This home looks how I’d love for my home to feel.

Does it do it for you?

Images via Lonny.  Click here for more.

Anyhoo, back to the topic at hand – I seem to have a wee obsession with yoke pendants.  To me, two or three of these statement pieces instantly transform a ho-hum kitchen into a chic yet timeless space.

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And apparently I’m not the only one – if you search for “kitchens, yoke pendants” on DecorPad, you can immediately see that these gorgeous pendants are pretty darn hot in design right now.  Here are just a few of my faves:

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Gorgeous, right?  And the beefier the better in my book.  They’ve been called “yoke pendants” because of the hardware that connects the ceiling rod to the pendant shade.

The only problem is that these beauties can be serious budget busters.  Like almost a grand for this pendant from Circa Lighting, and even the more budget-friendly version from Restoration Hardware would probably make me cry a little as I pulled out my credit card.  Not that I would be pulling out my credit card – I knew there had to be cheaper versions out there!

And luckily I found some.  Here they are:

Quoizel’s Large Emery Pendant – 13.5″ diameter – $198

Quorum’s Chrome Pendant – 16.5″ diameter – special order from Lights Fantastic in Dallas for about $160

Home Depot’s World Imports Pendant – 20″ diameter – $76.96

Have you fallen in love with yoke pendants, too?  Or maybe there’s some other design trend that’s buttering your bread these days?  Do tell!!

P.S. The giveaway is ending tomorrow night, so be sure to enter for a chance to win a great prize!  Just click here to enter.

This room just sings to me – bold pops of color offset by loads of cream and white are kind of my thing.  But what really gets me about this space is the walls – the blue is both bold and soothing at the same time, and I think it’s the perfect, yet unexpected, compliment to the vibrant colors in the room.  Without those walls, nothing else would really shine.

In between my bouts of lust, I’ve realized that I could probably create something similar with the decor that I already own.

Bold pillows?  Check.  Neutral-ish sofas?  Check.  Tall gourd lamps?  Check – the turquoise ones from the dining room (maybe I could stack some books under them for extra height).  Cream and brown area rug?  Check – several options like the existing one in the den, or the zebra rug from the dining room.

I would need a new coffee table (I talked about painting it here, that could still happen, or I have another as-yet-unveiled plan for it), and I love the white, sculptural floor lamp so I would want to add one of those.  The biggest problem?  Our paneled walls.  I just don’t think I could paint them a vibrant blue without looking crazy. But maybe it would work someday when we move to another house?  Not that I’m dying to move, but there are too many fun design ideas to stay in one house forever, right?  :)

Maybe it’s the change of seasons that’s making me want to switch things up a bit.  What about you, do you have the itch to mix up the decor in your home?

I’m not sure I should tell you about it because then you’ll be tempted to procrastinate as well.  Hmmm….

Okay, here goes – Lonny (the online magazine that I’ve talked about here and here) has launched a new website that has a library of all of the interiors that have been featured in the magazine.  I know, right?!?

Here’s a little eye candy from the site for you to enjoy – and there’s plenty more where that came from!

Drool-worthy, right?  I’ll still be using my own design archive a ton, but it’s great to have all of Lonny’s images at my fingertips.  Do you think you’ll use it?

P.S. Lonny also has a new blog that could be interesting, and you can also order a print-version of the online magazine (although I know I won’t be shelling out 34 buckaroos per issue when I can get it online for free!  Supposedly they are working on getting the price down, though, so we’ll see.).

All images courtesy of Lonny.

Here are those juicy secrets!

What do you think of her advice?  What’s your best design tip?

Yup, Design Star-winner Emily Henderson’s new show, Secrets from a Stylist, is totally awesome.  Did you get a chance to watch it last night?

If not, you definitely missed out.  Gone were the nerves and awkwardness that sometimes plagued Emily during Design Star, and instead we were treated to rock solid design tips and thorough explanations of why Emily styled things the way that she did, all mixed in with a great dose of her classic charm.  All in all, a very informative, as well as beautiful, episode.

In a nutshell, Emily re-styled the Hollywood home of the co-creator of Glee, Ian Brennan, who just so happens to be a close friend of Emily’s.  (I LOVE GLEE!!!)  I think pairing up with Ian was a brilliant move, as we got to see Emily in an environment where she felt totally at ease so her personality and quirks really shone through.  Loved it!

Anyhoo, enough chitter chat – let’s get to those before and afters!

First up was Ian’s living room, which had great architecture but was exceedingly blah.

Emily’s approach was to first identify Ian’s sense of style, which she pinpointed as “FDR chic,” “60s mod,” and “backpacker / world traveler.”  She styled the room as completely FDR chic (explained as a sturdy, historic vibe from the 20s and 30s), which looked pretty interesting but waaaay historic, then layered in a heavy dose of 60s mod, and finally topped everything off with a worldly twist.  Unfortunately HGTV doesn’t have photos of the in-between phases, where each phase was strikingly different from the next.  {UPDATE: Check out Emily’s blog – here – for sources, more commentary from Emily and pics of the in-between phases.}

What do you think of the final result?

It’s interesting how even though I’ve only seen a few spaces that Emily has designed, her style is quickly becoming recognizable.  I think that’s a good thing, as I never find it boring, but what do you think?

In addition to the main living room, Emily also tackled 3 other spaces in Ian’s home that needed  little love.  While she made sure to incorporate his 3 design styles, we didn’t get as in-depth of a peek into her design process.

After the living room was fluffed and puffed, next up was this awkward little room that Ian was using as a TV room.

Emily completely reconfigured the niche and added loads of pattern for a funky yet inviting guest space.

Ian’s home office was third on the list, and it turned out that he didn’t even really use the space as an office.

I’m loving this space as a TV room, and the black grasscloth is amazing!

Finally, Emily tackled Ian’s lackluster master bedroom.

Repositioning the bed so that it faced the windows was a necessary change, and I definitely think the space now incorporates Ian’s 3 design styles.

I could ramble on and on about this show for another few hours, but I’ll spare you.  I want to hear what you thought of the first episode of Secrets from a Stylist!  Did any of you get a chance to watch it?  What did you like about it, and what just didn’t do it for you?

Oh, and be sure to check out Emily’s blog, The Brass Petal, and her professional website.

All images courtesy of HGTV.

Space #1

{ Nodakademic }

Welcome to our master bedroom.  Here’s what I love about it.  First, it’s the only room in our house that we’ve painted “for us.”  We do like all of the colors we have used in our home, but most have been chosen with the knowledge that we will not live here forever.  In contrast to the otherwise un-shocking, future-buyer-pleasing color scheme of our home, this room is um, dark orange {which is one of my husband’s favorite colors}.  In a climate where the outside world is gray and frozen for half the year, it’s nice to have this bold, warm retreat.

Additionally, the furniture in this room makes me happy!  Such a mix of old and new.  I love our big fancy sleigh bed, flanked by cheapo little nightstands I bought online and assembled myself {they match the bed surprisingly well, too!}.  While I generally stay away from gold and brass, the table lamp – freshened recently with a crisp white shade from Traget – is one of a pair my parents had in their formal living room in the mid-1980s.  And as another throwback to my past, let me tell you a little about the pièce de résistance: our massive 11 x 8 area rug is over 20 years old and was used in several of the homes I lived in growing up.  It really ties the room together.  :)  ~ The Nokadamic, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Space #2

{ Little Blue Chairs }

My favorite place in my house is my kitchen, because it was done all by me {smiles}.  I knew I was unable to do a full-on remodel, so I decided to have fun with it, bringing in unexpected color and fabrics.  It is just a joy to be able to wake up and get my coffee in the morning.  ~ Laurie @ Little Blue Chairs

Space #3

{ Aisle to Aloha }

My favorite space in our home is our colorful living room.  It seems like our lives revolve around that lime green couch.  It was here that I spent many hours alone {blogging, reading and vegging in general!} while my husband was deployed last winter.  In fact, I’m pretty sure there was a big dent in one of the cushions for awhile there!  Now that he’s home, we love catching up on our days here and snuggling in for a movie every now and then.  I painted the art above the couch as my own version of Crate & Barrel’s Classical Symmetry Prints {which I love but don’t have the budget for} and the shelves are filled with treasures and trinkets from our travels together.  I love this series and look forward to seeing more editions soon!  ~ Lindsay

Great job, yet again!  Thanks to The Nodakademic, Laura and Lindsay for opening your homes to us! Be sure stop by their blogs to tell them hello if you get the chance. :)

If you’d like to be included in the next edition of Show Off Your Space, here’s how to join in the fun:

~ Pick the very best photo of your favorite part of your home. This is your home’s glamour shot – that doesn’t mean your house needs to be magazine perfect {whose is?} but please make sure the photo isn’t too dark or grainy and that it’s as high resolution as possible {I like to aim for 500 x 375}.

~ *NEW*  Include a “before” shot. Due to popular demand, this series will now be including “before” shots along with the “afters”!

~ Write up just a few sentences describing the photos and what makes that part of your home special. Please include your first name, city and state.  And if you’re a blogger, please include your url so I can link back to you!

~ Send me an email with “Show Off Your Space” in the subject line. Include your photos {just one “before” and one “after,” please} and description.

And if you’ve already been featured, feel free to snag this button for your sidebar and link back to your feature:

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?

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.