)  They brought back some of their classic and favorite collections from the past 10 years and as they put it, "bring back the price tag from 10 years ago as well."  Woohoo!

Here's their Trellis Dove Duvet Set from the Vintage Collection for $150.  Not bad for a duvet and 2 shams.

Here's their gorgeous Gate Ash Duvet set from their current home collection for $280. 



(all images via dwellstudio.com)



So, if you really love Dwell and want to get the look more affordably, check out their Vintage Collection!  It's gorgeous!

PS... Tomorrow is the last day to enter my Vinyl Decal Giveaway.  I'll be randomly picking a winner tomorrow night at midnight and posting the winner on Friday!

Score at IKEA!

I went to IKEA last night just to pick up 3 RIBBA frames and I had a list of a few things I wanted to check out in person.  This trip was more of a scouting expedition.  I wanted to check out BADALEN, an upholstered headboard.  This headboard mounts directly to the wall and would be perfect for my daughter's room.  I alreay have a platform bed and all I'm looking for is an upholstered headboard to soften it up.

The shape was basic enough, and I figured this would be a timeless piece that I could easily reupholster over and over again.  It's $199.99, which I thought was a little steep, but I just wanted to check it out. 

Boy, was I happy when I saw that it was on sale for $49.99!  I think they're discontinuing it.  I GOT IT!  Run out to your local IKEA if you're interested too!

The blue stripe fabric doesn't even come attached, it's a slipcover which is perfect!  I don't even need to use it and I can just go ahead and staple my own fabric around it.  :) 

I'm using this room from Monday as my inspiration.

I've been doing some fabric research and here are some front runners.  These are all from buyfabrics.com and are less than $10.00/yd.  I have my favorites.  Which ones are yours?

  

A Nate Inspired Bed

Since we're on the topic of Nate Berkus from Monday's post, here's another Nate inspired look.  I was watching the Nate Show a few weeks back and saw this bed that I just can't get out of my head.  Click here for the episode.




(via thenateshow.com)


Putting together bedding for a bed can be as fun as putting together an outfit.  You're mixing and matching patterns and colors and trying to put something together that's cohesive and makes a statement.  I'm loving everything about this ensemble!  Here are the details.

Marimekko Poloneesi Platinum Duvet from Crate and Barrel
King duvet:  $129



West Elm Stripe Sheet Set, King $99.
(Dwell Studio has a very similiar set, the Draper sheet in Ash.  King $260) 





Dwell Studio Diamond Ikat Citrine Pillow, $58




Dwell Studio Peacock Citrine Pillow, $58.



Peacock Citrine Standard Sham, $90/pair.



Why It Works: A Blue and White Guest Room

We just got back from a little family vacation and I'm pooped.  So here's a quick one for this Monday.


WHY IT WORKS:


(via House Beautiful)



• Color.  Black and white or navy and white never go out of style.  It's clean, simple, and it's easy to put together. 
• Beds in front of windows CAN work.  Bed placement in a bedroom is key because everything else revolves around the bed.  Every room is different, but don't rule out putting a bed in front of a window.  Try it.  :)
• Vignettes.  I love how they styled the nightstand and the wall behind it.  Clean and beautiful.  Consider doing the same thing with a round mirror, small lamp and a couple of books and accessories.  A framed photo of your guest is always a nice touch.

INSPIRATION:

• Color.  Pick 2 colors and go with it!  Pick basics and you can easily pull the look together with pieces from different stores.   A lot of times you can find great single pieces at TJ Maxx or Target.  With basic colors, you can easily mix and match.
• Duvets/Pillows.  This is usually a great starting point if you're not sure where to start.  There are tons of beautiful stuff out there at all price points.  Start with your bedding and get inspired by the colors and prints.  You can EASILY get paint, rugs and accessories to match.