Clean Out & Re-do

You can call it "nesting" or whatever suits you, but I am in major clean out & re-do mode.  I know we have 4 1/2 months until bebe will join us in our apartment, but my thoughts are to get the "grunt" work done now so then I can focus on the fun stuff - the nursery!  And since that said nursery will be in the corner of our bedroom for the first couple of months (yes, we will still be in our one bedroom apartment when bebe gets here) I want all this junk in our house gone!

So, first things first - my closet!  I have already cleaned out my shoes, purses, accessories and clothes and have sent them off for donation.  I'll probably do another round once bebe gets closer because I still have WAY TOO MUCH, but it's a start.  Then I'm moving on to the rest of the house - decorations, kitchenware, furniture.  I only want the essentials, and I want everything to feel very minimal and clean yet still have plenty of character (like all the images above.)

I am gravitating toward white and gray in the nursery corner (because bebe's gender will be a surprise), and that has me on a kick to make everything in the house mainly white.  White has always been my first love in interiors and makes any house seem so light and airy, which I love and will probably need once all the bebe stuff starts to take over!

So, now you know what I'll be doing the next couple of weekends...cleaning out and getting rid of all our excess "stuff" we've accumulated over the past couple of years.  Where, oh where did it all come from?!

images via 1, 2, 3, 4

A Little Pink Never Hurt Anyone

via here and here

White is Right

Summer comes along every year, and I just want everything to be clean and fresh at home.  (The 103 degrees outside probably has a lot to do with it!)  I don't want clutter.  I don't want junk.  I don't want color overload.  I want white, white and more white.  

White is right...so right for summer!

I am in the mood to clean out and go all minimal on you because there is just no other option when it's SO HOT outside!  

White, white, white...that's all I want.  (OK...maybe just a little bit of color too!)

images 1, 2, 3, 4

West Elm and Alyson Fox

Does something ever just JUMP out at you and speak to you?  Well, it happens to me quite a bit - in a magazine, at a store, in a movie, on the street . . . you get the picture.  These pillows at West Elm did just that when I flipped through their latest catalog.  Then, when I read more about them online and found out they are from Alyson Fox (a Texan), it sealed the deal.  I must have these!

And who would've thought I'd be drawn to pastels?  It's a rarity, but I'm glad for it.

available at West Elm

Moody with a Little Grunge

  

The mood is perfect for Halloween, right?  I really like the idea for this bathroom but would not want to get ready each morning with no counter space.  Let alone no mirror!  Let alone the hubby standing right next to me trying to get ready as well.  Tight quarters does not equal pleasant mornings.  (Trust me, I've learned this lesson from first-hand experience.) 

But I'd like to have it as the "extra" bathroom.  "Extra" meaning that you just get to go in and look at and enjoy the space, but not really use.  (Not the most practical idea I have, I know!)

via here 

Texture

If you would have asked me 5 years ago would I have animal skin in my home, I would have quickly answered "uh-uh, no way!"  (I would have also been a little appalled at the idea.)  But now, that's all I want - layers upon layers of cowhide rugs and fur pillows.  That rich texture is drawing me in, and I would gladly be there all day!

via here

Home Inspiration

Lauren Moffatt is one of my favorite designers, and after seeing her home featured on Design Sponge, it is now one of my favorite spaces!  I love how everything is so minimal but still has a lot of spunk.  White, wood and hints of color - that's right up my alley.

You can see the whole sneak peek over here!

Color Craze

In the past I used to be afraid to use so much color, but lately I have been bolder with my choices.  I want strong rich colors (like this purple scheme above) but also something that is easy and comfortable. 

I am still torn between all white and all color, but if you would make me decide today, I would have to go with all color.  What about you?

via apartment therapy

It's In The Details

Design is all in the details.  (I've probably mentioned this a time or two . . . or three.)  It's the small touches that scream to me most of the time.  The way you arrange your side table, the vase you chose to display flowers, the combination of prints you put together.  The big choices are easy and straight forward, but the small ones, the small ones speak volumes.

I love this vignette going on above - low key and simple.

via here

A Bright Spot

I am a huge fan of The Selby.  I love seeing inside people's homes (from all over the world) when they are not so "done up" for a magazine spread.  It's refreshing and natural to see a home with character and a "lived in" quality that does not come with a  high priced interior designer tag.

This is one that just "spoke to me" right off the screen.  I love the colors and boho feel of every room.  Check it all out here.  You won't be disappointed!

Small Space

Who says you have to have a big house to display style?  I'm going to go on the record and say that it takes more to show your style in a smaller space than a larger one.  You have to know when to add and most importantly when to take away when you are working with less square footage.

And that's why I enjoy seeing home tours of houses that are on the smaller side, including this one from Country Living. 

I think I'm going to incorporate that mini bar and photo display into our little abode!

Curl Up

This spot makes me want to curl up with a good book or one of my many (too many) magazines and hibernate all day.  Especially on this Monday!  Who could turn down that perfectly worn leather love seat and the most adorable pillow on earth?

via here

Antlers

I have been on the hunt for antlers for quite some time now, and after running across these images, my fondness only deepens.  I love the rustic (and I am not a rustic girl by any means) and eclectic look it adds to a modern space.  Quirkiness, for me, is a big draw and man, oh man are these babies drawing me in.

via here

Paper Train

To paper or not to paper?  I say paper, and by paper, I mean wallpaper!  I have been obsessed with wallpaper for years now and can't wait to get my own house, so I can go crazy with wonderful prints just like these.  The only reason I want to buy a house sometimes is just for the decorating.  Is that horrible to say?  We, renters, are so limited in our options!

via here

Snuggle Up

Lately, I've been kind of obsessed with southwest blankets.  Our house is full of quilts, but I'm thinking of adding a little Navajo flair to the group.  There's not much better than snuggling up in a pretty blanket.

via pinterest

At Home with Adam Levine

At Whole Foods this weekend, I took the pleasure to glance through the new Architectural Digest and found myself pleasantly surprised by Adam Levine's home.  I knew he was a stylish beau, but was very impressed with his taste at home (or his interior designer's taste!) 

Isn't this such a rock star pad?  I think the hubby is still drooling over that car and piano.  (To tell you the truth, I'm still drooling over that car, and I'm not even a car fan!)

via here

Inspiration: Home

These images are inspiring me to give our little home a "touch up." 

via pinterest

Wowza!

Check out that brick wall and wood beam ceiling - LOVE!  I'm a fan of this dark, grungy feeling but am also an avid lover of clean, modern white.  Which avenue do I go with?  How about both!  Why should I have to choose? 

luella loves

Dontcha' Think

  . . . a pink desk would be fun?!

via design sponge

Wood Beams

I am completely obsessed with this space.  The white...the wood...the modern, funky accessories - LOVE!  Even though we do NOT have the space for this at all, I am tempted to go buy a long wood dining table with some retro white chairs this weekend.  Are you as inspired as I am? 

via lonny