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Gift Guides

2018 Gift Guide: For The Design Lover

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.
  1. In Full Flower – Inspired Designs by Floral’s New Creatives $44: A masterful interior gets a whole lot better when you’ve learned how to create a masterful floral centerpiece to go with it.
  2. Vera Tray $18: Minimal doesn’t mean boring. This affordable tray makes a subtle statement empty or full. It’s also on my list for Santa.
  3. Walnut Frame $22: Simple done right. Sometimes the best design is subtle and pairs well with everything.
  4. Simplicity by Nancy Braithwaite $48: Notice a theme here? A beautiful design book all about the subtle nuances of design. The design lover in your life is sure to love the inspirational images, but they’ll really appreciate that it looks amazing on a coffee table.
  5. Triangle Dinner Bell $68: The most stylish way to call your family to dinner.
  6. Jenni Kayne Cedar Matte Glass Candle $44: Gift a cozy, rustic fragrance to match your friends cozy, rustic home. Cedar is filled with notes of rose, tobacco leaf, fir needle and cedarwood.
  7. Work Hard & Be Nice to People Print $269: Simple style, simple message. Both equally impactful. 
  8. Gold Watering Can $34: Who says your more utilitarian home items can’t be sculptural? This watering can will add interest while still being useful.
  9. Ribbed Pot $90: Greenery adds life to any well-design space. Your interior design loving, loved-one is going to need a well designed pot or two. This one is especially useful, as it includes a built-in water tray to help with proper drainage. 
  10. Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set – Windowpane $149: Soft, cool and crisp in look and feel.
  11. Nude Flower Pot $22: A modern shape and an uncommon, warm hue make for quiet statement. This pot could hold its own styled with or without an actual plant.
  12. Block Perpetual Calendar design by Sir/Madam $80: A unique piece that is sure to catch a well-trained design eye. It delivers both form and function.
  13. Buffalo Plaid Fringed Throw $129: Whats more timeless than a bold black and white plaid? Made by Faribault Woolen Milll. Permanently moth-proofed, 100% pure wool.
  14. Murchison-Hume Hand Duo $52: Likely the most used items in my home and I don’t mind having them out by every sink one bit.
  15. Rumont Napkins (Set of 4) $54: These napkins getting even better with wear. Plus having a set of real napkins instead of just using paper towels screams “grown up.”
  16. Fellow Stagg Gooseneck Copper Kettle $63.20: The only thing I like better than pour over coffee, is pour over coffee brewed in style.

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Gift Guides

2018 Gift Guide: For the Homebody

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.
  1. Homebody by Joanna Gaines $24: Because are you really a homebody if you aren’t a fan of Joanna? The ultimate guide to creating a homey space by the ultimate homebody herself.

  2. Hibernating Sweatshirt by ProperTee $40: Brought to you by home blogging duo Chris Love Julia. What’s more fitting for your friend that doesn’t like to leave the house than a cozy sweatshirt that pretty much says just that? Want an even more literal option? Check out their tee that actually says “homebody.”

  3. Echo Smart speaker with Alexa – Sandstone Fabric $69: Alexa can do everything but your dishes and laundry, and I’m pretty sure that’s coming. I gifted this to my siblings and my parents last year.

  4. Gold Painted Frame $12: Bonus points if you add a family picture.

  5. Chemex 6-Cup Coffeemaker with Wood Collar $41.95: I’m kind of a coffee snob and this thing makes the best pure drip coffee with no bitterness. Plus it looks pretty on the counter.

  6. Homebody Mug by ProperTee $14:  Sipping on a hot cup of the pure dripped coffee mentioned above in this mug… Throw in pajamas and this sounds like my actual dream.

  7. Wood Desk Calendar $15: Sometimes even a homebody needs to know what day it is and this looks great on an office desk.

  8. Vitruvi Stone Aromatherapy Diffuser $89.25: Help them turn their home into an actual spa.

  9. Brew: Better Coffee at Home by Brian W. Jones $25: Who doesn’t want better coffee at home? Have I mentioned I like coffee?

  10. Monopoly Game – Rustic Series Edition $38.99: Looks nice left out when not in use, and even better in action on game night.

  11. Painted Stripe Tray $72: A subtle statement piece that can perfectly store jewelry, keys, candy; you name it. Their home will thank you.

  12. Houses Art $129: A charming piece with hand drawn lines, and framed in black and natural linen. This is on my personal wish list.

  13. Vintage Pajama Set $95: About those pajamas I mentioned. This borrowed from the boys look is something I wouldn’t be embarrassed to answer the door in.

  14. Dominoes Coffee Table Game $35: Sleek when played or displayed. 

  15. The Monocle Guide to Cosy Homes $60: Published by UK luxurious living and culture magazine, Monocle. This book is a natural choice for anyone looking to curate their own dream home.

  16. Birdies The Starling Slipper $120: These aren’t your Momma’s house shoes.  Seven layers of responsive cushion technology and plush, quilted lining equal a dream for your feet.

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Our Home

Get the Look: Our Christmas Tree

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

This is the first year of my adult life, I actually get to decorate my way for Christmas. Due to life events and seemingly constant construction it didn’t make sense to “design” a holiday look. That’s not to say we didn’t decorate, but we mostly made do with hand me downs from my in-laws… most of which originated in the 80s…

Now there were some winners, like the hand me down vintage skis, snow shows AND sled, but I assure you that the items we inherited were not all winners. Particularly, the tree. I’m sure it was once a perfectly nice tree… three decades ago. Imagine my excitement when we splurged and upgraded to this tree from Balsam Hill. I also love this one, but it was to large for our space.

For a shorter and more affordable option, check out this dupe from Target. It’s currently on sale!

My husband and daughter are fans of a kitschy red and green, colored-lights kind of holiday, so out of respect to them, I kept our holiday look pretty classic. I stuck with a fairly neutral color palette, filled with greens and the occasional pop of burgundy. I wanted our home to feel homey and almost like the tree could have been done in decades past. Eva helped me string cranberries on fishing wire to create a whimsical and personal garland.

SHOP THE TREE

We mixed our cherished and collected family ornaments, like this one, with more deliberately curated sets. We selected multiple sets of wood, and metallic ornaments, in a range of sizes and shapes, and added natural looking elements like these pinecones and these floral stems to complement the cranberry garland.  I recommend purchasing ornaments, like these and these, in at least sets of six, so you get a consistent look throughout your tree.

The best part of the whole experience was decorating the tree as a family and sharing with Eva the memories behind the ornaments we selected to commemorate past years. I can’t wait to see what ornament she picks to mark her experiences this year. If I had to guess, I’d say it will be a princess ornament like this one

We will also be adding this tree topper, as soon as it arrives in the mail!

SHOP THE LOOK

Design

Our McGee & Co Sale Picks

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

Get 20% off all McGee & Co product with the code THANKYOU.

  1. Murchison-Hume Hand Duo: My personal favorite soap and hand lotion. We have a soap bottle by every sink in the house. This set even comes with a pretty tray.
  2. Forrest Green Teapot: I already own two teapots, but I’m really tempted to make that three.
  3. Salamanca Rug: Affordable and pretty. You get the appeal of vintage without the actual age. I’m considering this one for our basement.
  4. Oxford Woven Plaid Pillow: Just the right amount of color and texture.
  5. Holborn Lantern: If I ever build a new home, these are going in the kitchen. I’d even consider putting them in my current kitchen if the hubby would allow it.
  6. Peonies & Vase: This will be going in my online cart.
  7. Uptown Strip Hand Towel: We all do dishes, but a towel like this looks a heck of a lot prettier than most slung over a sink.
  8. Ava Wall Sconce: I’m on the hunt for the perfect location in my own home for this unique sconce. Perhaps the mudroom?
  9. Amalie Sideboard: I love everything about this sideboard. The only thing holding me back from purchasing it myself is a lack of space and the fact that we store mostly toys in our sideboards.
  10. Sunday Suppers: I’ve recently gotten into cooking and baking, and this cookbook is as beautiful, as it is good.
  11. Judy Chair: Simple and artistic. Judy is my chair crush.
  12. Scratch Vase: It’s white counterpart often sells out before I can snag it, but I think I like this one better anyways.
  13. Cliff Table Lamp: I’ve been on a real tree kick lately. I’m thinking of pairing this lamp with a mirror on our yet-to-be-styled console table.
  14. Beige Abstract 2: Neutral, but still impactful. A sure bet for your empty wall.
  15. Border Lines Frame: My favorite frame we own.

EVEN MORE MCGEE & CO GOODS

Design

How to Style A Bookcase

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

Bookshelves can make for a stunning focal-point or they can look like a cluttered mess if you just randomly throw things in them. Ditch the disarray, and create a functional and streamlined display with these tips.

1.    Mix up the book placement. 

No bookshelf is complete without books, but keep it interesting by mixing up your arrangement. Flip the spines in. Try a mix of vertical and horizontal arrangements. Don’t just go for any books—this isn’t the place for worn paperbacks.

Design by Maison de Pax

2.    Try arranging your books by color.

This might be a bit controversial for bookworms, but if you don’t have thousands of books it should still be relatively easy to find your book of choice.

Design by Amber Interiors + Cupcakes & Cashmere

3.   Use decorative objects.

Think sculptural. Try a beautiful bowl or vase. Height from vases can work to your advantage, and trays make for beautiful space fillers.

Our basement guest bedroom. Design by Pretty Domesticated.

Design by Amber Interiors

4.    Bring in nature.

Nothing livens up a room or bookcase like something actually living (or a well-executed fake). Plants are an obvious go-to, but objects made from natural materials like wood also have an organic feel.

From our basement project. Design by Pretty Domesticated.

Design by Style Curator

5.   Layer in artwork.

It is not just for walls! Large pieces can anchor a shelf, and smaller frames can go on a stack of books or in a tray. In this case, family photos count as art too!

Design by Studio McGee

Bonus tip: Vary the height and style of  your decor. Don’t be afraid of blank spaces. We find the rule of threes applies, but we often like to mix in groupings of two, if space is tight and to avoid a grid appearance.

Follow these tips to create a stunning focal point with a freshly styled bookcase!

Like what you see? Give us some love on Pinterest @ktmsullivan!

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Best, Katie

Preggers

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

Let’s cut to the chase. I’ve been holding out on you guys for what feels like a really long time… 29 weeks to be exact! If the t-shirt didn’t give it away for you, I’ll straight talk. We are expecting baby #2 on November 28!

I AM PREGNANT! 

Needless, to say we are beyond ecstatic!

Photography by Elisabeth Eden

While we are all eagerly awaiting our new arrival, Little Miss E is ready to take on the big sister role ASAP. She sings twinkle, twinkle little star and whispers “Baby, I’m going to be your big sister” to my belly almost every night. It’s enough to make a hormonal mother ugly cry happy tears. Translation to the non-pregnant, that means it is very, very sweet.

There is just one little problem…

Just like with her, we are not finding out the gender until the day of! However, she is adamant it is a girl, or twins. In that case, a boy AND a girl is an acceptable option. Don’t be fooled by the multiple balloons, there are definitely not multiples in there!

We have a daily conversation that goes something like this:

“E, do you think you are going to have a brother or a sister?”
“Sister.”
“It could be a brother. [Insert something about why boys are awesome here.]”
“Umm, how about a girl.”

If it is a boy, pray for us! Just kidding, pray for grandma because she’s the one who’s going to have to break the news to her!

In all seriousness, she’ll be a great older sibling regardless of the gender. Whether it is a boy or girl, they will be thoroughly loved by their big sister.

Our family at 27 weeks! I’m 29 weeks now!

While this announcement is long overdue and not really a surprise to those who see us on a regular basis, we wanted to share the news on the blog before we got back to the grind of regularly posting about our home and life. The last few months have been a lot (mostly a lot of good) and I needed to take a little breather to enjoy my pregnancy and our home.  Now I’m ready to get back at it. You can expect more content coming soon!

Also, I want to thank our readers. We previously shared that having another baby wasn’t easy for us on the blog. You showed us sympathy, kindness and love in return. This was not lost on us. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are happy to share our joy with you now. Your comments, messages and personal stories have stuck with us as we have moved forward.

And then there were four!

Best, Katie

Eva’s dress is from Alice & Ames.

Elisabeth Eden retains all copyright to the photos in this post.

Other posts that might interest you:

Design

How We Brought European Flair to Our Master Bath + Sources

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

*This post contains affiliate links. As always, all the views expressed are my own.

Welcome back to the blog for another room reveal! We can’t really call this a room transformation, however, because it has looked like this since the day we moved in, minus a few styling details. I’ve just been a little slow on showing off.

I shared a little bit about how a trip to Europe influenced our master bathroom design in a recent article for Design & Living Magazine. You can read it here. There are also some more great wide angle shots of the bathroom taken by J. Alan Paul Photography.

Artifact Uprising Photo Gifts

As I mentioned in the article, the design of the bathroom is a bit unique in that the shower is large and includes a free standing tub within it. It is reminiscent of a wet room, where rather than having a built-in, enclosed shower cubicle, the room itself acts as the enclosure.

We came across a few versions of this type of bathroom while traveling through Europe and were smitten. They were mostly smaller and based on convenience, as a true wet room doesn’t require glass and is easily accessible since they usually lack a curb. We loved the simplicity of the design and one bathroom in particular stood out to us. In our Prague hotel a free standing tub and shower co-existed in one space, but not as a single unit.

I wish I had a picture to share of the bathroom, but unfortunately that was long before blogging was even on my radar and my iPhone gallery wasn’t full of interior design photos yet. 

About a year after our vacation,  it came time to draw up the layout for our master bathroom and the european restrooms stood out in both our memories. We told our builder, Titan Homes, what we had in mind and what we like to refer to affectionally as the “shower room” came about. We also refer to this as “the water fight room.” See Design & Living for details on why.

Shout out to Houzz and Pinterest, who also played a huge role in the final design. Just type in “wet room” and you will be treated to 100’s of inspiration photos.

The tub in the shower room is by Barclay. You can find it online here.

Of all the rooms in our house, the master bathroom is definitely our indulgence. While we erased things off our want list during the original build in many of the other rooms, opting to do them ourselves down the road to save money, we did not do that here. This is not a DIY story, this a we treated ourselves story.

When it came time to pick the finishes, once again, we were inspired by our overseas trip and opted for the always classic marble.

In the interest of being honest, I’d like to add a disclaimer here. Marble is a bit high maintenance, even in a bathroom. Our love of marble and tolerance for light etching, override the fact that we have to be selective about what cleaners we bring into our bathroom and that I actually scrub some of the grout lines with a tooth brush and baking soda, rather than use traditional grout cleaner. If these aren’t things you are willing to do I wouldn’t recommend marble in your home.

To modernize the room a tish, we had a glass accent wall installed. You can find a similar tile here. It’s hard to tell in the pictures, but the wall takes on a gray to almost sea-glass blue tone depending on the lighting. It adds vibrancy to the otherwise somewhat stark bathroom, especially on sunny days.

You can purchase river rock similar to what we have in our shower here.

Your Photos, In Print

We added another modern touch by picking chrome fixtures throughout the room..

The tub filler is by Delta. You can find it online at Wayfair here.

The smaller shower head and temperature valves are by Moen, while the rain shower is by Kohler. 

Beenigma Cream

When it came time to style the room, we kept it simple. We focused mostly on practical, but pretty items, with a few pieces of art and greenery thrown in for good measure. In my opinion, every room should have art and something green!

I mean how cute is the little guy above from Baker Garden & Gift. It bring’s some life to the glass shelf and I can’t help but smile when I see it. Now I just need to remember to water it’s “hair.” Otherwise both our smiles will be turned upside down in the near future.

While I’m always a little hesitant to use pre-made faux greenery, I weaved in some non-killable flower arrangements from Northern Home Furniture. I can only keep so many plants alive at one time, so sometimes well executed fake flowers are necessary.

Art also brings some liveliness to the space. The yellow canvas is an original by Linda Donohue. I bought if locally from McNeal & Friends, but you can purchase her work online here.

The drawing of a little girl standing in water is one of my faves for sentimental reasons. I love how innocent and serene it feels. It reminds me of my daughter playing carefree on our recent Hawaiian vacation. (You’ve probably noticed I tend to like art that reminds me of her.) It’s a print of a piece by Lisa Golightly’s called “In the Depths.” You can purchase it on her Etsy shop Kiki and Polly here. Best part about it is it only costs $22!

Decorating over toilets is always hard. In the long run, we may DIY an accent wall or build some shelving, but for now we filled the somewhat awkward space no one can avoid with a small piece by local artist Paul Allen, and some of my jewelry hanging on a Target find. The exact jewelry tree is no longer available, but you can purchase a similar style here.

The bathtub is Mommy’s place, or at least it was supposed to be until a two year old took over. Let’s be real, I’m a Mom and ain’t nobody got time for that anyways.

The pictures above were admittedly staged for the Design & Living shoot because the wood caddy from Rejuvenation didn’t look nearly as Instagram and Pinterest worthy with bathtub crayons rolling across it. However, in the off chance I ever get to use it for “me time” these are the actual items I’d use to get into zen mode. Back in the day and the handful of times I’ve sat in here when I should have been sleeping since then, I lit a candle, soaped up, and read a good book or sometimes just my Facebook feed. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a phone in a tub though. My husband certainly doesn’t like it when I do this. Go with the Domino book instead. Also, the wood caddy holds wine glasses pretty well. Just in case you were wondering.

The candle, soap and matches are from one of my favorite new stores, Mint & Basil, while the soap dish is from Eco Chic Boutique. I actually use all of these items, just not necessarily in this setting. I adore both stores because they specialize in functional and pretty. Really what is better than that when it comes to home design?

P.S. I highly recommend these tub crayons. Your child(ren) will thank you. Whoever scrubs the tub probably won’t, but I promise it scrubs off pretty easily!

Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Shaving Cream & Deodorant | Run.Sweat.Recover from Mint + Basil | TrueFitt & Hill Pre-Shave Oil

Another functional and pretty item is this hand soap from Murchison-Hume. Their products are all-natural and their packaging is pretty easy on the eyes for a soap dispenser. I have this soap in every room with a sink.

The faucet is from Restoration Hardware. Get it here.

Ignore the top of my head there…

We picked up the pivot mirrors from Pottery Barn and flanked them with classic factory sconces from Restoration Hardware in polished nickel.

Mirrors that tilt up or down are slightly more flexible than a simple framed mirror, and they have a traditional appeal that fits in well with classic styles like marble and subway tile.

The cabinets were designed by Wendt Custom Cabinets. They are finished in espresso stain and the hardware was supplied by Wendt. Spaulding Stone fabricated the Carrara marble counters.

All the tile and flooring was supplied and installed by Floor to Ceiling Carpet One. To replicate the look in your home use this subway tile and these 12×12 marble tiles. Since we invested in-floor heat, we didn’t need an actual rug to keep our feet warm. Instead we mimicked a rug with a marble inset. You can create the same look by using this and this tile.

Burberry Cologne 

To finish off the room and so that we could use the room for it’s intended purpose, we picked up some towels from Macy’s. The double towel bar is from Pottery Barn. Get it here.

Last but not least, my favorite indulgence is these hotel worthy robes. I usually throw one on fresh out of the shower. It keeps me toasty warm while I do my hair and makeup. Every once in a while I get a little carried away, and wear one around the house while pretending I’m on vacation. Then the doorbell usually rings. FYI… answering the door in a robe is kind of awkward. Don’t try this at home. Do try my decor tips, however.

For a complete list of our master bathroom sources see below. 

Would you put a “shower room” in your own home? What about marble? Is marble always too high maintenance or totally worth it IYO?

Sources:

Paint Color – Sherwin Wiliams Site White (SW 7070)
Flooring & Tile – Floor to Ceiling Carpet One (see post for similar styles available online)
Counters – Carrera Marble from Stone Holding Co. Fabricated by Spaulding Stone.
Cabinets & Hardware – Wendt Custom Cabinets
Mirrors – Extra-Large Kensington Pivot Mirror in Polished Chrome from Pottery Barn
Sconces – 20th C. Factory Filament Milk Glass Cloche Sconce from Restoration Hardware
Faucets – Vintage 8″ Widespread Faucet in Polished Chrome from Restoration Hardware
Towel Rack – Mercer Double Towel Bar in Chrome from Pottery Barn
Toilet Paper Holder – Mercer Paper Holder in Chrome from Pottery Barn
Glass Shelf – 24″ Mercer Glass Shelf in Chrome from Pottery Barn
Basic Shower Head and Temperature Valve – Moen Brantford Posi-Temp Shower Trim Kit in Chrome. Buy just the temperature valve here.
Rain Shower – Kohler Traditional Round Rainhead in Polished Chrome
Tub Filler – Delta Trinsic® Bathroom Single Handle Floor Mount Tub Filler with Hand Shower in Chrome
Tub – Barlay Opus Freestanding Tub
Hooks for Robes – Sussex Hook in Chrome from Pottery Barn
Robes – Hotel Collection Waffle Weave Robe from Macy’s
Door Hook – Mercer Double Hook in Chrome from Pottery Barn
Towels – Hotel Collection Ultimate MicroCotton Bath Towels in White & Seaspray from Macy’s
Floor Mat – Hotel Collection Ultimate MicroCotton Tub Mat from Macy’s
Faux Plants – Northern Home Furniture
Bath Caddy – Reclaimed Oak Tub Cabby from Rejuvenation
Candle – Mint + Basil
Matches – Mint + Basil (similar here)
Domino Book – CB2
Soap Holder – Eco Chic Boutique
Bar Soap – Mint + Basil
Hand Soap – Murchinson-Hume Superlative Hand Soap in Original Fig
Small White Trays – Wamsutta Livigno Guest Towel Holder from Bed, Bath & Beyond
Mirror Box – Home Goods (similar here)
Plant & Smile Pot – Baker Garden & Gift
Jewelry Tree – Target (similar here)
Yellow Abstract – Linda Donohue from McNeal & Friends. Shop her art online here.
“In to the Depths” Print – Lisa Golightly for Kiki & Polly
Pink Abstract – Paul Allen
Frames – Custom at Michael’s

*With the exception of the Restoration Hardware faucets, all our plumbing fixtures and the tub were purchased locally at Fergusons.

Design

Pink Decor That Will Last Past Valentine’s Day

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

If you had asked me 5 years ago if I would have pink decor throughout my house I would have laughed in your face. Not even kidding. After all, our fall wedding was completely black and white. Not a bit of color anywhere and surely not pink. Our first home together, a condo, followed suit.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still a black, white (and navy) type of girl, but carefully curated, bright and cheery decor has stolen my heart. Perhaps having a daughter softened my colored adverse heart, but I’ve gone pink and I’m never going back! You’ll find fuchsia art, flowers and decor placed throughout my home for the foreseeable future.

Shop some of my favorite rose-colored decor below!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ( X | O) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

 

Need even more pink in your life? Check out these selections!

Design

Our Master Bedroom Reveal + Sources

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Long before I started this blog and before we started taking on DIY projects, Daren and I started slowly pulling our master bedroom together. It has been one of the most “done” rooms in our house for a long time, yet it has received little to no love on our blog or social media channels. I guess I’ve been just a wee bit distracted by the basement project!

It’s about time we change that! I’m happy to report our relaxing master suite retreat is finally getting the love it deserves. This month we teamed up with Design & Living Magazine to FINALLY show it off in their magazine.

You can read the whole story on how the room came to be in the online copy of Design & Living here

We could only fit so much information in the glossy pages, so we decided the room deserved some love on the blog too. Today we are sharing some of our own pictures, more details, and as promised, we’re revealing all of our sources!

Let’s get things started with the obligatory before and after shot.

While the paint color stayed the same (It’s Sherwin Williams Backdrop BTW), the look and feel of the room transformed from dreary and mismatched to textured cohesion.

Starting with the bed, here’s how we made it happen.

Our very first purchase for the room was this wingback bed from One Kings Lane for $925. It was a steal. Similar beds from popular brands cost more than double. We were super nervous about purchasing such a large and expensive item sight-unseen, but I’m writing this to tell you buy this bed! I repeat, if you are in the market for a large upholstered bed get this one! Don’t buy the $2000 Pottery Barn name brand bed!

We spend a significant amount of time eating snacks and watching movies as a family in this bed. So far there are no noticeable stains. I assure you it’s not from a lack of effort. I’ve had to spot treat the fabric a few times, but two years later and it still looks pretty new. We sprayed the headboard with Scotchguard on day one and it has been working like a charm!

For the bedding, we opted to go texture heavy by mixing-and-matching a variety of brands.

The sheets are from Bed Bath & Beyond. We have pillow cases in both ivory and white, while our sheets are ivory.

The large decorative pillow shams are from Macy’s Hotel Collection. We also purchased a matching coverlet, which is no longer available. You can purchase a similar coverlet here or the comforter that matches the pillow shams here. We layered our coverlet under this heavily textured duvet from Anthropologie.

You can find the beaded decorative pillow here. The small linen pillow is no longer available, but you can find a similar pillow here.

Holiday Gift Guide: Shop Modern Gifts and Accessories + free shipping at Lumens.com.

After being inspired by the glamorous Restoration Hardware catalog, we decided to brighten the room by flanking the bed with mirrors.

We had a hard time finding affordable and long vertical mirrors, but after hours of online shopping we found this skinny horizontal mirror from West Elm for $199. We purchased two, flipped them and voila!

We filled the empty space above the bed with personal photographs in Room & Board frames. These frames are pricey, but they are beautiful and sturdy. Apart from custom framing, these are my top choice for displaying personal memories.

My favorite detail in the bedroom is the glass pendants by Lee Broom that hang above our bedside tables. These lights are mini works of art!

The pendants feature hand-cut lead crystal vessels that twinkle with light. The decanter style lights, have a similar shape to an old-fashioned perfume bottle. The clear shades also allows you to see the gold bulb socket which matches the gold suspension cord.

Lumens.com

The oversized abstract print tucked in the corner of the room is by Mercana and is to-the-trade. I bought my copy from Scheel’s Home & Hardware. 

Your Photos, In Print

We kept the bedside tables light and airy, with minimal styling. Available space = a functional table.

We keep most of our personal items in boxes. Daren’s box is from Artifact Uprising. It’s completely customizable and makes for a great Valentine’s Day gift. Hint, hint ladies!

To keep things from getting too white, we brought in some stained wood. The antique looking dresser is from Restoration Hardware, while the matching mirror is from Home Goods. The mirror is no longer available, but you can purchase a similar style here.


We styled the dresser with affordable finds from local stores, including lots of olive branches from Eco Chic Boutique.

Many of the items featured are no longer available. In such cases, we’ve linked to similar items in the source list at the end of this post.

If you look closely at the middle picture above, you’ll see there is a very large television screen to the right of the antique ladder. As much as I hate it we are TV people and always will be! However, this 65″ screen was actually purchased for the basement and we plan to downsize soon. It’s a long story, but essentially Daren couldn’t bear to pay for the TV and not have it installed ASAP, so thats how it landed here.

I tell myself that the charm of the ladder, which we picked up at The Red Silo, helps offset the big black time-suck. I’m well aware that I may be lying to myself… while I watch HGTV or whatever E’s newest Disney obsession is.

We finished off the room with a wingback chair from Home Goods (It compliments the wingback bedframe!) and a few personal mementos. The books are from a local thrift store and the artwork is a print by Clare Elsaesser. The affordable piece is displayed in a brass frame by Target.

The reading light and the side table are to-the-trade, but you can find a similar light here and an almost identical table here.

We will be revealing our master bathroom + how we installed crown molding and rope lighting to our tray ceiling in our master bedroom soon. To make sure you don’t miss out, sign up to get our posts straight to your email here.

Source List:

Bedding:
Bed Frame – One Kings Lane
Mattress – Tempur-Pedic
Pillowcases- Wamsutta for Bed, Bath & Beyond, Regular in White, King in Ivory
Sheets – Wamsutta for Bed, Bath & Beyond
Woven Texture European Shams – Macy’s Hotel Collection
Textured Coverlet – Macy’s Hotel Collection. Sold out, similar here. A comforter made from the same fabric as our coverlet can be found here.
Linen Duvet Cover – Anthropologie (Duvet not included)
Beaded Pillow – Macy’s Hotel Collection
Small Linen Pillow – Bed, Bath & Beyond. Sold out, similar here.

Metal Framed Mirrors – West Elm
Frames above bed – Room & Board, 11 x 14 Profile Frame
Decanter Pendants – Lumens
Rug – Home Goods. Similar here.
Leather Ottomans – McNeal & Friends. Lighter color available online here.

Bedside Tables:
Tables – Overstock
Blue Box – Pottery Barn. Sold out, similar here.
Small Tray – Kate Spade
Necklace Bust – Target. Sold out, similar here.
See-Through Silver Frame – Target
Chunky Silver Frame – Target. Sold out, similar here.
Wood Box – Artifact Uprising

Large Abstract Art – Scheel’s Home & Hardware, Mercana Transformation I
Fiddle Leaf Fig – Baker Garden & Gift

White Chair – Home Goods. Similar here.
Brass Reading Light – McNeal & Friends
Wicker Side Table – McNeal & Friends
Silver Frame – Gilt
Plant & Planter – Baker Garden & Gift
Books – Dakota Boys Ranch
Art Print of Girl – Clare Elsaesser on Etsy
Gold Frame – Target

Antique Ladder – The Red Silo. Similar here.
Plaid Blanket – Target. Sold out, similar here.
White Blanket – Family heirloom

Dresser Set-Up:
Dresser – Restoration Hardware, Maison 6-Drawer Dresser in Antique Grey
Decorative Bird – Hobby Lobby
Lamp – Home Goods. Similar here.
Marble Tray – Home Goods. Similar here.
Decorative “&” Figurine – Hobby Lobby
Candles – Home Goods. Similar here.
8×10 Silver Frame – Gift. Similar here.
Wood Mirror – Home Goods, Similar here.
White Box – Pottery Barn. Sold out, similar here.
White Vase – Hobby Lobby. Similar here.
Faux Olive Branches – Eco Chic Boutique

Window Coverings:
Window Shade – Hunter Douglas. Find an authorized dealer near you here.
Curtains – Pottery Barn Dupioni Silk Drapes in White.
Brass Curtain Rod – West Elm

Ceiling Fan – Menards

*Family photos were taken by Haney’s Photography

We’ve updated Our Home page! Tour our home here.

 

Artifact Uprising personalized photo gifts

Design

Project Big Girl Room – The Before Pictures

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

After much deliberation, we have decided to move E from the nursery to a bigger bedroom down the hall. Recently I shared stunning inspirations pictures of light an airy little girl’s bedrooms. Today I’m going to show you the not so pretty, pretty Pinterest images of the room we are working with.

Here is the room we are working with, without any frills and the wrong carpet. (Our home was on a parade of homes before we closed, and our builder temporarily put this carpet in since our similar, but lighter selection, was not in stock.)

We originally designated this room the guest bedroom because it’s the biggest of the extra rooms. We upgraded our bed to a King when we moved in, so we placed our old queen sized bed in here, along with some other random things.

It wasn’t very picturesque, but it was functional.

It was also my favorite room to take pictures of my growing girl, because it get’s fantastic light.

Give me a second while I cry over how much my baby has grown.

Gradually, as we revamped our master bedroom, we moved all of our old bedroom set into this room. If you can look past the laundry pile, things were starting to look pulled together.

It stayed that way for a while. Our guests seemed comfortable and I had a reasonably attractive place to fold my laundry for about a year.

Design your own Disney kits

But then we started our basement renovation and all the furniture that didn’t have a home, but that we weren’t ready to part with, landed in here.

The room became extremely cluttered and definitely was not anything to brag about.




A few months ago, we finally got serious about turning this room into a room fit for a princess* and did our best to clear it out.

*E’s words, not mine. She recently told me. “Mommy, I’m not a baby, I’m just a princess.” I’m simultaneously concerned and fawning. #spoiled

Anyways, this is how the room looks today.

Ignore the random television hanging out by the window. That will not be staying.

Before planning a re-design of an existing room I ask myself what are the best and worst features of the room. This helps me plan what to play up and what to play down.

My favorite element of the room is it’s great natural light. A bold wallpaper with a white base will likely shine. This Hygge & West wallpaper is particularly great because the flowers are iridescent. While we will be using some bold items, I plan to use to a lot of soft colors to capitalize on the room’s soft lighting.

Another great feature is the nook area by the entry door. This space gives us an opportunity to get creative with the layout. Maybe we could create a reading wall or a dress-up vanity?

My least favorite feature of the room is the carpet. I don’t hate it. It’s actually really neutral and subtle, but given what I am envisioning for the room I wish it was cream. This should be easy to fix. I’ll simply downplay the carpet, by placing a large area rug under the bed.

I don’t have a concrete plan yet, but hopefully I will soon. The next step is to create a mood board, but I’m struggling to zero in on what direction I want to go. The biggest thing holding me back is the bed. I absolutely adore the antique bed we picked up on a whim from Eco Chic Boutique. I love the color, but it’s a departure from the light and pink bedroom I had been planning. Do I repaint the already gorgeous bed frame or do I adjust my vision?

See my post on the little girl’s rooms I found inspiring here.

* If you read the article I wrote for Design & Living Magazine featuring our master suite and are looking for sources, please stay tuned. I’ll be revealing more pictures and where we purchased everything on the blog this week and next.

Seedling - Design your own toy

Design

Ideas for Decorating the Guest Bedroom

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

Sconces – Lucent Lightshop | Pendant – Circa Lighting

*This post contains affiliate links.

We are all about bedrooms this month. Our master bedroom will be featured in Design & Living Magazine in about a week, we are bringing you through the complete process of designing E’s big girl room and today I’m showing off my vision boards for the basement guest bedroom. When you have a good thing going, why stop?

The guest bedroom is quickly nearing completion. We are just waiting on a steel ladder and railing guard. Since the room is small and the beds are built in there isn’t the need for a ton of decor, but I wanted the few items we do use to be playful and fun.

I put together two design boards for the guest bedroom because, well, options! I kept the base of the room the same and changed up some of the bedding to create different vibes.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 (frame) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

We tend to add blankets to our beds in the winter and I’ve been admiring Pendleton’s striped wool blanket for a while. The design above is how I envision the room looking in the cold weather months. Hopefully our guests love curling up with a warm blanket, while the snow falls as much as I do.

I may or may not have been going for a glamping theme. (If you’re like my husband and don’t know what that is, read up on it here.)

I had a really hard time picking a single Clare Elsaesser print because I’m obsessed with her work. I’m still considering this one, this one and this one, among a few others.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (frame) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

In the warmer months, we’ll toss the Pendleton blankets in one of the bed’s hidden storage compartments or in the Serena & Lily basket. Then, we’ll lighten up the room with bohemian pillows and an indigo throw at the end of the bed.

I may sub out a few items above and I’m still on the search for the perfect luggage rack, but I plan to get started ASAP. Then, knowing me, I’ll likely make a few eleventh hour changes once I actually start getting everything in place. While the exact items may be a little different, this is the vibe you can expect.

Let us know in the comments what you think? Is this a room you’d like to visit?

You can find all of our guest bedroom posts here, and all our basement posts here.

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Design

Project Big Girl Room – Step 1: Pinterest Research

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.

I’ve been talking about it for a while, but we are finally ready to get started on E’s big girl room! She’ll be moving down the hall to a bigger room as soon as we can get our act together.

Despite her extreme excitement when we first showed her the already purchased bed, she is still a little tentative about the adjustment. I’m hoping a room makeover, will amp up her excitement once more. I know I’m excited about it! Even if it means forfeiting my clean laundry drop off zone. Her new room is right across the hall, and while I’m pretty good at loading, I’m not so great at the whole putting clothes away part… 

Anyway, since this is the first room makeover since I started the blog, I thought it would be fun to bring you through my whole design process. Step by step — starting with how I gather inspiration.

I use a variety of sources to curate images that inspire my work, including Instagram and magazines, but my best source time suck is pretty predictable.

You guessed it – It’s Pinterest!

I do a couple searches and impulsively pin the images that I’m drawn too. Then when I’m able to pull my pin-ing finger away from the mouse, I look for repeating themes in the images.

You can see all my pin’s for E’s big girl room here. Don’t forget to follow the board because I’m probably not done pin-ing yet. It’s never ending really!

Design and image belongs to Kate Marker Interiors.

Land Of Nod: Design for Kids and People That Used to be Kids

Design and image belong to Christine Dovey

It’s pretty clear from my Pinterest activity that I’m into this wallpaper by Oh Joy! for Hygge & West. It’s all over my board.

I was already considering painting the ceiling in E’s room a soft lavender or pink. After seeing both these images, I’m more-or-less sold. (So much for being original, I guess!)

Design and Image – Monica Hibbs

I love the softness of the room above. This wallpaper may be testing my undying love for Oh Joy!’s Petal Pusher and, of course, we are all about wainscoting in this household.

There our some definite themes in my pins — a lot of girly, a lot of soft pastels, and a lot of wallpaper, but there is one thing I’m all over the place on and it’s seating.

Design – Sarah Rosenhaus Interior Design

Do we go bohemian and casual? (I’ve been wanting this swinging chair for FOREVER and I still like to rock my big girl to sleep sometimes.)

Design and Images belong to Christine Dovey

Ultra glam and girly?

Source – Style Me Pretty | Design – Winter Daisy

Or cozy and sweet?

Speaking of seating…

Design and image belong to Petal + Ply

How great is this window seat made from Ikea Hemnes dressers? But do we dare take on another Ikea hack? Not to mention this would be the third window seat in the house. I like what I like!

Check out my Pinterest page for more images, including some great wall decor and kid friendly nooks. While you’re there don’t forget to click follow!

The next step of my design process is assessing what we are working with. Next bedroom post, I’ll be sharing pictures of the room and the beautiful aqua bed that could put a slight dent in my soft pastel game plan.

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Land Of Nod: Design for Kids and People That Used to be Kids

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