Home Inspirations: January 2017

From glam to calm and points in between

Are you someone who loves pretty, sparkly, elegant, or glamorous in home decor?

Do you love to continually redecorate, change with the seasons etc. Are you someone who loves accessories? Many people have this "refined" up to date, concept of beauty and want their living spaces to reflect that.

Believe it or not, there are also people who are equally determined not to have spaces that are perfect and new. They like more pared down, earthy, calm environments that have "real" objects in them. Some refer to this look as zen.

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As in all things there is usually a middle road that people like to take. I am certainly not, nor never have been, attracted to glamorous spaces, with silk, sparkle and too much excess. Comfortable, calm and clean lined is more my vibe.

I have always found the Japanese world view/aesthetic of wabi sabi that acknowledges three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect, very freeing. Such beliefs allow you to accept the dents, scratches, wrinkles, splits, cracks and scuffs as part of the history of a piece that makes it unique and authentic. If you want to know more about wabi sabi check out this post.

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Natural materials predominate in wabi sabi homes: paper, aged wood, linens, cottons, etc. Look for anything that celebrates the marks of time, weather, and the effects of loving use. In other words look for objects with history on their surfaces.

I am definitely attracted to the tenets of wabi sabi, and if you went around my home you would see subtle evidence of my interest in the marks of time, wood, and natural materials like cotton and linen.
But you would also see pristine, light, glass and leather. For me combining new and old is also a statement that probably brings more attention to the less than perfect objects and what they mean.

I find spaces that have obviously combined the up to date with the old and authentic very interesting, and I think about them as approaching wabi sabi rather than fully embracing it.

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An old door made new with yellow

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A less than perfect stool in a white bathroom

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Pristine white sofas paired with antique, simple tables and a wooden bowl.

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An updated but old space with remnants of the world outside displayed.

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Modern art paired with a rustic bench and less than perfect but evocative pottery.

Isn't great interest created when you set up comparisons in your space?

Kitchen Inspiration and Polycor Design

We have been hard at work on this little kitchen of ours and I am so excited to see it in the final stretch to completion. I thought long and hard about how I wanted this space to feel and even though I now would have done a few things differently, I am so happy with how it is shaping up.
Pinterest is always a great source of inspiration for me but one lady in particular that has always been my design spirit animal ( is that really a thing) and in my opinion can do no wrong when it comes to interiors is Ms. Lauren Liess herself. I have pulled so much inspiration from her past homes and I am doing my best to sprinkle a bit of that magic around this little home of ours starting with the kitchen.

Her use of natural materials is spot on and her design encompasses my passion for a palette of white, black and wood tones with just a bit of nature added in here and there.

It was through Lauren's design that I fell in love with soapstone. I had always thought of myself as a marble only kind of girl but the warmth of the soapstone seemed to be just the right choice for our new home. I've had this vision of a warm and cozy european kitchen, the kind you can smell bread baking in just by looking at it. Old and new elements woven together resulting in exactly the right balance of rustic and modern.

This kitchen, is by far my favorite ever posted anywhere on the inter web, and every time I see it I get all the feels. It wasn't until after I started choosing the items for my new kitchen did I realize it was pretty darn close to this one, and I'm pretty sure influencing all my decision making. This is where I fell in love with Alberene Soapstone from Virgina. Seriously, even the runner is just so good!

I contemplated going with a more modern white hood for our range but the more I looked at this image I just couldn't decide. That was until I saw this Kate Marker design (2nd image) below and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Perfection!

Once I had settled on the look of the kitchen it was time to start working on sourcing all of the products. Thankfully, I was able to get in touch with Polycor. They own 30 quarries which are mostly based in the USA and I was able to work with them and choose just the right soapstone for our counter tops and backsplash. Now, because I do love some marble, I also decided on a

White Cherokee marble from Georgia for the top of the island.

Polycor has been a dream to work with and I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful their stones are. I am also so happy to be using a locally (as close to home as possible) sourced product, mined right here in the United States.

Polycor sent all of their stone samples for me to choose from, and even though I was sure I wanted to use the Alberene Soapstone and White Cherokee Marble, it was so awesome to see and feel all of the stones and the different finishes they offer.

Now a little peek at the stone that will be gracing my countertops and backsplash in the next coming week!!

Excuse the grainy pictures but c'mon its still so pretty!!

A toddlers room with Chasing Paper

You may remember my last collaboration with Chasing Paper back when we made over Emma's room here below. I can't say enough about this wallpaper. The quality is so good. Thick paper with an adhesive backing that basically seems like a giant sticker that is so easy to apply to the wall and comes right off. Trust me I'm no pro when it comes to wallpaper but I was able to apply this so easily and even when I messed up a little, I was able to peel it off and start again. A product that allows do overs....I'm loving that all day long!

Last year we received the most adorable personalized sign for Everly from Gingiber and I fell completely in love with this little bunny. So much so, that when I had the opportunity to work with Chasing Paper again this month, I couldn't help but choose the leaping bunnies paper that was created by the founder of Gingiber!

The paper arrived and I got to work. Once again it was a breeze to put up. I think it took me a little less than two hours to do this one wall and thats with multiple mom question interruptions!

It really is the sweetest design and Everly has even decided to name each and every bunny before she goes to bed at night. Oh my, it takes awhile!

She loves pink so this was the perfect compromise to this mama who loves her white rooms. I have always believed that my kids rooms should show their own personalities so pink it is! Its such a soft and pretty shade and those bunnies are the cutest.

Because we no longer have a playroom in this house all of her toys are kept in her room. Its pretty wonderful and actually how I grew up. No one had playrooms in the 80's....well not in the town I grew up in anyway, so playing in their rooms seemed like the natural thing for my kids to do. I use a lot of bins and baskets to keep it all neatly tucked away and we also donate all of the old toys to make room for new ones. Besides, I don't know what it is about little girls toys but they are all so teeny tiny I don't need to store any big items. I love that!!

Her new little bed has worked out so well. Its wider than a traditional twin bed and has completely stopped the falling out of bed which was happening way too much. Not only that but it also extends to the length of a twin so it will grow with her over time.

It makes my heart so happy to see her little room coming together and I am so happy to work with Chasing Paper again. This paper is such high quality and at a great price too! I really can't wait to add some more to our home in the near future.....now to decide where?!!

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