A Touch of Coral

 

So…here’s the deal.  I’ve finally decided on a color scheme for our living room.  Gray, neutral textures, gold/silver accents, and coral.  I like the idea of keeping with a soft color palette so that I can switch out my accent colors ever couple of years or whenever I want!  I’m really looking forward to painting a good amount of our furniture so that it looks great in this soon-to-be-neutral space.  But this idea started with a vase.

 

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I found this pretty on clearance at Target…we’re talking $6, people.  I just love the perfect combination of orange and pink.

 

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For now, she sits on my lucite tray next to my gilded egg dome.  ;-)  But things are always moving all over the place around here.  I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

 

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I’m enjoying the orange-y glow as the vase catches the afternoon light that comes through my window!

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Adding to the Gallery Wall

 

I know…creative post title.  ;-)  But really, that’s all that I did!  I had some leftover fabric from another project that I wanted to use and a funny post card that I picked up at a craft fair not too long ago and they both seemed like the perfect additions to the gallery wall.

 

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Inexpensive frames from Tar-jay!

 

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I love the faux bois pattern on that fabric.  So, so much.  And that’s just Lolita the llama.  You know, just a llama wearing a scarf, no big deal.  ;-)  (Don’t you love her?!)

 

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I had to trim down Lolita a teensy bit so that she would fit into that frame — I bought the wrong size!  No worries, though.  Just a few snips and she was good to go!

 

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And there you have it…the gallery wall in all its growing glory!  ;-)

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From Old to New

When my husband and I moved in together, we had even more of a hodge-podge of furniture than we do now.  Things are starting to come together pretty well, but it wasn’t always that way.  One of the pieces of furniture that we have that I really love is an old side table that he had when he was a kid!  Now it sits in our living room, awaiting a good paint job when I find a moment in my abundant spare time, lol.  But I figured an easy way to update it a little bit while it sits in the must-paint-this line was to change the hardware!


 cabinet closer old hardware
As you can see, the handles were pretty dated.

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They just sort of blended in with the piece of furniture itself…nothing too exciting.

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Originally, I was going to go with lucite handles, but when I went to Lowe’s, I ended up falling in love with some knobs instead!  Go figure!

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I really loved the contemporary knot design, and the fact that they were a gold/brass color made the birds sing, in my opinion!  ;-)  We all know how much I love that finish.

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Old hardware off!  (As you can see, this piece definitely needs a paint job.  I’m thinking a pretty charcoal-y gray!)

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LOVE!!

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And there you have it.  An easy update for $10.  I’m a happy girl.

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Daddy, I Want a Golden Goose…Egg

For those of you who remember the old Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you know exactly what I’m referring to!  For those of you who don’t, well, you’ll just have to take a look at this here video.  ;-)  And enjoy!

The truth is, I thought of this easy, five-minute craft, and the title of this blog post right before I went to bed the other night, and there was no way that I could pass it up!  If you stopped by my blog yesterday, you probably saw this post where I made a little egg-scene underneath a glass dome.  If you didn’t see it, here’s Exhibit A.

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See that little egg in there?

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Here’s the deal.  We’ve got several gold/brass accents in our living room.  A lamp, a mirror, a gilded wishbone print on the wall…you get what I’m saying.  I loved the idea of having a little glitz on my egg…just to make it a little more fit for our space.

So, out cam my trusty Rub n Buff.

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Love this stuff, pretty much obsessed with it.  It’s so easy to use, and it’s quick to dry — it’s basically the perfect product.  Think of it like a cross between paint and…and…ointment?  I know, that’s totally weird.  But it’s true!

I grabbed a tissue from the bathroom…

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And I squeezed out just a tiny amount of the Rub n Buff on the tissue…a little goes a long way, people!

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Then, you just do what the title of the product says — I RUBBED the product on the little egg and it BUFFED itself out.  It gives whatever you’re putting it on a nice, smooth, metallic finish.

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WEE!  Instantly, it becomes a golden goose egg.  Why didn’t Veruca Salt think to make one herself?

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See?  Instantly gilded egg.  At no cost, I might add.

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See my brass lamp back there?  (Target)

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And there we have it.  You may also notice that I lined my lucite tray from CB2 with some fabric.  Don’t worry, no glue or adhesive spray was involved — it’s just laying there.  But I think it looks pretty.  :-)

If you would like to see another Rub n Buff project that has appeared here on the blog, check out what I did with the product + a small clear vase!

Have you attempted or completed any projects with Rub n Buff lately?  Are you all decorated for Easter?  I can’t believe it’s only a week away!

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Moving + Nesting

It’s been quite a while since I’ve logged on to this little blog, but my husband and I are finally feeling settled in our new place, so I have a bit of time.  :-)  Yep, we moved — very close to our old place but still a new home to decorate, unpack in, and enjoy.  It’s been quite the ride.  Along with that, school has been keeping me incredibly busy.  I’m looking forward to my Spring break in a couple of weeks — I’m hoping I can get some projects completed the week that I am off!  There hasn’t been a ton of time for decorating, except for on the weekends when I can usually get an hour or two of craftiness in — it keeps me sane.  ;-)

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This is simple enough, right?  My mother-in-law decorates with eggs, moss, and nests underneath domes each spring and this is the first time that I have actually tried it myself.  Super easy — it literally took me less than five minutes to create this cuteness.  The dome is from HomeGoods (where else?) and the moss, nest, and egg is from Hobby Lobby.

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I piled some of my favorite decorating books and placed my way-too-awesome nose bookend on its side on top.  Quatrefoil coasters are from Pier One ages ago, and the lucite tray is one of my favorite pieces of decor, from Crate and Barrel.

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Just another view.  :-)

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I used the rest of the eggs and moss that I bought from Hobby Lobby and gently placed them in my vintage Waterford crystal bowl.  The bowl is sitting on top of a cigar box that my husband really loves.

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I’m going to be painting this piece of furniture that the eggs and other decor is resting upon.  Any color ideas for me?  :-)

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Here’s where we’re at with our living room right now.  It’s sort of a hodge-podge but I do love how it is slowly coming together.

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That hardware on the side table needs to change — I’m going to tackle that really quickly this weekend!  :-)  Just watch me!

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Layers of Gray

 

 

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}
A couple of weeks ago, in a blog post that I wrote about pendant lighting, a reader (who happens to be my mother-in-law) pointed out that I had used a gray + white color scheme for most all of the photos in that post!  I laughed when I realized that I totally had done just that — and not on purpose.  After consulting my Pinterest boards, I saw that my love of gray follows me everywhere in terms of my love for interiors, photography, table settings, you name it.  And let’s not even start talking about my closet.  ;-)  The more that I looked at my love for the color gray, I saw that I especially love the look of layers of gray, coming together to create a beautiful palette that is so relaxing to me.

 

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}
I would consider myself especially partial to a gray kitchen — I cannot escape my love and affection for white marble countertops and gray cabinetry with stainless steel finishes.  However, I wouldn’t mind having a gray bedroom, either.  You’d have to twist my arm, though…  ;-)

 

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}
To me, layering grays with a few pops of color or subdued neutrals equals a rich, yet serene color palette that I find to be so luxurious.  I love that you can modern this color palette up, or make it just as traditional depending on your furniture and accessories.  It’s more difficult to do that with other color palettes, I find.

 

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}

Layers of Gray {Inspiration Affirmation}
What do you think of color palettes including layer upon layer of gray?  I really enjoy the dimension that it offers in design and I really find that a predominantly gray room has just as much to ‘say’ as a supremely colorful and flamboyant room!

 

Image Sources:  {House Beautiful}  {Hottenroth + Joseph Architects}  {Nesting Place}  {Houzz}  {Houzz}  {House to Home}  {Plain English Design}  {Houzz}  {An Urban Cottage}

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Bar Lights in the B-Room

 

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}
Bar lights in the bathroom aren’t necessarily my favorite.  And I’m guessing that they’re not really yours, either.  Wall sconces usually add a touch more personality than your average bar lights do, so these days I see a lot of bathrooms in magazines, on Pinterest, etc. with wall sconces by the sink area.  As much as I would love to diagnose every single bathroom with a pair or two of wall sconces, I just can’t.  The truth is, if I was working with a client on a bathroom re-do or just a bathroom up-do — or even a total bathroom design — I would suggest bar lights.  In the end, the bar lights will give you much better light than wall sconces will when it comes to performing the tasks that you do at the sink area of your bathroom.  Let’s face it, the lighting in your bathroom is truly, first and foremost, there to help you perform different tasks.  You should really be willing to light it accordingly.

 

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}
Here’s the thing — I can definitely, in good conscience, suggest wall sconces for a powder room, or even in a vanity area in your bathroom that you want to look super luxe.  The good news?  There is quite a large selection of great-looking bar lights these days in all different styles – so you really have options when it comes to finding something that works with your pre-existing or wanna-be design aesthetic.  We’re not limited to those globe-y celebrity bar lights anymore, people!

 

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}

Bar Lights in the B-Room {Inspiration Affirmation}

What are you thinking right now?  Are you going to ignore my advice about this whole bar lights business?  If so, no worries, lol!  This is my professional opinion and what I have been taught/seen work best in real life.  Sconces in pictures are gorgeous, I just don’t personally think they are all that effective!

 

Image Sources: {Anne Hepfer}  {Houzz}  {Houzz}  {Lonny}  {BHG}  {Apartment Therapy}

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