Eye Candy for your Wednesday

How 'bout some lovelies in the turquoise and blue family today?

One lady who does blue well (understatement of the year) is Fiona Douglas. Her own house was featured in a Design Sponge Sneak Peek and do yourself a favor and check it out. The relaxed vibe and the florals are just over the moon perfection to me. A few images from that house tour are found here today.

Fiona Douglas Sneak Peek on Design Sponge

Great blue door, found via one of my favorites

Archados de decoracao via wszystkieporyroku

I have never seen the balustrades painted like this and I think it's genius!! I want to try this!

Amber Interiors

Sweet little vignette. The color of that mirror is so sick, but it's less candy-colored because of the stain she probably used on top. The stain dirties it up a bit.

Unknown designer via Simply Seleta

This seems so cozy, more appropriate for autumn or winter but I love all of the rich colors in this space.

Eeek... unknown source!

Relaxed but sophisticated with earthy tones. You can just breathe easy in this room, can't you?

The talented Tia Zoldan found via Little Green Notebook

I love the feel of this dining nook... except, it doesn't seem to use the space that well, since it's a round table with two bench seats. Know what I mean?

house of turquoise via wszystkieporyroku.blogspot

One of my all time favorite office spaces. Obviously, the focal point is that ridiculous wallpaper. But it's a functional space as well. The shelf along the wall provides storage, but one shelf keeps it streamlined. Many shelves would just cover up that gorgeous print!

Trine from Fern Living from Design Sponge Sneak Peek

Fiona Douglas of Blue Bell Gray again. Brilliant.

Fiona Douglas Sneak Peek on Design Sponge

Emily Henderson's office is functional and cool looking. That chair! It almost makes sitting down to work a bit of a luxury!

Emily Henderson

I don't think I could live in a space like this, but ohhh I enjoy looking at it.

Rob Brinson and Jill Sharp Brinson's Sneak Peek on Design Sponge

Here's a cool triptych I'd like to try to recreate. It has so much movement and depth, but it would be seriously inexpensive to make.

Unknown artist, found via Jenny Komenda on Babble

Dreamy and beachy. Now, this gets pretty darn close to a theme, which I am intrinsically against. I guess there are exceptions to every rule? In fact, this picture is serving as inspiration for one of my client projects right now.

Matt Albiani in Domino via White and Wander

Last bit of eye candy from Fiona Douglas.

Fiona Douglas Sneak Peek on Design Sponge

I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday and these blues help to provide a sense of calm today.

Bargains on Nashville's Craigslist

I'm proud to admit it. I'm frugal. I love a good deal and I love the hunt. To be clear, though, style is still of utmost importance! This is why I love to troll Craigslist and see what I can find....

If I had the space for it in my house or a client's house, I'd totally be buying this soft moss green velvet couch. It's $100 and it looks like it was really taken care of. The neutral green, the modern lines, and the durable fabric choice make it a win in my book.

Thrilled to say I found a smokin' deal on this modern couch in great condition! We'll be scooping this one up today or tomorrow!

I might have found that birdcage I've been keeping my eyes peeled for... $25. I would offer less and see what I could get.

If I had a little girl's room to decorate right now, I would definitely snag this bluish gray dhurrie rug. I love the detailing of the flowers! 8.5' x 11' for $80. Whaaa! If you have room, you should go get it!

A great sleek bar cart, perfect for holding your bottles and bar accessories. $20.

Stay tuned for more of the best of Nashville's Craigslist... and get excited because I'm putting together some of the worst. Ha!

Inspiration is everywhere, if you just look.

from CarrieCan via wszystkieporyroku.blogspot

Nashville Flea Market and Other Weekend Happenings

I'm headed out to the Nashville Flea Market today to find some treasures for my current client projects.

On my list:

-storage baskets (wire locker baskets, or cloth. 8 of the same is preferred.)

-interesting black and white photography

-inexpensive abstract paintings

-intriguing accessories with height (one idea: an antique birdcage that I plan to spray paint RED!)

-great deals on large mirrors

-turquoise or blue glass vases (client request!)

-long low media console with doors

-trays

Also of note, my dad will be in Tennessee this weekend taking clients to the NASCAR race out in Bristol.... and he has two extra tickets! Ryan are going to tailgate with my dad all day long and experience all that is NASCAR. LOL We are pumped!

Lastly, we are saying a sad farewell to our buddy, Adam, who is moving next week. He's a good friend and we are sad that he is leaving Nashville! Best of luck in Kansas City, Adam!

What are you doing this weekend?

Shopping Chronicles: Shoulda, Coulda, Wouldas... and some Dids!

If you're anything like me, you love to shop. I don't love buying things, necessarily. But I sure love the hunt. And let me tell you about Tennessee's secondhand goodness! Every once in a while I really feel some sorrow about letting some gems go. You might think I'm crazy, looking at a few of these pieces. But it's all about the merchandising once you get the thing home. Making sure it has a proper home where it can be showcased, but where its surroundings make the new "weird" item make sense!

Here are a few beauties I had to let go because 1) I don't have anywhere to put it (hello, Hoarders!), 2) it's not in the budget, or 3) I just missed the flash of genius at the time.

Some wire baskets. Would make such cool hampers or blanket storage.

Baller natural woven coffee table. Great scale (huge!) and love that it's a neutral and transitional at the same time.

My top two favorite things to thrift are books (more about that later) and art, as seen in a previous post. I just ADORE this pencil sketch, framed simply, of a little kid with some massive retro frames. So cute. WHY didn't I get this!? I should have! He's so quirky and weird. He would have made me smile whenever I saw him.
It's no surprise that I'm loving Aztec-ish prints these days. So these ottomans are right up my alley.

This massive, amazing copper tub would have been mine if I had an extra $4,888 lying around. It stayed at the store, natch.

Cool industrial metal console table.

Again with the tribal prints on a big upholstered item. Love it. Looks like it was probably originally a flat weave rug. That, my friends, would be creative repurposing.

This beast is totally awesome but it also had a beastly pricetag so it didn't come with me. (Who left their orange peel on the floor? Bad manners.)

Here's a piece I would die to own one day. So rustic but functional. I would have to have a wine party to fill the sucker though...

Now... here are some things that DID come home with me....

Butterfly throw pillow... printed on tea stained linen. Lovely!
Sick equestrian-style decanter set.

Hand-painted canvas of TN mountains.

Okay, and now to the other of my top two favorite items to search for secondhand. BOOKS! I got these books for next to nothing, and I mean, check out some of these titles! The Book of Inside Information. How to Work a Room. How to Attract Good Luck (which I WILL study!). Oh and at least a few of these I got for FREE. Whaaa? Yeah, it is as they say, "one person's trash..."


Love it. Normally I'm looking for hardcover books exclusively, but with a title and subject matter like this, how can I leave it there? (Leaving it would probably have brought bad luck...)

Where are your favorite places to shop for accessories for your home? What are your favorite things to hunt for in secondhand stores? Tell me about your best score!

XO

Elizabeth

Reading nooks: You couldn't pry me out of here!

I'm currently reading a fascinating book, the most recent selection for my all-ladies-bookclub, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It happens every time I find a riveting book; I want to neglect everything else and just read! With this as my inspiration, I've corralled for you some of my very favorite nooks for reading. Enjoy!

I know this implies a different season, but this where I would be (hot cocoa in hand, wrapped in a blanket) while the Boyf is out skiing. Oh yes.

Skona Hem via Interiors Porn

I love this adobe-type architecture for its nooks and crannies and creamy textured walls. I must post about how my love for it started (my favorite picture book when I was a kid!) Kathryn Ireland is a genius.

Kathryn M Ireland

Making use of a "nothing" nook makes me extremely happy. Built in shelf for books, cushions for a seat, and natural light from a window. An example of how simple design is good design.

Velvet Pallette via wszystkieporyroku.blogspot

Ahhh, daybeds. Putting a daybed in Boyf's man cave was one of the best decisions we made when we moved in here.

Heather of Quince via Design Sponge

I'm not crazy for the sheep dog pouf, but I love all the plush cushions on the bench. And that light fixture is a show stopper. The moody paint helps set the tone for the space, no? Check out the whole space, and take note of the pops of shocking pink throughout. Bold!

Gemma Ahern via Design Sponge

Florals and saturated colors. I'm in. Except I would turn all those pillows. Pillows propped on a corner really annoy me. That green on the mirror is fresh and very now.

Image from Emily Henson

Love that colorful Mexican-inspired print. I have one that is similar and I think it adds energy and fun to a wall.

Built in sitting area from Cathy & Robin of Heath Ceramics via Design Sponge

Tell me that's extra storage under there? Ever-necessary.

Another yummy space from Amie Corley's Sneak Peek on Design Sponge

Rustic earth tones are cozy.

via brydiebrown, originally from abigailahern

Beachy and casual.

Image of great design captured from wszystkieporyroku.blogspot.com, originally from 1st option

Are you reading any good books right now? Do tell!

Natural Elements: Pendant Lighting

My design client loves clean, modern design and her husband loves rustic. One way to marry these styles is in a rustic pendant shade. I've picked out some pendant shades that could work. Their size and scale is modern but the natural materials used make it work for him. I'm going to need three (one over the dining table, one in the entry, and one over her desk which branches off from the dining nook) and we are being as economical and humanly possible. With two babies at home, the priorities for the budget are those cute little girls.... shocker, I know. My challenge is to bring in great style at a minimal price point. Let's do it!

The first is from Ikea and was really my inspiration for the lighting. The Boja Pendant is 18.5" across, 10" tall, and $60. I like how wide and squat it is; it really takes up the space it inhabits, in a good way.

Ikea Boja Pendant

Here's another option I've found from Shades of Light. It is 11" wide, 13" tall and deeply discounted at $49 from $189. My concern is that the lights would be too narrow and wouldn't make enough of a statement in the space.

Shades of Light Wicker Shade Pendant

Now, I love a good DIY like the next person, so when I saw this next one I was pretty excited. Here, they've taken any drum shade and covered it with paint sticks. I really did not see the paint sticks first, which is the hope. Please see the full how-to if you're inspired like me. What do you think? For this one, we will be limited by the size of drum shade I can find and how many stir sticks I can finagle from the paint desk people...

Stained Paint Stick Pendant DIY from theDIYshowoff.blogspot.com, originally from montydob.blogspot.com

Similarly, I was squirming in my chair when I saw this next one: another DIY Pendant Light, made from hemp, inspired by West Elm's Abaca light. The Abaca is great, but at $79, I think we can do better.

West Elm Abaca Pendant

Here's the finished result from the author of the DIY. Really I think it's an impeccable knock off! And with the flexibility of finding a large bouncy ball and cheap materials, we can make it large so that it will be the statement piece we need.

DIY Hemp Pendant from Heika DeHart, featured on craftynest.com

Created with these materials. Crazy-town!

I'm meeting with the client today, so I'm going to bounce these ideas off her. I'll update soon!