As I start to think about moving into a new house, I wonder how much a different space will change my style. I know I am still very much drawn to specific colors – green, grey, black and white and pale pinks. But, I’m thinking about other colors that could potentially make their way into my palette.

Golden and even mustard yellows are colors I’ve played with in the past. At one time, even my kitchen was painted a warm gold-yellow. I’m not ready for a bright cheerful lemon or sunshiney yellow yet, I want a shade that’s a little more moody. I definitely love all things brass (like my new brass tray), and really aren’t these golden, mustardy yellows a very similar color. With all the greys, greens, and black and whites in my home, I feel like a little touch of gold or even yellow warms up my very cool palette. This shade of yellow also has a very 70s, retro vibe to it, which is probably why I love it so much.

I know we are far from the early 2000’s, and you know I want nothing to do with any sort of style that resembles “Tuscan” or “French County”. But, I think I found some fun, modern ways to add a splash of yellow, without feeling too cutesy or country.

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How great is this golden yellow paired with pink? It’s a pretty happy combination as far as I’m concerned. source

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Your turn? What do you think about mustard or gold yellow? Is there another color are you wanting to add splashes of to your home?

As I’m packing up all the rooms, I’m really thankful that I have pictures of every room in our house. It’s a fun benefit of blogging. My kids will always be able to look back at their childhood bedrooms.

Dylan, my middle child, has been the most sentimental about leaving this house.  We moved into this house when I was pregnant with him. He a very smart, independent kid, who can spend hours and hours happily playing lego or drawing by himself. He loves his bedroom. Months and months ago I shared the plan to update his room to make it a little less little boyish and transition to a more teenager-like space.

I teamed up with my favorite kid company, The Land of Nod, to give his room a modern, clean, more grown up look. I chose bedding, a rug and a few storage pieces in neutral tones. While the room doesn’t have a whole bunch of color, there is not shortage of fun patterns to create interest and texture.

We started by giving the room a fresh coat of white paint. I’m still a fan of white paint. It the easiest way to make a space for bigger and brighter.

The furniture was rearranged a bit to change up the space. While I would have loved to get rid of the Lego table (formerly a train table), but he still loves to keep all his creations on it. So, we tucked it in a corner. I had plans to add a couple wall planters to the wall over the lego table, but when we found out that we might be moving, I decided to wait. But, the room could use a nice does of green with some plants.

Shelf // Duvet // Pillow Sham // Throw Pillow // Planet Banner //Bookshelf

Storage Bin // Lamp //Rug

Thank you to The Land of Nod for providing products for this space. 

Do you want to come do a little window shopping with me? I’m falling asleep every night dreaming about all the fun things I can do in our new home (fingers crossed). It’s a lot bigger then our little bungalow and actually has space for two living/seating areas. Soooooo, another sofa might be in my future. Our grey sofa is still pure perfect and I feel like it is neutral and timeless. But, with a second sofa, I’m temped to go a little trendy and add a whole bunch of color. How much fun would it be to own a green sofa?

You know, red heads have to be near green, we shine in the presence of green. I really think a green sofa could make my house and myself look pretty great. Tee Hee.

Here’s a few good examples of green sofas done right. This first one, by CB2 is probably my favorite. I love it’s tight, boxy shape and how can I resist shiny brass legs? Plus is a nice subtle green that feels more earthy and less ‘out of the crayon box’.

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If you were to add a colored sofa to your home, what color would it be?  Navy, yellow, pink? Or do you play it safe with neutrals? Which is very smart, but maybe not as FUN!!!!!

And there’s still the option of a gorgeous camel colored leather sofa. Yes, very much a neutral, but such a sophisticated one.

You know I’m a fan of a touch of pink (my living room right now). I tend to like more modern and masculine shapes, and pink is the perfect way to soften a look. I found some fun, quirky, modern pink accents  to compliment any space.

A while ago, I came across Arro Home, and fell in love. I just think you should know about them as well. I’m a big fan of Aussie design, I think they are creating some really fresh, unique ideas (here’s some other shops you should know about). Arro Home is a Melbourne based home store with modern shapes and patterns. Their prices are very reasonable and shipping all the way from Australia is actually a lot more reasonable then you think. They definitely make more then just pink products, but I really think they do pink well. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to order that pink kitty pillow for my girls. 

1. Mug
2. Pink Kitty Pillow
3. Diamond Rug
4. Plate
5. Pink Round Pillow
6. Color Block Vase
7. Pale Pink Lumbar Pillow
8. Pink Vase
9. Pink and Blue Bolster Pillow
10. Pink Pillow with Pompom
11. Pink Tribal Rug
12. Eye Pillow

I hope you all have a great Monday!  I don’t say it enough, but thanks for hanging out with me here. This blogging journey has been a lot of fun, but I definitely couldn’t do it without my faithful readers who come back week after week. So THANKS for reading friends.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m all about dining outside lately. Our evenings are warm and I love to take the mess outside whenever possible. Plus living in a small house, the backyard can feel like the biggest room in the place. I love the mix of wood and metal, so a searched out some great examples for you.  Big chunky tables with clean lines and sleek, modern shaped chairs make a winning combination.

Yesterday I sold all my old patio furniture on craigslist. I was amazed at how fast it went. I’ve got a little more work to do on my new table, but I’m excited to show you how it all comes together.  There’s a sneak peek of it in this post.

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Let’s talk priorities and real life design. Ya, I’d love to fix a lot of things about my house. Heck, some of them aren’t even for aesthetic or design at all.  Like my windows, they are super inefficient and let all the cold or hot air in. They are almost 100 years old and so most of them don’t even open anymore. But, the budget hasn’t allowed for them to be replaced. And that’s ok, when you live in an old house, you have to be ok with imperfections. It’s all part of the charm.

Now, if you’ve been hanging out with me for a while now, you know that I REALLY want to finally finish my laundry room. It’s been sitting unfinished for 6 years now! Yes, the washing machine and dryer are in there and they work great, but the room is far from done. There’s a broken cabinet that stores all our junk. Really we put it in there 6 years ago as a “temporary” fix, but now after 6 years, this is starting to feel a little too permanent. We also have all the plumbing in place for a sink and baseboards have never been installed. Yep, my home is definitely far from perfect. 

1. Dust Pan
2. Wooden Broom
3. Ironing Board Cover
4. Downy Ball
5. Brass Hangers
6. Laundry Sorter
7. Striped Light
8. Dark Cabinets
9. Brass Drawer Pulls
10. Wind Chime
11. Diamond Rug

So, here’s my plan. My washer and dryer work really well. You guys, I’ve got 3 kids, I KNOW laundry all too well! And with the Downy Ball, I’m going to keep loving these machines for a few more years. While I’m not buying new, fancy High Efficiency appliances, I’m going to spend the little extra money I have on making my laundry room a fabulous space.

I love using this Downy Ball with my loads. There is really nothing better then a soft fluffy towel, wouldn’t you agree? You just fill this bad boy up and it automatically dispenses in the the rinse cycle. It’s a no brainer.Yep, we are going to finally install some cabinets, a sink and get this room in order! Eeeeek, I can’t wait. Black cabinets and brass hardware is definitely a must. I can’t wait to show you more.And this cute little girl is always my assistant and right hand women. She thought I should probably get a picture of her on top of the dryer as well. This shot is a keeper for sure. I’m a lucky mom, I get to do laundry for this fun kiddo.

This post is sponsored by Downy Ball, thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

Join the Non HE-Nation! Be proud of your non-HE washing machine! It has been with you for countless spills, stains and spin cycles. And it’s going to be with you for countless more. Buck the high-efficiency trend and be proud to be Non HE! 

With Downy Ball, your non-HE washing machine makes softness simple. All you have to do is fill the ball with fabric softener, seal it and drop it in at the start of the wash. Then let your non-HE washing machine automatically release the fabric softener during the rinse cycle. 

You can’t do that in an HE washing machine! Click here to learn more.

Spring has been here for a while now in California, but just this weekend I decided I needed to bring a little bit of that warmer weather and color indoors as well. Really I just bought a pink pillow and a couple plants and moved around the things I already owned.

But, it’s funny how just new accessories makes a space feel totally brand new. I love styling bookshelves and surfaces, but I struggle with feeling like too much stuff can make a small space feel cluttered and busy. I want all my fun little nick nacks out on display, but I’m not sure if they make a small house feel even smaller. For now, my shelves are full, and I’m going to live with it for a while and just see how I feel about it in a week or so. I know what I like and dislike until I put it in my own home. Then I start to question all my choices. This is kind of why I love design so much. It’s always evolving and changing. Even my likes and dislikes. It’s never a sure, set formula that works every time. Design isn’t a perfect Science, it’s an art and it allows you to play and experiment. And really, all the rules can be broken.

So this week, I challenge you to try something new in your home. Spring is the perfect season for change.

And now, here’s a look at our living room all ready for Spring.
So, what do you think?  Too many things on the bookshelves? I hope you have a great Monday friends.

Well, we’ve been itching for a change or to make a move, but just haven’t found the right place yet. So, I guess I’ll need to make the changes on the house I already have. Don’t get me wrong, I love me house, but a tiny bit more space would sure be nice.

I’m considering painting some interior door black. The problem is, if I paint one black, do I have to paint the all? I kind of think I have to. What do you think? I’m considering starting with the pocket door that is in between our laundry room and kitchen. If I start with a bedroom or bathroom door, then every door in the hallway will need to be painted. The other thing I worry about is creating a choppy feel to the eye. Our house is small and the rooms are small.  Would black doors just make is feel even smaller? I obviously am torn and have a lot of questions.  I hope you’ll weigh in.

But, black doors sure do look sharp, especially with white walls. Our doors are old and have a great shape and fun original door knobs. Black paint could really help them stand out. Here’s some pretty great examples, that just might convince you as well.

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