Off Topic

Everyone has something that when they see it or hear it or read it they end up having no bodily control over what happens next. For some people, they may be in a bookstore reading something juicy and come to a very, very funny part and have an involuntary fit of laughter, soon after shrinking in their seat from the confused glances from nearby shoppers. For some, it might be word-vomiting the catchy "I know, right?" as soon as someone says something they totally understand and would have said themselves, and then realizing how idiotic it sounded for an adult to say that. I can make my husband cry on command by playing an ASPCA or Humane Society commercial, although unfortunately it doesn't lead him immediately to the animal shelter. I, incidentally, am blessed/cursed with an ability to squeal uncontrolably when I see a cat that I want, which ninety percent of the time is a lynx-point siamese, and it is usually followed by, "Can I get another cat?" I have five now. But cats are like decor here at my house. In fact, the cats have their own furniture. So, I now introduce you to my kids. I mean cats. Since no one is reading this anyway.

Halcyon

Sen

Dusty

Setsu

Reese

Unique Staircases

Here is some staircase inspiration, the last of which will probably end up in my own home.

via Apartment Therapy

via House Doctor

via Design Milk

via Michael Graydon

The Amazing Staircase via Apartment Therapy

via meandmybigmouth.typepad.com

How to Build Staircase Drawers via Apartment Therapy

Here is a how-to... http://www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/index.php?ci_id=2784&la_id=1

Painted Stair Runner via Apartment Therapy

via Ticking and Toile

via Just Beachy

West Elm Wonders

I am in love with West Elm. Every blog I read says not to have too much stuff from the same place in one room (in other words, don't have too many easily recognizable pieces from the same catalog in one room.) They call it matcy-matchy. That will prove very hard for me. Here are the things I love from West Elm:
#1 The moderately priced Large Rectangle Hanging Capiz Pendant, which I WILL own SOON.

#2 The not-so-moderately priced (until they go on sale) Parachute and Pintuck duvet covers. I happen to like the Parachute duvet cover in white and the Pintuck duvet cover in blue. My mother has generously decided to buy a crystal chandelier for my master bedroom to replace the late 90's ceiling fan, so once I get that are hooked up and take pictures of my master bedroom, you will see why I like those two duvet covers in those specific colors.

#3 I can't seem to find curtains I don't like at West Elm, so I'll only share the few that I could actually use right this second.
The crinkle-cotton window panel in citron, as pictured, for my family room.

But as nice and sunny as those are, somehow the idea of white velvet curtains is too tempting to resist, so something like these velvet grommet window panels is still in the running, although I wish they came in a pole-pocket option.

The linen cotton pole-pocket window panel in pear green ( which I WILL own SOON) which is identical to the picture shown here except this one is grommet-top.

#4 My family room desperately needs this ivory and black zigzag rug in the 5x8 size. (In the picture there is also the ivory and brown version.) Some good designers say to purchase your rug first and go from there to design the rest of your room, but I feel that rugs should always have the option to be switched out. If you try to plan the whole room around a specific color in a specific rug and then something bad happens to that rug...well, let's just say it would be easier to keep in mind that the rug you choose may not be around forever.

My dining room, on the other hand, craves this ivory chevron knot rug. Everyone loves chevron.

However, this Lourdes Sanchez bull's-eye rug has the perfect color scheme to match my Taika dinnerware. It wouldn't be too overbearing, either, with plain off-white walls and two black bookcases-turned-china-cabinets.

Then there's this adorable little thing by David Stark, his zebra rug made of 100% jute, which just so happens to be perfect for my upstairs hallway, which currently has a sheepskin rug about ten times too small for the space. Although I could always just buy a bigger sheepskin rug. West Elm has one of those as well.

I know I shouldn't be too matchy-matchy, but all of these things go so well together. It's like all the puzzle pieces of putting my house together just fell into place. And even though I have THREE sets of china (one from my grandmother, one from my mom, and my Taika that I just had to have) I can't resist these neo-baroque pieces from West Elm. Not to mention they go great with Taika if you wanted to mix them.

Well Hellooooo Gorgeous

Check these babies out from Oly Studio at http://www.laylagrayce.com/
I'm afraid to call and see what the prices are. Usually when they don't list the price it means the item is outrageously expensive.

By the way, don't look in any of the seating sections at Layla Grayce because you will feel miserable if you can't buy the ridiculously beautiful pieces.

Considering Home Staging for Daily Life

I was thinking - why personalize your house dramatically when you know you'll be selling in just a few years? It is really hard to think about your house this way. That wallpaper you love is calling out to you but potential buyers won't love it the way you do. You really want to rip out and replace everything but you'll never get all your money back. And it is even harder to see the same flaws in your home that potential buyers will see. Before you buy a house you see most of those flaws, but once you settle in they become invisible. Like the grease stains on my kitchen cabinets or the vinyl flooring by the back door.
I don't want to put all this effort into personalizing my home for such a short stay (5 years?) and then redo everything once it's home-staging and selling time. So why not stage my home and live in it? I'm not saying that I'll completely ignore personalizing it, I just mean to say that I won't do anything crazy. I won't wallpaper the ceiling in the hallways or put in a lime green kitchen backsplash (even though it would look so pretty in the spring.) I'll stick with neutrals, even though I already broke two of the cardinal rules for home staging: don't paint a bedroom with little light a very dark color, and don't let any part of your house have a theme. I painted a bedroom with little light a very dark purple to go with a Moroccan/Indian theme. It looks a thousand times better than before, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Here are pictures of family rooms / living spaces I like that show how you could live in a place that looks a little bit staged, clean, and appealing to many different potential home buyers.

#1 Neutral, sparse and organized with pops of color and natural light. From Dianne Bergeron Interior Design.

#2 Neutral, bright, sparse, clean, organized, and visually appealing. Found via drommhuset blog.

#3 From a preview of High Gloss Magazine, a space that is neutral yet complex, organized yet detailed, a good use of space other than the picture frames in the tight corner, with the dining room flowing well into the next room and vice versa.

One of the things I have learned about home staging and decorating is that cluttered spaces aren't good. This is something I will really have trouble with seeing as I have TONS of stuff. I could have five storage pieces in my bedroom or dining room or kitchen or bathroom and still not have enough room. I am a hoarder in the making. I could fill an entire dresser with magazines. I am anti-throwawayism. Thankfully I have lots of attic space and a huge basement. =) But I do know not to overcrowd a space, so my itty bitty family room, ideally, will have either one small, sleek sofa and two slipper chairs, or one slim sectional and no other seating. This is partly due to the 65 inch TV my husband just HAD to have that takes up almost half of the wall. But my point is, I want people to walk into that room and think it is actually really big. The four oversized pieces of furniture aren't doing that.
I with leave you with two more pictures of well designed family rooms that would make a potential buyer fall in love. The first is from the Tobi Fairley Energy House, the second from Young House Love. Just the right amount of neutrals and color in my opinion!

Rise of the Online Magazine

I am in love with all these new online magazines. Everyone always talks about our "dearly departed Domino" and how some of these online magazines are the perfect cure for its absence. Well, although they can't feel as good as holding Domino in my hand, these are indeed a great cure. Here is a bit of inspiration to go check them out.

Lonny Mag, http://www.lonnymag.com/ covered the absolutely amazing J.K. Place Hotel in Florence and Capri, Italy. The first picture is of the J.K. Place Capri, the second is Palmer Weiss for Lonny, the third is a stunning brown zigzag rug with a teal armchair, and the fourth a lovely and fresh wallpapered bathroom.

Then we have Nesting Newbies - http://nestingnewbies.com/category/magazine/
The first picture is of an awesome dining room they featured, the second of a boy's room loft, and the third of a family room with a capiz shell light fixture.

Next is Rue Mag - http://www.ruemag.com/ Full of home inspiration!
Check out these beautiful bedrooms, and amazing family rooms.

Coming soon is High Gloss magazine, and here is a sneak peek...

 You can see where I get most of my inspiration now.

A Whale of a Good Time

This wallpaper is by Pottok Prints.

And here's a little beluga whale taxidermy via http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlsavage which has adorable "feltidermy" rabbits too.