Spring Indoors

I'm really craving Spring. It's still in the 30's outside, but I'm fishing around for ways to bring the atmosphere of Spring into my home. I'm loving these ideas.

What about you guys? How do you brighten things indoors and celebrate the colorful explosion of Spring? (Besides the cleaning, of course, he he he...)

1. Indoor garden | 2. Dipped mini planters | 3. The Mod Collective

A Cozy Seattle Home

Every now and then I come across a real gem. The kind that makes you think "by golly, why didn't I think of that?" or carries you off to a cozy oasis in your head. The Seattle home I'm about to show you a glimpse of is one of those.

Its owners, Ryan and Michele, also own Homestead Seattle, a business that sells beautiful one of a kind furniture pieces. I can see that they love what they do because the same philosophy has carried over to their home. They've taken the 1903 home and made it unique and inviting.

Kirsten Marie Photography

Kirsten Marie Photography

Kirsten Marie Photography

Michele and Ryan, on their wedding day. More at: Kirsten Marie Photography

I love the natural light and exposed beams in their home. But the best part of it all is that it feels personal, and that's exactly what a home should be.

Unless otherwise noted, the photos in this post belong to Homestead Seattle.

Around the House + Dresser Makeover

Hello all,

It's a beautiful sunny day outside, and as much as my nose is stuck in grad school books, I couldn't help but stop to enjoy it. I went around the sun filled house and snapped a few photos. If there's one thing I loved about our home it's the ample amount of windows. We can take in the sunrise from the back half of the house and the sunset from the front. 

Little rosemary plant from my sister-in-law. 

Organizing my paint swatches.

Scratch map get on our wall!

I haven't shared as many photos so far as I'd planned...it's mainly because projects always take longer than you anticipate. I want to share before and after photos but I'm still holding out for the "after"s. I do have one though! I bought an awesome wooden dresser with dovetail drawers from Goodwill. It cost me $20 and with an extra $20 I was able to make it over with new paint and knobs.

Painting furniture beats walls any day. It's glorious seeing a piece come to new life with such a small labor of love. How did I do?

Spring Sprouts!

I've been thinking about spring this week. I've loved and embraced my first midwestern winter, but I suppose the Floridian in me is finally catching up. Now I'm eagerly anticipating when I'll be able to walk outside unhindered by coat and scarf and sink my fingers into cool soil.

1. Art & Appetite | 2. Luci Everett | 3. Kekkila | 4. Sanna & Sania

I've never had my own garden, but I've watched my parents till the ground and helped place seeds in little mounds. This year though, I finally have a place and space to try my own hand at gardening. I think I want to begin an herb garden first. I'm undecided though whether I should start it indoors our outside...and in general I've been hunting for all the tips and inspiration I can get.

Do you garden? Please share your wisdom with me!

Retail Inspiration

What do shops and cafés have to do with home decor? Well, I've found they're a darn good place to draw home inspiration from.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed my board, S H O P. I often daydream of owning my own store, and recently those daydreams have helped me envision my home.

Lily Vanilli Bakery, London* | Stable Café, San Francisco

General Store, San Francisco* | Hotel Central & Cafe, Copenhagen*

Each of these storefronts have a way about them. From the moment you spot them on the street, the colors, window lighting, and sign design, make a statement. They speak to you about what they are and the type of experience you can have in them. This idea has led me to ask what I want my rooms to say. If you've ever wondered how to incorporate elements you love into one cohesive look in a room, you probably see where I'm going.

Rooms, like cafés and boutiques, can evoke feelings and help create memories that keep you coming back. For example, when I'm at my in-laws, I enjoy eating breakfast in the living room because the big windows with gauzy curtains have a calming effect and the soft light helps me wake up.

Here are three steps I've come up with to help create a room with a confident identity:

1. Predetermining the atmosphere of your room. Do you want it be warm and cozy, cool and calm you or bright and energizing?
2. Buy/create decor that you feel fits the predetermined atmosphere.
3. Re-evaluate as you go along. If you realize the new bright red chair isn't really aiding the calming effect you had in mind, nix it/move it to another room.

Ok, now I'll stop talking about rooms as if they're people...

*I was unable to find the original source of this image. :(

You can find me in the kitchen!

Our home remodel has kicked into high gear the last few weeks and I know it's been reflected here on the blog. So much of what we're doing is relevant for this space though; I really hope to share more in the following weeks. I'll start with a little update first...

Our main focus recently has been the kitchen. When we bought our home the kitchen was, well, an eye-sore. The cabinets were ok in condition but someone had done a horrible paint job on them and the overall design didn't maximize the space's potential. Horrendous wall-paper adorned the walls and chipping lamenate countertops tied it all together. I was so glad to see it all go, and now after a week of hanging drywall over the old plaster walls and painting, we were finally able to buy our kitchen!

We decided to go with Ikea for cabinets and oak butcher block countertops. I've read countless positive reviews on the products and it's saving us a great deal of money too. But like all Ikea goodness, it means a lot of work: assembling, hanging and sealing (the countertops). We like a challenge though. (At least so far.) I'm excited to see how it all turns out.

I plan to share before and after photos, but until then here's a peak at some kitchens that've inspired our planning process.

Are you in the midst of a room remodel? I'd love to hear about it. I hope you all are having a wonderful week! 

Image links: Glass tile kitchen | Butcher block kitchen | Farmhouse kitchen | Gold hood kitchen

Make a Statement | furniture style

In my last post, I shared art pieces that I love for adding color to a room. But there are many other ways to bring pizazz to a space too, like bold colored furniture. As you can see from the pictures above, a colorful living room chair or kitchen barstool can make all the difference in a room's atmosphere. Most people stick with neutrals because it feels more safe, but bold elements don't have to be over the top or a budget-breaker. 

This week I was scouring a thrift store and found a beautiful, lightly used, canary yellow couch. Originally from Crate and Barrel, I know the couch easily cost anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 new; I scored it for $50. Patience is a great rule of thumb when trying to find budget-friendly decor that's outside the box for you. Here are a few tips for incorporating statement pieces in your home.

Visit my Boards and Ideabooks for more of what's inspiring me this week.

Living room | Kitchen barstools | Floral Couch, Anthropologie | Yellow cabinet, Country Living | Bold room, Planete Deco | Turquoise Dining, The Style Files