Mood Board: Kitchen & Dining Nook

Hello friends! Today I thought I'd share a basic mood board I whipped up for a small space, the kitchen nook. I've been surrounded by some amazing design lately (in some unexpected places) and I thought I'd put that inspiration to good use. This board uses some simple and versatile pieces to add a little bit of fun.

I'm in love with the geometric light fixture, and lately have been digging cozy little dining nooks with banquettes. They just seem so inviting and comfy - much more than a simple place to eat or pay bills.

What features do you love seeing in your favorite (actual or dream-house) dining/living spaces?

Mood Board: That Brown Sofa

I would LOVE to know how to style a room with builder-fresh beige walls and a brown sofa. And, based on the search terms that are bringing so many of you to my humble little house blog, so would you!

The brown sofa has continued to be a challenge because it can make this already-small room look even smaller. The "brown sofa room" is the one I just can't seem to figure out, no matter what I try. But lately, Pinterest has stirred up a few ideas... which I've pinned on my Brown Sofa Pinterest board.

West Elm and World Market gave me the inspiration for this mood board. I normally make mistakes on the side of too much color, too much of the wrong colors, or forget to include texture. This one balances out the white molding, white wooden blinds, and white frames. And since most of it is neutral, maybe I won't blow so much money on a colorific rug I'll get tired of looking at in a few months. Instead, I brought in a few color accents in the form of accessories, an art which I am still learning.

This mood board incorporates a lot of the pieces I already own, including a pair of lovelies, Cute-as-a-button Erin chairs from World Market. You'll also see dark woods, a textured jute rug, and some metal accents in the lamp and curtain rods. I softened up the look a little with a throw and some baskets. The jury's still out on the artwork that should go above the sofa... for me, I'm thinking a six-panel frame wall of outdoor lamps and light fixtures around town ('cause I love lamp.). I've been wandering the streets in our vacation destinations taking pictures of old painted brick walls and industrial-looking awning lighting. That might just work!

Source list coming soon.

Meanwhile, check out the nursery mood board I made yesterday.
Enjoy!

9/9/2012: Update --! Kate at Centsational Girl just wrote an amazing post on decorating with a brown sofa, here, on her Better Homes and Gardens blog.

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Nursery Mood Board

Guess what?? I'm gonna be an aunt!!

Yep, these two are having a baby!

They're going to be the most fun parents ever... I'm positive. Aren't they cute??

And did I mention we found out in a card?! (another story for another day)

The Mood Board
A lil' nugget is probably a little more down the road for me and Ben, so I thought I'd have fun making a nursery mood board that is uniquely Jaz & JC. I chose the Feria Sevilla print and worked it out from there. The wall color I selected is a calming, soothing green (however, since JC's soccer team's rival color is green, this might not fly. "His" colors are red and yellow... I tried!). I liked paint colors Central Park and Landscape (green) by Benjamin Moore.

And the rug? Well, you know I adore this rug, but since it is called the Andalusia rug and we're adding some Spanish influence, this was completely meant to be. The pillow is an Etsy find, made with textiles from Spain.

Source list:

Hot air balloon mobile - Etsy | Giraffe - Etsy | Crib - Target | Nightstand - West Elm | Lamp - West Elm | Feria Sevilla Print - Ebay | Hedgehog bookends - PBKids | Pillow - Etsy | Nursery chair - Pottery Barn | Yellow Andalusia rug - West Elm

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Feeling Blue

A year later and I haven't made any progress on liking the master bedroom. I used to be on a yellow and grey kick, but while I was working to finish the fireplace room and my DIY Pottery Barn knockoff mirror, I had a new revelation. Dark blue walls in the master bedroom.

I put together this inspiration board with the thought that the room should be both pretty and functional (i.e. sleep-inducing!). Blue walls in the bedroom = relaxing! I had to work around a few constraints for my board. Specifically, I might be vampire. When I sleep, it has to be d.a.r.k. dark. So, the walls needed to be some kind of dark light-absorbing color and the white Ikea curtains I lined with blackout material should remain. Also, I'm not changing out the carpet. It's the same beige carpet that graces our floors on the entire second floor of our house (all of the bedrooms). And last, we own a bunch of matchy-matchy dark wood pieces similar to the nightstand you see below, including headboard, pair of nightstands, dresser, and chest of drawers. For the sake of not spending an arm and a leg, those stay safe - for now! I have an idea to "slipcover" my headboard to change it up a bit.

For paint color, I'd choose something like Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, Vermont Slate, or Bella Blue.

All in all, I was going for a put-together, natural, and collected look. My favorite parts of this inspiration board are the swiss army blankets, bench (which I intend to DIY), and rope (incorporated through a lamp or some kind of accessory). It just gives me that warm and cozy feeling -- this is the type of bedroom I want to wake up in!

Mood Board: Rug Rambling

Time for another mood board!

I went shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, getting some good deals on home decor items. Most notably, the Tilda Rug was on clearance at Crate & Barrel, plus they were running a coupon code for 15% off of your entire purchase - including sale items. Now, I've been patient... I have watched that rug for months, hoping it'd go on sale. Finally, it did! I deliberated forever and polled everyone I knew to determine whether the current 5'x8' rug was too small for this sad, sad space:

Current rug... too small?

Same rug, centered in the room

...Please excuse the clutter. One problem at a time! :)


Survey results: that rug is too small. Some people thought it was an appropriate size. Do you agree?

There are tons of "rules" written about rug size and placement of furniture, and the ones most people refer back to are: a) all legs of furniture on the rug or b) front legs of all furniture on the rug. The 5'x8' size was $199 - 15%. That's over $300 less than the 8'x10' size! At that point, this rug was becoming an investment. I really wanted the 5'x8' size to work, and layering it with a larger jute rug or something less expensive was even less expensive than diving head-first into the larger single rug. If I know myself at all, I'd end up spending that $300 anyway - somehow - on some other solution I end up liking much less. So, I pulled the trigger just minutes before midnight on Cyber Monday.
Lesson learned: If you're going to buy a rug, get one that's the right size, good quality, and a design you like. You're going to be looking at it for a long time!

[Photos: Crate & Barrel]

A close-up. Subtle but colorful!

Hopefully you've noticed another new addition to the front room - the coffee table! It's the Levinson Coffee Table from Pier1, which is on clearance right now for $89 down from $199. I've been lusting over metal and glass tables, since I knew the DIY ottoman (in the earlier photo) was cool, but too much dark fabric for that space. 89 bucks for a iron and glass table? Yes! I reserved it online at Pier1 ToGo (their online way of calling dibs on products for pick-up in store), I dragged Ben up to Greenwood to go get the table, and once the associates found it, they realized there was a small scratch in the paint. The scratch was the size of my fingernail, and barely noticeable! So, they took another 10% off of the clearance price for me. That totals $81 for this $200 table. Woot!

[Photo: Pier1] We left the bottom glass layer
off so Todd the bunny can sit under the table.

If you've been following along, I've been forever trying to come up with a good solution to work around that brown sofa, too. Besides that, that imposing 48" tv that has to stay here until we finish the basement. Lots of challenges, but I think I'm finally getting somewhere.

So on with the mood board already! Here is the plan in motion, with plenty of pillow options:

Although the final result won't look exactly like this, it'll be close. I'm excited about this room for the first time ever. Build the room around the rug. I get it now!

Breaking it down:

• Table lamp - Posh Tots, Small Uma Crystal Table Lamp - $144 (Similar one for $40 at HomeGoods)
• Side table - Oka, Low Table in Ebony/Brown - $185 (Mine is similar, from Value City Furniture)
• Gallery frames - Ribba Frames from Ikea - $29 each
• Artwork - Crate & Barrel, Focus Print I and II - $149 each. I'm DIY-ing artwork in this abstract style, called bokeh. If you have Photoshop or an SLR camera, you can too!
• Area Rug - Crate & Barrel, 8'x10' Tilda Rug - $499 (on sale!)
• Accent Chairs - Craigslist find, $25 each. I'll reupholster them in a linen-like fabric.
• Pillows - blue from Inhabit - 1929 in Cornflower, $45; grey from 2Modern - Bholu, $99; green trellis from Layla Grace, Geo Print Green Pillow Pair - $118; yellow top from All Modern - Inhabit Cattails throw pillow - $60; orange from PoshTots, Cintron Scaled Pillow - $70; coral from Layla Grayce, Company C Pillow - $145.
• Basket - Oka, Rattan Basket - $59 

What do you think - you like?

Linking Up at:

http://www.remodelaholic.com

Mood Boards: Turquoise Living Room

My sister's moving back into the house we grew up in in Cleveland, which is now empty and desperately in need of some TLC. It has been years since anyone actually lived in this house (long story). These days, I feel like I barely recognize the place because everything about it is so different from what it used to be, but a little bit of attention can turn it around...

A little background: I have never known another house in my life! I was lucky enough that I never had to move to a new town or be "the new kid," but this is certainly more ideal as a starter home for people who aren't afraid to DIY. A few years ago, I had a dream that this house was sold and given over to a new owner... it was so devastating and sad, I woke up crying! The house itself is a small 1950's bungalow, somewhere around 1,200 sf. It's on a main street, so traffic and privacy through the front windows can be an issue. Honestly, though, this house has some serious potential - it just needs someone to do it!

Megan's got a finance degree from Cleveland State, and after spending some time in the working world, she's decided she's going back to school to be a dental assistant. Like any student, she has an extremely little budget to manage this transformation. The more she can DIY, the better! And she's not afraid to make things or get her hands dirty. Unlike me, she's always been more of the creative type...don't let that finance degree fool you! She designs and makes custom decals, creates/sells her own specialty dog treats on Etsy, and is completely opposite the engineering nerd that I am.

Yes, those are ice cream-shaped dog cookies.

Megan and her dog, Goober (a shiba inu)

The project: Words can't even describe this living room, so here are some snapshots that Megan calls the "lovely little pics to jog your memory." This can only become an amazing before and after. Here are the before shots:

The furniture is covered to protect it from dog and cat fur.

That's the front door on the left.

With zero experience in anything even resembling home decor, she brought me a bunch of pictures and links to rugs and items that she'd love to put in her space. How do you decorate a room for the first time? Make a mood board. With the tight budget she's on, better make mistakes on a computer screen than buying and returning at the store! (Of course, I also recommended Pinterest!)

I was super impressed with what she came up with. Check it out -- she's really into the Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie style, which is where most of these items come from.

All I've heard is that she just bought a ton of paint over the weekend and is about to get to work! Each of these ideas have tons of personality in them, and I can't wait to see what the room actually looks like when she's done.

How about you? Have you ever used a mood board to design your room?

The Day I Learned to Photoshop

If you've been to MochiHome recently, then you recognized our room/bunny featured in this post by the amazing Carly. Have I mentioned she is a genius?

After admiring Carly's work, I decided to try Photoshopping for myself. (Stupid joke alert: It is a much less expensive alternative to just shopping)  But now, I know enough to be dangerous!! With much Googling, I gave our master bedroom a makeover. You know the one - the green one that I could never figure out.

Here are two options: a) paint required and b) no painting necessary. This little exercise was so much fun, albeit time-consuming! It definitely saved me money in the long run and saved time in buying/returning stuff... it also got me thinking about purchasing/incorporating items I'd never have considered before. You can't blame me, though - c'mon, I'm engineer. It's been a long time since my left brain got some exercise! 

But first, the current state:

And now.... #1, with source list:

Paint, Valspar Almost Charcoal - Lowe's, ~$75

Chandelier, Lowe's, $150

Ribba frames, Ikea, $15 each and $25

Alang table lamps, Ikea, $19 each

Curtain panels, Target, $29 each

Duvet (owned), Ikea, free

Yellow quartz pillow cover, West Elm, $19 on sale!

Tulip shams, West Elm, $24

8'x10' Zigzag rug, West Elm, $479 (5'x8' -- $249)

Cherry blossom bird pillow, Etsy, $28

Total for this room: $520 + $479 rug (which I consider optional) = $999

Here's #2, the no-paint option and source list:

Above: 

Cream faux leather accent chair, Target, $110 on sale!

Bull's eye silk pillow, West Elm, $34 

Alang table lamps, Ikea, $19 each

Ribba Frames, Ikea, $14.99 each

Custom Wall Decal, Amazon.com, ~$35 

Grey pom-pom pillow, West Elm, $19

Zebra pillow, West Elm, $39 

Round red ruffle pillow, Pier 1, $24

White bedding (owned), Ikea, free!

Chandelier, Overstock.com, $134

Curtain panels, Target, $29 each

Red lantern, Ikea, $4

Total for this room: $583

So what do you think? Am I good enough to be called an amateur with my computer skills?  :)

ps- Things are already a-changin' in the bedroom. More to come!

It looked better on paper.

I'm a researcher. But so is Ben. I guess that's why we get along.


A few weeks ago, when Ben pestered lobbied for me to agree that we should drop $1000 on a used Craigslist computrainer for ironman training (think the car racing games at the arcade, but on a road bike and way more advanced.), he researched and researched and researched. Of course, he goes through these feverish, sleep-depriving data-gathering sessions to find a good price or justify any big purchase/decision we make. In the end, doing our homework usually pays off and we end up saving more/spending less money. By the way, the computrainer story ends with Ben deciding on his own, after plenty of research, that he didn't really want one after all.


In the same obsessive way, I've been doing the same for the house. House stuff doesn't come to me easily, and I especially need to visualize and see things before I drop the big bucks. So, I put together a few collages after taking some photos of the front room. I'm sure architects and designers have to do this all the time, but this is a completely new concept to me!


Wikipedia tells me that this "exercise" is called a mood board.  Stolen straight from the site itself:
A mood board is a type of poster design that may consist of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition of the choice of the mood board creator. Designers and others use mood boards to develop their design concepts and to communicate to other members of the design team.
Somehow, neither of the ideas below really panned out exactly as shown, but I guess that's why you improvise and eventually find something better.


Here's attempt #1:


I built the room around the salmon-colored mirror on the left. I instantly fell in love with it on a random trip to HomeGoods (quite possibly my new favorite store). Handmade, gorgeous, and the perfect size, all for forty bucks!!


After - you guessed it - tons of research, I thought I'd figured out a way to put this room together and make it work. Overall, I'd call this room Ikea-inspired...

The aim was definitely affordable and simple. Minus the tables and the sofa, I could've filled this room for well under $500 (rug, chair, pillows, accessories).

  

I ended up scrapping this idea and regretfully returning the mirror. It turns out that all of these great ideas I had would've worked, except by the time I got to the stores where I found these items, they were no longer available or sold in those colors. It was almost painfully hard to find other accessories that tie in that color of pink/salmon, so why bend over backwards for a mirror?

Bring on Front Room 2.0:

This rug was perfect to get away from beige, beige, and more beige. The subtle hint of beige works, but it's still clearly a grey rug. I am also completely obsessed with trellis and geometric patterns like this one too! So, when I found out in October that the rug wouldn't be available until 1/30/2011, I was crushed. Sure, there are plenty of good alternatives, but I challenge you to find one that doesn't force you to choose between eating daily and buying that rug.


The room is extremely Crate & Barrel, but if I did this again, there would definitely be more colorful accessories. The yellow vase and prints above the sofa are C&B, and if you look closely at the prints, they're blueprints! How fun would it be to create a custom print of your own home/office??


What's more, I actually ended up purchasing that exact trunk from Pier1, but the difficulty in fitting it into the car should've been a tip-off; it was enormous when placed in front of the sofa. I mean, visitors could have gotten confused as to whether they should sit on the trunk or the sofa. It was functional, and you could certainly hide a lot of goodies in that thing, but the size of this solid wicker fixture was just too overbearing for this room.What did I learn? The front room needs a "see-through" piece so that it doesn't visually eat up the space.


Of the things you see above, I purchased the accent chair which I found online at an already-good price, and was able to use a coupon on top of that. Win!


Like I said, the room didn't exactly turn out as planned above, and I'm still looking for ideas. In the next posts, I'll show you what the room actually looks like and how I got here.