Fall Table

Had to share this one with you this week since it is officially fall now and my favorite time of year.  You can't get much easier decor than this tablescape.  Throw together some fall produce, candlesticks, and antlers and you're done.  Maybe some tea light candles as well.  Notice the mantle is done the same way and ties together really nicely with the dining table.  Be sure to have items at all different heights to add visual interest.  The candlesticks are super tall and the squash, pumpkins, and gourds are all different sizes, mixed with the antlers that are low to the table.  Although this would be perfect for Thanksgiving or a Halloween/Fall Harvest type of dinner, I say why wait until then.  Invite some friends over to celebrate the beginning of the season.

Vacation Inspiration

I was lucky enough to go on a few mini vacations this summer - to Shipshewana, Indiana with my mom and to Michigan's Upper Peninsula as well.  Here are a few photos of what I found inspiring.  Hope you enjoy.

This painting is actually from World Market.  I'd love to design a room with these colors!

The next few pictures are from a few fabric stores in Shipshewana.  I love getting inspired by the rows of fabric and trim and think of things to make with them or just for color inspiration.

Had to throw this one in.  The puppy I fell in love with at the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at.  She was so tiny and so cute.

Again, from World Market.  I'm thinking this tablecloth would be perfect for my Thanksgiving tablescape.

At Crane's Orchard restaurant.  The whole place is decorated in antiques.  I loved these coffee cups and they served apple cider in mason jars.




The rest of these pictures are from the U.P. in Michigan.  It is always nice to get away from it all and be out in nature.

I hope you had a lovely summer as well and ready to jump into fall like I am!

Tablescape of the Week

Can you even believe this dining room!  The chairs at the head of the table are 1930s host and hostess chairs.  The shell chairs are also antiques.  My personal favorite thing in the room is the peacock.  What's your favorite?  The chandelier?  The marble wallpaper?  I love all the green tones in the room and that one pop of red with the buffet table.  I am not a huge fan of the mirrored wall to be honest, but it was done to give the room more depth.  The room was designed by one of my favorite designers, Celerie Kemble.  I loved this so much I couldn't wait for Friday to share with you all.  So, happy early Friday!

Kitchen Hardware

One thing that people often go traditional on is the hardware in the kitchen.  But did you realize there are so many exciting options out there?  My personal favorite place to find fun knobs, handles, hooks, door stoppers, and even door knobs and knockers is Anthropologie.  Another great place that has some really inexpensive but super fun hardware would be Hobby Lobby.  Unfortunately they don't have anything to view online, but I could spend hours in their store looking through all their options.  Check out your local architectural salvage shops as well to be inspired and make your kitchen anything but boring.

The mushroom, owl, and spoon are knobs you could use on your kitchen cabinets or even a freestanding piece of furniture you could put in the kitchen to hold dishes or as a pantry.  I love the wall hooks too that would be great for towels or smaller pots and pans even.  All these options are from Anthropologie.

Back to the Kitchen

Seeing that last week was a bit crazy I wanted to add just a few more ideas for you for updating your kitchen.  The kitchen is one of the most fun rooms to be in and almost always where everyone wants to hang out when at a party since that's where the great food is and it is just such a welcoming space where you can jump in and create something.  Often times the kitchen decor gets overlooked and becomes meerly functional rather than interesting and beautiful.  Keep in mind the following:


1.  You can add wallpaper to a kitchen to liven up the walls.

2.  Bring in pieces of furniture like this bench above or the cabinet in the 2nd picture that they turned into a bar.  Also note, you don't have to stick with just overhead lighting, bring in a lamp!

 

3.  Don't forget about the ceiling!  One way to look at it is that it's like another wall that can be decorated.  I love the rustic wood beams here.

4.  I love myself a breakfast nook or eat in kitchen.  Take a look at these ideas here of mixing modern chairs with a farm table or below, painting with stencil letters onto a table to get creative.

5.  Be sure to bring in some major artwork.  Look how much it livens up the room.

6.  Don't be afraid to go dark with the walls, architecture, or furniture!  It actually makes a space more cozy, just keep in mind having some great lighting again.

Keepin' It Simple

Just keeping it simple today folks, as it's been a long day.  Here's a very simply decorated kitchen and it looks really cute and well thought out!  I love the bright turquoise floors that really spice it up.  Kinda love the wire baskets and, my favorite, milk glass dishes on top of the cabinets that draws your eyes upward.  Butcher block counter tops can really cozy up a room too bringing in a warm wood tone.  It's a great idea to mix up finishes, textures, and materials to make it look more interesting and collected over time.  Like here with white, turquoise painted wood floors, butcher block counter, mixed with a dark marble counter, mixed with lucite stools and wire baskets.  Simple but definitely not boring!

Kitchen Time

I am absolutely thrilled that fall weather is here since it is my favorite time of year!  It is also a time where I feel like cooking and baking again since the temperature has cooled a bunch and you don't mind heating up the house with the oven.  It is the beginning of the coziest time of year where you can sip some warm apple cider and eat some fresh baked muffins.  The kitchen is one of the best places in a home where you can be creative all the time and it brings friends and family together.  Here is one of my favorite kitchens I just recently discovered in the latest issue of House Beautiful.  The home owner fell in love with the stove and the designer decided to paint the cabinets in a slightly different shade.  They also thinned the paint to a stain to let the pine show through.  I love that they went all out with the tile.  Seeing that it's just a small galley kitchen that is the place to do it.  Also, notice the mis match of colors here.  Nowadays, it's ok to "clash" a bit.  Everything still ties in together, but isn't matchy matchy.  Notice the blue tiles, the pistachio greens, and redish tones in the chairs and rugs just outside the door.  Makes me think a nice fall project may be to paint my cabinets...... How about you?

Tiles from Country Tiles, Paint Benjamin Moore's Everglades

Vacation Time!

I am off to a lovely vacation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and leaving the city behind. Have a happy long weekend all! Make sure you get outdoors and enjoy the final days of warm weather.

Be sure to double click this picture to see all the gorgeous detail of this tablescape!

Chevron Pattern Everywhere

I have been seeing the chevron pattern or patterns similar to it everywhere lately and it is definitely one of my favorites!  I particularly love it in a hardwood floor layout.  Check out some ideas below.

Dress by one of my favorite interior designers, Kelly Westler, who has branched out into fashion.  This is a feather dress with the chevron pattern.

You could easily paint this pattern onto a dresser to spuce it up and make it more interesting. 

My favorite flooring

Zig Zag rug but it reminds me of the same pattern

Simply paint your wall this way to add so much interest to a boring space.  It is certainly less expensive than wallpaper.

Entries and Foyers....

If you are lucky enough to have a foyer you may be inspired by the ones pictured below done by Julia Buckingham Edelman and Summer Thornton both for Dream Home at the Merchandise Mart.  They were both my favorite spaces within dream home for the past two years.  Although we may not all be lucky enough to have a foyer in our home we all have some type of entryway even if you're a renter like myself.  The best thing about an entryway is you can make it as out there as you want.  It is the 1st impression someone gets as they walk into your home but it's not a space they're going to hang out in for long, so I say go as crazy as you want here.  Below are just a few of my favorites.

You can take inspiration from this foyer even if you have just a small entryway.  1st of all the vibrant modern artwork and interesting wallpaper can be done anywhere.  Or you may be able to fit in a narrow console table with sculptures as Julia Buckingham Edelman did here.

This foyer I posted about a year ago because I love it!  I love that it is inspired by Alice and Wonderland.  Again the walls are made incredibly interesting with wallpaper.  There is fascinating artwork and don't forget about the lighting here.  Check out the amazing vintage chandelier.

This picture is actually a dressing room, but I think the set up would work well for an entry.  A cute little side table and bench to pull out when you need something to sit on to pull on your chic boots.  Plus again with the fun pattered wallpaper.  This is the room to do it in!  First off you could do a busy, wild pattern in a space this small because it wouldn't be too overwhelming, plus you wouldn't go broke buying tons of rolls of paper either.

This is a cute more country farm house looking entryway/mudroom.  I love the rustic cabinet and the bright red painted doors.  The rug makes the room warm and cozy too.  It's a great busy pattern, which would help hide the dirt that would inevitably get dragged in living out in the country. 

Loving the orange paint here and unique artwork.  A great place to stash that extra chair too.

The perfect spot for a bench with extra storage underneath it.

This is Rita Konig's entryway and she felt that the wallpaper made it seem like the room went on and on rather than paint that makes your eye stop at the edges.  She also added the little table and a lamp to make it feel like it's own room.  I love that!  Especially when you live in a teeny tiny place.  You need to make each space special on it's own.




Of course, an entryway is also a great place to decorate for the seasons.  Here are two of my favorite images for Halloween and Christmas - why not add some twinkle lights.

Days of Summer

For many of you summer is drawing to an end - kids going back to school, teachers going back to work from a much needed summer vacation, and soon the weather will be changing to fall.  I have to say I am so ready for fall to be here since it is my favorite time of year and the Chicago heat is definitely not for me.  I do love the cooler summer evenings we start to get back this time of year as we ease into fall.  So, take advantage of it my dears!  Set up a gorgeous tablescape outdoors and enjoy the final days of summer with friends and family.  You can make your outdoor table just as chic as your dining room!  Just bring out some lanterns or candles, pretty dishes, comfy pillows and of course the wine and enjoy.  It is sure to spark up some great conversations of summer.