I’d LOVE to have a sweet litte fisherman’s cottage … without the fisherman though. This lovely home, featured on Apartment Therapy, made me dream of summer holidays and warm evenings – although I didn’t put up the pictures of the swimming pool, it was just too painful.

roomenvy - chalkboard kitchen

Let me at that chalkboard wall! I think it looks fantastic, and injects a big dollop of personality into a traditionally seaside-style kitchen.

roomenvy - seaside stripes living room

This living room proves coastal chic doesn’t have to be all about weathered finishes and ships in bottles! Team rustic pieces with bold monochrome stripes for a touch of drama.

roomenvy - pretty guest bedroom

This country-style guest bedroom is just too pretty for words – although I’m a bit nervous about the table being placed in front of the door.

roomenvy - relaxing garden room

I love the thought of a garden room to escape to. This outhouse is packed with cushions … and pumpkins?? … and is definitely where you’d find me if I came to stay. I love the seaside-inspired glass bottles, and those drawers are super handy for packing full of outdoor games and extra blankets for when it gets chilly.

While all of you nutbags were out shopping at department & toy stores on Black Friday I was at the craft stores & Kmart.  Ok, Kmart wasn’t exactly the most brilliant place to be but I got some good deals.

I pulled a picture out of a magazine showing ornament garland to decorate the house so I decided to give it a try.  Can I say E-A-S-Y!

I purchased all of the ornaments (non-breakable) at Kmart for less than $20.  I used some floral wire I had around the house to string the ornaments on.  I started with a long string which I folded in half (to make a U).  I strung the large gold ball on the bottom first.  Then I alternated adding small, colorful ornaments to each side of the strand.  Every couple of ornaments I would put both sides of the “U” string through to make more stable.

I made several ornament clusters and used them to adorn garland around the railing, the entry & the mailbox.  I added some festive bows (a great deal at ACMoore) and dressed up a cute, little “tree” wreath (Michaels $5) with the last of the small ornaments to hang on the door.

All in all it was very inexpensive, quick and easy to do.

It’s a grey rainy day here in Atlanta and I’ve been wishing I could take a mini vacation somewhere warm and sunny.  The next best thing to that is escaping virtually via the interwebs,  so I thought I would share with you the things that have been catching my eye lately.

My husband recently introduced me to the work of photographer James Howe and I currently have this photo of his on my desktop:

Photo by James Howe; all rights reserved @ James Howe (http://www.jameshowephotography.com)

I could totally envision a large framed poster of this image over my faux fireplace!  You can see more of his images by visiting his blog where he shares not only images in progress, but details of how he created the image.

While browsing the apartment section of the Urban Outfitters website, I ran across a couple of items that just tickled my fancy.

The first is this cute little jewelry stand made of dollhouse chairs:

Urban Outfitters Dollhouse Chairs Jewelry Stand

At $68.00, it’s a little more than I could justify paying for cuteness, but I think it could potentially make an interesting DIY project.

I also was utterly charmed by this nostalgic little retro clock:

Urban Outfitters Bonox Clock

At $18.00, it’s quite budget friendly and just very adorable!

I also love this Poppy Duvet Cover and would happily buy it if I didn’t think my husband would find it too overwhelmingly girly:

Urban Outfitters Wild Poppy Duvet Cover

Shall I tell you how much I really loved this duvet?  I saw it and spontaneously started planning a whole bedroom around it!  (And since I know you’re so VERY curious to know what that bedroom would look like, I promise to share it with you in another post later this week!)

An inspiration post wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a visit to Etsy!  The first thing that caught my eye was this awesome bonsai tree sculpture by S. Maxwell Designs:

Carnelian Copper Wire Bonsai Tree on Stone

I was also smitten with the artist’s handpainted pendants:

Handpainted Bird and Forsythia Blossom

I might have to hint to Santa about this one!

My last bit of inspiration actually comes from the Anthropologie and it doesn’t cost a thing!  I received a note in my email inviting me to preview their new website theanthropologist.net which is, in their words, “a virtual storybook where inspiring content is exposed, emotional connections are made, and the creative process is illuminated.“   It debuts with the work of director Jane Campion, filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman, and Photographer David Eustace.   As someone who is fascinated by the process of creativity, I found the site very inspiring and I think you will as well!

That’s all the inspiration for today!

‘Til next time,

xoxo – Shauntelle

For a daily dose of inspiration, visit Creature Comforts, a pretty design and style blog created by Ez Pudewa, which is all about ‘celebrating the tiny details that make life so amazing’. Looking for decorating inspiration? See the home decor and accessories categories – I love the gorgeous colour-crush mood boards. Feeling creative? Check out simple makes such as vintage gift tags, or print pretty note cards and giftwrap. Or try the recipes for cupcakes and apple crisp. You’re bound to find something you love…

Find daily inspiration at Creature Comforts

I would love to think that if someone walked into my house they would INSTANTLY know that I worked for an interior decorating website, but the truth is they probably think I work as either an emma bridgewater spokeswoman … or a wine critic (imagine!)

I then began to wonder who lives in all these houses I ’step inside’ during the day. And indeed, what sort of house would a handsome lawyer, investment banker or doctor live in – and when can I move in?

See if you can guess the profession of the owners of these gorgeous houses. In the mix we have a) a dairy farmer, b) a property developer  c) an interior designer d) an air hostess and e) an architect. Find the answers below.

1) Boho-chic Victorian terrace

roomenvy - vintage victorian terrace

2) Rustic country cottage

roomenvy - cottage home in the country

3) Edwardian terrace family home

roomenvy - five-bed edwardian terrace

4) 18th century barn conversion

roomenvy - impressive modern barn conversion

5) Country cottage-style new-build

roomenvy - cute country-style cottage

ANSWERS 1) b 2) d 3) c 4) e 5) a

There is nothing I love more than doing something creative with a plain white wall. Bold patterns, exciting textures and three dimensional fretwork can work wonders.

Check out this hallway from housetohome.co.uk – the perfect combination of detail!

A mixture of white lattice makes the most of the blue wall

Red and dirty white. Not my favorite color combination!

When painting a room, the first thing I do is choose a color. This may seem like a relatively unimportnat part of the process, but it will impact what primer you buy and how many coats of paint you’ll have to do.  But although it’s an important choice and painting is a little time consuming, the great thing about it is that if you really hate the color, it’s fairly easy to change it. 

By the time I headed to Lowe’s to look at paint samples, I had been putting together a decorating book for a while. Basically, that comprised of looking through every Pottery Barn catalogue that came in the mail and seeing what rooms most inspired me, then tearing out the pages and saving them in categories (bedroom, guest room, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).  That helped me to figure out what I liked and didn’t like, and as a result, what would make me happy in each room.  But you can be inspired in other ways too – I had picked up a shower curtain at K-Mart, mostly black, but with blue flowers stitched into a border towards the top.  When choosing a color for the bathroom, then, I matched it to those little blue flowers – since they’re small, it’s not too matchy-matchy, but it unites the bathroom.  Searching through catalogues can also give you new ideas of what works and doesn’t work – I wouldn’t have thought to put brown and light blue together, but seeing it in magazines and catalogues appealed to me and I used that combination in my living room.  I also thought that eggplant with dark furniture in a bedroom would be too dark, but in a paint sample booklet, I saw that it worked well.

Here's a sample page from my inspiration book

Once I had a good idea in my head as to what colors I was looking for, I went to Lowe’s and picked out any and every sample that I was drawn to, and even a few that I wouldn’t have originally been interested in.  I didn’t buy any paint on that first visit, but instead brought all the samples home and spent the next few days wandering around my house figuring out what worked where.  I was definitely feeling impatient at the time, because the current paint was gross, I felt like things might be living in the carpet, and the whole house smelled of smoke from the previous owners, so I was ready to get painting and make it my own.  But I’m glad I took the time to pick out colors I was really satisfied with, because a year later, I’m still happy with the colors in each of the rooms. 

I picked up a LOT of samples

My paint choices:

Downstairs: For the living room/hallway/entryway, I chose a very light beachy blue: Lowe’s Valspar Cake Stand Blue

To get the airy beach feeling, I went with this very light blue

Kitchen: For the kitchen, I chose a sandy brown (ocean and sand, I do live at the beach!) because my cabinets couldn’t handle the blue and I’m not redoing the kitchen yet: Lowe’s Valspar Milk Toast

The kitchen needed a sandier color to warm up the old cabinets

Downstairs Bathroom: For the downstairs bathroom, I chose a shade warmer than the Milk Toast, picked up from the stripes in my towels: Lowe’s Valspar La Fonda Boulder

Used a shade of tan pulled from the towels for this bathroom

Upstairs Hallway: I continued the Milk Toast throughout the upstairs hallways to unite the two floors a little (it was the color of the wall next to the stairs)
Upstairs Bathroom: As I mentioned earlier, I chose this color to match the small flowers in my shower curtain: Lowe’s Valspar Blue Twilight

I love the blue in this bathroom so much that it's my favorite room in the house!

Office: For my office, I wanted a warm terracotta, which would highlight the orange in my world map and travel posters: Lowe’s Valspar Pompei Orange

The terracotta of the walls picks up the orange in the artwork nicely!

Guest room: Because the guest room is the smallest room, I wanted it to feel light, airy, and soothing for visitors, so I chose a very light green: Lowe’s Valspar Tempered Spring

The green is so light, it's hard to see it in photos

Master Bedroom: After seeing the combination of dark furniture with an eggplant wall color, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, so I painted my bedroom an eggplant color that makes it one of my favorite rooms in the house: Lowe’s Valspar Eddie Bauer Home Garnet

The light always brightens this in photos, but it's a much darker plum color

Let’s Paint! Part II will cover what supplies you’ll need.

I’m in the mood for some lovely decorating inspiration today. I couldn’t sleep last night, and i’m only fifty per cent sure that it wasn’t to do with yesterday’s scary children’s room. Onto this lovely modern take on Provencal style decorating. I love how they’ve taken the sexy colours of the south of France – hot pinks, alluring teals and azure blue. Team with pretty patterned florals and vibrant ceramics, et Voila!

roomenvy - French country bedroom

Sooooo pretty! You can get this ditsy floral bed linen at Designer’s Guild.

roomenvy - Provencal patio

Shutterly fabulous – brightly-painted shutters are key to this look.

roomenvy - lustworthy living room

That luxurious rug looks as comfy to lie on as the oversized sofa!

Ok so I’m totally patting myself on the back and I’m not going to apologize for it.  This week we’re hosting a golfer from the Futures Tour.  I volunteered us to get us moving on fixing up the house and it worked.

 I am so impressed with myself and how I took the “dump” room/hubby’s office and turned it into a sweet little cottage retreat.  I even took the time to finally hang all of his awards.

 I think I’m a smarty pants for the ingenious use of garden planters to hold towels, toiletries and a little candy.  I little pulled the white stand out of the garden and cleaned it up.  Then I cleaned up some pretty flower pots and filled them with goodies.

 My final touches were 2 live plants, 3 roses in a vase and some hand made artwork.  Oh, and that cute little furry beast.  I’m afraid our golfer might be sharing her bed with Maggie.  Maggie has decided it’s pretty cool how we made a room just for her

Haute House Purple Medallion Chair from Neiman Marcus

The morning after I made the “If I won the lottery…” post, I had a person unsubscribe from my feedburner list. Mostly I don’t pay attention to who subscribes and unsubscribes. Don’t misunderstand me; like any other writer/blogger, I WANT people to read (and hopefully enjoy) my posts. I just don’t spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about the number of people who read them anymore because I found it sucks a little of the joy out of the whole process for me. Plus, since I’ve been a marketing professional my whole adult life, it’s nice to do something where I’m NOT tracking and analyzing the numbers.

That said, sometimes I wonder why people choose to unsubscribe. And on that particular morning, seeing the unsubscribe notice poked at a little fear I had hounding me as I fell asleep the night before. I was worried, you see, that my lottery post would somehow suggest that I was no longer concerned about creating a beautiful home on a budget.

Just to clarify things… I HAVE not won the lottery! Not by a long shot. Right now, my family of 5 is living on my single income because my husband, like so many others, is struggling to find a new job. I’m still VERY budget conscious from necessity. More importantly, I’ve discovered that I possess a sense of stewardship. Even if I won the lottery, I’d still be trolling craigslist.com for the best deals on whatever I needed. I have a strong belief that I should be mindful of whatever resources I have available and make the best of them. A little money or a lot of money, I’ll always be the one shopping for the best deal.

And no, that doesn’t imply that I’m cheap either. Value isn’t always about spending the least amount on something… it’s about really being thoughtful about how you spend. For instance, this winter, I splurged on a great pair of Tahari oxford shoes:

Tahari Leather and Patent Oxford

This one from DSW is very similar to mine, except mine has suede rather than flat leather. I bought mine on sale for a little over $50, so they were a deal compared to what they normally retail, but even $50 was pushing it for me. Regardless, I LOVED them on sight and they have been my go-to shoe all winter long. In fact, my happy little feet are wearing them right now and they totally provide the icing for what would be a very simple casual Friday outfit of trouser jeans and black square neck t-shirt.

My point is, I knew the value of the shoes, and even though it was a splurge budget wise, they were worth the splurge. And the reason I knew the value was because just like I spend time virtual window shopping about expensive furniture, I spend time virtual window shopping for clothing. Both habits allow me to understand current trends as well as pinpoint my own “ideal” style. Later, when I’m really shopping, I’m able to use that knowledge in a few ways:

• Judging the true value of an item. (Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s really valuable to me for my life.)
• Choosing items that really represent ME. (On sale also doesn’t make it a good deal if I’ll spend most of my time feeling like I settled for something that I don’t REALLY like.)
• Selecting the right budget friendly items to recreate a look I admire. (By understanding the elements of design that speak to me, I can focus on finding pieces that possess those same elements.)

Dreaming big, in reality, is exactly what allows me to make the most effective use of my time and money in decorating my home. It allows me to lust after this $5700 leather sofa:

Tufted Leather sofa from Neiman Marcus

and spot the similarities in this $1200 Rooms To Go Cindy Crawford Home collection piece:

Cindy Crawford Home Chestnut Leather

and it’s exactly what lets me know that there is true value in this $2000 4 piece set for sale right now on craigslist.com:

Cindy Crawford Home on Craigslist

(A 4 piece set, by the way, that’s NEGOTIABLE!!!! Oh craigslist, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… )

So there… a little peek into my mindset, for those of you who might have thought I was straying from my budget decorating roots…

’til next time,

xoxo – Shauntelle

Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to learn some awesome but simple tricks for creating really pretty home accessories check out these posts on Joy’s Joys of Home blog:

Joy's monogrammed silver platter

• How to monogram a silver platter.

• How to create antique-style burlap wall art

Joy’s the newest addition to my RSS subscription list and I bet ya’ll will enjoy her blog just as much as I do!

I’ve been hard at work on a craigslist challenge post to recreate the look of a $3000 sunroom for less. It’s turning out to be a little more difficult than I thought! To stave off frustration, I took a little break and wandered over to my favorite daydreaming site, Neiman Marcus . I have friends who swear that you can find the BEST deals if you stalk the sales at Neiman Marcus, but for me, everything I fall in love with there whether clothes, shoes, or home decor, ends up costing upwards of $500. And that’s why Neiman is my “If I won the lottery” daydreaming spot…

Anyway, I thought it’d be fun to share my “money’s no object” living room with ya’ll, starting with this FABULOUS $4800 Monroe sofa:

Haute House Sofa from Neiman Marcus

Next I’d add this luscious $1700 chair, also by Haute House (yes, I said luscious! lol):

Haute House Purple Medallion Chair from Neiman Marcus

Unfortunately, the chair put me at a stand still… I’m a nut for symmetry, so I lean toward a pair of armchairs to flank a sofa but I feel like the Medallion chair is like a piece of art… one is WONDERFUL but two? Overload! So I decided that two of this chair would be better:

Annie Selkie O'Hara Chair from Neiman Marcus

 If you’re keeping track, that’s another $3400 ($1699 each). And, in case you’re wondering, since this is my lottery dream, I’m still keeping the Haute House chair! Money is no object after all, and I’m I’d make good use of it in my sitting room or SOMEWHERE. It’s art I tell you!

Anyway, now we need some gorgeous tables to complete our sitting area. I think this would be the perfect coffee table:

Neiman Marcus Leather Trunk

At first I thought I’d add a mirrored coffee table, but the more I thought about it, I decided I liked the idea of adding an eclectic twist to the otherwise very sophisticated room.  This $1800 distressed leather chest has a texture that I find very appealing.

I’d also add this handpainted cabinet ($1299):

Handpainted Cabinet from Neiman Marcus

It looks like something I might have brought home from my exotic travels and even if I’ve hit the jackpot and can buy everything all at once, I still want my fancy living room to look like it came together organically over time.

And for end tables, I’d a pair of these hairhide nesting tables ($1099) :

Hairhide nesting side tables

Now let’s add some icing to this cake… accessories and lighting!

Definitely this chandelier for overhead lighting ($3100):

Shaded Chandelier from Neiman Marcus

And a couple of these for table lamps ($485 each):

Orbit Shade Lamp

and this mirror ($1900):

Concentric Circle Mirror

Whew!  That’s around $25,000 dollars of imaginary money gone in the blink of an eye!  I can’t bear to spend anymore… even if it IS imaginary lottery money. 

This has been pretty fun but exhausting at the same time.  I thought shopping with little money was hard!  Shopping with no constraints is SERIOUS work!  I’m all ready to get back to my original goal of creating a craigslist version of the $3000 sunroom…

Until next time!

xoxo –  Shauntelle

Badgley Mischka Spring 2009 RTW

My friend Tim recently asked me to help him decorate his fairly empty two bedroom townhouse. Now ya’ll know I am ALWAYS down for a new decorating project, so I jumped at the chance… I mean, seriously, how could I possibly pass up a REAL excuse to spend hours scouring craiglist, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and every furniture store in a 15 mile radius for furniture and accessories?

Generally, I think of budget as the “be all and end all” challenge to getting a home decorated. If you’re like me, you see 15 pieces you love (like this and this and oh, definitely THIS) and they are extremely out of your price range, so you have to start thinking out of the box to get the look you want. Working with Tim, however, has shown me a whole different challenge.

Tim doesn’t know his own style.

Oh, he knows which things he likes. And he likes a wide range of things. But there’s nothing he can point to that really makes his heart go pitter-patter.

Yeah, I know you’re thinking “well… he’s a guy.” True. But he’s a web developer guy– he definitely has an EYE for design. He just doesn’t know his own style. He hasn’t developed an eye for what really speaks to him.

Which makes our decorating conversations interesting because I think he thinks I’m gonna just pick out pieces for him and put it all together. I’m sooooo NOT going to do that. Cause I firmly believe a person’s home should be a reflection of them and my eclectic urban modern bohemian taste is probably not a good reflection of Tim.

So this little situation started me thinking… how does a person develop their personal style?

You know I have a theory, right?

My theory is that you find your personal style by learning how to pay attention to what inspires you. Which is both a simple and a complicated answer. It’s simple because inspiration can come from ANYWHERE. Like for me, inspiration is found in that lovely Badgley Mischka dress at the top of this post. (I know you were wondering why that picture was there!) It represents my style in many ways… a simple, sophisticated shape, with bright color and interesting pattern. Sure, it’s a dress, but you can also see those elements reflected in this vignette of a sitting area created by designer Ammie Kim:

and this Pottery Barn Mirror:

Pottery Barn Raindrop Mirror

and this beautiful photograph by etsy artist Barbara Carter:

Angel Wings by Barbara Carter

(All of which are items I would pull together to make a lovely sitting area in my dream office. )

For me… since all I can really tell you is what has worked for me… the first step in decorating a room is developing a good sense of what truly inspires you. Because I’m visual, I collect pictures of everything that inspires me and through reviewing those things, I have finally developed a good sense of the colors and shapes that really scream ME. Before that I wasted way too much money buying things that were attractive (and ALWAYS a good bargain!) but weren’t a real reflection of my style. In the end those items weren’t really a bargain because I never felt at home with them… and most found their way to goodwill or craigslist before long.

So– learn from my mistakes! Before you spend a dime on decorating, take some time to explore what truly inspires you (and yeah… that means you too Tim! lol).

xoxo – Shauntelle

P.S. Hey, if you feel the urge, I’d love to see what inspires ya’ll these days! If you create a post that you want to share, add it here with Mr. Linky:

coffee table as sculpture

Happy Wednesday!

As promised, I’m back today with a new “In the Trenches” interview! (And on the right day this week, aren’t you happy?!?) Today’s interview is with Jane of All the Luck In the World. Jane is a Danish artist that creates colorful whimsical items ranging from soft textiles to jewelry from recycled materials. In keeping with her artistic sensibilities, she has created a wonderfully colorful home as well, but not in the way you might expect. Read on to learn more…

As usual for me, I stumbled upon your home while browsing Flickr photos for inspiration. I am almost ashamed to confess that I know next to nothing about you (except you have lovely taste in design!). Please tell us a little about yourself…

I am a graphic designer and artist, living and working in the Netherlands. I love to recycle, so I use lots of vintage and found articles in my work. I also have a webshop selling handmade, re-styled and vintage products: www.alltheluckintheworld.nl

Hello Dear

If you had to use only 3 words to describe your design style, what would they be? How did your style evolve to become what it is today?

Eclectic, personal, colourful. I’m not sure, I have had the same style for many years but of course there have been changes if I look back. But I’ve always loved vintage and hand made things.

Living Room

Your home exudes color and cheerful creativity to me. Do you have any tips you could share on how you manage to mix bold colors and patterns in such a way that they create a lovely warmth in your home, rather than feeling overwhelming or chaotic?

My house is small so I try not to have too many things in one space. Except for my studio which is full of

Bedroom Corner

things I need to have around me for inspiration or to make something out of. I hardly have any new furniture or accessories in my home. Just about everything has a history and it’s own story. Don’t be afraid to change. A new coat of paint can make a big difference.

What is your favorite spot in your home and why?

My bedroom because it’s nice and white and peaceful, yet very pretty.

What would you say has been your greatest challenge in decorating your home? Have you overcome this challenge, and if so, how did you overcome it?

I could say decorating on a tight budget, which is what I do but it comes quite naturally so it’s not really a challenge. If you keep your eyes open you can find beautiful things everywhere. That’s why I started my shop. I didn’t have enough space to keep everything!

As you may know, A Beautiful Abode was created because I wanted to share the resources and inspiration I discovered on my journey to creating a beautiful home on a tight budget. For those of my readers who are also on a tight budget, what would you say are your top tips for emulating a look similar to yours on a budget?

Visit flea markets and secondhand shops, You can find great treasures there! Buy art on ETSY. Use everything as inspiration!

Garden Paradise

Please be sure to drop by Jane’s home of the web, All the Luck in the World. Visit her on flickr to see more of her lovely home, and, most importantly, be sure to leave her some comment love here so she will know how much we appreciate her effort in answering the questions, especially since English isn’t her first language!

xoxo – Shauntelle

Better Homes and Gardens

Hello, hello, hello my dear budget decorators!

Have ya’ll had a chance to go over to Melissa’s place (The Inspired Room) to see all the great Fall Nesting ideas and links? I’ve been meaning to visit her for a while and finally made it there this morning. Wow! What lovely, great ideas! It doesn’t really feel like Fall here in Atlanta yet, but I can feel it creeping toward us… just in the way I’m starting to think about cool weather foods like chili, and watching for the leaves on the tree in front of my townhome to start changing colors.

Anyway, I haven’t done any decorating of any type in a while, but reading all the great links to blogs across the blogosphere has really inspired me to get back into it. My home is YELLING for some help these days… with work and the kids being back in school, it’s been very neglected and feels that way. It doesn’t help that I’m really, really, really wanting to find a small house with a yard to rent for me and the kids. The townhouse reminds me of broken dreams now and just feels negative to me. BUT I’m locked into a lease until December, and, realistically, moving in the middle of the school year probably won’t be feasible. So I’m going to stop being a whiny baby and use some of the inspiration I picked up this morning to propel me into getting my home back into shape…

That said, I’m going to list my goals here so ya’ll can keep me to task, ok? My goal is to have these things accomplished by the end of September:

• shampoo the carpets
• reorganize Ian and Catie’s room (yes, again! The toys are OUT OF CONTROL!!!)
• New bedding for my bedroom
• Pictures for my bedroom
• Finish painting my new “retro” aluminum patio set
• Decorate the patio/outdoor room for fall
• Creative/budget friendly wall art for downstairs
• Seasonal decorating for downstairs

As I get things accomplished, I’ll date them and mark them off.

My first order of business is to figure out where to get inexpensive but attractive cushions for the patio furniture. I got this GREAT deal on an old 50’s aluminum patio set through Craigslist (of course!). It was $50 for a rocking chair, an arm chair, and a loveseat. Great condition, just some peeling paint… which, if I was into the shabby chic look, would probably be no big deal. Since my style is a little more modern contemporary, I’ve started painting them a flat, textured black. I’ve come across some clearance cushions, but the colors just weren’t what I had in mind… so I’m trying to decide if I need to stop being so picky (cause really, how often will I find 3 sets of outdoor cushions on clearance for $14?!?) or if there’s another DIY cheap option…

Just setting goals has me excited and feeling better than I have in a few months! Anyone want to get in on the goal setting with me? If so, post your own September goals list and then come back here and add the link to it in the comments section. Then we can egg each other on all month! (I’ll be the first to admit that I can use all the guilt trips you want to lay on me… I need to get myself moving in a positive direction!)

Before I go and actually get some work done (novel idea, when you’re AT WORK!!!), I’ll share a few of the photos that are inspiring me these days:

Pottery Barn, oh how I love your stylings…

I love the colors and the chanderlier

Look! the coffee table is made of books!

I love the green photos in black frames

I love everything about this office!

Happy Fall Nesting!

xoxo – Shauntelle

Cottage Living: Colleen Duffley

Coastal Living: Keith Scott Morton

Traditional Home

Southern Accents: Mary Evelyn McKee

Southern Living: Photo Gordon Beall, Designer Mona Hajj

Design by Candice Olson, above three photos via HGTV

Not sure how these dropped off my post yesterday! A little blog calamity!

Hope you enjoyed some more beautiful bathrooms today for the dream file!

So, since we are on the subject, what is your favorite style of bathroom? Cottage? Glam? Traditional? Modern? Or if money were no object would you choose a luxurious spa experience over a more humble and traditional bathroom? What you do you think about the map wallpaper in the tiny powder room? Do you have a powder room or dedicated guest bathroom?

Have a terrific day everyone! Don’t forget about the BIG CELEBRATION WEEK next week. If you plan some Fall Nesting & Decorating posts you will be able to link them up via Mr. Linky!

More details on the upcoming festivities and updating my blog address can be found here!

Beautiful Bathrooms: more inspiring images can be found here!
Note:
To receive my posts FREE via EMAIL: just click Subscribe to The Inspired Room with Feedblitz!

Coastal Living, Alec Hemer

This Old House, Casey Sills

This Old House Casey Sills

This Old House, Casey Sills

This Old House, Casey Sills

Cooking Light, John O’Hagan

Living Etc. Jan 2005 via House to Home

Coastal Living, Jean Allsopp

Coastal Living, Jean Allsopp

Cottage Living, Laurie W. Glenn

25 Beautiful Homes Dec 2005 via House to Home

Cottage Living, Antoine Bootz (Cathy Kincaid designer)

Cottage Living, Pieter Esthersohn & design Eric Prokesh

Cottage Living, Pieter Eserhsohn, designer Amelia Handegan

Cottage Living, John O’Hagan

Cottage Living, Rob Meinychuck

BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS PART TWO, CLICK HERE

And my personal favorite, in case you missed it: A New Old Inspiring Bathroom

PS. Don’t miss the IMPORTANT NEWS in the previous post! Hint: A Giveaway and Blog Change!

To receive my posts FREE via EMAIL: just click Subscribe to The Inspired Room with Feedblitz!

Hi friends! Excuse the interruption, but I want to let you all know a FEW EXCITING THINGS!

NEW BLOG ADDRESS

First, I have a NEW BIG GIRL BLOG ADDRESS! If you all would be so kind as to change your link to my updated address, I’d be forever grateful! I don’t want to lose track of my friends! The new address is: http://theinspiredroom.net

CELEBRATION AND BACK TO FALL NESTING KICKOFF!

Secondly, the day after Labor Day here in the U.S. I will be kicking off THE INSPIRED ROOM’S CELEBRATION WEEK AND FALL NESTING KICKOFF! Oh, it has been far too long since I’ve had a celebration week! There will be LOTS to celebrate! One year of blogging, 300 posts, back to school, FALL NESTING, the kick off of Blissfully Domestic’s new & improved site that week, and my grown up blog address and a NEW BLOGROLL (I’m working on it) on THE INSPIRED ROOM!

GIVEAWAYS & REWARDS

And what is a celebration without GIVEAWAY? I’ll be rewarding readers (and people who update my blog address or mention my celebration week or my blog) with surprises all week! Just like the PRIZE PATROL, I’ll show up at your blog or email door!

I’ll have some gifts (real ones), I’ll be stumbling some of your awesome posts with glowing recommendations from me (I’m new on Stumble Upon), I just might be mentioning your blog by name on a huge traffic week, and generally just fussing over you! And, I’ll be creating a new blogroll to reflect all the awesome new readers who link to my blog.

BE FEATURED ON THE INSPIRED ROOM!

Do you have an awesome fall decorating or nesting post full of large crisp clear photos & inspiring ideas that The Inspired Room readers might like? Send me a link to help@theinspiredroom.com. I can’t feature all of them, but I will provide a round up of links during the week (and perhaps feature your idea) so thanks for sharing your submissions.

MR. LINKY SAYS …
“SHARE YOUR FALL NESTING & DECORATING POSTS!”

The return of MR. LINKY! (yikes!) Mr. Linky will be around to allow you to link back to your posts. We’ll be featuring “BACK TO FALL NESTING & DECORATING” ideas all week, so start working on posts to share Labor Day week

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK (if you want to!)

• Update your THE INSPIRED ROOM links (you don’t have to wait until celebration week, I need time to find you all to reward you). I will see the new links on Technorati so I can do a happy dance when you link!
• Leave me some comments this week reminding me to come visit you, so I can start scoping out some great posts (they do not have to be decorating related) to stumble and recommend!
• Start working on some FALL DECORATING OR NESTING posts to share after Labor Day via Mr. Linky!
• Oh, and if you don’t have a blog? I love you anyways. Leave me comments so I know who you are and you just might be a prize winner! You don’t have to have a blog to win!
  

SUBSCRIBERS OLD AND NEW:

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Have a terrific week!
Stay tuned for new decorating posts!…

Email me with any questions, comments are closed on this post.

Photos: Hostess with the Mostess

One of my favorite things we did for the wedding reception was the “candy bar.” I know it is not very original but it really turned out to be both cute and a fun part of the festivities. It was fairly simple but still sweet!

We set it up right in the hub of the reception so it served both as a decoration and a focal point destination for sweets. We bought the candy from local beach candy shops and mixed into the decor the “love is sweet” frame as well as starfish (for the beach theme) and framed photos of the bride and groom. Of course, we coordinated the candy colors with the wedding colors.

Sticky tack is your friend if you want starfish to stick up and not slide down.

We used muffin papers for people to put their jelly beans in as they walked around.

Not shown in these photos was a big basket of cute bagged candy that served as party favors for guests.

This was definitely a SWEET ESCAPE! And a “candy bar” would be a cute idea for any party, not just weddings.

Did you see the behind the scenes of the wedding cupcakes in the previous post? Click HERE.
Are you new here and want to read who this wedding was for? Welcome! Click here!
Want to see what this beach house looked like just weeks before the wedding? Click here!

Greetings! Thank you all so much for checking in on me over the weekend. My daughters wedding was absolutely lovely. There were so many special things about it I cannot wait to share once I can get back into Portland and load some photos and gather my thoughts. An unbelievable amount of detail and coordination went in to this event (which was actually designed to be “a simple beach wedding” but yet still took a lot of thought!) so my brain has been on overload. Meanwhile, I kind of left you all hanging there without any posts so I am going to put in another observation post so we can have a little fun while I am getting myself back into gear.

For those of you new to this game we’ve been playing, here are some ideas to jump start the conversation, but feel free to share on anything about the room:

• How would you describe this style?
• What is the mood of the room?
• Describe the personality of people who might live in a room like this?
• What are the main things you notice when you first look at this photo?
• What are some subtle features that you notice when you look more closely?
• Notice things like the shapes, the textures, the colors, the proportions, patterns, etc.
• What is something you can learn from this style or how the room is put together?
• What role does the architecture play in this room?
• If someone wanted to create a room like this, what are some of the significant things they should incorporate?

Enjoy observing, and don’t forget to share with us what you noticed. Many of you have commented how much you are learning by both sharing AND reading what others share. I agree this is a great way to learn about design!

“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what is unique, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo.

You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it. We’ll study all kinds of rooms (don’t worry, we’ll do other posts too, not only these!)

This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.

Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!

Photo: Southern Living

No, the beach house love I’m talking about has nothing to do with the wedding reception for my daughter that will be taking place this weekend at our beach house. I’m talking about a lovely beach cottage I spied on blogging friend Villa Anna’s blog recently. Oh, how I love! Click on over to her blog see the rest of the loveliness.

And because I can scarcely talk about anything non-wedding related this week, I’m gonna give you a few links to decorating articles I’ve written for Blissfully Domestic Magazine. You’ll go read them, right?

And if you haven’t joined me over on Twitter, I’d love to have you over there keeping up with the day to day or hour by hour happenings!

DEBUNKING A DECORATING MYTH

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR HOME: SOLVING THE PUZZLE

CHALKBOARD DOORS: CREATING FAMILY MEMORIES

REPURPOSING: NEW USES FOR OLD SIDEBOARDS

Love to you all! I miss visiting with you and can’t wait to catch up soon! Thanks to each of you who faithfully visit my blog, send me emails, say hi on Twitter and are just all around great friends! MUAH!

Photo via Villa Anna, & Design Editor designer Jane Coslick Design

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Welcome to my kitchen!

Ok, well it isn’t my kitchen but sit down anyways. Since I am in over my head with wedding plans, I’m not getting to visit with you as much as I’d like. So today I’d give you all a break from analyzing our observation photos (unless you are behind, then go ahead and catch up with us) and we’d just sit down at the kitchen table for a little chat. I have a whole new batch of observation photos for us to check out next week while I am running around like a wedding planner.

Speaking of the big week coming up, do you all know you can visit me over on Twitter? Yeah, 42 of you know that, but the rest of you don’t all rush over in a stampede to follow me at once. I know it is tempting, with all our spare time and all. I’ve actually tried to keep it on the down low (I’m getting so hip I can barely stand it), but if you get tired of all this style talk and want to hear me ramble about day to day stuff, like when I need coffee or fall off the moving truck ramp and bruise my leg, come on over. It gets a little crazy over there, but it is kind of fun. I’d like to know if you are on Twitter too!

DISCLAIMER: Don’t get scared when you see my photo on Twitter. It really is me. I was experimenting with my camera on my laptop and captured a look you probably haven’t seen yet. Fussypants (of the Blissfully Domestic Soon-to-be-Empire) wants me to keep it, you know, to mix things up a bit, being that I am a Domestic Diva and all. Everyone can’t be all sweet looking with aprons. My new photo shows my darker, more Matrix-ey side. Kind of like Trinity. It’s a little dangerous to look that cool, but I’m OK with it.

Ok, it was lovely just chatting with you today. Hey, if you want to discuss that kitchen, feel free! Or if you want to talk about Twitter or whatever, I’m all ears!

Happy day to you all!

Photo: Southern Accents, designer Mary Evelyn McKee

“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what is unique, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo.

You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it. We’ll study all kinds of rooms (don’t worry, we’ll do other posts too, not only these!)

This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.

Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!

photo: Home & Gardens October 2007

Pretty Living Room from Better Homes and Gardens

Hello my dear ones!

First I want to thank those of you who have been commenting and emailing to welcome me back!!!  Everyday I am continually amazed at the wonderful people I have been blessed to meet through my little blog and I want to take time right now to tell each of you how much I appreciate you…  With everything you see on TV and in the news most of the time, the world can seem like a big scary place full of bad people… but I can tell you for CERTAIN that there are still amazing, caring, wonderful people out there because I have had the opportunity to have my life blessed in so many ways over the past few months by “virtual” strangers.  I can’t ever repay or even express the full extent of my gratitude to any of you for that. 

Several of you encouraged me to use what I have to restyle my home, rather than starting over, and, on reflection, I realized that you are right.  I need to bloom where I’ve been planted rather than adding stress to myself trying to figure out how to completely start over.  I’m still collecting inspiration for that.  Now, however, I’m doing it with an eye for enhancing what I already have.  I don’t really need any large furniture pieces, but I am totally missing those little touches that make a home feel homey– you know, stuff like pictures on the walls, occasional tables, pillows, textiles, and knick-knacks…  That’s why today’s inspirational focus is accessories.

My favorite place for finding unique items is always ETSY.  And can you blame me when you can find awesome pieces like this?

Joom's Orange cardinal pillow

Isn’t this a great pillow from Joom’s shop?  Okay, so orange isn’t part of my color scheme any more, but this pillow is so fun, I couldn’t help mentioning it!  Handmade for $28!

This is more my color scheme:

Joom's hummingbird pillow in teal

But my absolutely favorite thing in her shop is actually this picture:

Joom's Framed Magic Tweetie Tree Print

Joom, do you make that as a pillow?  Cause that would be my ultimate first choice!    Everything in her shop is really fun, colorful, and charming, and put a big smile on my face today!

I was browsing by color when I stumbled across this beautiful photograph:

Lanita's Venice Your dream

Lana Dashevsky has some AMAZING photography in her shop.  Amazing.  As in, if I were dream shopping, I’d buy all of these:

Lanita's Breath of Spring

Lanita's I love NY

Plus quite a few more.  Actually, I could happily own one of every piece in her shop, but then I’d have to start a gallery for her cause I don’t have THAT much empty wall space.   She evidently also takes wedding photos… I can’t even imagine how beautiful those most turn out!

Well, that’s all the inspiration I can fit into my lunch hour…

Before I go, I have to direct ya’ll over to a great site for inspiration, Design for Mankind.  I have been meaning to send you there for ages, specifically because Erin publishes this wonderful e-zine, aptly named “Inspiration,” that you HAVE TO check out.  The theme changes each month and each one is wonderful… as in, I sit locked to my laptop screen, enraptured by each page for at least a good hour every month!  Yes, it’s a pdf, so you’ll have to do some downloading, but it’s sooooo worth it, and you can print it out if you have to have a physical product in your hand… Trust me, you know I wouldn’t steer you wrong, so go check out all the back issues here!

xoxo- Shauntelle

P.S.  I guess you might be wondering about the “small tackling” in the title, huh?  Well, after two months, my office at work still looks like it’s waiting for me to move it, so I actually started to decorate it a little!  So far, there’s a map on my wall, to inspire my world travels (or at least my travel daydreams), and my inspiration board finally went up as well.  I’ll be sure to snap a few pictures to share once it looks more lived in! 

BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS — THE CONTROVERSY:

Since starting my blog, I have come across a few people who question the value of looking at beautiful homes in photos. Not through comments on this blog, but on other blogs. It occurred to me that some people really may not understand the value of observation. And that is OK. We are all wired up differently and for some people this is not as fun as it is for me! Plus, I understand that sometimes looking at something beautiful can lead to discontent with what you have or a fixation on perfection, and that is certainly not a desirable effect. It all comes down to perspective, and what it is you are looking at.

WHY I STUDY BEAUTIFUL ROOMS:

I choose to study certain types of beautiful photos because they inspire me. I learn a lot from observation of details. While on the surface you may think, yeah, looking at beautiful photos inspires me to want something I cannot have! But I think there is value in studying something that is well done but not OVER done. You can absorb an ability to replicate beauty and ideas (on any budget) by studying the right kind of images.

Having an eye for beauty doesn’t mean you are obsessing over material things, or desiring something you cannot have. Obviously we don’t want to make beauty an obsession. Rich or poor, fancy or simple, in every different decorating style, we all have a need to find beauty in our life. Some of us find more pleasure in beauty than others, I realize that. For those of us who appreciate beauty, the ability to recreate appropriate beauty in our homes should lead to contentment, peace, gratitude, joy and a desire to share our home through hospitality.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS?

There is beauty in the simple things of life, the way light pours through a clean window in the morning. The way a collection of white dishes look all piled behind a glass cupboard, the way a reading chair can invite you in to a moment of solitude because of the way it positioned in a room, the beauty of simplicity when you see a pleasing arrangement of beautiful objects on top of a console table, the joy of a burst of color in a mostly neutral room. The serenity of a certain color scheme. The contrast between an antique and new. The balance of texture in a room, or the way a room comes to life with a bouquet of flowers. The way a colorful table creates a festive atmosphere for company. The feeling of peace when you see a room free of clutter. The intrigue of a pile of beautiful books on a bedside table. Lovely photos can reveal creative ways to accomplish a beautiful composition or pleasing space and even a well-lived life.

All of these things can be inspired by simply looking at a photo. Whether you are setting up a table for a party, decor for a wedding, designing a blog or a room, good things come from observation.

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT

You can duplicate beauty on a budget, using & arranging what you already have or can find at a garage sale. But first you have to understand what looks pleasing to your eye. You can learn by observation. Have you heard the saying “garbage in, garbage out?” Ok, then. If you spend a lot of time looking at things that are poorly done or poorly designed (even in your own home) in an effort to keep yourself from discontent, you will not develop your eye for beauty. And your surroundings will reflect what you look at everyday. If you get used to clutter and junk, and refuse to look at clean, pretty & orderly rooms, your home will reflect that.

We all might have a different perspective on what is beautiful, of course. But you can learn from the composition, even if you were to change a few things for your own taste.

I love to look at rooms that are imperfect but yet still lovely. Those rooms are attainable and are the most intriguing to me. If I look at perfect or sterile rooms, I get a little squirmy. I have to look at rooms that people, kids, and dogs could actually live in! Furthermore, I learn design principles from photos that don’t even show actual rooms. We can learn from all sorts of lovely photos, if we allow our minds to stretch to see beauty.

AN INTERIOR DESIGN LEARNING GAME:

So, let’s start a new game on The Inspired Room. One I like to play myself. A learning game. I will share photos for you to observe from time to time on my blog. Sometimes I might share them for a whole week in a row, sometimes just on occasion here and there. So when you see the word “Observation” in the blog title, that means it will be a single photo for you to observe.

I will choose photos that have inspired me in some way (both new to you and maybe some from previous posts). I may or may not share some commentary on the photo, but either way, your job is simply to observe. You don’t have to love the room, the style, or the colors, but try to learn something from each one. If you enjoy this little exercise as much as I do, I’ll keep doing them.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PHOTO:

Here are some things to consider:

What is inspiring about the image? What could you duplicate in your own home? What feelings does the room conjure up in your mind? How was a mood created? What makes the photo or room unique or special? What draws you in? Notice the colors, the textures, the placement of objects. Notice the layers. The accessories. The mix of patterns. The lighting. How they hung the curtains. The small details. The overall effect of the room or composition.

SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS:

During our “Observation” posts, after you have studied the photo for a few moments, share your observations in the comments. There is no right or wrong here, just simply observing to hone our eye for beauty. We can learn from each other if you will all share a thought or two about what you noticed or what inspired you. Sound good? Aw, come on. Give it a try. It’ll be fun.

FIRST OBSERVATION POST: CLICK HERE!

photos:
Country Homes & Interiors via House to Home
Scott Sanders via Desire to Inspire
Decorative Country Living

Need some help defining your style?

I can’t guarantee the results of this, but you can have some fun trying! I saw a link to a fun picture quiz on This is Glamorous’ blog and tried it myself with my spare time tonight (ooo, you caught me playing when I should have been working or enjoying some solitude).

Here is a description of my style, according to the quiz:

CLASSIC COUNTRY

You take the inspiration for your home from the surrounding countryside. And why not? The country cottage look has been, and continues to be, the epitome of what a family ‘home’ should stand for: warm, welcoming, cozy and comfortable. There’s nothing at all pretentious about this style, just a love of the good, simple pleasures in life.

So, what do you think? Did that description sound like me? What happened to my coastal cottage style? Or my British Colonial style? Guess I need to figure out just where I am, so I can look to the appropriate surrounding countryside for my style. This explains a few things about why I can never decide what I like best. As you know, I can dream I am just about anywhere. The shore, the French countryside, an English Castle. Whims are like that.

Give this quiz a try yourself and let me know the results! When you get there, just start choosing the photo that best describes each question.

Go ahead and play, it is almost Friday! And besides, knowing your style is serious business.

Have fun!

Photos:
(kitchen) 25 Beautiful Homes
all others; Country Homes & Interiors
via House to Home