Grown-Up Preppy Bedroom

As an interior designer, there are so many ways to engage in the trade (one of the reasons I love this field so much!). When I was in grad school I worked for a great local designer, and we primarily helped homeowners furnish their spaces. Now my day job primarily involves more interior architecture, including kitchen and bath design, working out interior trim details, helping clients choose finishes, and supporting the construction process of residential renovations. Plain and simply, we don't do furniture. I love my job, but sometimes I miss the furnishing side of the business and wish I could work on a whole house project from architecture through furnishings (kind of like this notable local designer). To satisfy that craving and keep my portfolio fresh, I've started creating a series of design boards and I plan to post them here as I finish them. I'm also hoping to start a little e-design side gig and I'll keep you posted on that once I make more progress in that department. 

This design board shows a grown-up version of a preppy, feminine bedroom. It's primarily a neutral space, with strong navy and white contrast drawing attention to the bed. The green and pink pillows and colorful artwork add a playfulness to the space, while the gold, white, and grey furniture help the space feel more modern and refined. 

Sources:

Headboard | Duvet Cover | Euro Pillows | Pillow Shams | Pink Lumbar Pillows | Green Pillow | Nightstands | Bench | Dresser | Rug | Sconces | Lamp | Roman Shade | Mirror | Poster | Navy Geo Print | Acrylic Picture Frame | Decorative Box | Paint Color

Rustic + Glamorous Living Room

It's been a while since I've posted a mood board so I'm very happy to get this post up today. This living room is meant to capture a rustic glamorous feeling--to incorporate some of the glamorous elements popular in today's trends but use more rustic elements to make it a comfortable, accessible space. 

The elements in this space are definitely a mix of high and low. The sofa is about $1,300 (which really isn't all that high when it comes to sofas, but it is on my budget) and the side chairs are only $169 each. Some of the decorative boxes are in the $50 - $70 range while other decorative items are less than $20. Although the items aren't all inexpensive, they are definitely on the lower end of investment in a space using retail pieces, and it's a space that someone on a budget could build over time. There are also elements like the media stand that you might be able to find vintage or used. The artwork is a print from Minted and can be printed and purchased in a range of sizes. This room actually makes me wish the boy and I were moving into our own place sooner because we both totally love this look. Here's a list of sources if you want to replicate it:

Furniture

Sofa : Blake Down Filled Sofa in Performance Velvet, Otter - West Elm

Side Chairs: Threshold Swoop Chair in Velvet Overcast - Target

Coffee Table: Marble Oval Coffee Table - West Elm

Media Stand: Conway Long Media Stand - Pottery Barn

Left Side Table: Lucida Side Table - Crate & Barrel 

Right Side Table: Moroccan Table in Obsidian Black - Wisteria

Rug

Torres Wool Kilim in Iron - West Elm

Art

Bejeweled in Myrtle with Distressed Charcoal Stained Frame - Minted

Lighting

Table Lamp: Emery Laurel Table Lamp - Crate & Barrel

Floor Lamp: Jerrard Floor Lamp - Crate & Barrel

Pillows

Sofa: Phulkari Embroidered Chevron Pillow in Marine Blue - Pottery Barn
Sofa: Tryst 16" Pillow - CB2
Side Chairs: Jacquard Leaf Silk Pillow Cover in Light Pool - West Elm

Accessories

Picture Frame: Nate Berkus Glass Frame, 3"x3" Gold - Target
Decorative Box: Eduardo Garza Crystal Box - West Elm
Succulent: Potted 4" Succulent - Crate & Barrel 
Coasters: Agate Coasters in Natural - West Elm
Tray: Nate Berkus Wood and Resin Hexagon Tray - Target
Decorative Box: Nate Berkus Decorative Tortoise Shell Box - Gold
Decorative Box: Agate Jewelry Box, Small in Natural - West Elm

Room Inspiration: Things We Love

Kate Spade's new book, Things We Love, is at the top of my wish list. And I have to be honest, I'm totally judging a book by its cover in this case. I LOVE this cover. The colors are amazing. So amazing that I decided to create a mood board inspired by the cover art.

Midtown Taxi Throw Pillow | Empire State Building Pillow Cover | Green Ruffle Pillow | Pink Lawrence Throw | Roy Lichtenstein Kiss II Print | Ektorp Sofa |  Perch Yellow Table Lamp | Gold Pig Bookends | Ceramic Telephone Smartphone Dock | Beagle Ceramic Decorative Plate | Small Ceramic Lattice Canister | Fuchsia Nina Chair | Between a Rock Gold Lamp Base | Vintage Globe | Brass Urchin | Smart Round Marble Top Coffee Table | Stockholm Rand Rug | Background Color: Benjamin Moore Jamaican Aqua

As you can see, the primary inspiration for this space is the book cover's color palette. I used a vibrant Jamaican Aqua by Benjamin Moore for the walls, and incorporated black and white, yellow, pink, red, green, and gold throughout the space. The black and white striped Ikea Stockholm Rand rug pulls the black and white stripes off the couch in the cover and places them on the floor, while the Smart Round Marble Top coffee table from CB2 breaks up the stripes and subtly varies the texture in the space.

The Midtown Taxi throw pillow from Land of Nod and the Empire State Building pillow (which I own) from NestaHome via Etsy celebrate kate spade's frequent homage to New York City. The Green Ruffle pillow adds some femininity to the otherwise graphic collection of pillows, and the pink Lawrence throw from Zara Home helps incorporate some pink into the sofa area. The Ikea Ektorp sofa is the item least inspired by the kate spade image, but I decided to pick a comfortable, practical piece that would blend easily in this room rather than something too sculptural and uncomfortable (after all, I want you to be able to recreate this in your own home if you want!). To compensate for the less structured sofa, I incorporated a fuchsia tufted Nina Chair from Cost Plus World Market. It adds the feminine sculptural qualities of the couch in the cover photo, while staying fresh and modern in a bright color.

Both lamps are quite sculptural--the yellow Perch Table Lamp is from West Elm and the gold Between a Rock Lamp is Land of Nod. Technically Land of Nod is Crate and Barrel's store geared towards children's furnishings, but as you can tell from this room, it has awesome accessories that are totally adult-worthy.

The Kiss II print by Roy Lichtenstein from Art.com celebrates kate spade's pop-art inspired items (like this iPhone cover and this tote bag). The Vintage Globe is from Haven Vintage via Etsy, and there are many others like it on Etsy. The Brass Urchin piece is part of the Nate Berkus collection for Target, which appears to be on the out, so pick one up while you still can!

In addition to the globe, the Jonathan Adler Ceramic Smartphone Dock takes a more literal inspiration from the cover, albeit updated for modern technology. Honestly, I would be totally happy just letting that sit on a bookshelf sans smartphone. The black and white Ceramic Lattice Canister is another affordable accessory from Target's Modern Cottage Collection, and links the black and white in the rug to another spot in the space. The Ceramic Beagle decorative plate is my favorite of the C.Wonder decorative animal plates (you should seriously check out the rest of them) and helps bring in a little more red to the space. The Gold Pig Bookends from CB2 add a sense of playfulness and whimsy that kate spade's collections are known for.

Have you had a chance to pick up Things We Love? Is it worth the price? I am trying quite hard to get through some of my other design books that I got for Christmas before I pick this one up, but the temptation is wearing on me!



Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate marketing links, which means I get paid commission on sales or click-throughs of those products I write about. My editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. I use a 3rd party to develop these partnerships.

Valentine's Day Decor

Valentine's Day is less than a week away! Looking to add a little love to your space?

paper lantern | picture frame | ikat cloth napkins | heart round tray | red foo dogs | for like ever poster | love bookends | neon heart pillow cover | gold love print | floral heart print | pink origami pillow | palm springs blocks pillow

The paper lantern from Cost Plus World Market would be a fun addition to your dining space if you plan to host some friends for a Galentine's Day event, and the red ikat cloth napkins from C.Wonder would add some fun to your table setting. The pink frame from Target would look really cute with some simple DIY heart art in it (gold glitter paper perhaps?), especially on a bookshelf paired with the Love bookends from PB Teen or the foo dogs from C.Wonder (I need some foo dogs in my life). I'm waiting for the day that I can appropriately hang the "For Like Ever" poster from Super Rural in my space without it being totally meaningless, and hopefully sooner than later I will just buy the floral heart print from Rifle Paper Co. that I've had my eye on for over a year (btw, have you seen Rifle's prints? They're awesome.) Jen Ramos of Made by Girl added this small horizontal gold Love Print to her collection, but if you desire your love vertically oriented and in an assortment of other colors, check out her website.

The pillows are all great, but I really love the Trina Turk palm springs blocks pillow from Layla Grace. I debated not including it in this roundup because it's a little pricey, but I just like it way too much to leave it out. I may try a DIY version soon. The very affordable round hearts tray from Target could work in so many ways--on your coffee table, corralling keys and sunglasses on an entry table, holding Valentine's day cookies and cupcakes. I'm sure you could find a use for it in a girls' bedroom or bachelorette pad year-round.

Have you added any extra love to your space for Valentine's Day?

Mood Board: Gray + White Kitchen

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently designing an entire fictional two-bedroom condo for one of my interior design classes. Last week we presented our kitchen plans.

I am totally in love with kitchens with contrast, especially those with dark lower cabinets and light upper cabinets/walls. For inspiration, I used some kitchens that I found through various sources, including some of my favorite pinners on Pinterest.

Tommy Smythe via House and Home

Via House and Home

Via the Marion House Book

Using inspiration from these and a bunch more pictures (which you can check out on my Pinterest Kitchens board), I came up with this design:

Background color. My plan for this kitchen was to use a gray like Benjamin Moore's Coachman's Cape (CSP-90) for the lower cabinets.

1. I love the look of carrera marble on kitchen counters, but marble can be tough to maintain. So instead of using marble, I selected Silestone in Lyra - a quartz countertop that looks like marble.

2. While some of my inspiration photos had light wood, I didn't like the idea of having such light wood through a kitchen that transitions into a great room. I went with a medium tone wood that looks aged and classic, like this handscraped oak from Home Depot.

3. This one was a no-brainer. Stainless steal appliances like this pretty Frigidaire gas stove from Lowes.

4. Bringing in pops of red in kitchen accessories is a fun way to add color to a neutral room, and it doesn't get more classic than some Le Creuset cookware on the stove.

5. Speaking of classic, this little cow creamer from Williams-Sonoma or Target makes a cute edition to any kitchen (even if you never put creamer in it!).

6. My kitchen wasn't going to have shelves, but I loved the way the natural wood shelves in the second picture above warmed up the room. To add a bit of warm wood to the space I brought in a natural wood cutting board.

7. Adding to the warm tones in the room, I selected brass hardware for the cabinets. This chunky hardware is actually the same design that Aubrey and Lindsay used in their kitchen reno (am I just totally having a Canadian kitchen moment today?).

8. I love shaker style cabinet doors like this Adel door from Ikea. My plan was to use gray shaker style lower cabinets and white shaker style upper cabinets.

9. Subway tile continues the classic theme throughout the space and emphasizes the lightness of the upper area. The slightly dark grout brings a bit of darkness to the upper wall, linking the dark lower cabinets and light upper cabinets. Image is from here, but I was thinking a product more like this.

10. A brass industrial pendant like this one from Circa Lighting is a great mix of industrial and glam. Don't fear the price--this classic style can be found through other sources.

11. Because a stainless undermount sink was the most practical for my project kitchen, I choose a simple stainless pull-down faucet from Home Depot in a traditional style.

12. Who doesn't love a classic Kitchen Aid standing mixer? Since this will probably be stored on a countertop, use the opportunity to bring another pop of red into the space. And did you know you could buy one with a clear glass bowl too?

Mood Board: Gray + Gold + Aqua Bathroom

In one of my classes, we are spending the entire semester designing a small home. The first project was a bathroom. While I had to present the design with a physical design board that contained included floor plans and elevation drawings, I made a mood board so that you guys could get the gist of the design. When I designed it, I wanted the room to have timeless, elegant bones without looking too generic. It's fairly neutral, which makes it easy to add pops of color with a small vase of flowers, artwork, or other items that are easy to switch in and out as you please. Enjoy!

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1. A dark wood vanity like this one from Home Depot anchors the space and looks like a solid piece of furniture instead of a built-in cabinet.

2. Classic carrara marble hexagon tile with lots of gray in it like this sheet from Marbleville adds interest to the floor and reflects light beautifully.

3. A simple roman shade made from this geometric navy indoor-outdoor fabric by Waverly adds some pattern and softness to the room, while resisting mold, mildew, and other stains.

4. Antique brass faucets in a traditional shape like this one from Home Depot give some warmth to the metal fixtures and stray from the usual chrome or polished nickel.

5. Antique brass wall sconces like this one from Restoration Hardware carry the antique brass up the wall and add a little glamour to the room.

6. Two chrome-framed pivot mirrors like this one from Pottery Barn mix up the metals and look more custom than one large mirror.

7. Marble subway tiles like these from Daltile continue to the use of carrara marble but change up the shape in the shower.

8. An antique shower head and faucet like this set from Home Depot brings the antique brass into the shower.

9. Gray textured towels like this one from Target pick up on the gray veins in the marble.

10. A slab of marble like this one from Daltile surrounds the tub.

11. Oil rubbed towel bars like this one from Lowes carry the darkness and contrast of the vanity throughout the space and prevent antique brass from over-powering the room.

12. An antique brass drum pendant like this one from Restoration Hardware adds a little light and romance over the bathtub.

13. A deep, white soaking tub like this one from Lowes gives the room a classic finish in a modern shape.