Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

What to title this post?

Hmmm.  I wanted to title this post “My New Zebra Rug.”

My husband suggested “How to Introduce New Items for the House to Your Husband.”

I swear, it was a total coincidence that this rug arrived yesterday when I had already planned to make a nice St. Patty’s day dinner and open up a bottle of wine. And while my dear husband often goes upstairs to the bedroom to change out of his suit before dinner, last night he didn’t go up until after dinner and the aforementioned bottle of wine. Again, total coincidence. He was in a happy mood, and so I think the zebra rug got a little bit of a warmer welcome.  (Thanks, honey!)

Anyway, if you read my Elegant Zebra post  … you know I’ve been wanting a zebra rug for our bedroom for some time. When I saw this rug on Joss & Main last week and it was over half off what similar rugs I’ve seen retail for … I just had to pull the trigger. (That’s the thing about those sites … you snooze you lose!) Oh, and perhaps I forgot to mention it to my husband. Oops.  I kinda knew that seeing it in person would be better that just the idea of a zebra rug coming in the mail.

Eventually we may move it over by the fireplace to anchor a little seating area over there, but for now I like how it fills in the big empty space between our bed and dresser.  And it’s soooo soft. I just have to figure out how to get the creases out. I wish they had sent it rolled up versus folded up in a box.  I’m going to give it a little time to see if they come out on their own as we walk on it and it gets to “breathe.”

The best thing, it totally made me swoon when I sat up in bed this morning! That’s what all new purchases should do, don’t you think?

Have a great weekend!

Displaying Photographs in your Home

If there is one thing that practically all homes have in common, no matter how big or small, no matter what the style or color scheme … it’s photographs.  Especially at this stage of life that I, and most of my clients and friends are in, it’s photographs of our children.  They are precious to us and they accumulate quickly! But how do we find a way to display them that’s elegant and uncluttered?

One of my favorite things hanging in my house is this picture my Dad captured of our family at La Jolla Cove in California, a place that is special to us for many reasons. We had tried for a more posed picture where we were all looking at the camera, but this one that my Dad took when we weren’t looking became my favorite.  I found the frame pre-made and on sale at a framing shop and had them blow up the picture and print it out to fit the frame.  I also asked them to tear the edges of the paper for an extra little detail that gives it a nice shadowed edge. Believe it or not, it wasn’t all that expensive and it is the first thing people comment on when they see our master bedroom.

Today I have asked photographer Meredith Price of Bloom Photography to share a few of her tips on creating interesting and beautiful groupings of photographs in your home.

Meredith is an old friend and I  have admired the stunning pictures she has taken of her two daughters over the years. She has recently decided to follow her dream of starting her own business, capturing those special moments-in-time for others.  Be sure to check out her blog to see some of her amazing photography, as well as her Etsy shop where she is currently selling a series of photographs that make me swoon!

Here’s Meredith ….

Finding ways to display favorite photos of your kids and family can be daunting.  How do you turn your favorite shots into art?  There are a few ways to approach this problem. 
The first thing I like to do is create groups of pictures that fit together.  These photos can be pictures that reflect your child’s personality. Do you have several shots of your child doing something he loves?   Do you have a few pictures of your child displaying adorable expressions (glee, curiosity, sadness)? The most important thing is to try to see your pictures in a different way. Rearrange, regroup, and repurpose your photos until you find a combination that works.   If so, group them together for an intriguing display on your wall.
           
Another way to group pictures is by grouping a series of pictures.  In our home we have a group of photos taken from my daughters’ baptisms.  They were baptized in the same small church in which my husband and I were married.  We grouped together pictures of the girls with a picture of the family church and a few other favorite “scenes” from those days.  Want to display photos of your daughter’s first birthday?  Don’t just put up pictures of her that day, but try to include pictures of her cake, images of her with beloved family members or pictures of just her messy hands after she smashes her cake.  What emotions are being felt that day- try to capture those.  By including other images rather than just posed or facial shots you instantly add interest and variety to your display.
            You can also group pictures based, not on a theme, but rather by frame color.  I have about 10 favorite photos varying in size, color and black and white, old and new that are all displayed together in different silver frames.  Some frames are simple and plain while others have texture; however they are all the same color.  This instantly connects the images together without looking busy or haphazard.    At the same time, you can do the opposite- have different colored frames with different textures housing all black and white pictures or all colored pictures.
            If you don’t feel like you have any pictures that can be grouped or are looking to take new pictures for a display, consider a location that is meaningful to your family.  Is there a special park or preserve that you spend a lot of time?  Is there a beautiful barn (I have a “thing” for barns!) by your home to where you can go? Wherever you choose, snap some pictures of just the location too (a bench in front of a pond at the preserve, the footprints left in the sand by your child at the beach, your front door of your home- you get the idea) to include on your wall with the same shots you take of your child at this location.

Better yet, if you have a ”souvenir” from the location that can be hung on the wall, be sure to include that too! 
           
Or, consider snapping pictures of your child/children around your home.   Not only will you get pictures of your child or children, but you will have them in a location that means something to you and your family. I love taking snapshots of my kids around the house- in the kitchen, garden, their bedrooms- when I look back on them, I hope to not only recall that time of their lives but where we were as a family as well.  Here is an example of how you can include pictures of your child around the home.  I took these pictures of Miss L in her nursery. By using her nursery as the backdrop, the family will not only remember how their little cutie looked at this age but will have wonderful memories of her in her bedroom as well.

Finally, try to look at your photos in a different way.  Step back and see what the image is showing you.  Ask a trusted friend or family member to look at pictures with you and offer their impressions- they may see something you haven’t yet.   
*****
A big thank you to Meredith! If you have a big empty wall in your house … especially, perhaps in a stairwell or hallway, why not try one of Meredith’s ideas for creating a meaningful wall of art.
I’ve tried to do this in our upstairs hallway with a collection of black and white photographs … which I think are always timeless. I’ve got a mix of portraits and snapshots of varying sizes and different frames.

What are some of your favorite ways to display family photos?

Mondays @ my house: V-Day edition

So, as promised, here is the first in a series of blog posts entitled Mondays @ my house where I’ll give you a closer look at some rooms in my house and the inspirations behind them.

Since today is Valentine’s Day, I though it only appropriate to begin in the “boudoir.”

Let me show you a quick picture of our bedroom when we first walked through our house before buying it.

And now …
Soothing and serene with a touch of glam.
First job was to paint. I knew I wanted a soothing blue and deliberated for many hours, days, weeks … months on the perfect pale blue color.  I think I found it in Benjamin Moore Blue Ice.
For the glam component, I wanted to add lots of sparkle with glass, mirrors and other reflective objects.
The bedding is from ZGallerie and I was immediately drawn to it for it’s shimmery fabric, various textures, and luxe feel.
I have always wanted a four poster canopy bed.  I added the sheer white curtain panels to create the illusion of an “adult fort” if we want to pull the curtains closed. (Grin. Grin.) I love the dreamy cloud like feeling that envelopes us in bed each night. It is especially pretty when the sun is shining through on lazy Sunday afternoons.
Our bedroom furniture we have had since our first condo we purchased 12 years ago.  If I were to do things over today, I would not purchase matching pieces, but it is still a really nice set.
 I really like the idea of a “his” and “hers” side of the bed and this set offered what I call a masculine nightstand and a feminine nightstand.

As long as we weren’t staying symmetrical, I chose different art work for each side of the bed as well.

Got this one from a shop on Etsy called Tastes Orangey. I just think it’s a great, sexy bedroom picture. The artist has many more beautifully interesting prints.  I think it would be so fun to buy a bunch of them and hang them all around the bed with a haphazard art gallery look.
  

These vintage Paris prints hang on my side and I just love them. For me they evoke memories of meandering down the narrow streets of Paris and stopping for drinks at a sidewalk cafe … not a bad thing to think about each night when I climb into bed!
I will admit, I have always been a girly-girl. I had pink bedrooms all my life growing up, until I got married.  Now, with two boys, there hasn’t been a stitch of pink in the house except for my closet … until recently.  I was inspired by these pictures to add just a small touch of purply-pink to our master bedroom.

 If you read my post on pillows, you’ll know that I found these Madeline Weinrib inspired pillows on eBay. 
With pink flowers and just a few other small pink accessories … I’ve got my pink fix.
Future plans for the bedroom include a seating area by the windows and fireplace. I’ve always wanted a chaise like this one.
(I’d add a pink throw.)
Several years ago, I saw this chaise at Anthropologie. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

Sadly, it is no longer available. But then I found this ottoman.

I’d like to pair it with a big, comfy, Grey’s Anatomy … or Sports Center watching chair.

I’d also like a pair of these X-benches at the end of the bed.

And then, maybe some curtains like this.
I’ve also always wanted a little desk with a Ghost Chair, either in place of my nightstand, or against the windows, like this.

(I’ve had both images for awhile, but unfortunately not the sources.)

And don’t forget about my zebra rug!

West Elm

Of course, we also need a new chandelier. As I mentioned in my post on kitchen chandeliers, all of the light fixtures in our house were selected by the builder. While some of them are nice, there are ones I’d like to replace.  The one in our bedroom is quite beautiful, but it doesn’t go with our silvery, shimmery color scheme.

 I’m hoping I can maybe sell it on Craigslist and trade it in for something big, glamorous, sparkly and sexy. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect one … but these are some beauties …

So, is your boudoir ready for Valentine’s Day?

*** Update: Be sure to check out the simple change I made with new bedding in Master Bedroom Mini-Makeover.