It’s here! I’ve had a busy day showing houses to one of my favorite clients (hi, Jody!) so I haven’t had a chance to really check it out yet, but Issue 5 of Lonny magazine is here!
Here’s a sneak peek of what you have to look forward to:
Check out the full online magazine here. Enjoy!
Welcome to Inspiration Tuesday, a weekly blog party hosted by IGTBH to provide you guys with a little extra dose of inspiration! This week I’m feeling inspired by quick, easy and affordable switcheroos that can take a room from bland to bodacious (I know, no one says bodacious, but I needed another “b” word).
Take the room below, for example. While the understated palette may appeal to some, for me it could use a little (or a lot) more personality.
And here’s where designing a room starts to get fun! You’ll notice that all of the big, expensive pieces in the room have remained the same, from the seating to the cottage-inspired armoire – but by picking two accent colors in pumpkin and red, the entire room is suddenly filled with life and personality. For the price of 4 PB pillows, a throw, a sassy rug (which must be this one), an even sassier orange side table and some DIY painted canvases, this room is no longer boring and sad – and it’s not even that cottage-y anymore thanks to the clean lines of the side table and the modern accent colors.
But here’s where things get kicked up another notch, right into design heaven. It would have been fine if the room existed forever as that second picture above, but this third option just rocks. I love the cutouts on the white Euro pillows, and switching out the whitewashed end tables for some muted red ones was definitely the way to go. The orange floor lamp adds some needed height to that side of the room, and the colorful accent vases are a really inexpensive way to inject a little more color into the room.
All in all, this room leaves me feeling totally inspired. Maybe it’ll even give me the kick in the pants I need to whip my den into shape!!
Okay, now it’s your turn! Got a post that you think will inspire us? We’d love to see it, so if you’d like to join in on the fun just add your link below. Here are a few pointers:
(1) Make sure that you add the permalink to your specific blog post (like www.itsgreattobehome.net/inspiration-tuesday-bold-accessories), instead of your general blog address.
(2) Give everybody an idea of what you’re inspired by in parentheses after your blog name – like Liz @ IGTBH (Bold Accessories).
(3) Make sure that your link works – otherwise, it might get deleted (no fun!!).
(4) Include a link back to this party somewhere in your post so that your readers can get in on the fun.
(5) Click on the other participants’ links and let them know if they’ve inspired you!
And remember, if we have enough participants this week I’ll feature my faves from the blog party on Wednesday – and it could be your post! Now grab your post and this button and let’s get down to business!!
Images courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens.
Ready for the first-ever Design Consult??? Here we go!!
Lauren’s cozy home is filled to the brim with her husband, beautiful baby girl and Chihuahua-mix pup, so it’s no surprise that Lauren and her fam are desperate to move to larger digs within the next few years. Lauren contacted me for a few inspired (and affordable) ideas for making her home both livable for her family and attractive to potential buyers.
Lauren requested that the TV, leather furniture and large bookshelf stay in the room and said that she would love a rug and curtains with a traditional, Pottery Barn-feel with splashes of color. Here’s the “before” of Lauren’s living room:
Lauren’s living room already has very traditional bones with a brick fireplace, beautiful crown molding and warm wood floors, so that was a great jumping off point for this project. After taking Lauren’s requests into account, here is her custom design plan:
As you can see, the foundation of the design plan is a neutral, beige wall color with fresh and inviting splashes of a bright, mossy green. This color palette will give Lauren’s living room an updated and welcoming feel, while still staying neutral enough to appeal to those potential buyers.
Here’s the plan for putting this custom design into action:
Layout. The layout of Lauren’s living room is begging for an easy switcheroo. I’d love to see the chair moved from the bay window to in front of the window where the couch is now – the little side table will stay right where it is, the perfect place to set a drink while reclining in that comfy leather chair. The couch will then slide in front of the bay window, facing the fireplace and leaving enough room to walk between the sofa and the bay window. That glass-topped coffee table’s new home is centered in front of the couch, in line with the leather chair. The bookshelf by the front door will disappear, while the bigger bookshelf next to the fireplace will relocate to the left of the chair, near the bay window. The console table is already in the perfect spot, so it’s staying right where it is. Here’s a little visual of the new layout:
That recessed area in front of the bay window will serve as the new home for all of the baby’s goodies – toys, rocking chair, etc. One or two woven chests like this one would be perfect for storing loose toys and books for a clutter-free look. When the house is ready to go on the market, switch out the kiddie toys for a simple wooden desk and chair with a table lamp to show potential buyers that this living room can also function as a home office.
Rug. I love, love, LOVE this rug. It is unbelievably priced for its size (8 x 10), and its simple geometric pattern and jute fibers are new and fresh-looking, while the pattern of light and dark fibers will look amazing with Lauren’s dark wood floors and leather furniture. This rug is neutral in color, so it will work even when Lauren decides to move. And as the mom of a young one, Lauren will love that this rug is fully reversible so spills and scuffs are no big deal. The rug should be positioned so that the front legs of the couch and chair are resting on the rug.
Windows. Lauren hates the mini-blinds that were left by the former homeowner, so I’m bringing in bamboo roman shades. The warm wood tones of these blinds will look beautiful with Lauren’s wood floors and leather furniture, and will bring a natural, cozy feeling into the room that you just can’t get with mini-blinds. Some of the windows in Lauren’s room are at varying heights, so the blinds should be hung at a consistent height throughout the room to give the appearance of uniformity. This means that the blinds over the shorter bay window will be “cheated” up just a bit, but you won’t even be able to tell once the blinds are hung.
These white sheers are ridiculously inexpensive and will really pop from Lauren’s tan walls and warm wooden blinds. The curtains will look amazing hung with the curtain rod at the same height as the top of the blinds, with about 12 inches of curtain on either side of each window. The bay window is a little pesky, but I would recommend hanging a curtain panel on either side of the large bay window, and only one curtain panel next to the two smaller windows in the bay window. This will give that little nook a cohesive and unified look. This curtain rod is a great black/brown that goes with Lauren’s color scheme, and can be shortened to any length with a cheapo tool.
Throw pillows. These pillows (1, 2 & 3) are really what brings this whole room together – the punchy, summery green is the perfect balance to the rich, dark leather of Lauren’s couch and chair. TIP: when shopping online for pillows, keep an eye out for whether the price of the pillow includes the pillow as well as the pillow cover.
Accessories. Bright, mossy green is the accent color for this room, and beautiful little accents like this vase can typically be picked up for a steal. I would love to see the tan lampshades on Lauren’s three lamps switched out for new ones in either bright white or green to match the pillows. And while we’re talking about lamps, let’s take that floor lamp that was near the couch over to the left side of the fireplace – the wooden piece of furniture that’s there right now can switch on over to the right side of the fireplace. And all of those books and movies that are in the bookcase would look amazing with this simple trick – just organize them by size and color. Now Lauren’s books and movies will make a visual statement and have an element of both style and function.
Artwork and photographs. Lauren has really beautiful artwork and photos. I would love to see the floral painting that is currently above the console moved to the right of the leather chair, centered between the edge of the curtains and the doorway. The Paris photos that are currently to the right of the sofa would look amazing hung in a vertical line (with only about two inches between them) on the right of the fireplace. The photograph that is currently to the right of the couch near the bay window would look great to the immediate right of the front door. Finally, Lauren’s photos on the console table would have awesome impact if they were hung in an abstract grid pattern above the console table. This collection can be supplemented with other framed photos, and mismatched frames can be spraypainted on the cheap for an easy, cohesive look.
That’s it!! Lauren, I hope you love it and I can’t wait to hear what you guys think! (And don’t be shy with those “after” pictures when you’ve put the plan into action!!) Click here for your very own custom design plan.
Images courtesy of West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, Target, Ikea, and Pottery Barn.
