Parisian Chic Dining Room| Mood Board Monday

I feel like it's been so long since I've done a 'Mood Board Monday'. My brain was so consumed by our formal dining I didn't feel like there was any creative space left to tackle another mood board. But, now that our room is complete, I'm left looking at an unfinished space when I sit on our new couch. So here's to another Mood Board Monday! (You can check out all our other mood boards here).

So here's the room connected to our fabulous formal living room. 

Boy, do I wish it was this clean and empty! Right now its full of misplaced furniture and boxes and definitely NOT a dining room table.  This is the first time we've actually had a dining room and a formal living room- these spaces have stretched me in new ways! 

Because the rooms are adjoined it's important that they flow together with their style and color palette. The wall color will be the same Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice.

But I have a few fun tricks up my sleeve!

Here's my vision for the space in two options because I can't decide which light I like better!

Wallpaper | Mirror | Art | Sign | Chandelier | Art | Table | Chairs | faux florals | Rug

OR

Chandelier

Isn't that wallpaper GORGEOUS! My plan is to use the wallpaper to cover the window wall and leave the remaining walls crushed ice.  The husband is going to DIY a table similar to the World Market one from the mood board. We also want to install a 'fauxdenza' along the wall to add storage. 

Similar to this:

Halle's House

We also plan to add the same crown molding to the space that we used in the living room.  The rug is definitely a tricky part of the room. I used the same blue rug for the mood board, but I'm not sure what other rug I could use as the spaces are essentially one big room. So, if you have any ideas I'd love to hear! 

So, time to dust off the drill and nail gun because this room is about to get hit! I didn't give the husband a deadline this time...but I'm secretly hoping we can have it done in time for my birthday in January. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Which light is your favorite? Anyone build a fauzdenza before? I'm excited for these updates!

Fancy & Formal Living Room| Mood Board Monday

You know what today is! It's Mood Board Monday!!

I'm taking a break decorating for fall to bring you this super fun mood board.  

I feel like I've been dreaming up plans for our formal living room since we first moved in a year ago.  We are getting closer and closer to install so I'm nearing the final stages of picking the big elements like rugs, curtains, and furniture and the equally terrifying and exciting paint color decision.  

I've put together my most recent vision for the space in this mood board and I'm excited to share it with you! Some elements are definitely out of my price range, but there's nothing a little DIY can't make happen.  

This room will serve as an office space but it adjoins to the dining room so it needs to have a great seating area.  Since our whole lower level is open the colors need to flow from room to room so it's no surprise to see some similar colors throughout this space.

So without further ado:

bookcase display /black&whiteprint/fiddleleafprint/artprint/curtain rod/curtains/rug/sofa/coffee table/fiddle leaf fig

It's classic, yet fun, and oh so romantic. That velvet sofa from Anthropologie... Swoon. Not sure the husband is going to go for the $2000 price tag on that so I may have to get creative in my shopping endeavors. Or, if you're out there Anthropologie, I'd really really like to write a review in exchange for this beauty. One can dream right?

The beautiful bookcases are from Sita Montgomery Interiors and we are going to do something similar but with Ikea bookcases. You know I love a good ikea hack! I definitely plan on painting or wallpapering the back of the bookcases but until I decide on a wall color that decision will be down the road a bit. The thought of filling the bookcases with books/art/decor makes me giddy excited! 

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear how you all style your formal living rooms!

I'll be back later this week with the much anticipated Teacher Lounge Reveal! 

Don't forget there is still time to enter the $100 Rug Giveaway! Enter here.

Fall & Chic Front Porch| And A GIVEAWAY!

Happy Mood Board Monday friends!

As much as I hate to admit it, the fall season will be calling our name very shortly.  While I'm super excited about the return of salted caramel mochas (seriously Starbucks I don't know why you can't keep the special salt allll year) I'm not looking forward the cooler temperatures.  But, this is the reality of living in the Midwest.

So, in the spirit of embracing Fall, I created a new mood board for our front porch to give it a little autumnal flare. Oh, and I have a great giveaway for you guys!

You may remember back when I posted about our Summer Front Porch Mood Board. Here's a quick reminder of that one:

In fact, out front porch looks pretty similar to this now! 

It's beautiful and I love so many things about it! The geometric rug, rose trees, and our freshly painted front door. But, it really is a very summery look. To mix things up a bit I created a new board to reflect the new season, I mean you all know by now I can't leave well enough alone!

To play on the summer 'Black and Chic' mood board, I'm calling this new one 'Fall and Chic'.

mirror/House Numbers/Letter S/Blue Door/Mum/gold pot/welcome matt/Striped Rug

I'm loving the updated glam look! I love mums and I can't wait to replace our rose trees (as much as I love them) with a more fall friendly plant.  Adding the gold pots brings so much warmth and it's oh so chic. The mirrors are just a fun way to represent the mirrors I already have on the house. Don't be afraid to decorate the outside of your house too...those walls need some love :) And obvi my last name doesn't start with a 'S' but sadly I couldn't find the 'W' letter and I love the look of this.  

I'm always looking for an excuse to buy a new rug and this front porch is no exception. This indoor/outdoor striped rug look would look so beautiful layered under a smaller "welcome" mat. Who says your front porch can't have not one but two rugs! Now, if I could find a way to bring a floor lamp outdoors in a tasteful way we'd be in business. But speaking of gorgeous rugs, this brings me to our giveaway!!

Hooray!

The kind folks over at Rug Expedition have offered a $100 gift certificate to one of my fantastic readers! Since the black and white striped rug is only $80 for a 3x5 you'd be one step toward a fancier new front porch for free if you win! 

Rug Expedition is a rug lovers paradise. They have a variety of rugs to fit any decor and they offer free shipping. Who doesn't love that?! I recently reviewed one that we placed in our bedroom and it's the softest most luxurious rug I've ever owned...and I've owned a lotttttt of rugs. 

 Looking for a rug pad to prevent your rug from slipping and sliding? Add one to your cart for 50% off using code : '50% pad'  

So, a huge thanks to Rug Expedition for this awesome giveaway. I can't wait to see who wins and what rug they pick! Enter Below! #lovemesomerugs 

What's your favorite way to spruce up your outdoors for fall? Any season decorators out there? 

I'd love to hear from you! 

*affiliate links used

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kate Spade Inspired Kid Closet| Mood Board Monday

Hey guys!
Anyone spend any time doing some closet re-organization this weekend?Yah...probably just us. Who wants to spend all weekend in a closet?! Well when it's going to be as fancy as this then you get giddy excited about it!

Let's dive right in for another edition of Mood Board Monday!

So let's talk about this closet.  It's not your typical hang your coat type space. It's directly to the left when you come into the house through the garage door, so naturally it becomes quite the drop spot.  The previous owners had the walls orange with a plywood platform as a bench, some shelves, and some hooks.  

There is also zero natural light in here or even artificial light.  So, it's an orange cave. The closet is not very big and it's also not your typical rectangular shape.  There are 2 walls each measuring only 23" and 36" wide and then 2 angled walls behind the door frame with a combined width of about 15". It also has a door that swings open towards the garage door so you can imagine this scenario. Someone walks in the garage door and the closet door is open and BAM. No Bueno. 

Here's how we plan to use before the space before we get to the fancy details. This is going to be a drop zone/school closet and will serve all these functions:

• Place for the kids backpacks
• Place for the kids coats
• Store shoes
• Store Winter Items (scarves, hats, gloves)
• Place for incoming/outgoing school papers (you know what a paper nightmare that is!)
• Incoming/outgoing bills
• Store school/homework supplies

That right there is a hardworking little closet.  

So, I got to work planning and designing this powerful little space and came up with this mood board. I'm calling it the Kate Spade inspired kids closet for obvious reasons :)

          calendar/acrylic organizer/wallpaper/bike print/graphic print/shelf/hook/shoe cabinet

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Breathless
Cabinet Color: Gala Pink

Eeeek! Is your heart exploding with all that Kate Spade inspired goodness?! I know mine is!
Now I'm not one for "theme rooms" but when selecting the colors for this closet I did so knowing the closet door would remain off. Since this is in the foyer area, the colors needed to coordinate. BUT I also wanted it to be a fun space that was also chic to encourage organization. Who doesn't want to keep a cute space organized?!

We've already begun demo and I'm not gunna lie seeing that paint on the shoe cabinet is making me a bit nervous! Holding my breathe until it's all put together.
I'm dying to know what you all think! Is this a Kate Spade inspired win or fail?!

Teacher Lounge Restyle| Mood Board Monday

Hi Friends! Happy Monday!

It was unseasonably cool and rainy here in Michigan this weekend but we enjoyed spending it at our last baseball tournament of the season.  Our summer schedule just got a whole lot more clear and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. I like being busy and the kids staying active and engaged all summer. But before you know it it'll be school, band, and hockey rinks so I guess I should just embrace the calm.

Speaking of school, I have a very exciting and extra special mood board monday today!

A few months ago I was asked by my daughter's middle school to help them make over their teacher lounge as a back to school surprise for their staff.  I was super flattered they asked and was anxious to get a look at the space. 

So, we met up at the school one morning and it was clear we had our hands full and luckily a whole summer to spruce it up.  

I'll just get started with the before's:

Pretty boring eh? It was essentially a square brick box. Also there is zero natural light so I apologize for the yellow looking pictures!  As I sat and talked with the ladies the ideas started flowing and before you know it we had a clear vision for the space.  In my mind I divided the room into a lounge area, gallery wall, work station wall, and kitchen. Our goals were to have the room be inviting, warm, and cozy (within a set budget) and who doesn't deserve a gorgeous space more than teachers?! They shape the minds of our children day in and day out and are often under appreciated.  Having an opportunity to collaborate on this space is so heart warming. 

So, I pulled together ideas from our brainstorming sessions and came up with this mood board for the lounge with those goals in mind. 

Shelves/goldstar/succulents/baskets/mirror/frame/stripe pillow/pillows/couch/coffee table/chair/Rug

This is the vision for the "lounge" space of the room. For the paint color I chose Sherwin Williams "Olympus White" because its clean and simple with just a hint of color. The ladies had already put together some pieces from Ikea they wanted to use (the couch and chairs) and I embellished from there.  Because we had a large wall to fill, I added in these super versatile and inexpensive vittsjo shelves. They can be customized to virtually any color (thank you spray paint) and will look cozy with the addition of sea grass baskets, faux plants, and other decorative accessories.  

You all know how much I heart rugs so selecting the perfect one was no small feat. I really wanted to infuse some color into the space since there's no natural light, but in a way that wasn't crazy and chaotic.  This rug was the PERFECT fit to bring everything together.  

What do you guys think so far? Hey, I'd wanna hang out in here and flip through a magazine on my lunch break! 

The other area of the room needing some attention was a very large brick wall. It currently has two large cork boards attached to it but I can see the potential beyond that.  My idea was to create a focal gallery wall to showcase photographs, kids artwork, and inspirational messages.  What better way to do that than a striped wall?

wreath/letters/art work/mirror

By using various size frames and decorative elements this wall will stand out as the feature of the room. I'm super excited about the potential of this space and can't wait to see this wall come to life! 

The other area of the room needing a serious update was the kitchen wall. With mauve pink formica counters and cabinets this space was begging for a makeover.  Without a budget to remove and replace cabinets we had to create a vision with using the existing structure.  So, paint and new hardware to the rescue! Oh, and we do get to update the appliances to stainless steel so that's a huge bonus!

And the vision for the space:

We agreed on white on the uppers (Sherwin Williams Alabaster) and dark grey on the lowers in the same color as the stripe on the wall to be more economical.  For the countertops we discussed using the Rustoleum Countertop Kit because at $20 it was definitely in the budget.  After a lot of research, we did paint the counter but thats a whole other post I'll share with you guys! Oh, and that vending machine in the corner? Don't think I haven't been thinking of ways to cover that up. Can you wallpaper a vending machine? hmmm.

The final wall will house their industrial size copy machine and work table so I didn't think that space was worthy of its own mood board :) BUT, we still have plans to make it pretty! 

Fast forward a few months and we've been working hard in that room along with some staff at the school to transform this lounge.  I'm SO excited with how things are coming along and I can't wait to share the progress. I will definitely be working on the Rustoleum countertop post to share with you guys.

It feels so good to spend time doing something for others doesn't it? Anyone else spending their summers helping others? 

I'll be back later this week with some updates in the 'ol bedroom.

______________________________________________________________________

Mood Board Monday| Pink & Chic Living Room

Happy Monday friends!

Hope you all had a great weekend! I just want to say a great big 'thank you' for all the love and sweet comments on our Updated Entry sponsored in part by At Home. Head there if you haven't so you can enter for a chance to win a $50 At Home gift card. Giveaway ends in one week!

Today, I'm bringing back Mood Board Monday!

It's been awhile since I've done a mood board post but boy have I been saving up for a good one.
Our main level is evolving and getting us one step closer to completion (well as complete as any space ever gets). With our fireplace room complete and our entryway 95% done I am looking forward to creating a dreamy space in our formal living room. But, let's face it...there is nothing formal about me or my family. We are a hockey playing, movie-quoting, pizza eating family that truly lives in our home. Sure, I like allll the fancy things. But, I'm realistic about how our spaces will be used. Well...most of the time. I did just have a quarter of my house's walls painted white which I'm sure will be a magnet for grubby little paws. Oops!

So, today instead of creating a mood board that's practical I decided to get a little crazy and create a space that exists in all of my living room dreams. That's a thing right? Living room dreams? No prince charming riding in on a white horse for me. Just talk to me in rich silk curtains, built in bookcases, and deliciously pink rugs.

Now, I've never had a formal living room before this house. Our last living room was about 300 square feet and was also the main space you saw when entering the house.

What I loved about this space was the neutral wall color, our layered rugs, and the coziness of the whole room. The oodles of storage we built in to conceal games, movies, and even our printer made the room feel less cluttered.  I had to decorate very intentionally to conform to our space needs which left little room for any other furniture arrangements or additional pieces.

Disclaimer: We actually had more furniture in this room than the picture shows. We had a full size couch in addition the chair you see and the love seat. But these pictures are from a staged version of our home to sell.

Now what elements make up a dream living space you might ask? I'm glad you asked. Here are a few inspiration images from some extremely talented folks.

Studio Mcgee

The Every Girl

Abby Capablo Styling

I mean...gorgeous right? Here's what makes these spaces gorgeous and dream-worthy:

A gorgeous area rug

A statement chandelier

Mixed Metallic Accents

Neutral walls

Soft colors mixed with black

 A luxurious sofa

So, when I decided to create the most dreamy living room mood board, I was inspired by these spaces and one fantastic rug. In fact, this rug set the tone for the whole space. So, without further ado I bring you my 'Pink and Chic Living Room'.

Thank you Arhaus for this exquisite, I-wanna-pet-you rug of my dreams. How could this rug be anything but inspirational?  To balance the frilly and feminine pink, I paired some gorgeous navy chairs, a luxurious white linen sofa and of course a neutral on the walls to really let the key pieces of the room be the star. You can find many other sofa options here in the Arhaus sofa section! There was a fabulous tufted option that almost made the cut!

I also further expanded on the mood board, adding in more decorative elements in this version of the space:

You'll notice I did a little lamp switcheroo in this one. I prefer the blue brush stroke lamp in the first version but you can't go wrong with a classic white lamp. I also can't help myself...I have to sprinkle in a little wallpaper everywhere I go! I'm thinking wallpaper backed built ins? Accent wall? You really can't go wrong either way. It's gold, glam, and gorgeous.

Let's get to the details of the space. I selected quality, top of the line pieces for my dream living room because in your dreams there is no budget! :) With that said, I fully believe you get what you pay for and investing in quality pieces can save money in the long run. I would absolutely invest in a top-notch sofa like the Arhaus one in the mood board. Invest in quality pieces and you will save in the long run.

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams 'Alabaster' (SW color of the year 2016)

Art Work: Parima Studio 

Chandelier: Arhaus 

Sofa: Arhaus

Blush Pillows: CB2

Dot Pillow: Milia Bazaar

Ombre Pillow: Caitlin Wilson

Brushstroke Lamp: Jana Bek Design

End Table: Arhaus

Rug: Arhaus

Pink Ottoman: One Kings Lane

Armchair: Pier 1

Striped Pillow: Kate Spade

Midnight Curtains: West Elm

Wallpaper: Anthropologie

Bookshelf: Pottery Barn Teen

So that's it folks. This is the living room of my dreams and hopefully of yours too! 

Hart of the Home| Mood Board Monday

Hello and Happy Monday!

It was a beautiful weekend here in West Michigan! The kids both had recitals on Saturday which led to many proud mama moments. On Sunday we worked on sprucing up the yard and our front porch. Here was a sneak peak I posted on Instagram:

Still more to do on the list but I'm happy with how it's turning out so far! You can check out my mood board for this space here.

Speaking of mood boards...you know what today is!

A friend recently asked me to help her decorate her newly renovated living/dining room space.  I said YES! grabbed my paint deck and headed over to check it out.  She recently had beautiful hardwood floors installed and had bought some great key furniture pieces so it was just a matter of pulling it all together.  After deciding on a color scheme and her likes and dislikes, we took inspiration from my previous master bedroom.

The burnt orange, teals, and subtle mustard yellows were calling her name. I knew the rug was the key piece in pulling the bedroom together and would also be key in her new living space. 

Floral Bell Hand Tufted Indoor/Outdoor Rug| Target

I just happen to have it sitting in my basement not being used. So...it's hers! 

Using this rug as our key element, I created this mood board I'm calling "The Hart of the Home" because that's her last name and also the main hub of the house. I know, I have problems.

End Table/Lamp/Mirror/Letter H/Arrow Print/Heart/Chair/Pillows/Yellow Pillow/Throw/Jute Rug/Lamp/Roman Shade/Table/Couch

I can't wait to hop right on that couch with a cup of coffee! I selected a grey sectional similar to the one she had just purchased and added in other elements lacking in the room.  I just love how it turned out.  We plan to DIY many projects in the room but I also selected pieces that were reasonable in budget. I can't wait to help her bring this mood board to life! We have some great tricks up our sleeves to make this room truly the "hart of the home". I'll be sure to post before/afters once we complete this room re-do.  

Stay tuned! 

Have a great Monday! I'll be back this week with a foyer in progress post.