House Beautiful Cover Love.

I'm in love with the cover of the new House Beautiful! It pretty much speaks for itself, but I though I'd gush over the details of my new found design crush.

First things first, the color palette is spot on perfect. The neutrals mixed with pops of color create a sophisticated casual space ideal for members of either sex. The navy and green tone down the feminine pop of pink, and the ornate pattern on the throw balances out the masculine beiges, browns, and blacks.

I also love the different finishes incorporate seamlessly into one space. I spy natural fiber juxtaposing sleek glass, shiny silver, and cold stone. Pops of black iron compliment the white textiles. The room boasts great balance without containing much in the way of stuffy symmetry. It looks lived in, collected, and welcoming- all elements of a flawlessly designed space!

I recently "inherited" a hideous 1980's faux brass chandelier (although it plugs into the wall) contraption similar to the fixture below, only wide instead of long and much uglier.

I already had been planning on painting the brass out in a matte black, so it could masquerade as wrought iron. I figured it would make for a beautiful center piece filled with candles or flowers, and now I'm completely sold after seeing the gorgeousness that is the chandelier in the House Beautiful cover space.

One more chance to "ohhhh" and "ahhhhh"... Go ahead, I know you want to.

Let's be honest, this room definitely exceeds crush- I think it's a full blown love affair!

Feeling Blue.

Blue ceilings, that is. A long time stable of southern porches, designers have decided to take this idea indoors, including it in kitchens, foyers, and even bedrooms. The sky's the limit (pun intended).

The original - via Ashley Rohe Design

Sublte blue - via pinterest

Love the lacquered look above - via House Beautiful

So sophisticated - via pinterest

So happy they kept the planks white - via Elements of Style

The bold and the beautiful. The rich peacock blue balances the rich tones of the floor - via pinterest

Pick a tone of blue straight from your textiles - via pinterest

I'm loving what I see! Would you ever consider a painted ceiling in your home?

A Little Lovely for your Wednesday.

Just a little bit of what I'm loving today. I'm not seeing much in the way of a theme...maybe white with lots of color thrown in? Books? Happy little "moments" inside a bigger space? I don't know, but I love everything from the built-ins in the first all the way down to the Bohemian flair of the last!

via Sacramento Street

via Elle Decor

via India Pied a Terre

via Martha Stewart

via Love Maegan

via Country Living

Which one is your favorite?

What Inspires You?

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration just about everywhere!

Nature is endlessly inspiring to me. The colors, composition, lines, and patterns inspire me, and I am constantly blown away by the power of Mother Nature to create beauty from nothing.

Certain retail shops do it for me as well. The genius that is J. Crew gets my mind and heart racing every time I walk through the stylish doors. And Anthropologie is art in store-form as far as I'm concerned. I don't know where they find their creative visionaries, but keep them coming!

Old architecture transports me to a different place and time altogether. I love dreaming about by-gone eras when things were built to last and no detail was ignored!

Interesting patterns always excite me. I love classic design with some beautiful, worldly prints thrown in!

Of course, magazine are an obvious example. Stacks litter my apartment, and I love being able to flip through one on a whim. I always have so many more ideas after flipping through the glossy pages than when I started.

But my favorite source of inspiration? Blogs! There are so many amazingly talented people out there, and I love that blogs provide a platform to share these creative and inspiring ideas. I'm so grateful for all the bloggers putting content out there willingly and excited to share their work with the world. Keep that coming as well!

So I wonder...

Do the same things inspire you?

What gets you every time?

Happy (Ikat) Hump Day.

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for leaving you these past few days without so much as a peep. Between Blogger's issues on Friday and lots of exciting things happening around ATLS, it's been a few days. But I'm back and better than ever.

The lovely Danika over at Gorgeous Shiny Things included my ikat window treatment in her round-up of hand-painted ikats floating around Blogland!

Here's one of my favorites, but they are all beautiful and super impressive!

So happy she felt I deserved to be part of that gorgeous group. Some serious talent out there. Go check out her post here! Thanks Danika. Such a sweet little surprise today :)

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to Meagan! You won the Arcadian Lighting giveaway! Send me an email or write a comment with your email information and I'll get the prize over to you. Again, a big thanks to Arcadian Lighting for this fabulous giveaway!

And just a few beauties for your Thursday.

*Images via Pinterest

Cheerful Guest House.

Look at this Nantucket guest house designed by John Willey featured in House Beautiful. I just love how he incorporated playful color yet retains a sophisticated look.

A great trick for unifying an open space with two seating areas: a bench in the middle.

This way you can be part of either side of the room when sitting on this piece,

and the room is not visually "cut in half". I just love a bench with "arms" as seen above.

Fresh as a kitchen should be.

Love how the blue piping picks up on the wallcolor.

It's the little things that really make a room sing.

I kind of completely love this bedroom. Hard to wake up in a bad mood here, I'd imagine.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a vacation home!? Another house to decorate! What would yours look like? Whitewashed tranquility? Fun color you wouldn't dare using at your main house?

Have a great day! And don't forget to enter the giveaway. Only one more day...

I Want To Move In.

On any given day I could gush over Jenny's post from the day before. Time and time again, her projects are a perfect mix between the innovative and the classic. Her look is identifiably fresh and current, yet remains loyal to the principles of classic design. To sum it up, every time I view her work, I want to move in! Here is her NYC kitchen where she lives with her husband and three little girls. Gorgeous!

Moody shades of blue and black are lightened and brightened by pops of white

The "island" blows me away. Jenny repurposed a thrifted dresser they've had for years.

A few coats of BEHR's Night Shade and some white trim transform the piece.

And the Carerrra marble top? Jenny removed it from a $70 antique coffee table....

How well am I hiding my jealousy at the present moment? :)

Look at the transformation!

From the original...

...to a new chipboard back...

...the painter's tape to create perfect white lines...

...and Jenny used a cup to create perfect rounded edges on the white trim...

And don't even get me started on the Kilim rug, bright pink peonies, and orange LeCreuset in the background. Styled to perfection Jenny!

Herringbone Floors.

I love seeing classic elements in design. Using classics creates a timeless space, and you can layer in fun and funky accessories to keep things interesting. Herringbone pattern is one of those great timeless elements. You can change out your rugs to instantly transform the space, but you will always have a beautiful floor waiting for you underneath.

via Citified

Nate Berkus Interiors

via Pinterest

via Where You Hang Your Hat

And how about herringbone outside? I'm on board in a big way.

Stella McCartney's Gardens via Vogue

via House beautiful

via This Old House

What about you? Are you a fan of herringbone? Do tell.

And don't forget to enter the Giveaway here. I wish I could win!