Wishful Gift Guides for the Home

I hope you all enjoyed your wonderful Thanksgiving.  Ours was relaxing because we didn't have to host this year and so we got quite a bit of down time to relax with family and do some fun winter activities.  I didn't start any Christmas decorations other than planting two dwarf evergreen trees in our planters flanking our front door.  I plan on cutting some magnolia branches to add to the planters as as well.

I did have some time to make up some 'wishful' guides the home!  Ha!  Priorities, right??  These are all things I love and would welcome as new additions to our home.

I've noticed over the year, when it comes to receiving/giving gifts, I much prefer to receive/give a gift for the home.  Personally, I don't want clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.  I would much rather be gifted a piece for our home whether it's candles, a lamp, mirror, vase or throw.  

Mirror, Lamp, Throw, Vase, Stool, Accent Table, Bowl

I noticed a theme in my choices - lots of white with touches gold, blue, green and natural wood.

Art, Lantern, Ginger Jar, Rug, Ottoman

Over the break, I thought long and hard about our living room and kitchen which haven't been touched since we moved into our home.  Our living room still sits unfurnished with only a piano and just primed walls (no paint).  Many of these choices are influenced by those ideas - neutral base with touches of sky blue and sea foam green.

Hook, Pillow, Vase, Chair, Wine Bucket, Accent Table

Hope you enjoyed!  And, while these gift guides are fun - mostly dreaming on my part, I don't want to forget that yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent and the Advent season has begun.  :)

Latest and Greatest

Sometimes, when I think about decorating my home, I wonder if it all going to make sense once it is all said and done.  Is it going to flow?  Or is it going to be all a jumble because there are days when my mind feels like that.

The other day I quickly threw together a design board of key pieces that I am currently loving and want to be the main elements of certain rooms in my home.

I am seeing a theme, at least in a color palette, as I forge ahead with decorating my home - hues of blues with touches of red.  If you look at my designs for my dining room and guest room, both have this color palette and lately, I am just really drawn to it.  Of course, I still love green, and there will be touches of green thrown in for good measure.

Here are the details of what I would like to do:

{1, 9} - The current plan for our powder room - have always loved Manuel Canovas' trellis wallpaper and wanted to find a place to use it.  Imagine wallpaper with paneling! And, I love how PB just came out with this mango wood mirror (already ordered it) and think it'll look perfect!  It's the perfect size for a bathroom!

{2,3,4} - This is the plan for our kitchen nook.  Mind you, this plan changes daily (or so it seems) so I'm trying to really solidify it.  It's one of the first things you see as you walk through our entry so I want it to stand out.  Quadrille's volpi fabric in a soft blue as roman shades, those chairs around a white pedestal table and a fun pendant hanging above like the hicks pendant in polished nickel.

{5,6,7} - This is the plan for our entry.  Imagine crisp white paneling paired with Ralph Lauren's textured herringbone wallpaper.  I am loving the idea of a navy console like Oomph's (will never be able to afford this so most likely a DIY) topped with serena and lilly's mirror.  I'm afraid this might be too trendy and so I might alter this a bit.

{8} - For the longest time, I have wanted to invest in a nice throw for our family room.  Deciding on a color has stumped me until now!  I need a pop of red so Serena and Lily's throw in red is perfect!

Of course, the hardest thing for me when decorating my own home is committing because I fear my likes will change.  But, for now, I like where this is going.  How about you?  Any pieces of this plan appeal to you?

New Scenes around our House

I finally joined instagram!  Come follow me here!!  I can't get over it……it is a whole different level of stimuli and inspiration.  It's pretty insane….I have no other words for it.

Around the home front, I have been making strides in certain areas of our home.  I am very excited for the kids to start school next week and hope I can start making faster progress, but here are some snapshots.

Our Entry - in progress

We are painting our entry this holiday weekend.  The entry is already primed and I am still undecided on the hall color - see swatches on the wall.  I am leaning towards the color swatch on the bottom row third from the left.  When I asked my husband what color he liked, he responded, 'leave it as is (primed), it's cheaper'.  Typical! :)

BTW, the whitewashed mirror is my latest find at World Market.

Our family room - in progress

Earlier this summer, I bought Serena and Lilly's outdoor/indoor 'captiva' pillows in chambray.  It's more of a summer look, and I've enjoyed the change from my original pillows (which are more for the fall).  See below picture.

Do you have a preference?  Excuse the wrinkled linen!! :)

E's room - in progress

My daughter's window treatment is finally up!  Love, love, love it.  It completely makes her room.  I am so close to finishing her room, I can hardly stand it!!  See previous updates here.

I have more home updates on my instagram account so hop over and follow me here!!

Well, I do hope you all have a lovely and safe long weekend!!  See you next week!

Hanna's Home Tour

Many of you have already seen Hanna Seabrook's home tour via glitter guide or pinterest,  but I just had to capture some of my favorite images for future reference and study.

What amazes me is she has already achieved such a collected, lived in and comfortable space at such a young age (I don't believe she is even 30 years old).  Her home has that perfect 'undecorated' style that really resonates with me.  

See more here.

A Chic Brooklyn Heights Greek Revival!

  

I stumbled across this incredible Brooklyn Heights Greek Revival via CWB Architects.  This project entailed a complete structural and mechanical gut renovation of this four story, 3200 sq. ft. row house and extension.

The designer?  Jennifer Eisenstadt Design and Decoration, LLC.  Why have I not heard of her before?  Check out this incredibly chic home (I believe this might be her home.)

I am completely speechless....

Keep a look out for her use of modern and vintage light fixtures.  I believe this and the kitchen's fixture might be Lindsey Adelman's bubble light which I posted about here.  I am in love!

Pocket doors, brass fixtures, modern lighting, oh my!

For real? A leopard print runner!! Brilliantly done.

Black and white graphic wallpaper and mirrored furniture - I love it.  Do you notice the ruffle trim on the curtains?  Such a nice feminine detail.  And, the brass doorknobs?  I love the dark walls in the adjourning room.  I just wish I could see more of this bedroom.  

How chic!

The marble veining in the shower, the vanity's lucite legs, hexagonal floor and wall tiles and the brass hardware are all so wonderful!

I am so using balloon shades in our next house.  Remember this post?

So tastefully done.

Do you notice how glossy the trim is?

This is probably her office, no?  What an amazing space to work in!

And, just when you thought you were done with the surprises - she throws this into the mix!  Holy Cow!  She is incredible!  The mix of the chinoiserie wallpaper with the inlaid wooden chevron floor - crazy good!

I love the primary colors and the kilim rug!  

Oh my goodness!!  So amazing!

Okay, how incredible is this home?  I can tell you that I will be studying each and every one of these pictures for a long time.  I haven't felt this inspired in a while. 

Can some magazine publish her space so I can get all the sources, please??

Jennifer Eisenstadt is my new hero!

Before & After: DR Sideboard

With all the craziness, I've been slow to post some of my finished projects.  And, once the baby arrives (due this Sunday) I know I won't have time.  So, here is the sideboard I found at a tag sale for $25.

BEFORE (Post Sanding)

It wasn't the best quality, but it was the perfect size for our small dining room.  If you remember from this post, I decided to paint it BM Pale Avocado and add this hardware.

I haven't hung my antique gold federal style (eagle) mirror above the sideboard because we're moving in less than a month and I really don't want to put new holes in the wall.  So, here is the sideboard now.

AFTER

The other day, I placed my mirror on the sideboard to see how it would look.  I'm dying to hang it - I think it would go perfectly above the sideboard.  

AFTER

I found that mirror at an antique store for $45.  I love it.  The sideboard has a collections of items which I love and found at various places.  I know my orchid looks in bad shape;  I can not for the life of me keep orchids alive.  

And, do you spy some DwellStudio Gate Citrine fabric in the reflection of the mirror?  More on that tomorrow - I will reveal my dining room (as it currently stands) and will show you what an awesome job Melissa from Windows by Melissa did on my roman shades!    Stay tuned!

Breaking the Silence

Life is still moving forward, despite this blog being in a holding pattern.  Thank you for your sweet 'Get Well' comments!  I had stomach issues this past week and my poor family has had to pick up the slack.  I'm still not completely over it so bear with me.

Random tidbits from my world:  Luke loves to play superheros these days and constantly wants me to play 'Wonder Woman'...I wish I was feeling more like her these days!!  Other news, have you heard that Hillary Thomas has opened her online store?

It's very chic.  From finials (jewelry for your lamps) to pretty little things for around your home, you should check it out!

Truth be told, I have done nothing around my home as I try to get back on my feet.  I could totally relate to Kathysue's post "The In-Betweens."  That is where I am right now.  I did manage to get a haircut on Friday which was a super pick me uper!  Definitely recommend it when you're in a rut.  Here's to a new week....thanks for bearing with me!!

Steele Marcoux's Cottage

In the most recent issue of Southern Living, I was delighted to see a feature on Steele Marcoux's, Coastal Living's design editor, quirky but cheerful cottage.  The thirty month remodeling project produced a stunning 1920's 1800 square foot cottage.  Let's take a peek.

So many things I love.  Where to begin?  I love the custom touch of the full-length lumbar pillow on her  Lee Industries sofa.   She seamlessly mixes high and low end furnishings by pairing her Lee Industries sofa with a West Elm jute rug and Target coffee tables. 

I have to say I haven't always been a huge fan of the honeycomb mirror, but it is perfect in this space!  And, yes it is the Pier 1 version.  Behind the sofa is a black painted console table that she upgraded by placing a mirror (instead of glass) on top of it.  Love that custom touch and all the touches of 'green' especially the green mini shades on the chandelier.  

Traditional meets modern with the antique secretary paired with the lucite stool.  Love it!  Steele lined the inside of the secretary with a cream wallpaper to lighten it up. Brilliant!

I love the color she painted on these walls - grayish pink called Calamine by Farrow & Ball.  I love the camelback sofa paired with the painted cane back chairs and all the pops of pink, green and brown (note the Ziggurat curtain fabric by Quadrille?).  

Love the chinoiserie meets Palm Beach feel of her dining room.  She introduces an unexpected pattern by adding wallpaper which is a great touch.   One of the things I found amazing is that Steele and her husband had almost nothing (very little furniture and small budget) when they moved into this cottage and yet their home looks like it has been lived in and effortlessly collected over years.  It's perfection if you ask me!

Before & After: My HomeGoods Bedside Mirrors

I was able to cross one project off my list this weekend - hang mirrors above our nightstands in our bedroom.  If you remember, this is what our bedroom looked liked before the mirrors.

Before:

Obviously, we needed something above our nightstands, but it has taken me a long time to find the exact mirrors I was visualizing for this space.  I was on a hunt to find something similar to the Lilly mirror from Ballard Designs.  This mirror, unfortunately, is no longer available and costs $199.00.  Even if it was still available, there is no way I could afford that.

So, I waited and waited and regularly checked HomeGoods.  And, then one day, while browsing HomeGoods down in Danbury, I found the perfect mirror for only $19.99.  The only thing is that it needed a paint job.  No problem!

A little white (gloss) spray paint and I was good to go.  Here is how our master bedroom looks now. 

After:

So, what do you think?  It's unbelievable how similar the mirrors look like the Lilly mirror from Ballard Designs.  You gotta love HomeGoods!

This and That

I've been busy.  With what you ask?  Oh the typical - prepping for Thanksgiving (we're hosting), working, cleaning, joined a gym - trying to get into shape, play-dates, and trying to finish up some overdue home projects.  My favorite part?  I actually took some time to create a Thanksgiving tablescape this season which I plan to post pictures tomorrow! Yay! In the meantime, I hope to use this long weekend to finish up some home projects.  Here is a hint on one such project I'm working on:

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Do you notice a trend?  I also plan to get a head start on our Christmas shopping and decorating this weekend.  This year we will choose our Christmas tree from a local farm and have it tagged.  When we're ready to have it cut, we just call them in advance and they cut it.  This way I can guarantee NOT to see a pile of needles on the living room floor before Christmas Eve!  

Lastly, I plan to take some time for me.  A good friend and mentor gave me this book in which she wrote, "I love how in a very gentle and uncomplicated way the book encourages self-love, dreaming, imagining, creating, playing, exploring and nurturing your spirit, dreams, passions, curiosities and desires."

I couldn't have said it better.  Don't we all need that from time to time, particularly during the crunch of the holidays?  I'll see you tomorrow to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!