Prim, proper, inviting and elegant.

The one thing that I wish we had in our house is  staircase {of course, since we’re only on one level it would be a little strange to have one.  Hello, staircase to nowhere!}  I love it when staircases greet you in the entryway {for some reason it feels really homey and inviting to me, maybe because the house that I grew up in had one}, but I hate ones that are overly grand or pretentious.  This one, to me, is a perfect balance and adds interest to the foyer without feeling snooty.  I wish there were more photos of this house, I would love to get a better look at the gallery wall and the mirrored console table, but it’s that chandelier that has me intrigued!

Whoever designed this space {and the interior in general} did a great job incorporating elements that are so very on-trend {can you say starburst mirror and garden stools?} in a way that still feels timeless and classic.  I think the muted palette and the wall-to-wall seagrass helps achieve that effect.

I don’t love the table – it feels heavy and out of place to me, but the rest of the space is doing it for me.

I think this kitchen is really beautiful.  The banquette with the tulip table is charming, and the touch of zebra adds personality without going overboard.  And I can never turn down an all-white kitchen!

I’m moving into this bathroom.  And even though the shade-free garden window isn’t very practical, it’s so lovely don’t you think?

I’m not in love with this bedroom, but I love elements of it.  The wishbone chairs are something I’ve coveted for awhile, and the gilded screen is very interesting.  But it feels too much like it was placed there just to cover up that blank wall.  I know they were trying to show off the size of the room {these are MLS photos, after all!}, but I would have loved a closer look at the bed area and what looks like beautiful panels on the closet doors.

This room feels like a bit of a departure from the rest of the house – a little bit casual and a slightly more masculine feel.  It looks to be surrounded by windows on two sides with wooded views – I think I could make myself quite comfortable here.  :)

In this photo you can see all 3 of the residences on this property.  Yes, I said 3.  I think it’s strange – it’s not like Dallas is the Hamptons where people come to stay for weeks at a time!  But maybe that’s just me.  On another note, that pool is begging me to jump in right about now – it’s been H-O-T in Dallas lately!

Does this house do it for you?

Images from here.

Because of the impending office makeover, I’ve been trolling Craigslist a bit lately.  Here are a few things that are currently tempting me:

Can you see me?  I’m swooning.  This Danish beauty wants to come live in my office.  Crazy-awesome drawers and interior shelving.  { $275 }

This Knoll tweed office chair would be delightful in my … office.  { $99 }

Yummy mid-century dresser.  { $369 }

Hello lovely!!  Can’t get enough of the campaign furniture.  {Price unknown }

Crazy low price, would be fun reupholstered.  { $30 }

These would be awesome just about anywhere in the house.  { $65 for the pair }

Eames-esque and totally awesome.  My breakfast nook wants them.  { $350 for 4 }

If you look closely and get a little imaginative, the arms of this set are a little greek key-esque.  And they’d be dynamite with a new upholstery job.  { $250 for the set }

Pair of Thonet club chairs.  { $125 }

Do I need a lucite console table?  Nope.  But I want it.  { $250 }

Love the bentwood handles!!  { $195 }

Molded plywood stacking chairs.  {$60 for the set! }

This sofa rocks my world.  Can’t you just see her all gussied up in something fabulous?  She might be my favorite.  Mmmmmmm.  { $195 }

Have you made any amazing Craigslist scores lately?  Or maybe you’ve happened upon a thrift store find that would make me weep with envy?  Come on, make me jealous!  :)

Although I’m pretty sure you would have to tear me out of my home office kicking and screaming, I started thinking that going to work at Etsy every day might not be too shabby.  Especially after I spied these inspiring images on Apartment Therapy of the Etsy corporate headquarters {designed by Hangar Design Group}.

{ Do you see the “Craft” area on the left?  Shouldn’t every office have one?!? }

Think you could deal with rolling out of bed and spending the work day in these digs?  Did Hangar Design Group capture the quirky, handmade qualities that you’ve come to expect from Etsy?

P.S.  Turns out this is my 300th post – dang, time flies!!  Thanks for hanging in there with me – you guys make this so much more fun than I could have imagined.  :)

Images via Hangar Design Group, photographed by Ty Cole.

Right now I’m kind of obsessed with floating shelves, as opposed to just glass-fronted cabinets or open shelving.  They always look crisp, clean and sophisticated, don’t you think?  And the best part is that they work in every style of kitchen and they’re more affordable than regular cabinetry.

For me, the perfect combination would be a ton of closed storage and a few floating shelves sprinkled in for either display or those dishes and glasses that we use every day.  {Like that phenomenal kitchen from last week!}

Are you ready to feast your eyes on some scrumptious kitchens?

First, a few stainless steel beauties . . .

{ Amoroso Design }

{ Houzz }

{ Phoebe Howard via Decor Pad }

{ Amoroso Design }

I have to admit that dark-stained wood is my favorite look:

{ Apartment Therapy – how cool are those sliding glass panels? }

{ Angie Hranowsky }

Classic white is always in style and allows the shelving to blend into the background:

{ Lonny }

{ Decor Pad }

{ Angie Hranowsky }

{ Anne Coyle via Decor Pad }

{ Houzz }

{ Elle Decor via MadeByGirl }

Floating shelves in natural wood tones give a beachy, understated look:

{ House of Turquoise }

{ Decor Pad }

And floating shelves are so cool when they span a corner, don’t you think?

{ Samantha Pynn via Decor Pad }

{ Anne Turner Carroll via Decor Pad }

{ Pal + Smith }

Would you ever rock a set of floating shelves in your kitchen?  Keeping them clutter-free would be a total pain, but do you think the sacrifice is worth it?

Like when I spied this gorgeous coffee table from Oomph the other day:

Lacquer-y goodness?  Yes!  Almost $2,000?  Heck no!

While I was busy getting over the sticker shock I started thinking about our coffee table.  We got it at Macy’s right after we got married {we had lots of store credit, as most newlyweds do} and in the 3 years that we’ve had it the coffee table has gotten a few nicks and scars, and we now have a brown rug.  So it’s a lot of brown going on in there.

Anyhoo, the point is that the pricey Oomph coffee table reminded me a lot of our much-cheaper-plus-we-already-own-it coffee table from Macy’s:

{ I de-styled it so you could see our coffee table in all its glory. }

Can you see the similarity, too?  Okay, maybe it doesn’t have all of the cool angular patterns that the pricey coffee table has, but I think that the square shape and narrow wood slats give off a similar vibe.

So here’s where I’d love your input – would you go ahead and paint our coffee table?  And if so, what color would you paint it? {Here’s a reminder of the color scheme that we have going on in our den.}

I was checking out the latest post on Schumacher’s blog {which Camilla told us about the other day} and I saw this site:

Basically, Traditional Home has updated a slew of their most popular images to include links to product sources, paint colors, etc – it’s awesome!

Take a look at this fabulous living room:

I bet you’re wondering where to find the oversized pierced pendant light, right?  Well, wonder no more:

Just scroll your mouse over the image and all of these helpful little bubbles pop up.  You can even purchase the item right from the Shop Traditional Home website, search for specific manufacturers, and lots of other fun stuff.

Not everything is labeled in each image {that would have been incredible} but there’s definitely enough in there to keep you occupied while you spend part of your workday surfing the web.  :)  Enjoy!

Images via Shop Traditional Home.

I just couldn’t resist, I had to share Sarah Richardson’s new paint collection for Para Paints.  After checking out the palette, I’m sad that the collection is only available in Canadian Lowe’s {or at least it appears that way – anybody know otherwise?}.  Wouldn’t it be fun to get your hands on a gallon of one of these beautiful hues?

Take a gander at the vibrant spaces she created using her paint collection.  I’m not so in love with the kitchen, but I could move right into the bedroom and living room!

Are you guys hoping as much as I am that this collection makes its way into your local Lowe’s?  Have any of the Canadian readers out there given it a whirl yet?

Images courtesy of Sarah Richardson Design.

Between the DVF Studio and the DVF Piano Suite, the Piano Suite wins my vote hands down.  My jaw hit the desk when I saw this first image on Apartment Therapy:

{ I could do without the scalloped valence, but the rest is divine. }

And it only gets better:

Have you ever stayed anywhere this swanky?  I think the closest I’ve come is our anniversary last year at The Joule {which was amazing but still light years away from this suite!}.  What’s your take on staying at chic places while on vacation – a no-no or a yes-yes?

{ image via CNN }

But there is a little something that those of us in the Dallas area can do!  A friend sent out the following email, asking us to donate a few things that will be taken down to Mexico and really help out those in need:

I spoke this afternoon to a special friend from my school whose grandparents and extended family live in the area of northern Mexico just west of Nuevo Laredo, where entire communities have been flooded out.  Her father has driven down there with a trailer full of donated cases of water, diapers, clothing, etc.  There were so many people in the streets in desperate need of water and bread that he had given it all away before he reached his own family.  Her father will be returning to Dallas by the weekend to begin collecting and sorting another load to go next week.

The people affected had almost nothing to begin with, and now they have less than nothing – including no water to drink.  If you have friends with outgrown children’s clothing, etc., please ask them to join in with us.  And if you have clothing, shoes, towels, blankets, or would like to donate cases of water, diapers, etc. – please let me know.  We can gather things at my house this week and then they’ll be driven down to Mexico, person-to-person.

~ Janis

UPDATE: All household-related items are needed, including canned or boxed food, and “anything that might be used to set up a home.”

If you live in the Dallas area and you’d like to help out with a donation of clothes, food or water, just email me and I’ll let you know how.  Thanks!