Hi folks,

Welcome to a whole new week here, one that I'm hoping will be better than last week when I was drowning in it on the day job. That said, this weekend was just what I needed (minus the part where I shelled out as part of my civic duty - read as "paying taxes" - and found myself practically delirious with rage). It was one of those weekends where I just found myself doing a bunch of little things around the house that I had been more than procrastinating on. One of those things including the wall of art behind my couch. For the longest time, it's practically been empty because I had this highbrowed thing of only wanting "original" art on my walls. That coupled with my silly idea that I didn't have enough frames meant my main wall looked this side of ridiculous!

This weekend, I decided to start doing something about that. I say "start" because it turns out that the "art walls" that you see in magazines and blogs aren't as simple as they look! Of course the hardest part is finding the actually "art" that will goes on the walls. Being a major photography lover, there was no doubt that I wanted some of the amazing photographs that I blog and pin about to be represented. That, my friends, is where life gets really complicated. For example, this amazeballs image by photographer Julio Bittencourt, would be perfect above my kitchen table. Yet the original a) doesn't come in the size that I need and b) clocking in at way more than $1,000, this work of art is so beyond my budget that it's actually hilarious! Also, unless you go shopping at some major museum, finding prints of the originals by your favorite "not as popular as Picasso" artist is darn near impossible.

Of course the best thing to do would be to print (and enlarge) some of my own photographs, but let's face it - that feels uber boring especially considering my status as "novice photographer" at best! So that's the state I'm in.....wall of art to be filled and lack of funds for originals of the pieces I love!


{Photo: Julio Bittencourt via 1500 Gallery}

Tuesday's Design: My Entryway

I little while ago, here, I mentioned my new found obsession with the color pink. What I didn't mention was that I have taken that obsession to my walls. I had seen this inspiration in House Beautiful a few weekends ago and literally couldn't get it out of my head. I already had a similar style mirror because I already knew that I wanted the space to feel a bit glamorous. When I saw this image, I just knew that this was the direction that the space needed to take.

Despite having bright bold colors all over my apartment (see turquoise bedroom walls here), I still felt like something was missing...that every nook and crank of this space wasn't reflecting me at some version of my craziest self; that I wasn't being as brave as I could be.


So two coats of Razzle Dazzle Benjamin Moore paint later, my gold mirror is looking exactly how I had envisioned it in my head. I picked up this antique desk hutch, provided a little t.l.c, and turned it into a entryway table. It has tons of little cubbies inside for mail and old magazines and the top is actually a lid with perfect storage for all those random manuals that I know better than to throw away. Two colorful balls picked up in Mozambique plus a flowery chipped pitcher-turn-vase for pink and white carnations add a few nice touches.

The space isn't quite complete yet...I want a small vintage type tray so that tossing my keys doesn't scratch the table and maybe a little bigger vase. The opposite wall needs some type of art and I already have the picture frame for whatever I end up making/finding something to go in it. I'm thinking bulletin board with maybe pictures postcards...maybe an Africa mask, not sure yet.

Keys and mail are already adding a little more personality to the space making it slightly more worthy of Apartmento magazine (my new favorite interior magazine find....if only I could get my little hands on it)!!! Now the heat is really on as to what is my favorite room. I really wish I had more reason to just linger in the entryway and absorb all this pink joy!

{Photos from House Beautiful & me}

It's HERE!!!

Speaking of home, my little apt. got a major boost on Saturday with the arrival of my long-awaited couch! It is actually more comfortable than I remember and fit exactly as I had calculated. And I saw a very beautiful 1940s secretary desk that was almost perfect and now have the store owner on the look-out for the exact style that I'm looking for. I also got some quotes for framing some art work for the walls. There is still a LOT of work to do, but I'm definitely closer to my goal than I was on Friday.

Decorating like Cooking

So with each step, I'm learning that decorating a space is sorta like trying out a new recipe (at least if you do it the way I do). While I usually read all the necessary ingredients and know the procedure, I tend to stray from the recipe, trying to go with what I like. Sometimes it turns out great and other times, not so great. My bedroom is moving into the not so great territory. There is still hope...but right now, I've lost direction. The other weekend, I added a few more pieces thinking that it was a great move and some days I love it more than others. I love the pop of color that the lamp adds and the print on the chair is great and it's comfortable....I'm just not sure. I think this is what happens when one doesn't have a clear vision.
As a result I'm taking MUCH more time and planning with the living room, hoping that it will come together a little smoother with less second guessing on my part. Here is a start of a concept board for my living room.
My walls are already that 'spiced butternut' color from Behr.com and I bought the most comfortable couch from Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams with a beautiful blue interwoven style of the slipcover. I love this tufted chair (also from MG+BW) and the icing on the cake will be the Kyle Bunting cowhide rug (I don't eat cow meat but have no problem using cowhide as deco - I know, my morals are all screwed up) that will pull in some of the blue from the couch, the yellow tunes from my walls and the brown from the chair. Now I just need ottoman (instead of coffee table), lamps, and wall art.