Living Rooms

if you're like me your home is a living, breathing, changing animal. i rearrange, move decoration, bring new items in, take old things out, constantly. i respond to my moods and what i totally believe is the mood of my home, and adjust, improve and mess up all of my previous carefully placed arrangements. i also have a house mate, my hubby and he has ideas from time to time so we move things around then too.

i like many of you are addicted to decorating and design porn (see link list to the right) but i always wonder how the rooms got that way and what they look like as the seasons change, when someone gets a bug at 10pm to rearrange the living room or they are just messy on a Tuesday night.


I came across these photos today from Ana Laura Perez via Daily Candy and I just love see a beautiful room in a couple different states.

I think I'm going to start a Flickr group for this. Yes!

this afternoon in portland

i've been working from home today which is so nice because i don't have to get up as early and i can enjoy my wonderful house during the day.

today it is 75 and sunny and I've been sitting next to the window in my office enjoying the breeze and sounds of the neighborhood.

i haven't decorated yet but i have been working with the furniture layout. I really think this one is working for me. what do you think?

dirk and weetzie keep me company while i work.

i need a monitor but for now it's just me and my little mac. do you notice anything odd about this photo?

this my entry table with the dahlias chad and i cut at the farm this past weekend. the yolk is a new addition. i love the what it adds to the room. people have the oddest responses to it. most people say, "why do you have a yolk" and look very confused. i don't get this response yet.

this is the beast.

it is eating the rocking chair.

it's part of our "see what happens" attitude with the yard this summer.
now we know what all the plants do so we know how the change the landscape next year.

happy friday everyone. Go Barack!

a surreal take on the adirondack chair

me and lovery lauren took a day trip to Cannon Beach a few weeks ago and i spotted these great chairs on someone's porch. i love this curvy take on such a classic piece.



and might i say that this little beach town was so cute. many sweet little things to photograph.

my mantle

sfgirlbybay (whom i love very much) had a post on fireplace mantles today. it was super insprining and great timing since I am working on my new livingroom right now. she found some great examples. i like the one with the white framed mirror and the black ones (very unexpected)
i love our fireplace it is the perfect size and just screams possibility. hubby has suggested we paint it gold and well i kind of like that idea. what do you think?
I am also trying to figure out what to hang on the wall....something large, like a mirror or abstract painting or framed wall paper with cut out sillouettes of showdow puppets....i also like the idea of three images in beautiful frames. you'll notice in the photos that i have a print sitting there while i meditate on whether it's the right choice. this owning a house thing is making me so much more considerate of the design decisions i make. in a rental I would decorate in the first 3 weeks, now i want ever decision to be the right one. i need to be careful and not over think it though or we will end up with a watered down, over thought house.

i would love your ideas.

A is for Animal Head

I don't think I'm doing this alphabet theme justist....but hey it's getting me to post'n, so who cares.

check this out. awesome right?

it's from Cardboard Safari which i just read about in the new issue of ReadyMade.
They also have Rhinos and Moose and they are all made from 100% recycled cardboard (nice). I like them all and plan to get at least one for the new house. I'm really liking animal decor lately. I will do a post later this month on all the great animal things i have acquired over the years.

Happy Friday!

for my walls

i love wall decals. i have since i first noticed them a few years back. but for some reason i've never actually purchased any. which is odd because i love decorating and i have always lived in rentals. So i recently redid my sewing/crafting studio and now I want some decals.

there are so many lovely ones out there. i'm having a hard time deciding. here are a few I found on etsy. enjoy!

redbeandesign

i love decorating things that aren't traditionally decorated.vital

i love the 3D nature of these.

michellechristina

cute is always good

holly

*where have i been you maybe asking? working, sick :(, sewing and preparing for a baby shower. i can't wait to show you all photos of the baby shower, it happens on Sat so check in next week for photos. i will also be sharing photos of the new awesome space i get to work in at home. everyone starting their holiday crafts?

we leave for MN on Sunday to visit our lovely midwest family. Yeah! we are taking Rudi as a carry-on so wish us, luck i'm a bit nervous but we could imagine going home without our little boy. happy friday!

Switch plates = instant design

Light switch plates are one of my favorite decorating tools that I always forget about. They take about two minutes to install but the effect on the room is great. They are a wonderful way to make a design impact on a rental that you aren't allowed to paint or put wall paper up.

If you are moving someone into a dorm room or their first apartment this month these would make a great gift and be something they can take with them as they move from apartment to apartment over the next few years.

Here's a few that I like from etsy.

mosaico

brightcolorart

glassfairy

robot candy

Anthropologie has this lovely one on sale, regularly $24 now just $7.95 !
or better yet make your own.

Coffee can light switch plates
Old Tie Upholstered plates

p.s.

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days. my hubby took me out of town to Sleeping Lady an amazing retreat center in Leavenworth, WA. I will post some photos later this week and maybe of a video of Rudi in the river which is priceless. Let's start a great week everyone!

simple, natural

Artist Courtney Skott work in furniture design is absolutely wonderful. She uses materials that project a handmade natural feel but the pieces I have seen also have a clean modern aesthetic.

These days I have been working on figuring out how to gracefully combine my desire to represent the beautiful patterns and colors of nature in a clean, bright, crisp way. Courtney's work is going into my inspiration file.

i wish these stool were available to purchase. don't you?


and this bed placed in a room with the perfect color green wall, a cream colored shag rug and a good stereo system would be heaven. it's very reminiscent of an exhibit i saw at bumbershoot this past weekend, Nooks: If You Lived Here You'd Be Home by Now, by Instant Coffee

decorating: wall paper love

Yesterday Design*Sponge had a posting about Fern Living and I just had to share these awesome new wall papers she wrote about with you. It's beautiful things like this that just make me ache to have my own house.

All of the patterns are wonderful but I'm most attracted to these