I wanna throw a dinner party...

I just need to find someone to cook... Any takers?

s

Apartment Therapy recently featured The Cream Event by design company Glitter + Rye and I'm super in love.  Now, I know, this is a lot.  A lot of patterns and colors and textures and finishes...  But, the black and white color scheme helps to keep all the patterns cohesive.  The wood and white boxes all serve as a neutral background for the colorful flowers and dinnerware.  I'm totally digging this. Fur-hur-shure.  (Won't my spell check just learn that word already?)

So, how could you do this yourself?  Well, besides the $25 Anthro plates (which for more than a few guests starts to add up) the rest of it is pretty doable with a few yards of cheap fabric, a piece of wood or two from the hardware store and some vintage/thrift store finds.

This polka dot, buffalo check, chevron fabrics are pretty much exact matches and I found them in five seconds on the internet.  I'm almost positive your local fabric store will have a version of every single one.  Next, go to the hardware store, buy one 4X4 and get them to cut it into blocks of various lengths.  A sheet of plywood (that they also) cut to 14 by 20 inches is all you need for the rest.  I'd buy a sanding block and make sure the edges are smooth and non-splintery.

Like I said, these Anthro plates will get pricey (compared to rest of it) but they're not the only floral plates in town.  They're beautiful though, aren't they?

Gold confetti?  Party City.  Cut glass tumblers?  Thrift store. Gold-rimmed wine glasses... Well, they aren't going to be as easy to find as the tumblers or the candlesticks below, but you should be able to get a set on etsy or eBay (61 and 204 listings, respectively...)  The gold flatware will also be a little harder to find for super cheap, but they are pretty common at antique stores and the table would also look just as pretty with an old ornate set in silver.

Brass candlesticks?  $1.99 at every thrift store in the history of the world.  Gold tassels, white tapers, and pillar candles?  Dollar store.  Bam!  These ceramic square vases are only $3 a piece and I know I've seen them everywhere.  Flowers this simple can totally be arranged yourself.  Keep a little inspiration close by, like this photo by Jemma Keech via The Sweetest Occasion. (I have this saved in my "someday wedding bouquet" folder)

So... who's cooking for me?

fancy sparkle shorts

That's what this photo is saved as on my computer.  Google reverse image search didn't turn up a source, so I have no idea where it came from, but I luuurve it.

I don't know if I could pull off an outfit like this, but I could definitely live in this room.  Duh, I am totally this glamourous.

The Deep Dream Velvet Sofa from Graham & Green is sleek and feminine, but still looks comfortable (difficult combination to find!) and is available in a million gorgeous colors.

These Waterfall Ruffle Curtains from Urban Outfitters also come in a blush pink that would be even prettier/girly-er in the room, but I wanted to stay with the photo's color scheme.  For a little girls room?  Totally...

My favorite sequined pillow from a random internet bedding store... Looked good here too.  (Funny story: at least 5 people a day come to this blog by searching "denim couch" and finding that post.)  This is a smaller touch of sparkle than the photo's shirt, but a big, glittering chandelier would have the same effect.

This Classic Glass Top Coffee Table from ABC Home (awesome online store that I can't afford anything from, but... whatev) is a little pricey, but Nate Berkus makes a similar one for a few less bucks.

Search "hanging lotus lamp" or "tulip lamp" on ebay or etsy and you'll find lots of gorgeous lamps like this brass one. The lamp and the table echo the brass buttons from the jacket and add some of the shine from that killer top.

Some deep red garden and cabbage roses give a little nod to the maroon lining of the jacket (and of course, every room needs flowers!)  Maybe an arrangement in a pretty cut glass bowl?  I love the color combination between the white, navy, gold and pinky-red.

paint it black

Last week I saw this gorgeous room from an Austin stylist's home and I couldn't stop thinking about the  dramatic black window casings, soft mix of neutrals and that oh-my-god-why-didn't-I-think-of-it awesome coffee table.

photo via Design Sponge

It's beautiful, isn't it?  I found a big bunch of National Geographics on Craigslist in about two seconds flat, so this is do-able.  I think you could get enough to make a coffee table for $50-$100, plus a big piece of glass (just steal one off an ugly cheap coffee table!).  Oh my goodness...  I'm obsessed with this idea.  She says it's a bunch of W magazines, but I love the bright yellow the National Geographics would bring to a room.

I thought I'd make a little mood board version because I don't actually have time to do any rooms for anyone else until I graduate (though, I'm sure I could make the time if someone wanted to hire me.)  Since I'm paring down my possessions to what can fit in suitcases, I can't really do my own house.  These little mood boards satisfy the craving (if you will) to make a pretty room.

Windows - this is the chicest way to deal with big, gorgeous windows.  Paint the casings black and you'll never regret it.

Crate and Barrel's Petrie sofa - clean lines, soft tufts for interest... It's a great couch!

The Zia shag rug (also from Crate and Barrel) and Anthropologie's Linen Corrigan Chair  both bring texture and different neutrals.  A room full of neutrals is super calming, but also can veer into boring territory easily.  You can combat that with keeping things richly textured and with really interesting accessories.  (Bonus, your art and other furniture will easily stand out with such a calm background!)

A smoky blue pillow from Amazon and Pottery Barn's Antler pillow (a little nod to the original room's antlers!) add a few cool tones to keep things from getting too warm.

An awesome gold rock lamp from Land of Nod (though I'd like it with a drum shade, not a conical one) and Urban Outfitter's L'Anatomie poster round it out.  (I'd add an round iron table by the chair with a leafy green plant beside the lamp - my mood boarding skills aren't that great without photoshop...)

See!  It looks good everywhere.  Vouge.com and Feldman Architecture

tub envy

I'm in love with bathtubs, A.  B, all I want in life is a claw foot tub.  C.  What if the claw foot tub was yellow?  I'm all over this.

Randolph Morris 72 inch Cast Iron Clawfoot Tub  - clawfoot tubs are pretty expensive.  They're so pretty, though! This website has packages with tubs, faucets, and all the accoutrements for under a grand.  In the grand scheme of fancy baths, that's not so bad.  Paint it a bright, cheery, yellow and it's perfect.

Herringbone in Lake (fabric) by Joel Dewberry - this fabric is a great graphic, modern take on a herringbone.  Whip up some curtains on your magical curtain-whipping-up machine.

Vintage lockers function as a table and storage.  Oh!  What if you could retrofit this with a sink?  Me-likey.

I'm taking Emily Henderson's advice and liking Fiddle Leaf Fig trees.  If I hadn't killed all my succulents and cacti this summer (did you know you can actually kill a succulent?), I'd be all over these in my apartment.  I don't have much of a green thumb, as desperately as I want one.

White Hexagon Tile from Clay Squared - I normally like this with gray/black grout, but in this room I'd have white walls, white tile, and white grout.  Blank canvas for the bright yellow tub and artwork.

Wes Anderson Movie Prints from Monster Gallery - this entire Etsy shop is perfection.  I'd buy any/all of these.


I wanna go take a 4 hour bath now.

don't freak out mom.

I'm not having a baby anytime soon.  I do however, love nurseries.  They're bright and fun and full of awesome stuff.  Why can't I have cool baby toys?

Oh yeah, I don't have a baby.  Whatever.

Chair: I actually lost the link to this one, but Target, West Elm and CB2 all have cute, similar ones right now.  The bright yellow is so cheery, and it looks comfy.  Let's not lie.  I don't have kids, but I've been a nanny and big sister enough to know that comfort beats style when it comes to babies.  (I can't believe I just said that!)

Crib: Echo Crib by Kalon.  I love combining wood and white in a baby's crib, because it gives you flexibility to use different finishes in the rest of the room - especially if you're me and it's inevitable you'll be redecorating between babies.

Bedding: Covington Amagansett in Fuschia from Fabric.com.  Is that even a real word?  Dunno, but I like the fabric.  (I mean, these aren't sheets, but it couldn't be that hard to turn it into sheets, right?)  The flowers are pretty girly (though boys can have flowers too!) so if you wanted to go more stereotypically masculine, some colorful, vintage inspired train or firetruck sheets would be cute - like these from Pottery Barn Kids

Curtains: Zigzag Curtains from Urban Outfitters.  They have cute curtains in herringbone or triangles that give the same graphic punch if you're totally over chevron.  I'm not.  Don't judge me, bro.

Dresser: Instead of buying some designer piece, I'd find a good, sturdy garage sale/thrift store/hand-me-down piece with good lines and paint it a gorgeous, deep, rich blue.  Electric by C2 or Patriot Blue by Benjamin Moore would be good.  Put some vintage brass knobs on it; you're in business.

Rug: Big Band Rug in Pink by Land of Nod.  I love the proportions of the stripes and it's not too expensive for a rug - comes in green, blue and grey as well.

Lamp: Ebay has a bunch of these, and they come in colored glass as well.  Perfect for a nursery.

Prints: I is for Ice Cream, Alphabet, Bright Tribal Print - all from Etsy.com and Balloons over Paris from Urban Outfitters.  Art is super cheap, especially on Etsy.  You can find new artists and amazing deals.  UO?  A little skeezier of a company, but still has killer stuff.

Bear: Faux Taxidermy Bear Head in Chartreuse.  This Etsy shop, Mahzer & Vee, has the most amazing sculptures.  They've got Chopin bust in bright aqua, a zebra head in metallic gold, an elephant head in bright orange...  I love it!

Mobile: Flying Pig Baby Mobile from Etsy.  So sweet!

I will never look this chic

My friend Loryn turned me on to a fantastic blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere.  It's written by Emily Schuman, from LA, and she's got killer style.  I always love her outfits, but this one slays me - especially with that necklace.  It's from J. Crew and comes in a bunch of colors.  (I like the multi-colored one.  Said in the voice of Sophia Grace.)

Emily Schuman at Cupcakes and Cashmere

I wanted to make a room that captured the bright white of the dress and the rustic/urban elements of the background with the gorgeous pops of orange and cognac leather.

1. The Cove Sofa from John Derian might be the perfect modern white couch.  It's got clean lines but still has a bit of character.  I love the small dip from the back of the couch down to the arms.

2. The Regina Andrew scalloped wood bead chandelier mixes wood beads and weathered metal that brings to mind the colors and textures of the photo's background and her vintage clutch.

3 & 4. This Serena and Lily tan Moroccan leather pouf and vintage cognac leather chair (from somewhere random on the internet and unavailable for purchase - I'm so helpful, aren't I?) are gorgeous, but there are actually lots of easily found beat up leather chairs and ottomans in this color.  While the sleekness of this chair and the patchwork of the pouf are fantastic, the contrast between the crisp white sofa and the worn caramel leather will still work with a thrift store purchase.  (Or regular store purchase... The thrift store is just always where I end up shopping.)

5. I layered this vintage orange Turkish rug and Anthropologie's floral fresco rug for some texture.  (The Anthro rug also brings in the coral tones from the necklace.)  You could also go with a lightly patterned rug in that orange color on top of a warm wooden floor; it'd look fantastic.

6. The pop of this bright orange pillow and the burlap coral pillow bring the colors of Emily's shoes and necklace to the room.  A color that bright might be scary to some, but if you keep the fabric luxurious and textured (like a velvet or nice linen) then it doesn't veer into cheap Halloween decoration territory.

7. The Ichibad round side table grounds the space (along with those sleek, dark couch legs) and has a those gorgeous turned legs that look ornate and ambiguously "ethnic" but are still chic and modern.

8. The vintage orange glass hanging lamp brings a little bit of glamour to the room (a la that killer necklace) but I'd also like to see a big grouping of cut glass amber candle holders on the coffee table.  You have to have a little bit of sparkle in every room.

Every room.

jeans, leopard and sparkles

I've been reading What I Wore for a while and I've always loved her effortless, chic style.  (Plus, her last name is Quirk!  How great is that?)

She recently posted a simple Friday night outfit that I was instantly drawn to.  I love the combination of the faded denim, the leopard heels and super sparkly gold clutch.

photo by Jessica Quirk, What I Wore

Being me, I instantly wondered how I could bring that feeling into a room.  What's the equivalent to a worn-in old pair of jeans?  A comfy couch!  Now you could be really literal in translating those jeans into furniture and end up with this:

Haha!  Just joking.  But... that overstuffed, curl up with book, oh-so-comfy shape of the couch is what I'm thinking of, as un-chic as it might seem.   At first I thought about a plain white couch, like this one from Crate and Barrel.  Simple, easy to find and pretty ubiquitous (like a pair of jeans...)

1. The Lounge Slipcovered Sofa from Crate and Barrel.

2. My favorite of the pillows (from the randomest of weird internet shopping places) is the Bouganvillea Sequin Pillow from Horchow.

3. Etsy was a great resource.  This snow leopard pillow is from MiCasaBella - her etsy shop is a great resource for graphic pillows in any color.

4. More gold sequins.  RaineStyleHome's etsy shop is full of cute pillows and bags.  Look at this flying pig makeup bag!

5.  More Etsy! This leopard pillow is from AriannaBelle's shop and I'm loving the colors of this Adras Ikat pillow cover.

Now I like this, but, it doesn't have enough character.  That's something you need to think about when you're trying to copy something for your own home.  You might find a chair that has the same characteristics as the one in your "dream living room" inspiration photo (cognac brown, turned wood legs, high back)... But does it have the same feeling? If the chair in the picture looks like someone found it in their grandfather's library and yours looks like you got it in a living room furniture set on sale at JC Penny's, then you might want to look for something else.  The perfect chair for you might be a lighter brown and have a tufted back with short rustic legs; but if it would look at home surrounded by giant bookshelves, it'll still work!

So.  Jeans (and shirt) in the top photo.  What are they like?  They're certainly not Old Navy Jeans and a brand new chambray shirt.  They're worn in, have some character (that word again!) but still have a chic and current shape.  Where does this leave me with my couch?

I'm thinking leather.

Leather couches are hard.  As Emily Henderson so brilliantly put it, you want the James Dean and Paul Newman of leather couches, not the New Jersey and bachelor pad ones.  (Click on that link and read the first few paragraphs of the post.  Awesome!)  You can, of course, imagine my favorite of her tips: "When in doubt, buy a chesterfield." Right!  So, I'm gonna go to the grandaddy of all fake vintage/so expensive/but gorgeous all the same furniture: Restoration Hardware.  I think that "worn" leather chesterfield will have the same feeling as an old pair of jeans and faded chambray shirt.

Same pillows, a couch with a lot more character.  Of course, now, it's a totally different color scheme than our picture.  Sometimes, that's totally fine; don't get caught up in having to exactly match your inspiration pictures.  

But... I have an inkling that there has to be an un-hideous denim couch out there.  (Actually that first Crate and Barrel couch came in a denim fabric that would have been cute if not for the bright yellow stitching...)  Since we're already going crazy expensive with the Restoration Hardware couch (the big one was on sale from $12k to $10k!), let's ignore how expensive this couch from 1st dibs is.  (The kind of expensive that doesn't have prices)

Here, you get denim with the clean, chic lines of the skinny jeans in our original outfit.  The couch is from the 60's, so it has some character to it.  (Crikeys, I need to find another word besides "character!"  It's just such a good word!)  Though I said that it didn't matter just a few paragraphs ago, it has the same colors and textures of Jessica's outfit.

I think this is kind of fun, turning an outfit into a room.  I might try this again.  I can pretend I'm Domino.

ETA: I didn't realized that last picture was so blurry.  Sorry!/Too lazy to fix it...

fake bathroom.

Since the beginning of time (on this blog) I've had a specific image I wanted to style my kitchen after:

I know I've shown it a thousand times... But isn't it so pretty!
photo from Design Sponge

This is a basement laundry room from Sarah Hartill's house (she's the editor of Canadian House & Home) which I planned on turning into a kitchen and now am imagining as a bathroom.

All of the white in this room will easily be matched by the white tiles and flooring that most bathrooms have.  Sometimes when you have a boring builder's bathroom, you have to work extra hard to make sure you give the room some personality.

1/8.  I'm not exaggerating when I say I have been looking for a less expensive version of this fabric for over a year.  Every single time I'm in a fabric store I search the aisles for a match.  I love the color, the print... It's perfect!  You don't have to buy a shower curtain, just hem up the fabric and use a white shower curtain liner behind it to keep out the water.

2. This Olin Rug from Crate and Barrel has the perfect stripes.  I had a hard time finding a bath mat in black and white, but I think this would work too.

3. There are a million different vintage maps I found on Etsy, but I especially liked the blue color on this one.  I'm also totally digging this star map.

4. So, this is the Jamie Young Round Leather Mirror and it costs almost $600.  Guess what I'm going to say?  Duh.  DIY.

5. Of course, you still have to have pretty soaps.  The Dove bottle just doesn't have the same cache. (Of course, it's a lot cheaper... but whatever!  This isn't real life, it's the internet!)

6.  I love this little green soap holder from Urban Outfitters.  (They do have other things like a tower rack and a toothbrush holder, fyi.  Dude, I am so helpful.)

7.  I've heard a lot about these Turkish towels called foutas.  They're super thin cotton, but supposedly  very absorbent.  Jonathan Adler had these cute pink ones, but you can find them everywhere.

9.  Though the original photo didn't have any wood in it, I really like the idea of using wooden crates on the wall.  (A la A Beautiful Mess, whose black/white/floral scheme is in the same vein as mine.)  I found a few (overpriced) ones on Etsy, but you should be able to find a few of these at a flea market for cheap.

10.  I love little brass animals and this fox hook from Anthro is perfect for that pink fouta towel.

So cute.

A room can be designed in an hour on the internet.

Really.  It can.

I used my new favorite program, Olioboard, to make a room of stuff you could buy off the internet from national chains.  Olioboard has items from West Elm, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie (among 50 other stores) already on their site and you can upload your own photo if you want.  I've been in love with this yellow couch for forever, so that's where I started...



1. Atelier Chesterfield - totally costs a bajillion dollars.

2. Gloria's Garden Rug - love the colorful florals.


3. Chevron Crewel Pillow, Dot Pillow Cover, and the Magical Thinking Travels Pillow - these three pillows are a great mix of color and pattern


4. Tali Printed Window Panel - pattern mixing works here because we've got a low-contrast, small, simple geometric to go with our crazy rug.

5. Heritage Bookshelf - gorgeous bookshelf and although the styling is a little sparse and says "Urban Outfitters Catalogue", I still love the beaker set, vintage globe and old camera.

6. Wicker Patio Table - not from UO, Anthro or West Elm, but I love the pop of color and how it goes with the rug.

7. Rabbit Profile Framed Art  - love the giant rabbit print.

8. Hammerpress No Whining Print - I think every room needs something graphic.  Typographic prints usually do a great job.

the bedroom that never happened

If you've been to my house and I've proudly shown you the living room; explained that I hate my table, then made you admire my dining room art; sneaked you into Hannah's room to look at her walls; but refused to let you see my bedroom... It's probably pretty obvious that I haven't done anything to my room.

I had grand plans (a few parts of which I've shown before) but since it's obviously not happening before I move out in a few months, I thought I'd try a little mood-boarding.  (Is that a word?  It is now.)

(This is my first time, so forgive the awkwardness of the layout, but I couldn't recommend Olioboard more.)



1. For the bed, (as you've seen before) I'm obsessed with Manhattan Nest's upholstered DIY.  He used navy wool blankets from the Army Surplus store for a killer, cheap version of a $1400 Room and Board bed.  $95 plus the cost of an Ikea bed!  What?  I know, I know.

2. I've been collecting vintage (and vintage inspired) floral fabrics for a bunch of pillows for a while now.  (Side note: I don't know what I'm going to do with all of my fabric when I move.  It's sad how attached I am to it, though I obviously haven't used any - or very much, at least.  I think it's the promise of future projects that they hold.)

I think I'd do lightly textured white bedding, or a crisp mint (like the shirt in the print on #5.)
  
3. I bought some Ikea legs and wood to make a longer version of this Workstead desk, but it never got made. So, I think I might make it for my sister.   (I actually just got that idea, so... happy birthday, Risa!  I'm gonna build you a desk!)
  
4.  I used memo-sized clipboards in my old living room to hold 30 different 5X7 photos (btw, great way to fill up a wall with pictures.)  I got them online for $1.50 apiece, so it was a cheap way to fill up a whole wall.  I like the idea of using them instead of a cork board for those little pieces of paper or magazine pictures that invariably pile up on your desk.
    
5. I've had this print (Oh Carmen) saved on my computer for a year or two.  I love the colors.  It's the perfect mix of that bright pink, orange and red.  I love the navy, the mint, the light pink... I could go on and on about it.  (Obviously.)  The rest of her etsy shop is just as impressive.  Peggy Wolf Design
 
6.  Bright coral curtains will add a great punch of color.
 
7. Eline Pelinkhof's cross-stitch wall mural is a blend of everything I love.  (And I'm sure you've seen it on this blog before.)  Old lady style, embroidery, and a giant impact.
    
8. I actually bought big black frames from Ikea to make my own version of these prints from Felt & Wire Shop.  Of course, then I left them in my car and they warped in the insane Texas heat (they were plastic) and that plan was ruined.  My versions were going to say, "'till the break of dawn," "everyday I'm hustlin'" (I couldn't not do that one), "forever, forever ever?" and my favorite, "you was doin fifty-five in a fifty four." 

-----------------------------------

I like it.  With bright white walls, it's got the perfect mix of old lady flowers, DIY, bright colors and quirk.  Of course, the genius, obviously neccesity - doable for a super small budget.  (Except for the desk - that'd have to be DIYed.  It costs some scrilla, yo.)

I would like to say I've never used the phrase "scrilla" before in my life.  It means money, fyi.